Waypoint – “The Fortune Teller”

  10 April 2026 Waypoint – “The Fortune Teller” by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis is perhaps the greatest writer of Brazil. In “The Fortune-Teller,” a secret affair driven by anonymous threats pushes a committed skeptic toward a dingy attic and a deck of cards. It is a study in how easily we trade our reason for a comfortable prophecy, and a reminder that the future rarely negotiates with the stories we tell ourselves. As a setting for our discussion on the role of chance, fate, and destiny against moral accountability, we might find few better examples. Chapters 00:00    Waypoint Introduction 00:14    Title: “The Fortune Teller” by Machado de Assis 00:33    Reading: “The Fortune Teller” 26:01    Outro Reflection Questions: How does the physical weight of a “secret” alter the way your mind perceives the “random” events of the day? In the moment Camillo enters the fortune-teller’s house, is he seeking a discovery of the future, or a sanctuary from the present? How does the “logic” of a skeptic become the primary tool for their own self-deception? If the fortune-teller “guessed” his secret, does that validate the magic, or does it simply expose the transparency of a guilty mind? When we outsource our moral outcomes to “Fate,” what part of our own agency and accountability do we leave behind? https://waywordsstudio.com Complete Resources: https://waywordsstudio.com/podcasts/waywords-podcast/ TRANSCRIPT: https://waywordsstudio.com/general/transcript/waypoint-reading-of-the-fortune-teller Literary Nomads is the primary program of Waywords Studio (https://waywordsstudio.com). The podcast posts new material frequently, with deep-dive examinations of literature surrounded by smaller episodes which explore related texts, topics, and strategies for thinking. Visit us for expanded resources for guests and the Waywords community, for other programs and writing, and for opportunities to support our goal to expand reading. Resources available can include full bibliographies of material referenced, full and partial texts, annotated editions, supplemental and expanded episodes, fictional explorations, teaching and learning resources, additional essays, and online courses. Website:  https://waywordsstudio.com Newsletter: https://waywordsstudio.kit.com/ Social Media: @WaywordsStudio YouTube: Waywords Studio CREDITS: Original music by Randon Myles (https://randonmyles.com/) USING THIS WORK: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. It is open to be used and adapted for all not-for-profit uses with proper attribution. MLA CITATION: Chisnell, Steve. “Reading of ‘The Fortune Teller’ by Machado de Assis,’” Waywords Studio, 10 April 2026, https://waywordsstudio.com/project/waypoints/.