Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Welcome to Episode 6 in our Animals in Literature series. This series aims to explore the origins, conventions, and meanings we find in stories featuring anthropomorphic animals.
Joining me for today's conversation on all things CATS! in stories is Laura Burnett, a newcomer to The Plunge. We discuss the cat Church from Stephen King's Pet Sematary; the unnamed cat in Coraline; The Cat in the Hat; Crookshanks from Harry Potter, and many more!
Laura Burnett lives on the New England seacoast with her husband, son, and two shelter cats. She is a teacher, writer, and organic farmer with a Masters in Education from Boston College. When she’s not chasing her eight-month-old around the house or digging around in the dirt of her garden, you can find her trying to perfect her butternut squash curry recipe or curled up with the latest Tana French novel. She writes on Substack at Lighthouse Hymns.
⸻
📲 Connect with Derek Holser:
🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser
📱 TikTok: tiktok.com/@derekholser
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/derekholser
📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: tinyurl.com/2xemfzs9
⸻
👂Like what you hear?
👉 Don’t forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the 🔔 to get notified when new episodes drop!
🗣️ Got thoughts? Drop a comment below! Let’s talk MacDonald, community, art, or your favorite retreat snack. (We won’t judge if it’s popcorn.)
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Laura and Her Love for Cats
03:26 The Journey of a Reader: Laura's Literary Path
06:27 Exploring 'Pet Sematary': Themes of Death and Loss
09:18 The Nature of Cats: Boundary Crossers in Literature
11:56 Coraline: The Cat as a Guide Between Worlds
14:42 Parenthood Reflections: Love, Sacrifice, and Growth
17:47 The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: Cats and Surrealism
33:57 Exploring Murakami's Themes of Trauma and Healing
38:35 Cats vs. Dogs: Literary Symbolism and Chaos
42:30 The Cheshire Cat: Wisdom in Madness
44:16 Crookshanks: The Perceptive Cat in Harry Potter
47:27 The Cat Lady Archetype in Literature
51:38 Shirley Jackson's Cats: Companions in Isolation
57:51 Cats and Solitude: The Cat Lady Connection
01:02:02 Podcast Open B_V1.wav
01:02:26 Introduction to The Cat in the Hat
01:05:14 The Arrival of the Cat
01:08:35 The Chaos Unleashed
01:11:19 The Aftermath and Reflection
Welcome to Episode 6 in our Animals in Literature series. This series aims to explore the origins, conventions, and meanings we find in stories featuring anthropomorphic animals.
Joining me for today's conversation on all things CATS! in stories is Laura Burnett, a newcomer to The Plunge. We discuss the cat Church from Stephen King's Pet Sematary; the unnamed cat in Coraline; The Cat in the Hat; Crookshanks from Harry Potter, and many more!
Laura Burnett lives on the New England seacoast with her husband, son, and two shelter cats. She is a teacher, writer, and organic farmer with a Masters in Education from Boston College. When she’s not chasing her eight-month-old around the house or digging around in the dirt of her garden, you can find her trying to perfect her butternut squash curry recipe or curled up with the latest Tana French novel. She writes on Substack at Lighthouse Hymns.
⸻
📲 Connect with Derek Holser:
🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser
📱 TikTok: tiktok.com/@derekholser
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/derekholser
📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: tinyurl.com/2xemfzs9
⸻
👂Like what you hear?
👉 Don’t forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the 🔔 to get notified when new episodes drop!
🗣️ Got thoughts? Drop a comment below! Let’s talk MacDonald, community, art, or your favorite retreat snack. (We won’t judge if it’s popcorn.)
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Laura and Her Love for Cats
03:26 The Journey of a Reader: Laura's Literary Path
06:27 Exploring 'Pet Sematary': Themes of Death and Loss
09:18 The Nature of Cats: Boundary Crossers in Literature
11:56 Coraline: The Cat as a Guide Between Worlds
14:42 Parenthood Reflections: Love, Sacrifice, and Growth
17:47 The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: Cats and Surrealism
33:57 Exploring Murakami's Themes of Trauma and Healing
38:35 Cats vs. Dogs: Literary Symbolism and Chaos
42:30 The Cheshire Cat: Wisdom in Madness
44:16 Crookshanks: The Perceptive Cat in Harry Potter
47:27 The Cat Lady Archetype in Literature
51:38 Shirley Jackson's Cats: Companions in Isolation
57:51 Cats and Solitude: The Cat Lady Connection
01:02:02 Podcast Open B_V1.wav
01:02:26 Introduction to The Cat in the Hat
01:05:14 The Arrival of the Cat
01:08:35 The Chaos Unleashed
01:11:19 The Aftermath and Reflection
