Welcome to the Norton Library Podcast, where we explore influential works of literature and philosophy with the leading scholars and teachers behind Norton’s newest series of classics. In each episode, with a Norton Library editor or translator as our guide, we'll learn something new and surprising about these classic works—why they endure, and what it means to read them today. Hosted by Mark Cirino and produced by Michael Von Cannon, the co-creators of the Hemingway Society's popular show One True Podcast.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Homer's Iliad, we welcome translator Emily Wilson to discuss Homer's life as an "author," the meaning of free will in the context of intervention from gods, and how the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus shapes the climax of the epic. Emily Wilson is a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been named a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome in Renaissance and early modern studies, a MacArthur Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow. In addition to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, she has also published translations of Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca. She lives in Philadelphia.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Iliad, go to https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324102076. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, editor Sarah Blackwood returns to discuss the inspiration behind the cover of the Norton Library edition, the book's intended audience, and key elements of gender theory—as well as personal feelings—that Alcott incorporates into the characters and story.Sarah Blackwood is Professor of English at Pace University, where she teaches courses on nineteenth-century US literature, visual culture, and representations of selfhood. She is the author of The Portrait's Subject: Inventing Inner Life in the Nineteenth-Century United States (2019), as well as the introductions to the Penguin Classics editions of Edith Wharton's The Custom of the Country (1913) and The Age of Innocence (1920). Her criticism has appeared in The New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, The New Republic, and elsewhere. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Little Women, go to https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393876734.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, we welcome editor Sarah Blackwood to discuss the importance of Alcott's family background; her distinct authorial voice in books, journals, and letters; and how her time as a Civil War nurse led to her emergence into the publishing world. Sarah Blackwood is Professor of English at Pace University, where she teaches courses on nineteenth-century US literature, visual culture, and representations of selfhood. She is the author of The Portrait's Subject: Inventing Inner Life in the Nineteenth-Century United States (2019), as well as the introductions to the Penguin Classics editions of Edith Wharton's The Custom of the Country (1913) and The Age of Innocence (1920). Her criticism has appeared in The New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, The New Republic, and elsewhere. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Little Women, go to https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393876734.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence, editor Sheila Liming returns to discuss challenges for first-time readers, the correlation between fluctuations in Wharton's reputation and historical literary (and political) trends, and whether or not The Age of Innocence is truly a love story. Sheila Liming is Associate Professor at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. She is the author of What a Library Means to a Woman: Edith Wharton and the Will to Collect Books (University of Minnesota Press, 2020) and creator of the web database EdithWhartonsLibrary.org. Her other books include Office (2020), published through Bloomsbury's Object Lessons series, and a scholarly edition of Wharton's novel Twilight Sleep (forthcoming through Oxford University Press). Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Lapham's Quarterly, The Los Angeles Review of Books, McSweeney's, and The Chronicle Review.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Age of Innocence, go to https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393870770.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence, we welcome editor Sheila Liming to discuss the author's friendship with Henry James, a culture of elitism in New York, and the ironic meaning of "innocence" in the novel. Sheila Liming is Associate Professor at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. She is the author of What a Library Means to a Woman: Edith Wharton and the Will to Collect Books (University of Minnesota Press, 2020) and creator of the web database EdithWhartonsLibrary.org. Her other books include Office (2020), published through Bloomsbury's Object Lessons series, and a scholarly edition of Wharton's novel Twilight Sleep (forthcoming through Oxford University Press). Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Lapham's Quarterly, The Los Angeles Review of Books, McSweeney's, and The Chronicle Review. To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Age of Innocence, go to https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393870770. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, editor Verna Kale returns to discuss the vintage bullfighting posters that inspired the cover of the Norton Library edition, a "hot take" on the traditional hero of the book, and the loss of sentence-level writing in adaptations of the story. Verna Kale is an Associate Research Professor of English at the Pennsylvania State University and Associate Editor of the Hemingway Letters Project. She is the author of a biography of Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway, part of the Critical Lives series; editor of Teaching Hemingway and Gender; and co-editor, with Sandra Spanier and Miriam B. Mandel, of The Letters of Ernest Hemingway: Volume 6 (1934–1936).To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Sun Also Rises, go to https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324045717.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, we welcome editor Verna Kale to discuss a young Hemingway's life experience leading up to writing the novel, his captivation with bullfighting and insider knowledge, the distinction between fairytale and reality, and the lack of a moral of the story. Verna Kale is an Associate Research Professor of English at the Pennsylvania State University and Associate Editor of the Hemingway Letters Project. She is the author of a biography of Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway, part of the Critical Lives series; editor of Teaching Hemingway and Gender; and co-editor, with Sandra Spanier and Miriam B. Mandel, of The Letters of Ernest Hemingway: Volume 6 (1934–1936).To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Sun Also Rises, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/SunAlsoRisesNL. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 2 of our discussion on John Milton's Paradise Lost, editor Stephen B. Dobranski returns to discuss his own first encounter with Milton in a high school classroom, the experience of editing the Norton Library edition from historical source texts, and how students should build up their Milton muscles by reading other poetry before turning to Paradise Lost. Stephen B. Dobranski is Distinguished University Professor of English at Georgia State University and the editor of the journal Milton Studies. He has published nine books including Readers and Authorship in Early Modern England (2005); The Cambridge Introduction to Milton 2012); and Milton's Visual Imagination: Imagery in “Paradise Lost” (2015).To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Paradise Lost, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/ParadiseLostNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 1 of our discussion on John Milton's Paradise Lost, we welcome editor Stephen B. Dobranski to discuss Milton's life in the midst of religious and political controversy, pamphlet wars and the representation of failed revolution through writing, and Milton's characterization of Eve. Stephen B. Dobranski is Distinguished University Professor of English at Georgia State University and the editor of the journal Milton Studies. He has published nine books including Readers and Authorship in Early Modern England (2005); The Cambridge Introduction to Milton 2012); and Milton's Visual Imagination: Imagery in “Paradise Lost” (2015).To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Paradise Lost, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/ParadiseLostNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Ovid's Metamorphoses, translator Charles Martin returns to discuss his first encounter with Ovid, the potential to learn Greek and Roman mythology through reading Metamorphoses, and other scholars' work with the text in the twenty-first century. Charles Martin was born in New York City in 1942. He earned a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo. The recipient of numerous awards, Martin has received the Bess Hokin Prize, the Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ingram Merrill Foundation. Three of his poetry collections—Steal the Bacon (1987), What the Darkness Proposes (1996), and Starting from Sleep: New and Selected Poems (2002)—have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. His translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses won the 2004 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from the Academy of American Poets.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Metamorphoses, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/MetamorphosesNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Ovid's Metamorphoses, we welcome translator Charles Martin to discuss Ovid's well-documented life and his exile, the popularity and subversiveness of Ovid's writings, and the creation of a new epic form through the lack of one epic hero. Charles Martin was born in New York City in 1942. He earned a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo. The recipient of numerous awards, Martin has received the Bess Hokin Prize, the Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ingram Merrill Foundation. Three of his poetry collections—Steal the Bacon (1987), What the Darkness Proposes (1996), and Starting from Sleep: New and Selected Poems (2002)—have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. His translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses won the 2004 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from the Academy of American Poets.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Metamorphoses, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/MetamorphosesNL. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Sinclair's The Jungle, editor Kenneth W. Warren returns to talk about how the novel stopped him in his tracks while reading it for school, the compelling question of the relationship between literature and propaganda, and the continued relevance of The Jungle today. Kenneth W. Warren is Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of English at the University of Chicago. He is the author of Black and White Strangers: Race and American Literary Realism (1993), So Black and Blue: Ralph Ellison and the Occasion of Criticism (2003), and What Was African American Literature? (2011).To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Jungle, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/TheJungleNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, we welcome editor Kenneth W. Warren to discuss Sinclair's background, how his political commitments informed his literary endeavors, The Jungle's effect on regulatory efforts in the United States, and the techniques the novel uses to achieve its engrossing effect. Kenneth W. Warren is Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of English at the University of Chicago. He is the author of Black and White Strangers: Race and American Literary Realism (1993), So Black and Blue: Ralph Ellison and the Occasion of Criticism (2003), and What Was African American Literature? (2011).To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Jungle, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/TheJungleNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/nortonlibrary.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Hobbes's Leviathan, editor David Johnston discusses his personal history with Hobbes and the Leviathan, common challenges first-time readers face, his favorite line from the book, his approach to teaching the work, the details of the book's famous engraved title page, and more.David Johnston teaches political philosophy at Columbia University, where he has served as Nell and Herbert M. Singer Professor of Contemporary Civilization and Joseph Straus Professor of Political Philosophy. He is the author of A Brief History of Justice, The Idea of a Liberal Theory, and The Rhetoric of Leviathan: Thomas Hobbes and the Politics of Cultural Transformation, and is the editor of a collection of readings entitled Equality and coeditor of Machiavelli on Liberty and Conflict.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Leviathan, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/LeviathanNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan, we welcome editor David Johnston to discuss Hobbes's life and the historical context of Leviathan, the book's central thesis and argument, and its controversial reception through time. David Johnston teaches political philosophy at Columbia University, where he has served as Nell and Herbert M. Singer Professor of Contemporary Civilization and Joseph Straus Professor of Political Philosophy. He is the author of A Brief History of Justice, The Idea of a Liberal Theory, and The Rhetoric of Leviathan: Thomas Hobbes and the Politics of Cultural Transformation, and is the editor of a collection of readings entitled Equality and coeditor of Machiavelli on Liberty and Conflict.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Leviathan, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/LeviathanNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, editor Caroline Levine discusses the lasting cultural impact of the novella, common challenges to teaching it, some of additional short stories by Stevenson which she included in the Norton Library edition, and more.Caroline Levine is David and Kathleen Ryan Professor of the Humanities and Professor of English at Cornell University. She has written three books: The Serious Pleasures of Suspense: Victorian Realism and Narrative Doubt (2003), Provoking Democracy: Why We Need the Arts (2007), and Forms: Whole, Rhythm, Hierarchy, Network (2015). She is the nineteenth-century editor for the Norton Anthology of World Literature.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Writings, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/JekyllAndHydeNL. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, we welcome editor Caroline Levine to discuss Stevenson's biography; some of the novella's philosophical, scientific, and psychological themes; and how it fits in with other trends in late-nineteenth-century British literature.Caroline Levine is David and Kathleen Ryan Professor of the Humanities and Professor of English at Cornell University. She has written three books: The Serious Pleasures of Suspense: Victorian Realism and Narrative Doubt (2003), Provoking Democracy: Why We Need the Arts (2007), and Forms: Whole, Rhythm, Hierarchy, Network (2015). She is the nineteenth-century editor for the Norton Anthology of World Literature.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Writings, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/JekyllAndHydeNL. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, editor Stephanie Insley Hershinow discusses her own history with Austen, common misconceptions about the novel, her favorite line in the novel, a Sense and Sensibility-inspired playlist, and more.Stephanie Insley Hershinow is an associate professor of English at Baruch College, CUNY, where she specializes in novel theory and eighteenth-century culture. She is the author of Born Yesterday: Inexperience and the Early Realist Novel. She lives with her family in Jersey City, New Jersey.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Sense and Sensibility, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/SenseandSensibilityNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Sense and Sensibility: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/57XGkr5wU6J7QN6LvET2OX?si=b45ea6554c9c4431.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Austen's Sense and Sensibility, we welcome editor Stephanie Insley Hershinow to discuss Austen's biography, including some misconceptions about her; the place of Sense and Sensibility in Austen's bibliography; the meaning of the novel's title in its context; and some of the work's major characters.Stephanie Insley Hershinow is an associate professor of English at Baruch College, CUNY, where she specializes in novel theory and eighteenth-century culture. She is the author of Born Yesterday: Inexperience and the Early Realist Novel. She lives with her family in Jersey City, New Jersey.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Sense and Sensibility, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/SenseandSensibilityNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Augustine's Confessions, translator Peter Constantine discusses his own history with the text and how he came to translate it, the stylistic accomplishment of the Confessions, his translation process, and more. Peter Constantine is the director of the Program in Literary Translation at the University of Connecticut, the publisher of World Poetry Books, and editor-in-chief of the magazine New Poetry in Translation. A prolific translator from several modern and classical languages, Constantine was awarded the PEN Translation Prize for Six Early Stories by Thomas Mann, the National Translation Award for The Undiscovered Chekhov, the Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize for his translation of The Bird Is a Raven by Benjamin Lebert, and the Koret Jewish Book Award and a National Jewish Book Award citation for The Complete Works of Isaac Babel.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Confessions, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/ConfessionsNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Augustine's Confessions, we welcome translator Peter Constantine to discuss the historical context in which Augustine of Hippo wrote the Confessions, the genre of the text, the lasting effect it has had on religious and secular intellectual traditions, and some of the touchstone episodes found in the work. Peter Constantine is the director of the Program in Literary Translation at the University of Connecticut, the publisher of World Poetry Books, and editor-in-chief of the magazine New Poetry in Translation. A prolific translator from several modern and classical languages, Constantine was awarded the PEN Translation Prize for Six Early Stories by Thomas Mann, the National Translation Award for The Undiscovered Chekhov, the Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize for his translation of The Bird Is a Raven by Benjamin Lebert, and the Koret Jewish Book Award and a National Jewish Book Award citation for The Complete Works of Isaac Babel.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Confessions, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/ConfessionsNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Dante's Inferno, translator Michael Palma discusses his own history with the poem and how he came to translate it, the terza rima rhyme scheme Dante employs, and in what ways the Divine Comedy is really a comedy. Michael Palma is the award-winning translator of Diego Valeri and Guido Gozzano, among others. He has published four collections of his own verse: The Egg Shape, Antibodies, A Fortune in Gold, and Beginning Gladness, and he has also published the title Faithful in My Fashion: Essays on the Translation of Poetry.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Inferno, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/InfernoNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Dante's Inferno, we welcome translator Michael Palma to discuss Dante's life and the context in which he wrote the Inferno, the narrative structure of The Divine Comedy, and what makes the Inferno so durably compelling. Michael Palma is the award-winning translator of Diego Valeri and Guido Gozzano, among others, and he has published four collections of his own verse: The Egg Shape, Antibodies, A Fortune in Gold, and Beginning Gladness, and he has also published the title Faithful in My Fashion: Essays on the Translation of Poetry. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, editor Joshua Bennett discusses the cover of the Norton Library edition, approaching the text as history and as literature, how Douglass teaches us to read, the musicality of the book, a Narrative-inspired playlist, and more! Joshua Bennett is a professor of literature at MIT. He is the author of five books of poetry, criticism, and narrative non-fiction, including The Sobbing School and Being Property Once Myself.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/NarrativeOfFrederickDouglassNL.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4tZk5AIohQcQFJvVOCiRo1?si=54de7b3bf0774d72.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/NarrativeFrederickDouglass/part2/transcript.
In Part 1 of our discussion on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, we welcome editor Joshua Bennett to discuss Douglass's Narrative as a type of hero's journey, Douglass's political project in writing the book, and how Douglass closes the Narrative with a statement on true Christianity. Joshua Bennett is a professor of literature at MIT. He is the author of five books of poetry, criticism, and narrative non-fiction, including The Sobbing School and Being Property Once Myself.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/NarrativeOfFrederickDouglassNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/NarrativeoftheLifeofaFrederickDouglass/part1/transcript.
In Part 2 of our discussion on The Awakening, editor Laura Fisher tells us about her first encounter with the novel, discusses her approach to teaching it, explores her favorite line of the text, provides a killer Awakening playlist, and more! Laura R. Fisher is an associate professor of English at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is the author of Reading for Reform: The Social Work of Literature in the Progressive Era.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Awakening, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/TheAwakeningNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by The Awakening:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/15QEBtiocc5SyhwH4wIfGF?si=15da7e7e396d4e86.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/theawakening/part2/transcript.
In Part 1 of our discussion on The Awakening, we welcome editor Laura Fisher to discuss Kate Chopin's writing career, the novel's reception and themes, as well as some of its major characters. Laura R. Fisher is an associate professor of English at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is the author of Reading for Reform: The Social Work of Literature in the Progressive Era.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Awakening, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/TheAwakeningNL. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/theawakening/part1/transcript.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Dubliners, editor Ian Whittington discusses the inspiration for the cover of his Norton Library edition, his favorite lines in the collection, his Dubliners hot take, and some suggestions for a Dubliners playlist. Ian Whittington is an independent scholar whose research and teaching focus on twentieth-century anglophone literature and culture. He is the author of Writing the Radio War: Literature, Politics and the BBC and co-editor of The Edinburgh Companion to Modernism and Technology. His work has appeared in Modernist Cultures, Modernism/modernity, The Global South, and other venues.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Dubliners, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/dublinersNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Dubliners: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0pOrIz0CbgngT4sANu6fkC?si=2c9950dee6f542ab.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/dubliners/part2/transcript.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Dubliners, we welcome editor Ian Whittington to discuss how this collection of short stories was received by its publisher, by its literary audience, and by the people who made up its subject matter; the Dublin in which Joyce grew up; and, of course, Ian's favorite story.Ian Whittington is an independent scholar whose research and teaching focus on twentieth-century anglophone literature and culture. He is the author of Writing the Radio War: Literature, Politics and the BBC and co-editor of The Edinburgh Companion to Modernism and Technology. His work has appeared in Modernist Cultures, Modernism/modernity, The Global South, and other venues. To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Dubliners, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/dublinersNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/dubliners/part1/transcript.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Medea, editor Sheila Murnaghan discusses her teaching of the drama, what Medea shows us about the nature of revenge, and her approach to the challenges of translating this tragedy. Sheila Murnaghan is the Alfred Reginald Allen Memorial Professor of Greek at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of Disguise and Recognition in the Odyssey and numerous articles on Greek epic and tragedy, gender in classical culture, and classical reception. She is the co-editor of Odyssean Identities in Modern Cultures: The Journey Home and Women and Slaves in Classical Culture: Differential Equations.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Medea, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/medeaNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Medea: https://sptfy.com/QeiK.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN. Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/medea/part2/transcript.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Medea, we welcome translator Sheila Murnaghan to discuss the historical and dramatic context in which Euripides wrote the play, its basis in the Medea myth, and the plays most prominent characters. Sheila Murnaghan is the Alfred Reginald Allen Memorial Professor of Greek at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of Disguise and Recognition in the Odyssey and numerous articles on Greek epic and tragedy, gender in classical culture, and classical reception. She is the co-editor of Odyssean Identities in Modern Cultures: The Journey Home and Women and Slaves in Classical Culture: Differential Equations.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Medea, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/medeaNL.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Medea: https://sptfy.com/QeiK.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at https://seagull.wwnorton.com/medea/part1/transcript.
In Part 2 of our discussion on The Marrow of Tradition, editor Autumn Womack discusses her background with the novel, teaching the novel, her favorite line, and her hot take on The Marrow of Tradition. Autumn Womack is an Assistant Professor in the departments of African American Studies and English at Princeton University, where she specializes in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century African American literary culture. She is the author of The Matter of Black Living: The Aesthetic Experiment of Racial Data, 1880–1930 (2022).To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Marrow of Tradition, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/marrow-of-tradition-nl. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by The Marrow of Tradition: https://shorturl.at/iw159.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/themarrowoftradition/part2/transcript.
In Part 1 of our discussion on The Marrow of Tradition, we welcome editor Autumn Womack to discuss Charles W. Chestnut's biography, his ambitions in writing the novel, the historical realities depicted in it, and some of its major characters. Autumn Womack is an Assistant Professor in the departments of African American Studies and English at Princeton University, where she specializes in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century African American literary culture. She is the author of The Matter of Black Living: The Aesthetic Experiment of Racial Data, 1880–1930 (2022).To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Marrow of Tradition, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/marrow-of-tradition-nl. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by The Marrow of Tradition: https://shorturl.at/iw159.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/themarrowoftradition/part1/transcript.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Dracula, editor Rachel Feder discusses the inspiration for the cover of her Norton Library edition, her favorite line in the novel, how the novel relates to the popular cultural understanding of vampires, and notions of the sublime in Gothic literature. Rachel Feder is an associate professor of English and literary arts at the University of Denver, where her courses often bring literary history into conversation with contemporary culture. She is the author of Harvester of Hearts: Motherhood under the sign of Frankenstein and the poetry collection Birth Chart.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Dracula, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/Dracula.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Dracula: https://shorturl.at/hLTVX.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/dracula/part2/transcript.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Dracula, we welcome editor Rachel Feder to discuss whether Bram Stoker's biography is relevant to our interpretations of the novel, Dracula's place in the history of Gothic literature, different types of Gothic literature, and some of the most prominent characters in the novel. Rachel Feder is an associate professor of English and literary arts at the University of Denver, where her courses often bring literary history into conversation with contemporary culture. She is the author of Harvester of Hearts: Motherhood under the sign of Frankenstein and the poetry collection Birth Chart.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Dracula, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/Dracula.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Dracula: https://shorturl.at/hLTVX. Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/dracula/part1/transcript.
In Part 2 of our discussion on The Canterbury Tales, translator and editor Sheila Fisher uncovers her favorite line(s) in the text, tells us how she approaches teaching the Tales, gives us a cross-centuries Chaucer playlist, and reflects on the text's relevance to readers today. Sheila Fisher is Professor of English at Trinity College (Hartford). She is the author of Chaucer's Poetic Alchemy: A Study of Value and Its Transformation in The Canterbury Tales, and the editor (with Janet E. Halley) of Seeking the Woman in Late Medieval and Renaissance Writings: Essays in Feminist Contextual Criticism, as well as essays on the Gawain-poet, Julian of Norwich, and Margery Kempe.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Canterbury Tales, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/NLCanterbury.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by The Canterbury Tales: https://shorturl.at/hiowC.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/thecanterburytales/part2/transcript.
In Part 1 of our discussion on The Canterbury Tales, we welcome translator and editor Sheila Fisher to discuss Geoffrey Chaucer's life and times, his great accomplishment in crafting these Tales, and the intricacies of Sheila's favorite tale, that of the Wife of Bath. Sheila Fisher is Professor of English at Trinity College (Hartford). She is the author of Chaucer's Poetic Alchemy: A Study of Value and Its Transformation in The Canterbury Tales, and the editor (with Janet E. Halley) of Seeking the Woman in Late Medieval and Renaissance Writings: Essays in Feminist Contextual Criticism, as well as essays on the Gawain-poet, Julian of Norwich, and Margery Kempe.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Canterbury Tales, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/NLCanterbury. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by The Canterbury Tales: https://shorturl.at/hiowC. Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/thecanterburytales/part1/transcript.
In Part 2 of our discussion on Emma , editor Stephanie Insley Hershinow tells us how she first encountered Jane Austen's work, highlights some of her preferred techniques for teaching Emma, gives her hot take on Austen, and reflects on some of the most affecting adaptations of Emma in popular media. Stephanie Insley Hershinow is an associate professor of English at Baruch College, CUNY, where she specializes in novel theory and eighteenth-century culture. She is the author of Born Yesterday: Inexperience and the Early Realist Novel. She lives with her family in Jersey City, New Jersey.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Emma, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/NLEmma.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Emma: https://shorturl.at/ekuV9.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/emma/part2/transcript.
In the first of our two episodes on Emma , we welcome editor Stephanie Insley Hershinow to discuss what popular conceptions of Jane Austen get right and get wrong about her, how Austen is both similar to and different from the titular protagonist of the novel, Austen's place in the history of marriage stories, and some of the novel's most memorable characters. Stephanie Insley Hershinow is an associate professor of English at Baruch College, CUNY, where she specializes in novel theory and eighteenth-century culture. She is the author of Born Yesterday: Inexperience and the Early Realist Novel. She lives with her family in Jersey City, New Jersey.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Emma, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/NLEmma. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Emma: https://shorturl.at/ekuV9. Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/emma/part1/transcript.
In part 2 of our discussion on the short fiction of Nikolai Gogol (as selected in the recently published Norton Library edition), translator Michael Katz and introducer Kate Holland tell us their favorite lines from Gogol's work and highlight the qualities of his unique style and voice that have captured readers across the centuries. Michael R. Katz is C. V. Starr Professor Emeritus of Russian and East European Studies at Middlebury College. He has published translations of more than fifteen Russian novels, including Crime and Punishment, Notes from Underground, and The Brothers Karamazov.Kate Holland is Associate Professor of Russian Literature in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Toronto. She is the author of The Novel in the Age of Disintegration: Dostoevsky and the Problem of Genre in the 1870s. She is President of the North American Dostoevsky Society.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Selected Tales, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/selectedtales.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Selected Tales: https://shorturl.at/oSUX4.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/selectedtales/part2/transcript.
In this episode of the Norton Library Podcast, we welcome translator Michael R. Katz and scholar of Russian literature Kate Holland to chat about one of the most celebrated figures in all of Russian literature: Nikolai Gogol. We discuss the influence of Gogol's Ukrainian background on his acclaimed short fiction as well as the challenges—and delights—of translating his singular comedic voice. Michael R. Katz is C. V. Starr Professor Emeritus of Russian and East European Studies at Middlebury College. He has published translations of more than fifteen Russian novels, including Crime and Punishment, Notes from Underground, and The Brothers Karamazov.Kate Holland is Associate Professor of Russian Literature in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Toronto. She is the author of The Novel in the Age of Disintegration: Dostoevsky and the Problem of Genre in the 1870s. She is President of the North American Dostoevsky Society.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Selected Tales, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/selectedtales.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Selected Tales: https://shorturl.at/oSUX4. Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/selectedtales/part1/transcript.
In part 2 of our conversation on Moby-Dick, editor Jeffrey Insko breaks down his favorite lines and highlights the pleasures of uncovering the novel's endless layers of humor and meaning—even (especially?) in the dreaded Cetology chapter... Jeffrey Insko is Professor of English at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, where he teaches courses in nineteenth-century American Literature and Culture and the Environmental Humanities. He is the editor of the Norton Library edition of Moby-Dick and the author of History, Abolition, and the Ever-Present Now in Antebellum American Writing (2018). To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Moby-Dick, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/moby-dick.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Moby Dick: https://shorturl.at/lnvMV.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/mobydick/part2/transcript.
In the first of our two-part episodes on Moby-Dick, editor Jeffrey Insko highlights the (sometimes-polarizing) delights of Herman Melville's outlandish nautical epic and describes how this iconic American novel was born from from the author's early adventures on the high seas. Jeffrey Insko is Professor of English at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, where he teaches courses in nineteenth-century American Literature and Culture and the Environmental Humanities. He is the editor of the Norton Library edition of Moby-Dick and the author of History, Abolition, and the Ever-Present Now in Antebellum American Writing (2018). To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Moby-Dick, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/moby-dick. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Moby Dick: https://shorturl.at/lnvMV. Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/mobydick/part1/transcript.
In Part 2 of our conversation with Sharon Marcus, we chat about popular adaptations of Jane Eyre and why the best one—which hasn't been written yet—would feature Phoebe Bridgers, PJ Harvey, and Sarah Vaughan on the soundtrack. Sharon Marcus is the Orlando Harriman Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and editor of the Norton Library edition of Jane Eyre. Her research and teaching bring together literary theory, cultural and social history, and gender and sexuality studies.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Jane Eyre, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/janeeyre.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Jane Eyre: https://shorturl.at/klLS5.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/janeeyre/part2/transcript.
This week on the podcast, Sharon Marcus introduces us to one of the most enduringly popular coming-of-age novels in all of English literature—Charlotte Brontë's 1847 Gothic thriller, Jane Eyre. Sharon Marcus is the Orlando Harriman Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and editor of the Norton Library edition of Jane Eyre. Her research and teaching bring together literary theory, cultural and social history, and gender and sexuality studies.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Jane Eyre, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/janeeyre.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Jane Eyre: https://shorturl.at/klLS5. Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/janeeyre/part1/transcript.
In Part 2 of our series on Oedipus Tyrannos, Emily Wilson highlights the delights and challenges of translating Greek tragedy into English, the play's long history of adaptation and live staging, and the ways in which Oedipus Tyrannos has continued to resonate with audiences over millennia. What can the titular tyrant's ill-fated mistakes still teach us about the dangers of misinformation and unchecked power? Emily Wilson is Professor of Classical Studies and Graduate Chair of the Program in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been named a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome in Renaissance and Early Modern scholarship, a MacArthur Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow. In addition to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, she has also published translations of Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Oedipus Tyrannos, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/OT. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Oedipus Tyrannos: https://shorturl.at/bdizA.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/oedipustyrannos/part2/transcript.
