The Reader and the Writer

Welcome back to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. In this episode, Rhea and Shari continue to scratch their heads over Nemo. Who is this ever-mysterious figure?? They They discuss the narrative and wonder over the central conflict. Where is the story boiling? Who is the main character? is there a central conflict? Or simply a central question? They discuss character counterpoints, and revisit the question of freedom. They talk about isolation and the motif of time passing, and consider how these might be helping to express a deeper meaning. They talk about Twenty Thousand Leagues and the Great Conversation, especially the Great Story. Finally, they end this week’s discussion with a poetry reading: two poems they each thought of separately while reading this week’s section.For paid subscribers, look for this week’s show outline to come out later this week.Be sure to look through Rhea’s Reading Guide, especially the interactive map Rhea added that follows the Nautilus’s travels through the Pacific.Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked what you heard, show it some ❤️ and pass it to some enigmatic folks you know.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to our next school-year long read, the Harry Potter series, by J. K. Rowling! In this episode, Rhea and Shari lay talk about their biggest excitements and apprehensions about doing a close read of Harry Potter. They lay out the reading schedule, and all the fun extras they have planned for paying subscribers. They discuss an ancient, four-layered approach to examining a literary work that they plan to bring to their Harry Potter reading, writing, and discussing. They talk about all the National Harry Potter Days to celebrate, zoom calls and chat threads to come…. And they accidentally start diving into the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.If you’d like to join in all the behind-the-scenes Harry Potter reading opportunities, be sure to become a paid subscriber. The cost is $30 or $5 a month. You can read about all our subscriber opportunities in this post.And, if you haven’t started reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, there’s no time to lose! Our first episode airs the first Friday of October (Oct. 2nd).Here is the link to R&W’s Harry Potter Slow Read page:Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you enjoyed this episode, ❤️ it and share it with your fellow wizard loving friends!The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to our second episode of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the possibility of the characters as archetypes, Nemo as an enigma, and the idea of the places of the novel (land, sea, and Nautilus) as acting in character-like ways. They wonder about the freedom - not freedom debate Aronnax and Nemo have at the beginning of the men’s captivity, and ask the question: What is really imprisoning Nemo that he is not free from but deluding himself into believing he acting free? They talk about stories the novel is in conversation with: Oedipus and the Sphinx, and Genesis 1-3 (Is Nemo a type of Adam? Will the story lead to salvation?). They revisit Mobilis N Mobili and wonder how language and sight are acting as motifs to greater themes.Be sure to check out Rhea’s Reading Guide for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea:If you are a paid subscriber, look for this episode’s outline to come to you via post and email: Wednesday, September 9th. (I am hoping to make our regular posting routine).Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode please ❤️ it and share it with other science romance lovers!The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to this final episode of Middlemarch by George Eliot. In this episode, Rhea and Shari discuss the arcs of the characters—in particular, they re-visit Rosamond’s arc (or not); the role of honor, duty, desire, societal expectations, and—of course—marriage and Middlemarch as the “home epic.” They talk about Eliot’s great use of irony throughout the novel, but in particular, her conversation and expression of “candour,” among Middlemarchers. They talk about the differences between how Rosamond, Dorothea, and Harriet Bulstrode each handle their “dark night of the soul,” and the final effect of each one’s suffering when the sun rises the next day. They talk at length about Eliot’s long quote from Pilgrim’s Progress in the Ch. 85 epigraph and how it brings a certain enlivening to Bulstrode’s character, and greater notes of grace undergirding the entire story itself. They go back to their beginning and look at how they might answer some of the questions they began this home epic with. Finally, they wonder what those “determining acts” are in their own lives; and the difference between an “ideal beauty” and the more remarkable, everlasting beauty found in those “un-historic acts” done by those “who lived faithfully a hidden life and rest in unvisited tombs.” Thank you so much for joining us these past eight months as we closely read Middlemarch! We do hope you’ll join us for the Harry Potter Series next!Here is the outline for this final Middlemarch episode. It is full of discussion questions, and personal journaling and study opportunities. Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this post, please ❤️ it and pass it around.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to our new slow read, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne! In this episode, Shari and Rhea introduce Jules Verne to one another and fellow readers. They talk about their mutual surprise and enjoyment of the story as much as they do, and about the fun of Verne’s wit and gentle jabs at all the countries and their cultures. They discuss Verne’s influences and how they see these at work within the text. They talk about his choice of the first person narrator, and how it this “historical” diary/journal style of telling lends itself to giving a “conferred authority” to the tall tale he’s telling. They wondered what the central conflict will ultimately be (man v. man? man v. God? man v. nature?…. ) They discussed other stories they’ve read (or watched) that Twenty Thousand Leagues seems to be in conversation with—however distantly (Rhea’s looking at you, Princess Bride movie!). They scratched their heads over what “Mobilis N Mobili” might come to mean—for the characters AND for us as readers. And they talk about Twenty Thousand Leagues as a genre-bending tale: the “scientific romance.” (Verne’s label, not ours.)Just a reminder, we begin our new subscription options with Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea for access to episode outlines—which act as extensive discussion guides and even unit study builders for those wishing to read in a group, teaching, or self-study setting. You can read about our subscription options at the beginning of this post:Here is Rhea’s Reading Guide to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea:Here is the reading schedule for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea:Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! This post is public so feel free to share it.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to this final episode of The Constant Nymph, by Margaret Kennedy. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss Tessa as the constant nymph, Kennedy’s dark motif of “belonging” (death by possession), and all the ways she uses famous poetry to enliven these ideas. And then there is the Othello connection: the Shakespearean tragedy of destructive jealousy, perceived love-triangles, and the devastating spiral of a soul. Finally, they discuss one fellow reader’s excellent question that connects The Constant Nymph to Middlemarch, and those themes of romance, realism, bohemianism, and those circumstances (lifestyles) that stunt the actualization of a human into full being.Here is the outline for this episode (This is the last week the outlines will be available for free):Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, please ❤️ it and share it with someone who loves a good Shakespearean tragedy in modern garb!The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to The Constant Nymph by Margaret Kennedy. In this episode, Shari and Rhea talk about the character Rhea loves to hate and Shari hates that she loves (not really… for either of us). They compare the new married couples of the story: how they are alike, how they differ; what drives them together and may ultimately drive them apart. They talk extensively of the artist’s muse: Who is Lewis’s muse? Who might Lewis unknowingly be the muse for? And they talk about sacred things: art, beauty, and what makes the beautiful life? Is art its own justification? Or is always in service of the “business of living beautifully”? Is chaos necessary to make the muse? Are beauty and danger inseparable?What do you think??Below is this week’s outline complete with discussion questions for using in a group, or for your own musing. Just a reminder, starting in September all our outlines will be available behind a paywall. You can learn more about our new subscription options in this post.Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you’re loving The Constant Nymph as much as we are, show it some ❤️, and share it with an artist you know.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary efforts, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to our close reading of The Constant Nymph by Margaret Kennedy! In this episode, Shari and Rhea introduce the story, give a short background of its evolution and success, then dive into the narrative. They talk about Kennedy’s wicked talent with characterization, and how she is able to create characters that are both vividly real and also “types” for her satirical purposes. They discuss the wild Sanger children and those adults in their lives—who they are drawn to, who they aren’t. They wonder whose point(s) of view will rise to the top; who the story will ultimately be about. They notice the bubbling up of the sacred and wonder how it will develop as a theme as the story continues.Be sure to check out Rhea’s Reading Guide for The Constant Nymph.Below you will find a PDF of this episode’s outline. For more information on future subscription access to our episode outlines (as discussed at the beginning of today’s episode), read the beginning of this post.Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you enjoyed this episode, please ❤️ it and share it with others.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Book 7 of Middlemarch, by George Eliot. In this episode, Rhea and Shari discuss character arcs, compassion and pity, fate and freewill, duty and desire. They consider the way Eliot developed each character and how this has affected our personal feelings of different characters. And they wonder what the “two temptations” really are, both at the story level and meta level.Only one more book to go!Here is the show outline with questions for discussion:If you’re interested in learning more about R&W’s new subscription options beginning in September, read the beginning of this essay:Thanks for listening to this podcast episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, ❤️ it and share it with other Middlemarch loving friends!The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to our last episode of A History of the Island. In this episode, Rhea and Shari consider questions like: What is the final significance of the Publisher’s Note at the beginning of the novel? Is this novel an allegory for Ecclesiastes? Can we ever fully understand the past on this side of eternity? What do we make of Jean-Marie’s shift in his design for his film? What role does fate and freewill each play in the making of history? And more.Below you will find our outline for this final episode. If you love having outlines to the books we discuss, we will be making these available every week behind a paywall beginning in September. (They will be available for all during the month of August for your perusal.) Outlines are great for reading with others, or as a study guide if using for self-study or in a class setting. If you’d like to learn more about our paid subscription options, read the beginning of this post:Our next close read is The Constant Nymph, by Margaret Kennedy. This is R&W’s second Kennedy novel. We read (and loved!) The Feast in 2025.Here is the reading schedule:* Episode 1 | Aug 11: Chapters 1-8* Episode 2 | Aug 18: Chapters 9-16* Episode 3 | Aug 25: Chapters 17-24Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you like this episode, ❤️ it and share it!The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to A History of the Island! In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the growing cast of characters in the story, and how the French film-makers seem to be playing a larger role in the story; Parfeny’s and Ksenia’s story, in particular. They ask questions about history and reality, who’s telling the story, and who gets to decide? They revisit again the question of the medieval v. the modern ways of looking at history. They talk about the island’s story as an allegory and the ways the Island’s history maps on to any number of countries, to include our (the United States) own. They consider A History of the Island as an allegory, and particularly as a work of satire. And, they talk about bees. Don’t forget to look through Rhea’s reading guide page for A History of the Island:Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked it, please ❤️ it and share it with your history-loving friends.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to A History of the Island by Eugene Vodolazkin. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the move of the chronicle from the medieval to the modern eras. They talk about what is lost when the comet is no more seen as a dragon, how beauty and mystery are intricately connected, and whether or not they think Vodolazkin is criticizing modernity’s view of how history ought to be chronicled. They talk about the curious change to the title of the book in the English translation, and what all the factors are that go into book titles in general. They discuss the difference between recording history as a recording of “Good v. Evil” and recording it as a simple chain of cause and effect, and where the human is placed (or places himself) in the recording of each one. They talk about the marriage of Parfeny and Ksenia. They consider the play on the word and idea of “progress,” and how with this thread, A History enters into conversation with Hannah Coulter, and Wendell Berry’s body of work in its entirety.Below is a link to Rhea’s reading guide for A History of the Island. Be sure to check out her running list of name meanings. If you want a deep dive into a Tolstoy’s take on history and the ancient v. modern view of how it gets told, you might enjoy my 12-day journey chronicling his long essay on the matter at the end of War & Peace:Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked the episode, please show it some ❤️ and pass it on to your history loving friends!The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

