It’s 1891 and Oscar Wilde’s star is rising. His book, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, is a bestseller, and his first West End play is about to open. And then he meets Bosie Douglas, a young, handsome and beguiling poet. But homosexuality is illegal and they must keep their relationship secret. When Bosie’s father, the dogmatic Lord Queensberry, finds out, he r ... Show More
Jun 2023
Oscar Wilde | The Peer and The Poet | 2
<p>Oscar Wilde is making waves in London’s literary scene, but he’s heading for disaster. He's been publicly outed by his gay lover’s father, Lord Queensberry. Homosexuality is illegal and Wilde is facing private and public ruin. So he has to make a life-changing choice: fight, o ... Show More
49m 29s
Jun 2023
Oscar Wilde | Interview - Wilde's grandson, Merlin Holland | 4
<p>Matt and Alice speak to Oscar Wilde's only grandchild, Merlin Holland, who has spent more than four decades researching his grandfather's life. He tells us what it's like being connected to a literary icon, and why he believes his grandfather felt untouchable. Plus he takes us ... Show More
36m 11s
Jun 2023
341: The Trials of Oscar Wilde: Sex and Scandal (Part 1)
“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” As his most popular work, "The Importance of Being Earnest", hints at, Oscar Wilde’s life was a complicated one. Perhaps the most famous gay martyr in history, Wilde is often presented as a sacrificial victim destroyed by a bigoted and ... Show More
50m 35s
Feb 2016
Ep 158 - Beloved, by Toni Morrison
<p>Widely regarded as one of the best, and most important books, of the last half-century, Toni Morrison's Beloved is an unflinching examination of how the past can enslave just as painfully as a yoke or a whip can - and how our inability to wrestle with the past begets wrongdoin ... Show More
56m 43s
May 2022
The Engagement | The Great Escape | 1
It's 1955. Aspiring writer Celeste Grainger has lived her whole life in the lap of luxury. Her rich father, Henry, has arranged everything for her: her clothes, her car, and unfortunately, even her marriage. Celeste is engaged to the boorish Philip, but on the evening of her lavi ... Show More
32m 21s
Oct 2020
Old School: William Cohan Recalls His Friendship With JFK Jr. | 33
<p>In the late 1970s, when William Cohan was at boarding school, the administration asked him to show a new kid the ropes. That kid’s name? John F. Kennedy Jr. William later wrote a book about their friendship, and he joins us to talk about John’s penchant for partying, his dared ... Show More
31m 38s