American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)

Episode 374: Francis Parkman: The Conspiracy of Pontiac (4)

Part 4 of my review of THE CONSPIRACY OF PONTIAC by Francis Parkman. In this episode we look at the failure of the Indian cause, frontier violence, and the vigilantism of the Paxton Boys.

H.P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 7: Beyond the Wall of Sleep

Lovecraft goes a little overboard on his descriptions of back-country folk in "Beyond the Wall of Sleep" but the story places him right in the middle of the eugenics conversation of his time.

Episode 373: Francis Parkman: The Conspiracy of Pontiac (3)

In part three of my review of THE CONSPIRACY OF PONTIAC, I talk about Pontiac's plans, the role of cunning and deception in the early Indian victories, and the siege of Detroit.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 6: Polaris

In "Polaris" we get the first of Lovecraft's "Dreamland" stories and an allegory for the racial conflicts he saw as the primary vehicle of history. By taking a look at some of his World War I era writing, we can put this story in a broader context.

Episode 372: Francis Parkman Jr.: The Conspiracy of Pontiac (2)

Part two of my review of THE CONSPIRACY OF PONTIAC by Francis Parkman Jr. Here I look at the causes of Pontiac's War as described by Parkman.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 5: A Reminiscence of Dr. Samuel Johnson

In episode 5 of the HP Lovecraft Book Club, we jump into Lovecraft's love for 18th century British culture by looking at his 1917 story "A Reminiscence of Dr. Samuel Johnson". Perhaps it is one most Lovecraft readers skip, but it is worth a few minutes of your time if you want to appreciate our author's worldview.

Episode 371: Francis Parkman Jr.: The Conspiracy of Pontiac (1)

Part 1 of my review of THE CONSPIRACY OF PONTIAC by Francis Parkman Jr. The opening chapters of the book describe the lives of Native Americans east of the Mississippi, the French empire in the Americas, and the interactions of the British and French with the Indians. All important background.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 4: Dagon

In this episode, I take a deep look at "Dagon" by H. P. Lovecraft. This story, set in the Pacific during World War I, explores the possibilities of ancient cultures and long-enduring mystical traditions. The narrator's discovery and exploration of a recently raised landmass from below the Pacific is not forgettable.

Episode 370: Francis Parkman Jr.: The Oregon Trail (3)

In this episode I conclude my thoughts on Francis Parkman Jr.'s THE OREGON TRAIL and I sum-up the themes of empire, ecology, and the capitalist expansion into the "Great West". Up next, Parkman's first work of history THE CONSPIRACY OF PONTIAC.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 3: The Tomb

Episode three of the H. P. Lovecraft Book Club takes a look at "The Tomb" and Lovecraft's fascination with deviant subcultures.

Episode 369: Francis Parkman Jr.: The Oregon Trail (2)

Part two of my review of THE OREGON TRAIL by Francis Parkman Jr. This book is a travel memoir, but is full of great material on American empire, Native American life, ecology, and transformation of the "Great West".

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 2: The Alchemist

In "The Alchemist" (1908) Lovecraft establishes one of his most important themes: vernacular networks of knowledge opposing esoteric forgotten tomes. This fascinating story is his first mature work of fiction.

Episode 368: Francis Parkman Jr.: The Oregon Trail (1)

We will begin looking at one of the greatest historians of the 19th century, Francis Parkman Jr. But this first book is not a history, but a memoir of his travels in the prairie and Rocky Mountains. An interesting look at a changing, dynamic, and often cruel frontier.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 1: Juvenilia

In this inaugural episode of the H. P. Lovecraft Book Club, I introduce the series and talk about four stories Lovecraft wrote as a child: "The Little Glass Bottle," "The Mystery of the Grave-Yard," "The Secret Cave," and the (much more mature) "The Beast in the Cave".

Episode 367: Zora Neale Hurston Essays

So my series "Twentieth Century Girls" comes to an end with a look at some of Zora Neale Hurston's essays and assorted short non-fiction. Next up Francis Parkman Jr and a dive into mid-nineteenth century American history writing.

Episode 366: Zora Neale Hurston: Dust Tracks on a Road (2)

Part two of my review of DUST TRACKS ON A ROAD by Zora Neale Hurston. This great memoir gets political in the second half. Listen to my thoughts on her conservatism and skepticism of racial politics.

Episode 365: Zora Neale Hurston: Dust Tracks on a Road (1)

The first part of my review of Zora Neale Hurston's memoir DUST TRACKS ON A ROAD. The first part of the book deals with her childhood, her family, the origin of her imagination and curiosity, and her struggles to earn an education.

Episode 354: Zora Neale Hurston: Tell My Horse (2)

Part two of my review of TELL MY HORSE by Zora Neale Hurston. This part of the book explores Voodoo in Haiti. A brilliant take on this tradition and its meaning in Haitian life.

Episode 363: Zora Neale Hurston: Tell My Horse (1)

The first half of my review of TELL MY HORSE by Zora Neale Hurston deals with the geo-political realities of independent Caribbean states in a time of empire. All of this sets up her analysis of voodoo in the region.

