The History of Literature

Philosopher, poet, playwright, science fiction writer, scientist, and celebrity Margaret Cavendish (1623-1673) was a public and publishing sensation. In this episode, Jacke talks to biographer Francesca Peacock about her new book, Pure Wit: The Revolutionary Life of Margaret Cavendish. PLUS Patrick Whitmarsh (Writing Our Extinction: Anthropocene Fiction and Vertical Science) selects his choice for the last book he will ever read.Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Palindrome, a superguest, discusses D.H. Lawrence's "Tickets, Please," a modernist story exploring the war of the sexes. The podcast analyzes the story's horror and unexpected ending, while discussing unfair breakups, mob mentality, conflicting desires, and the socioeconomic circumstances of women during World War I.

Michelle P. Brown discusses her book on Bede, the "father of English history." They talk about Bede's contributions to poetry, merging Christianity with pre-Christian tradition, and misconceptions about him. Adrian Edwards selects Chaucer's Canterbury Tales as his last book choice.

The evidence is clear: Henry David Thoreau was an industrious person who worked hard throughout his life. And yet, he's often viewed as a kind of dreamy layabout who dropped out of society so he could sit by his pond and think his thoughts. Can we reconcile these two figures? What did work mean to Thoreau? And what advice did he have for the rest of us? In this episode, Jacke talks to Thoreau scholar Jonathan van Belle about the new book he's co-authored, Henry at Work: Thoreau on Making a Living. PLUS Andrew Pettegree (The Book at War: How Reading Shaped Conflict and Conflict Shaped Reading) stops by to discuss his choice for the last book he will ever read. Music Credits: “Handel – Entrance to the Queen of Sheba” by Advent Chamber Orchestra (From the Free Music Archive / CC by SA). Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bethanne Patrick and Aislyn Greene discuss the new seasons of Missing Pages and Travel Tales by AFAR respectively. Topics include book bands, publishing controversies, censorship, ghostwriting, and the joys of second-hand bookstores and travel.

Nicholas Dames discusses the segmented history of books and the origins of chapters. Hamid Dabashi shares his choice for the last book he will ever read. Topics include the definition and characteristics of chapters, the multinational phenomenon of chaptering, and the significance of Kililavadimna in transcending language barriers.

What books to buy for others? What books to read? In this guest episode from FT Weekend's Life and Art podcast, members of the Financial Times books team answer listener questions and share their personal recommendations from 2023.Follow the Life and Art podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house / Not a creature was stirring, not even a...FRAUD!? In this episode, Jacke dives into the dispute over one of the most famous Christmas poems of all time, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known as "The Night Before Christmas" or "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"). Long attributed to the somewhat curmudgeonly figure Clement C. Moore, new research has called that authorship into question. Does ANOTHER Christmas poem by Moore unlock the mystery? PLUS History of Literature superguest Marion Turner (Chaucer, a European Life; The Wife of Bath: A Biography) stops by to discuss her choice for the last book she will ever read.Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florian Illies, author of a book about love and art in the 1930s, joins the podcast to discuss how artists and intellectuals like Picasso and Marlene Dietrich navigated the political uncertainty of the decade. The episode also touches on famous holiday songwriters and the upcoming second season of the Missing Pages podcast that explores conflicts in the book world. The discussion explores societal changes, the Nazi threat, and the challenges faced by artists during that time. Illies shares insights about the structure and style of their book, emphasizing the importance of capturing the essence through anecdotes. The episode concludes with podcast recommendations and gratitude towards the listeners.

Shakespeare helped to make the Fool a common literary character. But what about the real-life fools who served in actual courts? Who were they and what kind of lives did they lead? In this episode, Jacke talks to author Peter K. Andersson about his book Fool: In Search of Henry VIII's Closest Man, which tells the story of Will Somer, an unusual man with a very strange job. PLUS Milton expert Ed Simon (Heaven, Hell, and Paradise Lost) selects his choice for the last book he will ever read.Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices