Podcast appearances and mentions of robert mccrum

Robert McCrum discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Robert McCrum is a writer and editor whose most recent book, Shakespearean was published to great acclaim in 2021. Formerly the editor-in-chief of Faber & Faber, and literary editor of the Observer, he is also the author of Wodehouse: A Life (2004), and a classic memoir, My Year Off (1998). From 1980 to 1996, McCrum was editor-in-chief of Faber & Faber, where he published Kazuo Ishiguro, Hanif Kureishi, Milan Kundera, Peter Carey, Danilo Kis, Paul Auster, Marilynne Robinson, Lorrie Moore, Adam Phillips, Mario Vargas Llosa, Jayne Anne Phillips, Orhan Pamuk, and Adam Mars-Jones. At the same time, he wrote seven novels, and co-authored the BBC TV series, The Story Of English, for which he was awarded an Emmy in 1986, followed by a Peabody Prize in 1987. In July 1995, McCrum suffered a serious stroke, a personal crisis he described in My Year Off, a book now regarded as an essential study in the understanding of the condition. He was literary editor of the Observer from 1996 to 2010. Globish (2010) was an international bestseller. In 2024, he will publish The Penalty Kick: The Story of A Game-changer with Notting Hill Editions. The Lost Art of Silence by Sarah Anderson https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/animal-emotions/202312/the-art-and-power-of-connecting-to-the-sounds-of-silence The River Granta https://www.wildlifebcn.org/news/river-granta-gets-wiggle The invention of the penalty kick in football https://epicchq.com/story/william-mccrum-the-irish-inventor-of-the-penalty-kick/ Alfred the Great https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v40/n09/tom-shippey/what-did-he-think-he-was Kindness https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how-the-unbearable-lightness-of-being-enthralled-a-generation/ Rossini's Petite Messe Solonelle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqrzmdevQSI This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Happy 87th birthday, Don DeLillo. In Episode 5: The Lives of DeLillo (1), the first in a planned series about biography, DDSWTNP offer long-time and first-time readers alike new avenues into his work by discussing the first 30 years of his life, as he grew from the son of Italian immigrants and student of Jesuit scholars to the writer of his first published stories. This episode's many topics include teenage DeLillo reading the modernist canon in a New York park, his time as “failed ascetic” during college at Fordham, the weight of the Bronx on his earliest fiction, his pivotal copywriting work under advertising guru David Ogilvy, and how the eventual author of Libra reacted on the day JFK was shot. #mythologyofamerica #spaghettiandmeatballs #howtowriteabiography #catholicritual #quittingtowrite #dregsofhiswork We also announce in this episode our call for recorded contributions from our listeners! Be a part of our end-of-2023 tribute to our favorite DeLillo passages by heading to Speakpipe and recording yours, in two minutes or less. Deadline is December 10. Go to https://www.speakpipe.com/delillopodcast Critical texts, stories, and essays referred to in this episode: Don DeLillo, “The River Jordan,” Epoch 10.2 (Winter 1960): 105-120. ---, “Take the ‘A' Train,” Epoch 12.1 (Spring 1962): 9-25. ---, “Spaghetti and Meatballs,” Epoch 14.3 (Spring 1965): 244-250. ---, “Coming Sun. Mon. Tues.,” Kenyon Review 28.3 (June 1966): 391-394. ---, “Baghdad Towers West,” Epoch 17.3 (Spring 1968): 195-217. ---, “A History of the Writer Alone in a Room.” Acceptance speech for the Jerusalem Prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society, 1999. DeRosa, Aaron, “Don DeLillo, Madison Avenue, and the Aesthetics of Postwar Fiction,” Contemporary Literature 59.1 (Spring 2018): 50-80. Veggian, Henry. Understanding Don DeLillo. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2014. Interviews with DeLillo referred to in this episode: Tom LeClair (1979) and Anne Arensberg (1988):Collected in Thomas DePietro, ed., Conversations with Don DeLillo, University Press of Mississippi, 2005. Vince Passaro (1991):https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/19/magazine/dangerous-don-delillo.html Gordon Burn (1991):“Wired Up and Whacked Out,” The Sunday Times (London), August 25, 1991 (magazine): 6-39. Adam Begley (1993): https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1887/the-art-of-fiction-no-135-don-delillo Mark Binelli (2007): https://www.guernicamag.com/intensity_of_a_plot/ PEN (2010): https://pen.org/an-interview-with-don-delillo/ Robert McCrum (2010):https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/aug/08/don-delillo-mccrum-interview Finally, a great source for interview excerpts and so many other things DeLillo:Don DeLillo's America: http://perival.com/delillo/delillo.html

From Steve Parker Audiobooks on YouTube⁠ Subscribe to and SUPPORT Steve Parker. ~~~ Timestamps: Chapter 1: 00.00 Chapter 2: 26:00 Chapter 3: 44:00 Chapter 4: 1:25:50 Chapter 5: 1:50:00 Chapter 6: 2:17:35 Chapter 7: 2:49:40 Chapter 8: 3:19:30 Chapter 9: 3:52:35 Chapter 10: 4:02:00 Chapter 11: 4:13:50 Chapter 12: 4:48:05 Chapter 13: 5:12:35 Chapter 14: 5:32:35 Chapter 15: 5:50:45 Chapter 16: 6:06:10 Chapter 17: 6:30:45 Chapter 18: 6:50:56 ~~~ From: InfoGalactic Brave New World is a novel written in 1931 by Aldous Huxley and published in 1932. Set in London of AD 2540 (632 A.F.—"After Ford"—in the book), the novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation, and classical conditioning that combine profoundly to change society. Huxley answered this book with a reassessment in an essay, Brave New World Revisited (1958), and with Island (1962), his final novel. In 1999, the Modern Library ranked Brave New World fifth on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.[1] In 2003, Robert McCrum writing for The Observer included Brave New World chronologically at number 53 in "the top 100 greatest novels of all time",[2] and the novel was listed at number 87 on the BBC's survey The Big Read.[3] ~~~~~~~ From ⁠Me⁠: ⁠Be Good Broadcast⁠ I just rebroadcast things you should know about. Propagate it. Share it. ⁠Contact⁠ Me Please Rate or Review on ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠Apple ⁠if you would. If you get value from the rebroadcast please consider giving value back Via ⁠Paypal⁠ ⁠CashApp⁠ ⁠Subscribestar⁠ Or ⁠Buy me a coffee --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/begoodbroadcast/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/begoodbroadcast/support

In this special April Fools' Day edition of The Learning Curve, guest host Mark Bauerlein chats with Robert McCrum, the definitive biographer of the English comic genius P.G. Wodehouse, whose whimsical satires featuring the brilliant valet Reginald Jeeves and the daffy English gentleman Bertie Wooster have delighted generations of readers. They discuss Wodehouse's pitch-perfect sense of humor, inimitable prose style, and the gentle, much-needed humor he brought to Britain in the wake ofWorld War I and the 1918 flu epidemic. Mr. McCrum concludes the interview with a reading from his 2004 biography P.G. Wodehouse: A Life.

Here comes repost number two, this time in honor of the show that has been taking up all of Shannon's summer hours. Buckle in for this episode as we delve into everything that might be right about the man, the myth, the legend, William Shakespeare. We all know Shakespeare's plays, but do we actually know the man? This week we explore the theory that Shakespeare is not at all who he says he is. Was he merely a player? Or a woman? Or even the QUEEN OF ENGLAND?! Come expound on all the possibilities with us! Sources: -Shakespeare conspiracy -Inside the Weird World of Shakespeare Conspiracy Theories -Was Shakespeare a Woman? -"Who really wrote Shakespeare?" by Robert McCrum (who looks like the most dour middle-aged Englishman you can think of) -Christopher Marlowe -Did Shakespeare write his plays? -Francis Bacon Society -Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, Was Shakespeare

This week we're celebrating Shakespeare's 458th birthday with Robert McCrum, author of Shakespearean, and Editor-in-Chief at Faber and Faber for nearly 20 years, as well as literary and associate editor of The Observer. Robert's enthusiasm is infectious as he guides us through the best of this summer's stage productions from Gregory Doran's production of Richard III at RSC Stratford from 23rd June, to Kathryn Hunter playing King Lear from 10th June and Julius Caesar from 3rd May, both at The Globe. We also chat about Henry V with Kit Harrington, filmed at the Donmar Warehouse and screening in cinemas via National Theatre Live and The Tragedy of Macbeth with Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. And happy birthday to Ralph Vaughan Williams too, who would be 150 this year. We're booking: A Sea Symphony by Ralph Vaughan Williams with Hallé Orchestra conducted by Sir Mark Elder at Bridgewater Hall on 30th April To Glorious John conducted by Sir Mark Elder at Bridgewater Hall on 12th May – tune into BBC Radio Three at 7.30 pm to hear the concert live Phantasy Quintet by Ralph Vaughan Williams with Hallé St. Peter's Chamber Series at Bridgewater Hall on 15th May We're reading: My Year Off: Rediscovering Life after a Stroke by Robert McCrum

Tom Stoppard and William Shakespeare loom large in the canon of English drama. Two new books explore their lives, their work, their driving forces and their impact on theatre.

Tom Stoppard and William Shakespeare loom large in the canon of English drama. Two new books explore their lives, their work, their driving forces and their impact on theatre.

Tom Stoppard and William Shakespeare loom large in the canon of English drama. Two new books explore their lives, their work, their driving forces and their impact on theatre.

Thirty of this year's Virtual Memories Show guests tell us about the favorite books they read in 2021 and the books they hope to get to in 2022! Guests include Jonathan Baylis, Zoe Beloff, Jacques Berlinerblau, Anne Cattaneo, Michael DeForge, Shary Flenniken, Sophia Glock, Heywood Gould, Glenn Head, Ron Hogan, Kate Lacour, Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn, Matt Madden, Kate Maruyama, Robert McCrum, Robert Meagher, Anahid Nersessian, Scott Newstok, Weng Pixin, Alta Price, Keiler Roberts, Dmitry Samarov, Nadine Sergejeff, Dash Shaw, Jen Silverman, Edward Sorel, Rosemary Steinbaum, Karl Stevens, Andi Watson, and Heather Cass White (+ me)! • More info at our site • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Patreon or Paypal

ACTA's president Michael Poliakoff joins author and editor Robert McCrum to explore his latest book, Shakespearean, an inspiring portrait of one of the most influential writers in history. McCrum elaborates on how Shakespeare's works resonate today as vividly as they did centuries ago, and why it is paramount to keep his works alive and strong in the modern college curriculum.

Description: Today we are joined by special guest Robert McCrum author of Shakespearean: Life and Language in Times of Disruption to talk about how the works of William Shakespeare influenced people during his own times in the 1600's. We will delve deeper into how people have connected to Shakespeare in their own ways in every generation up to our own day.You can learn more about Beyond the Big Screen and subscribe at all these great places:http://atozhistorypage.com/Click to Subscribe:https://www.spreaker.com/show/4926576/episodes/feedemail: steve@atozhistorypage.comwww.beyondthebigscreen.comhttps://www.patreon.com/historyofthepapacyOn Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/groups/atozhistorypagehttps://www.facebook.com/HistoryOfThePapacyPodcasthttps://twitter.com/atozhistoryLearn More About our Guest:Robert McCrum author of Shakespearean: Life and Language in Times of Disruptionhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Shakespearean/Robert-McCrum/9781643137896Music Provided by:"Crossing the Chasm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

When inspiration struck Robert McCrum to write a book about the Bard, it came while watching one of the playwright's plays in Central Park, New York. Here, McCrum realized that we, today, are undoubtedly living in Shakespearean times. Joe Krulder, a British Historian, interviews Robert about his latest book, Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption (Pegasus Books, 2021) Current events such as the Covid-19 Pandemic, the election and then four years of Donald Trump's presidency, and this twenty-first-century obsession with conspiracy theories, mirror London's many plagues from 1592 to 1603, Shakespeare's Caesar and Richard III, and of course our post-modern social media outlets are simply riddled with conspiracies. Shakespearean, indeed. What Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption accomplishes is to place the reader in William Shakespeare's London. There is danger at Bishops Gate, the neighborhood the Bard chose to reside in; danger appeared both from below and above. Sword fights, punch ups, and stabbings demarcate a rough “from below” existence while political intrigues from the execution of the Earl of Essex to the Gun Powder Plot of 1605 imperilled all of London's theatre productions if not William Shakespeare himself. Robert McCrum is the author of dozens of works, fiction as well as non-fiction, plus he's an Emmy Award-winning documentarian. A long-time editor for Faber and Faber and The Observer, McCrum career continues on despite a stroke. His recovery gave him time to read and Shakespeare, once again, filled his gaze. Joe Krulder is the author of The Execution of Admiral John Byng as a Microhistory of Eighteenth-Century Britain (Routledge 2021) teaching college History in Northern California. Joe earned his doctorate at the University of Bristol in West England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When inspiration struck Robert McCrum to write a book about the Bard, it came while watching one of the playwright's plays in Central Park, New York. Here, McCrum realized that we, today, are undoubtedly living in Shakespearean times. Joe Krulder, a British Historian, interviews Robert about his latest book, Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption (Pegasus Books, 2021) Current events such as the Covid-19 Pandemic, the election and then four years of Donald Trump's presidency, and this twenty-first-century obsession with conspiracy theories, mirror London's many plagues from 1592 to 1603, Shakespeare's Caesar and Richard III, and of course our post-modern social media outlets are simply riddled with conspiracies. Shakespearean, indeed. What Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption accomplishes is to place the reader in William Shakespeare's London. There is danger at Bishops Gate, the neighborhood the Bard chose to reside in; danger appeared both from below and above. Sword fights, punch ups, and stabbings demarcate a rough “from below” existence while political intrigues from the execution of the Earl of Essex to the Gun Powder Plot of 1605 imperilled all of London's theatre productions if not William Shakespeare himself. Robert McCrum is the author of dozens of works, fiction as well as non-fiction, plus he's an Emmy Award-winning documentarian. A long-time editor for Faber and Faber and The Observer, McCrum career continues on despite a stroke. His recovery gave him time to read and Shakespeare, once again, filled his gaze. Joe Krulder is the author of The Execution of Admiral John Byng as a Microhistory of Eighteenth-Century Britain (Routledge 2021) teaching college History in Northern California. Joe earned his doctorate at the University of Bristol in West England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

When inspiration struck Robert McCrum to write a book about the Bard, it came while watching one of the playwright's plays in Central Park, New York. Here, McCrum realized that we, today, are undoubtedly living in Shakespearean times. Joe Krulder, a British Historian, interviews Robert about his latest book, Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption (Pegasus Books, 2021) Current events such as the Covid-19 Pandemic, the election and then four years of Donald Trump's presidency, and this twenty-first-century obsession with conspiracy theories, mirror London's many plagues from 1592 to 1603, Shakespeare's Caesar and Richard III, and of course our post-modern social media outlets are simply riddled with conspiracies. Shakespearean, indeed. What Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption accomplishes is to place the reader in William Shakespeare's London. There is danger at Bishops Gate, the neighborhood the Bard chose to reside in; danger appeared both from below and above. Sword fights, punch ups, and stabbings demarcate a rough “from below” existence while political intrigues from the execution of the Earl of Essex to the Gun Powder Plot of 1605 imperilled all of London's theatre productions if not William Shakespeare himself. Robert McCrum is the author of dozens of works, fiction as well as non-fiction, plus he's an Emmy Award-winning documentarian. A long-time editor for Faber and Faber and The Observer, McCrum career continues on despite a stroke. His recovery gave him time to read and Shakespeare, once again, filled his gaze. Joe Krulder is the author of The Execution of Admiral John Byng as a Microhistory of Eighteenth-Century Britain (Routledge 2021) teaching college History in Northern California. Joe earned his doctorate at the University of Bristol in West England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

When inspiration struck Robert McCrum to write a book about the Bard, it came while watching one of the playwright's plays in Central Park, New York. Here, McCrum realized that we, today, are undoubtedly living in Shakespearean times. Joe Krulder, a British Historian, interviews Robert about his latest book, Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption (Pegasus Books, 2021) Current events such as the Covid-19 Pandemic, the election and then four years of Donald Trump's presidency, and this twenty-first-century obsession with conspiracy theories, mirror London's many plagues from 1592 to 1603, Shakespeare's Caesar and Richard III, and of course our post-modern social media outlets are simply riddled with conspiracies. Shakespearean, indeed. What Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption accomplishes is to place the reader in William Shakespeare's London. There is danger at Bishops Gate, the neighborhood the Bard chose to reside in; danger appeared both from below and above. Sword fights, punch ups, and stabbings demarcate a rough “from below” existence while political intrigues from the execution of the Earl of Essex to the Gun Powder Plot of 1605 imperilled all of London's theatre productions if not William Shakespeare himself. Robert McCrum is the author of dozens of works, fiction as well as non-fiction, plus he's an Emmy Award-winning documentarian. A long-time editor for Faber and Faber and The Observer, McCrum career continues on despite a stroke. His recovery gave him time to read and Shakespeare, once again, filled his gaze. Joe Krulder is the author of The Execution of Admiral John Byng as a Microhistory of Eighteenth-Century Britain (Routledge 2021) teaching college History in Northern California. Joe earned his doctorate at the University of Bristol in West England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

When inspiration struck Robert McCrum to write a book about the Bard, it came while watching one of the playwright's plays in Central Park, New York. Here, McCrum realized that we, today, are undoubtedly living in Shakespearean times. Joe Krulder, a British Historian, interviews Robert about his latest book, Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption (Pegasus Books, 2021) Current events such as the Covid-19 Pandemic, the election and then four years of Donald Trump's presidency, and this twenty-first-century obsession with conspiracy theories, mirror London's many plagues from 1592 to 1603, Shakespeare's Caesar and Richard III, and of course our post-modern social media outlets are simply riddled with conspiracies. Shakespearean, indeed. What Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption accomplishes is to place the reader in William Shakespeare's London. There is danger at Bishops Gate, the neighborhood the Bard chose to reside in; danger appeared both from below and above. Sword fights, punch ups, and stabbings demarcate a rough “from below” existence while political intrigues from the execution of the Earl of Essex to the Gun Powder Plot of 1605 imperilled all of London's theatre productions if not William Shakespeare himself. Robert McCrum is the author of dozens of works, fiction as well as non-fiction, plus he's an Emmy Award-winning documentarian. A long-time editor for Faber and Faber and The Observer, McCrum career continues on despite a stroke. His recovery gave him time to read and Shakespeare, once again, filled his gaze. Joe Krulder is the author of The Execution of Admiral John Byng as a Microhistory of Eighteenth-Century Britain (Routledge 2021) teaching college History in Northern California. Joe earned his doctorate at the University of Bristol in West England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/performing-arts

When inspiration struck Robert McCrum to write a book about the Bard, it came while watching one of the playwright's plays in Central Park, New York. Here, McCrum realized that we, today, are undoubtedly living in Shakespearean times. Joe Krulder, a British Historian, interviews Robert about his latest book, Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption (Pegasus Books, 2021) Current events such as the Covid-19 Pandemic, the election and then four years of Donald Trump's presidency, and this twenty-first-century obsession with conspiracy theories, mirror London's many plagues from 1592 to 1603, Shakespeare's Caesar and Richard III, and of course our post-modern social media outlets are simply riddled with conspiracies. Shakespearean, indeed. What Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption accomplishes is to place the reader in William Shakespeare's London. There is danger at Bishops Gate, the neighborhood the Bard chose to reside in; danger appeared both from below and above. Sword fights, punch ups, and stabbings demarcate a rough “from below” existence while political intrigues from the execution of the Earl of Essex to the Gun Powder Plot of 1605 imperilled all of London's theatre productions if not William Shakespeare himself. Robert McCrum is the author of dozens of works, fiction as well as non-fiction, plus he's an Emmy Award-winning documentarian. A long-time editor for Faber and Faber and The Observer, McCrum career continues on despite a stroke. His recovery gave him time to read and Shakespeare, once again, filled his gaze. Joe Krulder is the author of The Execution of Admiral John Byng as a Microhistory of Eighteenth-Century Britain (Routledge 2021) teaching college History in Northern California. Joe earned his doctorate at the University of Bristol in West England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

When inspiration struck Robert McCrum to write a book about the Bard, it came while watching one of the playwright's plays in Central Park, New York. Here, McCrum realized that we, today, are undoubtedly living in Shakespearean times. Joe Krulder, a British Historian, interviews Robert about his latest book, Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption (Pegasus Books, 2021) Current events such as the Covid-19 Pandemic, the election and then four years of Donald Trump's presidency, and this twenty-first-century obsession with conspiracy theories, mirror London's many plagues from 1592 to 1603, Shakespeare's Caesar and Richard III, and of course our post-modern social media outlets are simply riddled with conspiracies. Shakespearean, indeed. What Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption accomplishes is to place the reader in William Shakespeare's London. There is danger at Bishops Gate, the neighborhood the Bard chose to reside in; danger appeared both from below and above. Sword fights, punch ups, and stabbings demarcate a rough “from below” existence while political intrigues from the execution of the Earl of Essex to the Gun Powder Plot of 1605 imperilled all of London's theatre productions if not William Shakespeare himself. Robert McCrum is the author of dozens of works, fiction as well as non-fiction, plus he's an Emmy Award-winning documentarian. A long-time editor for Faber and Faber and The Observer, McCrum career continues on despite a stroke. His recovery gave him time to read and Shakespeare, once again, filled his gaze. Joe Krulder is the author of The Execution of Admiral John Byng as a Microhistory of Eighteenth-Century Britain (Routledge 2021) teaching college History in Northern California. Joe earned his doctorate at the University of Bristol in West England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

When inspiration struck Robert McCrum to write a book about the Bard, it came while watching one of the playwright's plays in Central Park, New York. Here, McCrum realized that we, today, are undoubtedly living in Shakespearean times. Joe Krulder, a British Historian, interviews Robert about his latest book, Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption (Pegasus Books, 2021) Current events such as the Covid-19 Pandemic, the election and then four years of Donald Trump's presidency, and this twenty-first-century obsession with conspiracy theories, mirror London's many plagues from 1592 to 1603, Shakespeare's Caesar and Richard III, and of course our post-modern social media outlets are simply riddled with conspiracies. Shakespearean, indeed. What Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption accomplishes is to place the reader in William Shakespeare's London. There is danger at Bishops Gate, the neighborhood the Bard chose to reside in; danger appeared both from below and above. Sword fights, punch ups, and stabbings demarcate a rough “from below” existence while political intrigues from the execution of the Earl of Essex to the Gun Powder Plot of 1605 imperilled all of London's theatre productions if not William Shakespeare himself. Robert McCrum is the author of dozens of works, fiction as well as non-fiction, plus he's an Emmy Award-winning documentarian. A long-time editor for Faber and Faber and The Observer, McCrum career continues on despite a stroke. His recovery gave him time to read and Shakespeare, once again, filled his gaze. Joe Krulder is the author of The Execution of Admiral John Byng as a Microhistory of Eighteenth-Century Britain (Routledge 2021) teaching college History in Northern California. Joe earned his doctorate at the University of Bristol in West England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

When inspiration struck Robert McCrum to write a book about the Bard, it came while watching one of the playwright's plays in Central Park, New York. Here, McCrum realized that we, today, are undoubtedly living in Shakespearean times. Joe Krulder, a British Historian, interviews Robert about his latest book, Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption (Pegasus Books, 2021) Current events such as the Covid-19 Pandemic, the election and then four years of Donald Trump's presidency, and this twenty-first-century obsession with conspiracy theories, mirror London's many plagues from 1592 to 1603, Shakespeare's Caesar and Richard III, and of course our post-modern social media outlets are simply riddled with conspiracies. Shakespearean, indeed. What Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption accomplishes is to place the reader in William Shakespeare's London. There is danger at Bishops Gate, the neighborhood the Bard chose to reside in; danger appeared both from below and above. Sword fights, punch ups, and stabbings demarcate a rough “from below” existence while political intrigues from the execution of the Earl of Essex to the Gun Powder Plot of 1605 imperilled all of London's theatre productions if not William Shakespeare himself. Robert McCrum is the author of dozens of works, fiction as well as non-fiction, plus he's an Emmy Award-winning documentarian. A long-time editor for Faber and Faber and The Observer, McCrum career continues on despite a stroke. His recovery gave him time to read and Shakespeare, once again, filled his gaze. Joe Krulder is the author of The Execution of Admiral John Byng as a Microhistory of Eighteenth-Century Britain (Routledge 2021) teaching college History in Northern California. Joe earned his doctorate at the University of Bristol in West England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

Acclaimed writer, journalist and broadcaster Robert McCrum has had a distinguished career, including stints as editor in chief of Faber & Faber and literary editor of ‘The Observer'. Throughout, William Shakespeare has served as a guide and comfort, not least after McCrum suffered a stroke and rediscovered his sense of the world through the bard's words. He speaks to Georgina Godwin about his new book ‘Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption'.

With his new book, Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption (Pegasus Books), author & literary editor Robert McCrum uses Shakespeare's plays, poems, life and history to examine how Shakespeare is a mirror of human experience, and why his lines continue to resonate 400+ years after his death. We talk about Robert's history with the plays (beginning with his role as First Fairy in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the age of 13) and the 2017 performance of Julius Caesar in Central Park that inspired the book, the ways in which the Plays and the Sonnets complement each other, and how those works influence our understanding of the self and self-consciousness. We also get into the vicissitudes of literary reputation, the way Shakespearean fits as the capstone of Robert's Disruption Trilogy, along with My Year Off and Every Third Thought, the first play Robert's Shakespeare Club plans to see post-pandemic, the snobbery that drives Shakespeare denialism, how America became Shakespearean, and the urban myth that Shakespeare wrote King Lear during lockdown, as well as the ways plague influenced Shakespeare's entire career. Plus: where I should begin with Wodehouse, what prompted Robert to finally finish Proust (and then re-read him), and the nightmare of interviewing Philip Roth! • More info at our site • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Patreon or Paypal

Tom Stoppard and William Shakespeare loom large in the canon of English drama. Two new books explore their lives, their work, their driving forces and their impact on theatre.

Tom Stoppard and William Shakespeare loom large in the canon of English drama. Two new books explore their lives, their work, their driving forces and their impact on theatre.

Tom Stoppard and William Shakespeare loom large in the canon of English drama. Two new books explore their lives, their work, their driving forces and their impact on theatre.

Today we're headed back to the 15th century with The King! Join us for a discussion of Robert Pattinson's performance, female innkeepers, the Battle of Agincourt, and whole bunch of different historical figures named Henry. Sources: Henry IV Family Tree of British Monarchs, available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_tree_of_British_monarchs Mark Cartwright, Henry IV of England. World History Encyclopedia. Available at https://www.worldhistory.org/Henry_IV_of_England/?visitCount=5&lastVisitDate=2021-4-8&pageViewCount=5 Mark Cartwright, Henry V of England. World History Encyclopedia. Available at https://www.worldhistory.org/Henry_V_of_England/?visitCount=5&lastVisitDate=2021-4-8&pageViewCount=5 Innkeepers and Alewives: Judith M. Bennet, "Misogyny, Popular Culture, and Women's Work," History Workshop 31 (1991) Martha Carlin, "What Say You to a Piece of Beef and Mustard? The Evolution of Public Dining in Medieval and Tudor London," Huntington Library Quarterly 71, 1 (2008) Justin Colson, "A Portrait of a Late Medieval London Pub: The Star Inn, Bridge Street," in Medieval Londoners: Essays to Mark the Eightieth Birthday of Caroline Baron. Elizabeth New and Christian Steer, eds. University of London Press Marjorie K. McIntosh, "The Benefits and Drawbacks of Femme Sole Status, 1300-1630," Journal of British Studies 44, 3 (2005) Sir Henry "Hotspur" Percy Simon Walker, "Percy, Sir Henry [called Henry Hotspur (1364-1403), soldier," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (3 January 2008). https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/21931 A.L. Brown and Henry Summerson, "Henry IV [known as Henry Bolingbroke] (1367-1413)," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (8 April 2021). https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/12951 "Battle of Shrewsbury 1403," Historic England (9 September 2015). https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1000033 "Battle of Shrewsbury 21st July 1403," Battlefield Trust http://www.battlefieldstrust.com/resource-centre/medieval/battleview.asp?BattleFieldId=39 . John Cannon, A Dictionary of British History (Oxford University Press, 2015) Alfred H. Burne, The Battlefields of England (Pen & Sword Books, 2005), 203-13. Timothy D. Arner, "The Disappearing Scar of Henry V: Triage, Trauma, and the Treatment of Henry's Wounding at the Battle of Shrewsbury," Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies 49:2 (2019): 347-76. Agincourt: Gordon Campbell, "Agincourt, battle of or (French) battle of Azincourt,"The Oxford Dictionary of the Renaissance (Oxford University Press, 2005). Christopher Allmand, "Agincourt, battle of (1415)," The Oxford Companion to Military History (Oxford University Press, 2004). James Glanz, "Historians Reassess Battle of Agincourt," The New York Times (24 October 2009). https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/world/europe/25agincourt.html Robert McCrum, "Agincourt was a battle like no other...but how do the French remember it?" The Guardian (26 September 2015). https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/26/agincourt-600th-anniversary-how-french-remember-it Tim Treanor, "High Court Rules for French at Agincourt," DC Theatre Scene (18 March 2010). https://dctheatrescene.com/2010/03/18/high-court-rules-for-french-at-agincourt/ Film Background: Owen Gleiberman, "Venice Film Review: Timothee Chalamet in 'The King'," Variety (2 September 2019). https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-king-review-timothee-chalamet-1203320801/ Simran Hans, "The King review--Timothee Chalamet is all at sea as Prince Hal," The Guardian (13 October 2019). https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/oct/13/the-king-henry-v-agincourt-timothee-chalamet-robert-pattinson-joel-edgerton Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_king_2019 "Timothee Chalamet & The King's Cast on Robert Pattinson's French Accent MTV Movies," MTV UK (8 October 2019). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHKJoXGsOxE https://www.themarysue.com/bowlcut-nation-the-king-timothee-chalamet/

Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift - Book 2, Part 1 Title: Gulliver's Travels Overview: Gulliver's Travels, or Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift, satirizing both human nature and the "travelers' tales" literary subgenre. It is Swift's best known full-length work and a classic of English literature. Swift claimed that he wrote Gulliver's Travels "to vex the world rather than divert it". The book was an immediate success. The English dramatist John Gay remarked "It is universally read, from the cabinet council to the nursery." In 2015, Robert McCrum released his selection list of 100 best novels of all time in which Gulliver's Travels is listed as "a satirical masterpiece". Published: 1726 List: 100 Best Novels Of All Time, 100 Classic Book Collection Author: Jonathan Swift Genre: Satire, Fantasy, Action & Adventure Fiction, Fantastic Fiction Episode: Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift - Book 2, Part 1 Part: 1 of 2 Length Part: 6:20:23 Book: 2 Length Book: 11:10:32 Episodes: 0 - 19 of 39 Predecessor: Drapier's Letters Successor: A Modest Proposal Narrator: Lizzie Driver Memorium: Kristin Hughes (1974 - 2021) Language: English Rated: Guidance Suggested Edition: Unabridged Audiobook Keywords: satire, parody, travelers, tales, literary, humanity, literature, jonathanswift Hashtags: #freeaudiobooks #audiobook #mustread #readingbooks #audiblebooks #favoritebooks #free #booklist #audible #freeaudiobook #satire #parody #travelers #tales #literary #humanity #literature #JonathanSwift Credits: All LibriVox Recordings are in the Public Domain. Wikipedia (c) Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. WOMBO Dream. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/support

Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift - Book 2, Part 2 Title: Gulliver's Travels Overview: Gulliver's Travels, or Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift, satirizing both human nature and the "travelers' tales" literary subgenre. It is Swift's best known full-length work and a classic of English literature. Swift claimed that he wrote Gulliver's Travels "to vex the world rather than divert it". The book was an immediate success. The English dramatist John Gay remarked "It is universally read, from the cabinet council to the nursery." In 2015, Robert McCrum released his selection list of 100 best novels of all time in which Gulliver's Travels is listed as "a satirical masterpiece". Published: 1726 List: 100 Best Novels Of All Time, 100 Classic Book Collection Author: Jonathan Swift Genre: Satire, Fantasy, Action & Adventure Fiction, Fantastic Fiction Episode: Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift - Book 2, Part 2 Part: 2 of 2 Length Part: 5:03:06 Book: 2 Length Book: 11:10:32 Episodes: 20 - 39 of 39 Predecessor: Drapier's Letters Successor: A Modest Proposal Narrator: Lizzie Driver Memorium: Kristin Hughes (1974 - 2021) Language: English Rated: Guidance Suggested Edition: Unabridged Audiobook Keywords: satire, parody, travelers, tales, literary, humanity, literature, jonathanswift Hashtags: #freeaudiobooks #audiobook #mustread #readingbooks #audiblebooks #favoritebooks #free #booklist #audible #freeaudiobook #satire #parody #travelers #tales #literary #humanity #literature #JonathanSwift Credits: All LibriVox Recordings are in the Public Domain. Wikipedia (c) Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. WOMBO Dream. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/support

Toby Faber grew up with Faber & Faber - its books and stories have played an important role in his life. He was the company's managing director for four years and remains a non-executive director and chairman of sister company Faber Music. He has written two celebrated works of non-fiction, Stradivarius and Fabergé 's Eggs. His first novel, Close to the Edge, was published by Muswell Press in 2019. He lives in London with his wife and two daughters.    We met via Zoom to talk about his book Faber & Faber: The Untold Story. Toby tells the story in the words of those who founded and worked for the company during the 20th century. One of founder Geoffrey Faber (Toby's grandfather)'s great strengths, he says, was recruitment. ​Toby provides me with verbal sketches of many of those recruited to the firm, including T.S. Eliot, Morley Kennerley, Frank Morley, Richard de la Mare, Charles Monteith, Robert McCrum and others.    In addition to tracing the history of Faber we look at some of the reasons why it continues to thrive as an independent company, including the fact that, years ago, it chose to maintain control of publishing its own paperback editions of backlist titles. 

We all know Shakespeare’s plays, but do we actually know the man? This week we explore the theory that Shakespeare is not at all who he says he is. Was he merely a player? Or a woman? Or even the QUEEN OF ENGLAND?! Come expound on all the possibilities with us! Sources: -Shakespeare conspiracy: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/essay-anonymous-and-the-shakespeare-conspiracy-theory-that-wouldnt-die/2011/10/25/gIQAebibPM_story.html -Inside the Weird World of Shakespeare Conspiracy Theories: https://www.insidehook.com/article/books/inside-the-weird-world-of-shakespeare-conspiracy-theories -Was Shakespeare a Woman?: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/06/who-is-shakespeare-emilia-bassano/588076/ -"Who really wrote Shakespeare?" by Robert McCrum (who looks like the most dour middle-aged Englishman you can think of): https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2010/mar/14/who-wrote-shakespeare-james-shapiro -Christopher Marlowe: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/christopher-marlowe-the-elizabethan-james-bond-1.2674323 -TED-Ed - Did Shakespeare write his plays?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-aAUwAFZlQ -Francis Bacon Society: https://francisbaconsociety.co.uk/shakespeare-authorship/bacon-shakespeare-and-the-rosicrucians/ -Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, Was Shakespeare: https://shakespeareoxfordfellowship.org/top-reasons-why-edward-de-vere-17th-earl-of-oxford-was-shakespeare/

Inni-K joins Seán in studio with live music, ahead of Culture Night ‘Dublin: The Liminal Space’, film reviews with John Maguire & Aingeala Flannery, The Painted Bird, Savage & The Roads Not Taken & author Robert McCrum, Shakespearean is an examination of the life and works of the playwright and it is a look at the era he lived through.

Robert is the Associate Editor of the Observer, and (among other things) the author of an acclaimed biography of PG Wodehouse, several novels, and a stroke memoir, 'My Year Off'. Currently, he is writing a short book about ageing, death and dying for baby-boomers entitled 'Every Third Thought'. It's work-in-progress, with the subtitle "Observations on the inevitable endgame", but he hopes it's more uplifting and informative than that suggests. It follows on from 'My Year Off'.—Recorded live at the global event in Cardigan, west Wales in 2016.Watch Robert's full talk here: www.thedolectures.com/talks/robert-mccrum-my-personal-narrative

Brave New World is a dystopian novel by English author Aldous Huxley, written in 1931 and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State, whose citizens are environmentally engineered into an intelligence-based social hierarchy, the novel anticipates huge scientific advancements in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation and classical conditioning that are combined to make a dystopian society which is challenged by only a single individual: the story's protagonist. Huxley followed this book with a reassessment in essay form, Brave New World Revisited (1958), and with his final novel, Island (1962), the utopian counterpart. The novel is often compared to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). In 1999, the Modern Library ranked Brave New World at number 5 on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. In 2003, Robert McCrum, writing for The Observer, included Brave New World chronologically at number 53 in "the top 100 greatest novels of all time", and the novel was listed at number 87 on The Big Read survey by the BBC.

As she completes her quintet of Agatha Christie adaptations with The Pale Horse, screenwriter Sarah Phelps discusses why Christie’s supernatural murder mystery attracted her attention when she was looking for a fifth work by the Queen of Crime to turn into television drama. We Will Walk - Art and Resistance in the American South is an exhibition of sculptures, paintings and quilts made by African American artists from Alabama and the surrounding southern states, made mainly during the Civil Rights movement of the '50s and '60s. Art critic Asana Greenstreet reviews the show, which is at Turner Contemporary in Margate and includes many works not seen before in the UK. This week Edward Kamau Brathwaite, the great poet of the Caribbean, died. Brathwaite realised the potential of West Indian vernacular, the beauty of its rhythms and vocabulary, as the language to speak of the Caribbean experience – surf, hurricanes, rum and calypso, the memory of Africa and the history of slavery. The poet Fred D’Aguiar pays tribute. Following the announcement of the death of the writer, academic and cultural critic George Steiner, the writer Robert McCrum - his editor at the Observer newspaper, and the publishing house Faber & Faber – pays tribute to Steiner’s life, work and his legacy as a public intellectual. Presenter Chrystal Genesis Producer Jerome Weatherald

British painter Jenny Saville, the most expensive living female artist in the world, discusses her new self-portrait, painted in response to Rembrandt's masterpiece Self-Portrait with Two Circles. Cellist Laura van der Heijden, who won the BBC Young Musician competition when she was 15, plays live and discusses her debut album of Russian music called 1948, which last night won the BBC Music Magazine's Newcomer of the Year Award. Plus the art of working to a deadline, with authors Robert McCrum and Sophie Heawood and Teresa Amabile from Harvard Business School. Presenter Stig Abell Producer Jack Soper

Robert McCrum is an associate editor of The Observer, and was the paper's literary for 12 years. Before that, he was editor-in-chief of Faber & Faber, where he edited writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Marilynne Robinson, and Peter Carey. His books include The Story of English and a definitive life of PG Woodhouse. Robert McCrum's latest book is Every Third Thought: On life, death and the endgame, published by Picador. The book confronts an existential question: in a world where we have learnt to live well at all costs, can we make peace with what Freud calls 'the necessity of dying'? Searching for answers leads him to others for advice and wisdom, and Every Third Thought is populated by the voices of brain surgeons, psychologists, cancer patients, hospice workers, writers and poets. “Historically, the oldie turned to God in the search for fulfilment during his or her later years,” McCrum writes. “Today, with the idea of God under assault from belligerent atheists, and an indifferent majority of committed agnostics, there's still a hunger for a dialogue with something bigger and richer than individualistic materialism.” You can subscribe to the Church Times Podcast on iTunes

In this episode, we bring you some of the highlights from Man Booker 50 festival at Southbank Centre, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Man Booker Prize. We hear extracts from a talk with novelists Alan Hollinghurst and Marlon James; a debate about the meaning and importance of genres; the moment the winner of the Golden Man Booker Prize, Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient, was announced; and interviews with judges Robert McCrum and Kamila Shamsie backstage after the announcement. Man Booker 50 festival ran at Southbank Centre from 6 - 8 July 2018.

In the first episode of our Golden Man Booker Prize podcasts, host Joe Haddow delves into this one-off spacial anniversary prize's shortlist. We start with judge Simon Mayo announcing the 'Golden Five' shortlist live at Hay Festival. Joe then catches up with judges Robert McCrum about his selected shortlisted novel from the 1970s, In a Free State by V.S. Naipaul, Hollie McNish about the 2017 winner Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders and the recently announced winner of the Women's Prize For Fiction, Kamila Shamsie on her selected novel from the 1990s The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. You can vote online at www.themanbookerprize.com/vote for your favourite of the 'Golden Five' to win (voting open 26th May - 25th June 2018) The winner is announced on 8th July at the Man Booker 50 Festival at Southbank Centre London - Tickets available from the Southbank Centre website #ManBooker50

Kazuo Ishiguro is the winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature. To mark the occasion, he talks to John Wilson from Stockholm about his reaction to the award. He highlights issues such as artificial intelligence and genetic research that are firing his imagination. Front Row also hears from his first editor Robert McCrum, Booker-nominated fellow author Mohsin Hamid, and singer Stacey Kent about the powerful, moving, strange and sometimes funny work of the author, whose work ranges from A Pale View of Hills to The Remains of the Day and most recently The Buried Giant.

In 1821, Scottish adventurer Gregor MacGregor undertook one of the most brazen scams in history: He invented a fictional Central American republic and convinced hundreds of his countrymen to invest in its development. Worse, he persuaded 250 people to set sail for this imagined utopia with dreams of starting a new life. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the disastrous results of MacGregor's deceit. We'll also illuminate a hermit's behavior and puzzle over Liechtenstein's flag. Intro: In 1878, a neurologist noted that French-Canadian lumberjacks tended to startle violently. Each year on Valentine's Day, someone secretly posts paper hearts in Montpelier, Vt. Sources for our feature on Gregor MacGregor: David Sinclair, Sir Gregor MacGregor and the Land That Never Was, 2003. Matthew Brown, "Inca, Sailor, Soldier, King: Gregor MacGregor and the Early Nineteenth-Century Caribbean," Bulletin of Latin American Research 24:1 (January 2005), 44-70. T. Frederick Davis, "MacGregor's Invasion of Florida, 1817," Florida Historical Society Quarterly 7:1 (July 1928), 2-71. Emily Beaulieu, Gary W. Cox, and Sebastian Saiegh, "Sovereign Debt and Regime Type: Reconsidering the Democratic Advantage," International Organization 66:4 (Fall 2012), 709-738. R.A. Humphreys, "Presidential Address: Anglo-American Rivalries in Central America," Transactions of the Royal Historical Society 18 (1968), 174-208. Courtenay de Kalb, "Nicaragua: Studies on the Mosquito Shore in 1892," Journal of the American Geographical Society of New York 25:1 (1893), 236-288. A.R. Hope Moncrieff, "Gregor MacGregor," Macmillan's Magazine 92:551 (September 1905), 339-350. "The King of Con-Men," Economist 405:8816 (Dec. 22, 2012), 109-112. "Sir Gregor MacGregor," Quebec Gazette, Oct. 18, 1827. Guardian, "From the Archive, 25 October 1823: Settlers Duped Into Believing in 'Land Flowing With Milk and Honey,'" Oct. 25, 2013. Maria Konnikova, "The Con Man Who Pulled Off History's Most Audacious Scam," BBC Future, Jan. 28, 2016. "Thomas Strangeways", Sketch of the Mosquito Shore, 1822. A Bank of Poyais dollar, printed by the official printer of the Bank of Scotland. MacGregor traded these worthless notes for the settlers' gold as they departed for his nonexistent republic. Listener mail: Robert McCrum, "The 100 Best Novels: No 42 - The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan (1915)," Guardian, July 7, 2014. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was inspired by an item in Dan Lewis' Now I Know newsletter. Here's a corroborating link (warning -- both links spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!  

  In 1968 British engineer Donald Crowhurst entered a round-the-world yacht race, hoping to use the prize money to save his failing electronics business. Woefully unprepared and falling behind, he resorted to falsifying a journey around the world. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the desperate measures that Crowhurst turned to as events spiraled out of his control. We'll also get some updates on Japanese fire balloons and puzzle over a computer that turns on the radio. Intro: The stones at Pennsylvania's Ringing Rocks Park chime like bells when struck with a hammer. Sand dunes that "sing" when walked upon are found at 35 sites around the world. In 1884 two scientists notated the sounds on a musical scale. Sources for our feature on Donald Crowhurst: Peter Nichols, A Voyage for Madmen, 2001. Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall, The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst, 1970. Associated Press, "Briton Missing in Global Race," July 10, 1969. Associated Press, "Mystery Shrouds Lone Sailor's Fate," July 12, 1969. Associated Press, "Search Ends for Voyager," July 12, 1969. Associated Press, "Lost Yacht Racer Sent Fake Reports," July 25, 1969. Associated Press, "Log Shows Yachtsman Never Left Atlantic in Race Round World," July 28, 1969. AAP-Reuters, "Lost Sailor 'Stayed in Atlantic,'" July 28, 1969. "Mutiny of the Mind," Time 94:6 (Aug. 8, 1969), 59. Ed Caesar, "Drama on the Waves: The Life and Death of Donald Crowhurst," Independent, Oct. 27, 2006. Robert McCrum, "Deep Water," Guardian, April 4, 2009. Alex Ritman, "First Look: Colin Firth Cast Adrift as Ill-Fated Amateur Sailor Donald Crowhurst in 'The Mercy'," Hollywood Reporter, June 17, 2016. Listener mail: Bob Greene, "The Japanese Who Bombed Oregon," Chicago Tribune, July 18, 1988. Nicholas D. Kristof, "Nobuo Fujita, 85, Is Dead; Only Foe to Bomb America," New York Times, Oct. 3, 1997. Ross Coen, Fu-Go, 2014. James sent these additional links on Nobuo Fujita: Tatiana Danger, "Visit the Samurai Sword of the WWII Japanese Pilot Who Bombed Oregon," Roadtrippers, April 25, 2014. Larry Bingham, "Oregon Coast Trail Dedicated for World War II Bombing," Oregonian, Oct. 2, 2008. Finn J.D. John, "The Flying Samurai Who Attacked Oregon," Offbeat Oregon History, May 12, 2013. Finn J.D. John, "A Town's Special Friendship With Its Onetime Would-Be Destroyer," Offbeat Oregon History, May 18, 2013. William McCash, Bombs Over Brookings, 2005. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Doug Shaw. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

Robert McCrum travels to the United States in search of Shakespeare and the American Dream and hears how he became part of the very fabric of early American life soon after the colonists arrived in New England and has remained an important cultural reference point for Americans. Robert talks to composer Stephen Sondheim and actor Alec Baldwin along the way. As author James Shapiro puts it: “Americans use Shakespeare to talk about the things that divide us or that we don't want to talk about”. Photo: Leonardo Dicaprio is Romeo In the movie adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. (Credit: Getty Images)

Robert McCrum travels to the United States in search of Shakespeare and the American Dream and hears how he became part of the very fabric of early American life soon after the colonists arrived in New England and has remained an important cultural reference point for Americans. Robert's journey takes him to New York, Washington and Nashville to speak to various Americans who use Shakespeare as a way of addressing issues such as race and politics. As author James Shapiro puts it “Americans use Shakespeare to talk about the things that divide us or that we don't want to talk about”. (Photo: Members of an amateur dramatic society rehearse Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in Queens, New York City circa 1950. Credit: Orlando /Three Lions/Getty Images)

As a children's novel is proclaimed Costa book of the year, and a new Guardian series sets out to identify the 100 best non-fiction books of all time, we investigate literary stature

We examine the enduring legacy of John Buchan's thriller, with Robert McCrum and Kate Macdonald

How do the masterpieces of modernism still inspire us in the 21st century? Robert McCrum and Lara Feigel examine the legacy of DH Lawrence and Ford Madox Ford

Vice Present of Content for WNET.org Stephen Segaller speaks with author and associate editor of Britain's Observor, Robert McCrum. McCrum's new book traces the spread of English as the language of global capitalism.

Vice Present of Content for WNET.org Stephen Segaller speaks with author and associate editor of Britain's Observor, Robert McCrum. McCrum's new book traces the spread of English as the language of global capitalism.

Sue Lawley's guest this week is Robert McCrum. The author of six highly acclaimed novels and literary editor of the Observer, he describes how he woke up one morning, at the age of 42, to a raging headache and partial paralysis. He had suffered a stroke and it was to take him more than a year to recover. Later, he was to write a memoir about that process which became not only a guide to other sufferers, but also a love story dedicated to his wife.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]Favourite track: Prelude - Cello Suite No 3 by Johann Sebastian Bach Book: Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome Luxury: St John's Wort

Sue Lawley's guest this week is Robert McCrum. The author of six highly acclaimed novels and literary editor of the Observer, he describes how he woke up one morning, at the age of 42, to a raging headache and partial paralysis. He had suffered a stroke and it was to take him more than a year to recover. Later, he was to write a memoir about that process which became not only a guide to other sufferers, but also a love story dedicated to his wife. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Prelude - Cello Suite No 3 by Johann Sebastian Bach Book: Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome Luxury: St John's Wort