My Sam Johnson

Sam's Wife Tetty, Boswell, and Goldsmith on Sam's Writing

This is the revived podcast (and blog), which have been hiatus while I actually finished writing the biography of Sam. That's now done, and in this episode I provide an update on progress, as well as two anecdotes from Sam's life: his wife's reaction to his Rambler essays, and Sam's reaction to two of his friends haranguing him about doing more writing.

Sam and Wayne, Friends and Followers

Wayne talks about some of Sam's friendships, and also announces that this will be the last podcast episode (and blog posting) of My Sam Johnson. If you've been a follower of the podcast, and you'd like a free signed copy of the book when it's published in 2022, listen in for Wayne's email and text number (613-884-8953), so that he can contact you.

Sam Prays

Wayne discusses God and Sam's prayers to that God, as well as the fact that in the prayers that Sam composed, using time well and getting things done are major focuses. Bonus: there's also some talk about sex and sensuality.

Details from Sam's Biographers: Who Thinks What Is Important

Wayne talks about the process of writing a biography, where often you have to gather all the information you can find about the person, but then cannot use all that information because it wouldn't make for a readable biography.

Sam's Signature

Wayne talks about Sam's signature on letters, and then goes on to discuss letter-writing in the 18th and 21st centuries.

Sam Takes a Long Trip to Scotland

Wayne talks mostly about three road trips to the US he's taken with his friend Oscar, as well as a bit about plans for the book.

What Was Sam Up to as a Gen Z?

Wayne talks about what he—Wayne—was up to in his early 20's.

Sam's Selfies

Wayne talks about the various portraits of Sam Johnson, but the discussion somehow also morphs into selfies of avocado toast and Kim Kardashian's ass, but Wayne recovers and ends up talking about the demise of literary writing. (Is that a recovery?) He ends by talking about the biography of Sam that he is writing and the website that will complement it.

Sam and Universities

Wayne talks about freedom of expression at universities, pivoting from the recent resignation of assistant professor of philosophy Peter Boghossian from Portland State University. Also: the study of Sam in English departments.

Sam Johnson, Blockhead

Wayne talks about Sam's attitude toward writing, and then goes on to discuss why any writer writes and what are the most important things in writing generally.

Sam Was Not Woke

Wake discusses wokeness and Sam Johnson, with some examples from Sam's writing life. There's also a digression on Wayne's experience on Twitter.

Happy with Sam

Wayne discusses happiness and his chat with Gretchen Rubin, author of the New York Times bestselling book, Happier at Home.

Sam Johnson: Rambler, Adventurer, Idler

Wayne talks about style and tone and how they are different in the three periodicals that Sam wrote: the Rambler, Adventurer, and Idler. He also calls on some modern examples of literature, writing,  and film to bolster the point about the importance of style, notably "On Good People and Bad People" by Matt Taibbi; Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov; Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger; the book and film versions of American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis; and the film Calm Like a Bomb, directed by Mau...

The English Language and Sam's Dictionary

Wayne talks about the Dictionary of the English Language that Sam compiled, and which was published in 1755.

Sam and Home

Wayne discusses Rambler essay no. 68 (Tuesday, November 10, 1750), and makes comments on it, especially as it relates to two incidents that happened to him during the week.

Sam Dying

Wayne describes and comments on the last three weeks of Sam's life, prompted by the account kept by one of Sam's friends, John Hoole.

Sam's Health

Wayne talks about Sam's health through his life from birth to death, but mostly focuses on his (Wayne's) methods for researching, organizing, and writing the biography, My Sam Johnson, anticipated to be published in 2022.

Sam, Sam, and Technology

Wayne talked to his nephew Sam about current technology, 18th-century technology, and the tech things that are of interest to at least one 11-year-old boy.

Sam Leaves Lichfield

Lacking success in finding teaching or writing jobs in Lichfield, Sam moves to London to pursue a literary career.

Me, Sam, Writing, and Memory

Wayne talks about the progress with his book, from the beginning, right to 1:27 pm.

The Subject of Biography

Wayne discusses the reasons he is interested in Sam Johnson as a subject for biography.

A Couple of Books and Surprises

Wayne reads and comments on three letters written by Sam Johnson.

Sam's Tetty

Wayne relates some funny anecdotes from the life and marriage of Tetty and Sam, and makes some final comments about empathy and biography.

Sam Johnson, Married and Widowed

Wayne reads from the prayers that Sam Johnson wrote a few weeks after the death of his wife in 1752.

Clean Linen: Sam, Sheets, and Personal Hygiene in the 18th Century

Wayne talks about Sam's eating practices and how they relate to his character, as well as how he ended up singeing his wigs so often.

General: "Publick; Comprising the Whole"

Wayne discusses Sam Johnson's writing style and his plans to try to encourage more reading of Johnson in the biography that he's writing.

Sam's Thoughts and Prayers

Examples of a couple of Sam's prayers and how they illustrate his character and mindset.

Sam Gets Married and Looks for a Job

Sam gets married in 1735 to a widow named Elizabeth ("Tetty") Jervis, and for a year or so they try to get him set up as a teacher.

In Terms of "In Terms Of"

Wayne consults Sam Johnson's dictionary, published in 1755, to see if it contains a definition or a use of the phrase "in terms of" as we use it today – and ends with a brief summary of the state of digitization of this dictionary.

Sam and the Ossian Fraud

Sam defends himself against a fraud poet who claimed that he (the poet) had translated the poems of a 3rd-century poet named Ossian. Sam said they were fakes – and they did turn out to be so.

Sam and Editing