Reading McCarthy

Episode 23 of READING MCCARTHY brings us a great discussion with actor and audiobook narrator Richard Poe.  Poe is known to McCarthy fans as the audiobook narrator of McCarthy’s masterwork Blood Meridian.  Richard Poe has been a professional actor since 1970, when he left the army and was soon drafted into the chorus of William Ball’s production of Oedipus Rex at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Later that year he was cast as Rosencrantz in a production of Hamlet starring the 73-year-old Dame Judith Anderson, touring all the major theaters in America, including Carnegie Hall. He then played a variety of roles in many regional theaters before coming to New York in 1985. He has since appeared in thirteen Broadway shows, including the 1988 Best Play Tony Award winning M. Butterfly, 1992 Best Play Nominee Our Country’s Good, 2006 Best Musical Revival Winner The Pajama Game, and the 2007 Best Play Revival Winner Journey’s End. He created the roles of Father Dan (among others) in Paul Rudnick’s groundbreaking comedy Jeffrey, and Leonard in Christopher Durang’s Why Torture Is Wrong…And The People Who Love Them. Recently he returned to The American Conservatory Theater, where it all started, and created the role of Edgar Halcyon in the new musical, Tales Of the City, receiving a nomination for Best Actor in a Musical from the Bay Area Critics Association.  Additionally, Richard has had featured roles in several films, including Born on the Fourth of July, Presumed Innocent, Transamerica, Speechless, Burn After Reading, and Delivery Man.  For his performance as Roy in Teresa is a Mother he was named Best Actor in the 2012 New York City Independent Film Festival. On TV he’s had recurring roles on several series, including Frasier, A Whole New Ballgame and in several episodes of each of the latter-day Star Trek series.Most interesting for our audience, Richard is a prolific narrator of audiobooks, with over one hundred titles to his credit, including three novels by Cormac Mccarthy, His narration of BLOOD MERIDIAN was nominated for an “Audie” Award.  He won the award in 2004 for his narration of John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. Richard is married to Claudia Howard and they live in Brooklyn.Thanks to Thomas Frye, who composed, performed, and produced the theme music and interludes for READING MCCARTHY.  To contact me, please reach out to readingmccarthy(@)gmail.com. Find us on Twitter and Facebook; the website is at readingmccarthy.buzzsprout.com, and if you’d like to support the show you can click on the little heart symbol at the top of the page to buy the show a cappuccino, or you can support us at www.patreon.com/readingmccarthy Support the showStarting in spring of 2023, the podcast began accepting minor sponsorship offers to offset the costs of the podcast.  This may cause a mild disconnect in earlier podcasts where the host asks for patrons in lieu of sponsorships.   But if we compare it to a very large and naked bald man in the middle of the desert who leads you to an extinct volcano to create gunpowder, it seems pretty minor...

This is the second part of the round table discussion of one of McCarthy’s masterworks, the 1979 novel Suttree.  The guests for this wonderful discussion include Dianne Luce, who previously appeared in episodes about The Orchard Keeper and Suttree.  Dr. Luce is a founding member and past president of the Cormac McCarthy Society.  Together with Edwin Arnold, she has edited two collections of articles on McCarthy, and she is the author of Reading the World: Cormac McCarthy’s Tennessee Period (2009).  In the past decade, she has been writing a two-volume study, based on archival research, of McCarthy’s writing life at Random House, several portions of which have appeared as articles in Resources for American Literary Study and the Cormac McCarthy Journal.    She holds faculty emeritus status from Midlands Tech in Columbia, SC. Also rejoining us today for this round table on his favorite McCarthy novel is Author, Actor, Artist, Auteur, musician and composer and more Peter Josyph.  Peter Josyph’s books include The Wrong Reader’s Guide to Cormac McCarthy: All the Pretty Horses; Adventures in Reading Cormac McCarthy; Cormac McCarthy’s House: Reading McCarthy Without Walls; Liberty Street: Encounters at Ground Zero; The Way of the Trumpet; What One Man Said to Another: Talks With Richard Selzer; and The Wounded River, which was a New York Times Notable Book of 1993. His films include the award-winning Liberty Street: Alive at Ground Zero; Shakespeare in New York; Hell; Bardtalk; A Few Things Basquiat Did in School; and Acting McCarthy: The Making of Billy Bob Thornton’s All the Pretty Horses. As a painter his McCarthy-related exhibitions have shown in Sweden; England; Australia; and the far countries of Texas and Kentucky.  peter currently lectures on film for the Frick Estate Lectures at Nassau County Museum of Art on Long Island. Bryan Vescio joined us for a previous discussion on McCarthy and Faith.  Dr. Bryan Vescio is currently Professor and Chair of English at High Point University in North Carolina.  He has previously taught at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Missouri Southern State University, and DePaul University.  He is the author of the 2014 book Reconstruction in Literary Studies: An Informalist Approach, as well as numerous articles on American authors including Mark Twain, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and Nathanael West. He has published articles on works by McCarthy including Suttree, Blood Meridian, and The Road. Thanks as always to Thomas Frye, who composed, performed, and produced the music for READING MCCARTHY.   The views of the host and his guests do not necessarily reflect the views of their home institutions or the Cormac McCarthy Society. Our website: https://readingmccarthy.buzzsprout.com/And e-mail: readingmccarthy (@) gmail.com Support the showStarting in spring of 2023, the podcast began accepting minor sponsorship offers to offset the costs of the podcast.  This may cause a mild disconnect in earlier podcasts where the host asks for patrons in lieu of sponsorships.   But if we compare it to a very large and naked bald man in the middle of the desert who leads you to an extinct volcano to create gunpowder, it seems pretty minor...

