The History of Literature

Latest Episodes:

715 How Did George Eliot and the Victorians Respond to Climate Collapse? (with Nathan Hensley) | People at Museums Are Losing Their Brains! | My Last Book with Stephen Browning and Simon Thomas Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

What does it feel like to live helplessly in a world that is coming undone? If you're alive in 2025, you are probably very familiar with this feeling - and if you'd been alive in the age of Victorian literature, you might have felt that way too. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Nathan K. Hensley about his book Action without Hope: Victorian Literature after Climate Collapse, which studies how authors like George Eliot, Emily Brontë, H.G. Wells, Lewis Carroll, and Christina Rossetti used aesthetic strategies to deal with the anxiety and despair of ongoing climate disaster. What did they face? How did they cope? And can we learn from their examples?

Note: Inspired to make a difference but not sure how to begin? Check out Mariame Kaba's original list of 25 Things You Can Do Besides Voting and Protesting, which encourages people to tailor the list with links to specific actions in their own community. (For an example, see the list that Georgetown University has tailored.)

PLUS Jacke dives into some news from Italian museums, where people have been "losing their brains." What's going on with them?

AND two Dickens experts, Stephen Browning and Simon Thomas, co-authors of The Real Charles Dickens, stop by to discuss their choice for the last book will they ever read. Will they choose something by Dickens?

Note: The "My Last Book" conversation in this episode was recorded before the untimely passing of Stephen Browning. He was a wonderful guest, and we at the History of Literature Podcast are very grateful to have had the chance to speak with him. Our deepest sympathies are with his friends, family, and loved ones. May he rest in peace.

Join Jacke on a trip through literary England (signup closing soon)! The History of Literature Podcast Tour is happening in May 2026! Act now to join Jacke and fellow literature fans on an eight-day journey through literary England in partnership with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John Shors Travel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Scheduled stops include The Charles Dickens Museum, Dr. Johnson's house, Jane Austen's Bath, Tolkien's Oxford, Shakespeare's Globe Theater, and more. Find out more by emailing jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com or masahiko@johnshorstravel.com, or by contacting us through our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History of Literature Podcast Tour itinerary⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John Shors Travel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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 ⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

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714 The Real Charles Dickens (with Stephen Browning and Simon Thomas) | Dickens and the Theatre Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) led one of the most colorful and interesting lives of any author. But while many of us are familiar with his unforgettable characters and fantastically successful novels, we often don't know the details of his difficult early life, his success as a reporter, his troubled marriage and suspected relationship with another woman, and his social reform efforts. In this episode, Jacke talks to Stephen Browning and Simon Thomas, whose book The Real Charles Dickens takes the reader on a journey into the heart of Dickens's life, work, and legacy. PLUS Jacke, inspired by a new exhibit at the Charles Dickens Museum, discusses the theatricality of Dickens's work.

Note: The conversation in this episode was recorded before the untimely passing of Stephen Browning. He was a wonderful guest, and we at the History of Literature Podcast are very grateful to have had the chance to speak with him. Our deepest sympathies are with his friends, family, and loved ones. May he rest in peace.

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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 thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature .

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713 The Odyssey (with Daniel Mendelsohn) | The History of Literature Podcast Tour! Jul 03, 2025

Show notes

Homer's Odyssey is one of the oldest surviving works of literature - and yet, somehow, it can also feel like one of the newest. The inventive narrative structure, complex hero, and surprisingly modern themes still feel fresh, thousands of years after the poem's genesis. In this episode, Jacke talks to author and translator Daniel Mendelsohn about his passion for the Odyssey and his efforts to breathe new poetic life into the ancient epic through a vivid new translation.

PLUS Jacke announces the official launch of the History of Literature Podcast Tour! Join Jacke and a limited group of travelers as they go on their own epic journey, visiting literary locations in England in partnership with John Shors Travel.

Links:

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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712 Shakespeare's Greatest Love (with David Medina) | New Play About Shakespeare's Collaboration with Marlowe Jun 30, 2025

Show notes

He might be the greatest writer about love that the world has ever known. But as is so often the case with Shakespeare, the biographical record raises as many questions as it answers. How often did Shakespeare fall in love, and with whom, and what happened? Who was Shakespeare's greatest love? In this episode, Jacke talks to David Medina about his book Shakespeare's Greatest Love, which argues that the answer has long been hiding in plain sight.

Check out David's book tour and other events at https://greatestloves.com/events

Interested in the History of Literature Podcast Tour of Literary England? Send us an email at jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com or leave a message via the Contact page of historyofliterature.com. (More information to follow soon!)

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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711 How Does Literature Handle Atrocities? (with Bruce Robbins) | My Last Book with Hemingway Expert Alex Vernon | Who Will Come to Jacke and Emma's Party? Jun 26, 2025

Show notes

For millennia, literature has represented humanity at its finest. Over the same period of time, human beings have been committing the worst acts of mass violence imaginable. How have authors addressed these atrocities? Have they shown an ability to look at their own nation with the critical eyes of a stranger? And if so, have works of imagination proven themselves to be the right means of doing so? In this episode, Jacke talks to Bruce Robbins about his book Atrocity: A Literary History, which explores literary representations of mass violence to trace the emergence of a cosmopolitan recognition of atrocity. PLUS Hemingway expert Alex Vernon stops by to discuss his choice for the last book he will ever read. (Will Hemingway make his list?) AND Jacke reflects on marriage, catch phrases, and the sincere hope that someone will come to his party.

Interested in the History of Literature Podcast Tour? Send us an email at jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com or a message via the Contact page of historyofliterature.com.

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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710 Weird and Wonderful Stories from Ancient Greece and Rome (with Paul Chrystal) | A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT | Two Listeners Follow Their Dream (And Create Something Amazing) Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

It's another action-packed episode! First, Jacke relays the story of a long-time listener who worked some mundane jobs before becoming an artistic bookmaker. Then Jacke talks to author Paul Chrystal about his work diving into lesser-known ancient texts for his book Miracula: Weird and Wonderful Stories of Ancient Greece and Rome. And in between, Jacke announces an exciting new development for the podcast. Enjoy!

Learn more about Chaz and Katie's journey by visiting their About Page at Copperhead Press (highly recommended!).
Interested in the History of Literature Podcast Tour? Send an email to jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com or a message via the Contact page at historyofliterature.com.

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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709 Black American Humor (with Damon Young) | The Greatest American Joke Ever Told? Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

DAMON YOUNG (⁠What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays⁠) is a Pittsburgh writer and humorist. In this episode, Jacke talks to Damon about his work editing and writing an introduction for That's How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor, which emphasizes how and why Black American humor is uniquely transfixing. PLUS Jacke nominates a joke as the greatest American joke ever told.

Learn more about Damon Young and his work at https://www.damonjyoung.com.

Information about tour events for the anthology of Black American humor is available at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2268679/damon-young/#events

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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708 Science Fact and Science Fiction (with Keith Cooper) | AI Discovers a Work of Ancient Philosophy and Dreams Up a Reading List Jun 12, 2025

Show notes

For decades, writers and filmmakers have imagined worlds where characters can do things like watch a double sunset (on Tatooine, of course), or stand among the sand dunes of Arrakis, or gaze at the gas-giant planet Polyphemus from the moon Pandora. But even as works like Star Wars, Dune, and Avatar have enticed us with their fictional renditions of planets beyond our reach, astronomers have slowly begun to compile a set of scientific truths about the actual exoplanets. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Keith Cooper (Amazing Worlds of Science Fiction and Science Fact) about the realities beyond imaginary planets. PLUS Jacke takes a look at two AI-related pieces of news: the recovery of writing long thought to be lost on a scroll charred by Vesuvian ash, and a summer reading list that surprised everyone - including the authors who made the list for reasons they were not expecting.

Additional listening:

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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707 Emile Zola (with Robert Lethbridge) | Graham Greene's Only Ghost Story | My Last Book with Irina Mashinski Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

For years, listeners have been requesting an episode devoted to the French novelist, journalist, playwright, and public intellectual Émile Zola (1840-1902). In this episode, Jacke talks to author Robert Lethbridge, whose new book Émile Zola: A Determined Life presents a comprehensive exploration of the life, work, and times of the celebrated French literary polymath. PLUS Jacke takes a look at some news that a ghost story by Graham Greene - perhaps the only one he ever wrote - has recently emerged from the literary graveyard. AND FINALLY Russian-American poet and co-editor of The Penguin Book of Russian Poetry Irina Mashinski stops by to discuss her choice for the last book she will ever read.

Additional listening:

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

706 Living with Jane Austen (with Janet Todd) | A Listener Changes His Life | Bored Parents Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Jane Austen's novels make us wish she was our friend. She wouldn't be just any old friend: she'd be the sharpest and wisest, the one we turn to in a crisis, the one who understands our flaws and helps us see our blind spots. As we navigate the perils of love and life, she'd be the friend who gently points us in the right direction. Well, that's a funny thing to say about someone who lived more than two hundred years ago, but it's how we feel. And so, we turn to her novels as the next best thing. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Janet Todd (Living with Jane Austen) about what it's been like to rely on Jane Austen as an advice-giver for more than fifty years. PLUS Jacke reads an email from a listener who's made a dramatic change in his approach to literature and life. AND a new survey about parenting and reading arouses some of Jacke's deepest passions.

Additional listening:

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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