Get Lit Podcast Steph Svarz

Steph & Jon are back to discuss Fairy Tale Legend, Mary De Morgan. Growing up in varied intellectual circumstances, De Morgan used her original fairy tales to critique the society she lived in. She wrote about gender roles, power, class, and of course, capitalism! Natural fodder for fairy tales, really. Join us this week to learn more about your new favorite fairy tale author!

We're joined by a very special guest host: Paige Zukauskas! Paige brings her knowledge and passion for Dreiser to this week's episode as we explore another mostly midwest author, discuss Sister Carrie, and track adventures across political and social ideologies! Dreiser wrote many groundbreaking novels but isn't often celebrated as other authors from this period. We speculate on this and celebrate his legacy, it's a trip!

Jack takes over hosting this week for a delightful kick off episode to summer, covering the extraordinary author of Pippi Longstocking (among many other works): Astrid Lindgren! Her work varied in form and topics, but always focused on sharing truths with a deep sense of compassion and care. Follow us to Sweden as we map out this whimsical author's life and legacy over the course of 94 years!

This week, we examine Shakespeare's contemporary and friend and rival? Ben Jonson! Jonson was a poet, playwright, and general scallywag who bounced back and forth between success and failure. His works are largely considered to be some of the best of the age, and while his stories may not be as well known as Shakespeare, his legacy is one worth hearing about... if anything, for the prison stories!

Meet Dorothy Thompson! We've mentioned her in past episodes and are delighted to bring her story to you all. Thompson was a powerful speaker and writer, who had her own syndicated column for over a decade, a radio broadcast, and long legacy of calling out oppression. Her work during both World Wars and beyond offered a very human way of encountering the news and documenting critical moments in World history. Join us this week to learn more about her life and work.

Join us to explore the legacy of Sherwood Anderson, an often overlooked American writer who explored the American landscape as it changed after the Victorian period. Anderson's writing reflected on culture, politics, and society and helped shape the careers of Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and others. His life took many turns, including a rather sharp one in the end.