Episode notes
Welcome back to our series on Margaret Kennedy’s The Feast! We begin by answering a couple of listener questions, before discussing the fascinating “symposium” at the heart of this section (“what is wrong with this country!?”), Nancibel’s lovely conversation with her mother, and the Cove girls’ tragic conflict with their mother. Happy listening! If you enjoy Close Reads please consider subscribing to Close Reads HQ. Your support keeps the showing going. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit…
Podcast
Close Reads Podcast
Goldberry Studios · Arts & Books · English
Close Reads is a book-club podcast for the incurable reader co-hosted by David Kern, Heidi White, Sean Johnson, and occasionally Tim McIntosh. We read good books and talk about them. This is a show for amateurs in the best sense. This is not an experts show: we’re book lovers, book enthusiasts. Ou
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Beloved: 159-235
This week we’re digging into the complicated way that Toni Morrison presents Sethe’s tragic choice here in the middle of the book and especially the psychological implications and ramifications—both character-wise and aesthetically. Plus: Paul D’s response and Beloved’s haunting. There's a lot to dig into here so join the conversation! Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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9 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
Beloved: 76-158
Welcome back to our series on Toni Morrison’s novel. In this episode we focus on Morrison’s engrossing prose, including the way she uses threaded metaphors and symbols, and how it enhances the pathos of the story. Plus, the trauma narrative and whether or not the novel is experimental. As always, happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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1 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 22 min
Beloved: Pages 1-75
Welcome to our new series on Toni Morrison’s modern classic! In this first episode, we dig into the book’s complicated narrative structure, Morrison’s use of POV, the feminine nature of the story and writing, whether it’s a novel of advocacy, and much more! Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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29 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 17 min
The Feast: Q&A
Welcome to the conclusion of our series on Margaret Kennedy’s novel as we dig into a bunch of listener questions! Thanks for tuning in to these conversations and thanks to everyone who posted a question. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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17 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 14 min
The Feast: To the End
Welcome to the conclusion of our series on Margaret Kennedy’s novel! This week we discuss justice and mercy, the meek inheriting the earth, the various ways the end ties into the beginning, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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2 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 12 min
The Feast: Wednesday
Welcome back to our series on Margart Kennedy’s novel. This week we’re discussing Bruce’s confession, Hebe’s adventure (and insight into people), Siddal’s perceptions despite his sloth, patience and the spiritual life, patience vs wrath, and much more. Happy listening! If you enjoy Close Reads please consider subscribing to Close Reads HQ. Your support keeps the showing going. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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27 May 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
The Feast: Tuesday
Welcome back to another conversation about Margaret Kennedy’s The Feast. This week we begin by discussing some audience comments, then we discuss a number of topics, including poor Bruce and his bad decisions, Mrs Gifford vs Mrs Cove, and the difference between subtly and cleverness in literature (and whether either are artistic virtues), and more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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18 May 2026 · 53 min
The Feast: Monday
And then it was Monday in Margaret Kennedy’s The Feast . This week topics of discussion includes the way the various characters may (or may not) represent the seven deadly sins, which characters we root for the most (and which we despise the most), the question of hope in the story, and much more, as usual. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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11 May 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
The Feast: Prologue-Sunday
Welcome to the first episode of a new series on Margaret Kennedy’s novel, The Feast . We discuss the book’s allegorical bent (and how it’s different than most allegorical novels), the role of each of the main characters, the unique structure of the book (and it’s early reveals), and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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6 May 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
The Grapes of Wrath Q&A Episode
You have questions, we did our best to answer them. Thanks for tuning in to this series on Steinbeck’s classic novel and happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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