Best Daniel Spence Podcasts (2025)

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762 The History of the Sonnet 55:36

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1d ago55:36

55:36

“A sonnet,” said the poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, “is a moment’s monument.” But who invented the sonnet? Who brought it to prominence? How has it changed over the years? And why does this form continue to be so compelling? In this episode of the History of Literature, we take a brief look at one of literature's most enduring forms, from its inventi…

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761 The Story of the Nativity (with Stephen Mitchell) | The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (#4 Greatest Book of All Time) 1:17:45

6d ago1:17:45

1:17:45

Stephen Mitchell has translated or adapted some of the world's most beautiful and spiritually rich texts, including The Gospel According to Jesus, The Book of Job, Gilgamesh, Tao Te Ching, Bhagavad Gita, The Iliad, The Odyssey, Beowulf, The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet, and The Way of Forgiveness. In his la…

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Case re-opened - The Life & Crimes of Gary Glitter 1:10:21

1d ago1:10:21

1:10:21

This week, we’re digging back into the archives to revisit a case that’s haunted us since we first covered it in 2022. Bethan starts us off with an update on what’s happened since we originally recorded the episode, and then we roll straight into the original 2022 version. Why not BINGE our back catalogue of over a HUNDRED Patreon exclusive bonus e…

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760 Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, and Ebeneezer Scrooge 1:13:57

8d ago1:13:57

1:13:57

In this holiday-themed episode, a sentimental Jacke takes a look at Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843), and the creation of Ebeneezer Scrooge. A version of this episode first aired in December 2020. That episode has not been available in our archives for several years. Join Jacke on a trip through literary England! Join Jacke and fellow lite…

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Hallmark Christmas Movie Screenwriter Rick Garman 59:25

7d ago59:25

59:25

From “Christmas on Cherry Lane” to “Oy! to the World”, Screenwriter Rick Garman has written more than 40 Christmas movies. We talk writing a Christmas movie, why people both love and love to hate Hallmark Christmas movies and the best Christmas movie of all time. Then, it’s Chocolate Chip and Snickerdoodle vs. Macaroons and Gingerbread Men as we co…

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759 The Godfather (with Karen Spence) | My Last Book with Elyse Graham 1:04:39

12d ago1:04:39

1:04:39

Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece The Godfather routinely tops lists of the greatest films ever made - and when it doesn't, it's often because its sequel, The Godfather II, has replaced it. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Karen Spence about her new book, The Companion Guide to the Godfather Trilogy: Betrayal, Loyalty, and Family. PLUS Elyse…

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#135 We are Back! Happy Holidays! 36:30

7d ago36:30

36:30

Excited to share about current topics in The City of Ventura and our passion for Ventura County! Merry Christmas!By Spencer & Spence

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Sleeping with the Enemy: The Double Murder of Paul Longworth & Albert Alfonso 1:16:30

14d ago1:16:30

1:16:30

In 2024, Albert Alfonso and Paul Longworth opened their home — and their hearts — to a young Colombian porn actor named Yostin Mosquera. What began as a friendship built on trust and desire ended in an act of staggering brutality. Mosquera repaid their kindness in the worst way imaginable. This week, we unpack the horrific betrayal that left two me…

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Old Patterns 1:06:37

10d ago1:06:37

1:06:37

Have you ever found yourself stuck in the monotonous daily pattern that looks something like: work, eat, watch TV, sleep, rinse and repeat? Or in the pattern of dating the same type of person over and over again despite feeling unsatisfied? Avoiding the gym despite wanting to focus on your bodily health more?Join host Kala MacDonald as she details …

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758 Jane Austen in 41 Objects (with Kathryn Sutherland) | 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (#5 Greatest Book of All Time) 57:21

15d ago57:21

57:21

How well can we know someone through the objects they encountered? In this episode, Jacke talks to Kathryn Sutherland, Senior Research fellow at St. Anne's College, Oxford, about her new book Jane Austen in 41 Objects, which examines the objects Jane Austen encountered during her life alongside newer memorabilia inspired by the life she lived. PLUS…

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I'm Attracted to Santa Claus: Santaphilia with Sofia Somer 53:25

14d ago53:25

53:25

Sofia Somer has a thing for Santa Claus. Ever since she first discovered her sexuality, Sofia has been attracted to Santa (Santaphilia). We talk Santa fantasies, what makes Santa attractive and the sexiest depiction of Santa. Then, it’s lollygagging and skedaddle vs. bamboozled and fartlek as we countdown the Top 5 Funniest Words. Sofia Somer: 01:1…

