Podcast
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The History of Literature Episode 39 – Reconsidering Graham Greene
Jacke and Mike reconsider the life and works of the great twentieth-century British novelist Graham Greene. Works discussed include The End of the Affair, The Power and the Glory,The Quiet American, Babbling April, and The Third Man. Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:36 — 35.7MB) Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS | More… Continue reading
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The History of Literature Episode 38 – Great Literary Duos (Part Two)
When are two artists or characters more than the sum of their parts? How is that magic created? And what does it mean for the rest of us? Part two of a conversation with host Jacke Wilson and his guest, the President of the Literature Supporters Club, on great literary duos. Podcast: Play in new window | Download… Continue reading
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History of Literature Episode 37 – Great Literary Duos
What makes a great literary duo? Two authors inspiring one another? Two characters who fall in love? Best friends? Rivals? Host Jacke Wilson is joined by the President of the Literature of the Supporters Club to discuss. Jacke and Mike also respond to a listener question about building a World Literature syllabus. But first, Jacke… Continue reading
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Sneak Preview: What Goes With Rushdie?
Okay, time for an update! We have another podcast episode posting tomorrow morning. I’ll be joined by the President of the Literature Supporters Club to discuss great literary duos. Don’t miss it! We’ll also be discussing this question from brilliant listener EF, a college-level instructor: I’ve just inherited a ten-week World Literature course, with Salman Rushdie’s… Continue reading
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The History of Literature Podcast Episode 36 – Poetry and Empire (Virgil, Ovid, Horace, Petronius, Catullus)
What happens when a republic morphs into empire? What did it mean for the writers of Ancient Rome – and what would it mean for us today? Jacke Wilson takes a look at the current state of affairs in America and the Roman examples of Virgil, Ovid, Horace, Petronius, and Catullus. Podcast: Play in new window |… Continue reading
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Epic News – A New Gilgamesh Fragment!
Brilliant listener EF writes: I love your podcast! The episode on Gilgamesh got me hooked, and I’ve been listening since then. (Did you hear about the newly discovered fragment, that suggests Gilgamesh felt guilty about the mess he and Enkidu made in the cedar forest?) What!? No, I did not! Here’s OpenCulture on the significance of… Continue reading
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The History of Literature Episode 35 – A Conversation with Ronica Dhar
In this episode, Jacke welcomes special guest Ronica Dhar, who presents Five Books (or actually Four Books and a Movie) To Lower Your Blood Pressure. Highlights include a poem by Ronica’s former teacher and mentor, letters to a samurai written by a zen master who invented a type of pickle, and a fourteenth-century Kashmiri mystic who wrestled with… Continue reading
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The History of Literature Episode 34 – Borges and the Search for Meaning
When times are tough, what does literature have for us? Jacke takes a break from the history of literature to reflect on a death in his family, the loss of Sir George Martin, and some thoughts on the meaning of life from Umberto Eco and Jorge Luis Borges. Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration:… Continue reading
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History of Literature Episode 33 – The Bhagavad Gita
Written over the span of 800 years from ca. 400 B.C. to ca. 400 A.D, the Mahabharata tells a riveting tale of disputed kingship and warring families. But just as the action-packed narrative reaches its climax, the story pauses to convey a dialogue between the reluctant warrior Arjuna and his charioteer Krishna, who dramatically reveals himself as… Continue reading
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HoL 32 The Best Debut Novels of All Time (A Conversation with the President of the Literature Supporters’ Club)
What makes a great first novel? Which do we prefer: the freshness of a new style (even if it contains mistakes), or the demonstration of competence (even if it breaks no new ground)? Does it matter if the book is the best (or only) novel by that author? Or do we prefer the debuts that initiated a long, distinguished… Continue reading
Jacke Wilson 