Good Scribes Only
Daniel Breyer, Jeremy Streich
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Good Scribes Only is a podcast featuring a novelist + venture investor (Daniel Breyer) and a novelist + founder (Jeremy Streich), who share an enthusiasm for literature. From classics to sci-fi, moderns to ancient philosophy, your hosts will ramble and banter about it all—particularly the topics they have no business discussing.
Each episode dives into the craft of writing as well as questions of plot, character, theme, and philosophy in a work.
Available episodes
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Oldest first
Oct 13, 2023
#60 ✅ Season Four #Wrapped - Ranking the Reads
Season four! Complete! All the books! Ranked! Godspeed! 💪 🖖
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like before plumbing was a common thing.
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Oct 10, 2023
#59 🫡 ✍️ Earning Respect, Credentialism, and the Importance of Writing - Inside Good Scribes
Mark Twain once said that "_The universal brotherhood of man is our most precious possession.” _When he said this, he forgot to consider Nahko and Pepper 🐾
About the Week's Book
A classic work of American literature that has not stopped changing minds and lives since it burst onto the literary scene, The Things They Carried is a ground-breaking meditation on war, memory, imagination, and the redemptive power of storytelling.
The Things They Carried depicts the men of Alpha Company: Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and the character Tim O’Brien, who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three.
About the Week's Author
Tim O'Brien (born October 1, 1946) is an American novelist who served as a soldier in the Vietnam War. Much of his writing is about wartime Vietnam, and his later work often explores the postwar lives of its veterans. O’Brien is perhaps best known for his book _The Things They Carried_ (1990), a collection of linked semi-autobiographical stories inspired by O'Brien's wartime experiences. In 2010, _The New York Times_ described the latter as “ a classic of contemporary war fiction.”In addition, O’Brien is acclaimed for his war novel, _Going After Cacciato_ (1978), which received the National Book Award.
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like before plumbing was a common thing.
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Oct 5, 2023
#58 🪖 The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
About the Book
A classic work of American literature that has not stopped changing minds and lives since it burst onto the literary scene, The Things They Carried is a ground-breaking meditation on war, memory, imagination, and the redemptive power of storytelling.
The Things They Carried depicts the men of Alpha Company: Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and the character Tim O’Brien, who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three.
About the Author
Tim O'Brien (born October 1, 1946) is an American novelist who served as a soldier in the Vietnam War. Much of his writing is about wartime Vietnam, and his later work often explores the postwar lives of its veterans. O’Brien is perhaps best known for his book _The Things They Carried_ (1990), a collection of linked semi-autobiographical stories inspired by O'Brien's wartime experiences. In 2010, _The New York Times_ described the latter as “ a classic of contemporary war fiction.”In addition, O’Brien is acclaimed for his war novel, _Going After Cacciato_ (1978), which received the National Book Award.
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like before plumbing was a common thing.
Episode Notes
0-5 min — Introduction
5-15 min — Casting the actors
15-20 min — Plot summary begins
20-25 min — Post modernism and stories
25-30 min — Real truth vs story truth
30-35 min — Brotherhood and camaraderie
35-40 min — Anthropological explanations
40-45 min — Loneliness in a modern context
45-50 min — Comedy as a coping device
50-55 min — Problems with memory
55-60 min — Schizophrenia of war
60-65 min — Conclusion
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Sep 28, 2023
#57 🥀🥶 The Anti-Library, Reading Challenges, and Cold Plunging - Inside Good Scribes
Are reading challenges worth it? What thousand page book is Dan dying to read? And what in god's name is an "anti-library?" Enjoy!
About the Week's Book
Here’s the rub, The Name of the Rose is one of the highest selling books ever. Ever! It sold more copies than The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird, and yet it is hard to fathom how. The book is extraordinarily dense, so fraught with allusions and references that 50% of the its subtext sails quietly past, like a ship in the night. On the podcast we discuss a few theories how this could be. To us, it seems that Eco essentially wrote two novels in one—a detective thriller for the common man6, and a critical commentary for the 20th century post-modernist. At bottom it’s a medieval detective whodunnit whose principle characters are not investigators but 13th century christian monks. Church thrillers are not my jam, but I sure as h-e-c-k admire its commentary, and the man’s hustle 🧠🫡.
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like before plumbing was a common thing.
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Sep 25, 2023
#56 - The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco 🥀
About the Book
The year is 1327. Benedictines in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate. When his delicate mission is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths, Brother William turns detective. His tools are the logic of Aristotle, the theology of Aquinas, the empirical insights of Roger Bacon—all sharpened to a glistening edge by wry humor and a ferocious curiosity. He collects evidence, deciphers secret symbols and coded manuscripts, and digs into the eerie labyrinth of the abbey, where “the most interesting things happen at night.”
About the Author
Umberto Eco was an Italian writer of fiction, essays, academic texts, and children's books. A professor of semiotics at the University of Bologna, Eco’s brilliant fiction is known for its playful use of language and symbols, its astonishing array of allusions and references, and clever use of puzzles and narrative inventions. His perceptive essays on modern culture are filled with a delightful sense of humor and irony, and his ideas on semiotics, interpretation, and aesthetics have established his reputation as one of academia’s foremost thinkers.
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like before plumbing was a common thing.
Episode Notes
0-5 min — Introduction
5-10 min — ChatGPT guessing game + Casting
10-15 min — Plot summary
15-20 min — Qualms with the novel
20-25 min — Why this is a post-modernist novel
25-30 min — Plot continued
30-40 min — Problems with Post-modernism
40-45 min — Credentialism
45-55 min — The novel’s success
55-60 min — Episode conclusion
Episode Cheat Sheet -> Also ideally hyperlinked
Thanks!
