The Norton Library Podcast

Join Jeffrey Insko, a Professor of English and Moby-Dick expert, as he unravels the enigmatic world of Herman Melville. He dives into Melville's early life and adventures at sea, revealing how they sparked his literary success. Insko also discusses Moby-Dick's radical departure from Melville's previous works and its mixed reception upon release. He highlights the philosophical and structural complexities of the novel while examining the symbolic nature of the white whale and the tragic depth of characters like Ahab and Queequeg. It's a captivating exploration of literary ambition!

In Part 2 of our conversation with Sharon Marcus, we chat about popular adaptations of Jane Eyre and why the best one—which hasn't been written yet—would feature Phoebe Bridgers, PJ Harvey, and Sarah Vaughan on the soundtrack.   Sharon Marcus is the Orlando Harriman Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and editor of the Norton Library edition of Jane Eyre. Her research and teaching bring together literary theory, cultural and social history, and gender and sexuality studies.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Jane Eyre, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/janeeyre.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Jane Eyre: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/01LKJVTZCkvRKnjwX5I2Nu?si=30b1cd2bd1804bf3.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/janeeyre/part2/transcript.

This week on the podcast, Sharon Marcus introduces us to one of the most enduringly popular coming-of-age novels in all of English literature—Charlotte Brontë's 1847 Gothic thriller, Jane Eyre.  Sharon Marcus is the Orlando Harriman Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and editor of the Norton Library edition of Jane Eyre. Her research and teaching bring together literary theory, cultural and social history, and gender and sexuality studies.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Jane Eyre, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/janeeyre.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Jane Eyre: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/01LKJVTZCkvRKnjwX5I2Nu?si=30b1cd2bd1804bf3. 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/janeeyre/part1/transcript.

In Part 2 of our series on Oedipus Tyrannos, Emily Wilson highlights the delights and challenges of translating Greek tragedy into English, the play's long history of adaptation and live staging, and the ways in which Oedipus Tyrannos has continued to resonate with audiences over millennia.  What can the titular tyrant's ill-fated mistakes still teach us about the dangers of misinformation and unchecked power?   Emily Wilson is Professor of Classical Studies and Graduate Chair of the Program in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been named a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome in Renaissance and Early Modern scholarship, a MacArthur Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow. In addition to Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, she has also published translations of Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Oedipus Tyrannos,  go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/OT. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Oedipus Tyrannos: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4MD6ds83udqlbI8jvbR8ic?si=ea7aa9974f2e4fb1.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/oedipustyrannos/part2/transcript.

On this week's episode of the Norton Library Podcast, we welcome Emily Wilson, acclaimed translator of Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, to discuss her recent translation of Sophocles's Oedipus Tyrannos. Emily Wilson is Professor of Classical Studies and Graduate Chair of the Program in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been named a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome in Renaissance and Early Modern scholarship, a MacArthur Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow. In addition to Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, she has also published translations of Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Oedipus Tyrannos,  go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/OT. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Oedipus Tyrannos: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4MD6ds83udqlbI8jvbR8ic?si=ea7aa9974f2e4fb1. 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/oedipustyrannos/part1/transcript.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Jesse McCarthy, we discuss the spiritual and intellectual underpinnings of The Souls of Black Folk and break down common misperceptions about the work. Jesse also explains why he always teaches The Souls of Black Folk with music. Jesse McCarthy is the editor of the Norton Library edition of The Souls of Black Folk and Assistant Professor in the departments of English and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. He has published articles and reviews in the journals transposition, NOVEL, and African American Review and contributed chapters to Richard Wright in Context and Ralph Ellison in Context  as well as a new introduction for Vincent O. Carter’s long out-of-print memoir The Bern Book. He is also the author of Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul? , a collection of essays; and a novel, The Fugitivities.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition ofThe Souls of Black Folk,  go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/TSOBF.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by The Souls of Black Folk: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Jx6YYSrTjRTFqgfWsT3vy?si=f7493ea35a7d4588.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/thesoulsofblackfolk/part2/transcript.

In this episode of the Norton Library Podcast, we welcome Jesse McCarthy to discuss who  W. E. B. Du Bois was and how The Souls of Black Folk came to be.  We also explore Souls' most enduring ideas and how these still resonate today with a variety of underrepresented groups.McCarthy is the editor of the Norton Library edition of The Souls of Black Folk and Assistant Professor in the departments of English and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. He has published articles and reviews in the journals transposition, NOVEL, and African American Review and contributed chapters to Richard Wright in Context and Ralph Ellison in Context  as well as a new introduction for Vincent O. Carter’s long out-of-print memoir The Bern Book. He is also the author of Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul?  a collection of essays and a novel, The Fugitivities.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition ofThe Souls of Black Folk,  go to seagull.wwnorton.com/TSOBFLearn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by The Souls of Black Folk: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Jx6YYSrTjRTFqgfWsT3vy?si=f7493ea35a7d4588.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/thesoulsofblackfolk/part1/transcript.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Michael Bérubé, we discuss the enduring legacy of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein—how a cautionary tale about reckless experimentation and radicalization speaks just as forcefully to our present moment as it did to readers in 1818. Michael Bérubé is Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Literature at Penn State University and the editor of the Norton Library edition of Frankenstein. He is the author of ten books, including What’s Liberal About the Liberal Arts? Classroom Politics and “Bias” in Higher Education and Life As We Know It: A Father, a Family, and an Exceptional Child. The Norton Library edition of Frankenstein features the complete text of the 1818 edition. To learn more or purchase a copy, go to http://seagull.wwnorton.com/frankenstein.Learn more about the Norton Library series at http://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Frankenstein: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3t8NNem7nWM3IV7BT6j7pW?si=960699708f7a49de.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/frankenstein/part1/transcript.

In this episode of the Norton Library Podcast, we welcome Michael Bérubé to discuss the origins of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the radical (and enduring) questions the novel poses about science, religion, and humanity. Michael Bérubé is Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Literature at Penn State University and the editor of the Norton Library edition of Frankenstein. He is the author of ten books, including What’s Liberal About the Liberal Arts? Classroom Politics and “Bias” in Higher Education and Life As We Know It: A Father, a Family, and an Exceptional Child.  The Norton Library edition of Frankenstein features the complete text of the 1818 edition. To learn more or purchase a copy, go to http://seagull.wwnorton.com/frankenstein. Learn more about the Norton Library series at http://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Frankenstein: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3t8NNem7nWM3IV7BT6j7pW?si=960699708f7a49de.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/frankenstein/part1/transcript.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Anne Margaret Daniel, we break down common misconceptions about The Great Gatsby and dig in to what it is about the novel that draws readers (and Hollywood) in and keeps us coming back.  Anne Margaret Daniel is the editor of the Norton Library edition of The Great Gatsby and teaches literature at The New School University in New York City. She is also the editor of I’d Die For You and Other Lost Stories, Fitzgerald’s last previously unpublished short stories, and of the forthcoming selected letters of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald. The Norton Library edition of The Great Gatsby  features the complete text of the first 1925 edition, along with a selection of earlier short stories by Fitzgerald. To learn more or purchase a copy, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/gatsby.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by The Great Gatsby: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/38hcFnY4wCoBbr3Q6Nz6dp?si=861dd02247b4411b.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/thegreatgatsby/part2/transcript.