Dead Writers – a show about great American writers and where they lived
Dead Writers takes listeners inside famous American authors’ homes. Riffing on literature, home décor, and ghosts, critic Tess Chakkalakal and novelist Brock Clarke, bring great American writers, and the books they wrote, back from the dead.
Episodes
Tess and Brock dive into the unconventional life of Sarah Orne Jewett by first venturing to Berwick Academy, the school that Jewett attended. As an alum, Jewett was somewhat of a “patron saint”, and there are still students there who read and relate to her wild ways. At Jewett’s house, Tess and Brock are fascinated by her desk due to its unexpected position and discuss Jewett’s lover, Annie Fields.
Marilyn Keith Daily, who works for...
Tess and Brock explore Nathanial Hawthorne’s childhood home in Raymond, Maine. Hawthorne’s writing colors the house as an idyllic childhood summer home and so it remains. Today, the local community uses the house as a space to come together—like it or not, Hawthorne! Tess and Brock remain persistent in their attempts to reveal the true story of Hawthorne and his house, but Hawthorne manages to keep up his image as a mysterious, and...
Tess and Brock travel to Wiscasset, ME, to investigate the scene of James Weldon Johnson’s tragic death in a train accident. Author Russell Rymer gives us a glimpse of Johnson's life as a Black poet, diplomat, novelist, and activist—Johnson was a jack of all trades, master of all. Poet C.S. Giscombe discuss Johnson’s The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man and finds surprising similarities to the tv cartoon Futurama.
Tess and Brock a...
Tess and Brock put the spotlight on Edna St. Vincent Millay, the 20th century poet and feminist icon. Millay was notorious for her active “social life” among the NYC art scene during the height of the roaring ‘20s, but Tess and Brock focus on her prolific writing. Poet Gillian Obsorne has admired Millay for her eloquent expression of feminine angst since she first read Millay as a teenager. And as an educator, she sees how it still...
Tess and Brock try to get on the same wavelength as Edwin Arlington Robinson, also known as EAR, by visiting his birthplace in Gardiner, ME. To get inside the head of the poet they talk with Richard Russo. Russo and EAR share more similarities than their status as Pulitzer prize winning Maine authors—both of their work focuses on growing up in small towns with big dreams.
Today, EAR may not be the biggest name, but his work remains ...
Tess and Brock get to know Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow, the so-called hometown poet of Portland, ME. To find out whether Longfellow’s fame is justified, Tess and Brock head down to the Wadsworth-Longfellow house in the center of town. Longfellow wrote his first poem and other works in the house, but the house doesn’t just honor him but the whole Longfellow family.
Tess and Brock also talk with Ari Gersen, the owner of Longfellow Book...
Tess and Brock stay close to home while studying Harriet Beecher Stowe, the 19th-century author famous for writing Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Susanna Aston tells the harrowing story of how Stowe harbored fugitive slave John Andrew Jackson, and how one decision can change the course of history.
Mentioned:
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
- A Plausible Man: The True Story of the Escaped Slave Who Inspired Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Susann...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
DISGRACELAND is an award-winning music and true crime podcast about musicians getting away with murder and behaving very badly. Jerry Lee Lewis's 5th wife? Dead. Sid and Nancy? Both dead. Why? Because musicians are insane, and insane things happen to them. Why did we lose Amy Winehouse at 27? Was Debbie Harry really abducted by Ted Bundy as she claims? Is Patti Smith not just the "Godmother of Punk", but also the "Original True Crime Girl"? What really happened the night of the Jay Z nightclub stabbing? What do the Diddy indictments truly reveal? All these stories and more, on artists from every genre and their true crimes, in our massive 260-plus story archive. The Dead, the Stones, Johnny, Willie, Frank, Kurt, Courtney, Gaga, Lana, Taylor, and too many to name. DISGRACELAND is music history come to life through audio storytelling as you've never heard it before, with revealing facts: yes, assassins are the real reason the Beatles quit touring—reclaimed myths: no, Mama Cass didn't die from choking on a ham sandwich––and constant reckoning between art and artist––all told through the lens of true crime. This is the podcast for the self-proclaimed "Disgos", the musically obsessed and the true crime heads; the outsiders, the independent thinkers who know that the best history is the history that gets buried. DISGRACELAND is where host Jake Brennan tells the stories they didn't want told. The kind you'll end up telling someone else. Get ready to uncover hidden truths and buckle up for truly edge-of-your-seat storytelling. New, fully scripted, sound-designed episodes are released every Tuesday. Bonus chat-style episodes where Jake responds to voicemails, texts, and emails from Disgos hit on Thursdays, and "Rewind" episodes from our archive drop on Sundays. DISGRACELAND is not a journalistic podcast. It's an entertainment podcast inspired by true events. Certain dialogue and scenes are dramatized, as is common in scripted entertainment based on real stories. Sources and credits for each episode are available at www.disgracelandpod.com. To unlock ad-free listening, exclusive content, and connect with your fellow Disgos, go to www.disgracelandpod.com to become an All Access member. Rocka Rolla.