This week we wrap up season 5! As a reminder, season 5 was shorter to accommodate Tillie's opportunity to lead a study abroad semester in Ecuador. We chat about season 5, issue a few corrections, play a few bloopers, and provide updated stats. We will be back soon with season 6! Plans are still underway, but after a bit of hiatus for planning and r…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the book White Mosque with author Sofia Samatar. The White Mosque weaves together personal reflections on Samatar's experiences as a Mennonite, with the story of Samatar's trip to Uzbekistan to learn more about the sect of Mennonites who pilgrimaged to Ak Metchet in the 1880s. It's a fascinating read, and we rec…

We are re-posting this episode because we recently discovered we posted the wrong file! Apologies, and thank you to those who alerted us to the issue. We are actually a little shocked this is the first time this has happened, but we apologize for the error. This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the 2008 movie Sex Drive, which can currently be found …

This week, the Mennobrarians chat with historian John D. Roth, Project Director for MennoMedia’s project “Anabaptism at 500” and former Professor of History at Goshen College, about his most recent book, A Mennonite College for Everyone(?): Goshen College and the Quest for Identity and Inclusion, 1960-2020. We chat writing history, the myth of Menn…

In this episode, the MennoBrairians chat about the "Amish episodes" of two tv shows, Law & Order SVU and X-Files. Law & Order SVU season 10, ep 19, "Selfish," aired in 2009, and features approximately 5 minutes of Amish content as Stabler and Benson make a trip to an upstate New York Amish community during an investigation into a measles outbreak. …

This week, the Mennobrarians discuss the book An Amish Thanksgiving Blessing by Naomi Troyer. This short story tells the story of two rival Amish pumpkin farmers, Naomi and Joseph, competing to take home the grand prize in the annual fall festival for the largest pumpkin. And while those pumpkins do grow large, so do their feelings for each other. …

This week the MennoBrarians discuss the graphic novel, By Water: The Felix Manz Story, the first in the Heroes of the Radical Reformation series. We chat martyrs, historical interpretations, message carrying sparrows, literal sausage parties, and all things Felix Manz. Content warning: while not discussed in detail, this episode does reference the …

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the latest movie from the "Hallmarky" Cinematic Universe, Plus One At An Amish Wedding. We chat favorite wedding moments, Amish bad girls, recycled actors, and attempt to answer the question: When is the appropriate time to tell your significant other you were raised Amish? You can find Plus One at An Amish Wedd…

In this week's episode, we chat about the "Mennonite episodes" of two period dramas, Murdoch Mysteries (CBC) and Grantchester (BBC). We chat about our favorite dramas, Mennonites in England, rocks as weapons, gendered redemption arcs, and more. Covered this week: Murdoch Mysteries, Season 16, ep 6, "Clean Hands" Grantchester, Season 4, ep 4. Episod…

We're back! In our season 5 opener, we chat about what we did during the pause between seasons, break down the exciting things coming in season 5, and share our favorite non-Amish themed books we've read recently. One announcement: For season 5, we will be switching to an every-other-week publishing schedule. Season 5 will also be a shorter season …

This week we celebrate the completion of another season of Just Plain Wrong! In our Season 4 wrap up, we provide updated listener stats, discuss common tropes, chat about our favorite and most surprising moments from the season, share bloopers, and thank our supporters. Season 5 will launch in the Fall of 2023, though the exact date is yet to be de…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss Amish Forever Home, an Amish Romance set on Prince Edward Island. We chat Anne of Green Gables, auctions, romance tropes and more. A special shoutout to our Discernment Committee level Patreon members who selected this book for us! We read and referenced this article: Understanding Amish Migrations to New Brunsw…

This week, the MennoBrarians take a deep dive into Amish Romance self-publishing. Inspired by the conversation on Amish Country Treasure in season 2, in which Tillie speculated the book was written by a bot, Erin went on a research journey to see if she could figure out if the text was written by a human or AI (findings: inconclusive). In this epis…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss YouTuber Peter Santenello's multi-part series on the Amish. We chat Pinecraft, interview techniques, and our favorite moments from the videos. We also maintain that Lemon Meringue and Key Lime pie are very different, and that Peter should work on mastering his pie identification skills. Links to videos discussed…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss Nancy Drew book #33: The Witch Tree Symbol. During this episode of the Nancy Drew book series, Nancy helps recover stolen furniture in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. She and her friends stay with Amish families, drive buggies, attend a quilting bee AND a barn raising, and (of course!) solve the mystery. We chat hex…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the the Netflix movie, Rumspringa, a coming of age / buddy comedy about a young Amish boy, Jacob, who travels to Germany for his Rumspringa. We chat family history trips, where to find the Original Hostetler, tree felling, Kazoos, magical zippers, and much more. We always love hearing from listeners! You can rea…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the Oscar winning movie adaptation of Women Talking (tho we did not yet know at the time we recorded that it would win!). Women Talking was written by Sarah Polley, who won an Oscar for Best Adaptation. We covered the book Women Talking by Canadian Mennonite author Miriam Toews in our last episode, season 4 epis…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss Women Talking, a book by Canadian Mennonite author Miriam Toews that tells a fictional story based on true events that took place in the Old Colony Mennonite colony in Bolivia. We will cover the movie in our next episode, which will be out the first week of April. We had not yet seen the movie when we recorded t…

