The History of Literature

Latest Episodes:

378 Liu Xinwu and the "Scar Literature" of China (with Jeremy Tiang) | Bharati Sneak Preview (with Mira Sundara Rajan) Jan 31, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Jacke talks to Jeremy Tiang about his new translation of The Wedding Party, a Chinese classic contemporary novel written in the early 1980s by Liu Xinwu, one of the originators of what has been termed "scar literature." PLUS we feature a sneak preview of our conversation with Professor Mira Sundara Rajan, who has edited a collection of writings in English by famed Indian poet C. Subramania Bharati.

Looking for more by Chinese authors? We talked with Yang Huang about her childhood in China (and why she now can only write fiction in English) in Episode 330 Middlemarch (with Yang Huang).

Like world literature? Try Episode 304 Kazuo Ishiguro (with Chigozie Obioma), in which we talk to Obioma about his novels set in Nigeria and his love for Ishiguro's Remains of the Day.

For something completely different, try our episode on Top 10 Literary Villains.

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.

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377 The Brothers Grimm | Jeremy Tiang Sneak Preview Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood... Oh sure, we all know the stories, but do we know their origins? What do they tell us about the "Germans" of the nineteenth century - and how do they compare with the fairy tales told in France or Italy, or the ones we tell today? In this episode, Jacke takes a look at Germanic linguists and folklorists Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and their most famous project, Grimm's Fairy Tales, or as it was originally called, Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Children's and Household Tales). PLUS we have a sneak preview of our conversation with Jeremy Tiang, translator of the Chinese contemporary classic The Wedding Party, by Liu Xinwu.

Additional listening ideas:

Like Children's Literature? Try our episodes on Roald Dahl or Beatrix Potter.
Gaga for Germans? Try our episode on Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain.
In the mood for something different? Check out The Forbidden Stories of North Korea.

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376 Why John Milton? (with Joe Moshenska) Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

Yes, John Milton was important, and yes, Paradise Lost has been part of the canon since the 17th century - but why should we read anything by John Milton today? Do we imbibe his poetry like medicine? Is it a slog through cerebral but sterile prose? Or is there something wilder, more compelling, more alive? In this episode, Jacke talks to biographer Joe Moshenska, author of Making Darkness Light: A Life of John Milton, about the poet beloved by everyone from Virginia Woolf to Jorge Luis Borges to revolutionaries all over the world.

More listening ideas:

Want more Milton? We've got you covered in Episode #154 John Milton.
Ready for more wild poetic visions? Try our episode on William Blake.
Poetry not your thing? Check out our interview with Samantha Silva about the life of Mary Wollstonecraft.

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375 The Power of Literature | PLUS Reading Boswell's Life of Johnson (with Margot Livesey) Jan 20, 2022

Show notes

Jacke had big plans to make this episode all about the poetry of William Butler Yeats...and then listener feedback to the last episode overtook him. So instead of lazing about on the Lake Isle of Innisfree, he returns to the subject of Sophocles and the power of literature, as introduced in the conversation with Bryan Doerries, the Artistic Director of Theater of War Productions. After checking in with Friend of the Show Margot Livesey as she reads Boswell's Life of Johnson, Jacke turns to a special message from a longtime listener whose own life had been changed by the work that Bryan and his theater company do. We hope you enjoy this special episode devoted to the power of literature.

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374 Ancient Plays and Contemporary Theater - A New Version of Sophocles' Oedipus Trilogy (with Bryan Doerries) Jan 17, 2022

Show notes

As the Artistic Director of Theater of War Productions, Bryan Doerries has joined his colleagues in using dramatic readings and community conversations to confront topics such as combat-related psychological injury, end-of-life care, radicalized violence, incarceration, gun violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, the refugee crisis, and addiction. In this episode, he joins Jacke to talk about his new translation of Sophocles' Oedipus Trilogy, his vision for contemporary theater, and how classic texts and age-old approaches to literature can help individuals and communities heal from trauma and loss.

Interested in Theater of War Productions? Want to learn more? Learn about upcoming events and sign up for their mailing list at theaterofwar.com.

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373 Roald Dahl Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

Born in Wales to parents of Norwegian descent, Roald Dahl (1916-1990) grew up to become one of England's most famous writers. Although Dahl was an accomplished writer of short stories for grownups, he is today known best for his well-loved children's novels, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, BFG, Matilda, and Danny, the Champion of the World. Dahl also had a fascinating past as a WWII fighter pilot, an intelligence agent, and the husband of the Hollywood star (and Academy Award winner) Patricia Neal. What secrets were in his past? What do we find unsavory about him today? And what kind of impact do his books still have?

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372 Dragons! (with Scott G. Bruce) Jan 06, 2022

Show notes

Dragons! From ancient civilizations to modern-day movies, humans have spent millions of hours imagining these popular mythological creatures - and millions of words describing them. Jacke's guest, Scott G. Bruce has compiled the best of these words, explaining how dragons have appeared in literature. Avatars of the Antichrist? Servants of Satan? Cuddly pets? Couriers of the damned? Loyal allies? In this episode, we look at two thousand years of dragons in literature from around the world.

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Since you're listening to The History of Literature, we'd like to suggest you also try other Podglomerate shows surrounding literature, history, and storytelling like Storybound, Micheaux Mission, and The History of Standup.

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371 Robert Hayden and the Nature of Freedom | PLUS Literary Zombies (with Scott G. Bruce) Jan 03, 2022

Show notes

Poet Robert Hayden (1913-1980) surprised Jacke with his description of freedom in his sonnet "Frederick Douglass"; in this episode, Jacke considers the nature of freedom and attempts to determine exactly what Hayden meant. PLUS Professor Scott G. Bruce stops by to talk about his work editing The Penguin Book of the Undead: Fifteen Hundred Years of Spiritual Encounters.

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370 Oscar Wilde - A Life (with Matthew Sturgis) | PLUS A Glimpse of Literary Hell (with Scott G. Bruce) Dec 30, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Professor Scott G. Bruce shares one of his favorite passages about the underworld from The Penguin Book of Hell, which he edited. Then Jacke talks to author Matthew Sturgis about his new biography, Oscar Wilde: A Life. Enjoy!

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369 Rilke and the Search for God Dec 23, 2021

Show notes

Following Jacke's discussion with Stephen Mitchell about the first Christmas, Jacke takes a look at a special letter by Rainer Maria Rilke (which Stephen Mitchell translated). In this letter, written in Rome on December 23, 1903, the famed poet explores the difference between childlike wonder and grownup concerns, working his way toward a poetic vision of God. It is, quite simply, one of the most astounding letters in literature.

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