On this episode of Close Reads Angelina, Tim, and David discuss part two of Agatha Christie's beloved mystery story, Murder on the Orient Express.

Topics include: Some (fascinating) listener theories on the book, Poirot's approach and personality, the role of the reader in a good mystery, Tim shenanigans, and much more. 

Please consider becoming a patron of this podcast. Learn more at patreon.com/closereads. 

Welcome to FORMA, a new podcast featuring conversations with authors, teachers, creators, and community leaders who are carefully contemplating the nature and practice of classical education, aesthetic wonder, and Christian community. 

In episode 4, David chats with culture critic, Brett McCracken, about his new book,  Uncomfortable: The Awkward and Essential Challenge of Christian Community. Topics include: why we need to be less concerned with finding a church that makes us feel comfortable, Brett's journey to this book, and much more. 

Brett is a senior editor for the Gospel Coalition and the author of Hipster Christianity and Gray Matters. He has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, CNN.com, The Princeton Theological Review, The Gospel Coalition, Mediascape, Books & Culture, Christianity Today, Relevant, IMAGE Journal, Converge, Mere Orthodoxy, ERLC, Canon & Culture and Q Ideas. He speaks and lectures frequently at universities, churches, & conferences. He blogs at brettmccracken.com.

On this episodes of Close Reads Angelina, Tim, and David kick off their discussion of Agatha's Christie classic mystery story, Murder on the Orient Express. This week they chat about part one. Topics include the way Christie plays with the form of the mystery story, Hercule Poirot's character, the nature of justice in the story, and MUCH more. 

Welcome to FORMA, a new podcast from the CiRCE Institute Podcast Network featuring conversations with authors, teachers, creators, and community leaders who are carefully contemplating the nature and practice of classical education, aesthetic wonder, and Christian community. 

Here, in episode three David chats with Adam Andrews, director of the Center for Lit and a highly sought-after speaker on all things literature, about the value of the Great Gatsby. Topics include questionable content in literature, why Gatsby says some of the same things that the ancient epics said, how Jay Gatsby is similar to King Lear, and much more. 

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

Topics include: 

• Goal setting for moms
• The purpose of memory work
• Bible study in morning time
• and more

Don't forget to join the Mere Motherhood Facebook group and to subscribe to the Mason Jar feed wherever you get your podcasts!

 Welcome to FORMA, a new podcast featuring conversations with authors, teachers, creators, and community leaders that are carefully contemplating the nature and practice of classical education, aesthetic wonder, and Christian community. 

Here, in episode two, David chats with author and speaker Leigh Bortins who founded Classical Conversations 20 years ago. Topics included the C.C. origin story, the growth of classical education in recent decades, and advice for homeschooling parents. 

Join CC to celebrate their 20th anniversary on October 18th at their nationwide birthday party! learn more at eventbrite.com/classicalconversations. 

Welcome to FORMA, a new podcast featuring conversations with authors, teachers, creators, and community leaders that are carefully contemplating the nature and practice of classical education, aesthetic wonder, and Christian community. 

Here in episode one, David chats with Angelina Stanford about her recent article on the ways that mystery stories are the cure for what ails our modern times. 

Topics include why mystery stories became popular when they did, why their traditional form of is freeing and not constricting, and much more. 

On this episode of Close Reads, Tim and David conclude their discussion of Marilynne Robinson's beloved, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Gilead. include whether Jack should have left town, whether Jack is a bad guy, and much, much more. This episode covers pages 215 through the end of the book. 

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Please consider becoming a patron of this podcast. Learn more at patreon.com/closereads.