Lecture 92: THE SCARLET LETTER >> Honestly, did your fifteen-year-old self really appreciate this insanely great classic? Listen in--NO READING REQUIRED--to why this book is SO GOOD.
NO READING REQUIRED!
Hawthorne's 1850 classic is the epitome of high school books that are wasted on high school students. This thing is a MASTERPIECE.
Listen in as Kimberly situates it historically, talks about the framing device, digs deep into the radical FEMINISM and of course covers symbolism (did you also write your term paper on symbolism??).
She wraps up the lecture by leaning into her ongoing rant about how PURITANISM really screwed this country--and how Hawthorne's gift to us all closes with a deeply anti-puritanical, deeply OPTIMISTIC message--the kind we all need today.
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1:14:55
Lecture 91: THE HUSBANDS by Holly Gramazio >> You've heard Kimberly talk about how hard it is to write humor. Gramazio shows us how it's done!
NO SPOILERS! With humor as a lens, Kimberly dives in to all the ways this bestseller functions so well. You'll learn how to think about humor more generally, while seeing all the ways that the best humor can really shape a novel. Join Kimberly for an exploration of one of the strongest elements of this smart, engaging surprisingly philosophical book!
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54:20
Lecture 90: THE AWAKENING by Kate Chopin >> Remember this absolute CORNERSTONE of feminist literature?? Turns out this classic is just as important and juicy as when it was published IN 1899!
Kimberly was honestly kind of shocked by how iconoclastic, gorgeous and important this novel feels. Whether it's a women's-studies-seminar favorite or new to you, indulge in this exploration of one woman's fascinating experience of society, domesticity, maternity and PASSION in late-1800s New Orleans.
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53:07
Enriched read 9: the GENIUS of CORMAC McCARTHY (specifically: No Country for Old Men) >> Love McCarthy? Never read him? Tune in to see why he's just so incredibly good.
NO READING REQUIRED! As soon as Kimberly dove back in to No Country for Old Men, she knew she needed to parse what makes McCarthy SO GOOD. This exploration hits on all the ways that reading McCarthy is a master class in all elements of fiction: textured narrative voices, description of violence, sympathy for complex characters, dark humor, and others--not to mention gorgeous prose.
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1:21:27
Episode 89: ANNA KARENINA >> Intimidated??? DON'T be! Just let Kimberly tell you all the reasons these 1,000 pages are great.
NO READING REQUIRED! Whether this doorstop is an old favorite--or something you NEVER plan to read--treat yourself to Kimberly's take on why this classic of all classics is worth your next 40 minutes!
If you love to read, The Foxed Page is for you. With these deep dives into the best books, you’ll gain a richer understanding of the title at hand, all while learning to read everything better.
Choose from long-form lectures, quick recommendations, talks on old favorites and plenty of episodes from the archives.
Listen to The Foxed Page--with Kimberly Ford, best-selling author, former adjunct professor and Ph.D.