Episodes

  • Lecture 62: Elin Hilderbrand's SWAN SONG >> Have an extra good time with the queen os the beach read's LAST NANTUCKET NOVEL.

    Lecture 62: Elin Hilderbrand's SWAN SONG >> Have an extra good time with the queen os the beach read's LAST NANTUCKET NOVEL.
    Jul 5 2024
    NO SPOILERS! What's summer without a good beach read? By the QUEEN of the beach read?? Kimberly was somewhat alarmed that Hilderbrand is "hanging up her bikini" but thank god we have 26 other Nantucket novels to choose from. People, Hilderbrand is SO GOOD at this stuff. Listen in to find out why her narrative stance, atmospheric elements and structure make these books so solid. (Also: Kimberly has just a few teeny quibbles). There's no such thing as "guilty pleasure" where Hilderbrand is concerned--she's just so good at this stuff!
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Lecture 61: F. Scott Fitzgerald's THE GREAT GATSBY >> Did you love this classic in sophomore English? Allow Kimberly to lead you down literary memory lane with this 4th-of-July meditation on the AMERICAN DREAM!

    Lecture 61: F. Scott Fitzgerald's THE GREAT GATSBY >> Did you love this classic in sophomore English? Allow Kimberly to lead you down literary memory lane with this 4th-of-July meditation on the AMERICAN DREAM!
    Jul 1 2024
    Fitzgerald's genius might very well be wasted on the youth. Even if you haven't re-read this classic since you were 16, delving into for an hour is a revelation. Kimberly breaks down the innovative narrative stance, the plot-heavy structure and some master-class motif building--all while reveling in (and also subtly criticizing) this modernist MASTERPIECE.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Lecture 60: Miranda July's ALL FOURS >> Have you heard? ALL FOURS is creating a revolution!

    Lecture 60: Miranda July's ALL FOURS >> Have you heard? ALL FOURS is creating a revolution!
    Jun 24 2024
    ALL FOURS is changing how we think about sex, maternity, marriage--and towels. Touted by the New York Times as "the first great peri-menopause novel," it's July's most accessible, most hilarious and most "filthy" (in the best of ways) work. Listen in while Kimberly uses the lens of humor to appreciate the pathos, the sex, the iconoclasm and the tension in this IMPORTANT BOOK.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 27 mins
  • REPOST: Arthur Lobel’s FROG AND TOAD >> Kimberly hates to self-aggrandize, but this might be some of her finest work.

    REPOST: Arthur Lobel’s FROG AND TOAD >> Kimberly hates to self-aggrandize, but this might be some of her finest work.
    Jun 21 2024
    Kimberly adds her voice to the important chorus extolling Frog and Toad. She explains how structure, monosyllabic word choice, vowel sounds and syntax all combine to result in PROFOUND resonance. She also illuminates how queer elements of the work make reading Lobel not only a nostalgic delight, but an important act.
    Show more Show less
    44 mins
  • Enriched Read 6: LORD BYRON and BILLY (collins)! >> Explore POETRY with a close reading of Byron to more appreciate our uber-popular former-poet-laureate, Billy Collins

    Enriched Read 6: LORD BYRON and BILLY (collins)! >> Explore POETRY with a close reading of Byron to more appreciate our uber-popular former-poet-laureate, Billy Collins
    Jun 17 2024
    Who knew that Collins wrote his doctoral dissertation on the romantic poets?? Tune in to hear Kimberly break down the Romantic Movement and Byron's "She Walks in Beauty"--all in preparation to more fully appreciate our nation's "most popular poet"!
    Show more Show less
    45 mins
  • Lecture 59: Nicholson Baker's THE ANTHOLOGIST >> Do you love poetry? Do you WISH you loved poetry?? This hilarious, inspirational novel will hook you up!

    Lecture 59: Nicholson Baker's THE ANTHOLOGIST >> Do you love poetry? Do you WISH you loved poetry?? This hilarious, inspirational novel will hook you up!
    Jun 13 2024
    Kimberly does not love poetry. Which she considers a personal failure. But it turns out that she LOVES hearing Paul Chowder, narrator of this novel, teach her all about poetry. If you need a lift, and love hilarious, smart books--listen in!
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Episode 58: Alice Munro's LIVES OF GIRLS AND WOMEN >> Allow Kimberly to deepen your appreciation of this NOBEL-WINNER's only novel!

    Episode 58: Alice Munro's LIVES OF GIRLS AND WOMEN >> Allow Kimberly to deepen your appreciation of this NOBEL-WINNER's only novel!
    Jun 10 2024
    LIVES OF GIRLS AND WOMEN is Munro's only novel AND it's the ideal way to really dig in to her genius. Listen in now!
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 19 mins
  • REPOST: Daniel Mason's NORTH WOODS >> Is this sitting on your nightstand?? Dust it off! Kimberly's about to tell you all the reasons you'll LOVE this book.

    REPOST: Daniel Mason's NORTH WOODS >> Is this sitting on your nightstand?? Dust it off! Kimberly's about to tell you all the reasons you'll LOVE this book.
    Jun 7 2024
    NO READING NECESSARY! Think of this talk as a primer that will ensure you won't miss any of the ZILLION REASONS why North Woods was on all those best-of-2023 lists. This novel is so engrossing and wide reaching. It's smart and rich and just plain fun to read. Listen as Kimberly points out aspects you do not want to miss. Already read it? You'll love this even more!
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 25 mins