The Cluttered Desk
By Colin Cox and Andrew Hicks
Categories: Society & Culture, Education
We all have a cluttered desk. It's a space that holds what we want to read, watch, and think about. Join the hosts of The Cluttered Desk—Colin Cox and Andrew Hicks—as they talk literature, film, comic books, politics, critical theory, theology, and anything else that might tickle their fancy. The Cluttered Desk Podcast is produced and recorded in Bristol, Virginia, with music by Test Dream.
268 episodes indexed on PodSearch.
Recent episodes
- S16E9: The Atmospherics of Apocalypse (X-Men '97 Season 2 Part 2)
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin finish their discussion of Season 2 of X-Men '97. Enjoy! *** Coda: Lovely Day IPA by Harmon Brewing Company (Andrew) Triple Double by Small Hours Coffee (Colin) *** Andrew's recommendation: "Friday I'm in Love" by The Cure Colin's…
- S16E8: On Dolly
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss the legacy and impact of Dolly Parton. She passed on August 25, 2026. Enjoy! *** Coda: Elijah Craig Bourbon (Andrew) Reanimator's Ethiopia Mamo Kacha (Colin) *** Andrew's recommendation: Laura Hicks Hardy's Substack…
- S16E7: Playing the devil, embracing the saint (X-Men '97 Season 2)
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss Season 2 of X-Men '97. Enjoy! *** Coda: Fever-Tree Blood Orange Ginger Beer (Andrew) Apple Juice (Colin) *** Andrew's recommendation: Jury Duty (2023) and Paradise (2025) Colin's recommendation: Katabasis by R. F. Kaung ***…
- S16E6: Draw, Pass
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss trading card games. Enjoy! *** Coda: Jim's Organic Coffee (Andrew) Jim's Organic Coffee (Colin) *** Andrew's recommendation: Project Songbird Colin's recommendation: Hacks and Olivia Rodrigo's You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl…
- S16E5: Mutantmaxxing
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin return to X-Men by discussing the new trailer for Season 2 of X-Men '97 and then they analyze a few X-Men poems. Enjoy! *** Coda: Boochy Mama's Sunlight Serenade (Andrew) Water (Colin) *** Andrew's recommendation: The X-Terminators…
- S16E4: Under the Influence
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss the intriguing and troubling contours of influence by offering a close reading of the Phoebe Bridgers song "Punisher." Enjoy! *** Coda: Miller Lite (Andrew) Deschutes Non-Alcoholic Fresh Squeezed IPA (Colin) *** Andrew's…
- S16E3: In the Name of the Mother (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms)
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin return to Westeros to discuss A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Enjoy! *** Coda: Sierra Nevade Springfest IPA (Andrew) Bubly Grapefruit Water (Colin) *** Andrew's recommendation: Shrinking (TV Series) Colin's recommendation: Cruel…
- S16E2: What is the Hicks that is to come? (Capitalist Realism Vol. 3)
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin finish their discussion of Mark Fisher's Capitalist Realism. Enjoy! *** Coda: 51K IPA from Blackrocks Brewery (Andrew) Water (Colin) *** Andrew's recommendation: Key & Peele Colin's recommendation: Yellowface by R. F. Kuang and A…
- S16E1: Capitalist Realism Vol. 2
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin continue their discussion of Mark Fisher's Capitalist Realism. Enjoy! *** Coda: Winter Sangria Sparkling Water (Andrew) Topo Chico (Colin) *** Andrew's recommendation: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025) Colin's…
- S15E12: The Simpsons Movie (2007)
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In our annual Simpsons episode, Andrew and Colin discuss the 2007 movie, The Simpsons Movie. Enjoy! *** The Coda: Great Lakes Brewing Company's Christmas Ale (Andrew) and Topo Chico (Colin) *** Here are links for this episode: Andrew's recommendation: Listen to…
- S15E11: Capitalist Realism Vol. 1
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin begin their book study of Mark Fisher's Capitalist Realism. Enjoy! *** Coda: Bell's Christmas Ale (Andrew) Strawberry Peach LaCroix (Colin) *** Andrew's recommendation: Night in the Woods Colin's recommendation: Lux by Rosalía and…
- S15E10: On Frank X Walker's "Amazin' Grace"
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss Andrew's recent conference presentation on Frank X Walker's poem "Amazin' Grace." Enjoy! *** Coda: MI P1LSNER (Andrew) La Croix Limoncello (Colin) *** Andrew's recommendation: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Colin's…
- S15E9: The Lord of the CHUDS
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss the far-right's fascination with The Lord of the Rings. Enjoy? Who knows. *** Coda: Miller Lite (Andrew) Cherry Limeade Waterloo (Colin) *** Andrew's recommendation: Susanna Clarke's novel, Piranesi Colin's recommendation…
- S15E8: Superman but with they/them pronouns
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss James Gunn's Superman (2025) and the conservative media response to it. Enjoy! *** Coda: Clawhammer from Highland Brewing Company (Andrew) Water (Colin) *** Andrew's recommendation: Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman and…
- S15E7: Everything but a dinosaur w/Betsy Cooper
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Betsy Cooper joins Andrew and Colin to discuss the new Jurassic Park movie, Jurassic World Rebirth. Enjoy! *** Coda: Sierra Nevada Summerfest (Andrew), Tennessee Hills Blackberry Sage Craft Cocktail (Betsy), and Tangerine LaCroix (Colin) *** Andrew's…
- S15E6: Debate Me, Bucko!
