In our final episode of 2023, we talk about Trust by Hernan Diaz and the pulitzer prize, The Future by Naomi Alderman, and families as cults. Lionel talks about his visit to Jim's childhood home in Peter Cooper Village, where a scene from Three Days on the Condor was filmed. Jim talks about going to the Speakeasy Open Mic on MacDougal Street when it was run by Dave Van Ronk. Lionel recalls his visit to the Met, Central Park, Essa Bagel & Franks Trattoria. We move into a discussion about the book Deadly Companions by Dorothy H. Crawford and The Great Nadar: The man behind the camera: by Adam Begley, which leads us into recollections of the Belle Epoch which leads to a mention of Hugo, the film, and The History of the Twentieth Century, the podcast by Mark Painter. Finally, we talk about how the turn of the 20th century hinges on the Dreyfus Affair & the fascination with Netsuke and another year of ‘funny,’ not funny comes to a close.