books
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The History of Literature #504 — Persuasion (Book Two) (with Mike Palindrome) | My Last Book with Juliette Bretan
Persuaded by the well-meaning Lady Russell, Anne Elliot turns down prospective suitor Frederick Wentworth. Will life give her a second chance at love? And if so, can she persuade herself to take it? In this episode, Jacke talks to Mike Palindrome, President of the Literature Supporters Club, about the second half of Jane Austen’s Persuasion (1817). PLUS Continue reading
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The History of Literature #503 — Persuasion (Book One) (with Gina Buonaguro)
What happens when we let opportunities slip past us? And what if we let others talk us out of what looks like our best chance at love? In this episode, Jacke talks to historical romance novelist Gina Buonaguro (The Virgins of Venice) about the first half of Jane Austen’s Persuasion (1817). Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The Continue reading
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The History of Literature #502 — Persuasion by Jane Austen
Harold Bloom called Persuasion “the perfect novel.” Virginia Woolf said “In Persuasion, Jane Austen is beginning to discover that the world is larger, more mysterious, and more romantic than she supposed.” In this episode, the first of three parts, Jacke takes a look at Jane Austen’s novel of missed opportunities and second chances. Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. Continue reading
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The History of Literature #501 — The Naked World (with Irina Mashinski)
Irina Mashinski is a bilingual Russophone American writer, poet, essayist, teacher, and translator, whose works include Giornata and eleven books of poetry and essays in Russian. She is also the co-editor of The Penguin Book of Russian Poetry. In this episode, Irina talks with Jacke about her childhood in the Soviet Union, her journey to becoming a poet Continue reading
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The History of Literature #500 — Episode 500! Meg White, Listener Emails, Johnson and Boswell, and More! (with Margot Livesey)
It’s Episode 500! Jacke shares some thoughts on Meg White’s drumming, Boswell and Johnson, and living in Taiwan. Then author Margot Livesey (The Boy in the Field, The Flight of Gemma Hardy) joins Jacke for a discussion of some My Last Books with past guests. Additional listening suggestions: Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Continue reading
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The History of Literature #499 — Wilde Nights and Robber Barons (with Laura Lee)
Jacke talks to author Laura Lee about her new book Wilde Nights and Robber Barons: The Story of Maruice Schwabe, the Man Behind Oscar Wilde’s Downfall, Who with a Band of False Aristocrats Swindled the World. LAURA LEE is the author of 21 books including biography, humorous reference, fiction, and children’s literature. The San Francisco Chronicle Continue reading
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The History of Literature #498 — A New Novel by a Legendary Independent Filmmaker (with John Sayles)
Jacke talks to legendary independent filmmaker John Sayles (Lone Star, Passion Fish) about his new novel Jamie MacGillivray: The Renegade’s Journey, which tells a sweeping story of romance and revolution in eighteenth century Scotland and the New World. “Film director and novelist Sayles (Yellow Earth) follows in this strong outing the parallel stories of a Scottish rebel Continue reading
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The History of Literature #497 — The Art of War by Sun Tzu
By any measure, the ancient Chinese military treatise The Art of War has had an astonishing literary history, proving itself over two and a half millennia to be one of the world’s most essential and enduring books. In this episode, Jacke takes a look at the life and legacy of this classic work, reputedly by a Chinese Continue reading
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The History of Literature #494 — Three Roads Back – How Emerson, Thoreau, and William James Responded to the Greatest Losses of Their Lives (with Megan Marshall)
In a final powerful book, acclaimed literary biographer Robert Richardson told the story of how Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and William James dealt with personal tragedies early in their careers. In this episode, Jacke talks to Pulitzer-prize winner Megan Marshall, who wrote the foreword for the book, about her friend Robert and his look Continue reading
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The History of Literature #493 — Catullus – The Poet of Love and Hate
He loved and he hated. Other than that, not much is known about the life of Catullus, who scandalized the late Roman Republic with his bawdy poems, his aching love for the upper-class married woman he called “Lesbia,” and his invective against Julius Caesar and other Roman notables. In this episode, Jacke takes a look Continue reading
Jacke Wilson 