Gary Alan McBride founded the Boulder, Colorado-based Writers Who Read novel study group in May of 2018. Since then he and other local writers have been analyzing 10 novels per year within 12-18 months of their publication. WwR is focused 100% on today's fiction, mostly in advance of academic scholarship, so we live on the cutting edge of contemporary analysis. And that's how we like it. Our goal is to read like a writer and not wait for someone else to tell us what to think.
That means we read with intent--to become better at noticing what the author is doing to manage our emotions and manipulate our point of view. And so it doesn't matter whether what we read is critically acclaimed or academically vetted, because we can learn the same lessons from bad writing as from highly polished prose. We use our own reactions to the text to discover where to dig, and we use Literary Forensics techniques to sift through the layers. Our goal is to uncover the author's intent and to identify the tools they used to create their story so we can use them in our own writing.
On our monthly podcast Gary is joined by Whitney Pinion, Mira Landry, and sometimes others guest readers. We discuss our own textual discoveries as well as insights gleaned from our group discussion, because as much as we can learn on our own, we can learn so much more about how to read and write when we listen to others' viewpoints.
And that's where you come in, dear listener. We invite you to join us each month, 10 months a year, for a new episode when we discuss the latest literary techniques and publishing trends so that you can try out these techniques for yourself and maybe add your voice to ours.
We are Writers Who Read.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gary Alan McBride founded the Boulder, Colorado-based Writers Who Read novel study group in May of 2018. Since then he and other local writers have been analyzing 10 novels per year within 12-18 months of their publication. WwR is focused 100% on today's fiction, mostly in advance of academic scholarship, so we live on the cutting edge of contemporary analysis. And that's how we like it. Our goal is to read like a writer and not wait for someone else to tell us what to think.
That means we read with intent--to become better at noticing what the author is doing to manage our emotions and manipulate our point of view. And so it doesn't matter whether what we read is critically acclaimed or academically vetted, because we can learn the same lessons from bad writing as from highly polished prose. We use our own reactions to the text to discover where to dig, and we use Literary Forensics techniques to sift through the layers. Our goal is to uncover the author's intent and to identify the tools they used to create their story so we can use them in our own writing.
On our monthly podcast Gary is joined by Whitney Pinion, Mira Landry, and sometimes others guest readers. We discuss our own textual discoveries as well as insights gleaned from our group discussion, because as much as we can learn on our own, we can learn so much more about how to read and write when we listen to others' viewpoints.
And that's where you come in, dear listener. We invite you to join us each month, 10 months a year, for a new episode when we discuss the latest literary techniques and publishing trends so that you can try out these techniques for yourself and maybe add your voice to ours.
We are Writers Who Read.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gary introduces the titles of the first 4 novels in Season 3 of Writers Who Read:
72: Real Americans - Rachel Khong (USA, 2024)
73: All Fours - Miranda July (USA, 2024)
74: The God of the Woods - Liz Moore (USA, 2024)
75: We Solve Murders - Richard Osman (UK, 2024)
For a complete list of all novels discussed, registration information for our live meetings, and our newsletter, please visit https://WritersWhoRead.com
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Whitney Pinion, Mira Landry, and Gary McBride talk about Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe, which is Writers Who Read book number 71. Discussion slides for this novel and all novels discussed are available at WritersWhoRead.com. More information about Literary Forensics is available here and here.
In every episode we analyze and discuss one novel that has been published within the past 18-24 months. We do this because we are writers who read with intent–we read to study content and form and to uncover techniques that we can apply to our own writing. We read like writers, turning our favorite authors into our writing teachers.
We do this through Literary Forensics, a set of tools that allow us to look beyond the surface of plot points, down into the tapestry of themes, contexts, and symbols that hold the very intentions of the author.
We uncover why they wrote this novel and how they did it.
If you'd like to join our LIVE! meetings in person, find upcoming novel titles and event registration information here and be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Writers Who Read has been meeting in Boulder, Colorado, since 2018, and we are affiliated with the Boulder Writers Alliance.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Whitney, Mira, and Gary analyze another recently-published novel on the next episode of Writers Who Read. Next up: Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe.
All-star wrestling! Cosplay! OnlyFans! Rufi Thorpe’s fourth novel is about none of those things and yet somehow it’s about all of those things. Margo, an unemployed 20-year-old single mother, struggles to wrest money and power from a world that has little interest in giving it to her. A wickedly clever take on the art of storytelling and controlling your own narrative, both online and IRL.
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Rachel Dempsey joins Whitney Pinion, Mira Landry, and Gary McBride to talk about Butcher by Joyce Carol Oates, which is Writers Who Read book number 70. Discussion slides for this novel and all novels discussed are available at WritersWhoRead.com. More information about Literary Forensics is available here and here.
In every episode we analyze and discuss one novel that has been published within the past 18-24 months. We do this because we are writers who read with intent–we read to study content and form and to uncover techniques that we can apply to our own writing.We read like writers, turning our favorite authors into our writing teachers.
We do this through Literary Forensics, a set of tools that allow us to look beyond the surface of plot points, down into the tapestry of themes, contexts, and symbols that hold the very intentions of the author.
