In this episode of The Mason Jar Q&A, Cindy chats with Celeste Cruz of joyouslessons.blogspot.com about Charlotte Mason style exams and nature study. 

Topics include: 

• Discovering Charlotte Mason and employing her ideas in a big family (5:00)
• Why Charlotte Mason style exams in the frist place (10:30)
• Practical application (19:00)
• Example exam questions (25:40)
• Getting started (29:30)
• Watching kids improve (35:00)
• Nature study outings (45:22)

***

You can learn more about Celeste here, and you can find her on Instagram @celeste_cruz and @charlottemasonIRL

On this episode of Close Reads, Angelina, Tim, and David continue their conversation on Flannery O'Connor's collection of stories, Everything That Rises Must Converge,  with "Parker's Back".

Topics include:

• The differences between "Parkers' Back" and her other work
• The theatrical nature of the story
• Parker's awe
• The deeper meaning of the characters' actions
• Reading Sarah Ruth
• Parker's image (and its all-seeing eye)
• Why O'Connor chose to use a Byzantine icon

***

This episode is brought to by our friends at Roman Roads Media, purveyors of the Old Western Culture series, featuring Wes Callihan. 

***

Click here to join the Close Reads Facebook group. 

In this episode of The Mason Jar Q&A, Cindy answers listener questions. 

Topics include:

• Lots of questions about Narration and dictation
• Getting started with Charlotte Mason and AO
• How to use summer time properly (hint: take some time off)

***

This episode is brought to by our friends at Roman Roads Media, purveyors of the Old Western Culture series, featuring Wes Callihan. 

On this episode of Close Reads, Angelina, Tim, and David continue their conversation on Flannery O'Connor's collection of stories, Everything That Rises Must Converge,  with "Revelation."

Topics include:

• Whether this is a good story to use to introduce stuents to O'Connor
• The racism of characters in the story
• Mrs. Turpin's gradual openness
• Mrs. Turpin's Christ-haunted-ness
• Seeing ourselves in Mrs. Turpin
• Judging Mrs. Turpin
• Mrs. Turpin's avenging angel of judgment
• Mrs. Turpin's mystical vision

***

This episode is brought to by our friends at Roman Roads Media, purveyors of the Old Western Culture series, featuring Wes Callihan. 

***

Click here to join the Close Reads Facebook group. 

In this episode of The Commons, Brian Phillips chats with special guest Angelina Stanford about why mystery stories matter as cultural artifacts.

Topics include: why mystery stories are so beloved, why it's right that we love them, how they respond to nihilistic modernism, and much more. 

***

This episode is brought to by our friends at Roman Roads Media, purveyors of the Old Western Culture series, featuring Wes Callihan. 

On this episode of Close Reads, Angelina, Tim, and David continue their conversation on Flannery O'Connor's collection of stories, Everything That Rises Must Converge,  with "The Lame Shall Enter First."

Topics include: whether this story is less grotesque, the clinical-ness of the prose, psychology vs spiritual in the story, whether Shepherd repents, O'Connor vs the enlightenment, Norton as Shepherd's mirror, Norton's loneliness, faith like a child, and O'Connor the smuggler

***

This episode is brought to by our friends at Roman Roads Media, purveyors of the Old Western Culture series, featuring Wes Callihan. 

*** 

Click here to join the Close Reads Facebook group. 

On this episode of Close Reads, Angelina, Tim, and David continue their conversation on Flannery O'Connor's collection of stories, Everything That Rises Must Converge,  with "The Comforts of Home."

Topics include: the theatrical nature of O'Connor's work, this story vs. the others in this collection, whether the mother is right to take an interest in Sarah, common critical readings that emphasize sexual tension, the opening paragraphs, Thomas as pharisee, the absence of dark grace, and more. 

In this episode of The Mason Jar Q&A, Cindy chats with Sheila Carroll of the Living Books Curriculum about nature study and her work bringing Charlotte Mason to Africa. 

Topics include: her experiences in Africa, when to begin narration, adjusting expectations, dictation and narration, oral expression and young kids, the value of story-telling, and more.

***

As always, press the arrow above to listen or subscribe to the CiRCE Institute Podcast Network via iTunes here or on Stitcher here. 

You can learn more about Sheila and her  here.  Remember to use coupon code CINDY to save 25% on any order of $50 or more.