On this week's episode of the Norton Library Podcast, we welcome Emily Wilson, acclaimed translator of Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, to discuss her recent translation of Sophocles's Oedipus Tyrannos. Emily Wilson is Professor of Classical Studies and Graduate Chair of the Program in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been named a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome in Renaissance and Early Modern scholarship, a MacArthur Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow. In addition to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, she has also published translations of Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Oedipus Tyrannos, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/OT. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Oedipus Tyrannos: https://shorturl.at/bdizA. Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/oedipustyrannos/part1/transcript.
In Part 2 of our conversation with Jesse McCarthy, we discuss the spiritual and intellectual underpinnings of The Souls of Black Folk and break down common misperceptions about the work. Jesse also explains why he always teaches The Souls of Black Folk with music. Jesse McCarthy is the editor of the Norton Library edition of The Souls of Black Folk and Assistant Professor in the departments of English and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. He has published articles and reviews in the journals transposition, NOVEL, and African American Review and contributed chapters to Richard Wright in Context and Ralph Ellison in Context as well as a new introduction for Vincent O. Carter's long out-of-print memoir The Bern Book. He is also the author of Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul? , a collection of essays; and a novel, The Fugitivities.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition ofThe Souls of Black Folk, go to https://seagull.wwnorton.com/TSOBF.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by The Souls of Black Folk: https://shorturl.at/dASV5.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/thesoulsofblackfolk/part2/transcript.
In this episode of the Norton Library Podcast, we welcome Jesse McCarthy to discuss who W. E. B. Du Bois was and how The Souls of Black Folk came to be. We also explore Souls' most enduring ideas and how these still resonate today with a variety of underrepresented groups.McCarthy is the editor of the Norton Library edition of The Souls of Black Folk and Assistant Professor in the departments of English and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. He has published articles and reviews in the journals transposition, NOVEL, and African American Review and contributed chapters to Richard Wright in Context and Ralph Ellison in Context as well as a new introduction for Vincent O. Carter's long out-of-print memoir The Bern Book. He is also the author of Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul? a collection of essays and a novel, The Fugitivities.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition ofThe Souls of Black Folk, go to seagull.wwnorton.com/TSOBFLearn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by The Souls of Black Folk: https://shorturl.at/dASV5.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/thesoulsofblackfolk/part1/transcript.
In Part 2 of our conversation with Michael Bérubé, we discuss the enduring legacy of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein—how a cautionary tale about reckless experimentation and radicalization speaks just as forcefully to our present moment as it did to readers in 1818. Michael Bérubé is Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Literature at Penn State University and the editor of the Norton Library edition of Frankenstein. He is the author of ten books, including What's Liberal About the Liberal Arts? Classroom Politics and “Bias” in Higher Education and Life As We Know It: A Father, a Family, and an Exceptional Child. The Norton Library edition of Frankenstein features the complete text of the 1818 edition. To learn more or purchase a copy, go to http://seagull.wwnorton.com/frankenstein.Learn more about the Norton Library series at http://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Frankenstein: https://shorturl.at/inR68.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN.Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/frankenstein/part1/transcript.
In this episode of the Norton Library Podcast, we welcome Michael Bérubé to discuss the origins of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the radical (and enduring) questions the novel poses about science, religion, and humanity. Michael Bérubé is Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Literature at Penn State University and the editor of the Norton Library edition of Frankenstein. He is the author of ten books, including What's Liberal About the Liberal Arts? Classroom Politics and “Bias” in Higher Education and Life As We Know It: A Father, a Family, and an Exceptional Child. The Norton Library edition of Frankenstein features the complete text of the 1818 edition. To learn more or purchase a copy, go to http://seagull.wwnorton.com/frankenstein. Learn more about the Norton Library series at http://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Listen to our Spotify playlist inspired by Frankenstein: https://shorturl.at/inR68.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter @TNL_WWN. Episode transcript at: https://seagull.wwnorton.com/frankenstein/part1/transcript.