American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)
1,059 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 13 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 16 ratingsIn each episode I discuss around 100 pages from the works of American writers. Contact me at [email protected]
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Episodes
Episode: 559: Mark Twain: Innocents Abroad (Part 1)
January 20, 2023 02:57 - 34 minutes - 37.8 MBWe move onto Mark Twain's first published book INNOCENTS ABROAD. This book recounts his adventures in Europe and Asia during a steamship tour. Through it he reflects a lot on tourism and authenticity.
Robert A. Heinlein Book Club: Episode 9: If This Goes On (Part 2)
January 20, 2023 02:54 - 11 minutes - 13 MBIn this short episode, I finish up my thoughts on IF THIS GOES ON by Robert A. Heinlein, focusing on the strategy for insurgencies and how movement cultures transform ideology.
Robert A. Heinlein Book Club: Episode 8: If This Goes On (Part 1)
January 16, 2023 23:02 - 25 minutes - 27.8 MBIn this episode of the Robert A. Heinlein Book Club, I examine the first half of "If This Goes On," which images a rebellion against a theocratic American autocracy. It forces us to consider what goes into making movement cultures.
Episode 558: Mark Twain: Pudd’nhead Wilson
January 16, 2023 23:00 - 27 minutes - 30.2 MBIn this episode, I take a quick look at Mark Twain's PUDD'NHEAD WILSON, a great exploration of the absurdity of the color line and slavery in America.
Robert A. Heinlein BookClub: Episode 7: Requiem
January 12, 2023 12:20 - 14 minutes - 16 MBThere is not a whole lot to say about Robert A. Heinlein's story "Requiem" but I try anyway to give my thoughts. Maybe we will have more to say when we get to "The Man Who Sold the Moon", his prequel to this story.
Episode 557: Mark Twain: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Part 3)
January 12, 2023 12:19 - 23 minutes - 26 MBThis episode is the conclusion to my thoughts on THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, one of my nation's greatest novels. It ends (in my opinion) with a criticism of liberalism as a path to change and progress.
Robert A. Heinlein Book Club: Episode 6: The Roads Must Roll
January 10, 2023 14:58 - 21 minutes - 24.7 MBI agree that the "roads must roll", but to what degree does that mean we should be obliged to one class of people? Perhaps I look into that in this review of "The Roads Must Roll" by Heinlein.
Episode 556: Mark Twain: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Part 2)
January 10, 2023 14:55 - 27 minutes - 29.9 MBIn part 2 of my review of THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN by Mark Twain, I focus on the odious adults that Huck and Jim interact with and how we might interpret the various lines between freedom and slavery, adulthood and childhood, and above all, the color line.
Robert A. Heinlein Book Club:Episode 5: Let There Be Light
January 06, 2023 09:41 - 21 minutes - 23.2 MBIn the 1940 story "Let There Be Light", Heinlein takes on the question of IP and public good, but much more radically than in "Life-Line." And based gender politics too.
Episode 555: Mark Twain: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Part 1)
January 05, 2023 11:49 - 36 minutes - 38.2 MBThe first part of my review of THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN by Mark Twain. I focus on Huck's character and the adults surrounding him. I will lots to say about both of these themes in future episodes, but it is clear how radical Twain's position is on civilization and morality.
Robert A. Heinlein Book Club: Episode 4: Misfit
January 03, 2023 12:21 - 17 minutes - 18.9 MBIn "Misfit" by Robert A. Heinlein we experience the Civilian Conservation Corps in space and see how in the frontier a natural genius can succeed. Not sure how more American you can get than this story.
Episode 554: Mark Twain: Life on the Mississippi (Part 4)
January 02, 2023 15:48 - 23 minutes - 25.6 MBThis episode is the conclusion of my review of LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Mark Twain. The ending has some great commentary on the Southern memory of the American Civil War and how the antebellum culture of the South was corrupted by the works of writers such as Walter Scott.
Robert A. Heinlein Book Club: Episode 3: Life-Line
December 29, 2022 10:00 - 21 minutes - 24.2 MBWhat happens to insurance companies when a scientist can predict the moment of your death? Should corporations be able to stop the spread of knowledge that benefits humanity? Heinlein takes on these questions in his first published story, "Life-Line". I talk about these themes in this episode.
Episode 553: Mark Twain: Life on the Mississippi (Part 3)
December 29, 2022 09:59 - 26 minutes - 29.2 MBThis episode is part three of my coverage of LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Mark Twain. With Twain we explore how the South and the nation changed in the years after the American Civil War, for better or for worse. He grabbed my attention again with his writing on New Orleans.
Robert A. Heinlein Book Club: Episode 2: For Us, the Living (Part 2)
December 27, 2022 12:19 - 26 minutes - 29.8 MBIn this episode, I finish my look at FOR US, THE LIVING by Robert A. Heinlein. There is a lot of historical and economic details that I scan over here, but I strongly encourage you to look at this utopia work.
Episode 552: Mark Twain: Life on the Mississippi (Part 2)
December 27, 2022 12:17 - 22 minutes - 24.3 MBThis episode is a little more on LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Mark Twain. It is also an episode where I have a personal breakdown and realization.
Robert A. Heinlein Book Club: Episode 1: For Us, the Living (Part 1)
December 22, 2022 11:59 - 25 minutes - 28.8 MBI start my exploration of Robert A. Heinlein's works with my thoughts on FOR US, THE LIVING, a fascinating study of the "social credit" economy.
Episode 551: Mark Twain: Life on the Mississippi (Part 1)
December 22, 2022 11:56 - 21 minutes - 22.2 MBThe early chapters of the massive THE LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI explores the natural and human history of the river before getting into the personal history of young Samuel Clemens as a trainee steamboat pilot. For much of the first half, it is a celebration of the knowledge of the working class.
Episode 550:Mark Twain: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Part 2)
December 19, 2022 12:01 - 32 minutes - 34.5 MBThe second half of my review of THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER by Mark Twain. Here I discuss adulthood, the preservation of freedom (or not) and the horrors of maturation.
Episode 549: Mark Twain: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Part 1)
December 13, 2022 14:19 - 49 minutes - 54.2 MBI begin my series on the works of Mark Twain with THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER. I hope I have a little bit to say about this well-known novel.
Episode 548: The American Civil War (Part 28): The Finale
December 08, 2022 13:28 - 34 minutes - 38.3 MBFinally, I reach the end of my series on the American Civil War. Next up, we will look at the works of Mark Twain.
Episode 548: The American Civil War (Part 27): Lincoln’s Second Inagural
December 06, 2022 15:01 - 53 minutes - 57.3 MBAmong other things I explore Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, the passage of the 13th Amendment, and the later battles of the Civil War. This series nears its end.
Episode 546: The American Civil War (Part 26): March to the Sea
December 01, 2022 22:40 - 49 minutes - 51.3 MBIn this episode, I begin the end of my coverage of the American Civil War Library of America anthology with a gloss on the March to the Sea and related events, as well as the 1864 election.
Episode 545: The American Civil War (Part 25): The Fall of Atlanta and the Election of 1864
November 29, 2022 13:18 - 35 minutes - 38.3 MBThe crucial election of 1864 took place in the context of decisive Union victories in Atlanta and Virginia. How do these events effect the people who experienced them first hand? I read about it in the Library of American anthology of Civil War writings.
Episode 544: The American Civil War (Part 24): Peace Movement?
November 24, 2022 14:52 - 42 minutes - 46.5 MBIn this episode, I consider documents from the American Civil War on the 1864 peace movement, the siege of Atlanta, the Jubal Early raid on Washington, and other issues.
Episode 543: The American Civil War (Part 23): Overland Campaign
November 23, 2022 10:53 - 30 minutes - 33.3 MBI continue to explore the American Civil War through primary sources, looking primarily at the brutal outcomes of the Overland Campaign and the soldiers responses and recollections of those costly battles.
Episode 542: The American Civil War (Part 22)
November 17, 2022 23:04 - 54 minutes - 58.6 MBIn this episode, I begin my look at the final year of the American Civil War through the Library of American anthology. I was particularly moved by Harriet Jacob's school in Virginia. I also look into the Fort Pillow Massacre and the start of the Overland campaign.
Episode 541: Stephen King: IT (Part 11)
November 09, 2022 13:02 - 57 minutes - 62.4 MBThe final episode in my review of IT. Let me know what you think of this novel and my coverage of it.
Episode 540: Stephen King: IT (Part 10)
November 06, 2022 12:12 - 39 minutes - 44.3 MBIn part 10 of my review of Stephen King's IT, we (almost) get the climax in the sewers. Before we can go there we need to spend around 100 pages watching King set that climax up. It has one of the most memorable and horrible moments in the novel, the confrontation between Beverly and her possessed father.
Episode 539: Stephen King: IT (Part 9)
November 02, 2022 11:37 - 53 minutes - 59.1 MBIn this episode I explore three chapters of Stephen King's novel IT. It includes a couple of a my favorite sections: the death of Patrick Hockstetter and a deeper dive into Derry's history in the fourth "Interlude" chapter.
Episode 538: Stephen King: IT (Part 8)
October 26, 2022 12:50 - 41 minutes - 46.6 MBIn this episode I look at the chapters "The Smokehole" and "Eddie's Big Break" from Stephen King's novel IT. Sadly these are both chapters that have been neglected or radically changed in the film adaptations, but they are still pretty important.
Episode 537: Stephen King: IT (Part 7)
October 18, 2022 22:53 - 46 minutes - 50.2 MBI continue my deep dive into IT by Stephen King by looking at the turning point chapters on the "Apocalyptic Rock Fight" and "The Album", which set up the confrontation that will dominate the rest of the novel
Episode 536: The American Civil War (21): Winter of 1863-1864
October 13, 2022 13:00 - 50 minutes - 55 MBIn this episode, I look at some historical documents produced in the winter of 1863 and 1864. With the tide of the war decisively changed, desperation, desertion, and even some radical proposals appear in the Confederacy. The war was lost at home and on the battlefield.
