

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

Jul 1, 2018 • 1h 15min
Rip Van Winkle
Join David Kern, Heidi White, and very special guest Jonathan Rogers (author of The Wilderking Trilogy and The Terrible Speed of Mercy: A Spiritual Biography of Flannery O'Connor, among other books), for a deep-dive into Washington Irving's famous short story, "Rip Van Winkle." Topics include the place of this story in the American literary tradition, Irving's craftsmanship, the conceit/framing device Irving employs, and a whole lot more. This episode is brought to you by Augustine College in the US. Click here to sign up for the Close Reads email newsletter. 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

Jun 23, 2018 • 1h 16min
The Glass Menagerie Q&A
Join David, Tim, and Heidi for some more lively discussion as they conclude their conversation about Tennessee Williams' award-winning and much-beloved play, The Glass Menagerie. Topics of conversation include the glass unicorn, the value of tragedies, the challenges of reading a play (vs. seeing it performed), and much, much more. Plus, David explains some exciting new changes for the Close Reads brand - and the short story the show will cover next week. This episode is brought to you by Augustine College in the US. Click here to sign up for the Close Reads email newsletter. 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

Jun 16, 2018 • 1h 24min
The Glass Menagerie
Join David, Tim, and Heidi (Angelina is away for work) for a lively discussion about Tennessee Williams' award-winning and much-beloved play, The Glass Menagerie. Topics of conversation include the differences (and unique challenges) between play writing and novel writing, who plays are written for, how to read plays, why this play has been so popular for so long, Williams' creative genius, and much, much more. This episode is brought to you by Augustine College in the US. Click here to sign up for the Close Reads email newsletter. 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

Jun 10, 2018 • 1h 7min
Hannah Coulter Q&A
Join David, Tim, Angelina, and Heidi as they conclude their conversation about Wendell Berry's novel, Hannah Coulter, by answering listener questions. Topics include the Okinawa chapter, whether Berry is preachy, whether his work will be remembered in a few hundred years, and much more. 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

Jun 1, 2018 • 1h 12min
Hannah Coulter: Conclusion
Join David, Tim, Angelina, and special guest Heidi White as they continue their discussion of Wendell Berry's 2003 novel, Hannah Coulter. They discuss the ways this book impacts each of them, the character of Hannah, why men love this book, and much, much more. If you enjoy 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

May 25, 2018 • 1h 24min
Hannah Coulter, Chapters 8-15
Join David, Tim, Angelina, and special guest Heidi White as they continue their discussion of Wendell Berry's 2003 novel, Hannah Coulter. Conversation touches on Berry's emphasis on the values of rural life, whether Berry's ideals can be applied anywhere, Nathan Coulter and Burley Coulter as embodiment of those ideals, and much more. If you enjoy 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

May 18, 2018 • 1h 17min
Hannah Coulter, Part 1
Join David, Tim, Angelina, and special guest Heidi White as they begin their discussion of Wendell Berry's 2003 novel, Hannah Coulter. Conversation touches on first impressions, the book's epitaph, Hannah's unique voice, the poetic rhythms of Berry's writing, whether this is a sad book, and much, much more. If you enjoy 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

May 12, 2018 • 58min
The Code of the Woosters, Q&A
Join David, Tim, and Angelina as they conclude their conversation of P.G. Wodehouse's novel, The Code of the Woosters, by answering listener questions. Topics include Bertie's thickness, Jeeves' genius, the percentage of allusions that the hosts got when reading this book, and much more. If you enjoy this show, please consider supporting 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

May 4, 2018 • 1h 13min
The Code of the Woosters, Final Chapters
Join David and Angelina as they continue their conversation of P.G. Wodehouse's novel, The Code of the Woosters. This week - sans Tim - discussion touches on, well, the code of the Woosters. Plus, Graeme Pitman makes an appearance and conversation goes far afield. If you enjoy this show, please consider supporting 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

Apr 28, 2018 • 1h 18min
The Code of the Woosters, Chapters 5-9
Join David, Tim, and Angelina as they kick-off their conversation of P.G. Wodehouse's novel, The Code of the Woosters. This week's discussion touches on whether Wodehouse had serious intentions when he wrote this novel and why so many people consider him funny over multiple generations and in various places. Plus, they do a close read of a specific scene, just for the sheer pleasure of it. If you enjoy this show, please consider supporting 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