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757 George Orwell's 1984 (#6 Greatest Book of All Time) 1:07:22

19d ago1:07:22

1:07:22

In 1949, American critic Lionel Trilling, writing in the New Yorker, was quick to recognize the achievement of George Orwell's new novel. "[P]rofound, terrifying, and wholly fascinating," he said. 1984 "confirms its author in the special, honorable place he holds in our intellectual life." And while the Cold War and the book's primary satirical tar…

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RAGE: The Murder of Sarah Thomas 44:28

16d ago44:28

44:28

When 38-year-old mum-of-three Sarah Thomas said yes to an impromptu meet-up with a friend, she couldn’t have known she was stepping into the final hours of her life. A strange sequence of events conspired against her that day, events that would lead her on a path with only one destination - death. Why not BINGE our back catalogue of over a HUNDRED …

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756 Newly Discovered Stories by Virginia Woolf (with Urmila Seshagiri) | My Last Book with Jake Poller 58:07

22d ago58:07

58:07

Did you think we already knew everything there was to know about Virginia Woolf? Think again! In this episode, Jacke talks to scholar and editor Urmila Seshagiri about The Life of Violet: Three Early Stories, which presents three interconnected comic stories chronicling the adventures of a giantess named Violet, which Woolf wrote in 1907, eight yea…

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The History of Christmas Rituals with Dr. Katherine Walker 1:15:44

21d ago1:15:44

1:15:44

From Santa and gingerbread cookies to Christmas trees and the colors of red and green, Dr. Katherine Walker studies the history of our favorite Christmas traditions. We talk the real origin of Santa Claus, the scandalous history of gingerbread cookies and the time we nearly lost Christmas. Then, we unveil a new Candle of the Month and countdown the…

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755 The Chinese Tragedy of King Lear (with Nan Z. Da) | My Last Book with Iris Jamahl Dunkle 42:51

26d ago42:51

42:51

At the start of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, King Lear promises to divide his kingdom based on his daughters’ professions of love, but he portions it out before hearing all of their answers. For Nan Da, a professor of English literature who emigrated from China to the United States as a child in the 1990s, this startling opening scene sparked a re…

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The Torture Room: The Murder of Lynda Spence 1:19:28

28d ago1:19:28

1:19:28

When 27-year-old Lynda Spence vanished from the streets of Glasgow in 2011, few could have imagined the horror that lay behind her disappearance. Lynda was a skilled con artist, weaving a web of lies and deceit that eventually caught up with her in the most brutal way imaginable. What followed was a story of greed, vengeance, and unimaginable cruel…

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754 Christopher Marlowe (with Stephen Greenblatt) | My Last Book with Eric White 55:43

29d ago55:43

55:43

Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) was born into relative obscurity and died in mysterious circumstances at the age of 29. And yet, somehow this ambitious cobbler's son brought about a spectacular explosion of English literature, language, and culture. In this episode, Jacke talks to Stephen Greenblatt about his book Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Ti…

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Thanksgiving Special 30:50

28d ago30:50

30:50

It's time for our annual Thanksgiving Special. We talk waiting, the decline of Thanksgiving and countdown the Top 5 Worst Christmas Songs. We hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving, thank you so much for all of your support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Cloud10

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753 Tenth-Anniversary Special (with Mike Palindrome and Laurie Frankel) | Giving Thanks | My Last Book with Eve Dunbar 1:17:22

1M ago1:17:22

1:17:22

When Jacke started the podcast in 2015, he decided to privilege books that were at least fifty years old. (Longtime listeners will know he's made a few exceptions, but for the most part, that's been the policy.) Last month, the History of Literature Podcast celebrated its tenth anniversary - which means there are ten years' worth of books that are …

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The Boy in the Red Shirt: The Abduction and Murder of Daniel Morcombe 1:00:01

1M ago1:00:01

1:00:01

In December 2003, 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe was waiting for a bus on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast when he vanished in broad daylight. His disappearance sparked one of Australia’s largest investigations - a desperate search that gripped the nation for nearly a decade. When the truth finally emerged, it revealed a chilling story of a predator hiding…

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752 The Brontes' Sibling Rivalry (with Catherine Rayner) | My Last Book with Keith Cooper 1:01:28

