Send us a Text Message. We're featuring a listener request (thanks, Dad!) - Ken Kesey. Known for his novel 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest', Kesey wrote many other works through various forms, including articles and stories over the course of his storied career. We explore the other jobs he had, the adventures he took in between (to prison and bey…

Send us a Text Message. We are delighted to feature Ethel Payne on Get Lit this week! Payne was known as the 'First Lady of the Black Press', a pioneering force in journalism who broke down barriers, created space for the voices of Black Americans, and became a problem for the White House in a truly rebellious way. Her journey takes us across the U…

Send us a Text Message. We have a rather whimsical episode for you all this week as we cover author, illustrator, cartoonist, and artist Tove Jansson. Jansson is most popularly known as the creator of the Moomin characters, whose colorful world brought delight to readers around the globe. She had a unique voice that spoke through words, through art…

Send us a Text Message. We're featuring a founding father this week! A founding father of modernist drama, that is: Henrik Ibsen. He is also our first Norwegian author, first 3-time Nobel prize nominee (not winner), and first author to use his own life experiences in his work (jk lol). This episode is a wild ride with stories, analysis, and a visit…

Send us a Text Message. We could all use a bit of magic in our lives these days, so join us for the most delightful episode about the wittiest, witchiest, wordsmith: Betty MacDonald! Known for her clever reflections in her autobiographies and her wonderful character, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, MacDonald is remembered as a unique voice in literature who he…

Send us a Text Message. 'According to Emily Post', she's the subject of our episode this week! We explore another version of 'literature', examining Emily's advice and articles on how best to handle any social situation. We discuss the role of etiquette, society, communication, and culture, along with the intersection of feminism amidst all of this…

Send us a Text Message. And he's here tonight, everybody! It's Leo Tolstoy! We examine the writing, life, and legacy of author and philosopher and radical thinker and failed farmer ? His contributions to writing and literature have changed not only how we write but also the way we think. We unpack some of the context around his work and the stories…

Send us a Text Message. Steph & Jon are back to discuss Fairy Tale Legend, Mary De Morgan. Growing up in varied intellectual circumstances, De Morgan used her original fairy tales to critique the society she lived in. She wrote about gender roles, power, class, and of course, capitalism! Natural fodder for fairy tales, really. Join us this week to …

Send us a Text Message. We're joined by a very special guest host: Paige Zukauskas! Paige brings her knowledge and passion for Dreiser to this week's episode as we explore another mostly midwest author, discuss Sister Carrie, and track adventures across political and social ideologies! Dreiser wrote many groundbreaking novels but isn't often celebr…

Send us a Text Message. Jack takes over hosting this week for a delightful kick off episode to summer, covering the extraordinary author of Pippi Longstocking (among many other works): Astrid Lindgren! Her work varied in form and topics, but always focused on sharing truths with a deep sense of compassion and care. Follow us to Sweden as we map out…

Send us a Text Message. This week, we examine Shakespeare's contemporary and friend and rival? Ben Jonson! Jonson was a poet, playwright, and general scallywag who bounced back and forth between success and failure. His works are largely considered to be some of the best of the age, and while his stories may not be as well known as Shakespeare, his…

Send us a Text Message. Meet Dorothy Thompson! We've mentioned her in past episodes and are delighted to bring her story to you all. Thompson was a powerful speaker and writer, who had her own syndicated column for over a decade, a radio broadcast, and long legacy of calling out oppression. Her work during both World Wars and beyond offered a very …

Send us a Text Message. Join us to explore the legacy of Sherwood Anderson, an often overlooked American writer who explored the American landscape as it changed after the Victorian period. Anderson's writing reflected on culture, politics, and society and helped shape the careers of Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and others. His life took man…

Send us a Text Message. We have a Get Lit first this week: Jamie Jones, who first appeared on our Herman Melville Episode is back to discuss her book Rendered Obsolete! Steph and Jamie set sail through a conversation about this book, the whaling industry, climate change, and of course, Herman Melville. Join us for this delightful, insightful interv…

Send us a Text Message. This Earth Day, join us as we cover the legacy and life of environmental writer, activist, and general walking guy, John Muir! Muir advocated for the preservation of natural lands across the United States and traveled the country reporting, story telling, and learning more about the impact human beings have on the environmen…

Send us a Text Message. Recording from The Pile Bookstore in Berwyn, IL, we're delighted to bring you some fabulous adventures across time and London! Featuring the experiences of six different female authors, we examine this literary pilgrimage through the lens of these extraordinary ladies. Jon brings us some tea time trivialities and there's ple…

Send us a Text Message. It's our 5th birthday and we couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than with the legacy of Sinclair Lewis! And to have Dan Esquivel on as our guest host! Lewis was the first American author to win the Nobel Prize for literature, along with 1.5 (ish - we'll explain...) Pulitzer Prizes. He held up a mirror to American so…

Send us a Text Message. Since we recorded on April Fool's Day, it seems only natural to pull a bit of a prank to get in the spirit of the thing! Steph and Jack whip up an episode about an entirely fake author who just happens to have lived a very similar life to host, Jon. He catches on... eventually... We share a list of literary pranksters and th…

Send us a Text Message. This week, Jack takes over hosting to tell Jon about Elizabeth von Arnim! This British author led a very storied life that took her across the world. She wrote 22 novels, mostly anonymous during the course of her life and pulled from various creative concepts and personal sources to develop her original voice. Did we mention…

Send us a Text Message. Women's History Month continues with Margaret Fuller! This extraordinary woman is considered by many to be the model of early feminist scholarship, writing about issues including independence, suffrage, and autonomy. Her work laid the foundation in many ways for other later thinkers during her time and today. She lived a pow…

Send us a Text Message. Our celebration of Women's History Month continues with Modernist poet Marianne Moore! Her life was varied and storied as she made her way from the the Midwest to the East Coast and through poetry, prose, and criticism. She surrounded herself with colorful characters as she explored the new landscape of American poetry, ment…

Send us a Text Message. Eva Ibbotson kicks off our celebration of Women's History Month! Ibbotson escaped the Nazi occupation, worked as a translator, and published her first novel at the age of 50! She shakes the conventions of the 'traditional' author path and forged her own way forward in the world of literature. She was known for her cheeky, wi…

Send us a Text Message. Meet the extraordinary author behind the Black detective novel genre, Chester Himes! Himes lived a very colorful life that informed his work and his perspectives. He worked actively to combat racism and lived courageously, never afraid to start over or change course. His legacy transcends genres, continents, and time.…

Send us a Text Message. This week, join us to reflect on the legacy of Dr. Anna J. Cooper! Cooper was an extraordinary activist, educator, author, speaker, and philosopher who made a significant difference in the lives of every community she was part of. Her legacy extends beyond her written work, but lives on in all of those she taught and those w…

Send us a Text Message. It's a Valentine's Day Special! We're exploring the literary ties to Valentine's Day dating all the way back to the 1300's! We cover Geoffrey Chaucer's contributions to the holiday, the origins of the Valentine's Day card, some strange Victorian love poetry, vinegar valentines, the language of flowers, and more! Regardless o…

Send us a Text Message. This week, Jon reports on Pauline Hopkins, a essential Black author whose legacy has gone largely neglected. She was a prolific activist, advocate, and author. She wrote in multiple genres including novels, short stories, plays and musicals, articles, and more to help bring an empathetic light to the lives of the communities…

Send us a Text Message. On this week's episode, to honor the 5th anniversary of Mary Oliver's death, we revisit her remarkable life. Oliver's poetry reflected an exquisite relationship with the natural world and the spiritual one, simultaneously challenging and celebratory. Her words have inspired generations of readers to spend time examining thei…

Send us a Text Message. This week, we're coming to you LIVE from Sandmeyer's Bookstore in downtown Chicago! We're bringing you the biography of Upton Sinclair who used his pen to join and inspire the revolutions that echoed around the world during his lifetime. We round out this episode with a delightful trivia game that will help open up all kinds…

Send us a Text Message. In celebration of the very snowy Midwestern day, we're honoring the pioneering legacy of Ezra Jack Keats! Keats was a renowned author and illustrator of dozens of children's books, perhaps most notably, The Snowy Day. He worked to ensure his books featured children from all backgrounds, as they deserved to see themselves: as…

Send us a Text Message. This week, we're featuring Katherine Mansfield, a globe-trotting writer from New Zealand with an incredible legacy. Her work was as vibrant as her writing, and her authentic sense of self inspired those around her and future generations. Jon is also here to provide some gentle parenting advice!…

Send us a Text Message. Happy 2024! We're kicking off this new year with Chicago poet and the Defender of the American poet and the art form: Harriet Monroe! Monroe used her power and position to secure the value of poetry in American culture, while also supporting the careers of dozens of iconic poets. Establishing what we now know as Poetry Magaz…

Send us a Text Message. Just in time for the New Year, we're featuring an author who might inspire us to chase new dreams and adventures: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry! de Saint-Exupéry wrote, most famously, The Little Prince! His other novels and journalistic work covers aviation and adventure from all angles. His work shaped generations of old and you…

Send us a Text Message. We're delighted to present our first audiobook recording! Join Steph, Jon, Jack, and other special guests as we read Charles Dickens classic novel, 'A Christmas Carol'. We'll be releasing a new stave each Friday in December. Listen along, or save it all for a big listen on Christmas! No humbug about it!…

Send us a Text Message. We're delighted to present our first audiobook recording! Join Steph, Jon, Jack, and other special guests as we read Charles Dickens classic novel, 'A Christmas Carol'. We'll be releasing a new stave each Friday in December. Listen along, or save it all for a big listen on Christmas! No humbug about it!…

Send us a Text Message. We don't have to go out on a limb to say that you're in for a real tree-t this week! We're featuring Betty Smith, author of 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,' among many other plays, novels, and articles! You won't be-leaf some of the stories we're going to share, but they all stem from her extraordinary life! So, branch out and le…

Send us a Text Message. We're delighted to present our first audiobook recording! Join Steph, Jon, Jack, and other special guests as we read Charles Dickens classic novel, 'A Christmas Carol'. We'll be releasing a new stave each Friday in December. Listen along, or save it all for a big listen on Christmas! No humbug about it!…

Send us a Text Message. Inspired by the release of our audiobook, we're taking a deep dive into Charles Dickens' process writing A Christmas Carol this week! Learn more about the context of the time in which the book was written, why it was written, and the legacy it leaves 180 years later! If you love this classic, you'll love this episode! If not…

Send us a Text Message. We're delighted to present our first audiobook recording! Join Steph, Jon, Jack, and other special guests as we read Charles Dickens classic novel, 'A Christmas Carol'. We'll be releasing a new stave each Friday in December. Listen along, or save it all for a big listen on Christmas! No humbug about it!…

Send us a Text Message. This week, we're covering the miraculous Nellie Bly! An exceptional journalist who traveled the world (in less than 80 days!), Bly used her skills to help change the lives of women, working class people, children, and other marginalized folks. She was a tireless advocate and the definition of 'courageous'. Join us in explori…

Send us a Text Message. We're delighted to present our first audiobook recording! Join Steph, Jon, Jack, and other special guests as we read Charles Dickens classic novel, 'A Christmas Carol'. We'll be releasing a new stave each Friday in December. Listen along, or save it all for a big listen on Christmas! No humbug about it!…

Send us a Text Message. This month, learn about the extraordinary women who revolutionized journalism and women's roles in print: The Stunt Girls. These journalists went undercover to uncover the corruption in government agencies, schools, hospitals and more, putting their lives at risk to effect change. This is a little episode that covers women w…

Send us a Text Message. This week, we're profiling James Welch - an extraordinary Indigenous poet and author who grounded his works in a sense of place. Welch used his experiences to examine the tensions in identity, explore the meaning of space, and create thoughtful reexaminations of history. Join us to learn more about this Montana author, and g…

Send us a Text Message. This week, we're back to our regularly scheduled programming - Steph and Jon discuss the life of Indigenous poet, activist, performer, model, and mother, Diane Burns. Burns was an integral part of the Lower East Side Poetry scene (and beyond!) and created work that helped her explore her identity and her challenges with it. …

Send us a Text Message. In a Get Lit first, Jon hosts and is joined by Dan to tell us all about columnist, poet, performer, and activist Jim Northrup! They explore his legacy and the work he did to create change for his community and advocate across the US. Special guest appearance by Sondheim also!By Steph Svarz

Send us a Text Message. Up this week: E. Pauline Johnson! This extraordinary Canadian poetess used her writing to explore her own identity and was vulnerable and courageous enough to share it with the wider public. Her heritage and talents shaped Canadian literature as we know it and provided a glimpse into perspectives that many people might have …

Send us a Text Message. Happy Halloween, Listeners! This week, we take on the legacy of Alfred Hitchcock, creator and vision behind so much of the suspense, horror, and fear of things that go 'bump' in the night that haunt our minds and chill our hearts! Hitchcock's controversial legacy is worth examining, alongside his art. So join us, but perhaps…

Send us a Text Message. This month's Get a Little Lit features books poisoned by arsenic, books meant to debunk ghost rumors, AND a new way to 'read' with spirits! Join us for a lightly spooky episode to celebrate Halloween!By Steph Svarz

Send us a Text Message. This week, we continue our foray into psychological horror and ghost story writers with Vernon Lee. This queer icon wrote a number of works, spanning multiple genres including travel fiction, and non, essays, articles, and of course, ghost stories. Arriving on the literary scene with a flash, her work and aesthetic theories …

Send us a Text Message. We're all back! This week, we examine another master of horror fiction: Daphne du Maurier! du Maurier is known for the iconic, haunting novel Rebecca. BUT she also wrote the author of the short story, 'The Birds' which would later serve as the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's film of the same name! Join the flock with us a…

Send us a Text Message. The oft requested Henry James is our subject this episode, with guest host, Dan Esquivel! James is widely considered a deeply important American author, despite living most of his adult life abroad. His novels and stories explore the psychological states of his characters, and he considered himself a writer of ghost stories …