John McCoy
@tracemcjoy.bsky.social
Host of Sophomore Lit podcast, museum professional, husband, father, dog owner.
This is a promotional thread for my store on Redbubble. Did you know I have one? It's full of silly stuff, but it's not so easy to navigate, so this thread features a few of the designs that are available on shirts, mugs, and other merch. www.redbubble.com/people/trace...
tracemcjoy Shop | Redbubble
tracemcjoy is an independent artist creating amazing designs for great products such as t-shirts, stickers, posters, and phone cases.
www.redbubble.com
September 10, 2026 at 5:55 PM
This is a promotional thread for my store on Redbubble. Did you know I have one? It's full of silly stuff, but it's not so easy to navigate, so this thread features a few of the designs that are available on shirts, mugs, and other merch. www.redbubble.com/people/trace...
Why are there so many songs about September? This essay doesn't exactly explain why, but it is a fun way to kill some time. As always, share and subscribe! #september #autumncore #patheticfallacy johnmccoy.org/2026/09/01/t...
The days dwindle down to a precious few
My high school girlfriend was named Angie, and she had a great singing voice. I mean, I assume she still does; the last I heard she was a high school choral teacher. Anyway, I remember that I used …
johnmccoy.org
September 1, 2026 at 12:55 PM
Why are there so many songs about September? This essay doesn't exactly explain why, but it is a fun way to kill some time. As always, share and subscribe! #september #autumncore #patheticfallacy johnmccoy.org/2026/09/01/t...
This time on Pathetic Fallacy: I write way too much about a kids’ game—what else is new? johnmccoy.org/2026/08/16/d...
Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book
Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—I was on a vacation with my family, and—having little or no money in my purse—our recreation consisted of day trips to corners of New England …
johnmccoy.org
August 18, 2026 at 12:42 AM
This time on Pathetic Fallacy: I write way too much about a kids’ game—what else is new? johnmccoy.org/2026/08/16/d...
Do you love museum shops but hate going to museums? Browse this collection of merch from the International Association of Improbable Associations: institutions that you can't visit because they don't exist. OR DO THEY? (No, they don't, of course not.)
www.redbubble.com/people/trace...
www.redbubble.com/people/trace...
August 3, 2026 at 2:55 PM
Do you love museum shops but hate going to museums? Browse this collection of merch from the International Association of Improbable Associations: institutions that you can't visit because they don't exist. OR DO THEY? (No, they don't, of course not.)
www.redbubble.com/people/trace...
www.redbubble.com/people/trace...
Only 42 days left to shop for Labor Day's gifts! May I suggest my "Crazy to Work Here" line of mugs, hats, wall clocks, and other stuff? Bring one to work and see how long it takes your boss to ask if you're okay!
www.redbubble.com/i/mug/You-Do...
www.redbubble.com/i/mug/You-Do...
"You Don't Have to be Crazy to Work Here" Coffee Mug for Sale by tracemcjoy
An old-skool setup gets a new punchline suitable for today's workplaces. Bring it to the office and see how it affects your next performance review. • Millions of unique designs by independent artists...
www.redbubble.com
July 27, 2026 at 2:41 PM
Only 42 days left to shop for Labor Day's gifts! May I suggest my "Crazy to Work Here" line of mugs, hats, wall clocks, and other stuff? Bring one to work and see how long it takes your boss to ask if you're okay!
www.redbubble.com/i/mug/You-Do...
www.redbubble.com/i/mug/You-Do...
This time on Sophomore Lit, we discuss a little play, you probably haven’t heard of it www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...
Hamlet (Sophomore Lit 192)
There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our podcasts. First-time co-host Tim Read discusses William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Hamlet (c. 1600).
www.theincomparable.com
July 14, 2026 at 9:28 PM
This time on Sophomore Lit, we discuss a little play, you probably haven’t heard of it www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...
This time in my blog: a post to amuse fans of both Melville and Vonnegut, and to confuse everyone else. #patheticfallacy #whales #poo-tee-weet johnmccoy.org/2026/06/23/m...
Moby-Dick; or Children Crusading after the Whale
by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.**obviously not by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Note from John: I originally wrote this parody during my ill-spent grad school days while I was reading Melville for a 19th Century Americ…
johnmccoy.org
June 23, 2026 at 6:56 PM
This time in my blog: a post to amuse fans of both Melville and Vonnegut, and to confuse everyone else. #patheticfallacy #whales #poo-tee-weet johnmccoy.org/2026/06/23/m...
This blog post has everything, if by “everything” you mean scholastic bowl memories and ASD. As always, subscribe to the newsletter for free! (And leave a comment otherwise the bots win.) johnmccoy.org/2026/06/18/b...
Brave New World
This essay is about autism, so bear with me through the roundabout introduction. Disclaimer: while I make a lot of general claims about people with ASD, I can really only speak about my own experie…
johnmccoy.org
June 19, 2026 at 1:58 PM
This blog post has everything, if by “everything” you mean scholastic bowl memories and ASD. As always, subscribe to the newsletter for free! (And leave a comment otherwise the bots win.) johnmccoy.org/2026/06/18/b...
