It is a truth universally acknowledged that tragedy is one of the world's highest art forms, and that Shakespeare was one of the form's greatest practitioners. But how did he do it? What models did he have to draw upon, and where did he innovate? In this episode, Jacke talks to Shakespeare scholar Rhodri Lewis about his new book Shakespeare's Tragic Art, a n ... Show More
Today
813 George Sand (with Fiona Sampson) | My Last Book with Kathleen Antonioli
Upon her death, French novelist George Sand (1804-1876) was widely recognized as one of the most popular and acclaimed writers in Europe. And yet, even then, the legend of the cigar-smoking, cross-dressing, promiscuous writer threatened to overshadow her literary accomplishments. ... Show More
1h 4m
Jun 18
811 The Harlem Renaissance [Reclaimed] | My Last Book with Erin Sharkey
The Harlem Renaissance, the great flowering of African American arts and culture in the early twentieth century, is hard to define but easy to admire. Coupled with the Great Migration, in which hundreds of thousands of Southern black workers moved to the rapidly industrializing c ... Show More
54m 55s
Jun 2024
Christopher Marlowe (with Will Tosh)
<p>Today's special guest is Will Tosh, Head of Research at Shakespeare's Globe, London, and the author of a new book, “Straight Acting: The Many Queer Lives of William Shakespeare.” Having answered the obvious question in the prologue, the book becomes a sort of emotional biograp ... Show More
1h 16m
Sep 2024
William Shakespeare: The Playwright Who Changed the World
In this episode, we explore the life and stories of William Shakespeare, one of the most famous writers in history. We'll talk about how he grew up in a small town and went on to write amazing plays like "Romeo and Juliet" and "Hamlet." You'll learn fun facts about his life, what ... Show More
12m 52s
Aug 2023
The Long and Short: James Joyce's Dubliners
James Joyce wrote most of the short stories in his landmark collection, Dubliners, when he was still in his 20s, but a tortuous publishing history, during which printers refused or pulped them for their profanity, meant they weren’t published until 1914, when Joyce was 33. In the ... Show More
11m 9s
Dec 2024
Author Interview: Mary McMyne (A Rose By Any Other Name)
William Shakespeare dedicated many of his sonnets to someone known only as the Dark Lady. Novelist Mary McMyne imagines that this was maybe a witch named Rose in her new novel, A Rose by Any Other Name. Mary joins us to talk about her book, and Shakespeare, in this week's episode ... Show More
55m 13s