Required Reading

Dr. Nic Hoffmann, Mike Burns and Mike Carroll are teachers at the Marist School. In an attempt to update our curriculum, we have been reassessing the books we assign, we were assigned in high school and college, and the books we wish we assigned. Do people even read anymore? I mean, we do, but how do we keep the student engaged with the Required Reading.

Required Reading is a arts podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 71 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Required Reading, a arts show with 71 episodes published.

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  Episode #68

  On Writing by Stephen King

  Jan 9, 202649 minS6

  <p >On Writing isn’t a horror novel—but it is one of the most honest books ever written about the act of writing. In this episode of Required Reading, we dive into Stephen King’s hybrid memoir-and-manual to explore what it really means to become a writer.</p> <p >King strips away the mystique surrounding creativity and replaces it with discipline, reading, revision, and a willingness to fail publicly. From his childhood and early rejections to his battles with addiction and his near-fatal accident, On Writing argues that good writing isn’t about talent or inspiration—it’s about showing up, t...

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  Episode #67

  The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

  Nov 18, 20251h 9mS5

  <p >In this episode of Required Reading, we dive into Edgar Allan Poe’s haunting short story, The Tell-Tale Heart. Through the fevered confession of an unreliable narrator, Poe explores the thin line between sanity and madness, guilt and obsession. We discuss how Poe uses rhythm, repetition, and symbolism to capture the relentless beat of a guilty conscience — and why this tale still makes hearts race nearly two centuries later.</p> <p >Co-hosted with Dr. Nic Hoffmann, Mike Burns, and Mike Carroll</p> <p >Check us out! </p> Shifting My Thinking about AI in the Classroom by Mike Burns Women, Refor...

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  Episode #66

  The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

  Nov 6, 202557 minS5

  <p >In this episode of Required Reading, we explore Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling masterpiece, The Cask of Amontillado. Set in the eerie catacombs beneath an Italian palazzo, the story follows Montresor’s calculated revenge against Fortunato—an act cloaked in deception, wine, and madness. The episode unpacks themes of pride, guilt, and psychological horror, showing how Poe turns a simple act of vengeance into a timeless study of the human mind’s darkest corners.<br> <br> This includes a reading of the audiobook from flansburgh38 from Librivox. </p> <p >Co-hosted with Dr. Nic Hoffmann, Mike Burns, and Mike Carroll</p> <p >Ch...

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  Episode #64

  Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

  Oct 16, 20251h 15mS6

  <p>This week on Required Reading, we dust off our middle school readers and learn about high schoolers in love. We read Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the passionate and mature love of a 13 and 15 year old. It's basically Elizabethan Degrassi. </p> <p>Co-Hosts: Dr. Nic Hoffmann, Mike Burns, Mike Carroll</p> <p> </p> <p>"n Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare creates a violent world, in which two young people fall in love. It is not simply that their families disapprove; the Montagues and the Capulets are engaged in a blood feud.<br> <br> In this death-filled setting, the movement from...

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  Episode #65

  Candide by Voltaire

  Oct 2, 20251h 16mS6

  <p>This week we are reminding you that this is the best of all possible podcasts. We talk Candide by Voltaire! Keep on reviewing and subscribing so we can continue doing this! or perhaps, this is our last episode and we will go to tend our gardens.</p> <p>Host: Dr. Nic Hoffmann</p> <p>Panel: Mike Burns and Mike Carroll<br> <br> Here from us! </p> <p>"The Last Time I Rewound: VHS, Star Wars, and the Freedom to Remember" by Nic Hoffmann</p> <p>"Shifting My Thinking about AI in the Classroom: Was I helping kids become critical th...

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