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss the destructive nature of the Jubilee debate format as well as the Jordan Peterson Jubilee debate. Enjoy! *** Here's a link to the Peterson debate. *** Coda: Andrew had the Oberon Ale from Bell's Brewing Company, and Colin…
- S15E5: Lucky Charms and New Creation
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss breakfast cereal (sort of) and heaven or, as Andrew prefers, New Creation. Enjoy! *** Coda: Both Colin and Andrew had Jim's Organic Coffee. *** Andrew's recommendation: A Specter, Haunting by China Miéville Colin's…
- S15E4: Pilot Season
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss the pilot episode as a unique piece of television media. Enjoy! *** Coda: Fear.Movie.Lions Hazy Double IPA from Stone Brewing (Andrew) and Kolsch Style Non-Alcoholic from Best Day Brewing (Colin) *** Andrew's recommendation…
- S15E3: The Steel Man and the Star War
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin examine recent reevaluations of the Star Wars prequel films. To do this, they deploy a rhetorical technique called "steelmanning." Enjoy! *** Source: "You Underestimate Their Power: The Definitive Defense of the Star Wars Prequels"…
- S15E2: I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss the 2024 film I Saw the TV Glow. Enjoy! *** The Coda: Two Hearted IPA by Bell's (Andrew) and Jim's Organic Coffee (Colin) *** Here are links for this episode: Andrew's recommendation: "You Just Lost The Game" from the…
- S15E1: A Pedagogical "Love Story"
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss teaching subjects and material they love. To do so, they use Stephanie Burt's piece from Vanity Fair, which reflects on her experience teaching a Taylor Swift course at Harvard. Enjoy! *** Here's a link to the Stephanie Burt…
- S14E12: Marge Simpson
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In our annual Simpsons episode, Andrew and Colin discuss the complex characterization of Marge Simpson. Enjoy! *** "A Streetcar Named Marge" (S4E2) "Marge vs. the Monorail" (S4E12) "Kill Gil, Volumes I & II" (S18E9) "Marge Gamer" (S18E17) *** The Coda: Tangerine…
- S14E11: Théoden is BRAT
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss Charli XCX's BRAT, both the concept and the album. Then, in a seamless transition, they decide which Lord of the Rings character, film characters only, is the most BRAT. *** The Coda: 19 Crimes Cab Sav (Andrew) and Chai Tea…
- S14E10: Colin's Community Essay
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss an essay Colin recently published on the television show Community. Enjoy! Here's a link to Colin's essay: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/13/5/117 *** The Coda: Oktoberfest from Founders Brewing Co. (Andrew) and Water (Colin)…
- S14E9: Violence and the Sacred Gains
Welcome to The Cluttered Desk! In this episode, Andrew and Colin discuss commercial gyms through the lens of scapegoating practices and ritualistic sacrifice. Enjoy! *** The Coda: Oktoberfest from Sierra Nevada (Andrew) and Water (Colin) *** Here are links for this episode: Andrew's…
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