The Reader and the Writer

Welcome back to R&W’s deep read of Pachinko , by Min Jin Lee. In this episode, Shari and Rhea spend most of their discussion lamenting Noa. Oh, Noa. Noa!! How could you! The pain. The agony. The heartache. But there is more to cover. They discuss Mozasu’s life, Solomon’s growing up as a Korean-Japanese, Hansu’s cracking demeanor, Haruki’s strange chapters, and everyone’s deep suffering. They discu...

Welcome back for Part Three of Pachinko. In this episode, Rhea and Shari connect some of their stand out quotes with major themes they see developing through the novel: suffering, love, fate, and home. They go back to the quote from Book II and continue to discuss how they see the quote being brought forth through the tensions between characters and their relationships with one another and their p...

Welcome to this second episode of War and Peace , R&W’s year long read. In this episode, Shari and Rhea talk and wonder about a whole host of topics. They talk about the scenes that stand out to them: Vasili’s cunning and manipulating, Old Bolkonsky’s gruff love, Nikolai’s obsession with the emperor, and Andrei’s Toulon. They do a deep dive in all study of contrasts Tolstoy is developing: Andrei -...

Welcome back to the R&W deep read of Pachinko , by Min Jin Lee. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss how the story is developing, and how their view of the characters is developing, too. They continue their ongoing discussion of how the opening quotes (the one by Dickens in Book I, and Park Wan-suh in Book II) are being enfleshed through the story telling for each section of the story. They dis...

In this episode, Shari and Rhea dive into their new book, Pachinko , by Min Jin Lee. They give some background on author, Min Jin Lee, and her motivations for writing Pachinko. They discuss the Korean Japanese conflict that is the backdrop for this generational Korean family drama. They discuss the significance of “beginnings” in this novel, as well as its almost-omniscient narrative style. They d...

Welcome to this last episode on Crossing the Mangrove . In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss their thoughts on the ending: what surprised them, what annoyed them, whose narrative they were ultimately drawn toward, and what they think the story is really about. They talk about Xantippe’s character being an archtype of the first Adam, the role of “the Good” as Plato expresses it in The Republic a...

Welcome to Crossing the Mangrove , episode 2. In this episode, Shari and Rhea dig deeper into narration and what they think Condé’s primary concern is based on the narrative style of the story. They discuss what more they’ve learned about Francis Sancher, the characters, and the community of Rivere au Sel. They spend a long time talking about truth: small “t” truth v. “T” truth and how they see th...

Welcome to this first episode of The Reader & the Writer’s year long read: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. In this introductory episode, Shari and Rhea do a brief background of Tolstoy as it relates to his writing of W&P, talk narrative strategy with Tolstoy’s omniscient narrator—who likes to pop out from behind the curtain sometimes in the chapters from Part Two—as well as the theatrical style of t...

Welcome to the first episode of Crossing the Mangrove , by Maryse Condé, where there is a whole host of characters, and one dead man at their center. In this episode, Rhea and Shari discuss the author, Maryse Condé the unique setting of Guadeloupe, the diverse cast of characters, and the strange, mysterious death of Francis Sancher. They talk about narrative voice, this story’s ever shifting point...

Due to unexpected travel for Shari, this week’s episode is a repeat of Shari and Rhea’s discussion of going to see a live stage production of The Screwtape Letters back in early December 2024. The Reader & the Writer will be back live next Tuesday, Feb 4th, with their first episode of Crossing the Mangrove . The episode schedule is: * Feb 4: pp 1-75 * Feb 11: pp 76-151 * Feb 18: 152-208 Also, look...

Welcome to the third episode of The Screwtape Letters. In this episode, Rhea and Shari discuss Screwtape’s last six letters. They continue their discussion of love and its antitheses. They discuss the tools they’ve recognized Screwtape employing in these final chapters, especially the weaponization of language. They also discuss Screwtape’s Toast at the end of the book, and what was happening in t...

Welcome to this second episode of The Screwtape Letters . In this episode, Rhea and Shari continue their discussion of the loose narrative of the letters, the continued efforts of Screwtape and Wormwood to lure the Patient toward their “Father” and what is at the heart of this conflict—that is, love. This is where they center much of their discussion: what is love? What is it’s opposite? How is C....

