Reading and Writing

Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha, Part 1

Ally and Colin and I savor the first half of Hesse's novel, and talk about the hero's journey, how tension can fuel plot, tips for writing good dialog, the call to adventure, at more. 

Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, Part 2

Ella and I praise the 2nd half of The Old Man and the Sea, and stray into topics such as the risks of ambition, the value of failure, symbolism in literature, and more. 

Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, Part 1

Kate and Gabe and I cover the first half of The Old Man and the Sea. We discuss some of our favorite moments, as well as concepts like characterization, character foils, hypotaxis and parataxis, setting, and more. 

Zbigniew Herbert Part 2

Becky and Alex and I talk about the poems of Zbigniew Herbert, reading a few of our favorites, and asking questions about irony, humor, minimalism, how to know what not to say, the relationship between reading and writing, and more. 

Nabokov Part 2

Sarah and I discuss the various delights of Nabokov's Speak, Memory, especially the later sections, and highlight the book's strange structure, the idea of writing down trauma, Nabokov's tortured writing process, the use of 2nd person narration, and much more. 

Wallace Stevens

Check out Claire's music, art, and writing here: www.claireakebrandart.com
 
Claire and I talk about how poetry makes death matter slightly less. 

Zbigniew Herbert

Polish poetry week continues as Claire and I savor the work of Zbigniew Herbert.

The Poetry of Czesław Miłosz.

Claire and I swoon over the poetry of Czesław Miłosz.

Nabokov's Memory

Claire and I swoon over Nabokov's Speak Memory, and what this book can teach us about writing down our own memories. 

David Foster Wallace on a Cruise

Claire and I talk about David Foster Wallace's essay "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again."