George Orwell
-
The History of Literature #277 George Orwell
George Orwell (1903-1950) was one of the twentieth century’s great literary figures. An English novelist, who also excelled at essays and journalism, he fought all his life against injustice, snobbery, hypocrisy, deception (including self-deception), and lazy prose. In this episode, Mike Palindrome, president of the Literature Supporters Club, joins Jacke to discuss Orwell’s life and… Continue reading
-
The History of Literature #228 – England vs France – A Literary Battle Royale
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5AuQE0er0OzsD8n4sL0CbI?si=pvlSWPemRx68FTJ2kpEK1w “Our dear enemies,” a French writer once said of the English. Englishman John Cleese called them “our natural enemies” and joked “if we have to fight anyone, I say let’s fight the French.” With the exception of a few big twentieth-century alliances, the French and the English have been at each others’ throats for… Continue reading
-
The History of Literature #128 – Top 10 Animals in Literature
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:12:32 — 50.1MB) | Embed Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Google Play | Stitcher | RSS | More Continuing our look at animals in literature, we’re joined by Mike Palindrome, President of the Literature Supporters Club, for a discussion of the Top 10 Animals in Literature. Did your favorite make the list? Did we leave it out altogether? Let us know! Authors,… Continue reading
-
The History of Literature #105 – Funny Women, Crimes Against Women, George Orwell, and More (with Kathy Cooperman)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:28 — 45.9MB) | Embed Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | RSS | More Kathy Cooperman, author of the new novel Crimes Against a Book Club, joins the show to discuss everything from the secret lives of book clubs to her own journey from improv to lawyering to becoming an author. She also tells Jacke about an inspiring Bette Davis… Continue reading
-
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
-
Top Ten Writers Laughing: The Very Best!
Okay, we already looked at numbers 10 through 6. Let’s take a look at the top five from our very popular Writers Laughing series. Away we go! Number 5: Kurt Vonnegut and John Irving Number 4: Samuel Beckett Number 3: Flannery O’Connor Number 2: George Orwell (this was close – he was overtaken on the… Continue reading
-
Writers Laughing: George Orwell
Okay, the degree of difficulty is off the charts for this one. This is a man who agonized over politics and the English language. Who loved England and democracy but spent his life fighting against oppression and tyranny and the dangers of lazy thinking. Laughing? George Orwell was shot in the throat while fighting in the… Continue reading
-
Avoid Clichés. And Avoid Avoiding Clichés.
Look, John Jeremiah Sullivan gets a lot of praise for his prose style, and he deserves it. His 2009 piece on Michael Jackson is excellent. He’s a great writer! So I’m not just shooting aqueous creatures in a barrel when I call attention to this passage: Continue reading