Arts
-
The History of Literature #440 — Emma’s Pick – “A Pair of Silk Stockings” by Kate Chopin
Today, Kate Chopin (1851-1904) might be best known for her groundbreaking feminist novel The Awakening (1899). But she was also an accomplished short story writer, publishing in national magazines like Atlantic Monthly and Vogue. In this episode, Jacke provides an annotated reading of producer Emma’s latest pick: “A Pair of Silk Stockings” (1897) Chopin’s story of a down-on-her-luck woman who… Continue reading
-
The History of Literature #439 – Poets’ Guide to Economics (with John Ramsden)
Sure, we know poets are experts in subjects like love, death, nightingales, and moonlight. But what about money? Isn’t that a little…beneath them? (Or at least out of their area of expertise?) In this episode, Jacke talks to author John Ramsden (The Poets’ Guide to Economics) about the contributions made by eleven poets to the… Continue reading
-
The History of Literature #438 – How Was Your Ulysses? (with Mike Palindrome)
In 1922, a writer for the Observer commented: “No book has been more eagerly and curiously awaited by the strange little inner circle of book-lovers and littérateurs than James Joyce’s Ulysses.” After declaring Joyce to be a man of genius, the writer said, “I cannot see how the work upon which Mr Joyce spent seven… Continue reading
-
The History of Literature #437 – A Million Miracles Now – “A Bird, came down the Walk” by Emily Dickinson
Responding to a listener email, a heartbroken Jacke takes a close look at Emily Dickinson’s astonishing poem “A Bird, came down the Walk.” Additional listening suggestions: Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Continue reading
-
The History of Literature #436 – The Lorax by Dr Seuss (with Mesh Lakhani)
He was born Theodor Seuss Geisel in 1904, but in the next 87 years, the world came to know and love him by his pen name, Dr. Seuss. Best known for his more than 60 books for children, including The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Green Eggs and Ham, and Hop on Pop, Dr. Seuss has… Continue reading
-
The History of Literature #435 – The Story of the Hogarth Press Part 2 – The Virginia Woolf Story That Changed Everything
In our last episode, we looked at the decision by Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard to purchase a printing press and run it out of their home. What began as a hobby – a relief from the strains of writing – soon turned into a genuine business, as The Hogarth Press met with success.… Continue reading
-
The History of Literature #434 – The Story of the Hogarth Press Part 1 – Virginia Woolf’s First Self-Published Story
Virginia Woolf has long been celebrated as a supremely gifted novelist and essayist. Less well known, but important to understanding her life and contributions to literature, are her efforts as a publisher. In the decades that she and her husband operated the Hogarth Press – starting with a hand-operated printer they ran on their dining… Continue reading
-
The History of Literature #433 – Emma’s Pick – “To Build a Fire” by Jack London
Is this the greatest man vs. nature story ever? Hard to say. But it just might be the purest. Kicking off a new HOL feature, producer Emma chooses a short story for Jacke to read and discuss – Jack London’s classic “To Build a Fire.”. Get somewhere warm and let your mind drift to the snowy… Continue reading
-
The History of Literature #432 – Hemingway’s One True Sentence (with Mark Cirino)
“All you have to do is write one true sentence,” Ernest Hemingway said in A Moveable Feast. “Write the truest sentence that you know.” And so he did: the man wrote thousands of sentences, all in search of “truth” of some kind. What does a “true sentence” mean for a fiction writer? What true sentences did… Continue reading
-
The History of Literature #431 – Langston Hughes
Very few writers have had the influence or importance of Langston Hughes (1902?-1967). Best known for poems like “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” “I, Too,” and “The Weary Blues,” Hughes was also a widely read novelist, short story writer, and essayist – and his promotion of Black people and culture became central to the cultural… Continue reading
Jacke Wilson 