Best Jacobean Podcasts (2024)

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Pt 2! Be Gay Do Crime: The Crossdressing Jacobean Antics of "The Roaring Girl" 1:14:13

2h ago1:14:13

1:14:13

Send us a text We HAVE MERCH! Help support the show with a rad shirt or mug or sticker!!! It's Part Two! We're doing queer crimes! We're learning about Jacobean moral panics! We're all falling head over heels for Moll Cutpurse! Join us for our gayest & most double-entendre-laden episode yet as we explore Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker's 1611 cr…

1
From Frankenstein to the End of the World: Mary Shelley's "The Last Man" 1:20:16

2h ago1:20:16

1:20:16

Send us a text We HAVE MERCH! Help support the show with a rad shirt or mug or sticker!!! Mary Shelley: the gothic queen of our hearts, the immortal creator of Frankenstein herself. But what about the time she decided to end the world? Join Grace and Maddie Wood as they explore Mary Shelley's "The Last Man," the first piece of modern apocalypse fic…

1
Be Gay Do Crime: The Crossdressing Jacobean Antics of "The Roaring Girl" - Part One 1:37:36

5d ago1:37:36

1:37:36

Send us a text We HAVE MERCH! Help support the show with a rad shirt or mug or sticker!!! We're doing queer crimes! We're learning about Jacobean moral panics! We're all falling head over heels for Moll Cutpurse! Join us for our gayest & most double-entendre-laden episode yet as we explore Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker's 1611 cross-dressing fa…

1
Cruising in the Catacombs: Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" 1:15:00

12d ago1:15:00

1:15:00

Send us a text WE ARE BACK for SEASON TWO!!!! We HAVE MERCH! Help support the show with a rad shirt or mug or sticker!!! We're drinking a fine vintage! We're cruising in the catacombs! We're being baited into questionable decisions by our own egos! Join us and pal of the pod Michael Smith as we discuss Poe's chilling revenge tale "The Cask of Amont…

1
Jacob Ming-Trent | Red Bull Theater Podcast 56:12

16d ago56:12

56:12

Extraordinary stage and film actor JACOB MING-TRENT joins host NATHAN WINKELSTEIN, Red Bull’s Associate Artistic Director, for a conversation focused on Bottom's dream from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 4 Scene 1: “When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer.” You can see this master at work in our upcoming Off-Broadway production …

1
Horatio 1:05:54

2M ago1:05:54

1:05:54

Hamlet’s best friend, Horatio, gets 7 percent of the lines in "Hamlet" next to the title character “who never shuts up” (as one guest on this episode puts it) with 37 percent. This episode gives Horatio his moment to be center stage, revealing how he doesn’t have to be a one-note or one-dimensional character, even as his role is in service of Hamle…

1
Dakin Matthews | Red Bull Theater Podcast 1:02:03

2M ago1:02:03

1:02:03

Actor, playwright, translator, professor, and dramaturge DAKIN MATTHEWS joins host NATHAN WINKELSTEIN, Red Bull’s Associate Artistic Director, for a conversation focused on Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. Together they dissect Bassanio's speech in Act 3 Scene 2: "What find I here? Fair Portia’s counterfeit!" and discuss Shakespeare's technical pe…

1
A Hauntingly Good Special: Plot Me Baby One More Time, Summer Edition 1:13:42

2M ago1:13:42

1:13:42

Send us a text Season One has drawn, more or less, to a close! We'll be posting intermittently for the rest of July & August, and then be back with SEASON TWO in September! In the meanwhile, here's some silly nonsense for your summer enjoyment. Back soon! <3 Support the showBy Grace Todd

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Elizabeth Marvel | Red Bull Theater Podcast 48:04

3M ago48:04

48:04

Renowned Broadway and TV star ELIZABETH MARVEL joins host NATHAN WINKELSTEIN, Red Bull’s Associate Artistic Director, for a conversation focused on Mark Antony’s other iconic speech from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Act 3 Scene 1: "Cry ‘Havoc!’ and let slip the dogs of war.” Elizabeth Marvel took on the role in Oskar Eustis’s controversial 2017 pro…

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Blackmail, Gay Besties, and Too Much Hand Licking: The Triumphant Conclusion of Georgette Heyer's "Regency Buck" 1:33:18

3M ago1:33:18

1:33:18

Send us a text We HAVE MERCH NOW! Help support the show with a rad shirt or mug or sticker!!! Queer besties! Sinister Plots! Cousin Marriage! Part THREE of our series on the OG Regency romance, Georgette Heyer's "Regency Buck"! As always, we are: -Asking with all the love in our hearts that you leave us a review or tell a friend about the show <3 -…

1
Portia 1:14:02

3M ago1:14:02

1:14:02

In "The Merchant of Venice," Portia is remarkable for her cleverness and the power she holds, and she’s ostensibly a hero of this story. But her journey is entwined with that of Shylock, the Jewish moneylender whose mistreatment makes "Merchant of Venice" a deeply troubling play. In this episode, we discuss just how extremely wealthy Portia is, whe…

1
Attempted Himbo Murder, Carriage Scandal, and More Bridgerton Inspiration: Georgette Heyer's "Regency Buck," Part Two 1:09:59

3M ago1:09:59

1:09:59

Send us a text We HAVE MERCH NOW! Help support the show with a rad shirt or mug or sticker!!! MORE scandal! MORE Horse Girl Content! MORE Bridgerton Inspiration! Part TWO of our series on the OG Regency romance, Georgette Heyer's "Regency Buck"! As always, we are: -Asking with all the love in our hearts that you leave us a review or tell a friend a…

1
The Birth of Bridgerton and So Much Horse Girl Content: Georgette Heyer's "Regency Buck" 1:07:50

3M ago1:07:50

1:07:50

Send us a text We HAVE MERCH NOW! Help support the show with a rad shirt or mug or sticker!!! Scandal! Carriage rides! Unsuitable entanglements! We're exploring the OG Regency romance, Georgette Heyer's "Regency Buck"! As always, we are: -Asking with all the love in our hearts that you leave us a review or tell a friend about the show <3 -Accepting…

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Double Lives and Color Codes: Oscar Wilde's "The Sphinx Without a Secret" 52:03

4M ago52:03

52:03

Send us a text We HAVE MERCH NOW! Help support the show with a rad shirt or mug or sticker!!! We're kicking off pride month with our beloved Oscar Wilde! Will is back to help us get to the bottom of this secretive little story, a tale of intrigue, surveillance, and the unavoidable pull of societal expectations. As always, we are: -Asking with all t…

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Hamish Linklater | Red Bull Theater Podcast 54:01

4M ago54:01

54:01

New York Shakespeare royalty HAMISH LINKLATER joins host NATHAN WINKELSTEIN, Red Bull’s Associate Artistic Director, for a conversation focused on Shakespeare's Hamlet. Together they explore Hamlet's first soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 2: "O, that this too too solid flesh would melt."By Red Bull Theater

1
Stop Eating the Spinsters: Mary Wilkins Freeman's "Luella Miller" 1:24:32

4M ago1:24:32

1:24:32

Send us a text Weird sexy babies! Energy vampires! A desperate need for someone to make the coffee! Jess Versus supplied our sweet cover art and came to talk to us about Mary Wilkins Freeman's 1903 short story, "Luella Miller"! If you can't get enough of Jess's amazing art, check out @jessversus or @xenithrichmond on Instagram, or at https://xenith…

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Old Man Besties & Metaphorical Boots: "Waiting for Godot," by Samuel Beckett 1:12:53

4M ago1:12:53

1:12:53

Send us a text What do we want? Godot! When do we want it? On an uncertain and largely symbolic timeline that represents the uncertainty of existence! We're taking a stroll through Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot," with David Timberline! If you want more of David, you can find him on the podcast "Chasing Phantom," read his theater reviews in Ri…

1
Queer Prince Charming, Decadence, and the End of the World: "Fairy Tales for the Disillusioned" 1:01:03

4M ago1:01:03

1:01:03

Send us a text We're talking about the French Decadents, subverted fairy tales, and everybody's favorite green ogre in this week's episode about turn-of-the-century fairy tales! Join us as we explore Willie's "Fairy Tales for the Disillusioned" and Renee Vivien's "Prince Charming." As always, we are: -Asking with all the love in our hearts that you…

1
BONUS: Long Beach Playhouse's 'Hamlet'

5M ago

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featuring an interview with actor Roberto Williams Roberto Williams is one of five actors together playing the title character in Long Beach Playhouse’s current production of Hamlet. One actor plays what’s called the core Hamlet, and the others play four parts of Hamlet’s psyche: wisdom, innocence, justice, and vengeance — Roberto plays the latter.…

1
BONUS: Punchdrunk & Emursive’s ‘Sleep No More’

5M ago

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featuring an interview with Emursive Chief Storyteller Ilana Gilovich Sleep No More, the immersive, one-of-a-kind adaptation of Macbeth, is in the spotlight in the first-ever bonus episode of Shakespeare’s Shadows. Co-produced by Punchdrunk and Emursive Productions, Sleep No More is a promenade-style performance that invites the audience members to…

1
Fart division, Shallow Hal, and Chaucer: the Third Fragment of "The Canterbury Tales" 1:14:37

5M ago1:14:37

1:14:37

Send us a text Toni, our resident medievalist gal about town, has returned to give us more of that sweet sweet Chaucer content!! The Wife of Bath, the Friar, and the Summoner give us their tales, and their gossip in the Third Fragment: join us for all the mature, reserved Chaucerian humor you've come to expect, and try to guess which website we fin…

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Patrick Page | Red Bull Theater Podcast 1:13:42

5M ago1:13:42

1:13:42

Celebrated Shakespearean actor and Tony Award-nominee PATRICK PAGE joins host NATHAN WINKELSTEIN, Red Bull’s Associate Artistic Director, for a conversation exploring Iago, focused on his speech from the first act Shakespeare’s OTHELLO. Part of #OTHELLO2020. Details at https://www.redbulltheater.com/i-hate-the-moor-patrick-page. (October 5, 2020)…

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The Dauphin 56:38

5M ago56:38

56:38

In “Henry V,” King Henry gets a new foil: the French Dauphin, the heir apparent in France, England’s rival. In the conflict that culminates in the Battle of Agincourt, Shakespeare depicts the English with layers and complexity and ultimately with a great deal of nobility. Meanwhile, the French (in the text and sometimes even more so in performance)…

1
Patricia Highsmith Was a Terrible Dinner Guest: "Where the Action Is" and Art vs. Artist 1:37:32

5M ago1:37:32

1:37:32

Send us a text We're accidentally hip, for once in our lives! Just in time for Netflix's new adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, we're joined by pod bestie Leigh to talk about Highsmith's short story, "Where the Action Is." American grifts, snail obsessions, and bad authorial behavior abound! As always, we are: -Asking with all the love in our h…

1
Edith Wharton's "Kerfol": Gals, Ghosts, & Very Good Boys 1:19:05

5M ago1:19:05

1:19:05

Send us a text Haunted houses! Law & Order: Brittany Ghosts Unit! Galen is back and she is RUINING DAYS with "Kerfol," Edith Wharton's riveting--and, frankly, *stressful*--story about a man, a wife, and an unexpected haunting. As always, we are: -Asking with all the love in our hearts that you leave us a review or tell a friend about the show <3 -A…

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Plant Daddies, Empire, and H.G. Wells: "The Flowering of the Strange Orchid" 55:23

6M ago55:23

55:23

Send us a text Sinister plants, subversive sexualities, and the insecurity of empire! Join us as we dive into H.G. Wells' "The Flowering of the Strange Orchid" with old pal of the pod William! As always, we are: -Accepting nemesis applications at didntreaditpod@gmail.com -Accepting friends @didntreadit on Instagram & Twitter -Accepting academic scr…

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Michael Stuhlbarg | Red Bull Theater Podcast 1:08:07

6M ago1:08:07

1:08:07

Multi Emmy and Tony Award nominee MICHAEL STUHLBARG joins host NATHAN WINKELSTEIN, Red Bull’s Associate Artistic Director, for a conversation focused on how a great actor approaches a text cold. Together they explore Angelo's speech in Measure for Measure, Act 2 Scene 4: “When I would pray and think.”…

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Caliban 1:23:52

6M ago1:23:52

1:23:52

featuring interviews with actor Michael Blake, Pilobolus choreographers Matt Kent and Renée Jaworski, and SUNY New Paltz professor Matthieu Chapman A Shakespeare play that can be at turns heartwarming and troubling, “The Tempest” features two major characters who don’t look like the humans around them: Caliban and Ariel. Caliban, repeatedly describ…

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Sad Art Boys and the Housewives Who Love Them: Thomas Hardy's "An Imaginative Woman," with Jessica Camilli 1:26:27

6M ago1:26:27

1:26:27

Send us a text What do any of us want more than a Muse Mommy? Join Grace & new pal of the pod Jessica Camilli for an exploration of Thomas Hardy's short story "An Imaginative Woman"! Neglectful husbands! Affairs of the mind! Aesthetic preoccupations that prove fatal! What more could you want? Looking for more of Jessica? You can find her (and her i…

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More Mules More Problems: "The Unvanquished," Part Two 1:18:41

