

Close Reads Podcast
Goldberry Studios
Close Reads is a book-club podcast for the incurable reader co-hosted by David Kern, Heidi White, Sean Johnson, and occasionally Tim McIntosh. We read good books and talk about them.
This is a show for amateurs in the best sense. This is not an experts show: we’re book lovers, book enthusiasts. Our goal is have empathetic and intelligent conversations about good books.
Close Reads is produced by Goldberry Studios, the podcast wing of Goldberry Books, a family-run indie bookshop in Concord, NC. closereads.substack.com
This is a show for amateurs in the best sense. This is not an experts show: we’re book lovers, book enthusiasts. Our goal is have empathetic and intelligent conversations about good books.
Close Reads is produced by Goldberry Studios, the podcast wing of Goldberry Books, a family-run indie bookshop in Concord, NC. closereads.substack.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 14, 2018 • 1h 6min
The Great Gatbsy, Chapters 6-7
David, Angelina, and Adam are back more conversation about F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby! Conversation touches on Jay Gatsby's dream-based Platonic ideal, the clash between Tom and Gatsby, Daisy's choice, Eckleburg's vigil, and much more. Don't forget: Subscribe, rate, review. And if you like this show please supporting it on Patreon.This episode is presented by our friends over at New College Franklin - check them out at NewCollegeFranklin.org. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

Dec 8, 2018 • 1h 28min
The Great Gatsby, Chapters 4-5
Welcome back to Close Reads! This week David, Angelina, and special guest Adam Andrews (of Center for Lit) chat about chapters 4 and 5 of F. Scott Fitzgerlad's novel, The Great Gatsby. Topics of conversation include several minutes on the first sentence of chapter 4, the question of the "debauchery" in the story, Gatsby as a hero, the book's place in the canon, and much more. Remember: subscribe, rate, review. And if you like this show please support it on Patreon. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

Dec 1, 2018 • 1h 23min
The Great Gatsby: Chapters 1-3
Join David, Angelina, and guest Adam Andrews for a rousing discussion about The Great Gatsby. Topics include the presence of a hero, the reliability of the narrator, key themes, the American dream, and the importance of place in the book.

Nov 23, 2018 • 1h 6min
Bonus Episode: David Joins "The Bookening" to Discuss/Defend Flannery O'Connor
In this Thanksgiving week bonus episode, David goes on The Bookening podcast to discuss Flannery O'Connors "Good Country People." Remember: Subscribe, rate, review! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

Nov 16, 2018 • 1h 19min
The Power and the Glory Q&A
Join Heidi, Tim, and David as they answer listener questions about Graham Green's The Power and the Glory. Remember: subscribe, rate, review!Support us on Patreon! To learn more about the Close Reads Podcast Network please click here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

Nov 10, 2018 • 1h 38min
The Power and the Glory: Final Chapters
Join David, Tim, and Heidi as they discuss the final chapters of Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory, focusing on whether the priest is a hero and the lieutenant is a villain, characters who have conversions, the saintly characteristics of the whiskey priest, the chiastic structure of the novel, and much more. If you like this show please remember to subscribe, rate, and review!Support us on Patreon! To learn more about the Close Reads Podcast Network please click here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

Nov 3, 2018 • 1h 16min
The Power and the Glory: Part 2, Chapter 3 - Part 3, Chapter 1
Welcome back to Close Reads, where David, Heidi, and Tim are discussing Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory. Conversation in this episode centers primarily on the image of the dying dog - including a long discussion of the nature of images and symbols in literature (how to approach them, in what ways they matter, the difference between an image and a symbol, and more).If you like this show please remember to subscribe, rate, and review!Support us on Patreon! To learn more about the Close Reads Podcast Network please click here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

Oct 26, 2018 • 1h 18min
The Power and the Glory: Part 2, Chapters 2-3
Welcome back to Close Reads, where David, Heidi, and Tim are discussing Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory. Topics of conversation on this episode include Graham Greene's opinion that these were the greatest pages he ever wrote, the pace of these chapters, the contrast between the two chapters. the whiskey priests' transformation, the lieutenant's inability to recognize the priest, the whiskey priest vs Padre Jose, and much more. If you like this show please remember to subscribe, rate, and review!Support us on Patreon! To learn more about the Close Reads Podcast Network please click here. ***This episode is brought to you by the honors program at Belmont Abbey College. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

Oct 19, 2018 • 1h 25min
The Power and the Glory: Part 2, Chapter 1
Welcome back to Close Reads, where David, Heidi, and Tim are discussing Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory. Topics of conversation on this episode include whether the whiskey priest is noble, the various character doubles in the book, the theme of faithfulness in this section, the idea of judgment, and the concept of plausibility structures in making a revolution happen. Typical Close Reads. If you like this show please remember to subscribe, rate, and review!Support us on Patreon! To learn more about the Close Reads Podcast Network please click here. ***This episode is brought to you by the honors program at Belmont Abbey College. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

Oct 12, 2018 • 1h 15min
The Power and the Glory: Part 1, Chapters 3-4
Welcome back to Close Reads, where David, Heidi, and Tim are discussing Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory. Topics of conversation include Coral Fellow's entrance into adulthood and corresponding conversion (?), the faith of the stranger priest, Padre Jose's despair, little Luis' abandonment, and more. If you like this show please remember to subscribe, rate, and review!Support us on Patreon! To learn more about the Close Reads Podcast Network please click here. ***This episode is brought to you by the honors program at Belmont Abbey College. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe


