The History Of Literature

Today, we’d like to introduce you to the new podcast from The Podglomerate, Missing Pages. Missing Pages is an all-new investigative podcast hosted by world-renowned literary critic and publishing insider Bethanne Patrick.  In its first season, Missing Pages uncovers the power struggles, mistaken identities, and unfathomably bad behavior within the secretive world of book publishing. Learn about the untold story behind alleged Harvard plagiarist Kaavya Viswanathan and the web of lies told by the author of The Woman in the Window. Each episode brings in authors, experts, publishing insiders, and a circus of NYC media elites to tell the real story; unfit for print. Missing Pages is available now. Listen here or wherever you listen to podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He was born Theodor Seuss Geisel in 1904, but in the next 87 years, the world came to know and love him by his pen name, Dr. Seuss. Best known for his more than 60 books for children, including The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Green Eggs and Ham, and Hop on Pop, Dr. Seuss has sold more than 600 million books. In this episode, Jacke talks to Mesh Lakhani, CEO of Lola Media and co-host of the chart-topping podcast Better Call Paul, about his love of Dr. Seuss's 1971 classic work of environmentalism and empathy, The Lorax. Additional listening suggestions: 373 Roald Dahl Beatrix Potter C.S. Lewis Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. 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

In our last episode, we looked at the decision by Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard to purchase a printing press and run it out of their home. What began as a hobby - a relief from the strains of writing - soon turned into a genuine business, as The Hogarth Press met with success. And when Virginia published one of her most famous stories "Kew Gardens," the dam burst, and the Woolfs and their press had to prepare for a dramatic increase in sales. In this episode, Jacke continues and concludes the story of the Hogarth Press, including a close look at the story that changed the press's fortunes. Additional listening suggestions: 387 Loving Virginia Woolf | Fashion in Literature (with Lauren S. Cardon) 334 Katherine Mansfield 165 Ezra Pound Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. 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.

Virginia Woolf has long been celebrated as a supremely gifted novelist and essayist. Less well known, but important to understanding her life and contributions to literature, are her efforts as a publisher. In the decades that she and her husband operated the Hogarth Press - starting with a hand-operated printer they ran on their dining room table, cranking out one page at a time - they published some Modernist classics, including works by Virginia and The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot. In this episode, Jacke takes a look at the decision to buy the press, the effect it had on Virginia's life and writing career, and the very first book the Woolfs put out: Two Stories, featuring Leonard's short story "Three Jews" and Virginia's "The Mark on the Wall." Additional listening suggestions: 69 Virginia Woolf and Her Enemies (with Andrea Zemgulys) Virginia Woolf (with Gillian Gill) T.S. Eliot | The Waste Land Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Pod

Is this the greatest man vs. nature story ever? Hard to say. But it just might be the purest. Kicking off a new HOL feature, producer Emma chooses a short story for Jacke to read and discuss - Jack London's classic "To Build a Fire.". Get somewhere warm and let your mind drift to the snowy Yukon for this gripping tale of man vs. nature and man vs. himself. Additional listening suggestions: 101 Writers at Work 90 Mark Twain's Final Request Edith Wharton and "Roman Fever" Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. 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

"All you have to do is write one true sentence," Ernest Hemingway said in A Moveable Feast. "Write the truest sentence that you know." And so he did: the man wrote thousands of sentences, all in search of "truth" of some kind. What does a "true sentence" mean for a fiction writer? What true sentences did Hemingway himself write? And how much of this is in the eye of the beholder? In this episode, Jacke is joined by Mark Cirino, the host of the One True Podcast and author of the book One True Sentence: Writers and Readers on Hemingway's Art, for a discussion of Hemingway, his quest for true sentences, and what that has meant for dozens of contemporary readers. (Special bonus: Mark and Jacke roam through Hemingway's works before choosing their own true sentences.) Additional listening suggestions: 47 Hemingway vs Fitzgerald (with Mike Palindrome) 162 Ernest Hemingway 275 Hemingway and the Truth (with Richard Bradford) Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The Hist

