The Re-re-read: Craft Talks on Classic Literature
A fiction writer and recovering academic seeks craft lessons in classic literature. All works are in the public domain and available on https://www.gutenberg.org. The talks are 5-10 minutes, perfect for today's on-the-go author. Earlier and even more pedantic versions of these talks are available on my blog, swerveandvanish.blogspot.com.
The podcast is currently on hiatus, but please enjoy the archived episodes!
Podcasting since 2021 • 58 episodes
The Re-re-read: Craft Talks on Classic Literature
Latest Episodes
The Hound of the Baskervilles: Justice and Pleasure in the Mystery Story
What makes a good ending--in a mystery story, or in any story? A combination of the unexpected and the inevitable, of course. But there's also something to be said for one final twist (or trick, depending on how you see it), plus a few moral lo...
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Season 1
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5:36
The Hound of the Baskervilles: Mystery Writing and the Uncanny
In this week's episode, Conan Doyle shows us how to make reason and logic--in other words, detective work--not only enchanting, but downright spooky.
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Season 1
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7:14
The Hound of the Baskervilles: More about Character in the Mystery Genre
You know that old saw: genre fiction is about plot, literary about character. But in The Hound of the Baskervilles--and, I suspect, in most satisfying mystery stories--the complexities of character drive the plot forward. Also, an update on the...
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Season 1
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4:58
The Hound of the Baskervilles: Epistemology, or Dealing with the Dreaded Info Dump
In Sherlock Holmes's world, and perhaps in ours as well, you can never be certain that you know what you know, at least until the end of the story. Conan Doyle balances the need to preserve mystery with the equal need to provide information tha...
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Season 1
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6:10
The Hound of the Baskervilles: Establishing Character through Dialog, Part II
In this extra-short episode, we take another look at how Conan Doyle establishes character through dialog--this time focusing not on what characters say, but how they say it. Also, you can hear me attempt to say "dolichocephalic," a word I have...
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Season 1
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3:36