On Goldberry Press and Heidi's Forthcoming Book

Back in 2020, when Bethany and I started Goldberry Books we dreamed of eventually operating a company that was involved in every aspect of book culture. We wanted to run a bookshop that provided a literary haven for our local community (and those who visit it), and we wanted to continue pursuing the book-loving activities of Close Reads and The Daily Poem. But we also hoped to one day open our own independent publishing house—to help people share their ideas and tell their stories.

Well, here we are in 2025 and, thanks be to God, we're still at it. The shop will turn five in November (despite 2 years of construction on our street), Close Reads will turn ten during the summer (more on that in a future post), and our publishing house goals are turning into real work. We've officially launched Goldberry Press and that's what I really want to tell you about today.

You probably know by now that last year we published volume one of Lumen, an art appreciation curriculum about the seven elements of art that will eventually turn in a seven volume series. It's a project-in-progress and we're learning a lot, but the initial feedback has been very encouraging and volume two is set to release during the summer.

So, yes, we're publishing a few of our own projects. But that's not all. In 2025 we also plan to publish a few books written by friends from the Close Reads community.

Later this spring you'll learn about an exciting forthcoming release, written by a pair of friends and longtime listeners, that provides resources to help you host delightful book clubs with families in your community. We can't wait to share that with you. That one's coming soon.

But first, we have to talk about Heidi White's book, which longtime listeners will have been hearing about for a while. It's been years in the making, born out of conversations on the show, and is now ready to emerge into the light of day. It's called The Divided Soul: Duty and Desire in Literature and Life and it will be available for pre-order on Tuesday, March 4, with an August release date.

Shout out to Graeme Pitman for this cover design!

It's an honor for us to be able to help Heidi bring this book to you—and we're confident you're going to like it. One part memoir, one part literary excursion, one part ode to the value and beauty of stories, The Divided Soul is an embodiment (an "objective correlative," shall we say?) of what Heidi brings to each and every episode of Close Reads. It's a thoughtful, entertaining, and enlightening look at the way great books can help us see ourselves and the world around us more clearly. And it's been so fun to work on as a team. Every aspect, from the writing, to the editing, to the proofing, to the cover design, and the layout will have been completed by members of the Close Reads community, which is a fact I'm thrilled about.

So on Tuesday, when the pre-order goes live, I'll hope you'll help us kick off this new title with a bang.

Like you, we love books around here and, Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we're going to keep celebrating them the best way we know how: we're gonna cultivate conversations.

Join in and happy reading!