

The Foxed Page
Kimberly Ford
If you love to read, The Foxed Page is for you. With these deep dives into the best books, you’ll gain a richer understanding of the title at hand, all while learning to read everything better.Choose from long-form lectures, quick recommendations, talks on old favorites and plenty of episodes from the archives.Listen to The Foxed Page--with Kimberly Ford, best-selling author, former adjunct professor and Ph.D.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 12, 2025 • 1h 17min
THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING by T. H. White >> NO READING REQUIRED! Lose yourself as Kimberly walks you through the genius of this CAMELOT CLASSIC. Need an escape? One that's smart, inventive and funny? Listen in!
White published the four-part volume in 1938 and 1958--all in the shadow of WWII. If he only knew how well the chaos of that historical moment would mirror 2025! This 700-page novel is haunting, intelligent, absorbing and charming. NO NEED TO READ the book. Just treat yourself to Kimberly's wander through it now!

Mar 4, 2025 • 55min
"Carpe Diem" from A MANUAL FOR CLEANING WOMEN by Lucia Berlin>> Join Kimberly for a SPECIAL look at one story by the master of the form!
In this special lecture honoring a story from one of the BEST BOOKS OF THE CENTURY (according to the New York Times), Kimberly proves that it's FASCINATING to parse a five-and-a-half page story for almost an hour. In fact, there was a lot MORE she wanted to discuss. This deep dive, though, will give you an even better sense of just WHY Berlin's work is so so good.

Feb 24, 2025 • 1h 16min
BY ANY OTHER NAME by Jodi Picoult >> Missed a few of Picoult's Shakespeare references? Want to be sure you appreciated all the reasons why this novel is so effective?? Listen in now!
Join Kimberly as she discusses historical fiction as a genre--before digging in to how the structure, the pacing, the figurative language and the prose make this novel work so well. (Plus, as usual, a few quibbles.)

Feb 13, 2025 • 1h 5min
I COULD READ THE SKY by Timothy O'Grady and Steve Pike >> Need a literary escape?? This gorgeous, elegiac novel-with-photos will transport you to Ireland and the experience of emigration. Listen in now!
NO READING REQUIRED! Kimberly's deep dive works well before or after reading this gem. The novel's unique reading experience derives in part from the incredible photographs throughout--combined, of course, with insanely great prose. Make sure you're getting as much as possible out of this unusual, beautiful, haunting novel. Listen in now!

Feb 3, 2025 • 1h 5min
DON QUIJOTE de la MANCHA >> The most important book YOU DO NOT NEED TO READ
Kimberly LOVES this classic of all classics--largely held as the first modern novel. Cervantes's 1605 masterpiece is not only colorful, hilarious, smart and unique but it includes all the elements that would go on to shape the modern novel. Let Kimberly tell you all about these crucial elements while giving you a good taste of the Spaniard's amazing prose. She also argues why this hour-long lecture might be all the Quijote you need! Listen in now!

Jan 28, 2025 • 1h 18min
THE ANTHROPOLOGISTS by Aysegul Savas's >> Need an escape?? Immerse yourself in an hour of me parsing all the ways that this meditative, warm, escapist book--with its wholly unique premise--offers so much.
Good books provide inspiration, compassion, consolation, edification...and ESCAPE. If you're a little weary of the world right now, dig into the very smart pages of THE ANTHROPOLOGISTS. This slim novel's unique, destabilizing premise could feel gimmicky in lesser hands, but Savas manages to intrigue, all while throwing into relief the basic desires of every reader. Kimberly found SO MUCH depth to explore. Join us now! NO PRE-READING NECESSARY!

Jan 17, 2025 • 1h 4min
GOOD MATERIAL by Dolly Alderton >> Witness my HOTTEST TAKE since starting the podcast. I loved Alderton's book so much I couldn't help but add some truly out-there conjecture.
When The NY Times named Alderton's GOOD MATERIAL one of the best 10 books of 2024, Kimberly knew it was time to dig in. Listen as she deepens your understanding of the male narrative voice, the excellent figurative language, the supposed "double ending" and Alderton's CRUCIAL SUBVERSION of the marriage plot. Tune in to Kimberly's argument for why this (anti)-rom-com (?!) BELONGS in the company of literary heavyweights like Miranda July's ALL FOURS, Percival Everett's JAMES and Álvaro Enrigue's YOU DREAMED OF EMPIRES. Finally, DO NOT MISS Kimberly's hottest of hot takes!

Nov 28, 2024 • 33min
BRAIDING SWEETGRASS by Robin Wall Kimmerer >> Did you love this when it came out? Did you mean to read it but didn't quite? Allow me to remind you of the CRUCIAL WISDOM Wall Kimmerer imparts!
Braiding Sweetgrass is one of those books we should be going back to again and again. If you don't quite have the time to do that, Kimberly will give you a hand. Want to feel like you could maybe help make the world a slightly better place in some small way?? Want to feel better about the environment?? Want to feel inspired and informed--with sometimes RADICAL new ways to conceptualize the world? Listen in!

Nov 25, 2024 • 7min
REPOST: Five-Minute Recommendation of James Joyce’s DUBLINERS
Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Dubliners. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense of the work, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

Nov 23, 2024 • 7min
REPOST: Five-Minute Recommendation for Anna Burns’s MILKMAN >> SAY NOTHING devotees, here's another AMAZING novel.
Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Milkman. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for deeper analysis, check out the lecture.