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Sep 22, 2023
#55 - What is Meaning Anyway? - Inside Good Scribes -
Find out who's the real nihilist, and how Daniel derives meaning from his copious acting deals, not to mention one poorly thought out sports analogy. Enjoy!About the Week's Book
Though most people think essays1 when talking Joan Didion, Dan and I read her best known novel for the podcast. Play it as it Lays is the story of an actor whose journey oscillates between dizzying and domestic, as her acting career slows and her personal life collapses. While running barely 200 pages, the book has a quality of being adrift to it that connects directly to Didion’s belief that who we are is affected by where we are.
It’s clear that her reputation is well earned, and I appreciate what’s regarded as Didion’s “Hollywood” book, but I can’t say I’ll be returning to it any time soon. Like her essays, the novel is fragmented in a way that creates an aspect not of closure but its opposite, a kind of frantic recognition that all stories have holes and flaws and will collapse, eventually. The story mirrors LA’s mix of grimness and glamour, and echoes one of her core beliefs: all of us are in some essential fashion, “working” in the dark.
We hope you enjoy this discussion on Joan Didion’s Play It as It Lays.
About the ShowHosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like before plumbing was a common thing.
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Sep 19, 2023
#54 - Play it as it Lays by Joan Didion
About the Episode
Though most people think essays1 when talking Joan Didion, Dan and I read her best known novel for the podcast. _Play it as it Lays is _the story of an actor whose journey oscillates between dizzying and domestic, as her acting career slows and her personal life collapses. While running barely 200 pages, the book has a quality of being adrift to it that connects directly to Didion’s belief that _who_ we are is affected by _where_ we are.
It’s clear that her reputation is well earned, and I appreciate what’s regarded as Didion’s “Hollywood” book, but I can’t say I’ll be returning to it any time soon. Like her essays, the novel is fragmented in a way that creates an aspect not of closure but its opposite, a kind of frantic recognition that all stories have holes and flaws and will collapse, eventually. The story mirrors LA’s mix of grimness and glamour, and echoes one of her core beliefs: all of us are in some essential fashion, “working” in the dark.
Which is why Dan sleeps with a nightlight on, to this day.
We hope you enjoy this discussion on Joan Didion’s _Play It as It Lays._
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like before plumbing was a common thing.
Episode Notes
0-5 min — Intro
5-10 min — Casting the movie
10-15 min — Plot summary
15-20 min — On creative nonfiction
20-25 min — Writing fiction vs nonfiction
25-30 min — Self destructive characters
30-35 min — Finding meaning as a parent
35-40 min — Nihilism vs purpose
40-45 min — Following our parents
45-50 min — The landscape of Los Angeles
50-55 min — Purpose during success
55-65 min — Conclusion
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Sep 14, 2023
#53 👨🏻🏫 To Academia, or Not to Academia - Inside Good Scribes
In the main episode for _Stoner_, Jeremy and Daniel discuss John Williams' uminous and deeply moving novel is a work of quiet perfection in which William Stoner emerges not only as an archetypal American, but as an unlikely existential hero. In this episode we discuss passion, academia, stoicism, and profundity in ordinary life. To get the inside scoop and much more, don’t just take a hit and pass but stay with us to the end of the episode. As always, thanks for listening and enjoy. on point by discussing another theme they have no credibility to discuss: politics. If you haven't already heard enough uninformed political drivel, this mini may just turn you off from political chatter for a good while. If we can do that, it's a job well done — time's better spent reading, or listening to the Good Scribes Only podcast.
Enjoy!
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like before plumbing was a common thing.
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Sep 11, 2023
#52 - 🏫 Stoner by John Williams
About the Episode
Welcome back, folks, to Good Scribes Only. Today we’re discussing _Stoner_ by John Williams, and no, despite the title, this isn’t about our escapades with Cannabis. John Williams’s luminous and deeply moving novel is a work of quiet perfection in which William Stoner emerges not only as an archetypal American, but as an unlikely existential hero. In this episode we discuss passion, academia, stoicism, and profundity in ordinary life. To get the inside scoop and much more, don’t just take a hit and pass but stay with us to the end of the episode. As always, thanks for listening and enjoy.
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like before plumbing was a common thing.
Episode Notes
0-5 min — Introduction
5-10 min — Praise for Stoner
10-18 min — GuessGPT and casting the movie
18-25 min — Plot summary
25-35 min — The evolution of film and books
35-40 min — Plot continued
40-45 min — On control and surrender
45-50 min — On academia
50-55 min — Plot wrap up
55-60 min — Ranking and conclusion
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Sep 7, 2023
#51 - How Can You Follow Up a Masterpiece? - Inside Good Scribes
About the Episode
In the main episode this week, Dan and Jeremy discussed John Steinbeck's _East of Eden._ While they enjoyed the read, it did not stand up against a few of Steinbeck's other works, and thus pushed Dan and J to discuss the _oeuvre _of a literary career. How the heck can someone expect to follow up _Grapes of Wrath_?!
We hope you enjoy the always meandering discussion inspired by_ East of Eden._
About the Book
Set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.First published in 1952, East of Eden is the work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence. A masterpiece of Steinbeck's later years, East of Eden is a powerful and vastly ambitious novel that is at once a family saga and a modern retelling of the Book of Genesis.
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like before plumbing was a common thing.
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Sep 5, 2023
#50 🌾 John Steinbeck's East of Eden
About the Episode
In his journal, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck called East of Eden “the first book,” and indeed it has the primordial power and simplicity of myth. Set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.First published in 1952, East of Eden is the work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence. A masterpiece of Steinbeck's later years, East of Eden is a powerful and vastly ambitious novel that is at once a family saga and a modern retelling of the Book of Genesis.
