A Life in Biography
Carl Rollyson
Talks and interviews about the life of biography as experienced by a biographer over forty years and fourteen biographies, dealing with subjects ranging from Sylvia Plath to William Faulkner, Marilyn Monroe to Susan Sontag, and much more.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 12, 2022 • 53min
Reposting, due to technical difficult. My interview with Debby Applegate about Madam
A look at the career of Polly Adler and why it matters.
Jan 12, 2022 • 53min
Reposting this episode in case you had trouble hearing Debby Applegate talk about Polly Adler
About the famous madam and much more
Jan 8, 2022 • 48min
Plutarch Redux: Parallel Poems in the Age of Trump by Robert Hamblin
Join a conversation in progress about what Plutarch means to us and how to make poetry of Plutarch and biography.
Jan 1, 2022 • 37min
Who’s Afraid of Theory?
My take on a new book, Fear of Theory, and why biographers are reluctant to theorize. Also, a preview of coming attractions.
Dec 25, 2021 • 8min
Christmas 1942 at the Faulkners
One kind of traditional Christmas
Dec 18, 2021 • 22min
Mystery Podcast #1: Every biography is an autobiography
It is a mystery, so you’re not getting anything from me. Just listen
Dec 11, 2021 • 50min
A Conversation with Cathy Curtis about her new biography of Elizabeth Hardwick
Cathy Curtis gets into the nitty gritty of biography, explaining how she does her work, why she chose Elizabeth Hardwick, and why her next subject is Edna O’Brien
Dec 5, 2021 • 1h 39min
A talk with Hilary Holladay about her stirring new biography of Adrienne Rich
A deep dive into the life of one of America’s greatest poets and how a biographer goes about her work. Don’t miss Holladay’s concluding remarks about how to approach the poet.
Dec 4, 2021 • 20min
What’s New in Biography for 2021: The Unknowns and the Knowns
Two biographies that say a lot of why we turn to biography.
Nov 20, 2021 • 37min
Ray Boomhower talks about his biography of acclaimed war correspondent, Richard Tregaskis
How a biography of a war correspondent gets done with a veteran biographer of war correspondents, Ray Boomhower.