1M ago1:01:28

1:01:28

Charlotte Brontë wasn't born the eldest child, but she was thrust into a leadership role at the age of ten, as the Brontë children dealt with the tragic deaths of their mother and two eldest sisters. How did this affect their family dynamic? And when the younger two sisters, Emily and Anne, had their novels accepted while Charlotte's alone was reje…

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Movie Pyrotechnician Anthony Simonaitis 1:22:05

1M ago1:22:05

1:22:05

From Terminator and Superman to Sicario and Face/Off, Movie Pyrotechnician and Stunt Coordinator has been blowing stuff up in movies for more than 30 years. We talk how movie explosions are made, the biggest explosions in movies and blowing up the Death Star. Then, it’s Dallas and Charlotte vs. Madison and Lincoln as we countdown the Top 5 Cities t…

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751 Covering Iran's Women-Led Uprising (with Nilo Tabrizy) | My Last Book with Sharmila Sen 1:02:37

1M ago1:02:37

1:02:37

In September 2022, a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Jîna Amini, died after being beaten by police officers who arrested her for not adhering to the Islamic Republic’s dress code. Her death galvanized thousands of Iranians—mostly women—who took to the streets in one of the country’s largest uprisings in decades: the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. In thi…

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The Butcher Next Door 56:56

1M ago56:56

56:56

When Edward “Eddie” Forrester vanished from his Blackpool home on 1 September 2023, it was clear something was very wrong. Within days of his disappearance, police found worrying signs inside the flat below his… signs that something violent had happened, and that someone was desperately trying to cover it up. As detectives followed a trail of CCTV,…

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750 A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (with Mark Cirino) | Joyce Carol Oates vs the Trillionaire | My Last Book with Ken Krimstein 1:28:09

1M ago1:28:09

1:28:09

It's the 750th episode of the History of Literature, and what better way to celebrate than to talk some Hemingway with repeat guest Mark Cirino? In this episode, Jacke talks to Mark about Hemingway's classic love-and-war novel A Farewell to Arms, including the recent Norton Library edition of the book, which Mark edited. PLUS Jacke takes a look at …

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Conspiracy Theory Researcher Dr. Daniel Jolley 1:07:35

1M ago1:07:35

1:07:35

From Jeffrey Epstein and faking the moon landing, to chemtrails and who really killed JFK, Social Psychologist Dr. Daniel Jolley has spent his life studying conspiracy theories. We talk why people are drawn to conspiracy theories, what all major conspiracy theories have in common and the wildest conspiracy theories he’s ever heard. Then, in the poi…

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749 Willing and Will-Making in the English Renaissance (with Douglas Clark) | #7 Greatest Book of All Time 1:06:00

2M ago1:06:00

1:06:00

When Hamlet, in his famous soliloquy, pondered the "dread of something after death, / the undiscovered country," he noted that such thoughts "puzzles the will." (Earlier editions of the play had this as a "hope of something after death" that "puzzles the brain." What's the significance for an Elizabethan writer (and audience) of the change from hop…

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The Silence at Château de Frétay 53:14

2M ago53:14

53:14

When British couple Joanne and Robert Hall bought a crumbling French château, they dreamed of restoring it into a luxury haven. But behind the shutters and sprawling grounds, tensions simmered — money troubles, isolation, and the slow unravelling of a marriage far from home. One night, after too much wine and too many arguments, everything came to …

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748 Katherine Mansfield (with Gerri Kimber) | The Poet and the Sex Worker Who Burgled Him | My Last Book with Emerson Expert Kenneth Sacks 55:47

2M ago55:47

55:47

Katherine Mansfield's writing, said Virginia Woolf, "was the only writing I was ever jealous of." In this episode, Jacke talks to author Gerri Kimber about Katherine Mansfield: A Hidden Life, which explores the life and work of one of literary modernism's most significant writers. PLUS Jacke takes a look at the unusual friendship between poet W.H. …

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Secret Societies Researcher Dr. Rick Spence 1:14:37

2M ago1:14:37

1:14:37

The Illuminati, Freemasons, the Bilderberg Group, Historian Dr. Rick Spence has spent decades studying secret societies. We talk how secret societies have changed history, the most influential secret societies and what secret societies really want. Then, we unveil a new Candle of the Month and countdown the Top 5 Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies. Dr. R…

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747 Graphomaniac - The Story of a Horrible Russian Poet (with Ilya Vinitsky and James H. McGavran III | My Last Book with Stephanie Sandler | #8 Greatest Book of All Time 1:11:57

2M ago1:11:57

1:11:57

Dmitry Ivanovich Khvostov (1757-1835) might be the worst poet who ever lived. Pathologically prolific and delusional dedicated to a craft for which he had no talent, he continued to write and publish his poetry despite the pleadings of friends, loved ones, critics, and the public. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Ilya Vinitsky and translator …

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Starting Over 1:08:12

2M ago1:08:12

1:08:12

We're so back. Join your host Kala MacDonald -- the self-proclaimed "queen of the pivot" -- as she details starting over in all the ways; school and work, love life, home city, and more. Plus, get into some cheeky AMA questions, a sneak peek at what's upcoming with Yoga to Cope, and end with an education on + guided practice of yoga to cope with: s…

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We Need to Talk About Richard 1:02:33

2M ago1:02:33

1:02:33

Brace yourself for one of the most haunting and heartbreaking stories you’ll ever hear on Seeing Red. In the quiet Devon village of Newton Poppleford, Judith Law and her brother Richard lived side by side for decades — two ordinary lives bound by blood and silence. They were the neighbours everyone knew of, but no one really knew. Then, on a freezi…

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746 Wild Jane Austen (with Devoney Looser) | #9 Greatest Book of All Time 1:04:37

2M ago1:04:37

1:04:37

Author Devoney Looser may be a mild-mannered English professor to most people, but roller derby fans know her as Stone Cold Jane Austen, her smashmouth alter ego. In this episode, Devoney tells Jacke about her new book Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane, which suggests we also rethink the commonly held view of "spinster Jan…

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Horror Author Paul Tremblay 1:03:43

2M ago1:03:43

1:03:43

As the Author of A Head Full of Ghosts, The Cabin at the End of the World and Horror Movie, horror writer Paul Tremblay knows what scares people. We talk the psychology behind horror, the scariest things he’s ever read and turning books into movies. Then, it’s hootenanny vs. shindig as we countdown the Top 5 Party Words. Paul Tremblay: 01:14 Pointl…

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745 Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti (Halloween Fun-Size Edition) 2:14:14

2M ago2:14:14

2:14:14

In the spring of 2022, Jacke dropped everything to plummet into one of the strangest poems he had ever read, "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894). The result was a two-part episode that never quite found its home. In this special Halloween episode, we've combined the best parts of both of those episodes to bring you the full story of a…

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The M25 Rapist: Fear in the Home Counties 1:04:53

2M ago1:04:53

1:04:53

In the early 2000s, a predator was stalking the quiet towns and villages that circle London — communities linked not by proximity, but by terror. Over twelve months, women across Kent, Surrey, Sussex, and Hertfordshire were attacked in their homes, in parks, and on suburban streets. The press would call him “The M25 Rapist.” In this episode of Seei…

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744 Love, Sex, and Frankenstein (with Caroline Lea) | #10 Greatest Book of All Time | My Last Book with Geoffrey Turnovsky | A Letter from a Middle School Teacher and Mom 1:26:42

2M ago1:26:42

1:26:42

The year is 1816, and 18-year-old Mary Shelley has fled London with her lover, Percy Shelley, and her sister, Claire. They're on their way to visit Lord Byron's villa in Lake Geneva, Switzerland - and to change the course of literary history. In this episode, Jacke talks to Caroline Lea about her novel Love, Sex, and Frankenstein, which tells the h…

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Unexplained Researcher Colin Dickey 1:00:15

2M ago1:00:15

1:00:15

Ghosts, Monsters, Alien Abductions, Secret Societies, New York Times Bestselling Author Colin Dickey studies them all. His goal is to discover why we’re so fascinated with things we can’t explain. We talk the most haunted places in America, how Secret Societies have shaped our lives and what our obsession with Bigfoot and other cryptids really mean…

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743 Fairy Tales (with Jack Zipes) [RECLAIMED] | Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (#11 GBOAT) | Chaucer News 1:02:07

2M ago1:02:07

1:02:07

An early encounter with one of the most famous people in the world initiated Jack Zipes into the world of fairy tales - and he never looked back. In this episode, Jacke talks to the fairy tale expert about his book Buried Treasures: The Power of Political Fairy Tales, which profiles modern writers and artists who tapped the political potential of f…