Welcome to our new website!
The History of Literature Podcast

The History of Literature Podcast

Amateur enthusiast Jacke Wilson journeys through the history of literature, from ancient epics to contemporary classics. (Episodes are not in chronological order - feel free to jump in wherever you'd like!)

Recent Episodes

View all
662 Monstrous Work and Radical Satisfaction - Black Women Writing Under Segregation (with Eve Dunbar) | My Last Book with Deni Kasa
Dec. 19, 2024

662 Monstrous Work and Radical Satisfaction - Black Women Writing Under Segregation (with Eve Dunbar) | My Last Book with Deni Kasa

Generally speaking, a common conception of U.S. race relations in the mid-twentieth century runs like this: segregation was racist and bad, the doctrine of "separate but equal" masked genuine inequality, and the racial integ…
661 James Baldwin (with Colm Tóibín)
Dec. 16, 2024

661 James Baldwin (with Colm Tóibín)

Acclaimed Irish novelist Colm Tóibín first read James Baldwin just after turning eighteen. Inspired by the illumination and insight in Baldwin's Go Tell It on the Mountain , Tóibín would soon become a lifelong fan. In this e…
660
Dec. 12, 2024

660 "Wakefield" by Nathaniel Hawthorne | My Last Book with Amelia Possanza

Before his marriage, before meeting Herman Melville, and before the publication of The Scarlet Letter , Nathaniel Hawthorne was living in near seclusion, writing the stories that formed his first collection Twice-Told Tales …
659 The Legend of King Arthur (with Lev Grossman)
Dec. 9, 2024

659 The Legend of King Arthur (with Lev Grossman)

A legendary king, knights of the round table, magic and myths and valiant quests - the stories of King Arthur (also known as the "Matter of Britain") have captivated readers since the Middle Ages. It's potentially rich mater…
658
Dec. 5, 2024

658 "The Snow Fairy" by Claude McKay | Literary Journeys (with John McMurtrie)

After taking a look at a wintry poem by Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay, Jacke talks to editor John McMurtrie about his new book Literary Journeys Mapping Fictional Travels Across the World of Literature , which celebra…
657 Auden's England (with Nicholas Jenkins) | My Last Book with Gabriele Pedulla
Dec. 2, 2024

657 Auden's England (with Nicholas Jenkins) | My Last Book with Gabriele Pedulla

From the beginning of his career as a poet, W.H. Auden wrestled with the meaning of Englishness. He came out with a collection of poems entitled On This Island , but what exactly was this island? A world in ruins? A beautifu…
View all Episodes