“The reason for circumstance, says Agafon, is people, not God.” “…long life has convinced me that people themselves create their own circumstances.” —Parfeny (p. 7)Welcome to A History of the Island by Eugene Vodolazkin. In this episode, Rhea and Shari spend a fair amount of time trying to situate themselves in this highly unusual novel where the book itself is also the subject of the story; that is, the chronicle of the Island (that has no name). They talk about wild narrative style of the novel, wonder who the main characters are, and if there even are any (at least, human characters). They talk about the clear satire style of the novel, and the motifs they see so far: time, history, prophesy, and the absurdity of the tales within the chronicle itself. They wonder whether Parfeny and Ksenia will have a story arc on their own. They consider all the clues in the strange “From the Publisher” note to start the tale. They talk about how much this novel seems to be in conversation with Tolstoy’s last 12 chapters of War and Peace. They note how they each can feel all the hints being dropped throughout the novel they know they are stepping all over, before recognizing them to pick up and put the pieces together. And, they both agree that though there is much they don’t yet understand, they are enjoying the wildness of the ride along the way.Look for Rhea’s reading guide for A History of the Island to release soon. She will be sharing a character list to help you keep track of everyone, and add to it as the story moves along.If you liked this episode, you might also appreciate my notes on the final twelve chapters of War & Peace in which Tolstoy writes essays about histories, historians, and the question of fate and free will. The first one is pasted below. You can follow along each day afterwards (I wrote one per day for the first 12 days in January)Thanks for listening to this edition of The Reader & the Writer! If you like this post, please give it some ❤️ and share it with some history loving friends.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Middlemarch, Book Six. It’s hard to believe there’s only two books left! We’re definitely going to make the most of them. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss all the unsaid saying that is happening throughout this section, and all the gossip, too. They talk about how Eliot uses these communication gaffs to her narrative power, to develop and reveal characters, and express themes she’s been developing through the story. They talk about the plight and power of women in Middlemarch—how the various characters wield or are wielded by both—and how thie plight and power leaves them feeling about the various male characters of the novel. They compare relationships, decide what they think of Dorthea’s passivity (is she being passive??) and Rosamond’s horribleness (oh how horrible she is!). They talk about Bulstrode’s dirty little secret and whether or not Will should have taken him up on his offer to “make amends”. They riff on themes and big ideas from Hannah Coulter and how they see these play out in Middlemarch in very different ways. They wonder if Rosamond’s redeemable (I bet you can’t guess what Rhea thinks—ha!). Oh, they even through in a little Flannery O’Connor comparison for fun.We have two episodes of Middlemarch left. Expect these to release on the second Friday of each of the following months: August 14th; and September 11th. Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode please show it some ❤️ and share it with a friend. Or enemy, especially if they resemble Rosamond Vincy!The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to our final episode of Hannah Coulter, by Wendell Berry. In this episode Rhea and Shari explore questions surrounding expectations versus hope, what we owe our children, what the culture tells us we owe our children, and what the price is for leaving the Membership. They talk about “failed love,” eternity happening now, and the experience of “waking up dead.” They talk about the prodigal son, the great room of love, living a “futureless” life, and Hannah’s movement toward living in the ever-present of eternal time. They talk about the end: whether or not Hannah, herself, wakes up on the other side with Nathan. Shari reads a Wendell Berry poem at the end. And, of course, they can’t make it through any of this episode without crying.Thank you for reading Hannah Coulter along with us. It has been a true joy to share it with you. Our next deep read is A History of the Island, by Eugene Vodolazkin. We hope you will join us!Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this post, please hit the ❤️ button and share it with a friend.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

