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The History of Literature #464 — Percy Bysshe Shelley – The Mature Years
Following up on Episode 446 Percy Bysshe Shelley – The Early Years, Jacke takes a look at the final five years of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s life, from 1817-1822, as the poet turned away from hands-on political action in favor of attempting to transform the world through his art. Works discussed include the Preface to Frankenstein; “Stanzas Written 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
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The History of Literature #460 — Rabindranath Tagore
In this episode, Jacke takes a look at the life and works of the legendary Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). Central to what became known as the Bengali Renaissance, Tagore’s poetry, short stories, songs, essays, paintings, and plays earned Tagore widespread praise from Indians and non-Indians alike. Among many other awards and accolades, in 1913 Continue reading
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The History of Literature #459 — Eve Bites Back! An Alternative History of English Literature (with Anna Beer)
Jacke talks to author Anna Beer about her new book Eve Bites Back! An Alternative History of English Literature, which tells the stories of eight women (Julian of Norwich, Margery Kempe, Aemilia Lanyer, Anne Bradstreet, Aphra Behn, Mary Wortley Montagu, Jane Austen, and Mary Elizabeth Braddon) who were warned not to write – but who did Continue reading
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The History of Literature #458 — Alexander Pushkin (with Robert Chandler)
For many Russian writers and readers, Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) holds a special place: his position in Russian literature is often compared to Shakespeare’s in English, Dante’s in Italian, and Goethe’s in German. In this episode, Jacke talks to Pushkin translator Robert Chandler (Peter the Great’s African: Experiments in Prose) about the life and works of Continue reading
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The History of Literature #457 — The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson’s Editor (The Thomas Wentworth Higginson Story) | PLUS Making (Book) Dreams Come True (with Eve Yohalem and Julie Sternberg)
Thomas Wentworth Higginson (1823-1911) has become famous as the man who in 1862 encouraged young contributors to submit to his magazine – and who received in reply four poems from an unknown woman in Amherst, who asked whether he thought her verses were alive. Her name, of course, was Emily Dickinson, and Higginson recognized her Continue reading
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The History of Literature #456 — Maya Angelou
Best known for her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was a woman of many talents and accomplishments. In this episode, Jacke takes a look at the life and works of this incredible singer, dancer, songwriter, activist, poet, actor, director, documentary producer, and of course, memoirist. Additional listening: Help support the Continue reading
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The History of Literature #455 — Gustave Flaubert
Perhaps contemporary critic James Wood put it best: “Novelists,” he wrote, “should thank Flaubert the way poets thank spring.” In this episode, Jacke takes a look at the life and major works of Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880), the Frenchman from Rouen who redefined what realism – and prose fiction – could do. Additional listening: Help support Continue reading
Jacke Wilson 