Please enjoy our discussion about_ East of Eden _by John Steinbeck
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepre…
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Aug 31, 2023
#49 🇺🇸 Jed Bartlet for President, Why Politics Stinks - Inside Good Scribes
In the main episode for _Native Son_ by Richard Wright, Dan urged Jeremy to watch the West Wing. In the mini, Jeremy and Daniel stay on point by discussing another theme they have no credibility to discuss: politics. If you haven't already heard enough uninformed political drivel, this mini may just turn you off from political chatter for a good while. If we can do that, it's a job well done — time's better spent reading, or listening to the Good Scribes Only podcast...
Enjoy!
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like before plumbing was a common thing.
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Aug 28, 2023
#48 - Native Son by Richard Wright ⛓️🐁
About the Episode
To honor our watching of _Back to the Future_ for the first time… we went back to 1940s Chicago with Richard Wright’s _Native Son_ which deals with racial and social inequality. It’s a powerful novel and an unsparing reflection on the poverty and feelings of hopelessness experienced by people in inner cities across the country and of what it means to be black in America. Wright is one of those exceptionally intelligent writers and it shows. We learned a lot from this book and think it’s an important read for a variety of reasons that you’ll hear about in this episode.
Please enjoy our discussion about _Native Son_ by Richard Wright.
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like bef…
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Aug 24, 2023
#47 ✨✍️ Blending Fiction and Reality - Inside Good Scribes
Set in the French Riviera in the late 1920s, Tender Is the Night is a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald about the tragic romance of Dick and Nicole Diver and young actress Rosemary Hoyt. Dick is a brilliant young psychiatrist who marries his mentally ill patient, Nicole, who also happens to be an heiress. The novel explores themes of social class, mental illness, sexual abuse, and codependent love and is considered one of the best books of the 20th century. Tender Is the Night was Fitzgerald's fourth and final novel, and was based almost entirely on his relationship with Zelda.
Enjoy!
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like before plumbing was a common thing.
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Aug 21, 2023
#46 Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald 👒
About the Episode
Set in the French Riviera in the late 1920s, Tender Is the Night is a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald about the tragic romance of Dick and Nicole Diver and young actress Rosemary Hoyt. Dick is a brilliant young psychiatrist who marries his mentally ill patient, Nicole, who also happens to be an heiress. The novel explores themes of social class, mental illness, sexual abuse, and codependent love and is considered one of the best books of the 20th century. Tender Is the Night was Fitzgerald's fourth and final novel, and was based almost entirely on his relationship with Zelda.
Enjoy!
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveling through the 20th century, decade by decade, because Dan really wanted to see what the world was like before plumbing was a common thing.
Episode Notes
0-5 min — Int…
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Aug 17, 2023
#45 🤔 Where Does the Idea for a Novel Come From? - Inside Good Scribes
About the Episode
In this 5th episode, you have now entered the 1920s. Well, sorta.
For this decade we read Virginia Woolf's _Orlando_ which has been called 'The longest and most charming love letter in literature.' Orlando is the fictional embodiment of Woolf's close friend and lover, Vita Sackville-West, except Orlando (the character) lives for three hundred years, so kinda relevant to this season eh? We meet characters like the Queen of England, James I, and ultimately our main character awakes in Constantinople to find that he is now a woman. The novel indulges in farce and irony to consider the roles of gender in the 18th and 19th centuries and the novel ends in 1928, the year when women’s suffrage became reality.
Woolf is the type of literary master we want to read more of and we loved the way she stepped out of her comfort zone with this book, as Dan does every time he attempts to pronounce a name on this show.
Please enjoy this window into _Orlando_ by Virginia Woolf.
Ab…
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Aug 15, 2023
#44 - Orlando by Virginia Woolf 💁♂️💁♀️
About the Episode
In this 5th episode, you have now entered the 1920s. Well, sorta.
For this decade we read Virginia Woolf's _Orlando_ which has been called 'The longest and most charming love letter in literature.' Orlando is the fictional embodiment of Woolf's close friend and lover, Vita Sackville-West, except Orlando (the character) lives for three hundred years, so kinda relevant to this season eh? We meet characters like the Queen of England, James I, and ultimately our main character awakes in Constantinople to find that he is now a woman. The novel indulges in farce and irony to consider the roles of gender in the 18th and 19th centuries and the novel ends in 1928, the year when women’s suffrage became reality.
Woolf is the type of literary master we want to read more of and we loved the way she stepped out of her comfort zone with this book, as Dan does every time he attempts to pronounce a name on this show.
Please enjoy this window into _Orlando_ by Virginia Woolf.
Ab…
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Aug 10, 2023
#43 Inside Good Scribes - On Writing, Art, and Changing Genre 🎨🪞
About the Episode
GOAT ALERT 🐐
For the 1910's episode of Season 4, we read _Portrait of the Artist as a Man_ by James Joyce
Rich in details that offer vital insights into Joyce's art, this masterpiece of semi-autobiographical fiction remains essential reading in any program of study in modern literature. The book follows its main character, Stephen Dedalus, from childhood to adulthood on a quest to find identity. Through art, Dedalus gradually emancipates himself from family, religious, and claims of Ireland itself. Both an insight into Joyce's life and childhood, and a unique work of modernist fiction, _A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man_ is a novel of sexual awakening, religious rebellion and the essential search for voice and meaning that every nascent artist must face in order to blossom fully into themselves.
We hope you enjoy!
