Tag: gender

Why apocalypse isn’t all bad (with Jennifer M. Wilks)

In the Bible, the Apocalypse is the end of the world as we know it, but it’s also the beginning of a new one. Jennifer Wilks argues that major catastrophes can be apocalyptic in the same way. A disaster like Hurricane Katrina or the COVID-19 pandemic can shed new light on the world’s social inequalities, which makes it easier to imagine them changing. Jennifer thinks that post-apocalyptic fiction can play a role in this process, by allowing us to think ahead about times of disaster so we can act to make things better when the moment comes.

Click here for more about the episode…Why apocalypse isn’t all bad (with Jennifer M. Wilks)

Communities of readers (with Janice Radway)

The classic image of a reader is someone alone with their eyes on a book, ignoring the world around them. But Janice Radway argues that the communities we’re in can shape what we read and how we read. Reading is not something that only takes place in our individual minds, but an activity that influences and is influenced by our social world. From prison reading groups to caregivers who read to get a break from their domestic duties, people read with agendas and desires they share with others in similar situations.

Click here for more about the episode…Communities of readers (with Janice Radway)

Cheerleading and the history of sport (with Frank Guridy)

When you picture a cheerleader, you probably imagine a woman. But in the early twentieth century, cheerleading was all done by men. Frank Guridy argues that the association of cheerleading with women is due to the growth of the sports industry, which has drawn ever more diverse people into sports previously dominated by elite white men. But increased diversity in the sports industry has also meant increased exploitation. Nonetheless, while the industry is exploitative, sports themselves don’t have to be: cheerleading is just one example of how sport can be a tool of survival and self-actualization for marginalized people.

Click here for more about the episode…Cheerleading and the history of sport (with Frank Guridy)

Readers under lockdown (with Leah Price)

What’s happened to reading during the COVID-19 pandemic? Some people are too busy or stressed to read, while others are reading more than ever but in different ways. Leah Price is interested in historical precedents for what we’re experiencing now, from anxieties about catching diseases from library books to the fantasy of reading as refuge from the world. History shows that reading is affected by people’s working lives – some can’t read because they have to work, others read because they can’t work. COVID-19 is transforming the way we work, so reading too will change – but not necessarily for the worse.

Click here for more about the episode…Readers under lockdown (with Leah Price)

Atmospheres in literature and life (with Dora Zhang)

Atmospheres are both insubstantial and yet very palpable – for example, think about tension that feels so thick you could cut it with a knife. Whether you’re decorating a room or throwing a party, creating the right atmosphere can mean the difference between success and failure. But Dora Zhang argues that no one person is ever in full control of an atmosphere, it’s always something collective, not just a projection of one person’s mood. When it comes to literature, too, atmospheres emerge collectively from the readers, the characters, and the language of the text.

Click here for more about the episode…Atmospheres in literature and life (with Dora Zhang)

Why Eve got blamed (with Stephen Greenblatt)

The basic story of Adam and Eve is that Eve was tempted by a serpent, ate the forbidden fruit and thus caused humans to be kicked out of Paradise. But does she really deserve the blame? Stephen Greenblatt says this question isn’t a new one – Eve has had her defenders from the very start. From early Jewish commentaries to John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, Stephen shows how Eve’s story has always been open to re-interpretation. Her story has inspired not only blame, but also understanding – and even praise.

Click here for more about the episode…Why Eve got blamed (with Stephen Greenblatt)