RAR #81: Eavesdropping on the Soul, a conversation with Katherine Paterson
I think it’s fair to say this is my favorite episode of the podcast we’ve ever done.
You probably know Katherine Paterson as the author of books like Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved and the Great Gilly Hopkins, but if you’re not familiar with her essays about writing for children, you’re about to have your socks knocked off.
The way Ms. Paterson thinks about reading and writing books for kids blows me away. I’m in awe.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- what she really thinks when she hears that parents/teachers are using books to improve or help their kids
- how to figure out what a book actually “means”
- how reading allows us a unique privilege to ‘eavesdrop on the soul’
Click the play button below:
Books from this episode:
(All links are affiliate links.)
This was fabulous Sarah. When you talked about reading a book differently if you were going to be tested on it, I was also thinking about my college humanities classes. Many times the comments even from myself were comments we knew the teacher would like and agree with or think we were masterfully brilliant, ha, ha. They weren’t always comments that we really thought or believed. Just a thought…
Oh My Goodness!!!! That chapter was beautiful! It brought me to tears!
Loved this podcast I understand why it is your favorite.
So thankful I discovered you along my journey of teaching my 10 children at home.
You along with Julie Bogart and one or two others have changed our home school life.
I will be ever grateful for this and I feel my children’s education and lives have been richly blessed by it!
Dori O’Connell
Sarah!!! I was blown away when I listen to this podcast. Awhile back you had read a quote or two from a Sense of Wonder, and – since it sounded like my kind of book – I immediately borrowed it from my library (and kept it as long as I could)! The essay that really stood out most to me was the very one that you read on this episode! As you started to preface the essay you were about to read, I was thinking, “What if it’s the one I liked so much?” Then, when you named it, I was like “Yes!!”
I sure love those “What…you too?” moments! 😊
Sarah, I want an audio book of Mrs. Patersons essays, read by you! Wonderfull podcast. I’ve not read any of Katherine Patterson, but now I shall.
I agree!
Wow! Sarah, this was fabulous! Ms. Paterson’s essay was so full of gems, AND your re-reading was enthralling. I am looking forward to re-reading the essay and I wish I could listen to you read audio books all the time. Thank you!
This episode rocked my world! I can see why it’s your favorite :) I will definitely be listening again. And happy to discover that the book you were reading from is available at my library. Score! You narrated her essay so beautifully. Thank you for sharing that with us all.
Hi! You mentioned how maybe one day Penguin would print Sense of Wonder if enough of us asked..is that something we can actually do? How do I let Penguin know my desire to have it re-published?? Thanks!
I’ve got to stop listening to your podcasts while walking through my neighborhood and neighborhood village! Wow, your reading of Ms. Paterson’s words were so beautiful and the content so moving, I was moved to tears (again!). I am so grateful to be introduced to this lovely author. I’m embarrassed to say I’ve not read her books. Just ordered Bridge to Terabithia. Loved this podcast so much!
Erica
I thoroughly enjoy the chapter you read. Based on that I thought her books would be great but I am very disturbed by the inappropiateness of some of the content. Do we really need to read about a 14 year old’s sexual arrousal from looking at a 70 year old man’s hands? (Jacob Have I Loved). That is not something I want to read as an adult let alone have my teenager read.!
hello RAR!
my name is hillary beck. I’m hoping its possible to have the teaching from rest companion journal and audio re-sent to me as i can’t find/didnt save it correctly. i would be so grateful. I’ve purchased the book in all formats and was a premium member for a long while.
Thank you,
Hillary Beck
Hillary, just send me an email at support@readaloudrevival.com and I’ll get you all set!
Thank you for this! I love Katherine Paterson’s work but never knew about the essays. Also, my son, who is four, loves books but also loves for me to “read a pretend story” at bedtime. This is where I make up a story and he adds to it and we create stories together as he falls asleep. I hope school won’t spoil his love of story by trying to label and define everything.
