Best Shakespeare enthusiast Podcasts (2025)

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What We Can Learn from Shakespeare with Carol Ann Lloyd - Ep 187 40:01

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6d ago40:01

40:01

Leadership Lessons from Shakespeare with Carol Ann Lloyd Connect with Carol Ann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolannlloyd/ This podcast episode focused on the intriguing concept of learning leadership lessons from Shakespeare. Carol Ann, a historian deeply passionate about Shakespeare and history, shared insights on how the playwright'…

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How PR Can Boost Your Credibility and Business Growth with Joan Frank - Ep 189 35:53

1h ago35:53

35:53

This episode is a playback of a past live interview with Joan Frank of B Frank Communications. Joan shared her journey in PR, the importance of media relations, and how it helps to build credibility and grow businesses. We discussed practical tips for those new to PR, the significance of having a good hook, and the value of professional PR services…

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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

7h 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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Ep. 138 The Hope Diamond: How the Dark History of the Most Famous Diamond in the World Led to Legends of a Curse 39:33

2h ago39:33

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Riding on the coat tails of last week's jewel heist episode, I'm back this week with the intriguing history of the Hope Diamond. The story of the Hope Diamond is convoluted. It changed hands many times, stolen on several occasions and was gradually cut down from 112 carats to just 45 and a half today. Known for its rich blue color and red phosphore…

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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

4d 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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You Might Also be "Enthusiastically Unemployable" - Ep 188 58:11

3d ago58:11

58:11

Embracing the Journey: Enthusiastically Unemployable In this special episode, I replay a live stream from two years ago where I shared the evolution of my brand from 'Enthusiastically Unemployable' to 'Enthusiastically Self-employed.' I discussed the misconceptions around the term 'Unemployable' and shared my personal journey from corporate marketi…

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

7d 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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Ep. 137 Louvre Jewel Heist: The Historical Side of the $102 Million Worth of Jewels Stolen From the Louvre 48:17

7d ago48:17

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Two weeks ago on Sunday, October 19th something rather extraordinary happened at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. During broad daylight, thirty minutes after the museum opened for the day, and as hundreds of visitors streamed inside, 8 pieces of France’s crown jewel collection valued at an estimated 102 million dollars (but actually priceless wh…

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

11d 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

14d 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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Ep. 136 "Ghost Ship" Mary Celeste: How the Discovery of This Abandoned Ship Became a Mystery We Have Yet to Solve 46:07

15d ago46:07

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This week I'm concluding my Spooktober series by covering the story of the mysterious "ghost ship" Mary Celeste. The Mary Celeste was discovered adrift and unmanned around 400 nautical miles from the Azores Islands in December of 1872. The last recording in the ships log had been made some nine days before and it appeared that, since then, the ship…

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

18d 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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LinkedIn Strategies and Branding with Kevin D. Turner - Ep 186 46:14

18d ago46:14

46:14

In this episode, I have an engaging conversation with my good friend Kevin D. Turner, a fellow LinkedIn trainer and coach. We discuss the abundance mentality, social media karma, and how bringing in other experts helps everyone involved. Kevin shares insights on branding, LinkedIn features, and the importance of a strategic approach to using AI. We…

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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

21d 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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Ep. 135 Gilles de Rais: How Joan of Arc’s Co-Champion Became One of the Most Shocking Serial Killers of All Time 45:25

21d ago45:25

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This one is not for the faint of heart! This week, in honor of Spooktober, I'm digging in to the story of Gilles de Rais, a French noblemen and military leader who fought alongside Joan of Arc to lift the siege of Orleans during the Hundred Years War. But that, turns out, isn't Gilles' only claim to fame. In the years following, he was responsible …

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741 Gabriela Mistral 1:04:27

25d 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

28d 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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How to Update Social Share Images for LinkedIn - Ep 185 5:43

25d ago5:43

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How to Update Social Share Images for LinkedIn Welcome back! In this tutorial, I'll walk you through updating your social share image on LinkedIn, particularly for the featured section. I'll show you how I adjusted my thumbnail using Kajabi, fixed a cropping issue, and ensured LinkedIn displays the updated image using LinkedIn Post Inspector. If yo…