But you may have a long journey to travel to meet somebody in the innermost inwardness and sweetness of that room. You can’t get there just by wanting to, or just because the night falls. The meeting is prepared in the long day, in the work of years, in the keeping of faith, in kindness. (p. 110, on the room of love)Welcome back to Hannah Coulter, by Wendell Berry. In this 2nd episode, Rhea and Shari discuss the ways Hannah’s story echoes deeply Genesis 2:15-24: the making of man and woman: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall be one flesh.” (v. 24) They discuss grief, membership, a place on earth, work, and love. They discuss how Wendell Berry is insistent that all of these things are intertwined in such a way that one cannot truly flourish without the other. All are needed for a whole life. They talk about the musicality embedded in Hannah’s story; which leads to a lengthy discussion about the power and beauty of music and poetry to express truths and realities not reachable by words alone. They talk about the ways this section is embedded with all Wendell’s theses: on life, on work kindly done, on marriage as “one flesh.” Indeed, it all rises and falls on marriage.Resources Mentioned on podcast:* Jeremy Begbie on music and the arts* Rhea’s Hannah Coulter Reading Guide (scroll down for the bookmarks pdf)* R&W’s Substack page (for full access to essays, links, discussions): If you liked this post check out:Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer. If you liked what you heard, please ❤️ it and share it with others.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

“This is my story, my giving of thanks.” —Hannah Coulter (p. 5)Welcome to Hannah Coulter, by Wendell Berry. In this episode, Rhea and Shari discuss the power of Wendell’s work in and for their lives. They talk about his way of seeing every single thing that opens up to us a story that, as Hannah writes in the beginning: weighs upon us, presses against us and fills all our senses to overflowing (paraphrased from p. 5). They discuss the long-view narrative structure (much like Crossing to Safety), memory, and the trinitarian life hidden in plain sight. They talk about Hannah’s beginning that is a continuation of Nathan’s ending, the story that is her story, Nathan’s story, their story together. They talk about the humility of knowing one’s own neediness, the golden threads of love and gratitude, kindness that keeps alive, and her unique way of describing what it is to be “in love.” They talk about the light that shines in darkness and never goes out calling us always back into life (paraphrased from p 57). Of course, they talk about Membership.They do none of this while maintaining dry eyes.Below is our reading schedule:* Chapters 1-7: June 23* Chapters 8-15: June 30* Chapters 16-24: July 7Further Wendell Berry Resources:* The Berry Center* Berry Center Bookstore* Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell BerryThe Wendell Berry poem I (Shari) keep on my desk:IX.The incarnate Word is with us,is still speaking, is presentalways, yet leaves no signbut everything that is. (from: This Day: Collected & New Sabbath Poems)Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you enjoyed this post, please give it some ❤️ and share it with others. The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

“The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It’s good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind.” —Sixo to Paul D.Only this woman, Sethe could have left him his manhood like that. He wanted to put his story next to hers.Welcome to our final episode of Beloved, by Toni Morrison. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the first images, and any Scripture that came to them when they finished the novel. They discussed axes, fruit, chopping down, our creature limitations and the devastations we aren’t meant to carry. They discuss the four strange chapters at the beginning of this section; the “thoughts of the women of 124, unspeakable thoughts, unspoken.” (235) They read aloud the unspoken conversation and discuss the ways in which, when read this way, it sounds a little like the call and response of a Black Spiritual. They discuss why possession v. love, why the women of the community were the only ones who could exorcise Beloved, and Paul D was the only one who could heal Sethe’s brokenness. Finally, they ask themselves: “What do I say is my best thing? What do I act like is my best thing?” Our next book is Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry. We will read it over three weeks.Here is the breakdown:* June 23: Chapters 1-7* June 30: Chapters 8-15* July 7: Chapters 16-24Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, please hit the ❤️ button and share it with others.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

