Best Mark Fishkin Podcasts (2025)

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

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24h 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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755 The Chinese Tragedy of King Lear (with Nan Z. Da) | My Last Book with Iris Jamahl Dunkle 42:51

5d 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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754 Christopher Marlowe (with Stephen Greenblatt) | My Last Book with Eric White 55:43

8d 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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753 Tenth-Anniversary Special (with Mike Palindrome and Laurie Frankel) | Giving Thanks | My Last Book with Eve Dunbar 1:17:22

13d 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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752 The Brontes' Sibling Rivalry (with Catherine Rayner) | My Last Book with Keith Cooper 1:01:28

15d 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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751 Covering Iran's Women-Led Uprising (with Nilo Tabrizy) | My Last Book with Sharmila Sen 1:02:37

19d 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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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

22d 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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749 Willing and Will-Making in the English Renaissance (with Douglas Clark) | #7 Greatest Book of All Time 1:06:00

26d 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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Episode 637: Red Bulls II are League Champs 31:55

24d ago31:55

31:55

Mark, Dan, and Mike break down an epic night in Harrison as New York Red Bulls II come back from a two-goal halftime deficit and one down late to win the MLS Next Pro Cup in a penalty shootout.By Seeing Red!

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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

29d 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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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

1M 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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Episode 636: RBNY II to Play for a Championship, Roald Mitchell Interview 44:50

1M ago44:50

44:50

Red Bulls II comes from behind on a Roald Mitchell brace to win the MLS Next Pro Eastern Conference title. New York will host MLS Next Pro Cup this Saturday vs. Colorado! We talk with Mitchell and preview the Championship. Daniel Rebain is this week's co-host.By Seeing Red!

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

1M 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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Episode 635: Schneider Departs & Schwarz Sacked 34:51

1M ago34:51

34:51

Massive changes in the RBNY Front Office as Julian de Guzman is elevated to Head of Sport, and a Head Coaching search begins. Mike Battista joins. Also: -Red Bulls II in the Eastern Conference Finals -RBNY Fan Poll Results -Your EmailsBy Seeing Red!

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

1M 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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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

1M 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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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…

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Episode 634: Full Year Report Card 1:26:31

1M ago1:26:31

1:26:31

Mark, Mike Battista and Daniel Rebain deliver full-year grades on every New York Red Bulls player that saw at least 500 minutes of action in 2025. Also: RBNYII makes the Conference Semis, Your EmailsBy Seeing Red!

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742 Edgar Allan Poe (with Richard Kopley) | Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (#12 GBOAT) | My Last Book with Christopher Herbert 1:17:41

2M ago1:17:41

1:17:41

It's October, the perfect month to celebrate the master of mystery and the macabre. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Richard Kopley about his book Edgar Allan Poe: A Life, a comprehensive critical biography that combines a narrative of Poe's enduring challenges (including his difficult foster father, poverty, alcoholism, depression, and his n…

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Episode 633: RBNY Plays Out the String at Columbus 21:57

2M ago21:57

21:57

New York plays out the string at Columbus on Decision Day. Inside this Episode: -AI Game Recaps are Bad -RB2 in the MLS Next Pro Playoffs -Columbus Away Preview -Your EmailsBy Seeing Red!

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741 Gabriela Mistral 1:04:27

2M ago1:04:27

1:04:27

In 1945, the Nobel Committee awarded its prize for literature to Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) "for her lyric poetry which, inspired by powerful emotions, has made her name a symbol of the idealistic aspirations of the entire Latin American world." Born in a rural Andean valley and abandoned by her free-spirited father at the age of three, Mistral s…

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740 Mel Brooks and Other Eminent Jews (with David Denby) | War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (#13 GBOAT) 1:03:56

2M ago1:03:56

1:03:56

In this episode, Jacke talks to author David Denby about his new book, Eminent Jews: Bernstein, Brooks, Friedan, Mailer, a group biography (loosely inspired by Lytton Strachey's Eminent Victorians) that describes how four larger-than-life figures upended the restrained culture of their forebears and changed American life. PLUS in honor of War and P…

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739 Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (#14 GBOAT) | Johannes Gutenberg (with Eric Marshall White) 1:34:01

2M ago1:34:01

1:34:01

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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Episode 632: RBNY Drops Home Finale, Brian Sciaretta on the USMNT 1:04:33

2M ago1:04:33

1:04:33

The Red Bulls' 2025 home finale was a microcosm of the team's season… allowing a wondergoal by FC Cincinnati's Kevin Denkey, taking 16 shots and putting two on target, and losing 1-nil. New York has a week off during another international break before finishing the season at Columbus. Joining me is Mike Battista! Inside this episode: - A brief look…

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

2M 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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737 "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs 42:21

2M 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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Episode 631: Red Bulls Fall in the Derby & Miss the Playoffs, Steve Cangialosi 1:09:33

2M ago1:09:33

1:09:33

The Red Bulls drop the Hudson Derby at home after some defensive errors and after the Fire beat Miami on Tuesday night, New York has been eliminated from the postseason for the first time since 2009. Gustavo Guimarâes is here! Tonight on Seeing Red -We'll go back to Saturday's Hudson Derby Loss -Bull of the Week -Claims of racist abuse -What went w…

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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

2M 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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Episode 630: 3 Road Points & Hudson Derby Preview 50:07

2M ago50:07

50:07

The Red Bulls finally get their second road win of the season in professional fashion, but a surprise win by the Fire puts added pressure on this Saturday's Hudson Derby. Daniel Rebain co-hosts. Inside the episode: A look back at Saturday's road win against last-place Montreal Bull of the Week A look at the playoff picture. It's not a pretty one A …

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

3M 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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734 The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (#16 GBOAT) | 1925 - A Literary Encyclopedia (with Tom Lutz) 56:09

3M 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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Episode 629: Red Bulls fall at Portland, #23 John McCarthy 53:35

3M ago53:35

53:35

The story of the 2025 Red Bulls is the team's inability to win points away from Harrison. Saturday night, that trend continued as New York dropped a 2-1 decision at Portland. With only four chances to pick up points, the team heads to last-place Montreal. Michael Battista co-hosts. Inside this Episode: -A look back at the loss in Portland -Bull of …

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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

3M 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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Episode 628: FIFA Window Recap & Portland Preview 44:01

3M ago44:01

44:01

With five matches to go and below the line, RBNY takes the cross-country trip to face a struggling Portland side late Saturday Night at Providence Park. Gustavo Guimarâes co-hosts. Inside this Episode: -A look match at Saturday's USMNT loss at Sports Illustrated Stadium -A recap of how the Red Bulls' internationals performed during the FIFA break -…

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

3M 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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731 The Brothers Karamazov Reclaimed (#19 Greatest Book of All Time) 1:21:06

3M 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

3M 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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Episode 627: RBNY & Crew Scoreless in NJ, Brian Sciaretta on the USMNT 53:53

3M ago53:53

53:53

[APOLOGIES FOR THE AUDIO OVER THE FIRST 10 MINUTES] New York draws Columbus, which helps the playoff cause. Jochen Schnieder speaks with Red Bulls Radio, and the US Men's National Team comes to town. That's all tonight on Seeing Red. Mike Battista co-hosts. Inside this episode: -Go inside the draw over the Crew -Talk about what Jochen Schneider sai…

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

3M 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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Episode 626: Red Bulls' Road Woes Continue in Charlotte 45:22

3M ago45:22

45:22

Soccer is a game of mistakes. Sunday in Charlotte, the Red Bulls made one. Charlotte did not in a 1-0 road loss for New York. Incredibly, Chicago lost even worse, elevating the Red Bulls into 9th place with six matches left to play. Next up: the first of two matches against the Columbus Crew. Daniel Rebain co-hosts. Inside this Episode: - A breakdo…

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

4M 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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Episode 625: RBNY FINALLY beats Philly, #3 Noah Eile, Charlotte Preview 51:46

4M ago51:46

51:46

With the Open Cup behind them, the Red Bulls take a big step in the Eastern Conference playoff race by finally beating the Philadelphia Union. Now the road beckons, and New York has to find a way to win there if they want to stay in the hunt for the postseason. Gustavo Guimarâes joins as co-host Inside this episode: Recapping a wild week against th…

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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

4M 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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726 England vs France - A Literary Battle Royale (with Mike Palindrome) - RECLAIMED 1:03:36

4M 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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725 The Trial by Franz Kafka (#21 GBOAT) | Edith Wharton and Patrick O'Brian (with Olivia Wolfgang-Smith) | An Uplifting Story 1:18:40

4M 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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Episode 624: Late Winner v Salt Lake, USOC Preview & Steve Jolley 1:01:30

4M ago1:01:30

1:01:30

The Red Bulls come from behind to beat Salt Lake in one of the strangest matches in recent memory, and prep for the biggest match of the season to date, the US Open Cup Quarters at Philadelphia. Tonight, along with Mike Battista, We'll look back at Sunday's win against RSL Bull of the Week Prep for Wednesday's do-over of the USOC Quarterfinal Chat …

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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

4M 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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723 The Moral Rights of Authors (with Mira T Sundara Rajan) | My Last Book with Radha Vatsal 1:16:28

4M 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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Episode 623: Red Bulls Have a Chance to Advance in Leagues Cup & Matt Harmon 40:44

4M ago40:44

40:44

The Red Bulls have a last second win and a shootout loss in the 2025 Leagues Cup, and might, just might have a chance at reaching the quarterfinals with a regulation win v FC Juarez on Thursday Night in Harrison. Inside this episode… A quick rundown of the Leagues Cup to date Bull of the Week for the first two matches Will Timo come, or not? A look…

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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

4M 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…