Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends

The beginning is the end is the end.

Oh hey. Miss me? Legacy Season 4 coming September 2021What is Rationem? Tune in to find out.To pre order Rationem, click here!

This is the Preface to my latest novel, Rationem, available for pre order now at www.inkshares.com/books/rationem

ANNOUNCEMENT!

William Edward Burghart Du Bois was an American author, editor, writer, sociologist, socialist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, and all around badass active from the late 19th to mid 20th centuries. He was the first African American do earn a doctorate from Harvard University and one of the original founders of the NAACP in 1910 who rose to national prominence as the leader of the Niagara Movement, a group of African-American activists that wanted equal rights for blacks and pushed for an increase in black political representation. Over the course of his life, racism was the main target of Du Bois’ polemics, and he strongly protested against lynching, Jim Crow laws, and discrimination in both education and employment. This cause included people of color everywhere, particularly Africans and Asians in colonies, and he was a proponent of Pan-Africanism and helped organize several Pan-African Congresses to fight for the independence of African colonies from European powers. On top of that, he additionally surveyed the experiences of American black soldiers in France after WWI and documented widespread prejudice and racism in the US military. And wait, did I mention he was an author, and a prolific one at that? His collection of essays, “The Souls of Black Folk”, is a seminal work in African-American literature, and his 1935 magnum opus, “Black Reconstruction in America”, challenged the prevailing orthodoxy that blacks were responsible for the failures of the Reconstruction Era. The central thesis of much of his life’s work is the opening line of “The Souls of Black Folk”, “The problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color-line,” in which he refers to the injustice of the separate but equal doctrine prevalent in American social and political life. Du Bois firmly believed that capitalism was a primary cause of racism, and was generally sympathetic to socialist causes throughout his life, ardently advocating for peace and nuclear disarmament. To top that off, The United States’ Civil Rights Act, which embodied many of the reforms for which Du Bois had campaigned his entire life, was enacted a year after his death, at the age of 95.This is the TIP of the fucking iceberg, so let’s just get to it and talk all things WEB Du Bois on this episode of Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends.

Lorraine Vivian Hansberry was an American playwright, activist, and writer active throughout the middle of the 20th century. She is probably best known for being the first African American female author to have a play performed on Broadway – this of course being her masterpiece, A Raisin in the Sun. What is remarkable about Hansberry’s work is her ability to argue for political, economic, social, racial, and sexual liberation while simultaneously satisfying her own urge for self-expression through aesthetics, almost as if she were walking a political-artistic tightrope. Though her life was cut far too short at the age of 34, Lorraine’s genius inspired everyone around her, particularly in regards to the Civil Rights Movement, and that includes the other artist we will be discussing today, a personal friend of Lorraine’s: Nina Simone.Eunice Kathleen Waymon, or as we know her, Nina Simone, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist, also active throughout the middle to late 20th century. Simone originally aspired to become a concert pianist, with an aptitude and gift for music that was undeniable to anyone who heard her play, yet as time went on, Nina found herself immersed in the world of jazz, blues, folk, and soul. Her life, much like her performances, was relatively tumultuous, yet Nina left a lasting impression on the world of music, art, and activism, sharing her truth of experience with work that to this day resonates with great emotion and power. There was a resounding strength in everything she sang or played, and her voice both in song and in speech was able to shine a light on black America during and after the Civil Rights Movement. What is not widely known, however, is that without Lorraine Hansberry, the Nina Simone whose unforgettable tenor strikes hard, perhaps might not have become the legend she is today. These two women took their impatience and outrage of the world around them and held it up for everyone to see, no matter the consequence, and their bravery echoes decades later as we embrace the BLM movement.Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, let’s discuss the lives and legacies of Lorraine Hansberry and Nina Simone.

James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, novelist, playwright, columnist, and social activist active throughout the early to middle 20th century, probably best known as one of the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance. Through his work, Hughes sought to honestly portray the joys and hardships of working-class black lives, avoiding both sentimental idealization and negative stereotypes – in his own words, Langston declared his poetry was about “workers, roustabouts, and singers, and job hunters on Lenox Avenue in New York, or Seventh Street in Washington or South State in Chicago – people up today and down tomorrow, working this week and fired the next, beaten and baffled, but determined not to be wholly beaten, buying furniture on the installment plan, filling the house with roomers to help pay the rent, hoping to get a new suit for Easter – and pawning that suit before the Fourth of July.” What is so monumental about Hughes is that he brought a varied and diverse background to his writing: before the age of 12 he had lived in six different American cities. When his first book was published, he had already been a truck farmer, cook, waiter, college graduate, sailor, and a doorman at a nightclub in Paris, and to add to it, traveled to Mexico, West Africa, the Azores, the Canary Islands, Holland, France, and Italy. In the wake of his first book’s publication, Hughes went on to write countless more works of poetry, prose, and plays, as well as a column in the Chicago Defender, a column which ran for over two decades. Over the course of his career, Langston witnessed a colossal amount of upheaval, from WWI, to the Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, WWII, and of course the Civil Rights Movement, but his outspoken fight never wavered in his pursuit of shining a light on the reality of life for black Americans. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this weeks episode of Legacy, covering the incredible journey of none other than Langston Hughes.

Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison, or as we all have come to know and love her, Toni Morrison, was an American novelist, essayist, college professor, and editor active throughout the later 20th and early 21st centuries. Throughout the course of her career, Toni won a plethora of awards for her work, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 (of which she was the first African-American woman to receive and upon hearing the news over the telephone thought her friend was just drunk), a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for her groundbreaking novel, Beloved, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1996, and MANY, many more. Morrison was one of the rare American authors whose books were both critical and commercial successes – Oprah was literally her number one fan, of which we will discuss later, and when it came to her own writing, Morrison was the author of 11 novels as well as children’s books and essay collections. Her work focused on themes of black American experience: in an unjust society, her characters struggle to find themselves and their cultural identity, and her use of fantasy, sinuous poetic style, and rich interweaving of the mythic gave her stories incredible strength and texture. As an editor and collaborator, she worked with everyone from Angela Davis to Muhammad Ali, utilizing her efforts to make black voices heard not just in America, but around the world, thus playing a vital role in bringing black literature into the mainstream. Toni was a force to be reckoned with – she was a single mother, an activist, a creator, an educator, and an adversary to those wishing to turn a blind eye to the systemic racism embedded in our American society, and in addition to all that, apparently made a damn good carrot cake. I could go on for hours about how fucking rad this woman was, but instead, let’s just get this episode going and talk all things Toni Morrison, one of the most influential figures in the literary community in the last one hundred years.

James Arthur Baldwin, aka Jimmy (as everyone called him), was an American novelist, playwright, essayist, poet, and activist throughout the course of the 20th century. Born and raised in Harlem, New York, Baldwin streamlined onto the writing scene in 1955 with a collection of essays entitled Notes of a Native Son, which explored the intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions during that time period in the United States. Baldwin’s short stories, novels, and plays brilliantly fictionalize the fundamental personal questions and dilemmas he faced during his life, all amidst complex social and psychological pressures along with racial disparity, sexual identity, masculinity, and status. His works, of course, run rampantly parallel with some of the major political movements toward social change in mid-twentieth century America, such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Gay Liberation Movement. And let me tell you, Jimmy was a fucking unbelievably brilliant speaker, both eloquent and forthright, honest and uncompromising, a man who knew what he stood for and would not concede his beliefs, no matter how disparaging the journey became. Not to mention he had back up, a jaw-dropping list of comrades and friends including Marlon Brando, Charles Heston, Jean Genet, Rip Torn, Alex Haley, Miles Davis, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, Josephine Baker, Allen Ginsberg, Chinua Achebe, Maya Angelou, and so many more. For the last two weeks I have watched James Baldwin’s speeches, read his works, and truly found myself in awe of a man I previously glossed over at university and now, wish I hadn’t. Without drabbling on any longer, let’s just get to it, shall we, and discuss the life, the message, and the legacy that was James Arthur Baldwin.

Hermann Karl Hesse was a German novelist, poet, and water color painter active from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, and while his works have run relatively under the radar in the Western Hemisphere, Hesse did win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946. Some of his best known works include Demian, Siddhartha, The Glass Bead Game, and Steppenwolf, which yes, to answer your question, the Canadian-American rock band from the 60s and 70s did name their group after Hesse’s incredible tale of discovery. Hesse’s writing was often an exploration of an individual’s search for authenticity, self-knowledge, and spirituality, paired with an effort to break out of the established rules and modes of civilization. Let me be very honest about Hesse’s initial reception amongst readers – his writing was never quite popular amongst critics – in fact, it was often described as ‘inaccessible’ for the majority American readers (MUCH was lost in translations back then). During a time of world wars, much of Hesse’s work tends to be appreciated greatly by a younger audience, but then outgrown as adolescence fades into the harder realities of being an adult in functional society. Much of his focus relays to a young, brooding man struggling to find his place in a world that does not seem to understand him, and while there are an infinite number of us who can directly relate to the feeling, our focus shifts with age, wherein we become less preoccupied with our own ego and self. Hesse is a fascinating character, the product of an absurdly strict Christian upbringing, struggles with mental health, two world wars, three wives, and a constant frustration with never truly feeling as successful of a writer as he desired. This episode falls during a time when we are all feeling isolated, quarantined due to the Covid 19 pandemic spreading all over our country and the world, and I hope if we can take away one thing from Hermann this week, it is that even in a time when we are forced to confront our own selves, it is important never to forget that we all need to be looking out for each other as best we can.So let’s dive in shall we, and discuss all things Hermann Hesse this week on Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends.

Ricardo Eliecer Fertali Reyes Basoalto, or better known under his pen name Pablo Neruda, was a Chilean poet, politician, and diplomat active during the 20thcentury. From the VERY young age of 13, Neruda’s writing career commenced with producing poetry, though his work spanned various styles of prose, including surrealist poems, historical epics, overtly political manifestos, a prose autobiography, and passionate love poems, which tended to be his most popular and included the collection Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair. Throughout his life, Pablo occupied numerous diplomatic positions in his home country of Chile and served a term as a Senator for the Chilean Communist Party; however, much of the mid 20thcentury proved to be tumultuous for Chile’s government, and Neruda found himself riding the waves between politician and exile. In the later years of his life, with the return of communism, Pablo was a close advisor to Chile’s socialist President Salvadore Allende, and went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971. Not long after, Neruda met a mysterious end, one which we will dive into later which begets the question…old age, or murder? Pablo is, to this day, considered the national poet of Chile, and his works have been popular and influential on a global scale for decades. But just who was Pablo Nerdua beneath his public persona of poet and politician? Let’s find out this week on Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends, as we discuss the fascinating life of Pablo Neruda.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft, better known as HP Lovecraft, was an American writer of horror and…well…just…odd fiction, active during the early 20th century. Though he grew up in affluence, Lovecraft was struck early with family tragedy, thus compounded by financial struggles, and while he was never quite the type to make an effort with his studies, Lovecraft’s imagination was built at a very young age due to his beloved Grandfather’s storytelling. In the years before, during, and after WWI, Lovecraft became involved in pulp fiction, writing and publishing stories which focused on his interpretation of humanity’s place in the universe, and these works would of course be supplemented with fantastical, strange, and sometimes horrific elements. His best known work, “The Call of Cthulhu” (khlul-loo) is the one that put him on the map, and despite being virtually unknown during his time, Lovecraft in later years has amassed a cult following including both Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. So just who was this New Englander with a taste for things macabre and strange? Well, he was a man who was the best of friends with Harry Houdini (an odd character as well, to say the least); he rarely went into public during daylight hours (sounds a tad vampiric to me, but probably the result of his consistent night terrors), and on top of disliking sex and being a relatively…uh…lazy individual, Lovecraft was a pretty prejudiced guy, even for the context of the time he was alive, bordering on white supremacist. Legacy is FINALLY back, and we are tackling one of the more controversial writers I have ever covered on the podcast this week with none other than HP motherfucking Lovecraft.

Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, aka Alexandre Dumas, was a prolific French writer active throughout the middle of the 19th century. His works have been translated into roughly over one hundred languages, and he is one of the most widely read French authors of all time, alongside our other favorite Frenchman, Victor Hugo. While his novels were originally published as serials in newspapers, they have been adapted in the 20th century into nearly 200 different films demonstrating how insanely talented this guy was in a multitude of genres. You of course probably know him from his two greatest hits, The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, however the depth of Dumas’ writing goes well beyond a handful of novels. In grand total, Alexandre produced over 100,000 pages of published writing throughout his life…and just to assure you, that is a shit ton of pages. He was additionally biracial, having a grandmother of Haitian descent, a typical Frenchman in that he was married with dozens of mistresses, and when he was buried, he was so beloved, Dumas was buried in The Pantheon. The English playwright Watts Phillips, who know Dumas well, described him as “the most generous, large-hearted being in the world. He also was the most delightfully amusing and egotistical creature on the face of the earth His tongue was like a windmill – once set in motion, you never knew when he would stop, especially if the theme was himself.” So just who was Mr. Alexandre Dumas, the man behind the writer? Let’s talk about it together this week on Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends.

Mary Flannery O’Connor was an American short story writer, essayist, and novelist, active throughout the first half of the 20th century. Born in Savannah, GA, Flannery’s original writing dreams were to become a journalist, yet that was squashed due to her shy personality and ridiculously heavy southern draw, and therefore, the arena of fiction was where she optimized her craft. O’Connor led a too short life, and her career is often overlooked due to the fact that its focus centers around the idea of Christian realism; Flannery was a devout Roman Catholic, and at the heart of each one of her short stories is a moment where the character is charged with the decision of choosing to accept or reject grace (aka GOD). In most circumstances, she would use relatively grotesque and violent scenes to show this moment, because in her own opinion, accepting grace is difficult and painful. “All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and the change is painful.” In grand total, Flannery wrote 2 novels, 31 short stories, and well over 100 book reviews. She never married nor had children, probably due to an early diagnosis of lupus, a disease she suffered with for 12 years before passing away at the very young age of 39, an illness her father had also succumbed to when she was a child. This week’s episode is going to be a tad shorter, mainly as a consequence of Flannery’s short yet striking career, and while normally on the podcast I might not cover an artist with so little meat on the bones, O’Connor has been one of the MOST requested writers in the last two and a half years for the podcast, so we are diving in anyway. We will focus on her life, a little on her writing to better understand the context of her perspectives, and of course, celebrate the incredible contributions Flannery made to the literary world.HAPPY MONDAY Y’ALL!

Walter Whitman was an American poet, essayist, and journalist, active throughout the mid 19th century, best known for his repeatedly revised work, Leaves of Grass, and considered to be a latter-day successor to Homer, Virgil, Dante, and Shakespeare (of whom he is not a fan, btw). Whitman was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both perspectives into his writing, though his work was considered to be somewhat controversial (I am sorry, VERY controversial – it was reviewed by some as obscene) due to its overt sensuality. Throughout his life, Whitman worked as a journalist, a government clerk, and a teacher, spending the majority of his life in Brooklyn, New York. As a humanist, Walt volunteered much of his time during the Civil War, taking care of Confederate and Union soldiers alike who were wounded in the hospitals. What I find so amazing about Whitman is that originally in 1855, he published Leaves of Grass with his own money, with the sheer desire to reach out to the common person and share his art with the world, and oddly enough, even as his fame grew on a global scale, Whitman was hugely popular in England as a representation of American culture. Leaves of Grass remained Whitman’s masterpiece, and he continued to edit, add, and revise editions until the year of his death in 1892. To this day, it is still one of the most well-known, well-loved, and enduring works of poetry in the canon. As Ezra Pound once claimed Whitman to be “America’s poet … he is America”, Walt strove to prove himself to be just that. His external appearance was specially crafted to be a caricature of the era of his life, regardless of the controversy of his sexuality. So just who was Walt Whitman? Let’s find out together on this week’s episode of Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends, covering the life of legendary American writer, Walt Whitman.

Herbert George Wells was an English novelist, teacher, historian, and journalist active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a prolific writer in various genres and considered to be one of the main pioneers of the science fiction genre alongside Jules Verne, writing more than 100 books during his six decade career. Additionally, Wells wrote short stories and works of social commentary, history, satire, biography, and autobiography, as well as two books on recreational war games. Throughout his life, Wells was considered a prominent forward-thinking, and in moments prophetic, social critic, and he devoted much of his literary talent to the development of a progressive vision on a global scale. Wells was a futurist and an outspoken socialist who empathized with pacifism, and he foresaw the advent of aircraft, tanks, space travel, nuclear weapons, satellite television, and quite possibly even the internet. Throughout his career, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times, a man Winston Churchill considered a close friend, and one of the most highly respected minds of his era. But just who was HG Wells when he wasn’t writing bestsellers? Well, he was a man who founded the Diabetic Association in the UK after suffering from diabetes himself; he is on the cover of SGT Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and he enjoyed his freedoms of all sorts, particularly when it came to his love life. Are you ready to learn all about the incredible life of HG Wells? Let’s get season 3, episode 1 of Legacy: the artists behind the legends, off and rolling!

WE ARE BACK FOR SEASON 3!

Aldous Leonard Huxley was a 20th century British writer and philosopher probably best known for his 1932 novel Brave New World, though in total Huxley would write over fifty nonfiction and fiction works throughout his life, as well as collections of essays, narratives, and poetry. By the end of his career, Huxley was considered one of the foremost intellectuals of his time, and as both a humanist and a pacifist, his ideas and writing had an immense impact on society, particularly when it came to mysticism and universalism. By his early twenties, Huxley established himself as a successful writer and satirist, and he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature seven times, and was additionally made the Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature in 1962. He moved to LA in the later 1930s where he led an incredibly prosperous occupation as a screenwriter, and of course I will most definitely not be leaving out Huxley’s experimentation with drugs, his attachments to the Bloomsbury Group, and short-termed gig as George Orwell’s college professor. But who was Aldous Huxley beyond the world of literature? Well, he was a man with remarkably bad eyesight due to an accident he had as a teenager – honestly, it is believed he was almost completely blind for the majority of his life. Huxley had an extended association with the Vedanta Society in Southern California, which I promise to explain in great detail later on. And then there is the fact that he and Legacy favorite CS Lewis share the same day of death, though unlike CS Lewis, Huxley asked for and was granted LSD just hours before he passed. We are ending season 2 of Legacy with a bang this week, so strap in and get ready for episode 30 covering the life of the brilliant Aldous Huxley.

Karl Stig Erland Larsson, or as we all know him, Stieg Larsson, was a Swedish journalist, activist, and writer best known for his Millennium trilogy of crime novels following the life of Lisbeth Salander and Mikel Blomkvist. Sadly for Stieg, he passed away only just after completing the third installment of his Millennium trilogy, The Girl Who Kicks the Hornet’s Nest. Posthumously, however, this series has become an international sensation, inspiring films on both sides of the Atlantic as well as a continuation of the series by David Lagercrantz, with the sixth novel to be released in September 2019. Still, what you might not know about Mr. Larsson is that he, in fact, led a very parallel life path to that of his signature character, Mr. Kalle Blomkvist. He spent his life devoted to a socialist cause, fighting as an independent researcher of right-wing extremism within the depths of Swedish government. Stieg was additionally a staunch feminist after witnessing a horrifying assault at a young age, and devoted much of his time and writing to giving women an equal voice. A little side note here – I do not believe I can even put into words how much I fucking love this man, this trilogy, and the message he is propelling out into the world. Not only does Larsson put together an intense, thrilling storyline with flawed yet loveable characters, but he also manages to confront huge issues within society and culture such as political corruption, sexism, sexual assault, mental illness, violence…the list goes on and on and on. So just who was the man behind The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? Let’s find out together this week on episode 29 of Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends.

John Michael Crichton was an American author, screenwriter, producer, film director, certified medical doctor, and television creator active through the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and his books alone have sold over 200 million copies worldwide in 38 languages with over a dozen adapted into films. And yes, you heard me right. Crichton was a licensed medical doctor out of Harvard Medical School, just to give you a frame of reference for how intelligent he was. His novel writing took off while he was still in Medical School with Crichton hoping the sales of a few books might help pay for his education. Instead, Crichton saw huge commercial success and decided writing was the passion he wished to pursue over medicine. From there, it was a steady stream of incredible and groundbreaking action-adventure stories that focused heavily on technology and science, a path that led him to unbelievable success with his novels, in film, and on television. But who was Michael Crichton beneath his talent for writing a damn good story? Well, for one thing, he was a VERY tall man, coming in at a whopping 6’9”. He was very good friends with Mr. Steven Spielberg, the man who took on Jurassic Park to turn it into a feature film almost immediately after its publication. And third, as you could guess for a man with a resume like this, he was a workaholic, which would explain the five wives, four of which divorced him for that very reason. I don’t know about you guys but I am a DIE HARD Jurassic Park fan, and I absolutely cannot wait to dive into the life behind the amazingly talented and driven, Mr. Michael Crichton, this week on the podcast. So let’s get rolling, shall we?

Ray Douglas Bradbury was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter active through the majority of the 19th and well into the early years of the 20th century. Best known for his remarkable science fiction tale, Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury actually somewhat resented being described as a strictly science fiction author, believing himself to instead be a fantasy writer, depicting visions and myths of the unreal versus the real. Though this had no effect whatsoever on his reputation – Bradbury was one of the most celebrated 20th and 21st century writers, receiving numerous awards including a 2007 Pulitzer Citation, and he was the man the New York Times claimed to be “the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream.” His 91 years were additionally spent writing screenplays, television scripts, and pieces for the stage, and many of his works were adapted to comic books, television, and films over the years. Still, with such an impressive list of literary accomplishments, we have to wonder, just who was Ray Bradbury apart from his writing prestige? Well, for you romantics out there, it took Ray 22 years to ask a girl out, and that girl eventually became his wife Marguerite; he also hated cars, computers, and much of the technology we would be lost without today, though he loved the idea of sending his ashes to Mars in a Campbell’s soup can after he passed away. Bradbury was one hell of an extraordinary and talented human being, so let’s get to it and talk all things Bradbury this week for episode 27 of Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends.

Marguerite Annie Johnson, or as we know her Maya Angelou, was an acclaimed American poet, storyteller, activist, and autobiographer, as well as a singer, dancer, actress, composer, Hollywood’s first black female director, AND civil rights activist alongside both Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcolm X. Her most renowned work, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, was published in 1969 and put Angelou on an international platform as an artist and a voice for African Americans and women with her push to raise the moral standards of living. Though Maya’s writing and influence brought her respect and recognition, she was extremely private with her personal life, particularly when it came to her marriages (we assume there were two) and her son, Guy. But what can I say about Maya? She was a lover of sherry, a woman who worked her ass off to support her son, a survivor of sexual assault and abuse, and a woman who never gave up no matter what obstacles life threw her way. As linguist John McWhorter put it: “Angelou’s life has certainly been a full one; from the hardscrabble Depression era south to pimp, prostitute, supper club chanteuse, performer in Porgy and Bess, coordinator for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, journalist in Egypt and Ghana in the heady days of decolonization, comrade of Malcolm X, and eyewitness to the Watts riots. She knew King and Malcolm, Billie Holiday, and Abbey Lincoln.” With an introduction like that, I think we should just dive into episode 26 and discuss the amazing, and unbelievably accomplished life of Maya Angelou.

Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet active from the 19th to the early 20th century, best known for works such as Jude the Obscure and Far From the Maddening Crowd. Now, I know when we hear words like England and 19th century, we all start thinking the same thing – more super tight collars of the Victorian Era. Hardy, however, was a Victorian realist much like that of George Eliot, who we’ve covered previously on the podcast, and he was pretty damn critical of the majority of Victorian society, particularly when it came to those living in the more rural areas in the country of Britain. It was these areas that truly inspired Hardy – his novels center on somewhat tragic characters struggling with social circumstances and passions, and most of whom live in the semi-fictional region of Wessex, meant to mirror his native land of South West England. His initial fame sparked from his highly successful novels, though Hardy personally considered himself more of a poet in spite of the fact that his first collection of poetry was not published until well after his novel writing ceased. These collections, influenced heavily by the romanticism of William Wordsworth, would become widely regarded and loved by other writers such as Ezra Pound, Phillip Larkin, and W.H. Auden. But who was this prolific writer underneath the surface? He was a man twice married with no children and an affinity for young ladies. At one point in his life, Hardy was a successful architect, though he left that industry to pursue his career in the literary world. And another odd tidbit? He was a huge fan of Charles Darwin and his theories on evolution, so much so that they changed the entirety of his religious beliefs after being raised Anglican. So who was Thomas Hardy? Let’s find out on episode 25 this week on Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends.

Jack Kerouac, or as he liked to call himself, Jean Louis Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet active during the mid 20th century, best known for his book On the Road, which brought him an astounding amount of critical prestige. A pioneer of the Beat Generation, Kerouac is considered a literary iconoclast alongside his two close friends and fellow writers William S Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg. His writing centers around a method of spontaneous prose, covering topics such as drugs, excessive drinking, Buddhism, travel, poetry, jazz, and sex, and with the popularity and renown of On the Road, Jack became a celebrity overnight, not that he was exactly thrilled by it. Now, I will say that Kerouac’s notoriety has only grown over the years, and that is evident by the fact that today, every single one of his books are in print, including The Town and the City, On the Road, Doctor Sax, the Dharma Bums, Mexico City Blues, The Subterraneans, Desolation Angels, Visions of Cody, The Sea Is My Brother, and Big Sur…an unbelievable accomplishment for a writer of any standing. Still, you can’t help but wonder, what is the true reality behind Jack Kerouac’s inspiration? Most of his creations are semi-autobiographical, and a lot of his life was spent in and out of poverty, not to mention that he was an accessory to murder (don’t worry we’ll get to that). And like most writers of this generation, Jack had a shit personal life, making his way through three wives, one daughter he swore wasn’t his until a paternity test proved it so, and mood swings that would make even the most hormonal woman wonder what the hell was going on. There is a lot to Kerouac…much more than I ever anticipated, and I am so excited to spend episode 24 of Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends, exploring this crazy bastards life with you all.

Henry David Thoreau was an American poet, philosopher, essayist, naturalist, abolitionist, tax resister, surveyor, and historian, active during the middle of the 19th century. Known for being one of the primary leaders of the Transcendentalist movement, Thoreau is perhaps most recognized in the literary community for his book Walden, which describes a reflection on living simply in the natural world, as well as his essay “Civil Disobedience”, which argues for defiance against an unjust government. Thoreau lived a very unconventional life for this time, never marrying nor having any children, and instead he chose to focus on making an example of himself, completely embodying the philosophical ideals he addressed in his prose. One of his more famous quotes, “Simplicity! Simplicity! Simplicity!” more or less gets the point across, which is that man ought to take a few steps back to not lose sight of what is important; still, for Thoreau, what seems to be important is very different than what the average 19th century man might be willing to concede to. He did not drink anything but water, refused tobacco, avoided having intimate relationships with any man or woman, and his diet was at best bland vegetarianism. Indulgences were not exactly his forte, though he did this with the sole purpose of discovering life’s true essential needs. Conversely, one has to wonder, in taking on such an incredible and burdensome task, did Thoreau find the solution to this problem of man, or did sacrificing those particular aspects of life he deemed superfluous in turn cause him to lose a part of his humanity?Let’s find out in episode 23, shall we?

Nelle Harper Lee was an American novelist, renowned for her remarkable novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and went on to become a classic of modern American literature. The plotline and people featured in To Kill A Mockingbird are based loosely on Harper Lee’s own family, neighbors, and events that occurred in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama in the 1930s. In a similar fashion to last week’s artist, William Faulkner, Harper Lee put a spotlight on the deep south and the incredible amount of racism and hatred thrust upon the black community, as well as the large class divides prevalent in the small town of Monroeville, though her lens is through the eyes of two children rather than the perspectives of adults. Strangely enough, over fifty years after the release of To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee released a second novel as a sort of sequel, entitled Go Set A Watchman, which was later confirmed to be To Kill A Mockingbird’s first draft. So, I think you all are thinking what I am when I say…just what the hell happened in those years of absence? Where did Harper Lee go? Who really knew Harper Lee, or better yet, who was truly her friend, and who was not? What, if anything, can we ascertain from the rumors surrounding the publication of Go Set A Watchman, or Harper Lee’s state in her last years, which is highly debated amongst her friends and family? And maybe, just maybe, we’ll be able to answer the biggest question of all: why, oh why, did Lee decide never to write again?

William Cuthbert Faulkner was a Mississippi-born novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, poet, essayist, and playwright, as well as the winner of both the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes. His work came at an extremely polarizing time in United States history, living through two world wars and the Great Depression, and this was additionally a time when the Southern states remained extremely segregated…and extremely racist. Faulkner himself was a proud Southerner, yet his work reflects a profound understanding of race relations in the 1920s-1950s throughout the South, and goes so far as to make the point that racism is poisoning the southern United States – remember, this is during the Jim Crow years, the rise of the KKK, and Faulkner was revolutionary in that he threw the spotlight on the South’s inability to move on from Civil War times and their horrible treatment of the black community. When I began researching Faulkner I was a little terrified in that I was not aware of his personal politics. The more I learned, the more impressed I became. When, in 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was murdered in Mississippi, most in that state turned away or shrugged it off – and as we all know that woman recounted her story years later. Faulkner said, ““If we in America have reached that point in our desperate culture when we must murder children, no matter for what reason or what color, we don’t deserve to survive, and probably won’t.” His novel, The Sound and the Fury, to this day is considered one of the one hundred greatest novels from the 20th century in the English language, as it reflects the social paradigms of that age many writers shied away from. He was a man named after his renegade great-grandfather, a man who told a story America needed to hear, and of course, a gentleman. Who is ready to hear all about Mr. William Faulkner?

Eric Arthur Blair, or as we all have come to recognize him – Mr. George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic throughout the first half of the 20th century, best known for his remarkable novels Nineteen Eighty Four and Animal Farm. Though his pen name originally appeared only when his first novel Down and Out in Paris and London was published in 1933, the name stuck, and Eric Arthur Blair soon saw his nom de plume become so closely attached to him that very few people other than relatives and his closest friends ever knew his name was not Orwell. He was a man of strong opinions, that’s for damn sure, whether that be examining totalitarian rule or his ongoing rampage against imperialism, and this opinions formed from a life well-travelled, two world wars, working abroad in Burma, and even going full method writer here and living amongst the poorest classes in Europe to understand the depths of how race and caste impact society. Many have called Mr. Orwell the conscience of a generation, but what was underneath the surface of George Orwell’s unique, dogmatic, and quirky exterior? He was a twice married man, a chronic smoker of cigarettes, a child whose first word was “beastly”, a man who both loved and loathed isolation, and seemed only to just be finding his voice when it was taken from him at the young age of 46 after years of suffering from tuberculosis. His works to this day have immense relevance in our current political and social climate, and that alone demonstrates the knowledge and aptitude brought to Orwell’s writing that went above and beyond so many others of the 20th century. So, who was Eric Arthur Blair, aka George Orwell, the man who made us all fearful of Big Brother or the pigs out in the barn? Let’s find out together on episode 20 of Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends.

Durante degli Alighieri, or better yet the man we all know as Dante, was an Italian poet, politician, essayist, and apothecary (yep, that is correct) active during the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Dante’s most notable work, The Divine Comedy, is considered to be the most important poem produced during the Middle Ages, as well as the greatest literary work in the Italian language. It went on to inspire generations of writers, including Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, Alfred Tennyson, and T.S. Eliot due to its unique and personal story on the journey from Hell, to Purgatory, and of course, then on to Heaven. However, the big question here remains – who was Dante Alighieri, and what motivated him to string together such an epic piece of poetry? Could it have been the loss of his great love, Beatrice, and having to marry another? Was it Dante’s struggle to try and bring Florence, his home city, on more stable political footing? Or was it his exile from the place he loved above any other for false charges from accusers of his political enemies? You’ll have to make that call yourself. Most of what is known about Dante’s life he has dictated himself in his writing, and with the assistance of various sources, a storyline has emerged of an extremely determined man, whose gift of poetry gave him a voice when others wanted to take that voice from him. In Italy today, Dante is often referred to as il Sommo Poeta (the supreme poet), and he, Petrach, and Boccaccio were long ago deemed “the three fountains” or “the three crowns” of Italy. Are we ready to dive into episode 19 of Legacy and learn all about Dante Alighieri? Let’s do this!

Gabriel Jose de la Concordia Garcia Marquez was a Colombian journalist, novelist, short-story writer and screenwriter active throughout the later 20th and early 21st centuries. Known to his friends as Gabo or Gabito, Marquez is considered one of the best writers of the Spanish language, earning him the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 1972 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. His writing explores the themes of solitude, magical realism, and his brilliant portrayal of Latin American everyday life, as is reflected in novels such as One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera. These works, along with many others, earned Marquez widespread commercial success and celebrity, as well as monumental critical acclaim. Yet what many do not know about Marquez is that his career was jumpstarted by his passion for journalism, in which he relentlessly pursued his stories in an effort to shed light on the problems faced in Latin America, ranging from his war-torn home country of Colombia to his personal reviews of film, which later led to a stint in screenwriting. Marquez was also bffs with Fidel Castro (we’ll get to that), a socialist who was powerfully critical of the United States, and a family man who was married with two sons. It is easy to see how remarkable Marquez was, particularly in such a volatile time and on an international landscape. Regardless of his stance on American politics, his love of Hemingway and Faulkner is something I both greatly appreciate and adore about Marquez, and it is deeply reflected in his writing. Are we ready to hear all about the incredibly impactful life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez? Here we go episode 18!

Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist and poet active during the 19th century, and probably best known for the fiction classic Little Women. Alcott grew up in a financially unstable household, with a father who neglected the needs of his family, and so from a very young age Alcott was driven not only to work and support her family but also to find success as a writer. She grew up under the influence of some of the more recognizable intellectuals of her time, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thorough, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, all close friends of her father’s, and Alcott was additionally a known abolitionist during the Civil War as well as a staunch feminist, and she remained unmarried throughout her entire life. Though Little Women is the story that put Louisa on the map, her career truly commenced at the start of the 1860s under the pen name A.M. Bernard, which we will learn a little more about later in the episode. One of the amazing things about Louisa May Alcott that I have come to discover is how grounded of a woman she was – she did not let acclaim or accomplishment deter her from her morals and beliefs, and Alcott even was known to dress up as a servant when fans of her writing would show up at her home just because she hated having to be the center of attention. So without further ado, let’s dive into this week’s episode of Legacy and talk about the amazing Louisa May Alcott, a woman ahead of her time, and a force to be reckoned with.

Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and let’s not forget, badass fighter pilot, ranking amongst some of the world’s best-selling fiction authors. His book sales for adults and children alike have sold over 250 million copies worldwide, published in nearly 60 languages, and Dahl has often been regarded as “one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century”. Dahl’s achievements within the literary community have earned him extensive renown, but the origins behind his stories are what give his writing their unexpected endings, their somewhat unsentimental and macabre comic tone, and of course, the villainous adults preying on the good graces of innocent children. At a young age he experienced great loss and tolerated serious abuses, evolving into a man who did not particularly respect authority, one who found light in the darkness, and refused to take many aspects of life seriously, including himself. Mr. Dahl is a fascinating character, a man who witnessed the horrors of WWII and acted as a spy for the British government, a family man, who was married for thirty years and raised five children, and of course, the writer who produced some of my favorite works of fiction…ever. Just who was the man behind novels like James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and Charlie the Chocolate Factory? Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s get ready to meet Mr. Roald Dahl.

Herman Melville was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer active during the American Renaissance period from roughly the mid 1840s until his death in 1891. His best known works include magnificent classics such as Moby Dick and Typee, and while Melville today is considered one of the great American authors, his work…and Melville himself…were practically forgotten for the last thirty years of his life. A man of astounding creative vision, Herman brought to life his heritage and his experiences on the open ocean in his works, and additionally wrote of the large contradictions of American society during a time of rapid change. This was a man who lived on the open seas for years hunting whales for oil, a man who witnessed the Civil War yet was prevented from fighting in it, one who desperately sought to connect with his readers though sadly could not reach them through his storytelling until nearly 100 years after his birth. Melville’s existence is full of ups and downs like the waves of the ocean he so fondly knew, from his youth in New York City to his final days piecing together one last manuscript. I have to warn you, this week is both fascinating and melancholic as we discuss Herman Melville, because Melville’s writing career parallels that of the story Icarus: he was a bright spark amongst his contemporaries, deemed to be one of the greats of his generation, and then it’s as if those wings helping him to soar melted away when he neared too close to the sun. As a result, Melville was never able to fly again, thus leading him down a path of duress, struggle, and heartbreak. Don’t worry, I picked a very strong drink for the drink of the week, so let’s go ahead and get episode 15 of Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends rolling with writer Herman Melville.

Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English novelist, essayist, critic, and publisher active during the first half of the 20th century best known for her impact on the Modernist Movement, turning her into a pioneer for both feminist literary works and female rights altogether. In a time of dramatic changes, Woolf’s nonlinear approach to her narratives made her a household name amongst her contemporaries, and she consistently experimented with the written word throughout the entirety of her career. However, underneath her more public persona with friends and acquaintances, one often described as lively and witty, Virginia battled with waves of deep onset depression that many now consider to have been the result of bipolar disorder, and until her death knowledge of her condition was known only amongst those closest to her. Still, for the majority of her life, Woolf was able to persevere and work through these highs and lows and produce a substantial amount of work, novels such as Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and A Room of One’s Own. She fiercely advocated to tear down the various male institutions meant to oppress and deny women their right to have an education and become professionals themselves, pushing for an egalitarian mindset that she firmly believed would better society as a whole. Though she never had children, Virginia was happily married to her husband Leonard, and together they ran their own successful publishing house called Hogarth Press out of the basement of their home, and in times of darkness for Virginia, the couple would spend their time in the countryside, where Woolf would devote hours writing in recovery. It wasn’t until I started researching Virginia Woolf that I realized the immense impact she had not just on her generation, but on generations of women and men alike to come. She was a bright spark of inspiring feminism, a dynamic and gifted writer, and a woman who stood firmly in defiance of the binding, patriarchal constructs around her. Are we ready to meet Virginia?

James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist, poet, and short story writer active during the early 20th century best known for his landmark work Ulysses, which parallels the episodes of Homer’s The Odyssey. Joyce was a part of the modernist movement of this era, and his writing style was ground-breaking in both its complexity and…well…explicit content. Described as “a curious mixture of sinister genius and uncertain talent,” this Irishman was a literary celebrity like so many others during his day, including his drinking buddy and oftentimes bodyguard, Ernest ‘Papa’ Hemingway. Joyce and his wife Nora spent most of their life abroad, living all over the European continent, though Dublin remained the writer’s center of his fictional universe throughout most of his life. What I find somewhat dubious about Joyce is that while there is an abundance of information about his literary work, his personal life is highlighted by his family, his drunken brawls, his daughter’s schizophrenia, and his bad eye sight – something that would plague him incessantly without a cure. However, underneath his career and his public persona, James was a much different character than I originally imagined: he regarded himself as a rebel from a very young age, not wanting to stick to conventional norms of writing or society, wholeheartedly embracing his desire to be viewed as an exiled artist. This troubled writer’s life he so readily sought did eventually bite him in the ass, and he found getting his writing into print to be a far bigger challenge than expected. So who was this ‘sinister genius’ whose lewd and revolutionary work helped to inspire and change the tide of writing itself? James Joyce, here we go.

George Gordon Byron, the 6th Baron Byron, was an early 19th century poet, nobleman, politician, and leading figure in the Romantic Movement who was a celebrity both famous and infamous during his life. While he is seen as one of the greatest British poets of all time, to be fair here, I am not exactly sure where to even begin with Lord Byron this week, this being a man who thought himself “such a strange mélange of good and evil that it would be difficult to describe [him].” There is of course his more well-known sexual exploits – he was definitely indiscriminate in who he wanted to sleep with, and that included his half-sister and some serious STD’s in his early twenties. In one year alone, Byron banged over two hundred and fifty people in Venice, and to mark each conquest, he would take a clipping of his lovers pubic hair and save it in an envelope with their name on it. He was best friends with Percy Shelley (husband of Mary Shelley, who we covered previously), he kept a multitude of animals on his estate in Italy – every one of them lived indoors except the horses, he had a goblet for drinking wine made from a human skull, struggled with what scientists now believe had to be anorexia nervosa due to his obsession with his appearance, and then, to cap it all off, Byron decided he was going to help fund a war and consequently became a national war hero in Greece while the Greeks fought the Ottoman Empire in the Greek War of Independence. Described by one of his lovers as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” all I can say is that the tale of Lord Byron is one that rivals both Hemingway and Thompson put together – he lived a life of aristocratic excess, racking up huge debts, being beloved and castigated by society for his antics, as well as manned the forefront of a new era of literature. Byron scandalized England with his exploits, revolutionized poetry with his writing, and to be frank, the world around him really didn’t know what to do with him. I don’t know what to do with him either. So let’s try and get a better understanding of just what made Lord Byron into the man he was this week on episode 12 of Legacy, the Artists Behind the Legends.

Thomas Stearns Eliot was an Anglo-American poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, and critic active during the early 20th century, a man with a career so profound he would go on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948 “for his outstanding, pioneer contribution to present-day poetry.” As cliché as it sounds, Tom was an absolute genius when it came to poetry, and he brought about a dramatic shift of context and voice with his literary works in what many have termed anti-Romanticism. I could drabble on for hours about Tom’s poetry, but we are here to dissect the man behind the pen, and let me tell you there is much more than you might expect behind the mask of straight-laced formality Eliot tries to wear in public. Tom was a prankster, loving everything from surprising guests with exploding cigars and whoopee cushions to setting off stink bombs in hotel lobbies with his nephew. His beloved cat, Noilly Prat, was named after his favorite brand of vermouth, and yes, like everyone else in the early 20th century, Eliot loved him some gin. Another odd fact? Tom was a huge fan of the Marx brothers, and “Duck Soup” might have been one of his favorite movies of all time. However, like so many of our writers, Tom had his own demons to battle, most notably a tremendous amount of anxiety and a wife who unfortunately was mentally unstable for most of their marriage. So, who was this talented and well-respected genius of his generation…we are about to find out together on this week’s episode of Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends.

Ursula Kroeber Le Guin was an American science fiction novelist, short story writer, poet, activist, and essayist, active from the early 1960s up until her death earlier this year in 2018. In 2016, The New York Times described her as “America’s greatest living science fiction writer”, and in her lifetime she went on to win the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, and the World Fantasy Award, some of which she would earn on more than one occasion. Her futuristic, alien, and imaginary worlds have captivated readers for over a half of a century, addressing concepts quite progressive for her time, such as religion, gender, sexuality, the natural world, and politics. In total, her books have been translated into well over forty languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. But who was this incredible woman beneath the surface? Well, Ursula was her father’s daughter, and he instilled in her a love of alternative thought coupled with a scientific bent. She resided for the majority of her life in Portland, and it should be noted that Ursula loved Oregon…from the high desert of Steen’s Mountain to the ocean shores of Cannon Beach, and like so many others including myself, she thought herself lucky to be able to live in such a beautiful place. There was also her favorite happy hour of bourbon and ice, her hard stance against Google and Amazon for their digitization and devaluing of books, and her happy home life with her husband Charles and their three children. I could keep going on and on and on, but I really want Ursula to do the talking herself, so let’s get rolling with episode 10 of Legacy as we cover the life of writer Ursula K. Le Guin, one of the greatest minds of the later 20th century, and a personal hero of yours truly.

Jules Gabriel Verne was a French novelist, playwright, and poet active during the 19th century, most famous for his incredible literary works in what I would call adventure science fiction, all comprised in his series Voyages Extraordinaires. Verne authored more than sixty books, fifty four of which comprised the Voyages collection, and he also wrote dozens of plays, short stories, librettos, and of course, a dash of poetry. What is so…disappointing about this incredible writer is that his novels are often overlooked in today’s society, and these stories were scrupulously researched and pieced together by Verne in an era when science and innovation were on the rise. To give you some perspective, there are a handful of subjects Verne wrote about in his novels that later became a reality, including electric submarines, newscasts, solar sails, lunar modules, skywriting, video conferencing, tasers, and the splashdown of spaceships into the ocean (this is only a few of his predictions, mind you). But what about the man himself? Jules was a hard-working, dedicated writer, who pursued his career in spite of his family’s disapproval. He was stricken by love more than once, had a problem child of his own, and even survived an attempt on his life by his nephew; however, he was additionally a man who enjoyed traveling, being on the open ocean, and most importantly, he absolutely loved writing, never once quitting or setting aside his passion regardless of what challenges life threw him. Are we ready to dive into episode 9 of Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends? Hell yes – time for a little Jules Verne, everybody.

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish writer active during the later 16th and early 17th centuries, a man widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language. His novel and masterpiece Don Quixote is oftentimes considered the first modern novel – it is a Western classic of literature, and amongst one of the best pieces of fiction ever written. But hell, let’s be honest here: it took Cervantes quite some time to find his voice in the literary world. He was a famed soldier in the Spanish Navy, fighting bravely for his country until he was captured by pirates and forced into a life of slavery. Upon his ransom and rescue, Cervantes held odd government jobs, and he found himself in jail on a number of occasions due to his inability to adequately perform those jobs. There were a few vain attempts to break into the blossoming theater scene in Spain, a pastoral novel he held dear to his heart, and of course, some poorly written poetry, yet it wasn’t until Don Quixote that Cervantes truly put himself on the map. From that point onward, Cervantes was a known and respected man. So are we ready to dive into episode 8 and hear all about this mystery man, a man whose appearance to this day we have no confirmed portrait or description of? Well. Here we fucking go.

Edith Newbold Wharton was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior design pioneer active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This woman was a badass – she was the first woman to ever win the Pulitzer Prize in Literature, she was a world traveler, one of President Teddy Roosevelt’s BFFs, and on top of all that, is considered a war hero of WWI in France for the efforts and aid she offered to those in need. Raised in New York City, Edith was born into the upper class life, though unlike most of the women around her, she did not abide by the social standards of that day and age. Her writing career was limited until she saw herself married, though from that point forward her literary voice was one of the most influential of her day. While it did her no favors on a social level, Edith realistically depicted the lives of wealthy aristocrats in her work, focusing on materialism, moral code, and the decline of the Victorian Era. This exposure of their world was not received well, and Edith found that in certain circles she was blacklisted…not that she minded really. I have to admit I became oddly fascinated with Edith for so many reasons, but the one that really strikes me is her insistence on becoming a writer when everyone she knew discouraged her from education and intellect, including her parents. She had no second thoughts about pushing the conventions of her time, as well as challenging the norms during the age of tight collars. Are you ready for Edith? Fuck yes, let’s do this.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was a 20th century literary icon whose career spanned a whopping fifty years and includes the publication of fourteen novels, three short story collections, five plays, and five works of nonfiction. He is probably best known for his novel Slaughterhouse-Five, a book that while darkly satirical, also pulls from Vonnegut’s firsthand experience as a prisoner of war in World War II and pushes a relatively anti-war sentiment. I have had numerous requests to cover the life of Vonnegut, and I am going to admit I learned a lot about this author that I had never known before. Throughout his eighty four years, Vonnegut saw the Great Depression, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, I mean, the list goes on and on and on…its incredible to realize how much change one man could witness in just one life. And Kurt’s life definitely had its ups and downs…his once wealthy parents struggled during the 1930s when their money went dry, he fought and was captured in World War II, only to witness atrocities we might only see in our nightmares, he adopted his sister’s children when she and her husband died, and on top of all that, Vonnegut suffered from depression that nearly took his life in the mid 1980s. Oh, and let’s not forget that he kept steady work until his writing career was financially successful. This man was a fighter and a survivor, but I don’t want to get too ahead of myself just yet – there are so many aspects of this writer to explore, the majority of which are quite dark and riddled with human tragedy. And what are those aspects, you might ask? Well, let’s get rolling with episode six, and see if you get there before I do. Kurt Vonnegut, here we go!

Clive Staples Lewis, or as he was later called Jack, was an Irish born novelist, poet, essayist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, lay theologian, broadcaster, lecturer, and Christian apologist active during the 20th century, and he is probably best known for his series The Chronicles of Narnia. Lewis’ immense career saw him publish around forty books, which have been translated into over three dozen languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. But as all of you know, it isn’t the literary works we tackle on this podcast, it’s the artist, and Jack was definitely one hell of a fascinating character. While he was a notable and extremely popular Christian apologist, this only came later in his life, as he was a staunch atheist from his adolescence until his early thirties. And while the majority of Lewis’ adult life was spent teaching at his alma mater, Oxford, he did for a time hold a position at Cambridge, and this aspect of his professional life is often overshadowed by his novels. Jack also carried on a longstanding love affair with one of his best friend’s mothers, fought in World War I, was best friends with JRR Tolkien as well as a member of the Inklings, and on top of all that, saw his death overshadowed, as President JFK was shot less than an hour after Lewis’ death. Mr. Lewis was a lover of beer, a smoker of cigarettes, and above all, he loved a good story. So let’s get episode five of Legacy rolling and dive into the life of none other than C.S. Lewis.

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was a Russian novelist, short story writer, journalist, essayist, and philosopher active during the 19th century. His writing focused on a multitude of topics that stemmed from a constant study on human psychology during a time in Russia filled with political, social, and religious upheaval, though to give some perspective on his literary impact, Dostoevsky’s books have been translated into more that 170 languages. His best known novel, Crime and Punishment, is said to have been ‘the only thing read in 1866’, and while critics didn’t love it then, this book firmly established Dostoevsky as one of the greatest writers of his time. Along with many of his fellow Russians, Dostoevsky had a relatively tumultuous existence from the day he was born until the day he died: he was an epileptic, his father was believed to be murdered by his own serfs, he was imprisoned, nearly executed and exiled, AGAIN imprisoned in absolutely horrifying conditions, survived a number of wives and illicit affairs, battled a very serious gambling addiction, and then, of course, comes his career as a writer whose ideals were centered on the people of Russia, and their potential on a global landscape. He also was a very picky black tea drinker, a devout Eastern Orthodox Christian, and of course, loved him some vodka. So let’s get started shall we, and dive right on into the life of Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the most revolutionary and influential feminist thinkers of the Romantic Era at the end of the 18th century. As a writer and philosopher, Mary is perhaps best known for her work A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, a piece that argues that the presumed inferiority of women to men is due to their lack of an equal education; however, Wollstonecraft’s genius stems far beyond this progressive and, for the time period, radical article. Not only did Mary fiercely advocate for female rights in her very short four decades of life , but she also was actively involved in the French Revolution, and was additionally present when the revolution went to hell and became the Reign of Terror. Wollstonecraft’s literary works regrettably spent over a century following her death being ignored and condemned by the intellectual community for her unconventional ideas AND due to her own lifestyle, which while nowadays we might see as rather ordinary, the Victorian and tight-collared 19th century folk definitively disagreed. But to a certain degree, you could probably understand why given the context – she had two children, one out of wedlock, suffered and survived two suicide attempts, was seen as an active traitor to Britain for her participation in the French Revolution, and let’s not forget the HORRENDOUS demand for gender equality. Mary Wollstonecraft is, by and large, a woman to be admired, one who loved openly and without stigma, a woman who worked her ass off to support herself, her sisters, and her friends through literary publications, and last but not least, set the groundwork for the future feminist philosophers that would follow in her wake. So, let’s go ahead and get this episode rolling, shall we?

Henry Charles Bukowski, born Heinrich Karl Bukowski, was a German-American novelist, short story writer, and poet active during the mid to late 20th century. Holy shit, where do I even begin with this guy…well, to start, his writing was deeply influenced by his own life, and many of his works were relatively autobiographical, centering on the social, cultural, and economic environment of Los Angeles, where he lived for the majority of his life. To give you some perspective here, Bukowski wrote thousands of poems, hundreds of short stories, and six novels, altogether publishing over sixty books. The themes of his work reflect his own experience with writing, with working total crap jobs, bad relationships with women, and as you could probably guess, alcohol. And believe me when I also tell you that the FBI kept an open file on Charles for decades after WWII AND as a result of his column Notes of a Dirty Old Man, which ran in an underground LA newspaper called Open City. This week will be a tad different than usual everyone, and that is due to the fact that so much of Bukowski’s work is based on his own life, and otherwise, details on him are relatively limited. This means we will dive into a series of excerpts from two of his more famous novels, and determine ourselves just who the man Time magazine pegged “a laureate of American lowlife” really was. Grab the drink of the week– you’re gonna need it, and let’s get episode two of season two started with none other than Charles Bukowski.

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, known to most of us as F. Scott Fitzgerald, was an American writer active during the 1920s and 1930s whose more popular literary works were a reflection of the Jazz Age. If you’re drawing a blank, he’s the author of the American classic The Great Gatsby, a novel I am quite sure is required reading in every high school across America. He achieved success and celebrity at a very young age upon the publication of his first novel, This Side of Paradise, and after winning the heart of his muse, went on to live a parallel existence to that of his novel’s characters – a life of swimming in fountains, drinking champagne until dawn, and becoming one of the most coveted party guests during the Fitzgerald’s residency in New York City. But as we all know, you can’t live on top forever, and soon F. Scott and Zelda found that their large-living lifestyle on the Riviera took its toll – Fitzgerald turned to alcohol, and Zelda…well…she sort of lost it, later to discover her mental status had never exactly been healthy. Their return to America was littered with tragic circumstances, and F. Scott struggled to find his literary voice with the end of the Roaring Twenties and the start of the Great Depression. Phew. This week starts out like a shooting star and fades to black fast, so I hope you all are ready for it.

WE ARE BACK with all new episodes of Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends!

William Shakespeare, the “Bard of Avon”, was a 16th-17th century English playwright, actor, and poet, a man widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. In grand total, Billy boasts 39 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other short works, and these pieces have all been translated into EVERY MAJOR living language, with his plays being performed more than those of any other playwright…ever. To date, no other writer’s reputation compares to his. Shakespeare was a writer of great intellect, with incredible perceptions of his characters brought to life with an unparalleled poetic power. Unlike so many before him, Shakespeare brought the stage to life, humanizing the performers of his plays and drawing the audience to invest into the play, as if they too were sucked into his imaginative story. For two decades, Shakespeare and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men were THE sought-after entertainment, from English royalty down to the poorest of the poor, the only exception being the Puritans, but hey, let’s face it, those guys never liked anything that was remotely fun to begin with. He died with esteem, lived a life of accomplishment, and it is why we all still recognize and know his name and works when he is brought up. But who was William Shakespeare? What can we draw from history to tell us about this man and his substantial contribution to literature? Well, that is what we are about to dig into. It’s the season finale, so let’s wrap up this first season of the podcast by analyzing the life and legacy of William Shakespeare.

Abraham ‘Bram’ Stoker was an Irish author known all over the world for his Gothic novel, Dracula, a book that has inspired a plethora of vampire-themed art and entertainment in the century following his death. What is lesser known about Mr. Stoker is that aside from a vast literary career of novels, short stories, non-fiction articles, and reviews, Bram was also the business manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London, which included managing one of Britain’s greatest actors of all time, Henry Irving. This wasn’t just a short-lived gig either – Bram held this position for three decades until Irving’s death and his own health started to decline, and this position made him a friend and contemporary to some of the best writers and entertainers of his day, which included the British gentry and high society. This guy was a BIG deal, and yet Stoker seemed to like being the man who operated from the shadows, or better, the man working behind the scenes. So, in light of that, for episode 29 of Legacy, we are going to dig into the life of Mr. Bram Stoker and see just what this man was all about. After all, he created one of the most sinister and feared villains in fiction, and wrote a novel that to this day is heavily debated and discussed in classrooms and amongst scholars for a variety of reasons. Don’t forget either, that Bram was the man who stole Oscar Wilde’s girl…but wait I am getting ahead of myself here in excitement. Here we go with episode 29!

Mary Anne Evans, aka Marian, or better yet George Eliot, was a Victorian Era novelist, poet, journalist, and translator, known best for her seven novels including her masterpiece, entitled Middlemarch. Now, for the podcast, I am not going to be referring to Marian as George Eliot because she really only went by George Eliot on paper, so I’ll do my best to establish that early and avoid confusion. After a week of research, I am obsessed with this woman for so many reasons, every one of which I will get to within our allotted timeframe covering Marian’s life, and just to really get you hooked for this week, you should know that she was a true pioneer for female writers. Not only did she write novels that portrayed the multifaceted nature of real life in provincial England, but also threw convention out the door when it came to love no matter how many dinner parties she was shunned from. Her life was a proverbial middle finger to the tight collars of the day, and from an early age she lived her life the way she saw fit, not how others thought it ought to be. Her pen name was adopted for the sole reason of wanting her work to be judged on equal footing with ALL writers, not just her female contemporaries, who already were finding their writing marginalized into a 19th century chick lit genre. There is a reason why the name George Eliot is still as resonating of a force amongst the literary community as it was one hundred and fifty years ago, and that is because Marian was an absurdly gifted, honest, and intriguing author. So let’s just get right into it.