The Reader and the Writer

Shari Dragovich and Rhea Forney
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Our lives, from their beginnings, are storied, and find their fullness when nestled securely within the Great Story; the one that opens, “In the Beginning…” Here on The Reader and the Writer, we delight in and give witness to that Great Story by reading and discussing those excellent works of literature written since. thereaderandthewriter.substack.com

  1. -21 h

    The Constant Nymph | Part 3

    Welcome to this final episode of The Constant Nymph, by Margaret Kennedy. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss Tessa as the constant nymph, Kennedy’s dark motif of “belonging” (death by possession), and all the ways she uses famous poetry to enliven these ideas. And then there is the Othello connection: the Shakespearean tragedy of destructive jealousy, perceived love-triangles, and the devastating spiral of a soul. Finally, they discuss one fellow reader’s excellent question that connects The Constant Nymph to Middlemarch, and those themes of romance, realism, bohemianism, and those circumstances (lifestyles) that stunt the actualization of a human into full being. Here is the outline for this episode (This is the last week the outlines will be available for free): Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, please ❤️ it and share it with someone who loves a good Shakespearean tragedy in modern garb! The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

    The Constant Nymph | Part 3

  2. -6 j

    The Constant Nymph | Part 2

    Welcome back to The Constant Nymph by Margaret Kennedy. In this episode, Shari and Rhea talk about the character Rhea loves to hate and Shari hates that she loves (not really… for either of us). They compare the new married couples of the story: how they are alike, how they differ; what drives them together and may ultimately drive them apart. They talk extensively of the artist’s muse: Who is Lewis’s muse? Who might Lewis unknowingly be the muse for? And they talk about sacred things: art, beauty, and what makes the beautiful life? Is art its own justification? Or is always in service of the “business of living beautifully”? Is chaos necessary to make the muse? Are beauty and danger inseparable? What do you think?? Below is this week’s outline complete with discussion questions for using in a group, or for your own musing. Just a reminder, starting in September all our outlines will be available behind a paywall. You can learn more about our new subscription options in this post. Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you’re loving The Constant Nymph as much as we are, show it some ❤️, and share it with an artist you know. The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary efforts, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

    The Constant Nymph | Part 2

  3. 11 août

    The Constant Nymph | Part 1

    Welcome to our close reading of The Constant Nymph by Margaret Kennedy! In this episode, Shari and Rhea introduce the story, give a short background of its evolution and success, then dive into the narrative. They talk about Kennedy’s wicked talent with characterization, and how she is able to create characters that are both vividly real and also “types” for her satirical purposes. They discuss the wild Sanger children and those adults in their lives—who they are drawn to, who they aren’t. They wonder whose point(s) of view will rise to the top; who the story will ultimately be about. They notice the bubbling up of the sacred and wonder how it will develop as a theme as the story continues. Be sure to check out Rhea’s Reading Guide for The Constant Nymph. Below you will find a PDF of this episode’s outline. For more information on future subscription access to our episode outlines (as discussed at the beginning of today’s episode), read the beginning of this post. Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you enjoyed this episode, please ❤️ it and share it with others. The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

    The Constant Nymph | Part 1

  4. 7 août

    Middlemarch | Book 7

    Welcome to Book 7 of Middlemarch, by George Eliot. In this episode, Rhea and Shari discuss character arcs, compassion and pity, fate and freewill, duty and desire. They consider the way Eliot developed each character and how this has affected our personal feelings of different characters. And they wonder what the “two temptations” really are, both at the story level and meta level. Only one more book to go! Here is the show outline with questions for discussion: If you’re interested in learning more about R&W’s new subscription options beginning in September, read the beginning of this essay: Thanks for listening to this podcast episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, ❤️ it and share it with other Middlemarch loving friends! The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

    Middlemarch | Book 7

  5. 4 août

    A History of the Island | Part 4

    Welcome to our last episode of A History of the Island. In this episode, Rhea and Shari consider questions like: What is the final significance of the Publisher’s Note at the beginning of the novel? Is this novel an allegory for Ecclesiastes? Can we ever fully understand the past on this side of eternity? What do we make of Jean-Marie’s shift in his design for his film? What role does fate and freewill each play in the making of history? And more. Below you will find our outline for this final episode. If you love having outlines to the books we discuss, we will be making these available every week behind a paywall beginning in September. (They will be available for all during the month of August for your perusal.) Outlines are great for reading with others, or as a study guide if using for self-study or in a class setting. If you’d like to learn more about our paid subscription options, read the beginning of this post: Our next close read is The Constant Nymph, by Margaret Kennedy. This is R&W’s second Kennedy novel. We read (and loved!) The Feast in 2025. Here is the reading schedule: * Episode 1 | Aug 11: Chapters 1-8 * Episode 2 | Aug 18: Chapters 9-16 * Episode 3 | Aug 25: Chapters 17-24 Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you like this episode, ❤️ it and share it! The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

    A History of the Island | Part 4

  6. 30 juil.