“What is it you gentlemen are thinking of when you are with Mrs. Casaubon?”“Herself,” said Will…. When one sees a perfect woman, one never thinks of her attributes—one is conscious of her presence.” (409)Welcome back to Middlemarch. In this episode, Shari & Rhea discuss beauty and love from multiple characters’ perspectives. What is love and beauty according to Will Ladislaw? Lydgate? Rosamond? Dorthea? They talk about Farebrother and the apostolic question surrounding Dorthea and Lydgate’s conversation: What does “apostolic” mean? What has it become in the world of Middlemarch? How is all this apostolic talk relevant with the question of the Reform Bill looming in the background? Finally, they discuss the dead hand. Is there more than one dead hand? What are all the ways these dead hands are affecting the living?Next month, is Book 6 (only three books left!). That episode is set to air the second Friday of July. Between now and then, consider making a Casaubon/Ladislaw family tree. It may just come in handy as you continue to read!Here is the R&W outline for Middlemarch, Book 5 for your personal use:Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, ❤️ it, and share it with others.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to Beloved. In this episode, Rhea and Shari discuss the way this section of the story has a sense of suspendedness to it in ways that are hard to understand or explain. They discuss this phenomena through the unique p.o.v.’s: Baby Suggs (beyond the grave), the “four horsemen,” and Stamp Paid. They discuss the moments of “communion” happening and what each one is signifying, pointing toward and away from. They talk about the way the back and forth of the narrative time leaves them feeling suspended over time itself, and the implications of this for the characters, especially Sethe who is now anxious to live in the “no-time” behind the locked door of 124 with Denver and Beloved.And because so much of this story leaves them beyond the realm of understanding, they end with poetry from Gwendolyn Bennett: “Epitaph.”Epitaph by Gwendolyn BennettWhen I am dead, carve this upon my stone:Here lies a woman, fit root for flower and tree,Whose living flesh, now mouldering round the bone,Wants nothing more than this for immortality,That in her heart, where love so long unfruited layA seed for grass or weed shall grow,And push to light and air its heedless way;That she who lies here dead may knowThrough all the putrid marrow of her bonesThe searing pangs of birth,While none may know the pains nor hear the groansOf she who lived with barrenness upon the earth.Next week Rhea and Shari will discuss the final portion Beloved: pp. 236-323.The next book they are deep reading is Hannah Coulter, by Wendell Berry (yay!!)Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, please show it some ❤️ and share it with a friend.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to Beloved, by Toni Morrison. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the novel in a bit of a different way, that is, in the way of movement. What is the push and pull of each character? Where is the status quo that each is continually striving for and what is the continual element disrupting that design? Where and when and to who is each character saying yes, or no to, and what is the resulting consequence of that decision—however conscious or unconscious that may be. All these things help reveal a movement happening: for the characters individually, and the story as a whole. And how is memory involved in all this movement? How is it pushing, pulling, causing, disrupting, animating, and fragmenting these people, their lives, and our lives, too?If you missed our last episode, you can listen to it here:You also may like reading my most recent essay asking the question: Could AI ever get so good that it could write Beloved??Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer. If you liked this post, show it some ❤️ and share it with others. .The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to our first episode of Beloved, by Toni Morrison. In this episode, Shari and Rhea introduce their four week reading of this powerful novel by way of poetry. Rhea discusses how poetry has helped her digest the intensity of the narrative by reading poetry along the way. They talked about Morrison as a writer, her beliefs about fiction, narrative, and the participatory compact she makes with the reader. Rhea explains how her regular process for reading has drastically adjusted with reading this novel, and why this new approach feels like the right one for now. They discuss memory as a narrative device: how memory functions in Beloved, how it is the subject matter within the story, now it is guiding the story’s structure, how it is a theme, and how Morrison is using memory as a theme to explore other big ideas. And they talk about memory as it relates to language: how language and memory both reside in our bodies, how this shows up in the characters, and what it means for us as readers moving forward into Morrison’s world of Beloved. Show Notes:* Toni Morrison essay: “Memory, Creation, and Writing” * The Source of Self Regard* African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and SongIf you’d like to go deeper into this week’s reading, or want some help as you discuss Beloved with a friend or reading group, here is a PDF of this episode’s outline and detailed book notes. Finally, look for Rhea’s Beloved Reading Guide to drop soon!Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, please ❤️ it and share it.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Most happy she that most assured doth rest, But he most happy who such ones love best—Spenser (from epigraph in ch 37)Welcome back to our year(ish) long read, Middlemarch, by George Eliot. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss all the ways Book Four feels pivotal; the story lines begin to really boil in “Three Love Problems,” and there is no shortage of curiosities to go with it. First, they talk of reform in this section, and all the ways the greater idea of “reform” webs itself into the story’s greater themes. They discuss the “three love problems”: who exactly does Eliot want us to think of here? They talk about the “gossamer web” of young love-making, and wonder why Eliot applies it to Lydgate and Rosamond and not, say, Dorthea and Casaubon, or Dorthea and Will? Rhea recognizes the possible significance in the repeated mention of the “pale stag” (once in Ch 9, and then again in Ch 37). Shari wonders if the Bulstrodes really give a rip about Rosamond marrying Lydgate, or if their “caring” has a more selfish motive at heart. Finally, they do a “lightning” round (more like a slow thunder rumble), asking each other those burning questions they have moving forward.What about you? Any questions or predictions for what will happen next?If you haven’t already, go to the R&W Middlemarch page and download Rhea’s next set of bookmarks! Scroll down to find them.Finally, for your continued deeper dive into Middlemarch’s Book Four, or use in a book group, homeschool study, and all purposes in-between, here is a PDF of our Book Four outline:Thanks for this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, ❤️ it and share it with others.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to our final episode on Anne of Green Gables! In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the Scripture in these last chapters, hidden in plain sight. They talk about how this Great Conversation serve the narrative turn of the novel toward its fullness: in Anne’s character, and as a human being into wholeness. They talk about the way ambition seems to be the theme-thread running strong through this last section of the story, in the same way imagination, goodness, and romance occupy important roles in other sections of the story. They talk a long time about the role nature plays through all of Anne of Green Gables, and the fundamental role it’s meant to play in our own lives. They talk about the role of imagination in faith, hope, and love, desires, duty, and knowing our place as sons and daughters, not orphans or slaves.Finally, we ended with two questions we invite you to consider and contemplate over the next several days:* In this season of life, what is Anne inviting you to see? To believe?* How then will you live?As a bonus to celebrate R&W’s reading of Anne of Green Gables, we’re attaching this episode’s outline for your personal use, whether to spend more time with Anne on your own, or in your book club, homeschool group, and more. Later this year, The Reader & Writer will be sharing our episode outlines regularly for all our paid subscribers. But for now, it’s free. :)Our next read is Beloved, by Toni Morrison. Our first episode will air the last week of May. In the intervening weeks, look for some bonus episodes on all things literary, great and small alike. Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this post, give it some ❤️ and share it with others. The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to Anne of Green Gables. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the narrative shape that this story is taking in ways that are different than the traditional story arc structure. They talk extensively about goodness, Anne’s ideas of it, the ways her ideas are limiting and how much of the community seems to help foster those limits. They discuss goodness as in ideal versus goodness as a human charecteristic—how each is different and where the overlap occurs. This naturally leads to a discussion of beauty, truth, and goodness: how each one informs, strengthens and adds to the overflow of the others. And, they talk about how, for all Anne’s wild imaginations, her ability to imagine herself being vulnerable to the “other”—particularly Gilbert Blythe—is woefully stunted, or more likely, blocked by her fears.Be sure to check out Rhea’s reading guide for Anne of Green Gables:Also, please tell us how you’ve been inspired by Anne of Green Gables to stretch your imagination and find new ways to play!Thanks for reading The Reader & the Writer! If you like this post, please give it some ❤️ and share it with others.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