Welcome to the R&W’s first deep read of 2025: The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis. In this episode, Shari and Rhea go through some background for Lewis’s writing of Screwtape , and then dive into discussing Letters 1-12. They talk about the art of letter writing, hearing a one-sided conversation as a story, and discuss what kind of story Screwtape is, anyway. They discuss what narrative arc, if a...

Welcome to R&W’s final episode of 2024! In this episode, Shari and Rhea ask one another a series of questions (not seen in advance) about the books they read, the podcast they’ve made, and their hopes for The Reader & the Writer in 2025 and beyond. They talk about which characters from their 2024 reads they’d invite to dinner, what settings they’d most like to visit, which books their most anticip...

It’s finally year. For months, Rhea and Shari have been working behind the scenes to decide how they will select their books for 2025. It’s been a lot of discussion, book lists, and finding the right hats—you have to listen to understand what this means—but they made it to the big day and through The Big Draw. Their final list spans centuries, cultures, and countries. They are pretty excited about...

In this bonus episode, Rhea and Shari share their recent experience seeing a live, stage adaptation of The Screwtape Letters , by C. S. Lewis. They also discuss some of Lewis’s opening remarks in the Preface to the 1961 Edition (found in the annotated edition), and how they saw these elements play out on stage. Links: * Fellowship for the Performing Arts * The Screwtape Letters Annotated Edition (...

In this second and final episode of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol , Shari and Rhea discuss Staves 3-5. They talk about the sheer amount of food and feasting mentioned, the joy of the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the stern kindness of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. They talk about Scrooge’s restored imagination, and the weirdness of the children—Ignorance and Want—hiding in the Ghost of Christ...

Welcome to our last book of the year: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This week Shari and Rhea discuss Staves 1-2 of this classic novella. They share background information on Dickens and his inspiration for the story. Shari praises the Muppets Christmas Carol as the best movie version ever. They discuss all the many motifs and metaphors that hint directly to the Great Story found in Scriptu...

This is the final episode for Persuasion , by Jane Austen. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss some plot twists they weren’t expecting. They also discuss their final thoughts on particular characters, whether or not Anne Elliot has a flaw, what they think Austen is finally saying about persuasion, as well as other underlying themes of this story. And, of course, Wentworth’s letter, as being th...

In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the first half of Volume 2 of Persuasion. They continue to notice Austen’s character development, particularly as more characters come into the story in larger ways: Anne's father and sister, Elizabeth, Lady Russell, Mrs. Smith, and Mr. Elliot. They discuss Wentworth and Louisa’s easy break up and her whiplash-like attachment to Captain Benwick. And they del...

Welcome back to Persuasion. This week Rhea and Shari talk extensively about Anne’s character, what they think of the possibility of her not having a flaw, and what role the omniscient narrator may play in shaping their view of her. They also talk about the direction the story is taking, the purpose of other characters to the trajectory of the narrative, and the way the characters in this section b...

Welcome to Persuasion by Jane Austen. In this episode, Shari and Rhea begin their four-part discussion of Austen’s last completed novel, published after her death. They do a brief biographical sketch of the author, then dive into the novel discussing the omniscient narrator, Persuasion’s main character, Anne Elliot, and whether it’s possible to be endeared to a character with no apparent flaw. We...

This week is our last week with Lincoln in the Bardo. Rhea and Shari discuss our thoughts on the ending, themes of the story, and what we each have taken away from this time in the Bardo. Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, hit the ❤️ button and share it with a friend. Thanks for visiting The Reader & the Writer! Subscribe for free to receive...

Welcome back to another episode of the Reader & the Writer! This week, Shari and Rhea continue their deep reading of Lincoln in the Bardo . They discuss the way this story—especially the place of the bardo—continues to open up to them in new ways, even this late in the story; same with the characters. They talk about continual development of the story’s themes as they discern them thus far, and wa...

In this episode, Rhea and Shari continue their discussion of Lincoln in the Bardo . They discuss the ways: the characters are being enlivened, the plot is thickening, and their own understandings of the afterlife are shaping their “seeing” of the bardo. Thanks for listening to The Reader & the Writer! If you like this episode, hit the ❤️ button and share it with a friend. Thanks for reading The Re...