Best Kerouac Podcasts (2025)

Thanks to his invention of Europe's first typographic printing method, and his pioneering work on the first printed Bible, the fifteenth-century German inventor Johannes Gutenberg has a fame and reputation that continues to this day. In 1997, Time magazine credited him with the most important innovation of the past one thousand years. However, due …

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Exhumantion 2:08

Play Pause

20h ago2:08

2:08

By Frank Hudson for the Parlando Project

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Episode 406 - Sail On, Sailor 22:16

1d ago22:16

22:16

By Mockingbird

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73. Art, the American Dream, and Pageantry 47:39

4d ago47:39

47:39

hotliterati.com

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738 Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (#15 Greatest Book of All Time) 1:16:09

4d ago1:16:09

1:16:09

Emily Brontë only published one full-length book before dying at the tragically young age of 30. But that book, Wuthering Heights, which tells the story of obsessive and vengeful love on the rugged moors of Yorkshire, is still considered one of the pinnacles of English literature, landing at #15 on the list of Greatest Books of All Time. In this ep…

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686: Schloctoberfest 2025 #1: A Discussion of Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! with Jeff Shuster 58:03

4d ago58:03

58:03

In October, The Drunken Odyssey crams Literature aside to consider wild, dark fun cinema with our curator of Schlock, Jeff Shuster! This year, John and Jeff discuss 4 black-and-white films from the 1960s. First up is this chili pepper of a film that arose the year before the Summer of Love.

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737 "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs 42:21

9d ago42:21

42:21

It's October! Jacke kicks off his favorite month with a classic tale of horror, "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs. Perhaps you know the general contours of the paradigmatic "be careful what you wish for" story from the Simpsons or another popularization - but just how scary was the original story? And who was W.W. Jacobs? Join Jacke on a trip throu…

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Portrait of the Artist 2:08

9d ago2:08

2:08

Humorist and poet Dorothy Parker presented this sly account that I suspect many other creatives will recognize. Well, I got around to setting it to music. The Parlando Project combines various words (mostly literary poetry) with original music in differing styles. We've done over 850 of these combinations, and you can hear any of them and read abou…

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736 Jane Austen's Favorite Brother, Henry (with Christopher Herbert) | A Letter from the South of France | My Last Book with Nicholas Jenkins 1:00:29

11d ago1:00:29

1:00:29

Jane Austen had six brothers, but her older brother Henry was her favorite. Kind and witty, Henry has long been appreciated by Austen fans for his devotion to Jane and his championing of her novels. But Henry was a fascinating figure in his own right, capering through risky financial schemes and marrying an enigmatic French countess before ending h…

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Tis whiter than an Indian Pipe 2:24

14d ago2:24

2:24

The Indian Pipe or Ghost Flower serves as the initial image in this strange late Emily Dickinson poem, In this musical performance using acoustic guitar, tanpura, and tabla drums I try to carry forward the elusive feeling of this work. The Parlando Project combines various words (mostly literary poetry) with music in differing styles. We've done ov…

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735 Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (with Mark Hussey) | My Last Book with Graham Watson 1:23:55

18d ago1:23:55

1:23:55

Jacke talks to author Mark Hussey (Mrs Dalloway: Biography of a Novel) about Virginia Woolf's beloved novel Mrs Dalloway, which turned 100 earlier this year. PLUS author Graham Watson (The Invention of Charlotte Bronte) stops by to discuss his choice for the last book he will ever read. Join Jacke on a trip through literary England (signup open thr…

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I Should Turn to Be - Jimi Hendrix Memorial 2025 5:14

21d ago5:14

5:14

Each year, on the anniversary of Jimi Hendrix's death, I play guitar to remember him. In the last decade this has led to a public piece each September, and this is this year's. The words for today's piece are taken from mermaid and siren poems written by Tennyson, Beckett, De la Mare, Symonds, Eliot, and Yeats. The music and guitar playing is mine.…

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734 The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (#16 GBOAT) | 1925 - A Literary Encyclopedia (with Tom Lutz) 56:09

23d ago56:09

56:09

Jacke talks to author Tom Lutz about 1925: A Literary Encyclopedia, which provides a fascinating window into a year when literature was arguably at its peak centrality. PLUS a look at J.R.R. Tolkien and his influential Lord of the Rings, #16 on the list of the Greatest Books of All Time. Join Jacke on a trip through literary England (signup open th…

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733 Haruki Murakami (with Mike Palindrome | To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (#17 GBOAT) | A Letter from Tehran 1:24:11

25d ago1:24:11

1:24:11

Haruki Murakami (b. 1949) is one of the rare writers who combines literary admiration with widespread appeal. Host Jacke Wilson is joined by lifelong Murakami fan Mike Palindrome to discuss what makes his novels so compelling, so mysterious, and so popular. Works discussed include The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Norwegian Wood, Kafka on the Shore, and …

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Bavarian Gentians 2:49

24d ago2:49

2:49

This is one of D. H. Lawrence's most esteemed poems, yet I found it exists in two versions, and the one I perform today is the lesser-known of the pair. This version differs from the other by a more raw and disturbing utilization of the Persephone myth where the sexual violence in that story is less smoothed over. If you feel you might need a conte…

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72. Ennui, God, and Dorian Gray 1:09:43

29d ago1:09:43

1:09:43

Hailo and her ex-boyfriend discussing The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Shop reading guides and more at hotliterati.com

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732 The Bible (#18 GBOAT) | The Diaries of Samuel Pepys (with Kate Loveman) | Health Advice 1:13:35

29d ago1:13:35

1:13:35

Jacke starts the episode by looking at the different ways that ten writers have viewed the Bible, #18 on the list of the Greatest Books of All Time. Then he's joined by scholar Kate Loveman, one of the few people in the world who's been able to read the diaries of Samuel Pepys in the original shorthand, for a discussion of her book The Strange Hist…

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The Cherry Blossom Wand 3:13

30d ago3:13

3:13

English poet Anna Wickham wrote "To be sung" under the title of this, so I wrote music for it and did so. My appreciation for the poem about the transience of beautiful things deepened as I worked with it for performance. The Parlando Project combines various words (mostly literary poetry) with original music in differing styles. We've done almost …

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731 The Brothers Karamazov Reclaimed (#19 Greatest Book of All Time) 1:21:06

1M ago1:21:06

1:21:06

Responding to a special request from a listener, Jacke discusses Fyodor Dostoevsky, his novel The Brothers Karamazov, and the search for meaning in a meaningless world. This episode was originally released as episode #250 on October 7, 2020. For reasons Jacke discusses, it has not been available for several years. One show note: at several points i…

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730 "To Autumn" by John Keats | The Invention of Charlotte Brontë (with Graham Watson) | My Last Book with Sara Charles 1:06:20

1M ago1:06:20

1:06:20

Jacke looks forward to a new season by exploring the language and imagery of John Keats's famous ode to autumn. Then he talks to Graham Watson about his new book The Invention of Charlotte Brontë: A New Life, which tells the story of how how Charlotte reinvented herself as an acclaimed author, a mysterious celebrity, and a passionate lover. PLUS Sa…

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Sedition 4:33

1M ago4:33

4:33

No fair-minded person would say the thoughts in this piece's lyrics justify its title, but then that's part of the point it makes.* Edmund Vance Cooke wrote this in 1917, and after all these years I thought it might be appropriate to make a song out of it for today. The Parlando Project combines various words (mostly literary poetry) with original …

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71. Performance, Gothic Writing, and Experimentation with Leigh Stein 1:02:09

1M ago1:02:09

1:02:09

hotliterati.com

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729 Milton the Revolutionary (with Orlando Reade) | My Last Book with Jodi Picoult | More Exciting News 1:07:45

1M ago1:07:45

1:07:45

Since the publication of John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost in 1667, readers and critics have noted the relationship between the poem and the author's political and personal struggles. What has been less prominent - at least until now - is how the poem came to haunt various political struggles over the next four centuries. In this episode, Jacke…

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685: A Discussion of Sylvia Plath's The Colossus and Other Poems (with Rachael Tillman) 1:20:57

1M ago1:20:57

1:20:57

Sylvia Plath is legendary for being a tragic poet mostly known for her novel, The Bell Jar. John and Rachael are fans of Plath's poetry and The Bell Jar, but hereby set out on a historical project to read Plath's work as the world would have known it first, and as she would have known it herself, without the legend imposing its darkest meanings ont…

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The spider holds a Silver Ball 2:05

1M ago2:05

2:05

I sometimes like to take Emily Dickinson's 19th century poetry and recast it inside music that takes on the 1960s psychedelic approach. If severed from the drug associations, this style opens up paths to use sounds in unconventional ways which I think mirrors Dickinson's startlingly novel use of language and observation. This poem is a short tale o…

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728 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (#20 GBOAT) | Lorraine Hansberry - RECLAIMED 1:30:35

2M ago1:30:35

1:30:35

As part of the "25 for '25" series, Jacke starts the episode with a look at #20 on the list of Greatest Books of All Time, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. Then he reclaims a previous episode devoted to Lorraine Hansberry, author of A Raisin in the Sun, a brilliant playwright who died at the tragically young age of 34. (The Hansbe…

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684: A Pop Poetry Conversation about Megan Fox's Pretty Boys are Poisonous 1:32:43