We kick off Season 2 of READING McCARTHY with a very special episode.  Instead of having only one guest today, we’ll have three in the first part of a  round table discussion of one of McCarthy’s masterworks, SUTTREE.   As part of the round table we welcome back our guest Dianne Luce, who previously appeared in episodes about The Orchard Keeper and Suttree.  Dr. Luce is a founding member and past president of the Cormac McCarthy Society.  Together with Edwin Arnold, she has edited two collections of articles on McCarthy, and she is the author of Reading the World: Cormac McCarthy’s Tennessee Period (2009).  In the past decade, she has been writing a two-volume study, based on archival research, of McCarthy’s writing life at Random House, several portions of which have appeared as articles in Resources for American Literary Study and the Cormac McCarthy Journal.    She holds faculty emeritus status from Midlands Tech in Columbia, SC. Also rejoining us today for this round table on his favorite McCarthy novel is Author, Actor, Artist, Auteur, musician and composer and more Peter Josyph.  Peter Josyph’s books include The Wrong Reader’s Guide to Cormac McCarthy: All the Pretty Horses; Adventures in Reading Cormac McCarthy; Cormac McCarthy’s House: Reading McCarthy Without Walls; Liberty Street: Encounters at Ground Zero; The Way of the Trumpet; What One Man Said to Another: Talks With Richard Selzer; and The Wounded River, which was a New York Times Notable Book of 1993. His films include the award-winning Liberty Street: Alive at Ground Zero; Shakespeare in New York; Hell; Bardtalk; A Few Things Basquiat Did in School; and Acting McCarthy: The Making of Billy Bob Thornton’s All the Pretty Horses. As a painter his McCarthy-related exhibitions have shown in Sweden; England; Australia; and the far countries of Texas and Kentucky.  peter currently lectures on film for the Frick Estate Lectures at Nassau County Museum of Art on Long Island. Bryan Vescio joined us for a previous discussion on McCarthy and Faith.  Dr. Bryan Vescio is currently Professor and Chair of English at High Point University in North Carolina.  He has previously taught at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Missouri Southern State University, and DePaul University.  He is the author of the 2014 book Reconstruction in Literary Studies: An Informalist Approach, as well as numerous articles on American authors including Mark Twain, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and Nathanael West. He has published articles on works by McCarthy including Suttree, Blood Meridian, and The Road. Music today includes an excerpt from Peter Josyph’s “Suttree’s Song,” and as always also we offer special thanks to Thomas Frye, who composed, performed, and produced the music for READING MCCARTHY.  Included in this episode are (Intro) “The World to Come,” “Toadvine,” “Running with Wolves,” and “Blues for Blevins.” The views of the host and his guests do not necessarily reflect the views of their home institutions or the Cormac McCarthy Society. Our website: https://readingmccarthy.buzzsprout.com/And e-mail: readingmccarthy (@) gmail.comSupport the showStarting in spring of 2023, the podcast began accepting minor sponsorship offers to offset the costs of the podcast.  This may cause a mild disconnect in earlier podcasts where the host asks for patrons in lieu of sponsorships.   But if we compare it to a very large and naked bald man in the middle of the desert who leads you to an extinct volcano to create gunpowder, it seems pretty minor...