“Dear me, it’s only been three weeks since she came, and it seems as if she’d been here always. I can’t imagine the place without her.” —MarillaWelcome back to Anne of Green Gables. In this episode, Shari and Rhea spend time discussing our narrator: When does she pop out from behind the book to talk to us? What effect does this have on our experience of the story? Our feelings about the characters? They also talk more about the imagination, and how critical it is to develop our imaginations, especially as it relates to the life of faith. They talk about romance, not the “kiss, kiss” kind, but rather romance in the grander sense. Finally, they ask whether or not Anne’s extreme emotion, imagination, and romance are hyperbole if it truly is Anne bringing all that is in her to bear in every joy and despair, with no real in-between’s.Rhea’s amazing Anne of Green Gables Reading Guide is available! You can find it here:Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you like this post, please ❤️ it and pass it along.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

“It’s delightful when your imaginations come true, isn’t it?But the worst of imagining things is that the time comes when you have to stop and that hurts.When the Lord puts us in certain circumstances He doesn’t mean for us to imagine them away.Welcome to our first conversation on Anne of Green Gables! In this episode, Shari and Rhea can’t get enough of Anne with an ‘e’. They share their favorite moments, favorite quotes, favorite things this story make them think about, and their favorite things about Anne, which, of course, is everything! They wonder what it takes for a wide scope of imagination. They ask if we treat our own imaginations well in this day and age, and what would it look like to cherish our imaginations? They talk about the connection between imagination and beauty, and how Anne sees beauty in everything but herself. They talk about naming, and wonder if Anne’s naming of places and objects transfigures them—not only for herself, but for those around her as well. Also, they ask one another the hardest question ever: Which would you rather be if you had the choice: divinely beautiful, dazzling clever, or angelically good??Look for the Rhea’s reading guide for Anne of Green Gables to publish on her Substack page, soon!Thanks for listening to The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this post, please ❤️ it and share it with others.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to Middlemarch! In this episode, Shari and Rhea think long and hard about our narrator: by what tactics is she (he?) getting us to see? Where are our eyes turned? On what do we gaze? And how does this gaze serve Eliot’s purposes for expressing her greater themes? They also talk about the symmetry in the story lines of Book Three, and the elegant arc they make. Of course, they discuss details: Fred Vincy’s extreme self-centerdness, Lydgate’s dunce-headedness, and poor Dorthea’s hopes of matrimonial bliss being popped so soon. They argue over passionately discuss whether Rosamond is manipulative or innocent in her pursuit of Lydgate. They bring up that tricky narrator again, and how we are given the turn in their relationship: from careless flirting to holy matrimony. They continue to scratch their heads over the British class system and where exactly every person and trade fits in. And furniture… What is up with this continual mention of furniture?? Finally, they take in the title of Book Three, Waiting to Die, and consider the full scope of its meaning.Show Notes:What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew, by Daniel Pool. (Rhea referenced)R&W Outline for Middlemarch, Book Three (Available for a limited time to all subscribers. Will go behind paywall mid-year). Great for use with:* Personal Study* Book Groups* Homeschool Supplement* Upper Level High School Curriculum SupplementThanks for listening to this edition of The Reader & the Writer! If you like this post give it some ❤️ and pass it around.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

“Survival, it is called. Often it is accidental, sometimes it is engineered by creatures or forces that we have no conception of, always it is temporary.” —p. 324Welcome back to Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. In this episode, Shari and Rhea find themselves without words… more than once…! They talk about Charity’s way of controlling everything to the very end, and how still after all that, they couldn’t dislike her, or harbor ill feelings toward her. They talk about Sid and Larry’s simultaneous “journeys” they took at the end, and how each one came out on the other side. They talk about dying “right” v. dying “well,” living “right” v. living “well,” and how the two inform one another. They talk about fate, forgiveness, and the way suffering has the mysterious gift of enlarging us if we’ll let it. Finally, Shari declares Crossing to Safety as one of her top five books of all time—a statement that, if you’ve been listening to R&W for any length of time, you know she doesn’t make easily.Below is The Resurrection by Piero della Francesca that was mentioned multiple times in the narrative and acted as a critical image in the last section of the story. Our next book is Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery. Our first episode of that four-part series will air April 14th. Thanks for listening to this edition of The Reader & the Writer! If you like this post, ❤️ it and pass it along.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

“Order is indeed the dream of man, but chaos, which is only another word for dumb, blind, witless chance, is still the law of nature.” (p. 191)Welcome back to Crossing to Safety, by Wallace Stegner. In this episode, Shari and Rhea talk (somewhat obsessively) about Charity Lang and her extreme need to control, and how it affects, well, everything! They talk more about Larry, the long-view narrator, the various narrative techniques Stegner uses through him, and how it continues to impact our understanding of Charity, Larry, both marriages, and the friendship at the heart of this story. They talk about the farce of control itself—how very little we actually have—what makes a person decide he or she has “no choice” but to sacrifice for the sake of another, and what it looks like to bend and not break. Oh, and they talk about the continual Eden imagery: Adam and Eve, and that damnable lurking snake.Next week will be their fourth and final episode with Crossing to Safety. Show note:Here is the quote Shari was talking about from Madeleine L’Engle’s book, Walking on Water (in reference to bringing order from chaos):Leonard Bernstein tells me more than the dictionary when he says that for him music is cosmos in chaos. That has the ring of truth in my ears and sparks my creative imagination. And it is true not only of music; all art is cosmos, cosmos found within chaos. At least all Christian art (by which I mean all true art, and I’ll go deeper into this later) is cosmos in chaos.—Madeleine L’Engle (p. 8)Thanks for reading The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode please give it ❤️ and share it with others.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we do, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