I just read through the transcript and definitely want to listen to the podcast as well. I found a used copy of The Invisible Child on bookfinder.com (an awesome resource when Amazon is ridiculously expensive) and look forward to reading it. What a wonderful essay and interview!
Wonderful episode! I cried during the reading of the essay. So beautiful!
What a beautiful essay! I remember enjoying Jacob Have I Loved as a kid, and have reread that once or twice. I also remember reading Bridge to Terebithia as an assigned book in 4th grade and having such a visceral reaction to the end that I haven’t picked it up since. This episode almost has me convinced to revisit it. ;)
Incidentally, though I doubt Ms. Paterson is reading this, my husband comes from right on the edge of North East, MD, so I apologize that his hometown crushed a small dream.
Oh my goodness! That extract of Katherine’s book was phenomenal! I was nodding my head thoughout and even got a little tearful!
I thoroughly enjoyed the interview with her. You’ve got me thinking about how I can start discussing the our readalouds with more depth …and I guess with more heart too.
I’m looking forward to the next episode!
What a wonderful essay! It brought me to tears several times which presented an interesting challenge because I was applying my makeup at the time and had to keep blinking furiously to avoid smearing my mascara!
On a totally different note, I read a wonderful picture book recently called Flashlight Night by Matt Forrest Esenwine (pictures by Fred Koehler). The illustrations were fantastic and so cleverly done. I read it through twice just to absorb the fun language and revel in the pictures. I think your littles would thoroughly enjoy it!
Hi Sarah! You are so right. This was just lovely and life-giving to listen to this morning.
Also, I was at the library yesterday (we go to the same library you do), and the librarian knew your name (because, you know, your stack of holds is always as big as mine, LOL!) but had never heard of the RAR. It got me wondering: can we do something at our library with you sometime? I feel like we ought to have a little corner of RAR highlights, or leave a stack of the monthly booklists in the kids’ area near the playhouse.
I know I’m not the only local mama who thinks this, as many of my friends concur. But we simply don’t know how to begin, or who should do it. I’m the one quietly raising my hand halfway in the back to volunteer. ;)
Thank you so much for this podcast, Sarah. I read Bridge to Terabithia as a child and it was so deep and meaningful to me. This moment of hearing Ms. Paterson’s voice was incredible. I very much appreciated her comment about emotional readiness which confirms my beliefs that there is no need to rush. One of my favorite things she said – “A story is open-ended. The reader gets to decide what the meaning is. And you have to let go and trust the reader. And the reader may disappoint you or the reader may absolutely astound you.”
What a great way to start the day!!
I wish Katherine Patterson would re-release her book Sense of Wonder! I’ve been looking for a copy of it, but any that I can find are extremely expensive. Sarah, any idea if she is going to print another run of that book?? Thanks!
Great episode! I really need to read some more Katherine Paterson :) I recently looked for Sense of Wonder after hearing it so highly recommended and the used copies can be a bit pricey. But According to Ms. Paterson’s website, Sense of Wonder was “Originally published as two books: Gates of Excellence and The Spying Heart.” and I was able to find paperbacks of both of those for a very reasonable price. I really need to get to reading those after hearing this episode! It would be great if Sense of Wonder came back into print, but in the meantime, I thought this might be a helpful bit of information :)
Thank you to Christine (Buckling Bookshelves) for that tip. I spent time searching for Sense of Wonder and was nearly bowled over by the prices I found. I just got copies of the other two books you mentioned for just under $20! Merry Christmas to me!
Thanks Sarah for this great podcast. Like many others have said, I found the essay deeply moving and brought me to tears as I listened – while on the treadmill at the gym! I agree with Mrs. Paterson that children (or rather parents giving books to children) should wait until they are older to read certain books. I’m thankful for the privilege of home schooling and being able to choose when we read a novel. I think prepackaged home school curriculums can be dangerous in the sense that a child of 5 or 6 may not be able to handle the themes in a book that is prescribed for his/her ‘grade level’. It never hurts to put off reading a book for a year or more…..
Good to know! Thanks!