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Artwork for Life Sentences Podcast

Life Sentences Podcast

Caroline Baum
Beatrice Faust
Alice Munro
Agnes Varda
Dorothy Porter
Elizabeth Harrower
Quentin Bryce
Frank Arkell
Robert Thacker
Harry Freame
Bryce Courtenay
Evonne Goolagong
Jane Austen
Gallipoli
Zane Grey
Tony Bevan
Miles Franklin
Peter Matthiessen
Abortion
Indigenous Rights
Errol Flynn

What is the secret to writing a really juicy biography? Author Caroline Baum interviews seasoned players and persistent newcomers who share their experience of navigating sensitive territory in the search for the real story behind a person’s life. Whether they are writing about the famous or the forgotten, whether their version of events is authorised orunauthorised, biography is a high-stakes que... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes90Founded5 years ago
Categories
ArtsBooks

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Artwork for Life Sentences Podcast

Latest Episodes

Errol Flynn is still the most famous Australian actor ever to make it big in Hollywood. Best known for athletic and romantic leads in films like Robin Hood, he had lived the life of an entitled boss on plantations in New Guinea as a fortune hunter be... more

Peter Matthiessen was a giant of American twentieth century letters, and the only writer ever to win the National Book Award in both the fiction and non-fiction categories. He was a complicated man who went to great lengths to escape the privilege he... more

Before Ash Barty, there was Evonne Goolagong, the first First Nations champion at Wimbledon. She was a player endowed with natural ability but also handicapped by plenty of disadvantages. To develop her talent at tennis she has to leave home at a ver... more

After the success of her debut novel My Brilliant Career, Australian writer Miles Franklin faced a familiar problem: how to write her next book and what should it be about? Her UK publisher was not keen on her ideas and so she turned to journalism an... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host

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Recent Guests

Patricia O'Brien
Author and biographer
Author of the Flynn biography discussed in the episode
Episode: The Swashbuckler
Lance Richardson
Author of The Lives of Peter Matthiessen
Author, The Lives of Peter Matthiessen
Episode: Walks on the Wild Side
Evonne Goolagong
Subject of the biopic, former tennis champion
Evonne Goolagong Cawley (as portrayed in the series)
Episode: Shooting the Shots
Steven McGregor
First Nations screenwriter
Red Fern Now; Goolagong writer
Episode: Shooting the Shots
Megan Simpson Huberman
Co-writer, non-Indigenous writer
Based on Evonne's memoir with Phil Jarratt
Episode: Shooting the Shots
Kerrie Davies
Author of Miles Franklin Undercover (boldly speculative biography)
Episode: In Disguise
Erik Eklund
Historian; biographer researching Arkell and Wollongong
Episode: Mr Wollongong
Juliet Rieden
Author and biographer
Author, biographer of Quentin Bryce
Episode: The Very Model of a Modern Governor General
Adam Courtenay
Author; Bryce Courtenay's son
Episode: The Power of Two

Host

Caroline Baum
Host of Life Sentences

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 93 ratings
  • Walks on the Wildside

    Caroline Baum is a wonderful interviewer of biographers. She clearly prepares well, reads the material and asks penetrating questions. Caro interviewed Lance Richardson about his biography of Peter Matthiessen and they spoke fluidly and candidly about the amazing life of a man ahead of his time in the area of environmental advocacy while including his flaws. It is a superb biography.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Della Rowley
    Australia3 months ago
  • Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

    Loved this wonderful conversation Caroline had with Robert Thacker. She was fearless! She was respectful and yet so precise in her questions, never once stepping back from the challenge. I was on edge listening. She’s a wonderful interviewer, leaving space, letting thoughts gather, prompting skillfully. I loved every minute.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Wallworthy
    Australia5 months ago
  • So engaging

    Such an engaging conversation between Caroline & Race Mathew’s wife Iola. I enjoyed it very much. I loved the way the conversation moved between the subject & the art of the biographer so seamlessly.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    All the time on the world
    Australiaa year ago
  • Really great listening

    I’m new to Caroline’s podcast and I think it’s wonderful. Sustaining smart, informed, deep and entertaining conversation is a real art and I highly recommend.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    sophieggee
    Australiaa year ago
  • Outstanding!

    No matter who’s interviewed about whatever the subject, Caroline’s thorough research, skilled interviewing, and delightful presentation is outstanding. One of my favourite podcasts!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    premium member7
    Australiaa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the host's preparation and probing questions that illuminate biographers' processes.
The show is described as thoughtful, insightful, and deeply researched, with high-quality interviews.
Fans appreciate long-form conversations that reveal the craft of biography and ethical storytelling.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Mr Wollongong
Q: Could you begin by telling us who Frank Arkell was?
Arkell was a highly successful local politician—alderman, then Lord Mayor, and later a state MP—who shaped Wollongong's public image as a dynamic, progressive regional city while concealing a troubling private life that involved alleged abuse and ties to a network of real estate interests and corruption.
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Varda leveraged her up‑wardly mobile upbringing and practical skills to finance and preserve her films while staying true to her vision, often correcting budgets, negotiating with distributors, and using innovative tools (like digital cameras later in life) to keep production flexible.
A Second Chance
Q: Did you feel you had an advantage because you already worked with Elizabeth's correspondence?
Yes, Susan explains that preexisting access to Shirley Hazard's correspondence helped frame Elizabeth's personality and provided a platform to dig deeper into additional letters, shaping a broader understanding rather than a single lens.
Walks on the Wild Side
Q: What role did Matthiessen's CIA involvement and Paris years play in the narrative you chose to tell?
The Paris/ CIA episode is pivotal; it reveals the moral complexity of a life lived across privilege and political intrigue, and explains later atonement themes in his Native American advocacy work, framing the biography as a dialogue between action and responsibility.
Walks on the Wild Side
Q: Did you start with a timeline, and why was that so central to your process?
Yes, absolutely; I started with a timeline and spent years populating it because it provided the skeleton for the entire biography, helped organize a massive archive, and kept the narrative anchored in verifiable details.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Life Sentences Podcast

What is Life Sentences Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program centers on the craft and ethics of biography, featuring in-depth conversations with biographers, authors, and researchers. Episodes explore how writers gather material, verify facts, and balance public interest with private lives, often tackling sensitive topics, archival mystery, and the evolving boundaries between fact and interpretation. Listeners get a behind-the-scenes look at research methods, narrative decisions, and the personal dynamics that shape biographies of both celebrated figures and lesser-known subjects. A standout quality is the host's patient, probing interview style that invites nuance, transparency, and thoughtful debate about truth, memory, and storytelling in biography.

Noteworthy aspects include long-fo... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Life Sentences Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Life Sentences Podcast:

1. Secret Life of Books
2. A Podcast of One's Own with Julia Gillard
3. Chat 10 Looks 3
4. Conversations
5. The Book Show

How many episodes of Life Sentences Podcast are there?

Life Sentences Podcast launched 5 years ago and published 90 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Life Sentences Podcast?

Recent guests on Life Sentences Podcast include:

1. Patricia O'Brien
2. Lance Richardson
3. Evonne Goolagong
4. Steven McGregor
5. Megan Simpson Huberman
6. Kerrie Davies
7. Erik Eklund
8. Juliet Rieden

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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