And so, by circuitous and unpredictable routes, we converge toward midcontinent and meet in Madison, and are at once drawn together, braided and plaited into a friendship. (p. 96)Welcome back to Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. In this episode, Shari and Rhea continue their discussion of the long-view narrative style of the story’s first person narrator, Larry Morgan. They discuss his generous story telling style, his telling of deep intimacies, and the way they find themselves, at times, so overcome by the quiet beauty of the narrative they could weep. They continue to relate Larry and Sally’s story to their own marriages, and their own younger-self lives. They discuss Larry’s imagined historical telling of Sid and Charity’s meeting and early love: what more is revealed about Larry the narrator, and what Stegner the author gains by this creative narrative technique. They discuss Charity in-depth: her name, its meaning, and how Stegner, through his narrator, is training us in the way of true, charitable and lasting love. They talk about C. S. Lewis. Shari comes up with a fitting Hamilton quote about Sid. In their next episode, they will be reading through the end of Book One (pp. 142-239)Here’s a link to Rhea’s excellent reading guide for Crossing to Safety:Here is the poem by Robert Frost that inspired the story’s title:I Could Give All To Time by Robert FrostTo Time it never seems that he is braveTo set himself against the peaks of snowTo lay them level with the running wave,Nor is he overjoyed when they lie low,But only grave, contemplative and grave.What now is inland shall be ocean isle,Then eddies playing round a sunken reefLike the curl at the corner of a smile;And I could share Time’s lack of joy or griefAt such a planetary change of style.I could give all to Time except – exceptWhat I myself have held. But why declareThe things forbidden that while the Customs sleptI have crossed to Safety with? For I am There,And what I would not part with I have kept.Thanks for reading The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this post, please ❤️ it and share it with other literature lovers like you.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to R&W’s next 2026 read: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. In this episode, Rhea and Shari discuss the powerful beauty they see already this story of the mundane that makes both marriage and friendship lasting and gold. They talk about Stegner’s great influence on the American literary canon—both through his own work, and his teaching of those literary giants who followed him, Shari’s personal favorite being Wendell Berry. They spend a long time talking about the 1st person long-view narrator, and the effect it has our view of the story itself, the characters, and the events being narrated. They talk about the ways they see the themes of the story: marriage, friendship, and vocation, already being expressed and given foundation in these early chapters. And they wonder how all three will survive and thrive over the course of the decades to follow.Below is a link to Rhea’s reading guide for Crossing to Safety. Please do check it out. She has some great stuff in it!Also, here is the full poem by Robert Frost that inspired Crossing to Safety’s title:I Could Give All To Time– A Poem by Robert FrostTo Time it never seems that he is braveTo set himself against the peaks of snowTo lay them level with the running wave,Nor is he overjoyed when they lie low,But only grave, contemplative and grave.What now is inland shall be ocean isle,Then eddies playing round a sunken reefLike the curl at the corner of a smile;And I could share Time’s lack of joy or griefAt such a planetary change of style.I could give all to Time except – exceptWhat I myself have held. But why declareThe things forbidden that while the Customs sleptI have crossed to Safety with? For I am There,And what I would not part with I have kept.Thanks for listening to this edition of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, hit the ❤️ button and share it with someone!The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to Middlemarch, our year-ish long read. In this episode, Rhea and Shari discuss what it means to be old and young, to have desire and duty, and the making of a person and a marriage. They talk about the various relationships in Middlemarch and how they are continuing to shape into being. They spend considerable time discussing the “big-hearted” narrator, and all they appreciate about her commentary. And they go through several quotes from Book 2, and scratch their heads over each one’s meaning.Be sure to check out our Middlemarch page: Be sure to find our chat section on the Middlemarch page for each week’s reading and join in the conversation!Our next Middlemarch episode covering Book Three is scheduled to air April 3rd. Until then, read wide and read well!Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this post, ❤️ it and share it.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to our final episode of Frankenstein. In this episode, Shari and Rhea revisit the nesting narrative, also called framing. They examine each frame through the lens of several different themes and motifs. They ask what ideas they see repeatedly, and how the characters express the various themes. They talk about Shelley’s exploration of love through the pairing of different characters together, and how Victor and the Creature combine in such a way that desecrates love as well as one another. They discuss the significance of names in Frankenstein, and the extra-significance of the De Lacey family at the center of the story. And they circle back around on earlier discussions about creators and creations, not taking responsibility for what we make, not “killing our darlings” when we should, and the ways we end up with monsters of our own making.Journal Prompts for Frankenstein:Rhea had some excellent reflective questions we didn’t have time to discuss. I (Shari) would like to offer them here as journal prompts in case you’d like to do some final noodling over Frankenstein. * On Creation: What does Shelley want me to notice about creation? About my relationship with creation? My responsibility to creation? My responsibility to what I create?* On Companionship: What does Shelley want me to notice about companionship? About my expectations about companionship? My responsibilities within companionship?* On Love: What does Shelley want me to notice about love?We’d love to hear your thoughts or discoveries on any of the above. And if Frankenstein spurred you on to consider other big ideas, please share these, too!Our next slow read is Crossing to Safety, by Wallace Stegner. We will be reading it over four weeks. Our first episode will drop March 10th. No new episodes will air between now and then. Great time to catch up on your Middlemarch reading!If you need a refresher of our 2026 reading list, you can find it here:Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this post, give it some ❤️ and share it with a friend, enemy, or frenemy.We’re not picky.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Middlemarch, Book One. In this first “reading” episode of Middlemarch, Rhea and Shari dive headlong into the world of early-1800’s provencial England. They spend a great amount of time discussing the story’s witty, critical, big-hearted narrator. They examine the text for understanding how they are meant to feel about Casaubon, though they already know exactly how they feel about Casaubon. They talk about Dorthea as viewed from various points of view—especially her sister, Celia’s. They look at where the narrator offers us a critical eye, a wide lens, and always a quick witt. Rhea wonders if she’ll even be able to find a character she’ll love to hate. Shari declares Celia is her hero.If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to read through R&W’s Middlemarch page. It’s full of great stuff:Thanks for reading The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this post, please show it some ❤️ and share it around.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to R&W’s second episode of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. In this episode, Shari and Rhea dive deeper into the complexities and questions begged by the nested narrative style of the story, Shelley’s use of nature as a metaphor and motif, the use of counterpoints in every character as they relate to Victor, the many Great Conversations embedded in Volume 2, a continued study of humans’ duties toward the works of our hands, and their severe discomfort at the Creature’s lack of a name.The final Frankenstein episode will air Tuesday, February 10th. (This is one week off the original reading schedule, due to inclement weather.) Here is a link to Rhea’s Frankenstein Reading Guide:Thanks for listening to The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, show it some ❤️ and share it with a friend.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we do, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

“Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, that he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.”—Victor Frankenstein to Capt. Walton (p 41, 1818 version)Welcome to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, R&W’s first deep read for 2026. In this episode, Shari and Rhea do a brief introduction to Mary Shelley herself, and those aspects of her life they can see informing aspects of the Frankenstein tale They talk about their experience reading the 1818 and 1831 versions side-by-side. They discuss the epistolary style of the narrative, the motifs they see, and the horrible moment of Victor Frankenstein’s creation coming to life. They talk about our own making and ask what responsibility we hold to that which we make: from marriage, home and children, to careers, inventions, and those physical works of our hands. All this, and they barely scratched the surface.Make sure to look at Rhea’s Reading Guide for Frankenstein:It's full of great resources, the reading schedule, Middlemarch connections, and bookmarks, of course! :)Thanks for listening to The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, ❤️ it and share it around.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Middlemarch! In this episode, Shari and Rhea lay the groundwork for R&W’s first yearish-long read. They discuss the author, George Eliot, the origin story of Middlemarch, and all the things they will be looking for while they read. Oh, and they try and figure out exactly what “provincial” means.To find the reading schedule, bookmarks, and other resources mentioned in the podcast, visit R&W’s Middlemarch page:For a list of R&W’s entire 2026 year of reading click here: Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, ❤️ it and share it with a friend.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the final episode of R&W’s 2025 year-long read of War and Peace. It really is hard to believe it’s over (Except, if you’re Shari, it’s not. Six more Epilogue essays to go!)In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the way Tolstoy takes the characters off the stage in the end, and sets them squarely in the beautiful mundane of every day life. They talk about characters they wish they’d heard more from, characters they kept thinking might pop back up and play more of a role, the character Rhea loved to hate in the end. They talked about their favorite scenes and sections, as well as those places they could have done without. They talked about what part of spending an entire year with War and Peace they will miss. Oh, and what they’re looking forward to with their next (not quite) year-long read, Middlemarch, by George Eliot.Speaking of, if you haven’t seen The Reader and the Writer’s 2026 reading list in order with dates, to include our year-long reads: Middlemarch and the Harry Potter series (going into 2027), you can find it here:To follow my annotations, personal notes, and War and Peace story connections on Tolstoy’s Epilogue essays (12 essays in 12 days), start here:Thank you so much for reading along with us in 2025! And cheers to many more years of happy slow reading together. 🥂Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked what you heard, give it some ❤️ and share it with a fellow War and Peace lover like you.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

It’s hard to believe, but it’s time for the last episode of 2025.In this episode, Rhea and Shari ask each other questions about all things R&W and books this 2025. They talk about those most memorable scenes, where they found the Great Conversation most compelling in the books they read, what story most convicted them, reminded them of who they are, and surprised them by its beauty. They discussed Shari’s MFA work and how it’s informed her labors with novel writing and R&W. They talked about what they thought they did well this first full year of R&W’s existence, and what they hope to do better in 2026. And, of course, Rhea got bonus points for the best question ever: Which two characters from any of the books we read this year would you like to see married? Oh wow… What would you say??On a personal note:Rhea and I are beyond grateful for all of you who’ve journeyed along with us this 2025. We began doing this thing a year and a half ago out of our shared love for literature and the sheer fun we have when we’re together talking about the books we’re reading. Your own love of literature and participation with us here spurs us on to continue nurturing and growing the literary work we’ve begun.2026 is already shaping up to be our best year yet (not so hard considering we’re not even two full years old)! If you haven’t seen the R&W 2026 Reading list in order, be sure to check it out:R&W’s first book is Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Below are the dates and reading schedule:* January 20: Frankenstein - Volume I* January 27: Frankenstein - Volume II* February 3: Frankenstein - Volume IIIThe first year-long|background read is Middlemarch, by George Eliot. Below are the first few episodes related to that book:* January 13: Welcome to Middlemarch* February 6: Middlemarch - Book 1* March 6: Middlemarch - Book 2See you next year! Until then, read wide, read well, and live always in witness to the Great Story.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

“Hope,” he said. “Damn thing never leaves you alone.” —Paul, p. 219Welcome to the final episode of Klara and the Sun. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss all the motifs and how they bring to life the central question of this novel: What does it mean to be human? They talk about Klara and faith, Klara and friendship, Klara and the human heart, and what Jesus and C. S. Lewis have to say on all these matters. They discuss all the ways in which Klara, disturbingly, seemed throughout the story more human than the humans did. They discuss their own troubled reactions to the story’s ending. They talk about the difference between companionship and friendship. They talk about integration and disintegration, and how every effort at human-like connection with A.I. leads to the later, and never the former. They re-visit the Advent aspect of this story, and what Advent looks like with no Incarnation (God becoming human for us) in the end. And, Shari reads some poetry by Wendell Berry at the end.Resources cited in this episode:* The Four Loves, by C. S. Lewis* The Gospel of John, Chapter 15* Klara and the Sun in the Year of ubiquitous A.I. (from Substack MBH4H)* The Friend Necklace (Oct. 2025 review from Business Insider)Poetry Rhea was inspired to find and cite after finishing Klara and the Sun:* The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry* [i carry your heart with me (i carry it in] by e. e. cummings* The Sun by Mary OliverIf you haven’t seen it yet, here is R&W’s 2026 Reading List in order with (penciled in) dates:Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, please give it some ❤️ and pass it along.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to Klara and the Sun. In this episode, Shari and Rhea have a LOT to talk about, beginning and ending with the troubling Frankenstein-esque turn this story has taken. They discuss faith v. rationality and the irony that a lot of faith is needed to believe in rationality. They discuss blobs and boxes and shapes in general as a motif. They discuss the Bubble Game, eyes as the window to the soul, and hedges v. fences. They discuss the mothers, Helen and Chrissy, as counterpoints of one another, and what drives each one to act as she does. They discuss Rick and Josie’s plan. They discuss Advent, Mary, courageous surrender, and what happens when waiting becomes unbearable… and all these things from a place of knowing now what Mr. Capaldi’s “portrait” of Josie truly is.Next week they will finish the book.Resource mentioned in this episode:* Rhythms of Faith, by Claude Atcho. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

