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The History of Literature

Jacke Wilson / The Podglomerate
Literature
Shakespeare
Poetry
Charlotte Brontë
Emily Brontë
Jane Austen
William Shakespeare
Identity
The Odyssey
James Baldwin
Henry James
Ernest Hemingway
Sylvia Plath
John Keats
The Jolly Corner
The Great Gatsby
Translation
Abolitionism
Mark Twain
F. Scott Fitzgerald

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

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes792Founded11 years ago
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BooksArtsHistory

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Latest Episodes

Everywhere we look, we see the benefits of the modern world. But what have we lost? In this episode, Jacke talks to Malcolm Guite about his new book Galahad and the Grail, the first of a four-volume Arthuriad, which poetically retells the Arthurian l... more

As we recently discussed with Hadley Suter, nineteenth-century French novelist Stendhal (1783-1842) came of age in an era when identity was up for grabs. So who was he? How did he view himself? What did he write, and why do we care so much about him ... more

When times are tough, can literature help? After sharing an email from a listener, Jacke talks to author Rachel Pastan about her novel We're So Lucky to Live Here, in which a woman copes with a tragic loss by staging a production of Chekhov's The Che... more

We often say it's important for a person to be "authentic," but what does that mean? Why is that necessarily a good thing? In this episode, Jacke talks to author Hadley Suter (Becoming Stendhal: The Performance of Authenticity and the Making of a Nov... more

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Recent Guests

Malcolm Guite
Poet, priest, fellow at Cambridge University, author of Galahad and the Grail
Cambridge University
Episode: 833 Galahad and the Grail (with Malcolm Guite)
Hadley Suter
Lecturer of French at Barnard College; scholar of 19th-century literature and philosophy
Barnard College
Episode: 830 Becoming Stendhal (with Hadley Suter) | A Literary Tribute to Dolly Parton
Susan Dunne
Author of Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell, Their Lives, Friendship and Writings
Author, Susan Dunne
Episode: 829 Charlotte Brontë and Her Biographer Elizabeth Gaskell (with Susan Dunne) | My Last Book with Travis Franks | The Odyssey Kerfuffle
Mark Csikszentmihalyi
Professor of International Studies, UC Berkeley; editor of Early China
University of California, Berkeley; Early China
Episode: 828 Confucius (with Mark Csikszentmihalyi) | Celia Bookshop! (with Rachel Pastan) | Jacke in Taiwan
Rachel Pastan
Award-winning novelist; literary director of Celia Bookshop!
Celia Bookshop! Swarthmore
Episode: 828 Confucius (with Mark Csikszentmihalyi) | 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!
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
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

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 States5 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 States7 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
#47
United States/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#130
United States/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#27
Canada/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#78
Canada/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#100
United Kingdom/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#108
France/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

833 Galahad and the Grail (with Malcolm Guite)
Q: Was verse always important to you for telling this story, or could it have been told in prose?
For Guite, verse was essential because poetry is a felt change of consciousness; it helps to align head and heart and makes the legend resonate on a deeper level.
829 Charlotte Brontë and Her Biographer Elizabeth Gaskell (with Susan Dunne) | My Last Book with Travis Franks | The Odyssey Kerfuffle
Q: What was the dynamic between Charlotte Brontë's husband and Elizabeth Gaskell regarding access to letters and materials?
Arthur Bell Nicholls was wary and sometimes obstructive about sharing Charlotte's letters, which Gaskell nevertheless used selectively to let Charlotte speak in her own voice while navigating the legal and personal tensions that surrounded the biographical project.
829 Charlotte Brontë and Her Biographer Elizabeth Gaskell (with Susan Dunne) | My Last Book with Travis Franks | The Odyssey Kerfuffle
Q: How did the controversy around libel shape the final editions of the Life of Charlotte Brontë?
The libel threats prompted the recall of the first edition and the rewriting of subsequent editions, as Gaskell and her publishers faced pressure from figures tied to Charlotte's family and past acquaintances, leading to significant edits that softened or removed problematic material while preserving the narrative she aimed to present.
829 Charlotte Brontë and Her Biographer Elizabeth Gaskell (with Susan Dunne) | My Last Book with Travis Franks | The Odyssey Kerfuffle
Q: Susan, did Elizabeth Gaskell conduct extensive research and draw on letters to write the Charlotte Brontë biography, or was it more driven by memory and sentiment?
Gaskell undertook a tremendous amount of research, visiting many people connected to Charlotte, collecting hundreds of letters, and using those sources to craft a vivid, many-sided narrative that balanced affectionate portraiture with critical judgment, though she was still guided by an overarching agenda to redeem Charlotte's reputation.
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.

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. Close Readings
4. Literature and History
5. The LRB Podcast

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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. Malcolm Guite
2. Hadley Suter
3. Susan Dunne
4. Mark Csikszentmihalyi
5. Rachel Pastan
6. Theodore Martin
7. Phillip Lopate
8. Morgan Lloyd Malcolm

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