    The History of the Island | Part 3

    Welcome back to A History of the Island! In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the growing cast of characters in the story, and how the French film-makers seem to be playing a larger role in the story; Parfeny’s and Ksenia’s story, in particular. They ask questions about history and reality, who’s telling the story, and who gets to decide? They revisit again the question of the medieval v. the modern ways of looking at history. They talk about the island’s story as an allegory and the ways the Island’s history maps on to any number of countries, to include our (the United States) own. They consider A History of the Island as an allegory, and particularly as a work of satire. And, they talk about bees. Don’t forget to look through Rhea’s reading guide page for A History of the Island: Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked it, please ❤️ it and share it with your history-loving friends. The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

    The History of the Island | Part 3

  7. 21 juil.

    History of the Island | Part 2

    Welcome back to A History of the Island by Eugene Vodolazkin. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the move of the chronicle from the medieval to the modern eras. They talk about what is lost when the comet is no more seen as a dragon, how beauty and mystery are intricately connected, and whether or not they think Vodolazkin is criticizing modernity’s view of how history ought to be chronicled. They talk about the curious change to the title of the book in the English translation, and what all the factors are that go into book titles in general. They discuss the difference between recording history as a recording of “Good v. Evil” and recording it as a simple chain of cause and effect, and where the human is placed (or places himself) in the recording of each one. They talk about the marriage of Parfeny and Ksenia. They consider the play on the word and idea of “progress,” and how with this thread, A History enters into conversation with Hannah Coulter, and Wendell Berry’s body of work in its entirety. Below is a link to Rhea’s reading guide for A History of the Island. Be sure to check out her running list of name meanings. If you want a deep dive into a Tolstoy’s take on history and the ancient v. modern view of how it gets told, you might enjoy my 12-day journey chronicling his long essay on the matter at the end of War & Peace: Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked the episode, please show it some ❤️ and pass it on to your history loving friends! The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

    History of the Island | Part 2

  8. 14 juil.

    A History of the Island | Part 1

    “The reason for circumstance, says Agafon, is people, not God.” “…long life has convinced me that people themselves create their own circumstances.” —Parfeny (p. 7) Welcome to A History of the Island by Eugene Vodolazkin. In this episode, Rhea and Shari spend a fair amount of time trying to situate themselves in this highly unusual novel where the book itself is also the subject of the story; that is, the chronicle of the Island (that has no name). They talk about wild narrative style of the novel, wonder who the main characters are, and if there even are any (at least, human characters). They talk about the clear satire style of the novel, and the motifs they see so far: time, history, prophesy, and the absurdity of the tales within the chronicle itself. They wonder whether Parfeny and Ksenia will have a story arc on their own. They consider all the clues in the strange “From the Publisher” note to start the tale. They talk about how much this novel seems to be in conversation with Tolstoy’s last 12 chapters of War and Peace. They note how they each can feel all the hints being dropped throughout the novel they know they are stepping all over, before recognizing them to pick up and put the pieces together. And, they both agree that though there is much they don’t yet understand, they are enjoying the wildness of the ride along the way. Look for Rhea’s reading guide for A History of the Island to release soon. She will be sharing a character list to help you keep track of everyone, and add to it as the story moves along. If you liked this episode, you might also appreciate my notes on the final twelve chapters of War & Peace in which Tolstoy writes essays about histories, historians, and the question of fate and free will. The first one is pasted below. You can follow along each day afterwards (I wrote one per day for the first 12 days in January) Thanks for listening to this edition of The Reader & the Writer! If you like this post, please give it some ❤️ and share it with some history loving friends. The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

    A History of the Island | Part 1
Tout afficher (157)

À propos

Our lives, from their beginnings, are storied, and find their fullness when nestled securely within the Great Story; the one that opens, “In the Beginning…” Here on The Reader and the Writer, we delight in and give witness to that Great Story by reading and discussing those excellent works of literature written since. thereaderandthewriter.substack.com

Informations

  • Création
    Shari Dragovich and Rhea Forney
  • Années d’activité
    2022 - 2026
  • Épisodes
    157
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © Shari Dragovich
  • Site web de l’émission
    The Reader and the Writer

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