This week, the MennoBrarians chat with the author of the Amish Vampires in Space, Kerry Nietz. We learn how the AVIS came to exist, what it was like to be mentioned on the Tonight Show, and get important author-info on the question of vampire souls. Thanks to Kerry for joining us! Follow Kerry on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KerryNietz Find his boo…

This week, the MennoBrarians cover the book When the English Fall by David Williams - a book that guest Valerie Weaver-Zercher recommended we cover way back in season one. Tune in for a conversation about apocalypse prepping, teenage profits, realistic pacifist dilemmas and more. Content note: Descriptions of gun violence from the book are referenc…

This week, the MennoBrarians cover the 1989 horror movie, Warlock. We chat about all kinds of things this week, including our "unexpected" horror experiences, Mennonite PA dutch hex signs, cabbage farms, implausible movie plot points and what someone from 1691 might smell like. Around the time we recorded this episode, news broke that the actor who…

This week, the MennoBrarians chat with Dirk Eitzen, professor of Media Studies at Franklin & Marshall College, and author of the newly released book, Fooling with The Amish: Amish Mafia, Entertaining Fakery, and the Evolution of Reality TV. We chat about Amish Mafia, media literacy, Amish romance, social gossip, and the connections between all of t…

This week, the MennoBrarians cover the the "Amish Episode" of the 80s TV show, MacGyver. After accidentally careening off a cliff, MacGyver is rescued and nursed back to health by a nearby Amish family. During his stay, he helps mediate a conflict between the Amish and a construction crew, makes eyes at an Amish widow, and saves two children who ha…

This week, the MennoBrarians chat sequels! We selected three sequels to books covered in earlier seasons of Just Plain Wrong, and share what happens next. Covered this episode: Tillie: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Crime by Tamar Myers. This is the 2nd book in the PA Dutch Mystery series. The first book was covered in Season 1, ep 17. Erin: Crimson S…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss several episodes of the tv show, The Office, with special attention paid to the family history and backstory of Assistant to the Regional Manager, Dwight Schrute. Is his family Amish? Probably not, but it's fun to speculate! We chat beet farms, tenuous Amish connections, and our favorite Office moments. Episodes…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss Mennonite and Amish representations on social media, with a particular focus on Amish TikTok. With us to discuss her research and interest in Amish TikTok is Dr. Melanie Springer-Mock, Professor of English at George Fox University. We chat about personal social media habits, authenticity, connections to reality …

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the Hallmark movie Runaway Romance, in which the same cast from Love Finds You in Charm and Follow Your Heart reunites in an Amish community in Kentucky. We chat idyllic runaway spots, the dangers of visiting caves with strangers, terrible driving and confusing plot lines. We always love hearing from listeners! …

The MennoBrarians couldn't find any Amish-themed Christmas movies, so we took a different angle to stay in the holiday spirit - reading the book Not Regina by Mennonite author, Christmas Carol Kauffman. We chat unlikely romances, early anabaptism, Mennonite propaganda and more. We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at plainwrongpo…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the book Killer Carol, by Laura Bradford, the 7th book in the "An Amish Mystery" series. We chat cozy winter memories, Amish villiany, and why you definitely shouldn't buy your partner a house without telling them first. We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at plainwrongpod at gmail.com, or on…

This week, the MennoBrarians launch season 4! In our season opener, we chat about what we did during the pause between seasons, break down the exciting things coming in season 4, and share our favorite non-Amish themed books we've read recently. We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at plainwrongpod at gmail.com, or on Twitter, In…

This year the Mennonite/s Writing Conference took place Sept 30-Oct 2, 2022 at Goshen College and Tillie Yoder and Abby Nafziger got to present as a part of a panel on Humor. Here is a recording (due a head of time to practice) of their presentation called "Humorously Wrong: A Presentation on Just Plain Wrong. We always love hearing from listeners!…

