History
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The History of Literature #489 — Schopenhauer (aka The Tunnel and The Hole)
“It is difficult to find happiness within oneself,” said the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), “but it is impossible to find it anywhere else.” In spite of his pessimism – or perhaps because of it – Schopenhauer, who was virtually unknown until the last few years of his life, went on to influence generations of Continue reading
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The History of Literature #488 — William Faulkner (with Carl Rollyson)
Jacke talks to “serial biographer” Carl Rollyson about his new two-volume biography of William Faulkner, The Life of William Faulkner: The Past Is Never Dead, 1897-1934 (Volume 1) and The Life of William Faulkner: This Alarming Paradox, 1935-1962 (Volume 2). CARL ROLLYSON, Professor of Journalism at Baruch College, The City University of New York, has published more than Continue reading
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The History of Literature #487 — Bond, the Beatles, and the British Psyche (with John Higgs)
On October 5, 1962, two items were released, hardly newsworthy at the time. One was Dr. No, the first James Bond film, and the other was Love Me Do, the first Beatles recording. Over the next sixty years, both Bond and the Beatles would become cultural juggernauts, with a reach and influence so vast that they can Continue reading
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The History of Literature #485 — Reading Pleasures – Everyday Black Living in Early America (with Dr Tara Bynum)
“In the early United States, a Black person committed an act of resistance simply by reading and writing. Yet we overlook that these activities also brought pleasure.” In this episode, Jacke talks to Dr. Tara A. Bynum about her new book, Reading Pleasures: Everyday Black Living in Early America, which finds the “joyous, if messy, humanity” Continue reading
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The History of Literature #483 — Margaret Fuller (with Megan Marshall)
In her lifetime, Margaret Fuller (1810-1850) was widely acknowledged as the best read person – male or female – in New England. Her landmark work, Woman in the Nineteenth Century, is considered the first full-length treatment of women’s rights in North America. After finding success as an author, scholar, educator, editor, translator, journalist, and host of Continue reading
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The History of Literature #481 — Moby Dick – 10 Essential Questions (Part One)
Here we go! Moby-Dick; or, the Whale (1851) by Herman Melville is one of the greatest – and strangest – novels you will ever read. Call it what you will – a literary leviathan, an intellectual chowder, an early entry in the Great American Novel sweepstakes – or don’t call it anything, just call the narrator Ishmael Continue reading
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The History of Literature #480 — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (with Ritchie Robertson)
In 1878, critic Matthew Arnold wrote, “Goethe is the greatest poet of modern times… because having a very considerable gift for poetry, he was at the same time, in the width, depth, and richness of his criticism of life, by far our greatest modern man.” In this episode, Jacke talks to Ritchie Robertson, author of Goethe: Continue reading
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The History of Literature #478 — The Diaries of Franz Kafka (with Ross Benjamin)
Kafka! The avatar of anxiety! He’s long been one of our favorites here at the History of Literature Podcast. In this episode, Jacke talks to translator Ross Benjamin about the new edition of The Diaries of Franz Kafka, published by Schocken Books, which includes some material available in English for the first time. “Readers will welcome Continue reading
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The History of Literature #474 — Herman Melville
In this episode, Jacke takes a look at the life of Herman Melville, author of Moby-Dick and many other works. Melville experienced ups and downs, from a fancy Manhattan childhood to financial ruin and back again. Once a literary celebrity, heralded for his early novels based on his experiences living on tropical islands with cannibals, he was Continue reading
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The History of Literature #472 — The Art of Not Knowing
In this special episode, Jacke pays tribute to a friend, including a consideration of endings and beginnings, mystery and grace, and two powerful works: John Berger’s The Shape of a Pocket and James Joyce’s masterpiece “The Dead.” Continue reading
Jacke Wilson 