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The History of Literature #153 – Charles Dickens
http://traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL7087645759.mp3 Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was the greatest novelist of the Victorian age. In his 58 years he went from a hardscrabble childhood to a world-famous author, beloved and admired for his unforgettable characters, his powers of observation and empathy, and his championing of the lower classes. He wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds Continue reading
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The History of Literature #152 – George Sand
http://traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL6745135714.mp3 George Sand wrote an astonishing number of novels and plays, and had friendships and affairs with an astonishing range of men and women. She dressed in men’s clothing, and she inspired a host of 19th century authors and artists, including Russian writers like Turgenev and Dostoevsky and British writers like Mary Ann Evans, who Continue reading
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The History of Literature #151 – Viking Poetry – The Voluspa (with Noah Tetzner)
http://traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL8697090331.mp3 The Vikings! Sure, they had helmets and hammers, but did they also have… poetry? Indeed they did! In this episode, we talk to Noah Tetzner, host of The History of Vikings Podcast, about the collection of Old Norse verses called the Poetic Edda – and in particular, we look at the first of these, the Continue reading
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The History of Literature #150 – Chekhov’s “The Lady with the Little Dog”
http://traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL4067569493.mp3 It’s a deceptively simple story: a man and a woman meet, have an affair, are separated, and reunite. And yet, in writing about Anton Chekhov’s story, “The Lady with the Little Dog” (1899), Vladimir Nabokov said, “All the traditional rules have been broken in this wonderful short story…. No problem, no regular climax, no Continue reading
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The History of Literature #149 – Raising Readers (aka The Power of Literature in an Imperfect World)
http://traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL7657488110.mp3 Jacke and Mike respond to an email from a listener who is about to become a father and wondering about the role of literature in the life of a young child. Works and authors discussed include J.K. Rowling, Phillip Pullman, Andrew Motion, Dr. Seuss, Sandra Boynton, The Great Brain series, Bedtime for Frances, Continue reading
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The History of Literature #148 – Great Literary Hoaxes
http://traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL7458632764.mp3 What can we count on? What do we know is true? In this episode, host Jacke Wilson takes a look at a motley crew of inventive liars who set out to fool the literary world – and often did, at least for a while. From the ancient pseudo-Sappho to the escapee from a debauched Continue reading
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The History of Literature #147 – Leo Tolstoy
http://traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL7511162268.mp3 When asked to name the three greatest novels ever written, William Faulkner replied, “Anna Karenina, Anna Karenina, Anna Karenina.” Nabokov said, “When you are reading Turgenev, you know you are reading Turgenev. When you read Tolstoy, you are reading because you just cannot stop.” And finally, there’s this compliment from author Isaac Babel: “If Continue reading
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The History of Literature #146 – Power Ranking the Nobel Prize for Literature
http://traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL5546404287.mp3 The Nobel Prize for Literature has a special place in the literary landscape. We revere the prize and its winners – and yet we often find ourselves puzzled by the choices. The list of fantastic writers who never won a Nobel Prize is as long and distinguished as the list of those who did. Continue reading
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The History of Literature #145 – Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know – The Story of Lord Byron
http://traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL1016135217.mp3 The Later Romantic poet George Gordon Byron, once described by Lady Caroline Lamb as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” lived 36 years and became world famous, his astonishing career as a poet matched only by his astonishing record as a breaker of norms, an insatiable lover, a bizarre hedonist, a restless exile, a Continue reading
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144 Food in Literature
http://traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL1061991560.mp3 Food, glorious food! We all know its power for nourishment, pleasure, and comfort — and we’ve all felt the sharp pangs of its absence. How has this essential part of being alive made its way into novels, short stories, and poetry? Our guest Ronica Dhar, author of the novel Bijou Roy, joins us for a Continue reading
Jacke Wilson 