This week, the MennoBrarians muse on the highs and lows of season 3 and wonder at how fast time moves. We also check up on important statistics about listener location, types of content reviewed, and tropes encountered. We also issue some corrections, clarifications, and updates (including about the "witches" in our families). We always love hearin…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the Amish romance novel Strength in the Storm by Laurel Blount. We give lots of quizzes, lament the underappreciation of the heroine, and applaud the book's attempt to dismantle toxic masculinity. Content note: Gun violence is referenced and discussed throughout this episode, albeit without the depth that such a…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss Breaking Amish Season One, a reality tv show that ran for 6 seasons on TLC and can now be streamed on Discovery+. The premise of the show is five Amish and Mennonite young adults go to New York City to experience urban life and decide whether or not to return to their Amish communities. We recap the plot of seas…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss With Open Arms, an explicit romance novel by Kathy Alerding (or sometimes Aldering) from 1986. We discuss unlikely sabbaticals, confusing flashbacks, somewhat surprise tornados, and more! Content note: As this book contained explicit sex scenes, these are referred to in a non-explicit way; some sexual euphemisms…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the Amish themed episodes of Murder She Wrote and Orange is the New Black. In Murder She Wrote, we follow Jessica Fletcher as she stumbles upon a body while in Amish country to buy a quilt. The Orange is the New Black episode tells the backstory of prisoner Leanne Taylor, an inmate who grew up Amish. We chat acc…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss Letterkenny, a TV show about a small town in Canada, and the various episodes revolving around Old Order Mennonite characters. We chat regional language quirks, Dyck jokes, Old Order Mennonites and more. For our US listeners, you can find Letterkenny on Hulu. Content note: We did mark this episode as explicit on…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss a variety of comics with Amish themes. Matthew Murray of the Book Club for Masochists podcast joins us to offer expertise on comics and graphic novels. We chat illustrations, vampire-prevention with farm equipment, sexual butter churning and lots more! Follow Matthew on Twitter @MidniteLibrary, and be sure to ch…

This week we are thrilled to be joined by Regina Shands Stoltzfus and Tobin Miller Shearer to discuss their antiracism work and their book Been in the Struggle: Pursuing an Antiracist Spirituality. We chat about their friendship, work in and for the Mennonite church, and why we think they should consider branching out and writing Amish romance. Pur…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss and read excerpts from a handful of Amish publications: The Budget, Die Botschaft, and Family Life. We chat scribes, weather reports and more. We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at plainwrongpod at gmail.com, or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you want to help support the podcast fin…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss Follow Your Heart, a 2020 Hallmark movie. In the movie, Katrina "Kathy" Yoder is a successful author, having published several books in her Broke Girl's Guide travel series. She and her boyfriend have just been offered a TV deal when she finds out her father has passed away and she needs to return home to the Am…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the first book in the Half-Stitched Quilting Club series by Wanda Brunstetter. We chat and rant about quilting, clubs, stereotypes and frustrating tropes. We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at plainwrongpod at gmail.com, or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you want to help support the…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss Zeke Yoder vs. the Singularity by Stephen Beachy, a 2017 Amish cyberpunk novel. Tim Nafziger, Abby’s brother, fills in for Erin and we chat about cyberpunk, radical Anabaptism, the singularity and more. Content note: This book contained references and depictions of suicide. While we don’t discuss that theme in d…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the mystery thriller Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo and its Lifetime movie adaptation, An Amish Murder. We chat favorite movies, bad romances, Amish alarm bells, and more. Content note: This episode contains non-descriptive discussions of murder, violence, sexual assault, and police brutality. We always love…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the Amish episodes of two adult cartoon shows, Futurama (S. 6 Ep 19) and Family Guy (S.10, Ep 7). We chat favorite cartoons, roller coasters, bad puns and the prevalence of non-pacifist Amish characters in media we've covered. We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at plainwrongpod at gmail.com,…

This week, the MennoBrarians veer away from the usual and into Jello! We taste Jello in 3 rounds: Savory Horrors (Salmon Dill mouse, BBQ Jello cubes, and Orange & Carrots), Jello Shots (Conrad Grebellinis, jello style), Desserts (Graham cracker fluff, 7 layer salad, Dream salad, and Strawberry Pretzel salads. Following the tasting, we discuss the b…

This week, the MennoBrarians, discuss the horror movie Amish Witches: The True Story of Holmes County, along with special guest Emily Hedrick. We chat about the Pennsylvania Dutch practice of Braucherei and its connection to Amish and Mennonite groups, as well as our thoughts on horror movies and the very confusing plot lines this movie offers. Con…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss and review a pile of children's picture books about the Amish, including the Reuben series (Reuben and the Fire), Ruthie Goes to Town, and Raising Yoder's Barn. We chat our favorite books, illustrations, and the prevalence of barn raising in Amish themed kid's books. We always love hearing from listeners! You ca…

This week, the MennoBrarians chat with Joe Springer, the curator of the Mennonite Historical Library (MHL) at Goshen College. The MHL is a comprehensive research collection with the mission to collect everything by and about Mennonites and related groups. The collection includes everything from rare works on early Anabaptism to 20 yards worth of Am…

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss Kingpin, a 1996 comedy movie in which an Amish man is recruited to participate in a bowling tournament. We chat about sports and Amish, personal bowling experiences, 90s movies, and more. We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at plainwrongpod at gmail.com, or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook…