221 episodes
A Life in Biography Carl Rollyson
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- Arts
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4.6 • 17 Ratings
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Talks and interviews about the life of biography as experienced by a biographer over forty years and fourteen biographies, dealing with subjects ranging from Sylvia Plath to William Faulkner, Marilyn Monroe to Susan Sontag, and much more.
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Emily. Van Duyne discusses her new, ground breaking book, Loving Sylvia Plath
You think you know the Plath story? Ah, but who gets to tell it, and why do they do so, and how does someone like Ted Hughes commandeer the narrative?
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Ghostwriter, biographer, novelist, Shakespeare, Faulkner—we cover it all in Lawrence Wells’s work
What happens when a writer is hired to do a biographical novel seeking to prove Shakespeare was not Shakespeare, and how years later, the project becomes two books of nonfiction and fiction
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Marcia Biederman on her fascinating book about abortion in 19th C. New England
Marcia Biderman writes biography like a mystery story. There is much to learn from her.
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Building Your Brand and Best Practices
Advice you may not want to take.
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Robert Hamblin discusses his new book, a kind of biography of William Faulkner in verse
An important Faulkner critic and biographer introduces us to new way of understanding Faulkner, his fiction, and his life
Customer Reviews
How the art of biography reframes everything
I’ve always read biographies since i was a child but never understood until this podcast how each biography shifts the prism through which we understand history, psychology, and culture. Thanks to this podcast, I’ve not only read books I probably would otherwise have passed by, but am reading with a wider and deeper appreciation. Thanks!
Outstanding Podcast!
Carl Rollyson's "A Life in Biography" dives into biography through interviews and discussions with top biograhers, writers, and historians from around the globe. Rollyson is the Dean of American Biography and guides the conversations with insight, wit, and excellent questions. This podcast is a master class in writing, research, publishing, and the life (and lives) of biography.
Sound quality is distracting
Interviews are top-notch, but the sound quality (or lack thereof) is distracting. Invest in a $70 Samson mike. You will still maintain that great interview style without the distraction of poor sound quality. EDIT: upgraded to 5 stars. Improvement in sound quality noted and appreciated.