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Artwork for The History of Literature

The History of Literature

Jacke Wilson / The Podglomerate
Literature
Shakespeare
Poetry
Emily Brontë
Ernest Hemingway
Charlotte Brontë
Jane Austen
William Shakespeare
Identity
Translation
James Baldwin
Henry James
The Odyssey
Feminism
Emily Dickinson
Sylvia Plath
John Keats
The Jolly Corner
The Great Gatsby
Abolitionism

Amateur enthusiast Jacke Wilson journeys through the history of literature, from ancient epics to contemporary classics. Episodes are not in chronological order and you don't need to start at the beginning - feel free to jump in wherever you like! Find out more at historyofliterature.com and facebook.com/historyofliterature. Support the show by visiting patreon.com/literature or historyofliteratur... more

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Artwork for The History of Literature

Latest Episodes

Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell, two of the leading novelists of the 19th century, shared a remarkable literary friendship. After Charlotte's death, Gaskell's Life of Charlotte Brontë became one of the most famous--and controversial--literary... more

What do we know about the Chinese philosopher and teacher Confucius? Although people have written biographies of Confucius for over 2,000 years, a recent discovery of a Chinese tomb containing the oldest written account of his life gives us a chance ... more

The second half of the twentieth century was marked by an extreme increase in America's prison population, from roughly 250,000 inmates in 1940 to well over two million by 2008. At the same time, American readers were devouring mysteries, thrillers, ... more

At the time of Washington Irving's death, he was the most famous and widely praised American writer of his or any other era. But his reputation soon dwindled, and today he's known primarily as the author of just two stories ("The Legend of Sleepy Hol... more

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Recent Guests

Rachel Pastan
Award-winning novelist; literary director of Celia Bookshop!
Celia Bookshop! Swarthmore
Episode: 828 Confucius (with Mark Csizkszentmihalyi) | Celia Bookshop! (with Rachel Pastan) | Jacke in Taiwan
Mark Csikszentmihalyi
Professor of International Studies, UC Berkeley; editor of Early China
University of California, Berkeley; Early China
Episode: 828 Confucius (with Mark Csizkszentmihalyi) | Celia Bookshop! (with Rachel Pastan) | Jacke in Taiwan
Theodore Martin
Associate Professor of English, University of California, Irvine; author of Contemporary Drift, Genre Historicism and the Problem of the Present
University of California, Irvine
Episode: 827 American Literature's War on Crime (with Theodore Martin) | W.E.B. DuBois Sits with Shakespeare
Phillip Lopate
Professor Emeritus of Creative Writing at Columbia University; author of A Washington Irving Sketch Book, Reflections of an American Writer
Columbia University; author
Episode: 826 The Essayist's Essayist - Phillip Lopate on the Pleasures of Reading Washington Irving and Other "Minor Writers" | Notes from the History of Literature Podcast Tour!
David Womersley
Historian and scholar; expert on Henry James, Shakespeare, Johnson, Boswell
University/Academic Historian
Episode: 825 Henry James's Ghosts (with Morgan Lloyd Malcolm) | My Last Book with David Womersley
Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Award-winning playwright and screenwriter; adaptation of Dracula and The Turn of the Screw
Playwright, Screenwriter
Episode: 825 Henry James's Ghosts (with Morgan Lloyd Malcolm) | My Last Book with David Womersley
Emily Franklin
Best-selling author and writer of Love and Other Monsters
Author, Love and Other Monsters
Episode: 824 Why Did Mary Shelley Try to Erase Her? The Claire Clairmont Story (with Emily Franklin) | My Last Book with Mathelinda Nabugodi
Lydia Willsky-Ciollo
Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Director of American Studies at Fairfield University
Fairfield University
Episode: 822 Wild Thoreau (with Lydia Willsky-Ciollo) | My Last Book with Douglas Clark
Douglas Clark
Author of The Will in English Renaissance Drama
University of Oxford
Episode: 822 Wild Thoreau (with Lydia Willsky-Ciollo) | My Last Book with Douglas Clark

Host

Jacke Wilson
Host of The History of Literature, leading conversationalist with a scholarly bent

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 3k ratings
  • All about him

    The majority of the wuthering heights episode was him whining about how girls friendzoned him when he was younger. So annoying to listen to. Came to listen to analysis about the book not hear you project your sulky gripes about girls not wanting to date you because you’re a “nice” guy.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Tormansfield
    United States3 months ago
  • Remarkable Racist

    Jack says that if you ever use the word woke in a sentence, you are a 100% racist.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    chubby baker
    United States4 months ago
  • Love this Podcast

    Wuthering Heights was a great discussion. I had to laugh at Jacke’s description of Heathcliff as compared to his young, squeaky clean self. We’ve all known how the opposite sex seems to be attracted to the bad boys/girls. Poor good Jacke. Great work for an interesting piece of literature! Refreshing not to approach it with a bit of humor! Thumbs up!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    marketpop
    United States5 months ago
  • An incel rant

    Listened to the Wuthering Heights “analysis” and instead got an incel ranting about how he was “too nice” and that’s why no girl liked him back. Completely ignored a lot of the deeper themes of the book (ex. class, racism, and portrayal of female sexuality in the Victorian era) to talk about the “mysteries of the female mind”.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    gb4600
    United States5 months ago
  • Too much fluff

    Found this podcast after searching for an episode on The Brothers Karamazov. I’m 40 minutes in and he has not even started talking about the book. It feels more like a personal therapy session than a book analysis/discussion.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    tayshotzy
    United States6 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Many listeners value the breadth of guests across classic and modern literature and translation.”
Some reviews note long introductions and a slow pace but highlight the depth of analysis.
Listeners praise the host for engaging, scholarly discussions with strong guest lineups.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#45
United States/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#132
United States/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#70
United Kingdom/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#92
Canada/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#170
United Kingdom/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#227
Canada/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

827 American Literature's War on Crime (with Theodore Martin) | W.E.B. DuBois Sits with Shakespeare
Q: Did literature serve as propaganda or critique of crime policy?
The episode suggests a mixed influence, with some authors appearing to align with policy goals while others critique the militarization of policing and the consequences of mass incarceration, illustrating literature's role as a nuanced platform for competing political ideas.
827 American Literature's War on Crime (with Theodore Martin) | W.E.B. DuBois Sits with Shakespeare
Q: What kind of impact did War on Crime have on crime fiction itself?
It transformed the genres' protagonists and plots, pushed authors to engage with race and class in policing, and created a range of responses—from sympathetic portrayals of law enforcement to critical examinations of violence and state power—reflecting a dynamic cultural conversation rather than a single message.
827 American Literature's War on Crime (with Theodore Martin) | W.E.B. DuBois Sits with Shakespeare
Q: Just how popular was crime fiction during this period?
Crime fiction dominated bestseller lists and airport paperbacks from the 1940s through the 1990s, expanding from hard-boiled detective stories to a broader spectrum that included feminist detective fiction and elevated genre works, while remaining deeply intertwined with public debates about crime and policing.
826 The Essayist's Essayist - Phillip Lopate on the Pleasures of Reading Washington Irving and Other "Minor Writers" | Notes from the History of Literature Podcast Tour!
Q: This will be the last book you will ever read. You can either choose one that exists or describe one that has not yet been written.
Lopate responds by imagining a personal, meaningful project tied to grief and memory, indicating a desire to write about a complex relationship with his brother as a healing, reflective process, while also acknowledging Tolstoy's War and Peace as a compelling model for epic storytelling.
828 Confucius (with Mark Csizkszentmihalyi) | Celia Bookshop! (with Rachel Pastan) | Jacke in Taiwan
Q: Who was Confucius and why is his life important to discuss today?
Confucius was a teacher and advisor from the Zhou period whose ideas about virtue, ritual, and governance shaped Chinese culture for millennia; the episode frames him not as a mythic founder but as a historical figure whose legacy has been reinterpreted across eras.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About The History of Literature

What is The History of Literature about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show offers deep dives into literary history, author biographies, and scholarly context across a wide range of writers and eras. Episodes commonly blend close-reading, biographical context, translation, and reception, often featuring expert guests such as academics, translators, biographers, and editors. Listeners can expect thoughtful analyses of classics, nuanced discussions of literary influence, and connections to contemporary culture through themes like translation, gender, nationalism, and publishing. A notable strength is the host's ability to host long-form conversations with distinguished scholars and writers, interspersed with literary anecdotes, readings, and sponsor reads that keep the cadence lively for a broadly educated ... more

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1. Backlisted
2. In Our Time
3. Hardcore Literature
4. Close Readings
5. In Our Time: Culture

How many episodes of The History of Literature are there?

The History of Literature launched 11 years ago and published 792 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 The History of Literature?

Recent guests on The History of Literature include:

1. Rachel Pastan
2. Mark Csikszentmihalyi
3. Theodore Martin
4. Phillip Lopate
5. David Womersley
6. Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
7. Emily Franklin
8. Lydia Willsky-Ciollo

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