Episode 535: Stephen King: IT (Part 6)
October 11, 2022 14:08 - 49 minutes - 55.9 MBIn this episode I look at the "Walking Tours" chapter of Stephen King's novel IT. It sets up some important themes for the later half of the novel and prepares us for the non-stop unification of past and present that we will experience from here to the end.
Episode 534: American Civil War (20): The Gettysburg Address
October 06, 2022 12:02 - 32 minutes - 35.4 MBIn this episode I explore more documents from the American Civil War, focusing on the end of 1863. Topics include Reconstruction, the battles around Chattanooga, and The Gettysburg Address.
Episode 533: Stephen King, IT (5)
October 04, 2022 22:09 - 36 minutes - 41 MBThis is the episode where I deal with the biggest problem I have interpreting this novel. The question of IT's motivations, the return of the Losers, and the reason they are all rich and childless. I also talk about the second "interlude" chapter and "The Reunion".
Episode 532: The American Civil War (19): Making a Revolution
September 29, 2022 12:31 - 38 minutes - 42 MBThe documents from the summer of 1863, after the victories of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, show how rapidly Emancipation changed the fortunes of the war and public opinion in both the North and the South. I had a lot of fun with these documents and hope you enjoy too.
Episode 531: Stephen King: IT (4)
September 27, 2022 12:33 - 56 minutes - 60.8 MBIn this episode we continue our slow read through IT by Stephen King and finish up part two of the book. The chapters focus on the power of magic, belief, reason, and the group.
Episode 530: Stephen King, It (3)
September 22, 2022 12:34 - 46 minutes - 50.8 MBPart three of my review of IT by Stephen King. The chapters I look at here explore the creation of a Ka-tet (to steal a Dark Tower term) and meditate on the power of the group.
Episode 529: The American Civil War (18): The Turning Point
September 20, 2022 22:57 - 24 minutes - 26.1 MBIn this episode we look at a handful of turning points in the American Civil War by working through the Library of America's anthology of Civil War writings.
Episode 528: Stephen King: IT (2)
September 13, 2022 13:54 - 58 minutes - 61.8 MBPart two of my review of Stephen King's IT. I mostly discuss how much I like the book's relationship to fictional and real history.
Episode 527: The American Civil War (17):June of 1863
September 07, 2022 22:33 - 32 minutes - 35.7 MBAs I continue reading through a series of primary sources on the American Civil War, I dig into the events of June of 1863, which set the stage for some climactic events including the draft riots, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the attack on Fort Wagner.
Episode 526: Stephen King, IT (1)
September 05, 2022 11:04 - 1 hour - 71.3 MBThis episode of my non-Hugo-award-winning podcast introduces a mini-series on Stephen King's IT, which will be released alongside my main series. Here I cover the first few chapters of the novel.
Episode 525: The American Civil War (16): Total War
September 01, 2022 13:03 - 35 minutes - 38.2 MBWhen did the American Civil War become a total war? The documents I look at in this episode cover the spring of 1863 and suggest these months may be when the war truly became total.
Episode 524: The American Civil War (15): Impact of Emancipation
August 25, 2022 13:08 - 51 minutes - 55.8 MBIn this episode I continue my Civil War series and look at the impact of Emancipation on the war effort, diplomacy, and public opinion. I also talk about Sherman's questions about freedom of the press.
Episode 522: Benjamin Franlkin: Writings from the Seven Years’ War and Letters
June 26, 2022 13:05 - 30 minutes - 32.9 MBA bit of a mixed bag in this episode. I close out my look at Franklin's writings from before his relocation to London in 1757 and take on a grabbag of letters on science and politics.
Episode 521: Benjamin Franklin 1747-1754: The Albany Plan
June 08, 2022 11:12 - 26 minutes - 28 MBI read another 100 pages of American writers. This time, it is Ben Franklin's writings from the 1740s and 1750s, up until the Albany Plan of Union and his departure to London. I found the most interesting sections in this bunch of readings involved Franklin's arguments for a proper education.
Episode 520: Benjamin Franklin-1733-1745 and the Formation of the American Philosophical Society
June 02, 2022 09:40 - 39 minutes - 40.3 MBThe 1730s and 1740s saw Benjamin Franklin use his newspaper to promote issues of public necessity such as a post office and a fire department. It is during these years he also helped form the American Philosophical Society. All of this got me thinking about the public domain and the role of the media in building community (or not).
Episode 519: Benjamin Franklin: Early journalism and his argument for paper currency
May 29, 2022 22:03 - 30 minutes - 32.2 MBWe look at Ben Franklin's writings in the later 1720s and early 1730s. Mostly I consider some of his journalism for the Pennsylvania Gazette, but maybe most interesting from this period is his argument for paper currency.
Episode 518: Benjamin Franklin: Boston and London Writings (1722-1725)
May 22, 2022 12:51 - 37 minutes - 40.4 MBIn this episode I start a new series looking at the works of Benjamin Franklin. This time we will focus on his early Boston and London writings such as the Silence Dogood letters and his philosophical pamphlet on free will and pain.