Support Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com/

Scotto discusses Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory," a short story you can find in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Plus: fruitcake, Santa Claus, Christmas trees, whiskey, nostalgia, family, warmth, money, ornaments, childhood, and a bunch of other stuff I cannot think of right now. 

Scotto reacts to Nobel Prize laureate Han Kang's The Vegetarian. 

The patreon is currently shut down--but it may open up again someday. In the meantime, if you want to support Scotto, rate the podcast and share it! 

Scotto reacts to Jamaica Kincaid's A Small Place and discusses why he hasn't been many places. This episode explores the relationship between consumers and workers, Scotto's domestic travel experiences, tourism, colonialism, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and much more. 

Get more episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto connects with Mary Gaitskill's Veronica. 

Support Scotto and get bonus episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto reacts to Karl Ove Knausgaard's "The Reenchanted World," which you can read in the June 2025 issue of Harper's: https://harpers.org/archive/2025/06/the-reenchanted-world-karl-ove-knausgaard-digital-age/

Support Scotto and get bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto reacts to a chapter from Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend. 

Guest episode! Rob Couch talks about reading Larry McMurtry's Moving on. You can listen to Rob's podcast about King of the Hill here: https://www.yeppodcast.com/

Support Scotto and get bonus episodes of How I've Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Get bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

The murder of Robert Brooks in a New York prison motivated Scotto to reread Angela Y. Davis's Are Prison's Obsolete. The book made him think about the innacurate and pervase representation of prisons in American media and the ramifications of a draconian and racist criminal justice system. This episode includes discussions of the prison in Scotto's hometown, Orange Is the New Black, Oz, Goodfellas, The Sopranos, The Godfather, Guantanamo Bay, Trump, Obama, and much more. 

Author Kelly Daniels shares a story about his mother reading him The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (and much more). Find Kelly's writing and podcast here: https://authorkellydaniels.com/

Support Scotto and get more episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto reacts to Hermann Hesse's novel Demian. The episode explores lying, good and evil, pen names, World Wars, prodigal sons, and much more. 

It's the fall of 2008 and a 21-year-old Scotto is trying to live on campus again. He's learning about ancient Roman art, Toni Morrison, and the Gospel According to John, all while failing socially and falling confusedly in love with an older woman. It's a time of important realizations, intense reading, and inspiration. Young Scotto is compelled by the very simple idea that the story of Jesus Christ was authored by real people who had rhetorical intentions. It's the first time he's ever read at length from the bible, a book that influenced his entire childhood, and the experience is formative, thanks to the guidance of a gifted college professor. 

Get more episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Guest episode! Writer Rachel King talks about James Baldwin's Just Above My Head. Go read Rachel's books: Bratwurst Haven and People Along the Sand. 

Get more episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Get more episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto reacts to Mary Ruefle's "I Remember, I Remember," an essay about Ruefle's relationship with poetry. With cameos from John Berryman, John Keats, Arthur Miller, and others. 

Support Scotto and get extra episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto attends a jazz concert. 

In How I've Read's inaugural guest episode, Sam Olson tells a story about reading (and rereading) J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings throughout his formative years. 

Get more episodes and support Scotto on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Support Scotto and get more episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto reads from Writing the Land: Virginia, edited by Dr. Lis McLoughlin. 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto reacts to Part I of Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. 

Scotto states the obvious about Elon Musk's nazi salute, Trump's inauguration, and America's move toward fascism. Plus some thoughts about Luigi Mangione and the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. 

Shout out to Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde for speaking truth to power. 

Support Scotto: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto reads "The Egg" by Andy Weir. 

Scotto reacts to the election of Donald Trump. With poems from Zoe Leonard, Felix, Allen Ginsberg, and Bertolt Brecht. Shout out to Taco Bell Quartlery. 

Support Scotto and get more episodes on Patreon. 

https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto records while pacing in his office and reading: James Brown's Apology to the Young Addict, old letters from Mrs. Scotto, an anonymously authored book called Time Heals All Wounds, and notes from Old Good Bird. Plus: 28 push-ups, The Serenity Prayer, "Semi-Charmed Kind of Life," Don Hertzfeldt, love, Sufjan Stevens, weightlifting, friendship, wisdom, stick figures, alcoholism, Tetris, chess, fat arms, office decorating, flowers, awards, and a whole lot of panting.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Amen! Yeah!  

Scotto grapples with Paolo Sorrentino's 2013 film, The Great Beauty, starring Toni Servillo and Sabrina Ferilli. Get more episodes on Patreon. 

https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Bonus episode! Scotto connects with Hunter, Tracy, Anna, Geraldine, Ronnie, Jeffrey, and--hopefully--you. Join Patreon to get more episodes. 

https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Listen to part II of this episode on Patreon. Scotto connects with Clarice Lispecter. 

https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto connects with Walt Whitman. Get more episodes on Patreon. 

https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto avoids the crickets. 

Scotto reads Vincent Bugliosi's true crime classic about the Manson Family murders. This episode includes: Susan Atkins' grand jury testimony; tangents about manipulation, the US military, and the power of language; and a meditation about good and evil. 

Get premium episodes on Patreon. 

In this episode, Scotto connects with Jaques Lacan and interrogates the pain of hiding neurodivergence, queerness, gentleness, enthusiasm and many of his other true traits. 

Get premium episodes on Patreon.

The actual title of the Lacan piece mentioned in this episode is "The Mirror Stage as Formative of the I Function." Scotto often gets titles wrong. 

Scotto talks about how he learned to read. This episode includes Matt Christopher, The Gettysburg Address, John Steinbeck, Ellie Weisel, Macbeth, The Catcher in The Rye, Linkin Park, and a 34-year-old NYT op-ed called "Why Ali Loved Flag Burnings."

Join Patreon to get premium episodes. 

Get premium episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto connects with Marlen Haushofer. 

Scotto fast-forwards through The Roast of Tom Brady and feels confused about football, comedy, and meanness. Support John Paul Scotto and get exclusive episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto reacts to a Louise Glück poem. This episode includes reflections on insomnia, healing, aging, stimming, autism, alcoholism, family, and much more. Happy Thanksgiving! 

Scotto exists somewhere between Plato and Derrida. 

Get exclusive episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto connects with E.B. White. 

Get exclusive episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto connects with Lucia Berlin. 

Get exclusive episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto meditates on the nature of memoir. 

Get exclusive episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Scotto connects with Old Good Bird and Susan Steinberg.

Get premium episodes on Patreon.

Scotto connects with Osamu Dazai and Elena Ferrante. 

Get premium episodes and support John Paul on Patreon. 

Scotto declares what he's doing here. 

Get exclusive episodes on Patreon

It's the day after Scotto's 39th birthday. 

Scotto reacts to Ha Jin's novel War Trash, which explores a Chinese soldier's time in an American POW camp. This episode includes reflections on historical fiction, the Korean War, the War in Ukraine, the Israel/Palestine conflict, propaganda, the violence in Sudan, Zohran Mamdani, and much more. 

While taking care of a sick dog, Scotto reads a poem called "Then for the Seventh Night" by Mark Levine. 

Scotto finishes his discussion of J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey. 

This episode includes: root beer in a water gun, spiritual crises, family conflicts, The Baghavad Gita, Franz Kafka, Jesus Christ, a kimono full of hardware, ghosts of the dead, ghosts of the living, and much more. 

Scotto reacts to J.D. Salinger's short story "Franny." The episode includes ruminations on: child prodigies, people pleasing, the power of prayer, the pain of dating someone you don't really like, the yearning for God, and much more. 

To support Scotto, please rate the podcast, subscribe, and share.