It must be great. Not to miss things. Not to long to get back to something. Not to be looking back all the time. Everything must be so much more… (p. 90)Welcome to R&W’s last deep read of the year: Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro. In this episode, Shari and Rhea piece together what they so far know about AF (Artificial Friend) Klara and the world in which she lives. They also talk about what they don’t know, what confuses them, and the world of AI as it is in the story, and in real life. They talk about the eerie quietness of the story, the formality of the relationships amongst the humans, and Klara’s eerie ability to make judgements and have feelings, though she’s a robot and “not supposed” to have the capacity to do either. They talk about what happens to humans when they interact with AI’s as humans. And they talk about how—at least so far—Klara and the Sun reminds them of Advent.Be sure to check out Rhea’s Reading Guide for Klara and the Sun:Below is the reading schedule for Klara and the Sun:Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode be sure to ❤️ it and share it with others.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

And there is no greatness where simplicity, goodness, and truth are absent. —Leo TolstoyWelcome back to our year-long read, War and Peace. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the way the novel is moving from story to essay, from narrative to critique. And yet, there is still much to discuss: why Tolstoy is so harsh on historians, why Kutuzov gets such a short exit, how the scenes of military camp life serve to illustrate Tolstoy’s essays, how Pierre can no longer see an aim now that he has faith, and how Natasha gains her life back and further gifts Pierre a depth to his by recounting Andrei’s final days. And all of this they consider in light of the quote on greatness above.For our history loving listeners, below is the link to Matthew Long’s post from his Substack, Beyond the Bookshelf, that Rhea mentioned near the end of the podcast. Matthew is doing a deep dive into the Civil War next year. He has a his study schedule, reading guide and timeline all mapped out, and has shared it for anyone who’d like to follow along:Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you like this episode, ❤️ it and pass it along.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we do, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” —Lee to AbraWelcome back to East of Eden—the end! In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss all the “timshel” moments that lead to the final blessing, for Cal, and for us all. They talk about the Great Conversation happening here at the end of the story with Alice in Wonderland, and Meditations. They discuss smallness, greatness, and accepting one’s story as it is. They talk about control, and our lack of it; about taking responsibility for wrongs versus the cheap self-indulgence of being vulnerable and right-sized with the world. It’s a Wonderful Life and Rhea making peace with Cherry Valance. Basically, they discuss all that is east of Eden.R&W’s final book for 2025 will be Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. Below is the breakdown of the readings:* December 16: Parts 1 - 2 (pp. 3-109)* December 23: Part 3 - some of Part 4 (pp. 113-214)* December 30: Rest of 4 - Part 6 (pp. 214-303)Finally, if you haven’t yet listened, be sure to check out R&W’s 2026 Big Draw Episode, where Rhea and Shari drew and decided on all they will be reading next year!Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this post, give it some ❤️ and share it with someone.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, become a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

It’s that time again! The Reader & the Writer’s annual Big Draw Episode! In this bonus episode, Rhea and Shari draw for and decide the books they will read in 2026. Prior to the episode, the ladies decided they wanted to read books from the following three genres: love story, gothic, science-fiction/magical realism. Beyond the books they drew on air, they preselected two authors from their 2025 books to re-read (different book, of course). They also preselected another book by an author that was a “must read” for both of them. It was great fun to record!The R&W books for 2026 are listed below (not in order). But, still listen to the episode! It’s just plain fun. :)The Reader & the Writer 2026 Book List:* Lila, by Marilynne Robinson* Hannah Coulter, by Wendell Berry* The Constant Nymph, by Margaret Kennedy* Crossing to Safety, by Wallace Stegner* Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery* Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley* Beloved, by Toni Morrison* A History of the Island, by Eugene Vodolazkin* Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne* A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller (added after the episode)R&W Long-Long Reads:* Middlemarch, by George Eliot (Jan - Aug)* Harry Potter Series, by J. K. Rowling (Sep - Mar 2027)Stay tuned for exact editions we will be reading from, if that’s something you care about. It’s not necessary, however, as long as you’re reading from an unabridged edition. Get excited! It’s time to buy books and start reading!! :DThanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, ❤️ it and share it.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, become a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to East of Eden, where “diplomacy by other means” is boiling over, abroad and at home. In this episode, Rhea and Shari discuss characters and characterizations, and why it seems the “innocent” characters are so much more flat than the conflicted, troubled characters. They circle back on greatness, and how it connects to timshel. They talk about freedom. And, they wonder whether it’s easier to give or to receive.Next week they will finish East of Eden: Chapters 50-55.Oh! And, be sure to tune in on Friday, December 5th, for their annual Big Draw Episode, where they will be drawing, debating, and deciding on their reading list for 2026. Yay!Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode give it some ❤️ and share it with others. The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we do, become a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to this Thanksgiving bonus episode of the Reader & the Writer! In this episode, Shari interviews author, Connie Hampton Connally. Connie has written two novels: The Songs We Hide, and Fire Music, both set in Hungary; and is currently at work on her third novel, set in Andean Peru. Connie holds a BA in English from University of Washington, and an MFA from Antioch University. Connie and Shari discuss the inspiration for her novels, her research and crafting process, and all the many aspects of the reading and writing life. You can find Connie at: conniehamptonconnally.comThanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you like this episode, ❤️ it and share it.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to East of Eden. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the extreme amount of grayness at this point in the narrative: Tom’s Gray One, Aron’s gray mind, and Kate’s gray room. They discuss “fake it ‘til you make it” versus perseverance for the sake of the other. Shari questions her earlier thoughts on Samuel Hamilton’s version of greatness, and and how Hamilton “greatness” expresses itself in the various characters. And of course, they discuss the ONE TRUE story as Steinbeck expresses it, and whether or not they agree. Is the one story in the world the story of good and evil? Or is it of love and rescue?Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you like this episode, show it some ❤️ and share it with others. The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we do, become a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to East of Eden. In this episode, Shari and Rhea have a whole host of discussions: relationships, counterpoints, and how “thou mayest” factors into all of it. They talk about Lee as the new Samuel Hamilton, Lee as a friend, and Lee as the mother Cal and Aron never had. They talk about characters and their relationships to their own pasts and futures, and how considering this in our own lives could offer interesting insights as well. They discuss nature v. nurture, land and people - people and land, and lies that infect everything. Rhea offers a lively discourse over education. And then she give a spoiler about Santa Claus. You’ve been warned.Next week, they will discuss Chapters 33-40.Don’t forget to check out Rhea’s reading guide post for East of Eden. Lots of great stuff for learning and considering:Thanks for listening to this edition of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, ❤️ it and share it.The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the literary work we’re doing, become a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe