By the middle of the twentieth century, Robert Frost was widely regarded as America's most popular poet, beloved for the simple, sincere verses that took readers on journeys through the wooded roads of rural New England, accompanied by Frost's wry observations and hardscrabble truths. Just a few years after Frost's death, a scathing biography by Lawrance Tho ... Show More
May 28
805 Robert Frost Finds a Friend [Revisited]
In preparation for next week's conversation with Adam Plunkett, author of a new major biography of Robert Frost (1874-1963), we revisit an earlier episode about the widely anthologized (and often misunderstood) New England poet. In this episode, which first aired in 2017 as Episo ... Show More
54m 48s
May 25
804 Shakespeare and Loss (with Sarah Beckwith) | My Last Book with Caroline Lea
It's Memorial Day in the United States, a day devoted to remembering the soldiers who have died in service. Together, the society grieves, mourns, and attempts to unite. Similarly, communities can come together through actions like loving; giving; marrying; conversing; acting and ... Show More
1h 3m
May 21
803 Literature, Authorship, and the Rise of AI (with Eric Burgess) | My Last Book with Mark Hussey
The rise of Artificial Intelligence has sent shockwaves through the literary world, with the impact being felt by both publishers and creative types. In this episode, Jacke talks to writer and entrepreneur Eric Burgess about the rise of AI, what it means for authors, and his comp ... Show More
51m 6s
Aug 2022
Othello by William Shakespeare ~ Full Audiobook [tragedy]
Othello by William Shakespeare audiobook. Genre: tragedy In the glittering, volatile world of Venetian power and military prestige, Othello, a celebrated Moorish general, has risen through skill and courage to command respect. But his private life becomes the talk of the city whe ... Show More
3h 10m
Aug 2025
Molière: Satire, Scandal & the Stage
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Jan Clarke to explore the life, legend, and legacy of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin — better known as Molière. From his audacious rejection of bourgeois expectations to his controversial plays that rattled the Catholic Church and deligh ... Show More
49m 38s
Nov 2023
Richard Schoch, "Shakespeare’s House: A Window onto his Life and Legacy" (Bloomsbury, 2023)
In the wide realm of Shakespeare worship, the house in Stratford-upon-Avon where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 – known colloquially as the 'Birthplace' – remains the chief shrine. It's not as romantic as Anne Hathaway's thatched cottage, it's not where he wrote any of his ... Show More
59m 26s
Sep 2024
Raging Misogynist or Original Social Justice Warrior? The Murky Life of Euripides
We have more of Euripides' work than either of the other tragedians combined and yet the details of his life, him as a real person composing real art, are frustratingly lacking. And when they're not lacking, they're often just slander or wild misunderstandings of history. Today w ... Show More
38m 43s