The Foxed Page

People. This is one of the most intense reading experiences Kimberly has had in ages. The book is so smart, so warm and funny and complicated, that Kimberly realized it deserves two lectures! This first one focuses on the narrative stance, the inventiveness, the humor and complicated compendium-like structure (and a possible small debt to David Foster Wallace). The SECOND lecture (coming soon) tackles the novel's insanely great, ambiguous, enigmatic ENDING.

NO SPOILERS! What's summer without a good beach read? By the QUEEN of the beach read?? Kimberly was somewhat alarmed that Hilderbrand is "hanging up her bikini" but thank god we have 26 other Nantucket novels to choose from. People, Hilderbrand is SO GOOD at this stuff. Listen in to find out why her narrative stance, atmospheric elements and structure make these books so solid. (Also: Kimberly has just a few teeny quibbles). There's no such thing as "guilty pleasure" where Hilderbrand is concerned--she's just so good at this stuff!

ALL FOURS is changing how we think about sex, maternity, marriage--and towels. Touted by the New York Times as "the first great peri-menopause novel," it's July's most accessible, most hilarious and most "filthy" (in the best of ways) work. Listen in while Kimberly uses the lens of humor to appreciate the pathos, the sex, the iconoclasm and the tension in this IMPORTANT BOOK.

Who knew that Collins wrote his doctoral dissertation on the romantic poets?? Tune in to hear Kimberly break down the Romantic Movement and Byron's "She Walks in Beauty"--all in preparation to more fully appreciate our nation's "most popular poet"!

Kimberly does not love poetry. Which she considers a personal failure. But it turns out that she LOVES hearing Paul Chowder, narrator of this novel, teach her all about poetry. If you need a lift, and love hilarious, smart books--listen in!

Explore Alice Munro's only novel 'Lives of Girls and Women' in this podcast. Dive into discussions on themes of honesty, religion, shame, and humor. Uncover the complexities of the novel through analyses on family dynamics, character relationships, and the interlocking short story structure.

NO READING NECESSARY! Think of this talk as a primer that will ensure you won't miss any of the ZILLION REASONS why North Woods was on all those best-of-2023 lists. This novel is so engrossing and wide reaching. It's smart and rich and just plain fun to read. Listen as Kimberly points out aspects you do not want to miss. Already read it? You'll love this even more!

Díaz's Pulitzer-prize-winning, Booker-nominated TRUST has the kind of complex structure Kimberly LOVES to dig into. With vastly differing narrative voices, each of the four texts informs the others, making for an insanely rich read. Also: this exploration of the American dream could not be more timely!

NO SPOILERS! NO RE-READING REQUIRED! Listen in to hear how Brookner's use of narrative voice, tons of figurative language and other plot elements make this novel--set in Switzerland--a must read.

Discover the unique structuring of Alice Munro's long short stories and how her upbringing influences her writing style. Dive into the impact of rhetorical questions in Munro's prose, explore her mastery in dialogue, and unravel how she uses juxtaposition to convey complex emotions and relationships.