Episode 363: Zora Neale Hurston: Mules and Men (2)

The second half of MULES AND MEN by Zora Neale Hurston looked at voodoo in the United States. In this episode, I finish up my thoughts on this classic of American folklore.

Episode 361: Zora Neale Hurston: Mules and Men (1)

My next "Twentieth Century Girl" is the brilliant Zora Neale Hurston. First we will look at her book of black folklore called MULES AND MEN. Still a great introduction to the tradition.

Episode 360: Shirley Jackson: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

I close out my series on Shirley Jackson with a review of WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVE IN THE CASTLE. This novel is a masterpiece of gothic fiction with the ultimate deception of isolation and agoraphobia. Next up, Zora Neale Hurston.

Episode 359: Shirley Jackson: The Haunting of Hill House (2)

Part two of my review of THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson.

Episode 358: Shirley Jackson: The Haunting of Hill House (1)

Part one of my review of THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson. This is an important novel in the history of American horror. Hill House is the original EVIL (not haunted) house, which would inspire King's Martsen House and the Overlook.

EPisode 357: Shirley Jackson: The Lottery and Other Stories (2)

In this episode, I take a look at the rest of Shirley Jackson's short story collected THE LOTTERY. So many good stories on race, alienation, women's role in society, family, and the meaning of home. (Lots of other themes too.) This rich collection is a must read.

Episode 356: Shirley Jackson: The Lottery and Other Stories (1)

In this episode, I begin a new series in which I examine some of the major works by the brilliant Shirley Jackson. First up will be half of THE LOTTERY AND OTHER STORIES. These are some of America's greatest short stories. Read them!

Episode 355: Jane Bowles: Stories

The finale of my series on Jane Bowles. (I know I said there may be one more.) In this episode I look at some of her stories.

Episode 354: Jane Bowles: Two Serious Ladies (2)

In the second half of Jane Bowles' TWO SERIOUS LADIES we get a closer look at the adventures of Christina Goering as we looks for freedom in seedy working class bars. Class and sexuality are explored in fascinating ways in this odd and brilliant novel.

Episode 353: Jane Bowles, Two Serious Ladies (1)

Another "Twentieth-Century Girl". In this episode I look at the only novel by Jane Bowels, TWO SERIOUS LADIES. This is really one you need to read just for the experience. It is unlike anything else.

Episode 352: Mary McCarthy: Cannibals and Missionaries (3)

It has been a long series but we have come to the end of the study of Mary McCarthy with my final look at CANNIBALS AND MISSIONARIES. Next up: Three quick episodes on Jane Bowles.

Episode 351: Mary McCarthy: Cannibals and Missionaries (2)

Part two of my review of CANNIBALS AND MISSIONARIES by Mary McCarthy. Uploading two in one day because of internet troubles in China causing delays. 

Episode 350: Mary McCarthy: Cannibals and Missionaries (1)

Terrorism, liberalism, art, and class are all explored in depth in Mary McCarthy's last novel CANNIBALS AND MISSIONARIES. I am not sure it is worth a visit, but it certainly is worth knowing about.

Episode 349: Mary McCarthy: Birds of America (2)

The finale of my review of Mary McCarthy's BIRDS OF AMERICA.

Episode 348: Mary McCarthy: Birds of America-1

While I cannot say I am a very fond of Mary McCarthy's final two novels, BIRDS OF AMERICA does have some interesting discussions about art, revolution, the expat life, and family. Check it out, or not.

Episode 347: Mary McCarthy: The Group (3)

The finale of my review of Mary McCarthy's THE GROUP. This is a must read novel if you want to know the philosophy behind second wave feminism and an overall great novel.

Episode 346: Mary McCarthy: The Group (2)

Part 2 of my review of Mary McCarthy's THE GROUP. A great novel of second-wave feminism and perhaps McCarthy's most well-known work. It is a profound look at the struggles professional women faced in the 1930s with spoke directly to the 1960s, when it was written.

Episode 345: Mary McCarthy, The Group (1)

Part one of my review of Mary McCarthy's THE GROUP. THE GROUP is a classic text of second-wave feminism in which a group of educated women deal with various social inequalities. In this first part we meet the "Group" and talk about class, birth control, and sexual freedom.

Episode 344: Mary McCarthy: A Charmed Life (2)

In A CHARMED LIFE, Mary McCarthy explores intellectual bohemians and their quite odd lives. At the center of this story is an affair between a married woman and her domineering ex-husband. The tragedy comes when she finds she might be pregnant, but who is the father?

Episode 343: Mary McCarthy: A Charmed Life (1)

Mary McCarthy's A CHARMED LIFE is a pretty interesting story about suburbia, adultery, and in-typical McCarthy fashion-intellectuals and artists acting bizarrely. Worth a read.

Episode 342: Mary McCarthy: The Groves of Academe (Part 2)

The conclusion of my review of Mary McCarthy's THE GROVES OF ACADEME. Overall, a really fun novel about the delusional and petty world of academia that still has a contemporary feel.