Good Scribes Only

In episode 10, we discuss Mary Shelley's classic novel, Frankenstein. This early 19th century novel is  one of the most widely read books of all time. Daughter of a novelist and philosopher, it's no surprise that Shelley's first book is stupendous; however, as we discuss in the episode, Shelley's Promethean tale, Frankenstein, was not always so well received. In this episode we discuss: feminism, race, ambition, alienation, motherhood, and more. Thanks for listening. And enjoy✌️ 02:00 — Casting Frankenstein the Movie 05:30 — Initial thoughts of Frankenstein 10:50— Plot Summary 20:50— Shelley on Ambition, Alienation, Revenge, and Human Nature 25:50— Female Characters 31:20— Mary Shelley’s Life 37:30 — Race in Frankenstein 44:40— Alienation and Loneliness 46:20 — Favorite passages WebsiteTikTokInstagramYouTubeNewsletterJeremy's WebsiteDan's Website

In this episode we discuss the legendary African American novelist James Baldwin's third novel, "Another Country." Set primarily in Greenwich Village and Harlem, New York City, in the late 1950s, the novel portrays rubs against many taboos of the time such as bisexuality, interracial romance and extramarital affairs. Beyond sexuality, the novel is a diatribe on what it's like to be an artist in New York City and beyond. We cast our absurdly high-budget movie and then dive into Baldwin's world - touching everything we probably shouldn't ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ - We hope you enjoy and thanks for listeningWebsite TikTok Instagram YouTube Newsletter Jeremy's Website Dan's Website

Welcome back for another episode of Good Scribes Only. Today we're discussing Fyodor Dostoevsky's legendary novella, *Notes from Underground*. The story is split in two parts: 1) a rambling memoir-style philosophical treatise from the book's main lead "Underground Man," and 2) a short but hilarious and incisive glimpse into the Underground Man's personal life. Dostoevsky is known as one of Russia's great bards having written other classics such as *Crime and Punishment* and *The Brothers Karzamov.* If you appreciate existential fiction and classic literature, you are in for quite a right with this 115 page story. This innovative novella is bizarre on loads of levels, and we enjoyed every minute of it. We hope you will too. ✌️ Website TikTok Instagram YouTube Newsletter Jeremy's Website Dan's Website

Welcome back to another episode of Good Scribes Only. Today we'll be speaking about Amy Tan's award winning novel, The Joy Luck Club. The bookcontains sixteen interconnected stories about conflicts between Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-raised daughters. Tan herself is the daughter of two Chinese immigrants and has discussed how her own personal journey was absorbed by several characters in the work. It's a novel which challenges the reader (and the foolish podcasters who choose to discuss it) with balancing a wide range of characters and stories, and to appreciate the nuance brought on when two starkly different cultures collide. If you find it hard to keep the names straight, you can take solace in the fact that we probably butchered them in the first place. Otherwise, we hope you enjoy Good Scribes Only's take on the Joy Luck Club ✌️Website TikTok Instagram YouTube Newsletter Jeremy's Website Dan's Website

Five episodes down, five more to go. Website TikTok Instagram YouTube Newsletter Jeremy's Website Dan's Website

Today we’re discussing Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, a lyrical and thematic masterpiece. We cast our over-budget movie and then dig into the novel’s world - discussing everything from nomenclature to embodied writing. Thanks for listening!Website TikTok Instagram YouTube Newsletter Jeremy's Website Dan's Website

Ready for another cowboy story? Though it has horses and cowboys and a severe desert landscape Cormac McCarthy's 1991 All The Pretty Horses is anything but your tropey Western. Suffice to say, Mr. McCarthy is one of the greatest living writers and has earned his place on the writers' Mount Olympus with a slew of critically acclaimed novels such as No Country For Old Men, Suttree, Blood Meridian, and his most famous (though our least favorite) The Road. By title, today's novel may strike you as a light read, but All the Pretty Horses is at once beautiful, haunting, memorable, and romantic. In this episode we dig into the psychology behind its lead John Grady Cole, his 'pardner' Lacey Rawlins, their unexpected companion Jimmy Blevins and of course, Alejandra. Oh Alejandra. If you appreciate the natural world and are in the market for an author with a unique writing style this novel might just be your finest caviar. We hope you enjoy ✌️Website TikTok Instagram YouTube Newsletter Jeremy's Website Dan's Website

In episode 3, we discuss Kazuo Ishiguro's Booker-Prize winning novel, Remains of the Day. This Japanese-born British novelist is  one of the most decorated  living writers. Remains of the Day is Ishiguro's first novelistic venture outside of Japan, and the novel is fresh and smart and filled with the originality of a master storyteller who is capable of travel and metamorphosis. In this show. we discuss: unreliable narrators, dignity, banter, the pursuit of goodness, and much more. Thanks for listening. And enjoy✌️ WebsiteTikTokInstagramYouTubeNewsletterJeremy's WebsiteDan's Website

If there were ever a man who embodies the "Good Scribe" it's Kurt Vonnegut. In a career spanning over 50 years, Vonnegut is lauded as one of the 20th century's greatest writers and social critics. He published 14 novels, three short story collections, five plays, five works of nonfiction before his death in New York City in 2007 at the age of 84. Thematically, this book is a boilerplate. In this black comedy, Vonnegut puts under the microscope: writing, fame, consumerism, American social values, freewill, race and many other themes most authors actively avoid. Breakfast of Champions lives in the Pantheon of literature, alongside other novels by Kurt Vonnegut such as Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse Five, and Welcome to the Monkey House. After this conversation, we hope you'll read (or re-read) what might be the bestnovel from one of the greatest novelists to ever do it. Enjoy ✌️Website TikTok Instagram YouTube Newsletter Jeremy's Website Dan's Website

In this episode, we discussed Ted Chaing's short story collection: Stories of Your Life and Others. Mr. Chiang is, to put it lightly, a rare breed of science fiction author. Perhaps this is because, before becoming a novelist, was a technical writer in during the American software boom. He is one of the only sci-fi authors either of us have read who manages to successfully balance a rigorous understanding of science and technology with authorial emotional depth. We spent most of our time on two of the stories in the collection: Tower of Babylon and Story of Your Life. Babylon is a science fiction, fantasy novelette and Chiang's first (and towering) published work. As you might expect, the story examines the Tower of Babel myth from the Old Testament and this story won the 1991 Nebula Award for Best novelette. Story of Your Life is perhaps Chiang's best known work, mostly because of the popularity of its film adaptation arrival, starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. For the Story of Your Life portion of the podcast, we focus our attention on the written version, and its major themes like language and free will. Enjoy ✌️Website TikTok Instagram YouTube Newsletter Jeremy's Website Dan's Website