Off the Books

Absurdist humor, a middle finger to corporate IP, and a sweetly romantic heart blend together into one of the least inventive shows of the internet age. (T.S. has been caught up in the Kendrick/Drake beef all week so she’s talking unoriginality today, both good and bad).

Set in the 2020s, this show is about T.S. Holloway, an English major, who goes to Seattle to obtain an education and put an end to her disastrous 18-year losing streak. While staying at a shit hole apartment her junior year she begins searching for a truly original novel. Off the Books examines the conflict between literature and getting pussy; and the ways in which a novel’s objective meaning is a joke.

Off the Books tells the story of T.S. Holloway as she navigates the rocky passages of college life to the background babble of brand-name consumerism. The menacing rain clouds of Seattle symbolize a more urgent and visible version of the "white noise" engulfing us all- cell phones, sirens, microwaves, ultrasonic appliances, and TV murmurings-pulsing with life, yet suggesting something ominous.

Part satire, part discourse, Off the Books explores what it’s like to exist as a pretentious person in an anti-intellectual world, the difficulty of maintaining friendships through university, and the more cult-like effects of masculinity, “hustle” culture, and capitalism—all through the vibrant lens of a surreal, scary, and immensely imaginative hour of audio.

Off the Books depicts an inhabitant of a three-story Seattle apartment building: a 20-something woman who has yet to find a book can finally get her laid named T.S. Holloway. Taking advantage of the absolute latest advances in audio technology, Off the Books is a show with no deliberate meaning, the scope, ambition, artistry and emotional prevarication unlike anything yet seen from this DJ or in this medium, probably for good reason.

After 2 failed premier attempts, acclaimed Seattle deadbeat T.S. Holloway is thrust into a paranoid novel of metaphors, symbols, and mail. Recording across a shorter time slot, she quotes some extremely well-crafted prose, and attains a not inconsiderable amount of useless knowledge. (Season 5 Premiere)

It’s season 4 finale time! Today T.S. plans to regale you with one of the most gorgeous graphic novels she’s ever read: My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris! It’s a historical tale about vintage horror comics, murder mysteries, the civil rights movement, holocaust survivors and (surprise, surprise) lesbianism. Stay tuned next quarter for more music and pretentious literary ramblings!

After another “mental health hiatus” T.S. returns with one of her favorite books of all time: the philosophical hard sci-fi novel Childhood’s End. Tune in to hear her pontificate about demon aliens, hiveminds of babies, utopian philosophy, and free will.

Today T.S. returns from a brief hiatus with another trans horror book! It’s a total coincidence, she swears. This week it’s Be Kind My Neighbor a graphic novel about two trans guys in love with murder, cults, puppets and music! Tune in for a chill session of folk music and queer positivity!

Today T.S. dives into queer splatterpunk with Manhunt by Gretchen Felker Martin. Prepare to be horrified by cannibalism, gender apocalypses, and a cult worshiping JK Rowling. Get ready to be horrified by the scariest thing haunting our world today: transphobia!

Do you wish you were a goth girl at a catholic school in 1993? Why would you? Today’s book: Skim (by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki), follows Kim as she navigates wicca, a crush on her teacher, the suicide of a classmate, and a broken arm. Come for some cozy fall vibes and enjoy the sad songs!

A gargantuan, mind-altering episode about T.S.’s new favorite novel: Infinite Jest. Set in a recording booth and featuring the most annoyingly screwed-up host in radio history, Off the Books explores essential questions about why the University of Washington admitted TS; about how your desire for entertainment made you listen to her pseudo-intellectual drivel; and about what pleasure you could possibly get from listening to such a miserable fuck. (2-hour Season Premiere)

Her wrists finally healed from a Digital Penetration accident, T.S. is pride month ready, and back to her full DJ abilities. Today, she discusses two classic pieces of butch literature: Stone Butch Blues and The Beebo Brinker Chronicles. Thanks for listening this past year, my loyal pseudo-intellectuals.

T.S. misses the cool autumn weather, so she's turning the dead into the undead for dead week!

On today's episode, T.S. is injured, so she's phoning it in. Here's some random music she likes but never found a book to put it to.

On today's Mother's Day special, T.S.'s Mom, Gina, joins us to talk the titular coming of age novel

On today's episode of Off the Books, T.S. covers TWO books: Severance by Ling Ma and The Employees by Olga Ravn, and talks workers rights, and the labor movement. Also she has to turn this in for a final for her class, so she's on her A game.

In today's episode, T.S. talks about one of her favorite graphic novels, the Essex County trilogy.

After a grueling week of reading the Infinite Jest, T.S. takes a look at Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart. Even though she read it as a middle schooler, now, she has a new love, and hate for parts of it.

Today, T.S. talks The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead, along with the concepts of postmodernism, late-stage capitalism, racism, and, most importantly: elevators.

In the Season 3 Premier, T.S. tells us all about her favorite great American novels

Facing Dead Week burnout, failed child prodigy T.S. Holloway talks Less than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis, and some quotes that have been getting her through the misery of school as of late.

Today TS Holloway is punished to perform a show about the series Scott Pilgrim by Brian Lee O'Malley, since ECCC is happening and all the nerds are in town.

Today's book of choice is one of T.S.'s favorite of all time: Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado.

After a false start last week, T.S. discusses Deadly Class, a charming little hyper violent, punky comic series by Rick Remender.