The Reader and the Writer

• East of Eden | Part 1

  Welcome to East of Eden, where life and death, good and evil, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, and even the flora and fauna live at Biblical proportions.In this episode, Rhea and Shari look closely at the opening two chapters for what it is showing us as it unfolds. They discuss the powerful living presence of the land, the repetition of words and ideas, the motifs of the east, parenting, light and darkness, life and death, plenty and waste. They talk about the strange nature of the narrator, sin and genetics, and the idea of timshel: “Thou mayest rule over sin.” And, they ask a couple really hard questions: Can a person have faith in someone and not love that person? Can a person be born evil to his or her core? If you haven’t seen Rhea’s reading guide post for East of Eden, you can find it here:Next week they will be discussing Chapters 9-15.Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this post, please ❤️ it and share it!The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, become a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

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• The Feast | Part 4

  Welcome to R&W’s final episode of The Feast! In this episode, Shari and Rhea have LOTS to discuss: what the end of each of the seven deadly sins looks like, those who were almost saved but weren’t, those who were almost NOT saved but were, and the wine that did the saving. They talk about “nonsense” and “foolishness” of the Kingdom and its joy, Noah’s ark, Lady Gifford’s ridiculous Mary-Martha reference, Kennedy’s head-nod to The Odyssey, Christian life in the final line, and what each of them wants the last conversations of their lives to be.The next R&W deep read will be East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. They are taking eight weeks for this epic American novel. Below is the reading plan: Pick up your copy ASAP and start reading!Thanks 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

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• War and Peace | September

  Welcome back to the R&W year-long read, War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy. In this episode, Rhea and Shari discuss in depth this “time between times” of the story. Using two different quotes from this month’s reading, they talk about all the story lines from this strange time of “life and death hanging in the balance,” and all the motivations that are—or are not—for the “good of the people.” Below are the quotes the ladies used to guide their discussion, and the questions that follow for each story line’s considering:* Quote 1: Life and death hanging in the balance:“...no one–least of all Natasha and Prince Andrei–spoke of this: the unsettled question of life and death, which hung not only over Bolkonsky but over all Russia, shut out all other considerations.” (991)* Quote 2: For the good of the people…??:“Since the world began and men have killed one another no one has ever committed such a crime against his fellow-man without comforting himself with this same idea. This idea is le bien public, the hypothetical welfare of other people.” (957)Questions to consider as we examine each story line:* Is life or death being chosen by the characters? Either literal or spiritual.* What is the motivating factor behind each one’s choice and in each situation?* Are the characters being honest about their motivations? Are they lying to themselves to justify their actions? Are they truly looking out for “the good of the people”?Links to books, people, and ideas discussed… and Rhea’s bookmarks!:* Rhea’s Oct - Dec Bookmarks* Sabbath, by Abraham Joshua Heschel* Violence and the Sacred, by René Girard* Deceit, Desire, and the Novel, by René Girard* The Four Quartets, by T. S. Eliot (about)Thanks 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

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• The Feast | Part 3

  Welcome back to The Feast! Things are boiling over at Pendizack Manor Hotel, and Shari and Rhea are in for it. In this episode, they talk about the 7 evils spilling over in the host characters: the disgusting St. Merrick episode (termed by Shari as the Epstein Island escapade), soapstone insanity, envy’s constant pot-stirring, the super-righteous “symposium,” a mother ready to abandon her children to imminent doom (!), and more.And yet, beauty abounds through the turning of other characters toward goodness, truth, and beauty. And all the while preparations for the Feast continue, and the cliff slowly crumbles overhead.Next week, Shari and Rhea will discuss the final day, “Friday”, and wrap up their discussion of The Feast.As mentioned in the episode, below is the list and links to many of the references to poems, songs, myths, etc. that show up over “Wednesday” and “Thursday.”The Great Conversation happening in The Feast:* Scapegoat | Fairies at the bottom…* ‘There are Fairies at the Bottom of Our Garden’ - Michael Aspinall, the Surprising Soprano (Scapegoat)* There are Fairies at the Bottom of our Garden | Odyssey Theatre Ensemble* Bond or Free?* What to write in a headstone epitaph? - Mississauga Cemetery* “Wind, gentle evergreen!...”* Epitaph on Sophocles headstone.* Oh Shenandoah - Wikipedia (Duff, Robin, and Angie singing)* Symposium | My Aged Uncle Arly* Edward Lear | The Poetry Foundation* Limericks / playful* Mrs. Paley | The Quangle Wangle’s Hat | The Poetry Foundation* Robin | The Dong with a Luminous Nose | The Poetry Foundation* Gerry & Angie | Mr and Mrs Discobbolos by Edward Lear - Famous poems* Duff | The Pobble Who Has No Toes - Edward Lear* Nancibel | Carmen - Wikipedia (opera)Thanks for reading 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, become a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

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• The Feast | Part 2

  Welcome back to The Feast! In this episode, Rhea and Shari have their own feast of a discussion, looking at all the ‘Love & Truth’ of Monday, and ‘Truth & Lies’ of Tuesday. They talk about the Cove girls’ other worldliness, the “man-of-war” love of Christina Paley, the surprise kindness of Henry Gifford, and the strange connections between Wuthering Heights and Bruce and Anna’s relationship. They talk about significant names, significant titles, significant words, phrases, and conversations.Next week they will discuss Wednesday - Thursday.Below is the reading schedule:Thanks for listening to this episode 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, become a paid or free subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe

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