Sure, it’s another think piece on AI art, but hear me out: this one was written by me johnmccoy.org/2026/06/07/a...
A hill of beans
If one can set aside the many, many ethical issues involving AI art, the question remains for its detractors (like me): what exactly do its proponents see in it? It’s certainly gotten “…
johnmccoy.org
June 7, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Sure, it’s another think piece on AI art, but hear me out: this one was written by me johnmccoy.org/2026/06/07/a...
This time on Pathetic Fallacy (a.k.a. my blog): the subversive pinko games of my youth. johnmccoy.org/2026/05/19/g...
Games without frontiers
My parents were (and remain) staunchly liberal, but for people who lived their twenties through the eras of beatniks and hippies they were (and remain) pretty square. In the 70s my dad had sideburn…
johnmccoy.org
May 20, 2026 at 4:02 PM
This time on Pathetic Fallacy (a.k.a. my blog): the subversive pinko games of my youth. johnmccoy.org/2026/05/19/g...
This time on Pathetic Fallacy (my blog): the subversive pinko games of my youth. johnmccoy.org/2026/05/19/g...
Games without frontiers
My parents were (and remain) staunchly liberal, but for people who lived their twenties through the eras of beatniks and hippies they were (and remain) pretty square. In the 70s my dad had sideburn…
johnmccoy.org
May 20, 2026 at 4:02 PM
This time on Pathetic Fallacy (my blog): the subversive pinko games of my youth. johnmccoy.org/2026/05/19/g...
This time on Sophomore Lit, Jill Hoffman talks wheels, schools, and storks, and how to pronounce Dutch names! #sophomorelit #MeindertDeJong #storkin' www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...
The Wheel on the School (Sophomore Lit 190)
Storkin’ it up! First-time co-host Jill Hoffman discusses Meindert De Jong’s Newbury-winning book, The Wheel on the School (1954).
www.theincomparable.com
May 20, 2026 at 3:58 PM
This time on Sophomore Lit, Jill Hoffman talks wheels, schools, and storks, and how to pronounce Dutch names! #sophomorelit #MeindertDeJong #storkin' www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...
My baby brother @dankmccoy.bsky.social joins me on this episode to discuss the indefinable charm of Don Marquis's Archy and Mehitabel (begun in 1916) #cockroaches #transmigrationofsouls #sophomorelit www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...
Archy and Mehitabel (Sophomore Lit 188)
boss these podcasts are getting
out of hand the other day
i heard dan mccoy and his much older brother
discussing archy and mehitabel
by which i mean the column by don marquis that started in 1916...
www.theincomparable.com
April 15, 2026 at 3:51 PM
My baby brother @dankmccoy.bsky.social joins me on this episode to discuss the indefinable charm of Don Marquis's Archy and Mehitabel (begun in 1916) #cockroaches #transmigrationofsouls #sophomorelit www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...
Over at Pathetic Fallacy: I discuss my wife's and my trip to Athens and to some ancient sites that tie-in to our podcast episode on Plato. Subscribe for free! rehttps://johnmccoy.org/2026/03/26/greece-is-the-word/
Greece is the word
This post is a companion piece to Sophomore Lit episode 187, Plato’s The Apology. Why not listen to that podcast before reading? As we mentioned on our Apology episode, Marina and I recently …
johnmccoy.org
March 27, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Over at Pathetic Fallacy: I discuss my wife's and my trip to Athens and to some ancient sites that tie-in to our podcast episode on Plato. Subscribe for free! rehttps://johnmccoy.org/2026/03/26/greece-is-the-word/
My wife Marina joins in to discuss Plato's The Apology (c. 399-90 B.C.E.), and yes, this is what our dinner table discussions are like #sophomorelit #plato #apologies www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...
The Apology (Sophomore Lit 187)
Love of wisdom means never having to say you’re sorry. Professor Marina McCoy joins her husband to discuss Plato’s The Apology (c. 399-90 BCE).
www.theincomparable.com
March 27, 2026 at 1:52 PM
My wife Marina joins in to discuss Plato's The Apology (c. 399-90 B.C.E.), and yes, this is what our dinner table discussions are like #sophomorelit #plato #apologies www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...
This time in my blog, Pathetic Fallacy: I make strange analogies about my nose. As always, subscribe for free! johnmccoy.org/2026/03/23/m... #patheticfallacy #septums #Ireallyknownothingaboutmedicine
Measure twice, cut once
In spite of my resolutions to write and podcast on something that more resembles an actual schedule, I have done neither recently. But my plea to the dozen of you that read this blog is to be forgi…
johnmccoy.org
March 24, 2026 at 2:44 PM
This time in my blog, Pathetic Fallacy: I make strange analogies about my nose. As always, subscribe for free! johnmccoy.org/2026/03/23/m... #patheticfallacy #septums #Ireallyknownothingaboutmedicine
The games of my childhood may not have been better than today’s, but their design was #patheticfallacy #parkerbrothers #groovy johnmccoy.org/2026/03/05/n...
