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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961), who was part of the movement known as phenomenology. While less well-known than his contemporaries Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, his popularity has increased among philosophers in recent years. Merleau-Ponty rejected Rene Descartes' division between body and mind, arguing that the way we perceive the world around us cannot be separated from our experience of inhabiting a physical body. Merleau-Ponty was interested in the down-to-earth question of what it is actually like to live in the world. While performing actions as simple as brushing our teeth or patting a dog, we shape the world and, in turn, the world shapes us. With Komarine Romdenh-Romluc Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of SheffieldThomas Baldwin Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of YorkAnd Timothy Mooney Associate Professor of Philosophy at University College, DublinProduced by Eliane GlaserReading list:Peter Antich, Motivation and the Primacy of Perception: Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Knowledge (Ohio University Press, 2021)Dimitris Apostolopoulos, Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Language (Rowman and Littlefield, 2019) Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being and Apricot Cocktails (Chatto and Windus, 2016) Thomas Baldwin (ed.), Maurice Merleau-Ponty: Basic Writings (Routledge, 2004)Thomas Baldwin (ed.), Reading Merleau-Ponty (Routledge, 2007)Renaud Barbaras (trans. Ted Toadvine and Leonard Lawlor), The Being of the Phenomenon: Merleau-Ponty's Ontology (Indiana University Press, 2004).Anya Daly, Merleau-Ponty and the Ethics of Intersubjectivity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016)M. C. Dillon, Merleau-Ponty's Ontology (Northwestern University Press, 1998, 2nd ed.) Maurice Merleau-Ponty (trans. Alden L. Fisher), The Structure of Behavior (first published 1942; Beacon Press, 1976)Maurice Merleau-Ponty (trans. Donald Landes), Phenomenology of Perception (first published 1945; Routledge, 2011)Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Sense and Non-Sense (first published 1948; Northwestern University Press, 1964)Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Signs (first published 1960; Northwestern University Press, 1964)Maurice Merleau-Ponty, The Visible and the Invisible (first published 1964; Northwestern University Press, 1968)Maurice Merleau-Ponty (trans. Oliver Davis with an introduction by Thomas Baldwin), The World of Perception (Routledge, 2008)Ariane Mildenberg (ed.), Understanding Merleau-Ponty, Understanding Modernism (Bloomsbury, 2019)Timothy Mooney, Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Perception: On the Body Informed (Cambridge University Press, 2023) Katherine J. Morris, Starting with Merleau-Ponty (Continuum, 2012) Komarine Romdenh-Romluc, Merleau-Ponty and Phenomenology of Perception (Routledge, 2011)Komarine Romdenh-Romluc, The Routledge Guidebook to Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Perception (Routledge, 2011)Jean-Paul Sartre (trans. Benita Eisler), Situations (Hamish Hamilton, 1965)Hilary Spurling, The Girl from the Fiction Department (Penguin, 2003)Jon Stewart (ed.), The Debate Between Sartre and Merleau-Ponty (Northwestern University Press, 1998)Ted Toadvine, Merleau-Ponty's Philosophy of Nature (Northwestern University Press, 2009)Kerry Whiteside, Merleau-Ponty and the Foundation of an Existential Politics (Princeton University Press, 1988)Iris Marion Young, On Female Body Experience: “Throwing Like a Girl” and Other Essays (Oxford University Press, 2005)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production
Jennifer Coates, friend of the pod, is back to help me consider a new way forward (artwise) after the destabilizing event of the US election. She, herself, is finding comfort in the long history of rocks, geology and the cosmos, while I find myself turning to a book about how Matisse and his daughter, Marguerite, both reacted to the trauma of WWII in opposite yet valid ways. It's a bit of a potpourri, but we promise some great galvanizing art historical quotes and an inspiring double pep talk for the ages. Alternative title of ep: Rock Paper Scissors! Come hang out with us! Media mentions: The Weekly Show w Jon Stewart (ep with Heather Cox Richardson), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on IG/Tiktok Rock mentions: The Makapansgat pebble, Paleo "Venuses," Venus de Willendorf, baetyl stones, "The Living Stones" by Ithell Colquhoun, Paul Cezanne's drawings of Fontainbleu Quarry/MOMA show , John Elderfield and Terry Winters discuss Cezanne's Rock and Quarry Paintings for the Brooklyn Rail , "Turning to Stone: Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks" by Marcia Bjornerud, new minerals elalite and elkinstantonite discovered in 2022 in Somalia from a meteorite Art mentions: Cat Balco, Adie Russell, Elisabeth Condon, Pierre Bonnard, Edvard Munch & "White Night" 1900, Dada Movement, Hannah Hoch & “Cut with the Kitchen Knife," Man Ray, "Matisse the Master" by Hilary Spurling, "The Unknown Matisse" by Hilary Spurling, Henri Matisse ”Bathers by a River" 1917 and "The Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence" 1947-51, "Verve Magazine" Issue No 8 Vol 2 (1940), "Les Fleurs de Mal" Baudelaire/Matisse poetry book, Marguerite Matisse, Max Beckmann Jennifer's website and IG: https://www.jenniferlcoates.com/ @jennifercoates666 Thank you, Jennifer! Thank you, Listeners! All music by Soundstripe ---------------------------- Pep Talks on IG: @peptalksforartists Pep Talks website: peptalksforartists.com Amy, your beloved host, on IG: @talluts Amy's website: amytalluto.com Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s BuyMeACoffee Donations always appreciated! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peptalksforartistspod/support
I often say how similar the Gilded Age and Progressive Era is like our contemporary times. With this show, I take it back. Cassie Chadwick was able to swindle the banks in a way that would be impossible today. Listen to Annie Reed discuss her debut book, Imposter Heiress.Essential Reading:Annie Reed, Imposter Heiress: Cassie Chadwick, the Greatest Grifter of the Gilded Age (2024).Further Reading:David Nasaw, Andrew Carnegie (2007).Maria Konnikova, The Confidence Game (2017).Amy Reading, The Mark Inside (2012).Hilary Spurling, La Grande Therese: The Greatest Scandal of the Century (2000).Tori Telfer. Confident Women (2021). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Things start to get fruity in this third episode. Neil chooses almonds, fuelling a historical debate that goes a bit nuts. Apricots are more Allie's jam as she looks at their use in literature and Sam takes the less beaten track of the aubergine, sparking memories of the time she made a parmigiana…on TV!Useful LinksNeil's recipe for - or, rather, interpretation of - medieval blanc mange and modern, sweet blancmange.‘Almond trees in Ancient Greek lore' on the Greek News Agenda websiteHistory of the Bimberlot Festival. ‘A French Party 600 Years in the Making' by Hugh Thomas on the Smart Mouth Substack.‘The "pretty art" of detecting pregnancy in The Duchess of Malfi' by Claire McEwen Duncan via University of British Colombia Open Collections.‘Eggplant (aubergine) — A Mad Apple with a Dark Liaison' on the Vegetarians in Paradise website‘Eggplant (aubergine) Symbol Timeline in Love in the Time of Cholera' on the LitCharts websiteSuggested ReadingIn Search of Lost Time (1913) by Marcel ProustThe Experienced English Housekeeper (1769) by Elizabeth RaffaldA Midsummer Night's Dream (1605) by William ShakespeareApricot Jam and Other Stories (2008) by Aleksandr SolzhenitsynElinor Fettiplace's Receipt Book: Elizabethan Country House Cooking (1987) by Hilary Spurling (based on the late sixteenth century manuscript notebook belonging to Elinor Fettiplace)The Duchess of Malfi (1613) by John Webster Pride and Pudding: The History of British Puddings, Savory and Sweet (2016) by Regula YsewijnAnything to add? Don't forget we want to hear your suggestions for future topics.Contact usemail: aisforapplepod.gmail.comlinktree: linktr.ee/aisforapplepodSocial mediatwitter/X: @aisforapplepodInstagram: @aisforapplepod_
Agyeya was a writer, a rebel, a soldier, a lover-- and a man who shaped modern Hindi literature. Akshaya Mukul joins Amit Varma in episode 324 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about the life of this remarkable man -- as well as the art of biography and the state of the nation. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Akshaya Mukul on Amazon and Twitter. 2. Writer, Rebel, Soldier, Lover: The Many Lives of Agyeya -- Akshaya Mukul. 3. Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India -- Akshaya Mukul. 4. The Gita Press and Hindu Nationalism — Episode 139 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Akshaya Mukul). 5. Agyeya on Wikipedia, Amazon, Kavitakosh and Hindwi. 6. Shekhar: Ek Jeevani (Hindi) (English) -- Agyeya. 7. Dunning-Kruger Effect. 8. Poker at Lake Wobegon — Amit Varma. 9. Listen, The Internet Has SPACE -- Amit Varma. 10. Siddharth Chowdhury on Amazon. 11. The Power Broker — Robert Caro. 12. The Death and Life of Great American Cities — Jane Jacobs. 13. Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing -- Robert Caro. 14. Robert Caro on Amazon. 15. John Richardson's books on Pablo Picasso. 16. Sontag: Her Life and Work -- Benjamin Moser. 17. Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector -- Benjamin Moser. 18. Stephen Kotkin's volumes on Joseph Stalin. 19. Hilary Spurling's volumes on Henri Matisse. 20. India After Gandhi -- Ramachandra Guha. 21. Gandhi Before India -- Ramachandra Guha. 22. Here And Hereafter: Nirmal Verma's Life in Literature -- Nirmal Verma. 23. Ian Kershaw's books on Adolf Hitler. 24. Listen, The Internet Has SPACE — Amit Varma. 25. Why Are My Episodes so Long? -- Amit Varma. 26. The Life and Times of Jerry Pinto — Episode 314 of The Seen and the Unseen. 27. To the Book -- WS Merwin. 28. Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh, Raghuvir Sahay, Nagarjun, Maithili Sharan Gupt and Jainendra Kumar. 29. Frida: The Biography of Frida Kahlo -- Hayden Herrera. 30. Maya C Popa, Ilya Kaminsky, Mary Oliver, Nâzım Hikmet, Nizar Qabbani and Forugh Farrokhzad. 31. Francis Newton Souza, VS Gaitonde and Krishen Khanna. 32. A Life in Indian Politics — Episode 149 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Jayaprakash Narayan). 33. The Shah Bano case. 34. Hindi Modernism: Rethinking Agyeya and His Times -- Edited by Vasudha Dalmia. 35. Raw Umber : A Memoir -- Sara Rai. 36. Sara Rai Inhales Literature — Episode 255 of The Seen and the Unseen. 37. The email conversation between Pankaj Mishra and Amit Chaudhuri. 38. Rahul Sankrityayan on Wikipedia and Amazon. 39. Jahnavi and the Cyclotron -- Episode 319 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Jahnavi Phalkey). 40. Everybody Lies — Seth Stephens-Davidowitz. 41. Frank Sinatra Has a Cold -- Gay Talese. 42. Also a Poet: Frank O'Hara, My Father, and Me -- Ada Calhoun. 43. Sunita -- Jainendra Kumar. 44. Song of Myself, 51 -- Walt Whitman. 45. Tar Saptak. 46. Suraj Ka Saatwaan Ghoda -- Dharamvir Bharti. 47. Patrick French on Amazon and Wikipedia. 48. Leon Edel and James Atlas. 49. The Art of Biography No 1 -- Leon Edel interviewed by Jeanne McCulloch for Paris Review.50. Delmore Schwartz: The Life of an American Poet -- James Atlas. 51. The Shadow in the Garden: A Biographer's Tale -- James Atlas. 52. The Most of Nora Ephron -- Nora Ephron. 53. What Makes Women Happy -- Fay Weldon. 54. Keeda Jadi Ki Khoj Mein -- Anil Yadav. 55. Bhuvanesh Komkali, Mukul Shivputra, Amir Khan and Alladiya Khan. Check out Amit's online course, The Art of Clear Writing. And subscribe to The India Uncut Newsletter. It's free! Episode art: ‘The Writing on the Wall' by Simahina.
In memory of the great Carmen Callil, we are replaying the first of her two appearances on Backlisted. Joining Andy and John in this episode is Carmen Callil, the legendary publisher and writer, who is best know for founding the Virago Press in 1972. Once described by the Guardian as ‘part-Lebanese, part-Irish and wholly Australian', Carmen settled in London in 1964 advertising herself in The Times as ‘Australian, B.A. wants job in book publishing'. After changing a generation's taste through her publishing at Virago, and in particular the Virago Modern Classics, which continues to bring back into print hundreds of neglected women writers, Carmen went on to run Chatto & Windus and became a global Editor-at-Large for Random House. In 2006 she published Bad Faith: A History of Family & Fatherland, which Hilary Spurling called ‘a work of phenomenally thorough, generous and humane scholarship'. Appointed DBE in 2017, she was also awarded the Benson Medal in the same year, awarded to mark ‘meritorious works in poetry, fiction, history and belles-lettres'. The book under discussion is one of her favourite novels, The Tortoise & the Hare by Elizabeth Jenkins, first published by Gollancz in 1954 and triumphantly reissued by Virago Modern Classics in 1983. Also in this episode we explore the new audio version of one our favourite writer's best novels - The Unfortunates by B.S. Johnson, famously published in a box containing 27 randomly ordered sections in 1969. And last but very much not least: this episode also features our very first canine guest - Effie, Carmen's extremely well-behaved border terrier. Timings: (may differ due to variable advert length) 8'10 - The Unfortunates by B.S.Johnson 21'16 - The Tortoise and the Hare by Elizabeth Jenkins * To purchase any of the books mentioned in this episode please visit our bookshop at uk.bookshop.org/shop/backlisted where all profits help to sustain this podcast and UK independent bookshops. * For information about everything mentioned in this episode visit www.backlisted.fm *If you'd like to support the show, listen without adverts, receive the show early and with extra bonus fortnightly episodes, become a Patreon at www.patreon.com/backlisted
Sara Wheeler first read Sybille Bedford in her early twenties, and discovered a dazzling writer. The book she read was called A Visit to Don Otavio. It's set in Mexico, a country Bedford wanted to visit because of its 'long nasty history in the past and as little present history as possible.' Born Sybille von Schoenebeck in 1911 in Germany, she lived in Italy, France, California and London, and her book Jigsaw was nominated for the Booker prize. But by her own admission she never sold many books. Sara Wheeler is the author of Terra Incognita - about her travels in Antarctica. Victoria Glendinning adds her thoughts and wit to the programme. There are archive contributions from Hilary Spurling, Sue McGregor and Sybille Bedford too. The presenter is Matthew Parris
John and Andy are joined by novelist Philip Hensher and biographer Hilary Spurling for a discussion of Books Do Furnish a Room by Anthony Powell, first published in 1971, the tenth instalment of A Dance to the Music of Time. This special Christmas episode was recorded live at the LRB Bookshop in London on December 6th 2018.
In Episode 2: The Oldest Paper in the World Gail, Hazel and Jennie talk to Frances Wood, librarian, sinologue and former head of the Chinese Collection at the British Library; Andrew Hawkins recounts the story of the oldest paper in the world; and we find out which books our readers are hoping for this Christmas. [www.foxedquarterly.com/pod](https://foxedquarterly.com/pod) Books Mentioned * Ernest H. Shepard illustrated [Winnie-the-Pooh](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/a-a-milne-winnie-the-pooh/) and Wind in the Willows. His memoirs are [Drawn from Memory and Drawn from Life](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/drawn-from-memory-no-44-drawn-from-life-no-45/) * [A Country Doctor’s Commonplace Book](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/a-country-doctors-commonplace-book/) * [Issue 60 of Slightly Foxed](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/slightly-foxed-issue-60-published-1-december-2018/) * David Seabrook, [All the Devils Are Here](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/david-seabrook-all-the-devils-are-here/) * Jonathan Coe, [Middle England](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/jonathan-coe-middle-england/) * Peter Frankopan, [The Silk Roads: A New History of the World](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/peter-frankopan-silk-roads/) * Max Hastings, [Vietnam](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/max-hastings-vietnam/) * Philip Kerr, [Greeks Bearing Gifts](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/philip-kerr-greeks-bearing-gifts/) * Germain Greer’s White Beech is out of print, but we may be able to get hold of second hand copies. Please [get in touch](https://foxedquarterly.com/help/) for details * Michael Palin, [Erebus: The Story of a Ship](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/michael-palin-erebus-story-of-a-ship/) * Sebastian Fauks, [Paris Echo](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/sebastian-faulks-paris-echo/) * BB’s books are [Brendon Chase](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/bb-brendon-chase-classic-childrens-books/), [The Little Grey Men and Down the Bright Stream](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/bb-little-grey-men-down-the-bright-stream-classic-childrens-books/) * Andrew Roberts, [Churchill: Walking with Destiny](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/andrew-roberts-churchill-walking-with-destiny/) * Hilary Spurling, [Anthony Powell: Dancing to the Music of Time](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/hilary-spurling-anthony-powell/) * Carys Davies, [West](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/carys-davies-west/) * Sally Rooney, [Normal People](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/sally-rooney-normal-people/) * Rachel Kushner, [The Mars Room](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/rachel-kushner-mars-room/) * Katie Stewart’s Times Cookery Book is out of print, but we may be able to get hold of second hand copies. Please [get in touch](https://foxedquarterly.com/help/) for details * Julian Barnes, [The Pedant in the Kitchen](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/julian-barnes-pedant-in-the-kitchen/) * Nigel Slater, [The Christmas Chronicles](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/nigel-slater-christmas-chronicles/) * Qiu Xiaolong’s Detective Chen series begins with [Death of a Red Heroine](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/qiu-xiaolong-death-of-a-red-heroine/) * Frances Wood, [Hand-grenade Practice in Peking](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/hand-grenade-practice-in-peking/) Related Slightly Foxed Articles & Illustrations * [Luna North](https://www.lunanorth.co.uk/) produced the cover for [Issue 59](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/slightly-foxed-issue-59-published-1-september/) of Slightly Foxed, Autumn 2018 * Frances Wood’s article, [The Oldest Paper in the World](https://foxedquarterly.com/british-library-the-oldest-paper-in-the-world/), appeared in [Issue 27](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/slightly-foxed-issue-27/) of Slightly Foxed, Autumn 2014 Other Links * The [Slightly Foxed Readers’ Day 2018](https://foxedquarterly.com/slightly-foxed-readers-day-2018-art-workers-guild/) took place...
With Hilary Spurling, author of a new biography of Anthony Powell. Presented by Sam Leith.
Live from Salford, during the Conservative Party conference in neighbouring Manchester, Sir David Cannadine argues that Victorian Britain was never far from revolution. He tells Andrew Marr how a century seen as conservative was actually troubled by political upheaval. Britain may have been the world's greatest empire but it was riven by self-doubt. Novelist Anthony Powell depicted the turbulence of the 20th century in his series A Dance to the Music of Time. Powell is seen as the arch-conservative, but biographer Hilary Spurling argues that he was fascinated by power and people at every level of society. Jane Green tracked the 2017 General Election as co-director of the British Election Study. She explains how the public judges those in power, and why political reputations are hard to shake. And Phillip Blond, director of the think tank ResPublica, helped shape recent Conservative ideas including the "big society" and the "northern powerhouse". He fears the Conservative Party could become irrelevant unless power is shared out. Producer: Hannah Sander.
In the second programme celebrating the arts highlights from 2014, John Wilson hears from Benedict Cumberbatch, Timothy Spall, Keira Knightley and Eddie Redmayne as they discuss the challenges of playing real life figures in film. Dolly Parton, Joan Baez, Iggy Pop and Emma Thompson talk about the impact of age on their chosen careers as Daria Klimentova explains why she decided to retire from the world of ballet. Michael Sheen discusses his passion for Dylan Thomas in this anniversary year, and Simon Schama and Hilary Spurling enthuse about Rembrandt and Matisse. And pop newcomers, Sam Smith and Young Fathers reflect on their successes over the last year.
John Wilson discusses Tate Modern's Matisse: The Cut-Outs with Matisse biographer Hilary Spurling and curator Nicholas Cullinan. Also in the programme: Val McDermid is renowned as a crime-writer, but Jane Austen isn't - so what attracted Val to the idea of updating Northanger Abbey? Plus reviews of the film Locke, starring Tom Hardy - and of two new Broadway musicals: Woody Allen's stage version of his film Bullets Over Broadway, and a new show about Billie Holiday, Lady Day. Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Rebecca Nicholson.
A.S. Byatt chooses The Red Studio (1911) by the French artist Henri Matisse. Presented by Mark Lawson. Plus archives interviews with Matisse himself from 1951, Matisse’s biographer Hilary Spurling, artist Patrick Herron and A.S. Byatt on literature. Go to Front Row’s Cultural Exchange website for full details.
John Simpson, the BBC's World Affairs Editor and writer Hilary Spurling discuss George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia, as part of the Radio 4 Real Orwell Season. Homage to Catalonia was first published in 1938 and is political journalist and novelist George Orwell's personal account of his experiences and observations in the Spanish Civil War. This pivotal time in his writing career led in later years to Nineteen Eighty Four and Animal Farm. James Naughtie presents and a group of readers ask the questions. March's Bookclub choice : Pure by Andrew Miller Produced by Dymphna Flynn.
Through an exploration of work in the Tate Collection, Hilary Spurling, renowned author of a two-volume work on Henri Matisse, examines the relationship Matisse had to English painters such as JMW Turner.