
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
| Publishes | Twice weekly | Episodes | 772 | Founded | 11 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | BooksArtsHistory | |||

In preparation for next week's conversation with Adam Plunkett, author of a new major biography of Robert Frost (1874-1963), we revisit an earlier episode about the widely anthologized (and often misunderstood) New England poet.
In this episode, whi... more
It's Memorial Day in the United States, a day devoted to remembering the soldiers who have died in service. Together, the society grieves, mourns, and attempts to unite. Similarly, communities can come together through actions like loving; giving; ma... more
The rise of Artificial Intelligence has sent shockwaves through the literary world, with the impact being felt by both publishers and creative types. In this episode, Jacke talks to writer and entrepreneur Eric Burgess about the rise of AI, what it m... more
Twentieth-century French novelist Colette (1873-1954) was a strikingly modern celebrity and full of contradictions. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Kathleen Antonioli about her book Colette: A Critical Life, which tells the story of the life ... more
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Jack says that if you ever use the word woke in a sentence, you are a 100% racist.
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!
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”.
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.
I love this podcast! Great guests. The company carries me right back to college class discussions about literature; I can’t shake the note-taking habit, but I do respond (a little) less out loud.
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A thoughtful exploration of literature across eras, with episodes that pair close-reading with conversations about authors, publishing, and the cultural context surrounding classic and modern works. The show often features scholars, authors, and editors who illuminate themes, historical settings, and book-making as objects, processes, and ideas. Noteworthy is the mix of deep-dive literary analysis and accessible storytelling, plus regular guest readers and expert guests who bring varied perspectives from education, criticism, and publishing. The format tends to blend scholarly context with personal storytelling, making complex topics approachable for devoted readers and researchers alike.
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The History of Literature launched 11 years ago and published 772 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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Recent guests on The History of Literature include:
1. Eric Burgess
2. Mark Hussey
3. Kathleen Antonioli
4. Colombe Schneck
5. Gina Buonaguro
6. Laurie Frankel
7. David Womersley
8. Emma Smith
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