11 Folgen
Playground Books Playground Books
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- Kunst
Essays revisiting the stories I first read as a kid and loved enough to spend my recesses reading
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The Secrets of Droon and Fantasy Development
I revisit The Secrets of Droon, one of the first series that obsessed me as a kid, and discuss the role of tropes in literature, the supposed insult of wish fulfillment, and the scope and scale of children’s chapter books that shape who we are. Both Descartes and Jane Austen get namechecked, which is about par for the course.
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Tuck Everlasting and the Existential Horror of Immortality
I revisit Tuck Everlasting and consider the arguments in favor of and against the premise of living forever. Also discussed: being aware of the questions you’re asking, imagery that reflects theme, and the absolute adoration of entropy.
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Listen on YouTube at Playground Books Podcast -
The Tale of Despereaux and Third-Person Narrators
I revisit The Tale of Despereaux and explore the power of point of view to shape the mood of a story before discussing interweaving plotlines and the beautiful metaphors of naming your characters after painting terms.
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Out of the Dust and Escaping History
I revisit Out of the Dust and its portrayal of life during the Great Depression in the American Dust Bowl. Topics covered include unique strengths of novels told in verse, different types of conflict, and the inherent terror and tragedy of living inside a historical moment, which isn’t at all relevant to today.
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Listen on YouTube at Playground Books Podcast -
The Chronicles of Narnia and the Hero‘s Journey
I revisit the Chronicles of Narnia and do a deep dive into C.S. Lewis’s deconstruction of Campbell’s hero’s journey and other genre conventions of children‘s fantasy adventure books. I also discuss the role of literary criticism and try hard to avoid getting sidetracked by character arcs, controversies, and Narnian jokes.
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Listen on YouTube at Playground Books Podcast -
Nancy Drew and the Mythic Tradition
I revisit Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock and discuss Nancy’s place as an iconic female character and the history of the 1930 originals versus the 1959 rewrites. I also compare the series to no less than three epic poems. How is Nancy like Eve from Paradise Lost? Listen to find out!
Follow on Instagram @playground.books
Listen on YouTube at Playground Books Podcast