{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpage-one.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fep-54-pop1-plainsong-TGiPtusf","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"Ep. 54: POP1_Plainsong","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/8583da00-42e9-4897-ab16-2a2d61be8a44/991689ca-47d1-4929-8024-3b8865351ba7/ep-2054-20-20pop1-20plainsong.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"<iframe src=\"https://player.simplecast.com/10f5205f-38e5-424e-89d4-0373a13ab2ae\" height=\"200\" width=\"100%\" title=\"Ep. 54: POP1_Plainsong\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe>","height":200,"description":"In Ep: 54 of the Page One Podcast co-hosts and award-winning authors Holly Lynn Payne and Nina Schuyler analyze the first page of the national bestseller, Plainsong, by Kent Haruf, which was a National Book Award Finalist. This episode is part of a special monthly series called Pop One Pick-of-The-Month, where Holly and Nina dive deep into Haruf’s mastery of rhythm, grammar, and poignant imagery to set the stage for the novel's narrative. The episode offers listeners insights into Haruf's stylistic choices, from long, flowing sentences with intermittent grammatical imprecision to his contrasting thematic setups of tenderness and roughness. As they unpack the first page, Holly and Nina explore how these choices draw readers in and reveal complex emotional landscapes to keep readers hooked from page one. Plainsong offers yet another intriguing demonstration of a compelling opening. Listen up to learn how you might make your first page pop, too."}