We uncover why they wrote this novel and how they did it.
If you'd like to join our LIVE! meetings in person, find upcoming novel titles and event registration information here and be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Writers Who Read has been meeting in Boulder, Colorado, since 2018, and we are affiliated with the Boulder Writers Alliance.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rachel Dempsey joins Whitney, Mira, and Gary to analyze another recently-published novel on the next episode of Writers Who Read. Next up: Butcher by Joyce Carol Oates.
Dr. Silas Weir, the mid-19th century “Father of Gyno-Psychiatry,” is woefully under-educated and ill-prepared to deal with women’s health issues. Humiliated by his ineptitude, Weir is forced to take a position at the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics, where the title of Oates’s 62nd novel reveals its chilling meaning. Not a tale for the faint of heart.
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Whitney Pinion and Gary McBride talk about Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux, which is Writers Who Read book number 69. Discussion slides for this novel and all novels discussed are available at WritersWhoRead.com. More information about Literary Forensics is available here and here.
In every episode we analyze and discuss one novel that has been published within the past 18-24 months. We do this because we are writers who read with intent–we read to study content and form and to uncover techniques that we can apply to our own writing.We read like writers, turning our favorite authors into our writing teachers.
We do this through Literary Forensics, a set of tools that allow us to look beyond the surface of plot points, down into the tapestry of themes, contexts, and symbols that hold the very intentions of the author.
We uncover why they wrote this novel and how they did it.
If you'd like to join our LIVE! meetings in person, find upcoming novel titles and event registration information here and be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Writers Who Read has been meeting in Boulder, Colorado, since 2018, and we are affiliated with the Boulder Writers Alliance.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gary and Whitney analyze another recently-published novel on the next episode of Writers Who Read. Next up: Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux.
19-year-old Eton graduate Eric is off to Burma to police the British Raj. His English father was himself an official in India in the late 19th century at the height of the British Empire, and so the son feels an obligation to do a job that is not at all in his nature. Literature buffs will quickly recognize Eric’s story as taken from real life, knowing that in later years he would go on to pen both short stories about Burma and the most influential totalitarian novel of all time, which is still a best-seller.
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Whitney Pinion, Mira Landry, and Gary McBride talk about James by Percival Everett, which is Writers Who Read book number 68. Discussion slides for this novel and all novels discussed are available at WritersWhoRead.com. More information about Literary Forensics is available here and here.
In every episode we analyze and discuss one novel that has been published within the past 18-24 months. We do this because we are writers who read with intent–we read to study content and form and to uncover techniques that we can apply to our own writing.We read like writers, turning our favorite authors into our writing teachers.
We do this through Literary Forensics, a set of tools that allow us to look beyond the surface of plot points, down into the tapestry of themes, contexts, and symbols that hold the very intentions of the author.
We uncover why they wrote this novel and how they did it.
If you'd like to join our LIVE! meetings in person, find upcoming novel titles and event registration information here and be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Writers Who Read has been meeting in Boulder, Colorado, since 2018, and we are affiliated with the Boulder Writers Alliance.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gary, Whitney, and Mira analyze another recently-published novel on the next episode of Writers Who Read. Next up: James by Percival Everett.
What if Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn were retold from the perspective of the slave Jim? American author Percival Everett takes up the challenge in this rollicking novel, at the same time shining a bright light on his country’s never-ending foibles. Of particular delight are Everett’s passages covering signifying and code switching.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Whitney Pinion, Mira Landry, Chelsea Pennington, and Gary McBride talk about Good Material by Dolly Alderton, which is Writers Who Read book number 67. Discussion slides for this novel and all novels discussed are available at WritersWhoRead.com. More information about Literary Forensics is available here and here.
In every episode we analyze and discuss one novel that has been published within the past 18-24 months. We do this because we are writers who read with intent–we read to study content and form and to uncover techniques that we can apply to our own writing.We read like writers, turning our favorite authors into our writing teachers.
We do this through Literary Forensics, a set of tools that allow us to look beyond the surface of plot points, down into the tapestry of themes, contexts, and symbols that hold the very intentions of the author.
We uncover why they wrote this novel and how they did it.
If you'd like to join our LIVE! meetings in person, find upcoming novel titles and event registration information here and be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Writers Who Read has been meeting in Boulder, Colorado, since 2018, and we are affiliated with the Boulder Writers Alliance.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gary, Whitney, Mira, and Chelsea analyze another recently-published novel on the next episode of Writers Who Read. Next up: Good Material by Dolly Alderton.
The British relationship advice columnist Dear Dolly is also memoirist and two-time novelist Dolly Alderton. Her first book, Everything I Know About Love, was a best-seller. This novel, Alderton’s second, is narrated by Andy, a struggling standup comedian who is navigating a devastating breakup by leaning heavily on his friends. How could there not be relationship advice?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Whitney Pinion, Mira Landry, and Gary McBride talk about Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, which is Writers Who Read book number 66. Discussion slides for this novel and all novels discussed are available at WritersWhoRead.com. More information about Literary Forensics is available here and here.
