Mysterious Goings On with Alex Greenwood

This week, two essays about mondegreens and eggcorns—those moments when the brain mishears something or rewires a phrase to make it fit better. How we confidently get language wrong in ways that make perfect sense.

Featuring:

• "There's a Bathroom on the Right" — On misheard song lyrics and why the brain prefers coherence over accuracy
• "In One Foul Swoop" — On eggcorns, language evolution, and why getting it wrong ...

In this episode, Alex reads his latest essay from All the Fits That's News — a piece that starts with a Star Trek argument and ends somewhere considerably less comfortable.

The essay traces what happens when group membership stops being a background feature of how we live and starts running the cognitive show. Drawing on Henri Tajfel's social identity theory experiments from the 1970s, it looks at how we sort ourselves into gr...

In this episode of Mysterious Goings On, Alex shares his latest essay, “The Heat Travels Slowly.”

The short version: "when I was five, my aunt told me not to touch the iron. I touched it anyway. The longer version is about why that kind of direct, immediate feedback no longer applies to most of the decisions that actually matter, and what happens when the consequences of bad choices arrive so slowly and indirectly that ...

Cross-posted from All the Fits That's News. In this episode:

When Friendships End (And Nothing Went Wrong) - Most friendships don’t explode. They run out of gas. Why the seasonality of relationships isn’t failure, it’s just life doing what it does.

Being Right Isn’t Enough. Being Effective Matters - Outrage doesn’t change behavior. Money does. Why closing your wallet might be the most honest re...

What do you get when a writer builds a dystopian world that feels uncomfortably close to the one we already live in? A trilogy worth paying attention to.

Alex sits down with Lynette M. Burrows author of the Fellowship Dystopia series, for a conversation that covers a lot of ground; from the moral weight of violence in fiction to the long, sometimes painful arc of developing a protagonist worth following across multiple books.

Lynett...

Alex explores the complexities of navigating a creative career, particularly in writing and podcasting. He discusses the pervasive influence of the Author Services Industrial Complex, which capitalizes on authors' anxieties rather than genuinely helping them succeed. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the local nuances of podcasting and marketing, warning against the pitfalls of outsourcing these tasks to firms that lack...

On the Season 17 Premiere, Alex reflects on Robert Greene's book 'Mastery' and its profound impact on his understanding of personal growth and the writing craft.

He discusses the concept of the long apprenticeship, the importance of recognizing one's true self, and the influences that have shaped his journey as a writer. Alex emphasizes the value of dedication and the gradual process of mastering a craft, while also looking forwar...

In this reflective piece, Alex challenges the conventional narrative surrounding the holidays as a time for renewal and optimism. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of acknowledging personal loss and the complexities of life. He advocates for clearer thinking, honest conversations, and modest wishes that focus on competence and responsibility rather than empty optimism.

Alex's message is a call to embrace the nuances of life, re...

In this episode, Alex reads his essay, “Tend Your Garden, But Don’t Forget the Gate,” originally published on his Substack, All The Fits That’s News. The piece explores the limits of the old Stoic maxim, “Don’t complain, don’t explain,” and how silence, when taken too far, becomes a form of avoidance rather than strength.

Alex reflects on a difficult period in his professional life, wh...

Alex takes a look at this year’s Spotify Wrapped for Mysterious Goings On and talks through what the numbers say about a small, strange, independent show that refuses to behave like a big studio podcast.

He points out which episodes surprised him, where listeners are tuning in from, and even what kind of music and audiobooks the audience seems to love.

There’s curiosity, a little pride, and plenty of thanks to the folks ...

What happens when a children’s book is written for adults who know better? Filmmaker and author Cevin Soling joins Alex to talk about his brilliantly twisted storybooks that hide sharp social commentary behind bright illustrations and dark comedy.

His ⁠Rumpelville Chronicles⁠ wrap heavy themes in playful visuals, inviting adults to laugh, cringe, and think at the same time. Soling’s been poking at cultural absurdities si...

What keeps an artist going when fame never quite shows up? For songwriter, drummer, and now novelist Douglas Bales, the answer is simple: the people who actually listen.

In this episode, Douglas joins Mysterious Goings On to talk about his 40-year journey through the garage shows, the smoky clubs, the late-night drives, and the long odds that define a life in music.

We get into what it really feels like to be onstage in front of an ...

Author Dennis A. Feece returns to the show to talk about the latest chapter in his TB Stone series, THE PHANTOM GRASP ...which takes place in a world where identity, heritage, and personal history shape every twist.

We get into how his own background fuels the storytelling, why authenticity matters more than ever, and what it takes to balance the pull of the market with the story you actually need to tell.

Feece opens up about the e...

Alex shares a personal essay about a man who lived like he would never hit a red light. His life became a cautionary tale about avoidance, magical thinking, and the cost of confusing motion with progress.

If you have ever watched someone you love floor it toward the inevitable or felt the pull of that habit yourself, this one may land close to home.

Thank you for listening. How about checking out All the Fits That’s News?

I...

In this episode, Alex discusses the pervasive tension in today's world, attributing it to various societal pressures and the overwhelming nature of news and social media. He emphasizes the importance of cultivating personal connections and kindness as a means to navigate through negativity and stress.

By focusing on small, positive actions, individuals can create a more supportive environment for themselves and others, despite the ...

Welcome to Season 16 of Mysterious Goings On.

Sometimes it takes a hard knock to the head to change how you see time.

After a simple workplace accident led to an ER visit, Alex Greenwood found himself staring at a very different kind of threshold—one marked by uncertainty, health scares, and the quiet reckoning that comes when life reminds you it’s not a dress rehearsal.

In this deeply personal premiere episode, Alex refle...

In our Season 15 finale, Alex talks about how, in the late Robert Redford’s All Is Lost, survival looks less like fireworks and more like grit, silence, and finally, a single reaching hand.

In this episode, Alex Greenwood reflects on the film’s ending and what it teaches us about endurance, despair, and the ways hope shows up in real life.

***Spoiler alert: If you haven’t seen Robert Redford’s 2013 film&...

What does Edith Piaf have to teach us about surviving chaos in 2025? From La Vie en Rose to Marvel blockbusters, I explore why old voices still matter when today’s culture feels hollow.

Plus, a special announcement: get 50% off your first year as a paid subscriber to⁠All the Fits That’s News .⁠

CONNECT:

• ​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠All the Fits That's News on Substack (Free or Paid)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex's Author Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In 2006, Mike Judge’s Idiocracy was satire. In 2025, it looks like the nightly news. Alex unpacks how anti-intellectualism, corporate dominance, politics as spectacle, and meme-economics echo Judge’s dystopia—and why the joke is starting to feel real.

Plus, a special announcement: get 50% off your first year as a paid subscriber toAll the Fits That’s News .

CONNECT:

• ​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠All the Fits That's News on S...