Very few writers have had the influence or importance of Langston Hughes (1902?-1967). Best known for poems like "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "I, Too," and "The Weary Blues," Hughes was also a widely read novelist, short story writer, and essayist - and his promotion of Black people and culture became central to the cultural explosion known as the Harlem Renaissance. In this episode, Jacke takes a look at Hughes's early years, including his childhood, adolescence, and the poems Hughes wrote in his teens and twenties, as he forged his identity as a writer in the face of often intense criticism. Additional listening suggestions: Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes (with Yuval Taylor) 88 The Harlem Renaissance 94 Smoke, Dusk, and Fire - The Jean Toomer Story 310 Lorraine Hansberry Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyoflite

It's a paradox that has bothered Shakespeare's fans for centuries: the man was as insightful into human beings as anyone whoever lived, and yet his own life is barely documented. This combination of literary genius plus biographical uncertainty has spun off a number of mysteries - including the question of how exactly Shakespeare came to know the things that he did. In this episode, Jacke talks to investigative journalist Michael Blanding, author of In Shakespeare's Shadow, about a renegade scholar named Dennis McCarthy's theory that Shakespeare may have drawn upon a previously unknown source - the lost plays of Sir Thomas North - and how Blanding himself joined the pursuit of searching for evidence to support McCarthy's theory. Additional listening suggestions: 360 FMK Shakespeare! (with Laurie Frankel) 70 Shakespeare's Julius Caesar 48 Hamlet Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomera

For years, we've enjoyed talking to writers about the books they love best. In this "best of" episode, we go deep into the archive for three of our favorites: Jim Shepard and his youthful discovery of Bram Stoker's Dracula; Margot Livesey and her love for Ford Madox Ford's modernist classic The Good Soldier; and Charles Baxter telling us about his love for the poetry of James Wright. Enjoy! Additional listening suggestions: 96 Dracula, Lolita, and the Power of Volcanoes (with Jim Shepard) 63 Chekhov, Bellow, Wright (with Charles Baxter) 78 Jane Eyre, The Good Soldier, Giovanni's Room (with Margot Livesey) Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. 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

Since the first publication of his six-volume magnum opus, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon (1734-1797) has been ranked among the greatest historians who ever lived. What made his work different? Does it hold up today? And what lessons can a modern-day historian draw from his example? In this episode, Jacke talks with author Zachary Karabell about Gibbon's inspiration, influence, and legacy. ZACHARY KARABELL is the author of numerous books, including Inside Money: Brown Brothers Harriman and the American Way of Power and The Leading Indicators: A Short History of the Numbers That Rule Our World. He is also the founder of the Progress Network at New America, the president of River Twice Capital, and the host of the podcast "What Could Go Right?" Additional listening suggestions: 321 Thucydides 285 Herodotus 36 Poetry and Empire (Virgil, Ovid, Horace, Petronius, Catullus) Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Li

In our last episode, Jacke looked at the life of celebrated Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694), the widely acknowledged master of haiku. In this episode, Jacke looks deeper into the nature of Bashō's best works, organizing them into some loose categories and offering some thoughts on haiku in Bashō's world and ours. Additional listening suggestions: 425 Matsuo Bashō, Haiku's Greatest Master 75 The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki 418 "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. 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

In addition to being what is probably the most widely used poetic form, haiku is almost certainly the most often misunderstood. In this episode, Jacke examines the life and works of Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694), haiku's greatest master, as he sorts through his thoughts on the uses (and potential misuses) of the haiku form. What makes much of it so bad? And how does that differ from what is truly great? Additional listening suggestions: 62 Bad Poetry 7A Proust, Pound, and Chinese Poetry 312 Yukio Mishima 423 Roger Ebert Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. 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

Born Tomáš Sträussler, in what was then Czechoslovakia, celebrated playwright Tom Stoppard (1937- ) became one of the best known British playwrights in the world. Known for his with and humor, his facility with language, and the depth of his philosophical inquiries, he found success with plays like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Coast of Utopia, The Invention of Love, and The Real Thing. He has also been a successful writer for radio, television, and film, with scripts like Shakespeare in Love and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade benefiting from his eye for drama and ear for dialogue. In this episode, Jacke talks to television producer and playwright Scott Carter about his admiration for Tom Stoppard's life and works. Additional listening suggestions: Samuel Beckett 114 Christopher Marlowe 353 Oscar Wilde in Prison (with Scott Carter) Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglo

Czech novelist Karel Čapek (1890-1938) might be best known as the pioneering science fiction writer who first coined the term "robot." But readers have long appreciated the transcendent humanity of his works. "There was no writer like him," Arthur Miller once said, "prophetic assurance mixed with surrealistic humor and hard-edged social satire: a unique combination...a joy to read." In this episode, Jacke talks to podcast producer Ian Coss about the life of Karel Čapek, his contributions to literature, and how Čapek's celebrated novel War with the Newts inspired Ian's audio fiction series Newts, a farcical, yet deadly serious tale about an alternate history of the 1930s, in which the Western world discovers, exploits, educates, arms, and is ultimately overthrown by a species of highly intelligent, three-foot tall salamanders. SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT: We conclude the episode with a trailer for Newts. Additional listening suggestions: 160 Ray Bradbury (with Carolyn Cohagan) Margaret Atwood 282 Science Fiction

Jacke spends his birthday reflecting on Chicago film critic Roger Ebert (1942-2013), the Judd Apatow show Freaks and Geeks, and other literature-and-life topics. Enjoy! Additional listening suggestions: 421 HOL Goes to the Movies 79 Music that Melts the Stars - Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 149 Raising Readers (aka The Power of Literature in an Imperfect World Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. 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

During his lifetime, Wallace Stegner (1909-1993) became famous for his prizewinning fiction and autobiographical works; his dedication to environmental causes; and his initiation of the creative writing program at Stanford University that bears his name. His most celebrated works, including Angle of Repose, The Spectator Bird, and Crossing to Safety are still much-loved and widely read - even as accusations have emerged that in at least one instance, Stegner appropriated and plagiarized the work of another writer. In this episode, Jacke talks to Melodie Edwards, independent bookstore owner and host of the Peabody-nominated, Murrow-winning podcast The Modern West (produced by Wyoming Public Radio and PRX) about the "dean of American western writing" and his complicated legacy. Additional listening suggestions: 284 Westerns (with Anna North) 308 New Westerns (with Anna North) Raymond Carver (with Tom Perrotta) Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of L

Summertime! The season for watching blockbuster movies in arctic conditions, heart-pounding suspense flicks that heat the blood, and cool-breeze dramas that stir the soul. In this best-of episode, Jacke celebrates the summer with portions of conversations with three previous guests, Brian Price, Meg Tilly, and Mike Palindrome. Additional listening suggestions: 135 Aristotle Goes to the Movies (with Brian Price) 338 Finding Yourself in Hollywood (with Meg Tilly) Alfred Hitchcock (with Mike Palindrome) Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. 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

Very few novelists can match the ambition or output of French novelist Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850). A pioneer of the great nineteenth-century "realism" tradition, his novel sequence La Comédie Humaine presents a panoramic view of post-Napoleonic France. Containing something like 90 finished novels and novellas, Balzac's achievement has influenced writers like Hugo, Dickens, Flaubert, and Henry James. In this episode, Jacke talks to contemporary novelist Carlos Allende (Coffee, Shopping, Murder, Love) about his love for Balzac and his works. Additional listening suggestions: Stendhal 390 Victor Hugo Alexander Dumas Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. 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

It's the Christina Rossetti episode! Jacke finally musters up the energy to finish what he started, and takes a look at one of the great poets of the Victorian era (and the creator of "Goblin Market," one of the strangest poems he has ever read. How did this seemingly prim, even matronly woman, known for her religious devotion and for rejecting three suitors on mostly religious grounds, come to write such a bizarre and hedonistic poem? What did she say about posing for the pre-Raphaelites and their paintings? What did John Ruskin and Virginia Woolf say about her? Let's find out! Additional listening suggestions: 415 "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti 306 Keats's Great Odes (with Anahid Nersessian) Living Poetry (with Bob Holman) Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. 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 mega

Because Jacke could not stop for the scheduled episode topics, a certain poem kindly stopped for him. Luckily it's one of the greatest poems of all time! It's by the 19th-century American genius Emily Dickinson, and it packs into seven short stanzas a journey through life, death, and the cosmos. Read a copy of the poem here: Because I could not stop for Death - (479) Additional listening suggestions: 120 Astonishing Emily Dickinson Shakespeare's Greatest Sonnets | Sonnet 29 ("When in disgrace with Fortune and men's eyes") 379 Gwendolyn Brooks Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. 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