Nation of Writers

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  • 4.4 (5)
  • BOOKS

A new series presented in conjunction with our forthcoming virtual exhibit American Voices. Throughout this monthly series we will talk with experts around the country about the writers that have shaped our nation with their words and you'll get the inside scoop about these writers and their processes

  1. 10/06/2025

    Episode 55: Gertrude Stein

    In this episode, we discuss the life and legacy of Gertrude Stein. A poet, novelist, and essayist, Stein was a towering literary figure in her time. She moved to Paris in 1902 with her partner Alice B. Toklas, where they would spend the remainder of their lives. Together they held regular salons in their apartment [...]

    49 min

  2. 08/29/2025

    Episode 54: James Weldon Johnson

    In this episode, we discuss the life and legacy of James Weldon Johnson. A leader of the Harlem Renaissance, he wrote fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. He also wrote lyrics for many songs, including “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” popularly regarded as the Black National Anthem. Johnson raised public awareness of lynching and fought Jim Crow [...]

    41 min

  3. 06/06/2025

    Episode 53: Nguyễn Quí Đức

    In this episode, we discuss the life and legacy of Nguyễn Quí Đức. Born in Da Lat, Vietnam in 1958, Đức arrived in the United States at 17 as a refugee of the Vietnam War. He would go on to become a journalist, translator, writer, and radio producer, working for the BBC in London, KALW-FM [...]

    53 min

  4. 05/16/2025

    Episode 52: F. Scott Fitzgerald

    In this episode, we discuss the life and legacy of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Born in 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald published his first novel, This Side of Paradise, when he was 23. He would go on to become a Jazz Age celebrity and his short stories and novels captured the exuberance, excess, and irony [...]

    44 min

  5. 04/04/2025

    Episode 51: Flannery O’Connor

    In this episode, we discuss the life and work of Flannery O’Connor. Born in Georgia in 1925, O’Connor wrote prolifically before her early death at age 39 due to lupus. She routinely wrote every morning until noon, and spent her afternoons and evenings tending to her domestic birds or entertaining visitors. Informed by the community [...]

    34 min

  6. 04/01/2025

    Episode 50: Studs Terkel

    In this episode, we discuss the life and work of Studs Terkel. A Chicago resident from age 10 until his death at age 96, Studs Terkel epitomized Chicago. A charismatic presence, Terkel began his career as a radio actor and on-air interviewer before becoming the star of an unscripted local TV show called Stud’s Place. [...]

    44 min

  7. 01/17/2025

    Episode 49: Nathaniel Hawthorne

    In this episode, we discuss the life and work of novelist and short story writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Hawthorne’s paternal ancestors were some of the first Puritans to arrive in America—one of his ancestors was even a judge who oversaw the Salem Witch Trials. He was educated at Bowdoin College where he [...]

    46 min

  8. 12/20/2024

    Episode 48: Rod Serling

    This episode lies between the pit of man’s fears, and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call, The Twilight Zone… In this episode, we discuss the life and work of screenwriter Rod Serling. Quoting from the PBS American Masters episode about him, “Known primarily [...]

    55 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

A new series presented in conjunction with our forthcoming virtual exhibit American Voices. Throughout this monthly series we will talk with experts around the country about the writers that have shaped our nation with their words and you'll get the inside scoop about these writers and their processes

Information

  • Creator
    Unknown
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Nation of Writers