Best Tristram Shandy Podcasts (2024)

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On Satire: 'The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman' by Laurence Sterne 14:53

9d ago14:53

14:53

'Tristram Shandy' was such a hit in its day that you could buy tea trays, watch cases and cushions decorated with its most famous characters and scenes. If much of the satire covered in this series so far has featured succinct and damning portrayals of recognisable city types, Sterne’s comic masterpiece seems to offer the opposite: a sprawling and …

1
Human Conditions: ‘The Golden Notebook’ by Doris Lessing 12:44

3d ago12:44

12:44

Pankaj Mishra joins Adam Shatz to discuss The Golden Notebook, Doris Lessing’s formally brilliant and startlingly frank 1962 novel. In her portrait of ‘free women’ – unmarried, creatively ambitious, politically engaged – Lessing wrestles with the breakdown of Stalinism, settler colonialism and traditional gender roles. Pankaj and Adam explore the l…

1
Guest Read Episode Four - Cahokia Jazz (July 2024) 1:40:52

4d ago1:40:52

1:40:52

Bill and Joel are joined once again by the great Phil Christman for a guest podcast, this one about Cahokia Jazz, the alternate-history noir written by the incomparable Francis Spufford!By Joel Cuthbertson and Bill Coberly

1
Political Poems: 'Strange Meeting' by Wilfred Owen 36:11

15d ago36:11

36:11

Wilfred Owen wrote ‘Strange Meeting’ in the early months of 1918, shortly after being treated for shell shock at Craiglockhart hospital in Edinburgh, where he had met the stridently anti-war Siegfried Sassoon. Sassoon's poetry of caustic realism quickly found its way into Owen’s work, where it merged with the high romantic sublime of his other grea…

1
Among the Ancients II: Lucian 14:03

20d ago14:03

14:03

The broad theme of this series, truth and lies, was a favourite subject of Lucian of Samosata, the last of our Greek-language authors. A cosmopolitan and highly cultured Syrian subject of the Roman Empire in the second century CE, Lucian wrote in the classical Greek of fifth-century Athens. His razor-sharp satire was a model for Erasmus, Voltaire a…

1
Medieval LOLs: The Second Shepherds' Pageant 35:19

26d ago35:19

35:19

In their quest for the medieval sense of humour Mary and Irina come to The Second Shepherds’ Pageant, a 15th-century reimagining of the nativity as domestic comedy that’s less about the birth of Jesus and more about sheep rustling, taxes, the weather and the frustrations of daily life. The pageant was part of a mystery cycle, a collection of plays …

1
Discussing Volume II Of "The Decline Of The West" By Oswald Spengler 56:15

1M ago56:15

56:15

In this episode of Canonball we discuss Volume I of "The Decline Of The West," which, subtitled "Form And Actuality," was written by Oswald Spengler and published in 1922. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.comBy Alex

1
Human Conditions: ‘The Intimate Enemy’ by Ashis Nandy 13:21

1M ago13:21

13:21

Ashis Nandy’s The Intimate Enemy is a study of the psychological toll of colonialism on both the coloniser and colonised, showing how Western conceptions of masculinity and adulthood served as tools of conquest. Using figures as disparate as Gandhi, Oscar Wilde and Aurobindo Ghosh, Nandy suggests ways in which alternative models of age and gender c…

1
On Satire: 'The Dunciad' by Alexander Pope 12:38

1M ago12:38

12:38

Nobody hated better than Alexander Pope. Despite his reputation as the quintessentially refined versifier of the early 18th century, he was also a class A, ultra-pure, surreal, visionary mega-hater, and The Dunciad is his monument to the hate he felt for almost all the other writers of his time. Written over fifteen years of burning fury, Pope’s mo…

1
Discussing Volume I Of "The Decline Of The West" By Oswald Spengler 58:14

1M ago58:14

58:14

In this episode of Canonball we discuss Volume I of "The Decline Of The West," which, subtitled "Form And Actuality," was written by Oswald Spengler and published in 1918. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.com Also do not hesitate to reach out using the contact form found there.…

1
Political Poems: 'The Masque of Anarchy' by Percy Bysshe Shelley 35:31

2M ago35:31

35:31

Shelley’s angry, violent poem was written in direct response to the Peterloo Massacre in Manchester in 1819, in which a demonstration in favour of parliamentary reform was attacked by local yeomanry, leaving 18 people dead and hundreds injured. The ‘masque’ it describes begins with a procession of abstract figures – Murder, Fraud, Hypocrisy – embod…

1
Discussing Volume III Of "The Gulag Archipelago" By Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 58:58

2M ago58:58

58:58

In this episode of Canonball we discuss Volume III of "The Gulag Archipelago" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, which was written between 1958 and 1968 and published in 1973. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.com Also do not hesitate to reach out using the contact form found there.…

1
Among the Ancients II: Plato 11:31

2M ago11:31

11:31

Plato’s Symposium, his philosophical dialogue on love, or eros, was probably written around 380 BCE, but it’s set in 416, during the uneasy truce between Athens and Sparta in the middle of the Peloponnesian War. A symposium was a drinking party, though Socrates and his friends, having had a heavy evening the night before, decide to go easy on the w…

1
Discussing Volume II Of "The Gulag Archipelago" By Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 1:02:02

2M ago1:02:02

1:02:02

In this episode of Canonball we discuss Volume II of "The Gulag Archipelago" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, which was written between 1958 and 1968 and published in 1973. Here is a recording of Liebestod, from Tristan and Isolde, which I mentioned: https://youtu.be/07YFIWL_XSI?t=292 Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:…

1
Medieval LOLs: Dame Syrith 34:50

2M ago34:50

34:50

As Mary and Irina discussed in the previous episode of Medieval LOLs, fabliaux had an enormous influence on Chaucer, but outside of his work, only one survives in Middle English. Dame Syrith, a story of lust, deception and a mustard-eating dog, is medieval humour at its silliest and most troubling. Mary and Irina explore the surprising representati…

1
Discussing Volume I Of "The Gulag Archipelago" By Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 52:51

2M ago52:51

52:51

In this episode of Canonball we discuss Volume I of "The Gulag Archipelago" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, which was published in 1973. One correction: Since recording this I have found reports that Solzhenitsyn did apply for U.S. citizenship in 1985. I cannot see that he ever received it, though his wife and children did. Get a copy of my edition of M…

1
Human Conditions: ‘A House for Mr Biswas’ by V.S. Naipaul 10:58

2M ago10:58

10:58

In A House for Mr Biswas, his 1961 comic masterpiece, V.S. Naipaul pays tribute to his father and the vanishing world of his Trinidadian youth. Pankaj Mishra joins Adam Shatz in their first of four episodes to discuss the novel, a pathbreaking work of postcolonial literature and a particularly powerful influence on Pankaj himself. They explore Naip…

1
Discussing "Vanity Fair" By William Makepeace Thackeray 56:01

2M ago56:01

56:01

In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Vanity Fair," which was written by William Makepeace Thackeray and first published in serialized form in 1847-1848. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.com Also do not hesitate to reach out using the contact form found there.…

1
On Satire: John Gay's 'The Beggar's Opera' 12:59

2M ago12:59

12:59

In The Beggar’s Opera we enter a society turned upside down, where private vices are seen as public virtues, and the best way to survive is to assume the worst of everyone. The only force that can subvert this state of affairs is romantic love – an affection, we discover, that satire finds hard to cope with. John Gay’s 1727 smash hit ‘opera’, which…

1
Political Poems: 'The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim's Point' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning 36:15

3M ago36:15

36:15

Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s deeply disturbing 1847 poem about a woman escaping slavery and killing her child was written to shock its intended white female readership to the abolitionist cause. Browning was the direct descendant of slave owners in Jamaica and a fervent anti-slavery campaigner, and her dramatic monologue presents a searing attack o…

1
Episode Twenty-Four: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman 1:27:07

3M ago1:27:07

1:27:07

Joel and Bill wade through Laurence Sterne's wild and digressive masterpiece, and do their best not to get distracted throughout.By Joel Cuthbertson and Bill Coberly

1
Among the Ancients II: Pindar and Bacchylides 11:19

3M ago11:19

11:19

In the fifth episode of Among the Ancients II we turn to Greek lyric, focusing on Pindar’s victory odes, considered a benchmark for the sublime since antiquity, and the vivid, narrative-driven dithyrambs of Bacchylides. Through close reading, Emily and Tom tease out allusions, lexical flourishes and formal experimentation, and explain the highly co…

1
Discussing Selected Writings By George Orwell 48:30

3M ago48:30

48:30

In this episode of Canonball we discuss selected writings by George Orwell. I forgot to mention that Orwell was shot in the neck in the Spanish Civil War. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.com Also do not hesitate to reach out using the contact form found there.…

1
Medieval LOLs: Fabliaux 34:45

3M ago34:45

34:45

Fabliaux were short, witty tales originating in northern France between the 12th and 14th centuries, often featuring crafty characters in rustic settings and overwhelmingly concerned with money and sex. In this episode Irina and Mary look at two of these comic verses, both containing surprisingly explicit sexual language, and consider the ways in w…

1
Human Conditions: ‘The Human Condition’ by Hannah Arendt 11:49

3M ago11:49

11:49

In the fourth episode of Human Conditions, the last of the series with Judith Butler, we fittingly turn to The Human Condition (1956). Hannah Arendt defines action as the highest form of human activity: distinct from work and labour, action includes collaborative expression, collective decision-making and, crucially, initiating change. Focusing on …

1
Discussing "The Foundations Of Arithmetic" By Gottlob Frege 59:36

3M ago59:36

59:36

In this episode of Canonball we discuss "The Foundations Of Arithmetic," which was written by Gottlob Frege and published in 1884. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.com Also do not hesitate to reach out using the contact form found there.By Alex

1
On Satire: The Earl of Rochester 13:14

3M ago13:14

13:14

According to one contemporary, the Earl of Rochester was a man who, in life as well is in poetry, ‘could not speak with any warmth, without repeated Oaths, which, upon any sort of provocation, came almost naturally from him.’ It’s certainly hard to miss Rochester's enthusiastic use of obscenities, though their precise meanings can sometimes be obsc…

1
Discussing "The Life And Opinions Of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman" By Laurence Sterne 54:22

4M ago54:22

54:22

In this episode of Canonball we discuss "The Life And Opinions Of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman," which was written by Laurence Sterne and published in 1759. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.com Also do not hesitate to reach out using the contact form found there.…

1
Political Poems: 'Easter 1916' by W.B. Yeats 33:54

4M ago33:54

33:54

Yeats’s great poem about the uprising of Irish republicans against British rule on 24 April 1916 marked a turning point in Ireland’s history and in Yeats's career. Through four stanzas Yeats enacts the transfiguration of the movement’s leaders – executed by the British shortly after the event – from ‘motley’ acquaintances to heroic martyrs, and int…

1
Among the Ancients II: Herodotus 10:30

4M ago10:30

10:30

Some of the most compelling stories of the Classical world come from Herodotus‘ Histories, an account of the Persian Wars and a thousand things besides. Emily and Tom chart a course through Herodotus‘ history-as-epic, discussing how best to understand his approach to history, ethnography and myth. Exploring a work full of surprising, dramatic and f…

1
Discussing "Motley Stones" By Adalbert Stifter 55:44

4M ago55:44

55:44

In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Motley Stones" which was written by Adalbert Stifter and published in 1853. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.com Also do not hesitate to reach out using the contact form found there.By Alex

1
Medieval LOLs: Old English Riddles 41:58

4M ago41:58

41:58

Riddles are an ancient and universal form, but few people seem to have enjoyed them more than English Benedictine monks. The Exeter Book, a tenth century monastic collection of Old English verse, builds on the riddle tradition in two striking ways: first, the riddles don’t come with answers; second, they are sexually suggestive. Were they intended …

1
Discussing "Science And Method" By Henri Poincare 58:59

4M ago58:59

58:59

In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Science And Method," which was written by Henri Poincare and published in 1908. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.com Also do not hesitate to reach out using the contact form found there.By Alex

1
Human Conditions: ‘Black Skin, White Masks’ by Frantz Fanon 12:58

4M ago12:58

12:58

Begun as a psychiatric dissertation, Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks (1952) became a genre-shattering study of antiblack racism and its effect on the psyche. At turns expressionistic, confessional, clinical, sharply satirical and politically charged, the book is dazzlingly multivocal, sometimes self-contradictory but always compelling. Judit…

1
Discussing "The Value Of Science" By Henri Poincare 1:12:44

4M ago1:12:44

1:12:44

In this episode of Canonball we discuss "The Value Of Science," which was written by Henri Poincare and published in 1904. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.com Also do not hesitate to reach out using the contact form found there.By Alex

1
On Satire: Ben Jonson's 'Volpone' 11:51

4M ago11:51

11:51

What did English satirists do after the archbishop of Canterbury banned the printing of satires in June 1599? They turned to the stage. Within months of the crackdown, the same satirical tricks Elizabethans had read in verse could be enjoyed in theatres. At the heart of the scene was Ben Jonson, who for many centuries has maintained a reputation as…

1
Discussing "Science And Hypothesis" By Henri Poincare 58:37

4M ago58:37

58:37

In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Science And Hypothesis," which was written by Henri Poincare and published in 1902. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.com Also do not hesitate to reach out using the contact form found there.By Alex

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Political Poems: W.H. Auden's 'Spain 1937' 42:55

5M ago42:55

42:55

In their second episode, Mark and Seamus look at W.H. Auden's ‘Spain’. Auden travelled to Spain in January 1937 to support the Republican efforts in the civil war, and composed the poem shortly after his return a few months later to raise money for Medical Aid for Spain. It became a rallying cry in the fight against fascism, but was also heavily cr…

1
Discussing "Notes From Underground" By Fyodor Dostoevsky 57:12

5M ago57:12

57:12

In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Notes From Underground," which was written by Fyodor Dostoevsky and published in 1864. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.com Also do not hesitate to reach out using the contact form found there.By Alex

1
Among the Ancients II: Aesop 10:26

5M ago10:26

10:26

Supposedly an enslaved man from sixth-century Samos, Aesop might not have ever really existed, but the fables attributed to him remain some of the most widely read examples of classical literature. A fascinating window into the ‘low’ culture of ancient Greece, the Fables and the figure of Aesop appear in the work of authors as diverse as Aristophan…

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Medieval LOLs: The Colloquies of Aelfric Bata 35:28

5M ago35:28

35:28

All teachers know that the best way for students to learn a language is through swear words, and nobody knew this better than Aelfric Bata, a monk from Winchester whose Colloquies, compiled in around the year 1000, instructed pupils to swear in Latin with elaborate and vivid fluency. Mary and Irina work through some of Aelfric’s fruitier dialogues,…

1
Discussing "Physics And Philosophy" By Werner Heisenberg 1:10:30

5M ago1:10:30

1:10:30

In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Physics And Philosophy," which was written by Werner Heisenberg and published in 1962. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.com Also do not hesitate to reach out using the contact form found there.By Alex

1
Human Conditions: ‘The Second Sex’ by Simone de Beauvoir 11:56

5M ago11:56

11:56

Judith Butler joins Adam Shatz to discuss a landmark in feminist thought, Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949). Dazzling in its scope, The Second Sex incorporates anthropology, psychology, historiography, mythology and biology to ask an ‘impossible’ question: what is a woman? Focusing on three key chapters, Adam and Judith navigate this dense…

1
On Satire: John Donne's Satires 12:49

5M ago12:49

12:49

In their second episode, Colin and Clare look at the dense, digressive and often dangerous satires of John Donne and other poets of the 1590s. It’s likely that Donne was the first Elizabethan author to attempt formal verse satires in the vein of the Roman satirists, and they mark not only the chronological start of his poetic career, but a foundati…

1
Discussing "What Is Art?" By Leo Tolstoy 55:42

5M ago55:42

55:42

In this episode of Canonball we discuss "What Is Art?" which was written by Leo Tolstoy and published in 1897. Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: VollrathPublishing.com Also do not hesitate to reach out using the contact form found there.By Alex

1
Political Poems: Andrew Marvell's 'An Horatian Ode upon Cromwell's Return from Ireland' 35:29

6M ago35:29

35:29

In the first episode of their new Close Readings series on political poetry, Seamus Perry and Mark Ford look at ‘An Horatian Ode upon Cromwell’s Return from Ireland’ by Andrew Marvell, described by Frank Kermode as ‘braced against folly by the power and intelligence that make it possible to think it the greatest political poem in the language’. Mar…