In this episode, Alyssa, Balke, and I finish our conversation on Emma. (2020). We talk about Harriet, the Eltons, and of course, Emma and Mr. Knightley.

Apologies for the delayed release of this episode! Production on this podcast has temporarily slowed due to COVID-19, but will be back to normal as soon as possible.

Balke and Alyssa Krueger joined me to talk about Emma. (2020). In this episode, we do a close reading of this brand-new Austen tale--my favorite adaptation of all time. 

I'd advise against listening to this podcast before watching the movie! Watch for part 2 of this conversation out soon. 

Thanks especially to Patreon patron Alyssa Krueger for her thoughts! You can get early access to new episodes + bonus content for a $1/month here: https://www.patreon.com/writethinkdream?fan_landing=true

In this episode, Alyssa Krueger takes the reigns to talk to me about one of my favorite books, And Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander. You can take a look back at her review of this book here: https://www.writethinkdream.com/blog-1/guest-post-getting-a-read-and-only-to-deceive

Alyssa guided me through some big thoughts about this fantastic little mystery. We've left the plot spoiler-free, opting instead to talk about the Victorian period, feminism, and why we aren't so far from the 1870s today.

Balke and Alyssa Krueger join me in this episode to review Greta Gerwig's new masterpiece: Little Women (2019). We explore the feminist roots of the book, Alcott's influences, and the expert (and sometimes not so expert) use of doubling in this nonchronological retelling of the classic tale. We love this story and we loved this movie--and we certainly had plenty to say about it.

Uncertainty, isolation, and just a hint of magic are the highlights of The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Julia Rowe joins me in this episode to unpack magic realism and textual unreliability. She also shares her story of growing up as an avid reader with undiagnosed dyslexia. I'm grateful for the chance to explore the edges of things with Julia through this book.

You can look back at my review of Julia's recommendation here: https://www.writethinkdream.com/blog-1/getting-a-read-the-snow-child

Chris Reid joins me to talk about imposter syndrome, the schizophrenia of the spy, and gallows humor in his recommendation to me: Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut. You can read my review of the book at https://www.writethinkdream.com/blog-1/getting-a-read-mother-night.

Part 2 of my in-depth Star Wars conversation with Sarah Killingsworth. I couldn't miss the opportunity to take advantage of her critical expertise in the realm of space wizards and laser swords, so in this episode we dive deep into spoiler-filled commentary about the newest movie. Whether you loved it or hated it, there's certainly a lot to talk about. Check out my review of her recommendation Thrawn by Timothy Zahn here: https://www.writethinkdream.com/blog-1/getting-a-read-thrawn

For the first podcast of the new decade, I couldn't think of a better topic than Star Wars. In part 1 of 2 episodes, Sarah Killingsworth and I take a look back at her recommendation of Thrawn by Timothy Zahn. Link to my review here: https://www.writethinkdream.com/blog-1/getting-a-read-thrawn.

We talk about the Star Wars expanded universe, being a willing citizen of empire, and we try to figure out why it's so fun to love bad guys.

This conversation on Ian Webber's recommendation of The Center Cannot Hold by Elyn Saks explores mental illness, the work of the critic, and the importance of bridge-building in relationships.

The opener of this episode is "The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats, the poem which inspired the title of this book.

Read my review of The Center Cannot Hold here: https://www.writethinkdream.com/blog-1/getting-a-read-the-center-cannot-hold

Emily Burgardt gives perspective on her recommendation and my review of the book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close at www.writethinkdream.com. She greets my crusty skepticism with hope and feeling and even, though I hesitate to admit it, changes my mind on a thing or two.