Jacke Wilson's Blog, page 9

The History of Literature #444 — Thrillers on the Eve of War – Spy Novels in the 1930s (with Juliette Bretan)

The British spy novel was well established long before Ian Fleming’s creation of James Bond in the 1950s. And while it came to be identified with the Cold War, thanks to Fleming and subsequent writers like John le Carré, thriller aficionados continued to look back to earlier authors for novels with a different set of stakes. In this episode, Jacke talks to scholar and journalist Juliette Bretan about the issues at work in the spy novels of the 1930s. With Europe in flux, what were the protagonist spies busy doing? And how did those reflect the passions and fears of their creators? Authors discussed include Graham Greene, Christopher Isherwood, Rex Warner (The Wild Goose Chase, The Professor), Eric Ambler (The Dark Frontier, Uncommon Danger, A Coffin for Dimitrios) and Geoffrey Household (Rogue Male).

Additional listening suggestions:

114 Christopher Marlowe: What Happened and What If?39 Graham Greene380 Ian Fleming | PLUS The Black James Bond

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

The History of Literature #443 — Updating Bloom’s Canon (with Bethanne Patrick)

In 1994, Harold Bloom’s magnum opus The Western Canon took up the critical cudgels on behalf of 26 writers declared by Bloom to be essential. In this episode, Bethanne Patrick (aka the Book Maven), literary critic and host of the new podcast Missing Pages, joins Jacke to propose some additions to Bloom’s narrow list.

Additional Listening Suggestions:

83 Overrated! The Top 10 Books You Don’t Need to Read52 Recommend This! The Best 101 Books for College-Bound Readers54 The Greatest Books Ever (More on the Best 101 Books for College-Bound Readers)

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

The History of Literature #442 — Prince, Emperor, Sage – Bābur and the Bāburnāma (with Anuradha)

The warrior and leader known as Bābur (1483-1530) had the kind of life one might expect from the descendant of Timur (Tamburlaine) on his father’s side and Genghis Khan on his mother’s. Elevated to the throne at age 12, and thrown into a world of battles and defeats, he eventually founded the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. In his quieter moments, he wrote his memoirs (also known as the Bāburnāma), an astonishingly sensitive portrait of life, leadership, and the natural world. Generally regarded as the first Islamic autobiography, the Bāburnāma continues to impress with its observation and insight.

In this episode, Jacke talks to Nepali author Anuradha about her new book, The Story of Babur – Prince, Emperor, Sage, in which she retells the Bāburnāma for children, accompanied by beautiful illustrations by Jane Ray.

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

The History of Literature #441 — When Novels Were Novel (with Jason Feifer)

It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when reading novels was not a common activity – and then, suddenly, it was. In this episode, Jacke talks to Jason Feifer, an expert on transformative changes in society, to see how the rise of novels (and the backlash against them) follow broader patterns of disruption, adaptation, and the entrepreneurial spirit.

Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine, a startup advisor, host of the podcasts Build for Tomorrow and Problem Solvers and has taught his techniques for adapting to change at companies including Pfizer, Microsoft, Chipotle, DraftKings, and Wix. He has worked as an editor at Fast Company, Men’s Health, and Boston magazine, and has written about business and technology for the Washington Post, Slate, Popular Mechanics, and others. His most recent book is called Build for Tomorrow: An Action Plan for Embracing Change, Adapting Fast, and Future-Proofing Your Career.

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

The History of Literature #440 — Emma’s Pick – “A Pair of Silk Stockings” by Kate Chopin

Today, Kate Chopin (1851-1904) might be best known for her groundbreaking feminist novel The Awakening (1899). But she was also an accomplished short story writer, publishing in national magazines like Atlantic Monthly and Vogue. In this episode, Jacke provides an annotated reading of producer Emma’s latest pick: “A Pair of Silk Stockings” (1897) Chopin’s story of a down-on-her-luck woman who receives an unexpected windfall and decides whether to succumb to the temptation of some luxury items.

Additional listening suggestions:

“Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin316 Willa Cather (with Lauren Marino)Edith Wharton

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

The History of Literature #439 – Poets’ Guide to Economics (with John Ramsden)

Sure, we know poets are experts in subjects like love, death, nightingales, and moonlight. But what about money? Isn’t that a little…beneath them? (Or at least out of their area of expertise?) In this episode, Jacke talks to author John Ramsden (The Poets’ Guide to Economics) about the contributions made by eleven poets to the field of economics. What did men like Defoe, Swift, Shelley, Coleridge, Sir Walter Scott, de Quincey, Ruskin, William Morris, George Bernard Shaw, Hilaire, Belloc, and Ezra Pound get right? Where did they go wrong?

Additional listening suggestions:

165 Ezra PoundJonathan Swift82 Robinson Crusoe

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

The History of Literature #438 – How Was Your Ulysses? (with Mike Palindrome)

In 1922, a writer for the Observer commented: “No book has been more eagerly and curiously awaited by the strange little inner circle of book-lovers and littérateurs than James Joyce’s Ulysses.” After declaring Joyce to be a man of genius, the writer said, “I cannot see how the work upon which Mr Joyce spent seven strenuous years, years of wrestling and of agony, can ever be given to the public.” The objection then, or the fear, was that the book would wreak havoc on the morals of the general population. Today, the concern is not so much with scandal as with difficulty: annotated versions abound, prefaces fall all over themselves to caution readers. Yes, this is difficult. No, you might not finish. Please buy the book anyway. Give it a go.

In this episode, Jacke talks to Mike about the experience he had slow-reading Ulysses online in a community of readers. What were the challenges? What were the payoffs? How was it for him, and for his fellow hashtaggers? It’s a question to ask as one might ask someone after a war or pandemic or trip from a dangerous mountain. How was your Ulysses?

Additional listening suggestions:

122 Young James Joyce123 James Joyce’s “The Dead” (Part 1)124 James Joyce’s “The Dead” (Part 2)

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

The History of Literature #437 – A Million Miracles Now – “A Bird, came down the Walk” by Emily Dickinson

Responding to a listener email, a heartbroken Jacke takes a close look at Emily Dickinson’s astonishing poem “A Bird, came down the Walk.”

Additional listening suggestions:

120 The Astonishing Emily Dickinson418 “Because I could not stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson95 The Runaway Poets (the story of the Brownings)

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

The History of Literature #436 – The Lorax by Dr Seuss (with Mesh Lakhani)

He was born Theodor Seuss Geisel in 1904, but in the next 87 years, the world came to know and love him by his pen name, Dr. Seuss. Best known for his more than 60 books for children, including The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Green Eggs and Ham, and Hop on Pop, Dr. Seuss has sold more than 600 million books. In this episode, Jacke talks to Mesh Lakhani, CEO of Lola Media and co-host of the chart-topping podcast Better Call Paul, about his love of Dr. Seuss’s 1971 classic work of environmentalism and empathy, The Lorax.

Additional listening suggestions:

373 Roald DahlBeatrix PotterC.S. Lewis

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

The History of Literature #435 – The Story of the Hogarth Press Part 2 – The Virginia Woolf Story That Changed Everything

In our last episode, we looked at the decision by Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard to purchase a printing press and run it out of their home. What began as a hobby – a relief from the strains of writing – soon turned into a genuine business, as The Hogarth Press met with success. And when Virginia published one of her most famous stories “Kew Gardens,” the dam burst, and the Woolfs and their press had to prepare for a dramatic increase in sales. In this episode, Jacke continues and concludes the story of the Hogarth Press, including a close look at the story that changed the press’s fortunes.

Additional listening suggestions:

387 Loving Virginia Woolf | Fashion in Literature (with Lauren S. Cardon)334 Katherine Mansfield165 Ezra Pound

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.