About the Book
Rich in details that offer vital insights into Joyce's art, this masterpiece of semi-autobiographical fiction remains essentia…
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Aug 8, 2023
#42 🧑🎨 Portrait of the Artist as a Man by James Joyce
About the Episode
In this 3rd episode of Season 4, we read _Portrait of the Artist as a Man_ by James Joyce
Rich in details that offer vital insights into Joyce's art, this masterpiece of semi-autobiographical fiction remains essential reading in any program of study in modern literature. The book follows its main character, Stephen Dedalus, from childhood to adulthood on a quest to find identity. Through art, Dedalus gradually emancipates himself from family, religious, and claims of Ireland itself. Both an insight into Joyce's life and childhood, and a unique work of modernist fiction, _A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man_ is a novel of sexual awakening, religious rebellion and the essential search for voice and meaning that every nascent artist must face in order to blossom fully into themselves.
We hope you enjoy!
About the Show
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and t…
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Aug 3, 2023
#41 Inside Good Scribes - Rock and Roll, Megachurches, Political Identity, and Having an Impact ⚡ 🏛️
About the Book
In this 1st episode of Season 4, we read a book whose original version has never been seen. _The Jungle_ that we know, by Upton Sinclair, is the version that was highly censored because of its political context. To gather information for this novel, Sinclair spent seven weeks undercover working in the meat packing plants of Chicago, ultimately exposing the horrific conditions in the U.S. meat packing industry, that led to the passage a few months later of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act. The main reason for the censorship, however, as Sinclair’s belief in socialism. It’s at that point that Dan and I start to goof in good old Upton Sincy. It’ll make sense why if you manage to make it to that point in the pod.
About Good Scribes Only
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In Season 4 we’re traveli…
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Jul 31, 2023
#40 🍖🥶 The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
In this 1st episode of Season 4, we read a book whose original version has never been seen. _The Jungle_ that we know, by Upton Sinclair, is the version that was highly censored because of its political context. To gather information for this novel, Sinclair spent seven weeks undercover working in the meat packing plants of Chicago, ultimately exposing the horrific conditions in the U.S. meat packing industry, that led to the passage a few months later of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act.
The main reason for the censorship, however, as Sinclair’s belief in socialism. It’s at that point that Dan and I start to goof in good old Upton Sincy. It’ll make sense why if you manage to make it to that point in the pod.
We hope you enjoy!
About the Episode
Episode Notes
0-5 min — Introduction
5-10 min — About the author / Casting
10-25 min — Plot summary
25-30 min — Corruption in 20th-century Chicago
30-35 min — Deep fakes and post-truth
35-45…
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Jun 20, 2023
#39 - 📚🏆 Ranking the Reads of Season 3
In this final episode of the season, we rank all our stops on the world tour. As you know, we believe you don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Often, fictional stories can help us explore worlds outside our own, take us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allow us to widen our perspective.
About Good Scribes Only
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Sometimes even traveling to a place doesn't permit you to see it for how it _really_ is for those who live there. Fiction, on the other hand, can. And thus, season 3 is about widening our perspective. We hope you're coming along and can help do the same.
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Jun 13, 2023
#38 🇯🇵 🦋1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
About the Episode
You don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Often, fiction books can help us explore world's outside our own, take us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allow us to widen our perspective. Seventh stop, Asia! We hope you enjoy this discussion about_ __'1Q84' by Haruki Murakami._
About the Book
This was our biggest disagreement yet, and widest split in rankings. Murakami's most ambitious work is love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell’s 1984. The book was an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of the most revered contemporary writers.
About Good Scribes Only
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Sometimes even traveling to a place doesn't permit you to see it for how it _really…
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Jun 8, 2023
#37 📟🦧 Inside Good Scribes - Modernization, Religion, and Chimp Empire
About the Episode
You don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Often, fictional stories can help us explore worlds outside our own, take us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allow us to widen our perspective. Fifth stop, Oceania! We hope you enjoy this discussion about _'Celestial Bodies' _by Jokha Alharthi.
About the Book
In the village of al-Awafi, Oman, we encounter three sisters: Mayya, who marries following a heartbreak; Asma, who marries from a feeling of duty; and Khawla, who refuses all marital offers and awaits a reunion with her true love, who has moved to Canada. Against the backdrop of a country modernizing from a traditional, slave-owning society, we follow the losses and love affairs of these three women and their families. Through the sisters, we’re provided a panoramic view into Omani society from the poorest slaves to the families who profited off capitalism, globalism, and modernization. Spread over several decades and…
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Jun 5, 2023
#36 🇴🇲🐫 Celestial Bodies - Jokha Alharthi
About the Episode
You don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Often, fictional stories can help us explore worlds outside our own, take us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allow us to widen our perspective. Fifth stop, Oceania! We hope you enjoy this discussion about _'Celestial Bodies' _by Jokha Alharthi.
About the Book
In the village of al-Awafi, Oman, we encounter three sisters: Mayya, who marries following a heartbreak; Asma, who marries from a feeling of duty; and Khawla, who refuses all marital offers and awaits a reunion with her true love, who has moved to Canada. Against the backdrop of a country modernizing from a traditional, slave-owning society, we follow the losses and love affairs of these three women and their families. Through the sisters, we’re provided a panoramic view into Omani society from the poorest slaves to the families who profited off capitalism, globalism, and modernization. Spread over several decades and…
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Jun 1, 2023
#35 🫡🧗♀️ Inside Good Scribes - Australian Rock Bands, Suffering, Physical Challenge, and the Human Spirit
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Sometimes even traveling to a place doesn't permit you to see it for how it _really_ is for those who live there. Fiction, on the other hand, can. And thus, season 3 is about widening our perspective. We hope you're coming along can help do the same. Be sure to check out the Episode Cheat Sheet for an overview.
This episode is a follow up to this week's discussion about The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
If you missed it, here's that episode Cheat Sheet
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May 29, 2023
#34 🇦🇺🛤️ The Narrow Road to the Deep North - Richard Flanagan
About the Episode
You don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Often, fictional stories can help us explore worlds outside our own, take us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allow us to widen our perspective. Fifth stop, Oceania! We hope you enjoy this discussion about _'The Narrow Road to the Deep North' _by Richard Flanagan.
About the Book
🦘 Welcome to Australia. This week we read The Narrow Road to the Deep North, a book about war’s cruelties as well as the impossibility of love. The novel follows a single day in the life of Dorrigo Evans, an Australian doctor working as a slave in a Japanese labor camp in 1943. The novel jumps around in time and setting, journeying from Tokyo to the Burma railway, from the caves of Tasmania to a pre-war beachside hotel, ultimately providing the reader a view into just how challenging it can be to find meaning and love after an intense war experience.
In this episode Dan and I discuss memory, time…
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May 25, 2023
#33 🤖🚜 Inside Good Scribes - A Discussion on A.I.
You don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Fiction allows us explore worlds beyond our own, taking us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allowing us to move forward with a wider perspective. So rather than travel physically, Good Scribes Only is traveling to Europe, Africa, Central America, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Asia by way of literature. Fourth stop, North America!
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May 22, 2023
#32 🍇🇺🇸 Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
About the Episode
You don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Fiction allows us explore worlds beyond our own, taking us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allowing us to move forward with a wider perspective. So rather than travel physically, Good Scribes Only is traveling to Europe, Africa, Central America, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Asia by way of literature. Fourth stop, North America!
About the Book
Published in 1939 and set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, the Grapes of Wrath follows one family's repeated collisions with the hard realities of America at the time, and what emerges is an intensely human yet majestic, tragic, stirring view into those who find (or fail to find) dignity in hard times. A snapshot of the tension between high and low class Americans, of one man’s inspired responses to injustice, and one woman’s unyielding courage, the novel probes the very core of equality…
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May 18, 2023
#31 🎭😹 Inside Good Scribes - The Power of Comedy
You don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Fiction allows us explore worlds beyond our own, taking us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allowing us to move forward with a wider perspective. So rather than travel physically, Good Scribes Only is traveling to Europe, Africa, Central America, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Asia by way of literature
_This weeks book: The President_ by Miguel Angel Asturias is as ruthless as it is hilarious. It chronicles the tale of a cruel dictator and his plots to eliminate just about every political opponent in his path. The book has long been lauded as one of, if not the greatest, depiction of the harmful affects of totalitarianism within a country, and its people.
In _The President_, Asturias draws from personal experience as a journalist in an oppressive time in Guatemala's history, but it's not as dark as some other books we've discussed. He uses humor, satire, and absurdism to illustrate…
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May 15, 2023
#30 🇬🇹⚔️ The President by Miguel Angel Asturias
About the Episode
You don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Fiction allows us explore worlds beyond our own, taking us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allowing us to move forward with a wider perspective. So rather than travel physically, Good Scribes Only is traveling to Europe, Africa, Central America, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Asia by way of literature. Third stop, Guatemala!
_The President_ by Miguel Angel Asturias is as ruthless as it is hilarious. It chronicles the tale of a cruel dictator and his plots to eliminate just about every political opponent in his path. The book has long been lauded as one of, if not the greatest, depiction of the harmful affects of totalitarianism within a country, and its people.
In _The President_, Asturias draws from personal experience as a journalist in an oppressive time in Guatemala's history, but it's not as dark as some other books we've discussed. He uses humor, satire, a…
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May 12, 2023
#29 🤝🚩 Inside Good Scribes - Doing Business Abroad, Red and Green Flags 🤝🚩
About the Episode
In this episode Dan and Jeremy share personal experiences around traveling and doing business as Americans on the African continent
You don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Fiction allows us explore worlds beyond our own, taking us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allowing us to move forward with a wider perspective. So rather than travel physically, Good Scribes Only is traveling to Europe, Africa, Central America, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Asia by way of literature.
This weeks book: 'Paradise' by Abdulrazak Gurnah is at once the story of an African boy's coming of age, a tragic love story, and a tale of the corruption of traditional African patterns by European colonialism. It presents a major African voice to western readers, depicting how Africans had to adjust to the new reality of European colonialism. The result is a page-turning saga that covers the same territory as the novels of Isak Din…
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May 8, 2023
#28 - 🌍🇹🇿 Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah
About the Episode
You don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Fiction allows us explore worlds beyond our own, taking us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allowing us to move forward with a wider perspective. So rather than travel physically, Good Scribes Only is traveling to Europe, Africa, Central America, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Asia by way of literature. Stop two, Tanzania!
'Paradise' by Abdulrazak Gurnah is at once the story of an African boy's coming of age, a tragic love story, and a tale of the corruption of traditional African patterns by European colonialism. It presents a major African voice to western readers, depicting how Africans had to adjust to the new reality of European colonialism. The result is a page-turning saga that covers the same territory as the novels of Isak Dinesen and William Boyd, but does so from a perspective never before available on that seldom-chronicled part of the world.
About G…
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May 4, 2023
#27 🌍🛫 Inside Good Scribes - Thoughts on Travel, Tourism, and Authenticity
About the Episode
In this mini-episode, Daniel and Jeremy explore their personal reflections, tips, and thoughts on travel. This week's read was “Flights” by the Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk, a fascinating book in the way that mysterious, chin-scratching things are fascinating. It is sometimes a work of fiction, but also a treatise in her theories on anatomy, philosophy, and human nature, all centered around the experience of traveling, both through the world and over time in the body.
About Good Scribes Only
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Sometimes even traveling to a place doesn't permit you to see it for how it _really_ is for those who live there. Fiction, on the other hand, can. And thus, season 3 is about widening our perspective. We hope you're coming along can help do the same. Be sure to check out the Episode Cheat Sheet for…
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May 2, 2023
#26 — Let's Travel! 🧳🛫 Flights by Olga Tokarczuk
About the Episode
You don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Fiction allows us explore worlds beyond our own, taking us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allowing us to move forward with a wider perspective. So rather than travel physically, Good Scribes Only is traveling to Europe, Africa, Central America, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Asia by way of literature. First stop, Poland!
“Flights” by the Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk is fascinating in the way that mysterious, chin-scratching things are exciting….It is sometimes a work of fiction, but it is also a treatise in her theories on anatomy, philosophy, and human nature, all centered around the experience of traveling, both through the world and over time in the body.
The narrator, an unnamed Polish writer is a modern-day hunter-gatherer: she has an unending need for exploration, picking up ideas and filling them into a book of many strange parts: there are mini-es…
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Apr 7, 2023
Season 2 #Wrapped! 😎
WELCOME TO BOOK MADNESS 📚🏀📊
_Click here to see the bracket 👈_
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. In our final episode of _Season Two: Vice and Virtue_, we create a March Madness bracket for all the books we have read thus far on Good Scribes Only. We hope you enjoy!
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Click here for the final bracket _👈_
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Mar 16, 2023
#24 - Cormac McCarthy - Blood Meridian 🏜️
Episode Cheat Sheet
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility.
Oftentimes, fiction books can take us out of life’s everyday tangles and help us see reality with new eyes. To further explore your own relationship with all Virtues and Vices, look no further than Cormac McCarthy's _Blood Meridian_. We hope you enjoy!
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0-4 min — 😂
4-10 min — Romanticism, “westerns”, and introductory thoughts
10-18 min — Casting the TV Series
15-20 min — Plot summary
20-25 min — Realism in the novel
25-30 min — What sets this book apart
30-35 min — Can we read the author’s intent…
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Mar 14, 2023
#23 - Inside Good Scribes - Gluttony in Joyce Carol Oates' Blonde
Episode Cheat Sheet
In this mini-episode, Daniel and Jeremy explore takeaways, tips, and how Joyce Carol Oates' novel, _Blonde,_ relates to everyday life. Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility. Oftentimes, fiction books can take us out of life’s everyday tangles and help us see reality with new eyes. To further explore your own relationship with Envy and Charity, look no further than Joyce Carol Oates' novel, _Blonde._ We hope you enjoy.
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Mar 9, 2023
#22 - Joyce Carol Oates - Blonde 👱🏻♀️
Episode Cheat Sheet
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility. In this episode, Daniel and Jeremy discuss Gluttony and Temperance in Joyce Carol Oates' _Blonde._
Oftentimes, fiction books can take us out of life’s everyday tangles and help us see reality with new eyes. To further explore your own relationship with Gluttony and Temperance, look no further than Joyce Carol Oates's _Blonde__._ We hope you enjoy!
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0-5 min — Introductory thoughts
5-10 min — Gluttony and Hollywood
10-14 min — Marilyn Monroe’s Life
14-21 min — Casting Our Actors
21-25 min — Initial Plot Summary…
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Mar 6, 2023
#21 - Inside Good Scribes - Envy in Madeline Miller's Circe 🧙🏼♀️
Episode Cheat Sheet
In this mini-episode, Daniel and Jeremy explore takeaways, tips, and how Madeline Miller's _Circe_ relates to everyday life. Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility. Oftentimes, fiction books can take us out of life’s everyday tangles and help us see reality with new eyes. To further explore your own relationship with Envy and Charity, look no further than Madeline Miller's _Circe_ . We hope you enjoy.
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Mar 2, 2023
#20 - Madeline Miller - Circe 🧙🏼♀️
Episode Cheat Sheet
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility. In this episode, Daniel and Jeremy discuss Envy and Charity in Madeline Miller's _Circe_
Oftentimes, fiction books can take us out of life’s everyday tangles and broaden our perspective. To further explore your own relationship with Envy and Kindness, look no further than Madeline Miller's Circe. We hope you enjoy!
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0-5 min — Introductory thoughts
5-10 min — Recasting Greek myths in modern light
10-15 min — Actor Castings
15-20 min — Themes and Plot Summary
20-25 min — Characterization of irce
25-30 min — Wh…
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Feb 27, 2023
#19 - Inside Good Scribes - Wrath in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
Episode Cheat Sheet
In this mini-episode, Daniel and Jeremy explore takeaways, tips, and how Chinua Achebe's _Things Fall Apart_ relates to everyday life. Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility. Oftentimes, fiction books can take us out of life’s everyday tangles and help us see reality with new eyes. To further explore your own relationship with Wrath and Patience, look no further than . We hope you enjoy.
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Feb 24, 2023
#18 - Chinua Achebe - Things Fall Apart
Episode Cheat Sheet
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility. In this episode, Daniel and Jeremy explore Wrath and Patience in Chinua Achebe's _Things Fall Apart._
Oftentimes, fiction books can take us out of life’s everyday tangles and help us see reality with new eyes. To further explore your own relationship with Wrath and Patience, look no further than Chinua Achebe's _Things Fall Apart_. We hope you enjoy!
