Podcast – Page 5 – Jacke Wilson

July 6, 2021

The History of Literature #297 – The Scarlet Letter

Following our last episode on Nathaniel Hawthorne, Jacke takes a look at The Scarlet Letter (1850), which tells the story of a 17th-century New England woman (Hester Prynne) struggling to maintain her dignity in spite of a shameful punishment imposed by her Puritan community. After offering some introductory thoughts, Jacke reads the first ten pages of the… Continue reading

history of literature, Podcast

hawthorne, hester Prynne, pearl, puritans, the scarlet letter

July 5, 2021

The History of Literature #296 – Nathaniel Hawthorne

In this episode, Jacke discusses the life and works of Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), including his major themes, the distinction he drew between “romances” and “novels,” his friendship with Herman Melville, his childhood in Salem, and his uneasy relationship with his Puritan ancestors. We also declare a Tweet of the Week (which fits right into our… Continue reading

history of literature, Podcast

nathaniel hawthorne, puritans, Salem, Short Stories, Tagsherman melville

July 4, 2021

The History of Literature #295 – The Past, The Future, and Chekhov

It’s still Chekhov month! In this episode, Jacke sets the table for the History of Literature’s analysis of The Cherry Orchard (1904) with a look back, a look ahead, and a preview of the play’s major themes. Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. (We appreciate it!) Find out more at historyofliterature.com, jackewilson.com, or by following Jacke and Mike… Continue reading

history of literature, Podcast

future, owning land, past, TagsChekhov, the cherry orchard, Wisconsin

July 3, 2021

The History of Literature #294 – Three Sisters

In the third installment of Chekhov’s Four Major Plays, Jacke takes a look at Three Sisters, which tells the story of three sisters living in a provincial capital and longing for Moscow. Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. (We appreciate it!) Find out more at historyofliterature.com, jackewilson.com, or by following Jacke and Mike on Twitter at @thejackewilson and @literatureSC.… Continue reading

history of literature, Podcast

comedy, drama, stanislavsky, TagsChekhov, tragedy

July 2, 2021

The History of Literature #293 – Ebeneezer Scrooge

In this holiday-themed episode, a sentimental Jacke takes a look at Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843), and the creation of Ebeneezer Scrooge. Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. (We appreciate it!) Find out more at historyofliterature.com, jackewilson.com, or by following Jacke and Mike on Twitter at @thejackewilson and @literatureSC. Or send an email to jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com. New!!! Looking… Continue reading

history of literature, Podcast

a Christmas carol, dickens, London, Scotland, scrooge

July 1, 2021

The History of Literature #292 – Uncle Vanya

In the second installment of our look at Chekhov’s four major plays, Jacke takes a look at Uncle Vanya (1898), the story of an estate manager struggling to make sense of his life. Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. (We appreciate it!) Find out more at historyofliterature.com, jackewilson.com, or by following Jacke and Mike on Twitter at @thejackewilson and @literatureSC.… Continue reading

history of literature, Podcast

plays, stanislavsky, TagsChekhov, uncle vanya, Wallace Shawn

June 30, 2021

The History of Literature #291 – The Book of Firsts (with Ulrich Baer and Smaran Dayal)

Ever wonder who wrote the first play in the North American colonies? Or who was the first published African American poet? Or what year it was when an Arab American first published a novel in the United States? Or who wrote the first published gay-themed poetry in America? The answers to all of the above… Continue reading

history of literature, Podcast

iroquois creation myth, jupiter hammon, phyllis wheatley, robert hunter, sui sin far, Tagscarl sadakichi hartmann, Walt Whitman

June 29, 2021

The History of Literature #290 – The Seagull (Chekhov)

In 1896, the 36-year-old Chekhov suffered one of the worst experiences of his life, when his play The Seagull was performed in front of an audience so hostile that one of the lead actresses lost her voice. Two years later, a production of the same play (in better hands) became one of the great triumphs in the… Continue reading

history of literature, Podcast

fiasco, play, seagull, stanislavsky, TagsChekhov, triumph

June 28, 2021

The History of Literature #289 – Swann’s Way (Marcel Proust)

Since its first appearance, Marcel Proust’s magnum opus In Search of Lost Time has delighted and confounded editors, readers, and critics. Published in seven volumes over a fourteen-year period, the enormous novel has generally been recognized as both the highest form of artistic achievement and one of the most difficult reading experiences imaginable. In this episode, Jacke… Continue reading

Arts, Authors, books, Fiction, history of literature, Podcast

combray, lydia davis, madeleine, Marcel Proust, remembrance of things past, swann's way

February 18, 2021

The History of Literature #288 The Triumph of Broadway (with Michael Riedel)

Author and notorious New York Post columnist Michael Riedel joins Jacke to discuss his new book, Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway, which explores the world of big-budget Broadway musicals in the 1990s. Along the way, he and Jacke discuss how he got his start as a Broadway columnist; musicals from The Lion King to The Producers; the devastating impact of… Continue reading

history of literature, Podcast

broadway, the lion king