In this episode, we’ll discuss the life and work of Octavia E. Butler. Butler was an acclaimed American writer who defied genre, though she is most often associated with the realm of science fiction. The recipient of multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards, she is the author of such classics as Kindred, Parable of the Sower, [...]

In this episode, we’ll discuss the life and work of the one and only Prince. The Purple One was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet, cultural icon, and is widely regarded as one of the best musicians of his generation. In this episode we’ll largely focus on Prince’s lyricism, as well as his profound impact on [...]

In this episode, we’ll discuss the life and work of Nora Ephron, one of the most popular, accomplished, and beloved writers in American journalism and film. Best known for iconic rom-com films like When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail and more, Ephron was also a reporter, essayist, director and novelist who [...]

In this episode, we’ll discuss the life and work of Sylvia Plath, the poet, novelist, and short-story writer. Plath is perhaps best known for her published collections The Colossus and Other Poems and Ariel, as well as the novel The Bell Jar. Nearly twenty years after her death, Plath was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in [...]

In this episode, we’ll discuss the life and work of Margaret Wise Brown, the children’s book author of classics such as Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Margaret’s books have sold millions of copies all over the world, but few people know that she was at the center of a children’s book publishing revolution. Her [...]

In this episode, we’ll discuss the life and work of Toni Morrison. A writer who needs no introduction, Toni Morrison is one of the most cherished American authors, known for her iconic novels like Beloved, Song of Solomon, The Bluest Eye, and Sula. She earned numerous prestigious awards during her life including the Pulitzer Prize, [...]

In this episode, we’ll discuss the life and work of Hannah Arendt. Arendt is one of the most renowned political thinkers of the twentieth century, and her work has never been more relevant than it is today. Born in Germany in 1906, she published her first book at the age of 23 before turning away [...]

In this episode, we’ll discuss the life and work of Rachel Carson, a hugely influential marine biologist and nature writer. Her 1962 book Silent Spring is perhaps her most recognized work, as it led to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides and sparked the worldwide environmental and conservation movements. The Library of America [...]

In this episode, we’ll discuss the life and work of Zitkála-Šá, who also went by the name Gertrude Simmons Bonnin. Zitkála-Šá was a member of the Yankton Dakota, also known as Sioux, tribe. An accomplished violinist, writer, and activist, she co-founded the National Council of American Indians, lobbied Congress to pass the Indian Citizenship Act, [...]

In this episode, we’ll discuss the life and work of multi-dimensional writer Shirley Jackson, perhaps best known for her horror novels and short stories. We’re joined by three guests whose lives and careers have been influenced greatly by Jackson in different ways. Laurence Jackson Hyman is the eldest child of Shirley Jackson and Stanley Edgar [...]