Jenny and I are lovers of great literature.
We hope you enjoy our weaving together of three great poems by Edgar Allan Poe - ”The Raven,” ”Annabel Lee” and ”The Bells.” Our production has been a three-day whirlwind of activity - late nights and early mornings. Hopefully, you find it valuable.
We have been motivated by an opportunity to do what we’ve been h ... Show More
Jun 2021
Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Claire and I swoon over one of our favorites, Conrad's Heart of Darkness. We talk about how and when to approach great books, what makes Conrad a master prose stylist, how this work subverts too-easy dichotomies of light and dark, Kurtz as a distillation of Europe, why Marlowe st ... Show More
1h 20m
Mar 2024
596 The Power of Stories (with J Edward Chamberlin) | Taylor Swift and Emily Dickinson | Flannery O'Connor (with Mike Palindrome) | My Last Book with Shin Yu Pai
It's a literary smorgasbord! First, Jacke dives into the recent news of the surprising connection between Taylor Swift and Emily Dickinson. Next, he welcomes Mike Palindrome, President of the Literature Supporters Club, for a discussion of why Mike has been reading Flannery O'Con ... Show More
1h 10m
Oct 2025
742 Edgar Allan Poe (with Richard Kopley) | Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (#12 GBOAT) | My Last Book with Christopher Herbert
It's October, the perfect month to celebrate the master of mystery and the macabre. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Richard Kopley about his book Edgar Allan Poe: A Life, a comprehensive critical biography that combines a narrative of Poe's enduring challenges (including h ... Show More
1h 17m
Jul 2022
429 Books I Have Loved (with Charles Baxter, Margot Livesey, and Jim Shepard)
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 modern ... Show More
55m 37s
Mar 2024
Philosophy of love: Plato's Symposium, Kierkegaard, Dostoyevsky's White Nights
Welcome to our favorite discussion yet, with a special guest: Godesulloh Bawa, one of our favorite philosophy creators! Today we're discussing the philosophy of love, beauty, and existentialism, through: Plato's The Symposium Kierkegaard's Works of Love Dostoyevsky's White Nights ... Show More
1h 24m
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;" align="center">Following our 3-part "parenthetical" on idolatry, we return to our primary series on the Hebrew word, malaki (in distinction from the book that bears this name).</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;" align=" ... Show More
