587 episodes
The History of Literature Podglomerate
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- Arts
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4.7 • 154 Ratings
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Amateur enthusiast Jacke Wilson journeys through the history of literature, from ancient epics to contemporary classics. Episodes are not in chronological order and you don't need to start at the beginning - feel free to jump in wherever you like! Find out more at historyofliterature.com and facebook.com/historyofliterature. Support the show by visiting patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. Contact the show at historyofliteraturepodcast@gmail.com.
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607 Upton Sinclair and the Muckraking Novelist (with Adelle Waldman) | My Last Book with Edward Chamberlin
Can novelists make a difference in the world? Of course we know they can - we've seen plenty of examples. But how does it happen? And what are the challenges a twenty-first century novelist might face when hoping to bring about social change? In this episode, Jacke looks at the example of Upton Sinclair, whose famous novel The Jungle shone a spotlight on the immigrants working in Chicago's meatpacking plants and led to key social reforms. Then Jacke talks to Adelle Waldman (The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.), whose new novel Help Wanted is set in the world of workers at a big box store. And finally, Professor Edward Chamberlin (Storylines: How Words Shape Our World) returns to discuss his choice for the last book he will ever read.
Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.
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606 Love, Loss, and Literature (with Sophie Ratcliffe)
Why do we fall in love? Why do we fall out of love? And how can literature shape the way we travel these emotional and romantic landscapes? In this episode, Jacke talks to University of Oxford professor Sophie Ratcliffe about her work of creative criticism, Loss, A Love Story: Imagined Histories and Brief Encounters.
Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.
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605 Tove Jansson, Creator of the Moomins (with Boel Westin)
She's been called Scandinavia's best loved author - but "author" only begins to describe Tove Jansson's genius. Famous worldwide as the creator of the Moomin stories, she balanced her talents as a painter, cartoonist, illustrator, and writer with an unusual lifestyle and an insistence on personal freedom. In this episode, Jacke talks to biographer Boel Westin (Tove Jansson: Life, Art, Words) about the joyful and uncompromising approach that Tove Jansson brought to life, love, and her many creative pursuits.
Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.
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604 How Russian Literature Became Great (with Rolf Hellebust) | My Last Book with Valeria Sobol
Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov... the familiar Russian names are at the pinnacle of world literature. How did this happen? Was it merely a happy accident? Did events conspire to bring it about? In this episode, Jacke talks to Rolf Hellebust, author of How Russian Literature Became Great, about a golden age of historiography and nation-building - and the consequences for the history of literature.
Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.
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603 Rethinking Ralph Waldo Emerson (with James Marcus)
Born more than two centuries ago, Ralph Waldo Emerson has long been recognized as a giant of nineteenth-century American letters. But what can he offer readers today? In this episode, Jacke talks to author James Marcus, author of the new book Glad to the Brink of Fear: A Portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson, which reconsiders Emerson's reputation as a "starry-eyed prophet of self-reliance" in favor of a more complicated figure who spent a lifetime wrestling with injustice, philosophy, art, desire, and suffering.
Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
602 Thomas Hardy's "Spellbound Palace," The Birthplace of the King James Bible, and a Royal Setting for Shakespeare and His Plays (with Gareth Russell) | My Last Book with Jess Cotton
We humans imprint ourselves on our surroundings - and they, in turn, have the power to affect us. In this episode, Jacke talks to Gareth Russell (The Palace: From the Tudors to the Windsors, 500 Years of History at Hampton Court) about the building that Thomas Hardy famously called a "Spellbound Palace" in one of his finest poems. We'll hear about the building's history and why it holds a special place in literary history, including the planning of the King James Bible and as a site for early Shakespeare performances. PLUS Jess Cotton (John Ashbery: A Critical Life) selects her choice for the last book she will ever read.
Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Customer Reviews
Absolutely wonderful
I’m always in a good mood after listening this podcast. The voice, the humour of Jacke - honestly I’m so glad that I can listen to this guy and laugh along. It’s a pure joy for me. And so stimulating while I’m doing my long drives every day. And it helps me to overcome the unbearable, especially since Feb 2022, when it seems that the whole world is collapsing and two years later there’s still no light at the end of the tunnel neither for my country, nor for Ukraine. Literature does help. Some people go to church, I go to my weekly episode. May this podcast continue for as long as possible.
From … with love!
Katia.
One of my faves
I love this podcast so much, I think I’ve grown to actually need it. As a former writer and now stay at home Dad this gives me the intellectual hit I need while I’m emptying the dishwasher/ baking potatoes/ cleaning/ staring out the window wondering what it all means. It has an informal charm and when he wants to turn it on Jacke can go deep - get him on Chekhov and interesting listening becomes thrilling! I love Mike Palindrome’s nonchalant appearances and generally all the guests are fantastic. In summary - it’s a joy!
Too much time wasting and woke monologues
He spends the first 15-20 mins talking about things that have nothing to do with the subject. The Kurt Vonnegut episode started with a 15 minute speech about humanism The ‘End of the Affair’ (Graham Greene) didnt properly start until the 22nd min Self indulgent. Shame as the content proper is v good but stop wasting my time. I cant fast forward when Im driving
Tired of the sanctimonious monologues he delivers at length (William Faulkner’s episode for example) and with the woke-ish condemnation of old authors for not being fashionable NYC leftists of the 21st century
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