S3E96 On today's episode, Ash looks at a poem from Frieda Hughes' debut collection, Wooroloo, discussing Hughes' longstanding connection with birds, and how 'Kookaburra' relates to the poetry of her parents, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath. Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound. @earreadthis earreadthis@gmail.com …

S3E95 A belated Burns Night celebration, featuring one of Burns' lesser liked poems. But one of the only poems to inspire a toilet seat. Tune in for an exploration of Burns' time in Edinburgh, the Enlightenment's paradoxical attitude to Scottishness, and lots of rhyme-whining. Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic S…

S3E94 As a Halloween treat, Ash talks with the author of Ominous Whoosh: A Wandering Mind Returns to Twin Peaks, John Thorne. Tune in for a in-depth conversation about Twin Peaks with one of the leading scholars of the show. Follow John on Twitter here: @thornewip And purchase Ominous Whoosh: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ominous-Whoosh-Wandering-Return…

S3E93 Ash is again joined by Trish Grisafi to talk about her book Breaking Down Plath as well as Plath's relationship with feminism, the changing reputation of Plath and the "Plath phase". Follow Trish on Twitter here: @PatriciaGrisafi And visit her website: http://www.patriciagrisafi.com/about-1 Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other…

S3E92 Ash is joined by Patricia Grisafi to discuss 'Stings' by Sylvia Plath, the third poem in her Bee Sequence. Tune in for a conversation about red comets, queen bees, and scapegoats. Follow Trish on Twitter here: @PatriciaGrisafi And visit her website: http://www.patriciagrisafi.com/about-1 Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other mu…

S3E91 On today's extended interview, Ash talks some more to Peter K. Steinberg, about his work as co-editor of the Collected Letters of Sylvia Plath and The Collected Writings of Assia Wevill. Follow Peter on Twitter here: @sylviaplathinfo And visit his website https://sylviaplathinfo.blogspot.com/ Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All oth…

S3E90 Ash is joined again by Peter K. Steinberg to discuss Sylvia Plath's late poem 'The Swarm'. Tune in to hear about Plath's interest in Napoleon, her experiences bee-keeping and Peter's theory that The Swarm may contain coded references to Assia Wevill. Follow Peter on Twitter here: @sylviaplathinfo And visit his website https://sylviaplathinfo.…

S3E89 Ash is joined by Peter K. Steinberg to discuss Sylvia Plath's fascinating poem, 'Electra on Azalea Path'. Tune in for a discussion about reckless psychoanalysis, bumblebees (and their ways) and... Tolkien? Follow Peter on Twitter here: @sylviaplathinfo And visit his website https://sylviaplathinfo.blogspot.com/ Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The…

S3E88 Ash is joined again by Kate Levey to talk more about her mother, Brigid Brophy: her work outside of writing, her relationship with Iris Murdoch and her reputation today. Follow Kate on Twitter here: @brophylevey And visit her website www.brigidbrophy.com If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https:/…

S3E87 "Mozart, sex and death" is in store today, as Ash and his guest Kate Levey discuss her mother's brilliant 1964 novel, The Snow Ball. Follow Kate on Twitter here: @brophylevey And visit her website www.brigidbrophy.com If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Title Music: '…

S3E86 Following on from episodes on The Spanish Tragedy and The Birth of Merlin, Darren Freebury-Jones joins Ash once again, this time to talk about his own work on Thomas Kyd and early modern authorship studies. Follow Darren on Twitter here: @Freeburian And order a copy of his book, Shakespeare's Tutor, here: https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.…

S3E85 Ash is joined again by Shakespearean scholar, Darren Freebury-Jones to discuss a rarely-performed Jacobean play, The Birth of Merlin or The Child Hath Found its Father. Their conversation takes in the play's controversial authorship question, the special effects of early modern theatre and Arthurian drama. Follow Darren on Twitter here: @Free…

S3E84 Ash is joined by Shakespearean scholar, Darren Freebury-Jones to discuss Thomas Kyd's hugely influential play, The Spanish Tragedy. As well as talking about Darren's specialist subject, the influence of Kyd on Shakespeare, in today's wide-ranging episode we talk about the genre of revenge, the contemporary religious crises in Kyd's England, a…

S3E83 To celebrate Burns Night, Ash talks about Robert Burns' Now Westlin Winds, a song written at the very start of the Bard's career. Tune in for a discussion of the circumstances that inspired the song, and the long and fruitful afterlife it has had in the repertoire of folk-singers from Burns' day to our own. Songs featured: I Had A Horse and I…

S3E82 Ash is joined once again by poet Sarah Corbett to discuss her writing, both poetry and fiction, her vision for The Sylvia Plath Literary Festival and its accompanying anthology, After Sylvia. Follow the festival for updates on digital events here: @plathfest And follow Sarah on Twitter: @sarahcorbett70 If you enjoy my work and would like to s…

S3E81 Poet, novelist and Plath Fest Director Sarah Corbett joins Ash to discuss Plath's November Graveyard; a poem about death, resurrection and the Yorkshire countryside. Follow Sarah on Twitter: @sarahcorbett70 If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Merchandise! https://ear-…

S3E80 Donnie Secreast joins Ash again to talk more about Hardcastle Crags, environmental themes in Plath's work and her search for a 'universal element'. Read Donnie's article here: muse.jhu.edu/article/750706 And follow her on Twitter: @donniesecreast If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.c…

S3E79 Donnie Secreast joins Ash to discuss Plath's nonchalantly brilliant poem, Hardcastle Crags. Set in the Yorkshire Dales, of great interest for its ecological themes and musical intricacy. Read Donnie's article here: muse.jhu.edu/article/750706 And follow her on Twitter: @donniesecreast If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read Th…

S3E78 Emily Van Duyne returns to talk about her upcoming book, Loving Sylvia Plath, and further explore some of the biographical themes mentioned in yesterday's episode on 'The Jailor'. You can read some of Emily's work here: https://lithub.com/author/emily-van-duyne/ And follow her on Twitter: @emilyvanduyne If you enjoy my work and would like to …

S3E77 Emily Van Duyne is Ash's special guest for today's episode on Sylvia Plath's poem, The Jailor. A portrait of abuse, gas-lighting and 'inescapable femininity', the poem has recently been studied by Plath scholars including Emily for its use of anti-black racist language. You can read some of Emily's work here: https://lithub.com/author/emily-v…

S3E76 Today Ash discusses the first story in Ovid's Metamorphoses, in which we see the world created, and populated with its first inhabitants. If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Merchandise! https://ear-read-this.creator-spring.com/ Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Dro…

S3E75 Today's exclusive episode takes us to home turf with this Edinburgh based story of resurrection men... If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Merchandise! https://ear-read-this.creator-spring.com/ Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sou…

S3E74 Today I'm finally talking about Olalla! The crazy Spanish vampire story of Stevenson's that's come up on the podcast at least once before... If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Merchandise! https://ear-read-this.creator-spring.com/ Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy …

S3E73 We've reached the fifth Marlowe adventure, The Little Sister. Tune in to hear about what critics call Chandler's "Hollywood novel", and what the author himself called "a gaudy piece of sarcasm masquerading as a mystery". We discuss Chandler's comedy, his cantankerous mood at the time of writing and his brushes with film legends like Billy Wil…

S3E72 Ash discusses the fourth Marlowe novel, The Lady in the Lake. Tune in to hear about Arthurian references, Raymond Chandler's women, Marlowe's men and once again, fish. If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Merchandise! https://ear-read-this.creator-spring.com/ Title Mus…

S3E71 In Philip Marlowe's third outing, he is on the trail of a missing Brasher Doubloon. Tracking down the coin, he unravels a dark family secret and a Beverly Hills murder. If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Merchandise! https://ear-read-this.creator-spring.com/ Title Mu…

S3E70 The second Philip Marlowe adventure features the unforgettable Moose Malloy, bent Bay City cops and a dame to kill for. If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Merchandise! https://ear-read-this.creator-spring.com/ Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other musi…

S3E69 It's back to Book 1 of Ovid's Metamorphoses as Ash tells the story of a wrathful Jove, destroying mankind with a great flood. But what does Ovid's flood have in common with the flood found in the Book of Genesis? Is this genocide or editing? And what is left, once the waters have settled? If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Rea…

S3E68 Today, I'm analysing Sylvia Plath's poem Full Fathom Five, written in 1958 and eventually collected in her book The Colossus. Taking its title from Shakespeare's The Tempest, Full Fathom Five is full of classic Plath imagery: the seldom-surfacing sea-god muse, the lost father and the seascape of her childhood. If you enjoy my work and would l…

S3E67 Paul Edmondson joins Ash to talk about Shakespeare biography, re-evaluating the sonnets and recording a Shakespeare diary. Listen to Open Your Shakespeares here: https://soundcloud.com/pauledmondson/sets/open-your-shakespeares Find out more about Paul's work here: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/about-us/news-media/spokespeople/paul-edmondson/…

S3E66 Such stuff! Joining Ash on an enchanted island is special guest Paul Edmondson to discuss Shakespeare's final solo-authored play, The Tempest. Find out more about Paul's work here: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/about-us/news-media/spokespeople/paul-edmondson/ If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: h…

S3E65 Ash analyses Robert Burns' comical kirk-tirlin poem, "Address to the Deil". If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Tam o'Shanter episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpyEBQBGVIA&list=PLS0E9UVUeOexDjAUaFqz2Dju-j5HQCi6b&index=19&t=972s Title Music: 'Not Drun…

S3E64 Miles Leeson joins Ash on the podcast to discuss the work of Iris Murdoch, as well as his own work at the Iris Murdoch Research Centre. The Iris Murdoch Society Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m6iYZJIgHIuavTtZTevyD?si=2a53af4b74034d48 The Iris Murdoch Society: https://irismurdochsociety.org.uk The Iris Murdoch Research Centre: https:/…

S3E63 Ash discusses the 25th novel by Iris Murdoch with his special guest, Miles Leeson. Join us for a trip to Murdochland, for the story of a fumbled murder attempt, warring magicians and the quest for justice, all taking place in contemporary London. The Iris Murdoch Society Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m6iYZJIgHIuavTtZTevyD?si=2a53af4…

S3E62 Today Ash discusses one of the most famous poems of the First World War, Wilfred Owen's Dulce Et Decorum Est. Tune in for an exploration of guilt and natural disorder in this "anti-souvenir" from the trenches. Access bonus content here: Ear Read This is creating Podcasts | Patreon Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by …

S3E61 Today Ash is joined again by special guest Emily Ingram to discuss her play-in-progress, based on the life of Mary Shelley. You can find out more about Emily's work and her theatre company, Some Kind of Theatre, here: https://www.somekindoftheatre.co.uk/ Access bonus content here: Ear Read This is creating Podcasts | Patreon Title Music: 'Not…

S3E60 Join us for a dissection of Mary Shelley's iconic novel, Frankenstein, the tale of an ambitious young Swiss scientist, who in the course of penetrating the deepest mysteries of nature, creates artificial life. Ash's special guest this week is Emily Ingram, theatre practitioner and writer who is currently working on a play based on Shelley's l…

S3E59 Joining Ash to talk about Sylvia Plath is Dr. Gail Crowther, whose latest book, Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz looks at the rebellions of Plath and her fellow poet, Anne Sexton. If you'd like to buy a copy of the book, you can do so here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1982138394?linkCode=gs2&tag=siscuk-21 Alternatively you can find out mo…

S3E58 Today, Ash is joined by Dr. Gail Crowther to discuss Sylvia Plath’s iconic novel, The Bell Jar. Tune in for a conversation about the book’s strange publication history, the perils of reading it as pure autobiography, and an exploration of some of Plath’s often unsettling and grotesque imagery. Check back tomorrow for an extended interview wit…

S3E57 Ash is once again joined by Eilish Mulholland of the Plath and Co. podcast, to talk about Sylvia Plath. In a wide-ranging conversation they discuss Plath and Hughes' use of the occult, pandemic podcasting, the best biographies and fictional depictions of Plath and the hypnotising effect of hearing her voice. You can find Eilish's podcast, Pla…

S3E56 Ash is joined by writer, researcher and fellow podcaster Eilish Mulholland to discuss Sylvia Plath's late poem, A Birthday Present. In it, a woman is taunted by a mysterious veiled gift, the significance of which is initially unclear. You can find Eilish's podcast, Plath & Co, here: https://soundcloud.com/user-611388248 Access bonus content h…

S3E55 Gods, werewolves and giants abound as Ash takes a look at the story of Lycaon in Book 1 of Ovid's Metamorphoses. Access bonus content here: Ear Read This is creating Podcasts | Patreon Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound. Intro: An American Werewolf in London (1981) @earreadthis earreadthis@gmail.com f…

S3E54 Today, Ash is once again joined by Amanda Golden, to discuss her book Annotating Modernism, a study of the marginalia of Sylvia Plath, John Berryman, Anne Sexton and others. Check out Amanda's work here: https://www.agoldenphd.com/ And purchase a copy of her book here: https://www.routledge.com/Annotating-Modernism-Marginalia-and-Pedagogy-fro…

S3E53 'I shall never get you put together entirely,' begins 'The Colossus', which later became the title poem of Plath's collection published in 1960. Today Ash is joined by Amanda Golden, author of Annotating Modernism, to discuss the poem, and Plath's life at the time of writing. Check out Amanda's work here: https://www.agoldenphd.com/ And purch…

S3E52 Ash is joined once again by Mark Walker, who has written the first English verse translation of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Life of Merlin. Tune in for a conversation about the process of translation, eccentricity and the Latin Hobbit. Check out Mark's translation and other publications here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mark-Walker/e/B002BODMEY/ref=d…

S3E51 On today's episode we return to Geoffrey of Monmouth, and look at his narrative poem, The Life of Merlin. Joining Ash on the podcast is Mark Walker, who has written the first English translation of the poem. Check out Mark's translation and other publications here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mark-Walker/e/B002BODMEY/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebook…

S3E50 What did actors in Shakespeare's day sound like? To answer that question, Ash is once again joined by Ben Crystal, author of Shakespeare on Toast and expert in the field of original pronunciation. Check out Ben's work here: http://www.bencrystal.com/ And find him on Twitter @bencrystal And check out our Patreon page here: Ear Read This is cre…

S3E49 We have finally arrived at the end of Shakespeare's History plays, with the riotous Richard III. Joining Ash to discuss the play is Ben Crystal, author of Shakespeare on Toast and specialist in the field of original pronunciation, which we'll be discussing more on tomorrow's extended interview. Check out Ben's work here: http://www.bencrystal…

S3E48 Ash is once again joined by biographer Carl Rollyson to discuss his biographies of Sylvia Plath, and some of the challenges facing those who write about her. Find out more about Carl's work here: Carl Rollyson - Works Listen to 'A Life in Biography' on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/show/30NNvRbagc74DpV44Eblip?si=YU1EBtCITvW987sZNNEqb…

S3E47 Ash is joined by biographer Carl Rollyson to discuss the life of one of the greatest twentieth century poets, Sylvia Plath. Find out more about Carl's work here: Carl Rollyson - Works Listen to 'A Life in Biography' on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/show/30NNvRbagc74DpV44Eblip?si=YU1EBtCITvW987sZNNEqbg&dl_branch=1 And check out our Pa…