A Final Note from Brendan and Rico

Greetings, Downloadians,

As you likely know, back in December we aired our last all-new episode. But hopefully it’s lightened the blow a bit to hear The Dinner Party Download continue on, in rerun form, on many of your favorite public radio stations. And we’ve also been uploading a few special podcast-only episodes, featuring our favorite etiquette segments from over the years. We hope you’ve enjoyed those (if not, go get ’em on our podcast feed, they’re not vanishing into thin air or anything), and that they perhaps helped ease you from 2017 into the brave new world of 2018.

Alas, that’s it, folks. As of this week, we’ve aired our last rerun and uploaded our last podcast. So we wanted to take this final opportunity to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your years of listening and support. And we also wanted to give you an update on what we’re doing now.

First up, as regular readers of this newsletter surely know… we have a new book out! “Brunch Is Hell: How To Save The World By Throwing a Dinner Party” isn’t just a great memento of the show… it’s a rant against the evils embodied by brunch and a hilarious yet useful how-to guide to fighting back: by throwing dinner parties. We spent most of December running around the country promoting this thing, and we hope to do a bit more of that in the new year. Head over to brunchishell.com, and sign up for our newsletter there, to be kept abreast of our travels. BUT… don’t wait for us to swing through your town to buy yourself and everyone you know a copy! Better yet, get yourself the audiobook version, which is read aloud by none other than US! It’s kind of like listening to a four-and-a-half hour episode of the DPD.

Secondly, we’ve got a few solo projects out there and/or in the works:

– Brendan’s executive producing The Paris Review podcast, an entrancing blend of stories, archival sound, and interviews with the likes of James Baldwin, Ernest Hemingway, and Dorothy Parker. A forthcoming episode features tape of George Plimpton going golfing with Hunter S. Thompson on acid– you don’t wanna miss it. Subscribe to it by going here.

– And you can hear Rico on the public radio airwaves again from January 18th thru the 23rd, when he’ll be guest-hosting L.A. station KPCC’s daily arts-and-entertainment interview show The Frame. Non-Southern-Californians can listen via podcast here. Also, keep your eyes peeled for Rico’s byline in The Wall Street Journal’s food and travel sections.

In addition to all that, we’re hoping to do new podcasts later in the year. Again, you’ll get the lowdown by signing up at brunchishell.com. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram; our handles are @ricogagliano (Rico’s Instagram) and @bfnewnam (Brendan’s Instagram).

And… there you have it, friends. The end of one era, and the beginning of another. It’s been the privilege of our lives to have you along for the ride. And now… onward.

Love and best wishes to you all in 2018,
Brendan and Rico