America – Jacke Wilson

May 30, 2022

The History of Literature #410 – What Is American Literature? (with Ilan Stavans)

America, America, America… a continent, a nation, a people, and a whole lotta books. But how does America define itself? Who defines it? Where did the idea of American exceptionalism come from? And how does literature fit into any of this? In this episode, Jacke talks to Professor Ilan Stavans about his new book, What Is Continue reading

Arts, Authors, books, Fiction, history of literature

America, american literature, Ilan Stavans

September 14, 2018

The History of Literature #158 – “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

http://traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL3236940460.mp3 In the 1960s and ’70s, the Vietnam War dominated the hearts and minds of a generation of Americans. In 1990, the American writer Tim O’Brien, himself a former soldier, published “The Things They Carried,” a short story that became an instant classic. Through its depiction of the members of a platoon in Vietnam, told Continue reading

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

America, Short Stories, tim o’brien, twentieth century, vietnam, war

August 31, 2018

The History of Literature #157 – Travel Books (with Mike Palindrome)

http://traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL1955560639.mp3 “The world is a book,” said Augustine, “and those who do not travel read only one page.” But what about books ABOUT traveling? Do they double the pleasure? Transport us to a different place? Inspire and enchant? Or are they more like a forced march through someone else’s interminable photo album? Mike Palindrome, President Continue reading

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

America, europe, guidebooks, summer reading, tibet, travel literature

April 25, 2014

At the Twilight’s Last Gleaming (Saying Farewell to a Dynasty)

Maybe it’s the fresh take on the space-time bending and head-blowing implications of Goodnight Moon, which has retroactively haunted my many thousands of readings of that book. Or maybe it’s just my usual interest in comparisons of Rome and America. In either case, I was struck by this passage: The stagnation of the Roman Empire Continue reading

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America, Dynasty, Ming, Optimism, Pessimism, Romans

January 17, 2014

Who’s Cheating America?: Murky Waters

I try to avoid politics here on the blog as much as possible. (Except when I’m writing books about it.) But if there’s one viewpoint I expect all thoughtful Americans to share it’s the old 90s slogan: Work Hard And Play By The Rules. We can all agree on this, surely! We want hardworking people Continue reading

The Race, Who’s Cheating America

America, cheaters, criminals

November 27, 2013

A Tale of Two Cities: London and New York in 2013

Just got back from a quick trip to London. I’ve always loved London, but this time I was overwhelmed. Not from the bookstores one stumbles upon, although those were fantastic as usual. Not because I look out of my hotel window and think I see where the Beatles held their rooftop concert. Not because of Continue reading

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America, iPhone, London, Martin Amis, New Orleans, New York City, United States