The Norton Library Podcast

Stephanie Insley Hershinow, an associate professor of English specializing in novel theory and eighteenth-century culture, delves into Jane Austen's life and misconceptions surrounding her. They discuss the significance of 'Sense and Sensibility' within Austen's works and the intriguing meaning behind its title. Hershinow highlights the sisterly dynamics of Elinor and Marianne while navigating grief and contrasting love lives. The conversation also touches on the sentimental novel tradition, revealing how it shaped the emotional depth of Austen’s storytelling.

In Part 2 of our discussion on Augustine's Confessions, translator Peter Constantine discusses his own history with the text and how he came to translate it, the stylistic accomplishment of the Confessions, his translation process, and more. Peter Constantine is the director of the Program in Literary Translation at the University of Connecticut, the publisher of World Poetry Books, and editor-in-chief of the magazine New Poetry in Translation. A prolific translator from several modern and classical languages, Constantine was awarded the PEN Translation Prize for Six Early Stories by Thomas Mann, the National Translation Award for The Undiscovered Chekhov, the Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize for his translation of The Bird Is a Raven by Benjamin Lebert, and the Koret Jewish Book Award and a National Jewish Book Award citation for The Complete Works of Isaac Babel.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Confessions, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/ConfessionsNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/Confessions/part2/transcript.

In Part 1 of our discussion on Augustine's Confessions, we welcome translator Peter Constantine to discuss the historical context in which Augustine of Hippo wrote the Confessions, the genre of the text, the lasting effect it has had on religious and secular intellectual traditions, and some of the touchstone episodes found in the work. Peter Constantine is the director of the Program in Literary Translation at the University of Connecticut, the publisher of World Poetry Books, and editor-in-chief of the magazine New Poetry in Translation. A prolific translator from several modern and classical languages, Constantine was awarded the PEN Translation Prize for Six Early Stories by Thomas Mann, the National Translation Award for The Undiscovered Chekhov, the Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize for his translation of The Bird Is a Raven by Benjamin Lebert, and the Koret Jewish Book Award and a National Jewish Book Award citation for The Complete Works of Isaac Babel.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Confessions, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/ConfessionsNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/Confessions/part1/transcript.

In Part 2 of our discussion on Dante's Inferno, translator Michael Palma discusses his own history with the poem and how he came to translate it, the terza rima rhyme scheme Dante employs, and in what ways the Divine Comedy is really a comedy.  Michael Palma is the award-winning translator of Diego Valeri and Guido Gozzano, among others. He has published four collections of his own verse: The Egg Shape, Antibodies, A Fortune in Gold, and Beginning Gladness, and he has also published the title Faithful in My Fashion: Essays on the Translation of Poetry.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Inferno, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/InfernoNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/Inferno/part2/transcript.

In Part 1 of our discussion on Dante's Inferno, we welcome translator Michael Palma to discuss Dante's life and the context in which he wrote the Inferno, the narrative structure of The Divine Comedy, and what makes the Inferno so durably compelling.  Michael Palma is the award-winning translator of Diego Valeri and Guido Gozzano, among others, and he has published four collections of his own verse: The Egg Shape, Antibodies, A Fortune in Gold, and Beginning Gladness, and he has also published the title Faithful in My Fashion: Essays on the Translation of Poetry. To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Inferno, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/InfernoNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/Inferno/part1/transcript.

In Part 2 of our discussion on Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, editor Joshua Bennett discusses the cover of the Norton Library edition, approaching the text as history and as literature, how Douglass teaches us to read, the musicality of the book, a Narrative-inspired playlist, and more! Joshua Bennett is a professor of literature at MIT. He is the author of five books of poetry, criticism, and narrative non-fiction, including The Sobbing School and Being Property Once Myself.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/NarrativeOfFrederickDouglassNL.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4tZk5AIohQcQFJvVOCiRo1?si=54de7b3bf0774d72.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/NarrativeFrederickDouglass/part2/transcript.

In Part 1 of our discussion on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, we welcome editor Joshua Bennett to discuss Douglass's Narrative as a type of hero's journey, Douglass's political project in writing the book, and how Douglass closes the Narrative with a statement on true Christianity. Joshua Bennett is a professor of literature at MIT. He is the author of five books of poetry, criticism, and narrative non-fiction, including The Sobbing School and Being Property Once Myself.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/NarrativeOfFrederickDouglassNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/NarrativeoftheLifeofaFrederickDouglass/part1/transcript.

In Part 2 of our discussion on The Awakening, editor Laura Fisher tells us about her first encounter with the novel, discusses her approach to teaching it, explores her favorite line of the text, provides a killer Awakening playlist, and more! Laura R. Fisher is an associate professor of English at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is the author of Reading for Reform: The Social Work of Literature in the Progressive Era.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Awakening, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/TheAwakeningNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by The Awakening:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/15QEBtiocc5SyhwH4wIfGF?si=15da7e7e396d4e86.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/theawakening/part2/transcript.

In Part 1 of our discussion on The Awakening, we welcome editor Laura Fisher to discuss Kate Chopin's writing career, the novel's reception and themes, as well as some of its major characters. Laura R. Fisher is an associate professor of English at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is the author of Reading for Reform: The Social Work of Literature in the Progressive Era.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Awakening, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/TheAwakeningNL. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/theawakening/part1/transcript.

In Part 2 of our discussion on Dubliners, editor Ian Whittington discusses the inspiration for the cover of his Norton Library edition, his favorite lines in the collection, his Dubliners hot take, and some suggestions for a Dubliners playlist. Ian Whittington is an independent scholar whose research and teaching focus on twentieth-century anglophone literature and culture. He is the author of Writing the Radio War: Literature, Politics and the BBC and co-editor of The Edinburgh Companion to Modernism and Technology. His work has appeared in Modernist Cultures, Modernism/modernity, The Global South, and other venues.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Dubliners, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/dublinersNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Dubliners: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0pOrIz0CbgngT4sANu6fkC?si=2c9950dee6f542ab.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/dubliners/part2/transcript.