American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)

Evan Lampe
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Sep 16, 2021 • 55min

Episode 473: Neal Stephenson: Quicksilver(3)

Dive into the intriguing world of 17th-century London as Daniel Waterhouse grapples with religious tensions and freedom of conscience amidst the backdrop of the Royal Society. Witness the chaotic rebuilding of the city after the Anglo-Dutch War, and explore the vivid interplay of political performance and societal roles through theatrical reenactments. The conversation also delves into the harsh realities of economic practices, including the slave trade, and the philosophical dialogues ignited by figures like Leibniz, revealing deep connections between knowledge and power dynamics.
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Sep 12, 2021 • 32min

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Series 9: Episode 10: Out of the Aeons

I look at yet another H.P. Lovecraft story. In this episode it is the Hazel Heald revision OUT OF THE AEONS. This story is notable for its world building and a possible cameo by Randolph Carter.
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Sep 12, 2021 • 1h 3min

Episode 472: Neal Stephenson: Quicksilver (2)

In this section of QUICKSILVER we get a close look at the Royal Society in the mid-1660s. Neal Stephenson has great fun characterizing people like Oldenburg, Hooke, Wilkins, and (the fictional) Daniel Waterhouse.
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Sep 10, 2021 • 59min

Episode 471: Neal Stephenson: Quicksilver (1)

Dive into the intricate world of Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. Discover the fascinating character evolution of Daniel Waterhouse amidst the 17th-century scientific revolution. Explore the tensions between Puritan values and emerging scientific thought against a backdrop of witch trials. Listen in as Newton and Waterhouse discuss money and morality at a 1665 fair while the plague looms large. With rich historical detail, this journey promises an engaging narrative that blends history with the fantastical.
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Sep 8, 2021 • 36min

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Series 9: Episode 9: The Horror in the Museum

In this story written by Hazel Heald and H. P. Lovecraft (mostly ghostwritten by HPL), we explore an amazing wax museum with a horrible special exhibit. One of the most delightful of the Lovecraft collaborations.
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Sep 8, 2021 • 28min

Episode 470: William Wells Brown: My Southern Home (2)

The final episode in my series on William Wells Brown explores the second half of MY SOUTHERN HOME, the author's second memoir. Next up, a special series on Neal Stephenson's BAROQUE CYCLE.
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Sep 6, 2021 • 35min

Episode 469: William Wells Brown: My Southern Home (1)

MY SOUTHERN HOME is a memoir by William Wells Brown written toward the end of his life. It rehashed much from his earlier writers, but from the perspective of a more sober old man.
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Sep 6, 2021 • 24min

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Series 9: Episode 8: Winged Death

In another of Lovecraft's Hazel Heald revisions (ghostwriting)--WINGED DEATH--we get a fascinating tale of science, empire, and revenge. Like THE MAN OF STONE, we get most of the story from the villain' point of view.
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Sep 2, 2021 • 23min

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Series 9: Episode 8: The Man in Stone

The first of five collaborations between H. P. Lovecraft and Hazel Heald. In this story, a wizard uses black magic to punish his adulterous wife. Through a framed narrative our authors give us a window into the mind of the villain.
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Sep 2, 2021 • 28min

Episode 468: William Wells Brown: The Black Man

In 1862, William Wells Brown wrote a series of short biographies of black activists, politicians, scientists, and artists in an attempt to prove black people's capacity for self-rule in the context of the Emancipation Proclamation. It begins with a great philosophical essay.

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