Prose Society with Eli Rallo

Another week of Prose Society is here, and Eli is back with a little bit of everything: half culture catch-up, half book club. We start off with some life updates, including her first vote as a newlywed in Houston, her first-ever UT game, and a recap of her housewarming. The FYP is jam-packed this week, including Taylor Swift in Dior at the Academy Museum Gala, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, Sofia Franklyn's upcoming book, and what Jay-Z’s Super Bowl halftime show could consist of.
Switching gears to the book review portion, Eli gives her full spoiler review of our October pick, HONEY by Imani Thompson. She shares why she doesn’t think it belongs in the “weird girl litfic” box, why she was secretly rooting for Yrsa, and why she’s fully on board with that ending. Lastly, stick around for a spoiler-filled movie breakdown of You Can See Everything and the twist that had the whole theater gasping.
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This week, Eli is joined by Antonia (@BlackGirlThatReads), one of the best follows on bookish Instagram. Since late July, Antonia has been welcoming people who have just moved to Texas on Threads with one simple question: are you registered to vote? She shares what she’s learned about the state’s voter registration process and how a few replies online turned into something much bigger.
Then, of course, it’s time to talk books. Antonia’s almost done reading our monthly pick, HONEY, so she shares her honest early thoughts, and the two defend the right of a main character to be messy. They get into Goodreads reviews, hate-reading, whether anyone is actually reading 500 books a year, and why it’s okay to wait until you’re ready for a book. Plus, Antonia talks about her year of Toni Morrison, her all-time favorite book, and the Black-owned bookstore in Houston’s Third Ward she swears by.
Follow Antonia! @BlackGirlThatReads
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Keep up to date! Follow our socials: @Eli.Rallo | @ProseSocietyPodcast
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This week's Culture Catch-Up is packed with life updates! Eli's prepping for her Houston housewarming, recovering from a stubborn cold, and reminiscing about how her sister-in-law Jess went from community theater kid to marrying her brother. She dishes on spotting Florence Pugh at the Polo Bar, finishing her book I Hope Eden Reads This, and her newfound Kindle reading ecosystem. There's a deep dive into the Verity premiere, Taylor Swift discourse, and why the internet can't let people just like or dislike things anymore — plus thoughts on the Glee reboot, Dancing With the Stars voting chaos, and a midterms voting push. And of course, a Sweetie and Lover of the Week tribute to her SolidCore instructor.
New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe now to join the group chat. See you between the pages!
Keep up to date! Follow our socials: @Eli.Rallo | @ProseSocietyPodcast
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Actress, screenwriter, and playwright Zoe Kazan joins this episode of Prose Society to discuss her Netflix adaptation of John Steinbeck's East of Eden — a project six years in the making. Zoe shares her approach to adaptation, why she centered the anti-hero Cathy Ames (played by Florence Pugh), and what it meant to carry forward a story her own grandfather adapted for the screen in 1955. She also opens up about the personal identities — mother, sister, daughter — that shaped her writing, the casting process behind the series' star-studded ensemble, and why she believes adaptation is an advanced form of reading. Plus, rapid-fire recommendations spanning Toni Morrison to Stephen King.
Follow Zoe! @Zoe.Kazan
New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe now to join the group chat. See you between the pages!
Keep up to date! Follow our socials: @Eli.Rallo | @ProseSocietyPodcast
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This week's a long one. We're recapping the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Vegas, the VMAs, Dancing With the Stars, and The Traitors — plus a deep dive into Taylor Swift's Showgirl Encore with a track-by-track review and thoughts on the fandom discourse. We're talking Martha Stewart at 85, the foldable iPhone, generative AI, Stella Lefty's hater-fueled career, TikTok's hyper-local For You Page, and the iced coffee interview debate that turned into a generational war (justice for millennials!). Plus: October's book club pick Honey by Imani Thompson, what I'm reading now, a voter registration reminder, and my Sweetie & Lover of the Week.
New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe now to join the group chat. See you between the pages!
Keep up to date! Follow our socials: @Eli.Rallo | @ProseSocietyPodcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.