Good Scribes Only

By Daniel Breyer, Jeremy Streich

Good Scribes Only is a podcast featuring a novelist + venture investor (Daniel Breyer) and a novelist + founder (Jeremy Streich), who share an enthusiasm for literature. From classics to sci-fi, moder... more

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FAQs about Good Scribes Only:

How many episodes does Good Scribes Only have?

The podcast currently has 132 episodes available.

Good Scribes Only episodes:

January 10, 2023 2022 in Review
In our final episode of the season, we discuss our favorite books of 2022, a few movies that stood out, plus our favorite moments of season one—often the (copious) occasions when Jeremy gets himself canceled. As far as books go, none of you will be surprised to hear how many Daniel read this year, but you might not have expected his favorite. And, as always, you'll get an appearance from one of our dogs, the true MVPs. We hope you enjoy!
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32min
November 21, 2022 #10 Salman Rushdie - Midnight's Children
We're back with another towering work from one of the most noteworthy names in modern literature. *Midnight's Children,* published in 1981, is considered the seminal work from Indian-British writer, Salman Rushdie. The novel is what some describe as magical realism, though Rushdie prefers self describes as a "Surrealist" author. In the novel we follow one narrator and protagonist, Saleem Sinai, through the turbulent years of India's transition from British colonial rule to independence and partition. It is rich postcolonial, postmodern, self-reflexive work which strives to preserve history by way of story, rather than facts and data. The novel not only won the Booker prize for fiction in 1981 but was dubbed "Best of the Bookers" twelve years later. If you appreciate Jose Luis Borges, Neil Gaiman, surrealist/magical realism, or high-literature you will likely enjoy this tome. Don't let our meandering conversation steer you wrong — this one is a must read. We hope you enjoy ✌️
*Episode Notes*
0:00 - Intro and Casting
3:00 - Our lack of historical perspective for India and Pakistan
5:00 - On surrealism and Salman Rushdie’s masterclass
7:30 - Significance and historicity of Midnight’s Children
11:30 - Comparable books and Plot Summary
15:00 - Motifs and Plot Summary
25:00 - On Saleem’s Family and other Characters
29:00 - Saleem’s reliability as a narrator
33:00 - Shiva as a character and myth
38:00 - Nature and nurture in the novel
42:00 - The multi-genre nature of the novel
43:45 - Multi-culturality of India
48:30 - Wholeness and fragmentation
51:00 - Religion and conflict in the novel
56:00 - The beauty of fiction versus facts
58:00 - Closing sequence
1:01:00 - On Memory as a theme
1:06:00 - History and Rushdie’s main thesis
1:11:00 - Literary style of the novel
1:15:00 - Overall thoughts on the book
1:21:00 - Self reflexive artWebsite
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1h 27min
October 28, 2022 #9 - Mary Shelley - Frankenstein
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
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48min
September 30, 2022 #8 - James Baldwin - Another Country
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
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1h 33min
September 09, 2022 #7 Fyodor Dostoevsky - Notes From Underground
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. ✌️
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1h 12min
July 29, 2022 #6 Amy Tan - The Joy Luck Club
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
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1h 1min
June 27, 2022 Mid-Season Break
Five episodes down, five more to go. Website
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1min
June 10, 2022 #5 Toni Morrison - Song of Solomon
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
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1h 30min
May 27, 2022 #4 Cormac McCarthy - All The Pretty Horses
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
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1h 29min
May 13, 2022 #3 Kazuo Ishiguro- Remains of the Day
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✌️
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1h 34min

FAQs about Good Scribes Only:

How many episodes does Good Scribes Only have?

The podcast currently has 132 episodes available.

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