American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)

Robert A. Heinlein Book Club: Episode 3: Life-Line

What happens to insurance companies when a scientist can predict the moment of your death? Should corporations be able to stop the spread of knowledge that benefits humanity? Heinlein takes on these questions in his first published story, "Life-Line". I talk about these themes in this episode.

Episode 553: Mark Twain: Life on the Mississippi (Part 3)

This episode is part three of my coverage of LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Mark Twain. With Twain we explore how the South and the nation changed in the years after the American Civil War, for better or for worse. He grabbed my attention again with his writing on New Orleans.

Robert A. Heinlein Book Club: Episode 2: For Us, the Living (Part 2)

In this episode, I finish my look at FOR US, THE LIVING by Robert A. Heinlein. There is a lot of historical and economic details that I scan over here, but I strongly encourage you to look at this utopia work.

Episode 552: Mark Twain: Life on the Mississippi (Part 2)

This episode is a little more on LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Mark Twain. It is also an episode where I have a personal breakdown and realization.

Robert A. Heinlein Book Club: Episode 1: For Us, the Living (Part 1)

I start my exploration of Robert A. Heinlein's works with my thoughts on FOR US, THE LIVING, a fascinating study of the "social credit" economy.

Episode 551: Mark Twain: Life on the Mississippi (Part 1)

The early chapters of the massive THE LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI explores the natural and human history of the river before getting into the personal history of young Samuel Clemens as a trainee steamboat pilot. For much of the first half, it is a celebration of the knowledge of the working class.

Episode 550:Mark Twain: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Part 2)

The second half of my review of THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER by Mark Twain. Here I discuss adulthood, the preservation of freedom (or not) and the horrors of maturation.

Episode 549: Mark Twain: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Part 1)

I begin my series on the works of Mark Twain with THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER. I hope I have a little bit to say about this well-known novel.

Episode 548: The American Civil War (Part 28): The Finale

Finally, I reach the end of my series on the American Civil War. Next up, we will look at the works of Mark Twain.

Episode 548: The American Civil War (Part 27): Lincoln’s Second Inagural

Among other things I explore Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, the passage of the 13th Amendment, and the later battles of the Civil War. This series nears its end.

Episode 546: The American Civil War (Part 26): March to the Sea

In this episode, I begin the end of my coverage of the American Civil War Library of America anthology with a gloss on the March to the Sea and related events, as well as the 1864 election.

Episode 545: The American Civil War (Part 25): The Fall of Atlanta and the Election of 1864

The crucial election of 1864 took place in the context of decisive Union victories in Atlanta and Virginia. How do these events effect the people who experienced them first hand? I read about it in the Library of American anthology of Civil War writings.

Episode 544: The American Civil War (Part 24): Peace Movement?

In this episode, I consider documents from the American Civil War on the 1864 peace movement, the siege of Atlanta, the Jubal Early raid on Washington, and other issues.

Episode 543: The American Civil War (Part 23): Overland Campaign

I continue to explore the American Civil War through primary sources, looking primarily at the brutal outcomes of the Overland Campaign and the soldiers responses and recollections of those costly battles.

Episode 542: The American Civil War (Part 22)

In this episode, I begin my look at the final year of the American Civil War through the Library of American anthology. I was particularly moved by Harriet Jacob's school in Virginia. I also look into the Fort Pillow Massacre and the start of the Overland campaign.

Episode 541: Stephen King: IT (Part 11)

The final episode in my review of IT. Let me know what you think of this novel and my coverage of it.

Episode 540: Stephen King: IT (Part 10)

In part 10 of my review of Stephen King's IT, we (almost) get the climax in the sewers. Before we can go there we need to spend around 100 pages watching King set that climax up. It has one of the most memorable and horrible moments in the novel, the confrontation between Beverly and her possessed father.

Episode 539: Stephen King: IT (Part 9)

In this episode I explore three chapters of Stephen King's novel IT. It includes a couple of a my favorite sections: the death of Patrick Hockstetter and a deeper dive into Derry's history in the fourth "Interlude" chapter.

Episode 538: Stephen King: IT (Part 8)

In this episode I look at the chapters "The Smokehole" and "Eddie's Big Break" from Stephen King's novel IT. Sadly these are both chapters that have been neglected or radically changed in the film adaptations, but they are still pretty important.

Episode 537: Stephen King: IT (Part 7)

I continue my deep dive into IT by Stephen King by looking at the turning point chapters on the "Apocalyptic Rock Fight" and "The Album", which set up the confrontation that will dominate the rest of the novel

Episode 536: The American Civil War (21): Winter of 1863-1864

In this episode, I look at some historical documents produced in the winter of 1863 and 1864. With the tide of the war decisively changed, desperation, desertion, and even some radical proposals appear in the Confederacy. The war was lost at home and on the battlefield.

Episode 535: Stephen King: IT (Part 6)

In this episode I look at the "Walking Tours" chapter of Stephen King's novel IT. It sets up some important themes for the later half of the novel and prepares us for the non-stop unification of past and present that we will experience from here to the end.

Episode 534: American Civil War (20): The Gettysburg Address

In this episode I explore more documents from the American Civil War, focusing on the end of 1863. Topics include Reconstruction, the battles around Chattanooga, and The Gettysburg Address. 

Episode 533: Stephen King, IT (5)

This is the episode where I deal with the biggest problem I have interpreting this novel. The question of IT's motivations, the return of the Losers, and the reason they are all rich and childless. I also talk about the second "interlude" chapter and "The Reunion".

Episode 532: The American Civil War (19): Making a Revolution

The documents from the summer of 1863, after the victories of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, show how rapidly Emancipation changed the fortunes of the war and public opinion in both the North and the South. I had a lot of fun with these documents and hope you enjoy too.

Episode 531: Stephen King: IT (4)

In this episode we continue our slow read through IT by Stephen King and finish up part two of the book. The chapters focus on the power of magic, belief, reason, and the group.

Episode 530: Stephen King, It (3)

Part three of my review of IT by Stephen King. The chapters I look at here explore the creation of a Ka-tet (to steal a Dark Tower term) and meditate on the power of the group.

Episode 529: The American Civil War (18): The Turning Point

In this episode we look at a handful of turning points in the American Civil War by working through the Library of America's anthology of Civil War writings.

Episode 528: Stephen King: IT (2)

Part two of my review of Stephen King's IT. I mostly discuss how much I like the book's relationship to fictional and real history.

Episode 527: The American Civil War (17):June of 1863

As I continue reading through a series of primary sources on the American Civil War, I dig into the events of June of 1863, which set the stage for some climactic events including the draft riots, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the attack on Fort Wagner.

Episode 526: Stephen King, IT (1)

This episode of my non-Hugo-award-winning podcast introduces a mini-series on Stephen King's IT, which will be released alongside my main series. Here I cover the first few chapters of the novel.

Episode 525: The American Civil War (16): Total War

When did the American Civil War become a total war? The documents I look at in this episode cover the spring of 1863 and suggest these months may be when the war truly became total.

Episode 524: The American Civil War (15): Impact of Emancipation

In this episode I continue my Civil War series and look at the impact of Emancipation on the war effort, diplomacy, and public opinion. I also talk about Sherman's questions about freedom of the press.

Episode 522: Benjamin Franlkin: Writings from the Seven Years’ War and Letters

A bit of a mixed bag in this episode. I close out my look at Franklin's writings from before his relocation to London in 1757 and take on a grabbag of letters on science and politics.

Episode 521: Benjamin Franklin 1747-1754: The Albany Plan

I read another 100 pages of American writers. This time, it is Ben Franklin's writings from the 1740s and 1750s, up until the Albany Plan of Union and his departure to London. I found the most interesting sections in this bunch of readings involved Franklin's arguments for a proper education.

Episode 520: Benjamin Franklin-1733-1745 and the Formation of the American Philosophical Society

The 1730s and 1740s saw Benjamin Franklin use his newspaper to promote issues of public necessity such as a post office and a fire department. It is during these years he also helped form the American Philosophical Society. All of this got me thinking about the public domain and the role of the media in building community (or not).

Episode 519: Benjamin Franklin: Early journalism and his argument for paper currency

We look at Ben Franklin's writings in the later 1720s and early 1730s. Mostly I consider some of his journalism for the Pennsylvania Gazette, but maybe most interesting from this period is his argument for paper currency.

Episode 518: Benjamin Franklin: Boston and London Writings (1722-1725)

In this episode I start a new series looking at the works of Benjamin Franklin. This time we will focus on his early Boston and London writings such as the Silence Dogood letters and his philosophical pamphlet on free will and pain.

Episode 517: Sinclair Lewis: Babbitt (3)

The finale of my coverage of Sinclair Lewis with my final thoughts on BABBITT (1922). Is there any hope for Babbitt? I am not sure. I see some hints of it before he seems to surrender to conformity at the end. Let me know.

Episode 516: Sinclair Lewis: Babbbitt (2)

Part two of my review of the excellent novel by Sinclair Lewis, BABBITT. Here we see the calm before the storm of Babbitt's crisis of faith as he tries to invest in his social status in Zenith, without much success.