books
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The History of Literature #472 — The Art of Not Knowing
In this special episode, Jacke pays tribute to a friend, including a consideration of endings and beginnings, mystery and grace, and two powerful works: John Berger’s The Shape of a Pocket and James Joyce’s masterpiece “The Dead.” Continue reading
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The History of Literature #471 — Angels of War (with Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner
In this episode, Jacke talks to three bestselling authors – Susan Meissner, Kristina McMorris, and Ariel Lawhon – who came together to write When We Had Wings, a historical novel about a trio of World War II nurses who waged their own battle for freedom and survival. PLUS we hear what Charlie Lovett, bibliophile and Lewis Continue reading
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The History of Literature #470 — Two Christmas Days – A Holiday Story by Ida B. Wells
Legendary anti-lynching crusader and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells (1862-1931) is best known for her diligent research and brave and compelling journalism. But she was also a feature writer for both black-owned and white-owned newspapers, and her talents were not just limited to nonfiction. In this episode, Jacke reads and discusses a rare example Continue reading
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The History of Literature #469 — A Room with a View by E.M. Forster (with Gina Buonaguro)
Since its publication in 1908, E.M. Forster’s classic novel A Room with a View, which tells the story of a young Englishwoman who finds a romantic adventure during a trip to Florence, has inspired countless travelers to expand their minds and warm their hearts with a tour through Italy. In this episode, Jacke talks to historical Continue reading
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The History of Literature #468 — Chekhov Becomes Chekhov (with Bob Blaisdell)
In 1886, the twenty-six-year-old Anton Chekhov was practicing medicine, supporting his family, falling in and out love, writing pieces for newspapers at a furious pace – and gradually becoming one of the greatest short story writers the world has ever seen. In this episode, Jacke talks to Bob Blaisdell, author of Chekhov Becomes Chekhov: The Emergence Continue reading
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The History of Literature #467 — TS Eliot and The Waste Land (with Jed Rasula)
In 2022, T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land turned 100 years old – and it’s hard to imagine a poem with a more explosive impact or a more enduring influence. In this episode, Jacke talks to Professor Jed Rasula about his book, What the Thunder Said: How The Waste Land Made Poetry Modern. Jed Rasula is the Helen S. Lanier Continue reading
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The History of Literature #466 — Kurt Vonnegut, Planetary Citizen (with Christina Jarvis)
When novelist Kurt Vonnegut died in 2007, the planet lost one of its most creative and compelling voices. In this episode, Jacke talks to Vonnegut scholar Christina Jarvis (Lucky Mud & Other Foma: A Field Guide to Kurt Vonnegut’s Environmentalism and Planetary Citizenship) about Vonnegut’s ethical, environmental, and planetary teachings. CHRISTINA JARVIS is Professor of English Continue reading
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The History of Literature #463 — Friedrich Nietzsche (with Ritchie Robertson)
Sigmund Freud once said of the philosopher and cultural critic Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) that “he had a more penetrating knowledge of himself than any man who ever lived or was likely to live.” Well known for his iconoclastic views and intoxicating prose style, Nietzsche went from near obscurity in his lifetime to dominating the ideas Continue reading
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The History of Literature #462 — My Last Book (with Laurie Frankel)
The question stopped Jacke in his tracks. “Dear Jacke,” said the emailer. “What do you want your “last book” to be? This will be the last book you will ever read…” And so, he set about determining what his “last book” should be, with help from dozens of guests (and counting). In this special episode, Continue reading
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The History of Literature #461 — The Peabody Sisters (with Megan Marshall)
Pulitzer-Prize-winning literary biographer Megan Marshall joins Jacke to discuss the book that was twenty years in the making: The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited the American Renaissance. This “stunning work of biography,” as the New York Times labeled it, tells the story of Elizabeth, Mary, and Sophia Peabody, the nineteenth-century New England women who made intellectual history. Continue reading
Jacke Wilson 