Our Sartre episode will still take a couple of weeks probably to edit and post, but you needn't wait for that brain-crushing Sartre experience.
To supplement the episode, I've recorded a new kind of podcast file: half an hour of guided reading through the opening pages of Being and Nothingness. This also marks the first for-sale audio product made specifically for this this site, and I'm very interested in your thoughts on its utility. If enough people are interested, I'm prepared to start cranking these out, but I can't justify putting the time in to do it unless I can sell at least 100 of these.
It's not going to be for every PEL fan, I know. My primary audience for this are those who are interested in tackling the most difficult books but feel a bit lost in doing so. Just like in a graduate seminar, I'm going line by line, page by page in this thing, inching forward and trying to get all the nuances instead of just glossing over them to get the gist.
In addition to the product itself (for sale for a mere $1.50), I've put up a 6-minute sample file so you can get a better idea what I'm talking about and see if this is something for you.
Read more, sample, and perhaps buy your P.E.L. Close Reading file.
-Mark Linsenmayer
I think this is a brilliant idea! When texts get hard one tends to give up so helping to make it more accessible is just wonderful. Thank you.
Great idea, more of this, please.
1. This was worth $1.50.
2. I would purchase other close readings, depending upon the text being read. I happen to be interested in Sartre; I might not be so interested in other authors you choose. I would pay $1.50 to avoid listening to any more Husserl, for example. Probably wise to poll the audience in advance.
3. I would be interested in hearing more close readings of Being & Nothingness.
4. Friendly suggestions for other readings:
– Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations
– Heidegger, Being & Time
– Gadamer, Truth & Method
Yes, great idea. And I like the list posted by Daniel.