6M ago1:18:41

1:18:41

Send us a text More lost cause narratives! Broken cycles! Fewer mules! Join Grace & new friend of the pod Maddie Wood as we dive into PART TWO of William Faulkner's The Unvanquished, a novel of lore, loss, and livestock set during the American Civil War. If you'd like more of Maddie, you can find her @MadelineandNine on Instagram! Send her your fav…

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Lost Causes and Stolen Mules: William Faulkner's "The Unvanquished," with Maddie Wood - Part One 1:19:57

7M ago1:19:57

1:19:57

Send us a text Chests of silver! Nascent lost cause narratives! So, so many mules! Join Grace & new friend of the pod Maddie Wood as we dive into William Faulkner's The Unvanquished, a novel of lore, loss, and livestock set during the American Civil War. If you'd like more of Maddie, you can find her @MadelineandNine on Instagram! Send her your fav…

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Raising the Stakes with Your Wine Bros: Roald Dahl's "Taste," with Michael Smith 1:20:06

7M ago1:20:06

1:20:06

Send us a text Who doesn't love a naughty little wine? Join us as we discuss Roald Dahl's distinctly grown-up short story, "Taste," which has a little bit of everything--fine wines! Betrayals! Intellect-measuring contests! Dudes being dudes! If you--like us!--can't get enough of Michael, you can find him on Instagram @macklesmiff! And check out @Na…

1
Romeo 1:01:21

7M ago1:01:21

1:01:21

featuring interviews with actor Bally Gill and University of the Pacific professor Courtney Lehmann One half of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers is in the spotlight in this episode, which explores how this character goes from bad poet to good poet, what it takes to deliver an authentic and naturalistic Romeo, and how the introduction of the rapier…

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Leigh is #TeamKitty: Rebecca West's "The Return of the Soldier," Part Two 1:27:33

7M ago1:27:33

1:27:33

Send us a text Part Two! MORE unhappy spouses! MORE passive-aggressive clothing commentary! Fun psychologists! A creeping sense of dread! What more could you ask for? Join us as we finish our exploration of the immortal Rebecca West's "The Return of the Soldier," a compelling and *~drama-filled~* tale of the home front during World War One--and so …

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Crimes Against Fashion AND Humanity: Rebecca West's "The Return of the Soldier" - Part One 1:08:06

7M ago1:08:06

1:08:06

Send us a text Unhappy spouses! Passive-aggressive outfit choices! Spinster Cousins! This book has it all! Join us as we dive into the immortal Rebecca West's FIRST novel, a compelling and *~drama-filled~* tale of the home front during World War One--and so much more. As always, we are: -accepting nemesis applications at didntreaditpod@gmail.com -a…

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Arthur Machen's "The Bowmen," World War One Propaganda, and the Original Main Character Girlie 59:29

7M ago59:29

59:29

Send us a text Grace & Leigh are diving into World War One with Arthur Machen's "The Bowmen"! Join us for big questions about portraying war in literature, citing your sources when you write about ghosts, and asides on what a WWI nurse might have done with access to TikTok. As ALWAYS you can find more at didntreaditpod.com! You can email us complai…

1
Pay Us in Wine: The First Fragment of the Canterbury Tales, with Toni DiNardo 1:18:40

8M ago1:18:40

1:18:40

Send us a text We're BACK to hard-hitting literary analysis without ANY dirty jokes! Definitely for reals! Toni DiNardo takes us on a journey through the first fragment of the Canterbury Tales--join us as we discuss sexy priests, wet humors, Monty Python, and the true timelessness of ass-kissing jokes. *A QUICK NOTE: Toni would like you all to know…

1
Shameless Filler - Plot Me Baby One More Time 37:16

8M ago37:16

37:16

Send us a text We desperately needed extra research and editing time, so this week we're presenting PLOT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME: An Extremely Serious and Well-Produced Episode. We will be back next week with your regular programming--we love you all! XOXO Find old episodes, sources and more at didntreaditpod.com! Complain to us at didntreaditpod@gma…

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Petruchio 1:20:40

8M ago1:20:40

1:20:40

featuring interviews with actors Patrice Jean-Baptiste and Simon Paisley Day and Gonzaga University professor Heather Easterling One of Shakespeare’s most controversial plays, “The Taming of the Shrew,” gets put under the microscope in this episode as we examine the character Petruchio, the man who supposedly tames the play’s titular shrew. Discuss…

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Cursed Books and Bad Architecture: Robert W. Chambers' "The King in Yellow," with Ty Phelps 1:36:35

8M ago1:36:35

1:36:35

Send us a text Old men yelling at clouds! Sweeping away Bad Architecture! Building suspiciously homogenous alternate worlds! Ty and Grace are exploring Robert W. Chambers' The King in Yellow this week, and more specifically, diving into "The Repairer of Reputations," Chambers' tale of madness, cursed fiction, and a real bummer alternate version of …

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James Joyce's "Ulysses," with Marilyn Drew Necci - Part Two 1:17:58

8M ago1:17:58

1:17:58

Send us a text It's Part Two!! We're kicking off the New Year with a journey into Joyce--namely, Joyce's Ulysses, a perilous tome of a book that has no doubt featured on many a literary nerd's resolution list! Join Grace and Drew as they explore Dublin, 1904, along with asides about stuffed animals; public, uhhhh, "misbehavior"; and discussions abo…

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James Joyce's "Ulysses," with Marilyn Drew Necci - Part One 1:20:39

9M ago1:20:39

1:20:39

Send us a text We're kicking off the New Year with a journey into Joyce--namely, Joyce's Ulysses, a perilous tome of a book that has no doubt featured on many a literary nerd's resolution list! Join Grace and Drew as they explore Dublin, 1904, along with asides about internet gossip, hidden peeing, and a veritable sea of Joyce's incomparable prose.…

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Puck 49:04

9M ago49:04

49:04

featuring interviews with actor Ray Porter and University of California Merced professor Katherine Steele Brokaw A spirit of mischief, transformation, and imagination, Puck aka Robin Goodfellow darts around A Midsummer Night’s Dream provoking chaos and confusion when a couple groups of humans wander into a forest populated by magical beings. Discus…

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"How Fear Departed from the Long Gallery" - Holiday Horror Story Theater 41:27

9M ago41:27

41:27

Send us a text Happy New Year from Didn't Read It! Continuing our end-of-year Holiday Haunts, I present you with E.F. Benson's "How Fear Departed from the Long Gallery," a tale about dastardly deeds, undead infants, and the importance of not shooting at ghosts. Thank you SO MUCH for being with us this year!! We'll be back with regular episodes next…

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Holiday Horror Story Theater - "Lucky's Grove" 52:30

9M ago52:30

52:30

Send us a text Happy Holidays from Didn't Read It! In tribute to the Victorian tradition of reading ghost stories at Christmas, Grace is here to read you a special, spooky holiday story: "Lucky's Grove," by H. R. Wakefield. A wealthy landowner finds out that his Christmas tree may be a little more than he bargained for, and may have to pay the pric…

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Iago 56:35

9M ago56:35

56:35

featuring interviews with actors Patrick Page and Conor Andrew Hall and Queens College CUNY professor Miles Grier One of Shakespeare’s most notorious and chilling villains, Othello antagonist Iago, is in the spotlight in the second episode of season 2. This character has inspired debate for centuries, and this episode’s guests — who, at times, have…

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Part Two! Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" on Page vs. Screen, with the Didn't Read It Coven 46:04

9M ago46:04

46:04

Send us a text We're BACK with more Scrooge, more Muppet references, and some very important commiseration about the truly frightening costume designs for one particular spirit. Like the last episode, this is a bit more of a sprawling conversation, a little less structured than our usual episodes, but we hope you'll join the party!! Extra special l…

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Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" on Page vs. Screen, with the Didn't Read It Coven - Part One 56:44

10M ago56:44

56:44

Send us a text Light the lamp, not the rat, light the LAMP, NOT THE RAT! The holidays are beginning at Didn't Read It! Grace rounded up her besties--Jess, Galen, & Leigh--to talk about Charles Dickens' beloved, oft-adapted novella "A Christmas Carol," especially the aspects of the story that don't usually make it onto stage or screen. Much like our…

1
Juliet 1:04:46

10M ago1:04:46

1:04:46

featuring interviews with actors Alejandra Escalante and Naire Poole and University of Oxford professor Sophie Duncan The podcast relaunches with an episode all about Shakespeare’s first tragic heroine. In the season 2 premiere, we explore what makes Juliet extraordinary: she’s brave, confident, and resourceful — all at age 13. Also discussed: Rome…

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War Tourists & Werewolves: Jane Rice's "The Refugee," with William Albritton 1:02:54

10M ago1:02:54

1:02:54

Send us a text We're prowling through the text of Jane Rice's prescient and darkly funny short story, "The Refugee." This oft-anthologized short story is sometimes billed as the tale of an ingenue outwitting sinister forces in war-torn France... but we think there's a little more to the story. As ALWAYS, you can find sources, notes, and a list of a…

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