T. S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (Part Two). The conclusion of our discussion of “Prufrock,” Eliot’s seminal exploration of modern alienation. Professing Literature is officially back! Thanks for your patience during our hiatus. We've got more episodes coming. Thanks so much for your support! We'd love to hear what you think about this ... Show More
Jun 2022
EP10 - A Night In the Forest | Shakespeare, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act Four, Scene One. When four young aristocrats and a weaver spend a night in the forest outside of Athens they cross into the world of the faeries. The next morning they struggle to understand what happened. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this epi ... Show More
1h 8m
Aug 2023
Jeff Dolven on Sir Thomas Wyatt ("They Flee from Me")
"Dear heart, how like you this?" There's really nothing better than that, is there? I talked to Jeff Dolven about Sir Thomas Wyatt's gorgeous poem "They Flee from Me." It's one of the hottest poems I know, and after talking to Jeff I know it much better. Jeff Dolven is Professor ... Show More
1h 47m
Nov 2023
Elisa Gabbert on Sylvia Plath ("Lady Lazarus")
What a searching, stimulating conversation this was. Elisa Gabbert joins the podcast to talk about a poem she and I have both long loved, Sylvia Plath's "Lady Lazarus."Elisa is a poet, critic, and essayist—and the author of several books. Her recent titles include Normal Distance ... Show More
1h 42m
May 2023
Andrew Epstein on John Ashbery ("Street Musicians")
An episode I've been waiting for from the beginning: Andrew Epstein joins the podcast to talk about John Ashbery, one of the most important poets of the last hundred years, and his beautiful and haunting poem of mid-career, "Street Musicians."Andrew is Professor of English at Flo ... Show More
1h 28m
Jun 2018
Elisa New on Poetry in America and Beyond
<p>Elisa New believes anyone can have fun reading a poem. And that if you really want to have a blast, you shouldn't limit poetry to silent, solitary reading - why not sing, recite, or perform it as has been the case for most of its history?</p> <p>The Harvard English professor ... Show More
54m 10s
May 2024
Jericho Brown — Poems as Teachers | Ep 5
In “Hebrews 13” by Jericho Brown, a narrator says: “my lover and my brother both knocked at my door.” The heat is turned on, scalding coffee is offered and hastily swallowed, and silence is the soundtrack. What an exquisitely awkward triangle it is, and what a human, beautiful, a ... Show More
13m 10s
Jul 2023
LPN Deep Dives: A Court of Thorns and Roses / Episode 22: Loosh, He Is Your Father
<p>The wall comes tumbling down this week, while Morrigan's walls go *up* after a tumble in the sheets with Helion, who is Lucien's daddy?! It's a messy week in Prythian. Please read up until Chapter 59, page 531 in the paperback edition. No DGWE this week because we're running s ... Show More
1h 23m
Apr 2024
Among the Ancients II: Pindar and Bacchylides
In the fifth episode of Among the Ancients II we turn to Greek lyric, focusing on Pindar’s victory odes, considered a benchmark for the sublime since antiquity, and the vivid, narrative-driven dithyrambs of Bacchylides. Through close reading, Emily and Tom tease out allusions, le ... Show More
12m 4s