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_Episode Notes_
0-5 min — Background on book and wrath
5-11 min — Casting the “movie”
11-15 min — Plot summary
15-21min — Control and what this book is ‘reall…
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Feb 20, 2023
#17 - Inside Good Scribes - Lust in Nabokov's Lolita
Episode Notes
In this mini-episode, Daniel and Jeremy explore takeaways, tips, and how Vladimir Nabokov's _Lolita_ relates to everyday life. Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility. Oftentimes, fiction books can take us out of life’s everyday tangles and help us see reality with new eyes. To further explore your own relationship with Lust and Chastity, look no further than Vladimir Nabokov's _Lolita_ . We hope you enjoy
Episode Cheat Sheet
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Feb 17, 2023
#16 - Vladimir Nabokov - Lolita
Episode Notes
Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility. In this episode, Daniel and Jeremy explore Lust and Chastity in Vladimir Nabokov's, magnum opus _Lolita_
Oftentimes, fiction books can take us out of life’s everyday tangles and help us see reality with new eyes. To further explore your own relationship with Lust and Chastity, look no further than _Lolita_. We hope you enjoy
Episode Cheat Sheet
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**Episode Notes**
0-2.5 min — Intro
3-6 min — Thoughts Lex Fridman book-drama
8-12 min — Backstory of the novel and the author
13-18 min — Lust…
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Feb 13, 2023
#15 - Inside Good Scribes: Sloth in Ottessa Moshfegh's My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Episode Cheat Sheet Good Scribes Only on Instagram Find Jeremy online Find Daniel online In this mini-episode, Daniel and Jeremy explore takeaways, tips, and how Jane Smiley’s, Good Faith relates to everyday life. Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility. Oftentimes, fiction books can take us out of life’s everyday tangles and help us see reality with new eyes. To further explore your own relationship with Greed and Generosity, look no further than Good Faith. We hope you enjoy More Good Scribes Only Content
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Feb 9, 2023
#14 - Ottessa Moshfegh - My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Episode Cheat Sheet
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Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility. In this episode, Daniel and Jeremy explore Sloth and Diligence in Ottessa Moshfegh's, My Year of Rest and Relaxation.
Oftentimes, fiction books can take us out of life’s everyday tangles and help us see reality with new eyes. To further explore your own relationship with Sloth and Diligence, look no further than My Year of Rest and Relaxation. We hope you enjoy
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**Episode Notes**
0-6 min — Intro and Initial thoughts
6-13 min — Casting Characters for the ‘movie’
13-20 min — Plot su…
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Feb 6, 2023
#13 - Inside Good Scribes - Greed in Jane Smiley's Good Faith 💸
In this mini-episode, Daniel and Jeremy explore takeaways, tips, and how Jane Smiley’s, Good Faith relates to everyday life.
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Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility. In this episode, Daniel and Jeremy explore Greed and Charity in Jane Smiley’s, Good Faith.
Oftentimes, fiction books can take us out of life’s everyday tangles and help us see reality with new eyes. To further explore your own relationship with Greed and Generosity, look no further than Good Faith. We hope you enjoy
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Feb 2, 2023
#12 - Jane Smiley - Good Faith
Episode Cheat Sheet
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Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility. In this episode, Daniel and Jeremy explore Greed and Charity in Jane Smiley’s, Good Faith.
Oftentimes, fiction books can take us out of life’s everyday tangles and help us see reality with new eyes. To further explore your own relationship with Greed and Generosity, look no further than Good Faith. We hope you enjoy
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_Episode Notes _
0-5 min — Initial thoughts on Good Faith 5-11 min — Actor Castings
10-15 min — Plot Summary
15-20 min — Dissecting the characters
20-25 min — On…
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Jan 26, 2023
#11 - Graham Greene - Power and Glory
Episode Summary
Power and Glory Cheat Sheet
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Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Season 2 focuses on the cardinal vices and virtues: Lust and chastity, gluttony and temperance, greed and charity, sloth and diligence, envy and kindness, wrath and patience, pride and humility. In this episode, Daniel and Jeremy explore Pride and Humility in Graham Greene's most prolific work, Power and Glory.
Oftentimes, fiction provides a clearer view of reality than life itself. Power and Glory is no exception. Join in and explore your own Pride and Humility with Jeremy and Daniel in this episode of Good Scribes Only.
0-5 min — Intro and Actor Casting
5-10 min — Initial thoughts and historical background
10-15 min — Main character: the whiskey priest
15-20 min — Is it about Pr…
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Jan 10, 2023
2022 in Review
In our final episode of the season, we discuss our favorite books of 2022, a few movies that stood out, plus our favorite moments of season one—often the (copious) occasions when Jeremy gets himself canceled. As far as books go, none of you will be surprised to hear how many Daniel read this year, but you might not have expected his favorite. And, as always, you'll get an appearance from one of our dogs, the true MVPs. We hope you enjoy!
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Nov 21, 2022
#10 Salman Rushdie - Midnight's Children
We're back with another towering work from one of the most noteworthy names in modern literature. *Midnight's Children,* published in 1981, is considered the seminal work from Indian-British writer, Salman Rushdie. The novel is what some describe as magical realism, though Rushdie prefers self describes as a "Surrealist" author. In the novel we follow one narrator and protagonist, Saleem Sinai, through the turbulent years of India's transition from British colonial rule to independence and partition. It is rich postcolonial, postmodern, self-reflexive work which strives to preserve history by way of story, rather than facts and data. The novel not only won the Booker prize for fiction in 1981 but was dubbed "Best of the Bookers" twelve years later. If you appreciate Jose Luis Borges, Neil Gaiman, surrealist/magical realism, or high-literature you will likely enjoy this tome. Don't let our meandering conversation steer you wrong — this one is a must read. We hope you enjoy ✌️
*Ep…
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Oct 28, 2022
#9 - Mary Shelley - Frankenstein
In episode 10, we discuss Mary Shelley's classic novel, Frankenstein. This early 19th century novel is one of the most widely read books of all time. Daughter of a novelist and philosopher, it's no surprise that Shelley's first book is stupendous; however, as we discuss in the episode, Shelley's Promethean tale, Frankenstein, was not always so well received. In this episode we discuss: feminism, race, ambition, alienation, motherhood, and more. Thanks for listening. And enjoy✌️
02:00 — Casting Frankenstein the Movie
05:30 — Initial thoughts of Frankenstein
10:50— Plot Summary
20:50— Shelley on Ambition, Alienation, Revenge, and Human Nature
25:50— Female Characters
31:20— Mary Shelley’s Life
37:30 — Race in Frankenstein
44:40— Alienation and Loneliness
46:20 — Favorite passages
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Sep 30, 2022
#8 - James Baldwin - Another Country
In this episode we discuss the legendary African American novelist James Baldwin's third novel, "Another Country." Set primarily in Greenwich Village and Harlem, New York City, in the late 1950s, the novel portrays rubs against many taboos of the time such as bisexuality, interracial romance and extramarital affairs. Beyond sexuality, the novel is a diatribe on what it's like to be an artist in New York City and beyond. We cast our absurdly high-budget movie and then dive into Baldwin's world - touching everything we probably shouldn't ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ - We hope you enjoy and thanks for listening
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Sep 9, 2022
#7 Fyodor Dostoevsky - Notes From Underground
Welcome back for another episode of Good Scribes Only. Today we're discussing Fyodor Dostoevsky's legendary novella, *Notes from Underground*. The story is split in two parts: 1) a rambling memoir-style philosophical treatise from the book's main lead "Underground Man," and 2) a short but hilarious and incisive glimpse into the Underground Man's personal life. Dostoevsky is known as one of Russia's great bards having written other classics such as *Crime and Punishment* and *The Brothers Karzamov.* If you appreciate existential fiction and classic literature, you are in for quite a right with this 115 page story.