2M ago1:32:43

1:32:43

This conversation with Samantha Nickerson, Brian Salmans, and Rachael Tillman will give you some idea of the mischief you are missing out on, and the pain John is putting himself through.By John King

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727 Earthly Paradise in Old French Verse (with Jacob Abell) | My Last Book with Victorian Literature Expert Allen MacDuffie | A Dueling Neapolitan Passionate for Poetry 1:04:12

2M ago1:04:12

1:04:12

What happened to Eden? While today we might view the story of Adam and Eve as metaphorical, for many generations of Christians, the Earthly Paradise was a vibrant symbol at the heart of the cosmos. In this episode, Jacke talks to Jacob Abell about his book Spiritual and Material Boundaries in Old French Verse: Contemplating the Walls of the Earthly…

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I guest on the R. Mutt Podcast 18:18

2M ago18:18

18:18

Another Summer departure from our usual fare. In this satire I appear as guest on a podcast about Folk and Americana music to discuss some new protest songs decrying the current American administration's tampering with famous Universities. There's a special reveal in last minute of this piece. What is our usual thing? The Parlando Project normally …

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A Tale of Two Shamans: How Dismantling Your Identity Reveals Your True Path 53:01

2M ago53:01

53:01

When was the last time you completely dismantled your identity and rebuilt it from scratch? In this soul-stirring conversation, spiritual coach and shamanic practitioner Kelly Sparta takes us on her extraordinary journey from conventional success to spiritual awakening. From her earliest days, Kelly was immersed in metaphysical teachings thanks to …

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726 England vs France - A Literary Battle Royale (with Mike Palindrome) - RECLAIMED 1:03:36

2M ago1:03:36

1:03:36

“Our dear enemies,” a French writer once called the English. Englishman John Cleese called the French “our natural enemies” and joked “if we have to fight anyone, I say let’s fight the French.” With the exception of some (very important) twentieth-century alliances, the French and the English have been at each others’ throats for a thousand years. …

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683: Eugenio Negro! 51:15

2M ago51:15

51:15

This week, John speaks with the fiction writer, cartoonist, and musician Eugenio Negro about his new novel, Despair Priorities, the long term project, and figuring out what will be deeply satisfying as a writer and reader.By John King

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725 The Trial by Franz Kafka (#21 GBOAT) | Edith Wharton and Patrick O'Brian (with Olivia Wolfgang-Smith) | An Uplifting Story 1:18:40

2M ago1:18:40

1:18:40

Jacke starts the episode with an uplifting story, then submerges himself into chaos and absurdity for a look at The Trial by Franz Kafka, which lands at #21 on the list of Greatest Books of All Time. Then he welcomes novelist Olivia Wolfgang-Smith to the show for a discussion of her admiration for Edith Wharton, her passion for the works of Patrick…

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724 The Stranger by Albert Camus (#22 Greatest Book of All Time) | Christopher Isherwood (with Jake Poller) | Postcard from a Listener in Yunnan 1:01:38

2M ago1:01:38

1:01:38

Put on your black turtleneck! Jacke starts the episode with a look at #22 on the list of The Greatest Books of All Time, The Stranger by Albert Camus. Then he talks to Jake Poller about British and American novelist and playwright Christopher Isherwood, whose Goodbye to Berlin was adapted into the stage musical and movie Cabaret. In discussing his …

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Episode 35: Escaping War for Love in Ernest Hemingway's A FAREWELL TO ARMS 1:25:29

2M ago1:25:29

1:25:29

Send us a text Ernest Hemingway's 1929 novel A Farewell to Arms is probably the most famous war novel in American literary history. Inspired by his own wounding on the Italian front shortly before his nineteenth birthday, Hemingway tells the story of a disillusioned American serving in a foreign army, Frederic Henry, who falls in love with a Red Cr…

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682: A Discussion of Charlotte Brontë's Tales of Angria, with Sophia Ferrara 1:20:52

2M ago1:20:52

1:20:52

Sophia Ferrara joins John down the rabbit hole of Charlotte Brontë's early private storytelling.By John King

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723 The Moral Rights of Authors (with Mira T Sundara Rajan) | My Last Book with Radha Vatsal 1:16:28

2M ago1:16:28

1:16:28

As technology advances, the ability of authors and artists to prevent their works from being pirated or misused has become urgent. In this episode, Jacke talks to copyright expert Mira T. Sundara Rajan (The Moral Rights of Authors and Artists: From the Birth of Copyright to the Age of Artificial Intelligence) about the history of copyright law, the…

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Wild Peaches 4:08

2M ago4:08

4:08

I made this song using an extraordinarily musical sonnet by Elinor Wylie. I think her sonnet, and now this song, speaks about the desire to escape fate by fleeing to an Edenic place — but wait, deathly undercurrents are aleady there. The Parlando Project combines various words, mostly literary poetry, with original music in differing styles. We've …

