253 Joseph Pearce’s Classic Literature Appetizers

AMDG. Author, editor, and professor Joseph Pearce joins the Kolbecast to introduce his new book, Classic Literature Made Simple: 50 Great Works of Literature in a Nutshell. Joseph’s new book is an excellent introduction to classic literature for any Kolbe student, or the perfect all-in-one guide for parents who want to be able to discuss great works of literature with their students, without having to set aside hours from their busy schedule to read the books.   

Joseph discusses his work as a publisher, including advice for Kolbe students who are interested in having their writing published someday; reveals his one “must-read” book, and a book you might be surprised to see on his list of 50 great works; shares his insight on how to read great works of literature, and how to respond if your children push back against the great works. He also gives a behind-the-scenes look at his writing process and hints at his newest project: Great Books for Good Men.  

Visit his website jpearce.co and check out his podcast The Authority.  

Joseph Pearce’s books mentioned in this conversation:  

• Classic Literature Made Simple: Fifty Great Books in a Nutshell 

• The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful  
• The What Every Catholic Should Know series 

Related Kolbecast episodes: 

• 49 Revealed through Story with Joseph Pearce

• 144 The Word Made Known with Mark Brumley of Ignatius Press 

• 226 Cultivating Habits of Excellence with Dr. Andrew Abela 

• Kolbecast Humanities series:  

• • 220 Decoding Mythology to Reveal Christianity  

• • 225 On the Same (Greco-Roman) Page  

• • 229 Take a Note from Homer  

• • 234 Adding Color to What Is Black & White  

• • 239 Divine Plot Twist 

• • 245 The Odyssey’s Allegorical Outlook  

Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  

We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!  

The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!