history of literature Archives - Page 28 of 30

8 The Shi Jing (Chinese Classical Poetry)

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Our history of literature journey continues by traveling to the other side of the globe, where Chinese poets are busy recording ancient folk songs and verse that together convey a picture of life in ancient China, from peasants and farmers to soldiers and diplomats. Eventually a selection of these poems will be gathered into a single collection edited by Confucius. Jacke Wilson takes a look at the 305 ancient Chinese poems known as the Shi Jing (also known as the Classic of Poetry or Book of Songs).

7A Proust, Pound, and Chinese Poetry

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A young Jacke Wilson immerses himself in great books on his way from Taiwan to Tibet – and finds out what Ezra Pound, Marcel Proust, and Chinese poetry can teach him about literature and life.

7 Greek Comedy – Aristophanes

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Author Jacke Wilson examines the life and works of Aristophanes, whose comic plays included The Clouds, which pokes fun at philosophers such as Socrates, and Lysistrata, where the females of Athens and Sparta go on a sex strike in an attempt to end the war.

RM9 Nietzsche’s Children

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Continuing the discussion of Greek tragedy, Jacke takes a look at Nietzsche and the impact he has on eager young philosophers. This episode includes the Jacke Wilson story “My Roommate’s Books” from the History of Jacke in 100 Objects series.

6 Greek Tragedy – Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides

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Author Jacke Wilson examines the works of three great Greek tragedians, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides – and attempts to solve the mystery of why Friedrich Nietzsche admired two of the three and despised the other.

RM8 My Inner Bleeping Bandit

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Testing the Burt Reynolds method for avoiding cliches! Author Jacke Wilson takes a break from the history of literature to consider language and masculinity.

5 Greek Tragedy (Part One)

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How was tragedy invented? Why was it so popular in Ancient Greece, and what power does it have for us today? Using the discussion of tragedy in Aristotle’s Poetics, author Jacke Wilson takes a look at tragedies from ancient times to Breaking Bad.

RM7 Literature and Loneliness

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On the eve of a holiday, author and host of the History of Literature podcast Jacke Wilson considers the consolations that total immersion in literature can provide.

4 Sappho

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Ancient Greece viewed her as Homer’s poetic equal; Plato referred to her as the “tenth muse.” As a fearless and lyrical chronicler of female desire, she had a profound impact on literature and society. Author Jacke Wilson takes a look at the genius of Sappho, the first great female writer in the history of literature.

RM6 The Trial of Shrimp Boy

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Jacke and Gar take a break from the history of literature to discuss the development of Jacke’s new play, The Trial of Shrimp Boy, which has attracted interest from Bryan Cranston’s agent(!). Also: Gar builds fences and is not a good neighbor.