Close Reads Podcast (private feed for nicciallen47@yahoo.com)

O Pioneers!: Q&A Episode

You had questions; we did our best to answer them. It’s the final episode on O Pioneers!, and we’re sad to see it go. Happy listening! Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

O Pioneers!: To the End

This week, Sean describes how he wasn’t prepared for the ending of this book and we discuss the precision of the writing in some of the key scenes. Plus: Is it more tragic or comic (in the literary sense), what does the book have to say about justice, and much more. Happy listening! Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

O Pioneers!: Parts 2 & #

What do we make of Carl’s choices (and semi-pursuit) of Alexandra? Does he have anything to offer her? What makes Marie such a compelling character? Plus, how Marie and Emil are counterpoints to Carl and Alexandra. This and much more are topics of discussion on this week’s discussion of Willa Cather’s modern classic. Happy listening! Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

O Pioneers!: Part 1

Welcome to a new series on another great novel, Willa Cather’s O Pioneers!. This week we’re discussing Cather’s instinctive yet precise writing, the book’s contemplation of imagination and vocation, the relationship between the characterization and the land, and much more. Plus we discuss our 2025 literary bracket. Happy listening! Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

A Tale of Two Cities: Q&A Episode

You had questions; we did our best to answer them. It’s another Q&A and it’s all yours now . . . or as soon as you hit the play button. Happy listening! Note: no video for this one. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.