This innovative novella is bizarre on loads of levels, and we enjoyed every minute of it. We hope you will too. ✌️
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Jul 29, 2022
#6 Amy Tan - The Joy Luck Club
Welcome back to another episode of Good Scribes Only. Today we'll be speaking about Amy Tan's award winning novel, The Joy Luck Club. The bookcontains sixteen interconnected stories about conflicts between Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-raised daughters. Tan herself is the daughter of two Chinese immigrants and has discussed how her own personal journey was absorbed by several characters in the work. It's a novel which challenges the reader (and the foolish podcasters who choose to discuss it) with balancing a wide range of characters and stories, and to appreciate the nuance brought on when two starkly different cultures collide. If you find it hard to keep the names straight, you can take solace in the fact that we probably butchered them in the first place. Otherwise, we hope you enjoy Good Scribes Only's take on the Joy Luck Club ✌️
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Jun 27, 2022
Mid-Season Break
Five episodes down, five more to go.
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Jun 10, 2022
#5 Toni Morrison - Song of Solomon
Today we’re discussing Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, a lyrical and thematic masterpiece. We cast our over-budget movie and then dig into the novel’s world - discussing everything from nomenclature to embodied writing. Thanks for listening!
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May 27, 2022
#4 Cormac McCarthy - All The Pretty Horses
Ready for another cowboy story? Though it has horses and cowboys and a severe desert landscape Cormac McCarthy's 1991 All The Pretty Horses is anything but your tropey Western. Suffice to say, Mr. McCarthy is one of the greatest living writers and has earned his place on the writers' Mount Olympus with a slew of critically acclaimed novels such as No Country For Old Men, Suttree, Blood Meridian, and his most famous (though our least favorite) The Road. By title, today's novel may strike you as a light read, but All the Pretty Horses is at once beautiful, haunting, memorable, and romantic. In this episode we dig into the psychology behind its lead John Grady Cole, his 'pardner' Lacey Rawlins, their unexpected companion Jimmy Blevins and of course, Alejandra. Oh Alejandra. If you appreciate the natural world and are in the market for an author with a unique writing style this novel might just be your finest caviar. We hope you enjoy ✌️
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May 13, 2022
#3 Kazuo Ishiguro- Remains of the Day
In episode 3, we discuss Kazuo Ishiguro's Booker-Prize winning novel, Remains of the Day. This Japanese-born British novelist is one of the most decorated living writers. Remains of the Day is Ishiguro's first novelistic venture outside of Japan, and the novel is fresh and smart and filled with the originality of a master storyteller who is capable of travel and metamorphosis. In this show. we discuss: unreliable narrators, dignity, banter, the pursuit of goodness, and much more. Thanks for listening. And enjoy✌️
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May 13, 2022
#2 Kurt Vonnegut — Breakfast of Champions
If there were ever a man who embodies the "Good Scribe" it's Kurt Vonnegut. In a career spanning over 50 years, Vonnegut is lauded as one of the 20th century's greatest writers and social critics. He published 14 novels, three short story collections, five plays, five works of nonfiction before his death in New York City in 2007 at the age of 84.
Thematically, this book is a boilerplate. In this black comedy, Vonnegut puts under the microscope: writing, fame, consumerism, American social values, freewill, race and many other themes most authors actively avoid. Breakfast of Champions lives in the Pantheon of literature, alongside other novels by Kurt Vonnegut such as Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse Five, and Welcome to the Monkey House. After this conversation, we hope you'll read (or re-read) what might be the bestnovel from one of the greatest novelists to ever do it. Enjoy ✌️
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May 13, 2022
#1 Ted Chiang - Stories of Your Life and Others
In this episode, we discussed Ted Chaing's short story collection: Stories of Your Life and Others. Mr. Chiang is, to put it lightly, a rare breed of science fiction author. Perhaps this is because, before becoming a novelist, was a technical writer in during the American software boom. He is one of the only sci-fi authors either of us have read who manages to successfully balance a rigorous understanding of science and technology with authorial emotional depth. We spent most of our time on two of the stories in the collection: Tower of Babylon and Story of Your Life. Babylon is a science fiction, fantasy novelette and Chiang's first (and towering) published work. As you might expect, the story examines the Tower of Babel myth from the Old Testament and this story won the 1991 Nebula Award for Best novelette. Story of Your Life is perhaps Chiang's best known work, mostly because of the popularity of its film adaptation arrival, starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. For the Story of You…
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