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722 Kerouac's Road - A Conversation with Ebs Burnough, Director of a New Kerouac Documentary | My Last Book with Beat Generation Expert Steven Belletto 1:03:15

2M ago1:03:15

1:03:15

Since its publication in 1957, Jack Kerouac's iconic novel On the Road has inspired millions to head for the highways and live life to its fullest. In this episode, Jacke talks to filmmaker Ebs Burnough about his new documentary Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation, which interweaves stories of modern-day travelers with those influenced by or conne…

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The Unquiet Grave (Child Ballad 78) 3:12

2M ago3:12

3:12

As I approach the 24th anniversary of my late wife's death, I decided to perform this Child Ballad about the closeness and separation of lovers. The Parlando Project generally combines other people's literary poetry with original music, but this time the piece's music as well as the words are by that prolific and mysterious author and composer Anon…

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681: The Kerouac Project of Orlando Book Club Discussion of William S. Burrough’s Junky (with Matt Peters)! 44:14

2M ago44:14

44:14

In this week's show, John teams up once again with his friend Matt Peters to discuss the second book of William S. Burroughs's original quartet of novels. They also discuss the recent film adapation of the same.By John King

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721 Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (The #23 Greatest Book of All Time) 1:28:14

2M ago1:28:14

1:28:14

Jacke continues his journey through the list of the 25 Greatest Books of All Time with a look at Flaubert's "perfect novel," Madame Bovary (1856-57). Telling the story of the bored wife of a provincial doctor who enters into a series of infidelities, Flaubert's debut caused an immediate sensation - and changed the way we've come to view both novels…

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Farm to Future: State of American Agriculture with Shelby Watson Hampton 37:15

2M ago37:15

37:15

The untold story of American agriculture unfolds in this eye-opening conversation with Shelby Watson Hampton, a fourth-generation farmer, winemaker, and advocate for rural women. Did you know just 2% of Americans feed our entire nation? Or that women now make up 36% of all farmers—a number that continues to rise with each agricultural census? From …

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720 The 25 Greatest Books of All Time - #24 "The Odyssey" by Homer | The Conclusion to F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" (with Mike Palindrome) 1:23:43

2M ago1:23:43

1:23:43

Jacke continues his analysis of "The 25 Greatest Books of All Time" by a special look at Homer's Odyssey. Then Mike Palindrome, the president of the Literature Supporters Club, joins Jacke for a discussion of the second half of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1922 story, "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," in which a young midwesterner travels to a secluded Mo…

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680: Katharine Coldiron! 1:01:56

3M ago1:01:56

1:01:56

On today’s show, I speak with the essayist Katharine Coldiron about how the way we watch movies are sometimes our autobiographies, sometimes our philosophies, and sometimes our humanity.By John King

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China Mouth (live 1981) 3:55

3M ago3:55

3:55

As part of this month's atypical series recounting long past live performances from my youth, this is an original song from a lo-fi tape of the LYL Band performing at the University of Minnesota's Wiley Hall in 1981. "China Mouth" is a Surrealistic discontented Summer song, somewhat of a contrast to the LYL Band's usual early Eighties repertoire th…

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Bugs in the System (Keys to the Drop Safe) 7:28

3M ago7:28

7:28

From a lo-fi tape of the LYL Band's 1981 concert at the University of Minnesota, the LYL Band's live performance of Dave Moore's song adaptation of Kevin FitzPatrick's poem about who faces the guns for minimum wage. The Parlando Project combines various words (usually literary poetry) with original music in differing styles. We've done over 800 of …

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719 "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" by F Scott Fitzgerald (with Mike Palindrome) | 25 for 25 - #25 The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 1:51:49

3M ago1:51:49

1:51:49

In June of 1922, the twenty-five-year-old wunderkind F. Scott Fitzgerald published "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," an incredible story of fabulously wealthy people living a secret life in remote Montana. Later that month, he began composing his most famous work, The Great Gatsby. In this episode, Jacke and Mike read and discuss this early Fitzger…

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718 Jim - The Life and Afterlives of Huckleberry Finn's Comrade (with Shelley Fisher Fishkin) | Mark Twain's Dreams 1:36:04

3M ago1:36:04

1:36:04

In this episode, Jacke talks to eminent Twain scholar Shelley Fisher Fishkin (Was Huck Black?: Mark Twain and African-American Voices) about her new book Jim: The Life and Afterlives of Huckleberry Finn's Comrade, which sheds new light on the origins and influence of Mark Twain's beloved yet polarizing figure. PLUS Jacke takes a look at the recent …