Episode 20 brings back guest Bryan Giemza in a discussion which begins as a consideration of McCarthy and Irish Catholicism in the American South and ends with a quick dip into one of McCarthy’s less revered works, The Counselor.  Dr. Bryan Giemza is an Associate Professor of Humanities and Literature in the Honors College at Texas Tech University.  In addition to his teaching and research he serves as public scholar for the Sowell Family Collection in Literature, Community and the Natural World. He is author or editor of six academic books on American literary and cultural history, ten book chapters, and more than thirty published articles and reviews. His books include the literary history Irish Catholic Writers and the Invention of the American South, and Images of Depression-Era Louisiana: The FSA Photographs of Ben Shahn, Russell Lee, and Marion Post Wolcott (2017).  He is currently working on a book on STEM and McCarthy's world.Thanks to Thomas Frye, who composed, performed, and produced the music for READING MCCARTHY.  Included are (as Intro): “The World to Come”; “Running with Wolves (25.25) and “Toadvine” (49.12), and as the Outro: “Blues for Blevins.”  The views of the host and his guests do not necessarily reflect the views of their home institutions or the Cormac McCarthy Society.Our website: https://readingmccarthy.buzzsprout.com/And e-mail: readingmccarthy (@) gmail.comSupport the showStarting in spring of 2023, the podcast began accepting minor sponsorship offers to offset the costs of the podcast.  This may cause a mild disconnect in earlier podcasts where the host asks for patrons in lieu of sponsorships.   But if we compare it to a very large and naked bald man in the middle of the desert who leads you to an extinct volcano to create gunpowder, it seems pretty minor...

This episode is Part TWO of my excellent wandering conversation with the energetic and versatile Peter Josyph.  Author, Actor, Artist, Auteur, and more, Peter Josyph’s books include The Wrong Reader’s Guide to Cormac McCarthy: All the Pretty Horses; Adventures in Reading Cormac McCarthy; Cormac McCarthy’s House: Reading McCarthy Without Walls; Liberty Street: Encounters at Ground Zero; The Way of the Trumpet; What One Man Said to Another: Talks With Richard Selzer; and The Wounded River, which was a New York Times Notable Book of 1993. His films include the award-winning Liberty Street: Alive at Ground Zero; Shakespeare in New York; Hell; Bardtalk; A Few Things Basquiat Did in School; and Acting McCarthy: The Making of Billy Bob Thornton’s All the Pretty Horses. As a painter his McCarthy-related exhibitions have shown around the world, including Luleo, Sweden; Coventry, England; Sydney, Australia; and here in the states in in Berea, Kentucky; in El Paso; and in Santa Barbara. As an actor he has played, among many other roles, the character of White in The Sunset Limited at the Weisiger Theatre at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. He is a frequent keynote speaker for the Cormac McCarthy Society, and he currently lectures on film for the Frick Estate Lectures at Nassau County Museum of Art on Long Island.Peter’s songs with band Corporeal Punishment, “Wesley’s Song” and “Suttree’s Song,” from his McCarthy Variations, are included in the show.  The intro and outro songs and other pieces are, as always, composed, performed, and produced by Thomas Frye.  The views of the host and his guests do not necessarily reflect the views of their home institutions or the Cormac McCarthy Society.  We are on Twitter and may be reached at Readingmccarthy@gmail.com. Support the showStarting in spring of 2023, the podcast began accepting minor sponsorship offers to offset the costs of the podcast.  This may cause a mild disconnect in earlier podcasts where the host asks for patrons in lieu of sponsorships.   But if we compare it to a very large and naked bald man in the middle of the desert who leads you to an extinct volcano to create gunpowder, it seems pretty minor...

The guest for Episode 18 is so interesting and diverse that he has sprawled into two episodes!   Author, Actor, Artist, Auteur, and more, Peter Josyph’s books include The Wrong Reader’s Guide to Cormac McCarthy: All the Pretty Horses; Adventures in Reading Cormac McCarthy; Cormac McCarthy’s House: Reading McCarthy Without Walls; Liberty Street: Encounters at Ground Zero; The Way of the Trumpet; What One Man Said to Another: Talks With Richard Selzer; and The Wounded River, which was a New York Times Notable Book of 1993. His films include the award-winning Liberty Street: Alive at Ground Zero; Shakespeare in New York; Hell; Bardtalk; A Few Things Basquiat Did in School; and Acting McCarthy: The Making of Billy Bob Thornton’s All the Pretty Horses. As a painter his McCarthy-related exhibitions have shown around the world, including Luleo, Sweden; Coventry, England; Sydney, Australia; and here in the states in in Berea, Kentucky; in El Paso; and in Santa Barbara. As an actor he has played, among many other roles, the character of White in The Sunset Limited at the Weisiger Theatre at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. He is a frequent keynote speaker for the Cormac McCarthy Society, and he currently lectures on film for the Frick Estate Lectures at Nassau County Museum of Art on Long Island.Peter’s songs with band Corporeal Punishment, “Wesley’s Song” and “Suttree’s Song,” from his McCarthy Variations, are included in the show.  The intro and outro songs and other pieces are, as always, composed, performed, and produced by Thomas Frye.  The views of the host and his guests do not necessarily reflect the views of their home institutions or the Cormac McCarthy Society.  We are on Twitter and may be reached at Readingmccarthy@gmail.com.  Peter Josyph will rejoin us in the next episode. Support the showStarting in spring of 2023, the podcast began accepting minor sponsorship offers to offset the costs of the podcast.  This may cause a mild disconnect in earlier podcasts where the host asks for patrons in lieu of sponsorships.   But if we compare it to a very large and naked bald man in the middle of the desert who leads you to an extinct volcano to create gunpowder, it seems pretty minor...