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Ep. 134 the Witch of Pungo: How Grace Sherwood Became the Only Convicted Witch In Virginia and What Her Story Has to Teach Us Now 46:04

28d ago46:04

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As it sometimes does, this week's topic presented itself to me. Determined to find out why the little known story of a woman most people have never heard of needed to be told so badly, I dug in. Join me to uncover the story of Grace Sherwood for yourself, the only woman ever to be convicted of witchcraft in Virginia. We'll examine the factors that …

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

1M ago1:34:01

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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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How Speaking Can Help You Showcase your Business and Expertise with Laurie-Ann Murabito - Ep 184 42:20

1M ago42:20

42:20

Maximize Your Speaking Potential with Laurie-Ann Murabito In this episode, I replay a recent livestream interview with Laurie-Ann Murabito, a seasoned speaker coach who helps entrepreneurs and professionals find more paid speaking opportunities. We discuss effective strategies for overcoming nervousness, repurposing presentations, and leveraging sp…

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

1M 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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Ep. 133 Axeman of New Orleans: How a Serial Killer Terrorizing New Orleans Acquired a Reputation as a Jazz Enthusiast 50:56

1M ago50:56

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Welcome to Spooktober! It's my favorite month on History Fix because I get to bust out all of the spooky stories I've been saving. This week, we're talking about the notorious serial killer who operated in New Orleans in the nineteen teens known as the Axeman. The Axeman attacked strictly Italian grocers, breaking into their houses with stolen axes…

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

1M 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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Video Marketing Magic : On/Off Camera with Annette Richmond - Ep 183 13:24

1M ago13:24

13:24

Video Marketing Magic : On/Off Camera Annette Richmond: linkedin.com/in/annetterichmond This is a playback of a video presentation Annette delivered at my recent "Marketing for the Self-Employed LIVE-A-Thon" event. Register for the FULL VIDEO of this session: https://www.mellermarketing.com/m4se Struggling with content or video? You’re not alone. 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

1M 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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Ep. 132 Lost Cities Part 2: How Ancient Metropolises Have Been Forgotten to Some and Rediscovered 41:23

1M ago41:23

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I'm back again this week with four more "lost cities" for you. First we'll explore the Egyptian city of Thonis-Heracleion that literally sank beneath the Mediterranean Sea and was rediscovered some 1,200 years later. Next, we'll hop over to Jordan to discover the ancient Nabataean city of Petra with it's grand facades etched into the red rock lands…

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

2M 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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Ep. 131 Lost Cities Part 1: How Ancient Metropolises Have Been Forgotten to Some and Rediscovered 47:05

2M ago47:05

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We'll be visiting 8 lost cities over the next couple of weeks! This week we'll journey to an ancient city of mythic proportions that most thought to be fictional until it was actually discovered in the mid 1800s: Troy of Homer's Iliad fame. Next we'll make our way to southern Pakistan to explore the ruins of the completely unknown and yet stunningl…

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This Week's LinkedIn Questions: Get a Bigger Slice of the LinkedIn PIE - Ep 182 17:50

2M ago17:50

17:50

Welcome back to the show! In today's episode, I'm answering seven LinkedIn questions asked in this past week. Whether you're a client, member, or podcast listener, feel free to reach out with your LinkedIn queries. Today, we'll discuss topics such as the penalty for sharing external links on LinkedIn, whether to duplicate content in email and Linke…

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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

2M ago56:09

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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

2M 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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7 Common LinkedIn Concerns of the Self-Employed - Ep 181 18:08

2M ago18:08

18:08

Addressing Common LinkedIn Concerns: Guidance and Tips In today's podcast episode, I discuss common concerns about using LinkedIn that have been shared with me over the years. The goal is to reassure listeners that they are not alone and to address a variety of issues people face with LinkedIn, ranging from technical challenges to feeling out of pl…

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Ep. 130 Shakespeare: How An Uneducated Nobody Penned the Greatest Collection of Literary Works Ever Written... or Did He? 45:16

2M ago45:16

45:16

William Shakespeare is undoubtedly one of the greatest literary geniuses of all time. Author of over 30 plays and over 150 poems, he masterfully knit together over 20,000 English words, all out inventing some 1,700 of them, to beautifully capture full ranges of complex emotions and subtle nuances of human nature that still capture audiences over 40…

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

2M 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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Making the Leap from Corporate Career to Self-Employed with Maartje van Krieken - Ep 180 47:50

2M ago47:50

47:50

Making the Leap from Corporate Career to Self-Employment: Lessons Learned with Maartje van Krieken In this episode, I interviewed Maartje van Krieken on LinkedIn Live. We discussed her journey from a corporate career to becoming self-employed, focusing on the lessons learned and challenges faced along the way. Maartje shared her experiences in help…

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

2M 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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Ep. 129 Richard III: How the “Parking Lot King” Rose, Reigned, Fell, and Was Rediscovered Over 500 Years Later 42:44

2M ago42:44

42:44

In this week's episode, I delve farther into one of the character's from last week's episode about the War of the Roses: Richard III. Richard is a highly misunderstood historical figure, whose reputation was tainted by later Tudor propaganda during the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, the son and granddaughter of his usurper, Henry VII. But ho…

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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

2M 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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729 Milton the Revolutionary (with Orlando Reade) | My Last Book with Jodi Picoult | More Exciting News 1:07:45

2M 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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Ep. 128 War of the Roses: How the Real Life Game of Thrones Ended With An Unexpected Victor 44:58

2M ago44:58

44:58

Link to family tree! Game of Thrones is typically considered to be the most popular television show of all time based on its massive global reach and deep cultural impact. If you haven’t seen it, it’s an 8 season historical fantasy series based on a book series by George R. R. Martin about different houses, different families, the Starks, the Lanni…

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Beating Burnout: Why Feeling Good is Your Best Business Strategy with Candice Lazar - Ep 179 41:22

2M ago41:22

41:22

In today's episode, I interview Candice Lazar about her journey from corporate life to becoming a coach specializing in breathwork and transformational coaching. WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE Candice's FREE Kit on 5-Minute Breathing https://44breathwork.com/5-in-5 Other resources by Candice: https://www.abreathwelltaken.com/ We discuss the pr…

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LinkedIn Profile Mini Audit for Course Creators | Featuring Sheila Koenig Ep 178 19:43

3M ago19:43

19:43

LinkedIn Profile Mini Audit for Course Creators | Featuring Sheila Koenig Join me as I conduct a LinkedIn profile mini audit for course creator and CPA, Sheila Koenig. In this episode, Sheila shares her extensive background with the IRS and her transition to starting her own business aimed at helping small businesses with bookkeeping and tax resolu…

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

3M 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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Ep. 127 Education: Why Our Failing Education System Has Missed the Mark for 12,000 Years 46:51

3M ago46:51

46:51

In this episode, I tackle the history of education from prehistoric hunter-gatherer days all the way to today. We'll look at the many motives that have shaped the education and formal schooling of children from the agricultural revolution, through ancient times, to the protestant reformation and the industrial revolution. Through it all, motives ha…

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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

3M 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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Self-Employed Success Strategies | VIP Office Hours - Ep 177 1:02:31

3M ago1:02:31

1:02:31

Self-Employed Success Strategies | VIP Office Hours Listen to a playback of our Self-Employed VIP Office Hours where we share valuable insights and tips for those embarking on or already on the self-employed journey. This episode covers various topics, including navigating Zoom features, effective LinkedIn strategies, engaging with your audience, a…

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

3M 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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Ep. 126 Shackleton: How Endurance Expedition Leader Ernest Shackleton Pulled Off the Most Successful Failure 54:29

3M ago54:29

54:29

This week I'm tackling a topic that's been on my mind for quite some time: Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance Expedition. Shackleton was really a huge failure. Almost everything this man did failed. He failed to reach the South Pole first. He failed to cross the continent of Antarctica. He failed in many business endeavors, tobacco, stamp collecti…

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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

3M 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…

Shakespeare Enthusiast Podcasts