(Sort of) The Story
Two best friends tell each other stories they heard and read that week (and also, you are here!)
Episodes
Hello and welcome to another episode! This week, Janey is going to teach us a valuable lesson about the importance of writing complex characters, and Max is going to re-tell a cozy little comic! May your October be spooky and bright!
Janey's Sources - “W.S.” by L.P. Hartley
- LOCATION: England
- “Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories”
- L.P. Hartley’s wiki
Max's Sources - A Small Wild Magic
- LOCAT...
Hello and welcome to the shocking conclusion of this the 2025 Off Topic Season. This week, Max is closing us out with the truly baffling list of all the reasons why Nicholas Cage had to make those insane movies between 2009-2015. (Also Janey is REAL mouthy, so if you disagree, be sure to write in!)
Buckle up, babes! Janey's going to tell us about the most insane assassination you may have never heard of! Let us know if you followed this story when it happened, because Janey's never stopped thinking about it.
Sources:
- “Kim Jong-nam Says N. Korean Regime Won’t Last Long”, by The Chosun Daily in 2012.
- “Kim Jong-il’s son reappears in Singapore one year after feeling Macau” from The Shanghaiist.
- “...
Hello and happy first episode of October!!!! This week, Max is going to tell us a wonder tale about a sexy bear and the weirdo prince who loves her, and Janey is going to give us all the CREEPS and make us want to do our laundry. Enjoy!!!
Janey's Sources - Oh Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad
- LOCATION: England
- “Classic Ghost Stories” edited by John Grafton
- M.R. James Wiki
- “The Pilgrim’s Progress” by John B...
It's alive! IT'S ALIVE! ("It" being another Off Topic episode!) Welcome back, gals and ghouls! This week, Max is telling us all about the teenaged mother of science fiction herself, and the lengths she went to to avoid hanging out with Lord Byron. Enjoy!
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Starting your own pod...
Hello and welcome! This week, Janey is going waayyyyy off topic to talk about something that freaked her out so bad, she felt the need to make a legal disclaimer at the top!
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Please check out the sources below for more information.
SOURCES:
- “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”, directed by Alex Gibney
- Jenna Miscavige, former Scientolo...
On today's episode, Janey is going to tell us about a girl who CHOOSES to look that way (it's not an accident, so stop trying to fix her hair), and Max is going to guide us into spooOOOooky season with a story about a man with control issues. Enjoy!
Janey's Sources - Tatterhood
- LOCATION: Norway
- “Tatterhood and other tales” edited by Ethel Johnston Phelps
Max's Sources - The Wolf Br...
Happy 2nd Off Topic! This week, Max is going to tell us about an organization in search of people who could predict disasters. (We have a feeling you're going to like this one.)
Sources:
It's open season on topics, and Janey's starting us off with a bunch of facts about the Medieval Times dinner theater that nobody asked for! (Very seriously, if any knights listen to our podcast, please call us.)
Enjoy!
Sources:
- “The Untold Truth of Medieval Times" by Adam Swierk for Mashed.
- “How Medieval Times Survives in the Digital Age” by Christopher Reynolds for Toronto Star.
- “A 30-Year Career...
Hello and welcome back! This week, Max is going to tell us a Filipino story about a man with questionable reasoning skills, and Janey is going to pull us kicking and screaming into spooky season. We hope you like it!
Janey's Sources - Pressed
- LOCATION: Georgia, US
- “Spooky Georgia: Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore”, retold by S.E. Schlosser, illustrated by Paul G. Hoffman.
- S.E. S...
On this week's episode, Janey is going to tell a story about a boy-kicker who got the last stomp, and Max is going to tell us about a little guy who gets his juice squeezed! (Some days writing these intros feels like a cosmic test....) Hope you enjoy!
Janey's Sources - Ragged Emperor
- “The Bronze Cauldron: Myths and Legends of the World” by Geradline McCaughrean and Bee Wiley (Illustrator)
- Wikipedia e...
Hello! We're back from summer break and excited to tell you two brand new stories! This week Max is going to tell us about a radioactive little guy who just wants to dance, and Janey is going to tell us about a man who chose to tickle the wrong round girl. Enjoy!
Janey's Sources - Three Strong Women
Max's Sources - Disco Hedgehog
Hello! We hope you're having a good summer. Things have been crazy, and we just wanted to pop in from our summer break and leave you all a little love.
On July 4th, we donated $500 in the name of (Sort of) The Story to the American Civil Liberties Union. We love you, no matter where you're from.
Janey's Sources - The Wife Who Could Remove Her Head (from Episode 33)
Hello and happy last-episode-before-summer-break! This week, Max is going to tell us a Mayan tale about two little scamps who learn the age-old lesson that ball IS life, and Janey is going to teach us to never trust Old Greg (but if you haven't learned that lesson by now, you might be doomed). We hope you enjoy!
PS, we are taking the month of June (and possibly July) off! This is absolutely necessary for us to res...
Hello and welcome back! On this week's episode, Janey is going to tell us about a helpful little mouse who can do it all, and Max is going to tell us about a woman who prioritizes her needs over work (god FORBID a woman do something for herself every once in a while). Enjoy!
Janey's Sources - The Forest Bride
Max's Sources - The Weaver Maiden and the Cowherd
- “Myths of the ...
Hello and happy Part 2 of our Mythology episode! This week Max is going to tell us the story of Theseus, Ariadne, and the Minotaur! Get ready to rage!
Max’s Sources - Theseus, Ariadne, the Minotaur, and the Labyrinth
- Diffen.com - “Labyrinth vs. Maze”
- Classical Kids’ summary of Theseus, Ariadne, and the Minotaur
- Greek Mythology: The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur
- Liverpool Museums, “Theseus and the Minotaur”...
Hello! Our theme for the next two episodes is "mythology", and Janey is kicking us off with the Greek story of Jason and Medea. We're going to learn about the Argonaut-Boy Trip, how the gods screwed Medea over, and also discuss why we support women's wrongs. Hope you enjoy!
Sources:
Happy April Fools Day, Loca! https://youtu.be/2CLzjKXzwB0?si=sLl_8Muj59M_p3N2
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Hello and welcome to the end of March! This week, Max is going to change the way we think about Jack and the Beanstalk, and Janey is going to tell us about a magical kidnapping! (Business as usual!)
Janey's Sources - Jamie Freel and the Young Lady
Max's Sources - Jack and the Beanstalk
Happy St. Patrick's Day! This week we're telling Irish stories! Janey is going to tell us about a man who runs away to fairy land, and Max is going to tell us about a woman who does the same! We hope you enjoy!
A note on spelling: Janey's story is about Finn McCool, which is how "Irish Folk and Fairy Tales" spells it. The traditional spelling is Fionn mac Cumhaill, but since we wanted to m...
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