In every episode we analyze and discuss one novel that has been published within the past 18-24 months. We do this because we are writers who read with intent–we read to study content and form and to uncover techniques that we can apply to our own writing.We read like writers, turning our favorite authors into our writing teachers.
We do this through Literary Forensics, a set of tools that allow us to look beyond the surface of plot points, down into the tapestry of themes, contexts, and symbols that hold the very intentions of the author.
We uncover why they wrote this novel and how they did it.
If you'd like to join our LIVE! meetings in person, find upcoming novel titles and event registration information here and be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Writers Who Read has been meeting in Boulder, Colorado, since 2018, and we are affiliated with the Boulder Writers Alliance.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gary, Whitney, and Mira analyze another recently-published novel on the next episode of Writers Who Read. Next up: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar.
Poet Cyrus Shams is surrounded by death. His uncle was an angel of death during the Iran-Iraq war. His mother was shot out of the sky by the US Navy. His father Ali brought him to America, replacing one harsh reality with another, which drove Cyrus to drugs and despair. What constitutes a meaningful death? And do art and history hold the answer?
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Whitney Pinion, Mira Landry, and Gary McBride talk about Let Us Descend by Jesmyn King, which is Writers Who Read book number 65. Discussion slides for this novel and all novels discussed are available at WritersWhoRead.com. More information about Literary Forensics is available here and here.
In every episode we analyze and discuss one novel that has been published within the past 18-24 months. We do this because we are writers who read with intent–we read to study content and form and to uncover techniques that we can apply to our own writing.We read like writers, turning our favorite authors into our writing teachers.
We do this through Literary Forensics, a set of tools that allow us to look beyond the surface of plot points, down into the tapestry of themes, contexts, and symbols that hold the very intentions of the author.
We uncover why they wrote this novel and how they did it.
If you'd like to join our LIVE! meetings in person, find upcoming novel titles and event registration information here and be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Writers Who Read has been meeting in Boulder, Colorado, since 2018, and we are affiliated with the Boulder Writers Alliance.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gary, Whitney, and Mira analyze another recently-published novel on the next episode of Writers Who Read. Next up: Let Us Descend by two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward.
Ward draws on Dante's Inferno as a metaphor for the agonizing journey of an American slave. Annis is our Virgil, guiding us deeper and deeper into hell, as the spirit of her African warrior grandmother helps her to develop her own resourcefulness and strength.
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Whitney Pinion, Mira Landry, and Gary McBride talk about Holly by Stephen King, which is Writers Who Read book number 64. Discussion slides for this novel and all novels discussed are available at WritersWhoRead.com. More information about Literary Forensics is available here and here.
In every episode we analyze and discuss one novel that has been published within the past 18-24 months. We do this because we are writers who read with intent–we read to study content and form and to uncover techniques that we can apply to our own writing.We read like writers, turning our favorite authors into our writing teachers.
We do this through Literary Forensics, a set of tools that allow us to look beyond the surface of plot points, down into the tapestry of themes, contexts, and symbols that hold the very intentions of the author.
We uncover why they wrote this novel and how they did it.
If you'd like to join our LIVE! meetings in person, find upcoming novel titles and event registration information here and be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Writers Who Read has been meeting in Boulder, Colorado, since 2018, and we are affiliated with the Boulder Writers Alliance.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gary, Whitney, and Mira analyze another recently-published novel on the next episode of Writers Who Read. Next up: Holly by Stephen King.
The eponymous private investigator Holly Gibney has now appeared in five Stephen King novels, so she pops off the page fully formed and richly drawn. King is also a master at scene setting, and although he claims not to plot, don't believe him. This well-structured story also centers around retired professors Emily and Rodney Harris, who also happen to be cannibals who want to live forever.
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Whitney Pinion, Mira Landry, and Gary McBride talk about Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, which is Writers Who Read book number 63. Discussion slides for this novel and all novels discussed are available at WritersWhoRead.com. More information about Literary Forensics is available here and here.
In every episode we analyze and discuss one novel that has been published within the past 18-24 months. We do this because we are writers who read with intent–we read to study content and form and to uncover techniques that we can apply to our own writing.We read like writers, turning our favorite authors into our writing teachers.
We do this through Literary Forensics, a set of tools that allow us to look beyond the surface of plot points, down into the tapestry of themes, contexts, and symbols that hold the very intentions of the author.
We uncover why they wrote this novel and how they did it.
If you'd like to join our LIVE! meetings in person, find upcoming novel titles and event registration information here and be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Writers Who Read has been meeting in Boulder, Colorado, since 2018, and we are affiliated with the Boulder Writers Alliance.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gary, Whitney, and Mira analyze another recently-published novel on the next episode of Writers Who Read. Next up: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.
Pulitzer Prize finalist author and noted Nashville independent bookstore owner Ann Patchett uses Thornton Wilder's 1938 play, Our Town, to frame her meta exploration of its themes. Multiple Our Town productions ripple through Lara Kenison's past as she relates her life's journey to her three daughters. And what did Lara's dalliance with a movie star really mean? Quite a lot, actually.
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