On this episode of Close Reads, Angelina, Tim, and David kick off their discussion of Evelyn Waugh's classic novel, Brideshead Revisited, focusing on the prologue and chapters one and two.  

Topics include:

• First experiences with Waugh
• Waugh's nostalgia
• The prologue
• The book's various juxtapositions
• The sacred and the profane
• The book's spiritual hauntings
• 3 key decaying institutions
• and more...

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

It's also brought to you by Schole Academy from Classical Academic Press, featuring new literature courses taught by Close Reads co-star, Tim McIntosh. 

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Click here to join the Close Reads Facebook group. 

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

Topics include: 

• Whether Charlotte Mason's volumes should be reading a particular order
• Whether morning time is necessary for a true Charlotte Mason (or classical) approach to education
• Whether morning time is too heavy on what is called "the riches"

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

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 discuss C.S. Lewis's classic, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and it's victory in our Great Books Bracket this spring. 

Topics include:

• Why the Narnia stories have maintained their reputation for so long
• The differences in reading it for the first time as a child as opposed to as an adult
• Which Narnia book should be read first
• Lewis's philosophies on reading
• and more...

Plus, they kick the show off by discussing how to know if dislike of a book is because of the book itself or because of the reader. 

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

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Click here to join the Close Reads Facebook group. 

On this episode of Close Reads, Angelina, Tim, and David conclude their conversation on Flannery O'Connor's collection of stories, Everything That Rises Must Converge, by answering listener questions. 

Topics include:

• How O'Connor's contemporaries viewed her work
• Angelina and Tim's Amazon-style reviews of O'Connor
• Anagogical/allegorical reading
• O'Connor's appeal to non-Christians
• Rapid-fire questions 

and much more...

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

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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 "Judgement Day".

Topics include:

• The next book we'll be reading on Close Reads
• The complicated nature of this story
• It's serious flaws
• Comparing The Geranium with Judgement Day
• Is it confusing on purpose or because of bad writing? 
• The weird glasses scene
• The good and bad of the "southern code"
• Coleman's wisdom and loyalty
• Tanner's pride and bigotry

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

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Click here to join the Close Reads Facebook group.