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PODCAST

The History of Literature

Jacke Wilson / The Podglomerate

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 historyofliterature.com/donate. Contact the show at historyofliteraturepodcast@gmail.com.

arts books

All Episodes

78:40

725 The Trial by Franz Kafka (#21 GBOAT) | Edith...

The History of Literature ·

2025/08/14

Jacke starts the episode with an uplifting story, then submerges himself into chaos and absurdity for a look at The Trial by Franz Kafka, which lands at #21 on the list of Greatest Books of All Time. Then he welcomes novelist Olivia Wolfgang-Smith to the show for a discussion of her admiration for Edith Wharton, her passion for the works of Patrick O'Brian (author of the Aubrey-Maturin series), and her latest work Mutual Interest, a dishy novel about ambition, sexuality, and the rise of a capitalist

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61:38

724 The Stranger by Albert Camus (#22 Greatest Book...

The History of Literature ·

2025/08/11

Put on your black turtleneck! Jacke starts the episode with a look at #22 on the list of The Greatest Books of All Time, The Stranger by Albert Camus. Then he talks to Jake Poller about British and American novelist and playwright Christopher Isherwood, whose Goodbye to Berlin was adapted into the stage musical and movie Cabaret. In discussing his work Christopher Isherwood: A Critical Life, Jake tells Jacke about what it was like to write a biography of such an the itinerant and multifaceted

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76:28

723 The Moral Rights of Authors (with Mira T Sundara...

The History of Literature ·

2025/08/07

As technology advances, the ability of authors and artists to prevent their works from being pirated or misused has become urgent. In this episode, Jacke talks to copyright expert Mira T. Sundara Rajan (The Moral Rights of Authors and Artists: From the Birth of Copyright to the Age of Artificial Intelligence) about the history of copyright law, the concept of "moral rights," and how new legal developments might best protect the human dignity of authors and artists in the twenty-first century. PLUS

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63:15

722 Kerouac's Road - A Conversation with Ebs...

The History of Literature ·

2025/08/04

Since its publication in 1957, Jack Kerouac's iconic novel On the Road has inspired millions to head for the highways and live life to its fullest. In this episode, Jacke talks to filmmaker Ebs Burnough about his new documentary Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation, which interweaves stories of modern-day travelers with those influenced by or connected to the legendary author. PLUS Steven Belletto, editor of The Cambridge Companion to Jack Kerouac and The Cambridge Companion to the Beats, stops by

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91:14

721 Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (The #23...

The History of Literature ·

2025/07/31

Jacke continues his journey through the list of the 25 Greatest Books of All Time with a look at Flaubert's "perfect novel," Madame Bovary (1856-57). Telling the story of the bored wife of a provincial doctor who enters into a series of infidelities, Flaubert's debut caused an immediate sensation - and changed the way we've come to view both novels and novelists. In this episode, Jacke talks about the book and its impact; passes along three Madame Bovary tidbits from Mike Palindrome (who is

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86:43

720 The 25 Greatest Books of All Time - #24 "The...

The History of Literature ·

2025/07/28

Jacke continues his analysis of "The 25 Greatest Books of All Time" by a special look at Homer's Odyssey. Then Mike Palindrome, the president of the Literature Supporters Club, joins Jacke for a discussion of the second half of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1922 story, "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," in which a young midwesterner travels to a secluded Montana estate filled with lavish wealth and cheerful psychopaths. Additional listening: 719 The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, Part 1 713 The Odyssey

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114:49

719 "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" by F Scott...

The History of Literature ·

2025/07/24

In June of 1922, the twenty-five-year-old wunderkind F. Scott Fitzgerald published "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," an incredible story of fabulously wealthy people living a secret life in remote Montana. Later that month, he began composing his most famous work, The Great Gatsby. In this episode, Jacke and Mike read and discuss this early Fitzgerald story. PLUS Jacke kicks off a new series, 25 for 25, which looks at the 25 Greatest Books of All Time, with a discussion of #25, The Grapes of Wrath

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99:04

718 Jim - The Life and Afterlives of Huckleberry...

The History of Literature ·

2025/07/21

In this episode, Jacke talks to eminent Twain scholar Shelley Fisher Fishkin (Was Huck Black?: Mark Twain and African-American Voices) about her new book Jim: The Life and Afterlives of Huckleberry Finn's Comrade, which sheds new light on the origins and influence of Mark Twain's beloved yet polarizing figure. PLUS Jacke takes a look at the recent spate of Mark Twain news, from the publication of Percival Everett's prizewinning novel James, to John Jeremiah Sullivan's review of Ron Chernow's

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56:41

717 Einstein and Kafka (with Ken Krimstein) | Dr...

The History of Literature ·

2025/07/17

It's an action-packed day at the History of Literature! First, Jacke recounts the story of Dr. Johnson racing to the aid of his friend, the playwright Oliver Goldsmith, whose landlady was threatening him with debtor's prison. Naturally, the great critic and dictionary author Johnson found a very literary way to help. Then Jacke is joined by author Ken Krimstein, whose graphic novel Einstein in Kafkaland: How Albert Fell Down the Rabbit Hole and Came Up with the Universe looks at the critical year

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61:28

716 Icelandic Folk Legends (with Dagrun Osk...

The History of Literature ·

2025/07/14

Since the first permanent settlers landed there more than a thousand years ago, Iceland has been perhaps the most unique and enchanting place in all of Europe. How fitting, then, for its people to have developed unique, enchanting, and captivating stories involving hidden people, trolls, ghosts, sea monsters, and more. In this episode, Jacke talks to Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir about the tales of love, revenge, and conflict gathered in her book Ghosts, Trolls, and the Hidden People: An Anthology of

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72:12

715 How Did George Eliot and the Victorians Respond...

The History of Literature ·

2025/07/10

What does it feel like to live helplessly in a world that is coming undone? If you're alive in 2025, you are probably very familiar with this feeling - and if you'd been alive in the age of Victorian literature, you might have felt that way too. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Nathan K. Hensley about his book Action without Hope: Victorian Literature after Climate Collapse, which studies how authors like George Eliot, Emily Brontë, H.G. Wells, Lewis Carroll, and Christina Rossetti used

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85:00

714 The Real Charles Dickens (with Stephen Browning...

The History of Literature ·

2025/07/07

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) led one of the most colorful and interesting lives of any author. But while many of us are familiar with his unforgettable characters and fantastically successful novels, we often don't know the details of his difficult early life, his success as a reporter, his troubled marriage and suspected relationship with another woman, and his social reform efforts. In this episode, Jacke talks to Stephen Browning and Simon Thomas, whose book The Real Charles Dickens takes the

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94:43

713 The Odyssey (with Daniel Mendelsohn) | The...

The History of Literature ·

2025/07/03

Homer's Odyssey is one of the oldest surviving works of literature - and yet, somehow, it can also feel like one of the newest. The inventive narrative structure, complex hero, and surprisingly modern themes still feel fresh, thousands of years after the poem's genesis. In this episode, Jacke talks to author and translator Daniel Mendelsohn about his passion for the Odyssey and his efforts to breathe new poetic life into the ancient epic through a vivid new translation. PLUS Jacke announces the

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59:46

712 Shakespeare's Greatest Love (with David Medina) |...

The History of Literature ·

2025/06/30

He might be the greatest writer about love that the world has ever known. But as is so often the case with Shakespeare, the biographical record raises as many questions as it answers. How often did Shakespeare fall in love, and with whom, and what happened? Who was Shakespeare's greatest love? In this episode, Jacke talks to David Medina about his book Shakespeare's Greatest Love, which argues that the answer has long been hiding in plain sight. Check out David's book tour and other events at

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73:28

711 How Does Literature Handle Atrocities? (with...

The History of Literature ·

2025/06/26

For millennia, literature has represented humanity at its finest. Over the same period of time, human beings have been committing the worst acts of mass violence imaginable. How have authors addressed these atrocities? Have they shown an ability to look at their own nation with the critical eyes of a stranger? And if so, have works of imagination proven themselves to be the right means of doing so? In this episode, Jacke talks to Bruce Robbins about his book Atrocity: A Literary History, which

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60:09

710 Weird and Wonderful Stories from Ancient Greece...

The History of Literature ·

2025/06/23

It's another action-packed episode! First, Jacke relays the story of a long-time listener who worked some mundane jobs before becoming an artistic bookmaker. Then Jacke talks to author Paul Chrystal about his work diving into lesser-known ancient texts for his book Miracula: Weird and Wonderful Stories of Ancient Greece and Rome. And in between, Jacke announces an exciting new development for the podcast. Enjoy!Learn more about Chaz and Katie's journey by visiting their About Page at

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91:52

709 Black American Humor (with Damon Young) | The...

The History of Literature ·

2025/06/16

DAMON YOUNG (⁠What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays⁠) is a Pittsburgh writer and humorist. In this episode, Jacke talks to Damon about his work editing and writing an introduction for That's How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor, which emphasizes how and why Black American humor is uniquely transfixing. PLUS Jacke nominates a joke as the greatest American joke ever told. Learn more about Damon Young and his work at https://www.damonjyoung.com

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71:01

708 Science Fact and Science Fiction (with Keith...

The History of Literature ·

2025/06/12

For decades, writers and filmmakers have imagined worlds where characters can do things like watch a double sunset (on Tatooine, of course), or stand among the sand dunes of Arrakis, or gaze at the gas-giant planet Polyphemus from the moon Pandora. But even as works like Star Wars, Dune, and Avatar have enticed us with their fictional renditions of planets beyond our reach, astronomers have slowly begun to compile a set of scientific truths about the actual exoplanets. In this episode, Jacke talks

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60:42

707 Emile Zola (with Robert Lethbridge) | Graham...

The History of Literature ·

2025/06/09

For years, listeners have been requesting an episode devoted to the French novelist, journalist, playwright, and public intellectual Émile Zola (1840-1902). In this episode, Jacke talks to author Robert Lethbridge, whose new book Émile Zola: A Determined Life presents a comprehensive exploration of the life, work, and times of the celebrated French literary polymath. PLUS Jacke takes a look at some news that a ghost story by Graham Greene - perhaps the only one he ever wrote - has recently emerged

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72:23

706 Living with Jane Austen (with Janet Todd) | A...

The History of Literature ·

2025/06/02

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Jane Austen's novels make us wish she was our friend. She wouldn't be just any old friend: she'd be the sharpest and wisest, the one we turn to in a crisis, the one who understands our flaws and helps us see our blind spots. As we navigate the perils of love and life, she'd be the friend who gently points us in the right direction. Well, that's a funny thing to say about someone who lived more than two hundred years ago, but it's how we feel. And so, we

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