Episode 17 is an epic consideration of McCarthy’s first great epic novel, Suttree. Our returning guest is Dr. Dianne Luce.  Dianne Luce is a founding member and past president of the Cormac McCarthy Society.  She has co-edited two collections of articles on McCarthy, and she is the author of Reading the World: Cormac McCarthy’s Tennessee Period (2009).  Recently she has been writing a two-volume study of McCarthy’s writing life at Random House through examination of archival research.  She holds faculty emeritus status from Midlands Tech in Columbia, SC.The title of this episode, by the way, comes from the most excellent Wes Morgan, who has documented many of the places about Knoxville used in the novel on his "Searching for Suttree" website:  https://web.utk.edu/~wmorgan/Suttree/suttree.htmThanks to Thomas Frye, who composed, performed, and produced the music for READING MCCARTHY.  Included are (as Intro): “The World to Come” and as the Outro: “Blues for Blevins.”  Also included, by Peter Josyph and the mighty mighty band Corporal Punishment, “Suttree’s Song.”The views of the host and his guests do not necessarily reflect the views of their home institutions or the Cormac McCarthy Society.Our website: https://readingmccarthy.buzzsprout.com/And e-mail: readingmccarthy (@) gmail.comSupport the showStarting in spring of 2023, the podcast began accepting minor sponsorship offers to offset the costs of the podcast.  This may cause a mild disconnect in earlier podcasts where the host asks for patrons in lieu of sponsorships.   But if we compare it to a very large and naked bald man in the middle of the desert who leads you to an extinct volcano to create gunpowder, it seems pretty minor...

In this engaging discussion, Michael Crews, an Associate Professor and author of 'Books Are Made out of Books,' explores the intricate literary influences on Cormac McCarthy. He shares his journey through the Wittliff archives and unpacks major themes like Flaubert's impact and the desert pilgrimage motif. Listeners will find intriguing insights into McCarthy's drafting process, including marginalia and deleted scenes, as well as the challenges of adapting his work for Hollywood. Crews also highlights why 'Suttree' is his favorite McCarthy novel for its unique blend of humor and spiritual themes.

Episode 15 is a dive into McCarthy’s first produced and published screenplay, The Gardener’s Son. The guest on this episode is Dr. Stacey Peebles, Chair of the English program, Director of Film Studies, and the Marlene and David Grissom Professor of Humanities at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky.  She is the author of Welcome to the Suck: Narrating the American Soldier's Experience in Iraq (2011) and Cormac McCarthy and Performance: Page, Stage, Screen (2017).  She is editor of the collection Violence in Literature and, with Ben West, is co-editor of the volume Approaches to Teaching the Works of Cormac McCarthy, which is forthcoming this year.  She has been editor of the Cormac McCarthy Journal since 2010.  Thanks to Thomas Frye, who composed, performed, and produced the music for READING MCCARTHY.  Included are Intro: “World to Come”;  “Running with Wovlves” (29:38); “Much Like Yourself” (42:20); Outro: “Blues for Blevins.”The views of the host and his guests do not necessarily reflect the views of their home institutions or the Cormac McCarthy Society.Support the showStarting in spring of 2023, the podcast began accepting minor sponsorship offers to offset the costs of the podcast.  This may cause a mild disconnect in earlier podcasts where the host asks for patrons in lieu of sponsorships.   But if we compare it to a very large and naked bald man in the middle of the desert who leads you to an extinct volcano to create gunpowder, it seems pretty minor...

Episode 14 is a consideration of McCarthy and faith.  Today’s guest Dr. Bryan Vescio is Professor and Chair of English at High Point University in North Carolina.  He has previously taught at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Missouri Southern State University, and DePaul University.  He is the author of the 2014 book Reconstruction in Literary Studies: An Informalist Approach, as well as numerous articles on American authors including Mark Twain, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and Nathanael West. He has published articles on works by McCarthy including Suttree, Blood Meridian, and The Road.  Thanks to Thomas Frye, who composed, performed, and produced the music for READING MCCARTHY.  Included are Intro: “World to Come”;  @18:58, “Toadvine”; @30:32, “Much Like Yourself”; Outro: “Blues for Blevins.”The views of the host and his guests do not necessarily reflect the views of their home institutions or the Cormac McCarthy Society.Support the showStarting in spring of 2023, the podcast began accepting minor sponsorship offers to offset the costs of the podcast.  This may cause a mild disconnect in earlier podcasts where the host asks for patrons in lieu of sponsorships.   But if we compare it to a very large and naked bald man in the middle of the desert who leads you to an extinct volcano to create gunpowder, it seems pretty minor...