Never the same game twice
My last essay was a critique of nostalgia, and so to mix things up this post will be a discussion of something from my youth for which I have a great deal of affection, and that is Parker Brothers …
johnmccoy.org
March 6, 2026 at 8:50 AM
The games of my childhood may not have been better than today’s, but their design was #patheticfallacy #parkerbrothers #groovy johnmccoy.org/2026/03/05/n...
This time on my podcast: jelly beans! www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...
"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman (Sophomore Lit 186)
First-time co-host Daniel Heddendorf joins in to discuss clocks and jellybeans in Harlan Ellison’s short story, “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” (1965).
www.theincomparable.com
February 26, 2026 at 10:00 PM
This time on my podcast: jelly beans! www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...
This time in my blog: hot takes on the 80’s, four decades too late: johnmccoy.org/2026/02/26/w... Share and subscribe with the grumpy Gen-Xer in your life!
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago
I suppose I should mention here that this is a comic essay and I am exaggerating for, you know, effect. I grew up in a podunk town in the middle of bupkis, so that no doubt is reflected here. If yo…
johnmccoy.org
February 26, 2026 at 9:58 PM
This time in my blog: hot takes on the 80’s, four decades too late: johnmccoy.org/2026/02/26/w... Share and subscribe with the grumpy Gen-Xer in your life!
Back on my blog! A meditation on competence in which I reveal how little I know about cars. As always, please share and subscribe (it's free) johnmccoy.org/2026/02/12/m...
Most of us have gears we never use
My junior and senior years of college I spent my summers working on a grant to develop the Whitewater Gorge in Richmond, Indiana into a public space. This meant that for the first time in my life I…
johnmccoy.org
February 12, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Back on my blog! A meditation on competence in which I reveal how little I know about cars. As always, please share and subscribe (it's free) johnmccoy.org/2026/02/12/m...
May I offer you some dumb jokes in these trying times? johnmccoy.org/2026/01/08/d...
January 8, 2026 at 8:38 PM
May I offer you some dumb jokes in these trying times? johnmccoy.org/2026/01/08/d...
Another resolution for 2026 is to publish my podcast episodes on a 2-week schedule. To that end, I am once again asking you for topic suggestions or for guest host volunteers! I am still looking for a native Japanese reader for an episode about Bashō's haiku. www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit/
Sophomore Lit
John McCoy and a guest host read books you might have been assigned in high school, or college, or other stuff you might have read when you were a kid. The theming is loose!
www.theincomparable.com
December 30, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Another resolution for 2026 is to publish my podcast episodes on a 2-week schedule. To that end, I am once again asking you for topic suggestions or for guest host volunteers! I am still looking for a native Japanese reader for an episode about Bashō's haiku. www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit/
One of my resolutions this year is to up my blogging game. I Am going to try to post on Pathetic Fallacy twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays. So if you're not subscribed, or if you know someone who might like to read what goes on in my strange head, now's the time!
johnmccoy.org/2025/12/30/a...
johnmccoy.org/2025/12/30/a...
Although it’s been said many times, many ways, Feliz Navidad
Traveling with a large, active dog means forgoing air travel, and instead committing to road tripping, however long it might take. This year, as with the previous two Christmases, my wife, our dog,…
johnmccoy.org
December 30, 2025 at 3:14 PM
One of my resolutions this year is to up my blogging game. I Am going to try to post on Pathetic Fallacy twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays. So if you're not subscribed, or if you know someone who might like to read what goes on in my strange head, now's the time!
johnmccoy.org/2025/12/30/a...
johnmccoy.org/2025/12/30/a...
Marina and I discuss this charmingly sly Christmas story by Mário de Andrade #turkeys #brazil #happyholidays www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...
Christmas Special: "A Christmas Turkey" (Sophomore Lit 183)
What, the one as big as me? Marina McCoy makes her holiday return to discuss Mário de Andrade’s sweet-and-salty “A Christmas Turkey” (1956).
www.theincomparable.com
December 25, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Marina and I discuss this charmingly sly Christmas story by Mário de Andrade #turkeys #brazil #happyholidays www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...
I saw three ships come sailing in,
On Christmas Day in the morning.
They all sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas Day in the morning.
And this was very strange because,
Bethlehem is a landlocked city high in the mountains
(On Christmas Day in the morning).
On Christmas Day in the morning.
They all sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas Day in the morning.
And this was very strange because,
Bethlehem is a landlocked city high in the mountains
(On Christmas Day in the morning).
December 20, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I saw three ships come sailing in,
On Christmas Day in the morning.
They all sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas Day in the morning.
And this was very strange because,
Bethlehem is a landlocked city high in the mountains
(On Christmas Day in the morning).
On Christmas Day in the morning.
They all sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas Day in the morning.
And this was very strange because,
Bethlehem is a landlocked city high in the mountains
(On Christmas Day in the morning).