American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)
Episodes
Episode 227: James Weldon Johnson: Along this Way (1)
29 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
"Along This Way" is James Weldon Johnson's autobiography. The first part of it explores his family and his education.
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 95.2: The Game-players of Titan (2)
29 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of my comments on Philp K. Dick's "The Game-players of Titan".
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 95.1: The Gameplayers of Titan (1)
23 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
And now for a strange one, "The Game-players of Titan" by Philp K. Dick. What is this one about? Marriage? Gambling? Fertility? Drugs? Mental Illness?...
James Weldon Johnson: Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man
23 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A one-off episode on James Weldon Johnson's novel "Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man", a story on passing, cigar rolling, and black Manhattan.
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 94.6: The Man in the High Castle (6)
21 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We have made it to the end of "The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick. Let you know what you think of my finale episode on this Hugo Award-winn...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 94.5: The Man in the High Castle (5)
21 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part five of my review of "The Man in the High Castle".
Episode 225: W. E. B. Du Bois, Articles from "The Crisis"
21 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Oh..the feels. Time to say goodbye to W. E. B. Du Bois. Maybe we will meet again if The Library of America publishes another volume of your works. ...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 94.4: The Man in the High Castle (4)
19 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part four of my comments and review of Philip K. Dick's Hugo Award-winning novel "The Man in the High Castle".
Episode 224: W. E. B. Du Bois, Essays 3
16 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The essays I look at in this episode are from the end of Du Bois' career, including a chapter from his masterpiece "Black Reconstruction in America." ...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 94.3: The Man in the High Castle (3)
16 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
More of "The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick.
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 94.2: The Man in the High Castle (2)
14 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part 2 of my comments on Philip K. Dick's "The Man in the Hight Castle".
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 94.1: The Man in the High Castle (1)
13 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2 of the Philip K. Dick Book Club kicks off with part 1 of my comments on Dick's Hugo Award winning "The Man in the High Castle".
Episode 224: W. E. B. Du Bois, Essays, Part 2
13 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I take a look at Du Bois' essays from the post World War I period to the 1920s. Topics include the betrayed promise of natonal self-d...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 93.3: Vulcan's Hammer (3)
09 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
My final episode on "Vulcan's Hammer" by Philip K. Dick. This also brings to an end "Season 1" of this series on Dick's works, covering the storie...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 93.2: Vulcan's Hammer (2)
09 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of my comments on Dick's 1960 novel "Vulcan's Hammer." A little murder mystery (murder of a computer anyway) thickens the plot.
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 93.1: Vulcan's Hammer (1)
07 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The first part of my comments on Philip K. Dick's 1960 novel "Vulcan's Hammer". Not one of his best, to be sure, but one of the more contemporary them...
Episode 222: W. E. B. Du Bois: Essays, Part 1
07 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The first of a series on episodes on the essays of W. E. B. Du Bois. These cover the period from his college days to the First World War. with themes ...
Episode 221: W. E. B. Du Bois: Dusk of Dawn (2)
02 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of my comments on W. E. B. Du Bois's autobiography and statement on global race relations, "Dusk of Dawn." In this part, we explore Du Bois' ...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: 92.4: Dr. Futurity (4)
02 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The finale of my review of Philip K. Dick's novel "Dr. Futurity" and my thoughts on what it means for us in our time.
Philip K. Dick Book Club: 92.3: Dr. Futurity (3)
02 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part 3 of my comments on Philip K. Dick's 1960 novel, "Dr. Futurity".
Philip K. Dick Book Club: 92.2: Dr. Futurity (2)
30 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part 2 of my review of Philip K. Dick's "Dr. Futurity".
Episode 220: W. E. B. Du Bois: Dusk of Dawn (1)
30 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part one of my comments on W. E. B. Du Bois' "Dusk of Dawn," an autobiograhy and statment of American (and global) race relations in the 20th century....
Episode 119: W E. B. Du Bois: The Souls of Black Folk (2)
28 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The second part and finale of my review of W. E. B. Du Bois' "The Souls of Black Folk." In the second part of this collection of wounderful essays Du ...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: 92.1: Dr Futurity (1)
28 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part one of my review of Philip K. Dick's 1960 novel "Dr. Futurity". It may not be one of his best, but it is rich with ideas, many of which are relev...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 91: War Game
23 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In "War Game," Philip K. Dick considers the ideology of toys. It makes me think a bit about "Mimsy Were the Borogroves".
Episode 118: W. E. B. Du Bois: The Souls of Black Folk (1)
23 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I humbly give my comments on what I think is one of the greatest works of American literatre, W. E. B. Du Bois' "The Souls of Black Folk".
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 90: Fair Game
20 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Although this story was written much earlier in Dick's career, "Fair Game" was not published until 1959. A rather silly tale, but good for a chuckle a...
Episode 117: W. E. B. Du Bois: The Suppression of the Slave Trade (2)
20 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of my review of Du Bois' Ph.D. dissertation on the legal, moral and economic changes that led to the end of the slave trade.
Episode 116: W. E. B. Du Bois: The Suppression of the Slave Trade
16 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
"The Suppression of the Slave Trade" was W. E. B Du Bois' Ph.D. dissertation wirtten in Harvard. It is a solid work of legal history exploring the rel...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 89: Recall Mechanism
16 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this Philip K. Dick story, "Recall Mechanism", we consider the relationship between mental illness and precognition.
Philip K. Dick Book Club: 88: Explorers We
13 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The first of Philip K. Dick's stories from 1959, "Explorers We", considers the possiblities of a very strange alien invasion.
Episode 116: Charles W. Chesnutt: Essays
13 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we say goodbye to Charles W. Chesnutt by looking at a handful of his most important esasys. Next up, W. E. B. Du Bois.
Episode 114: Charles W. Chesnutt, Assorted Stories
08 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I look at some of the uncollected stories by Charles W. Chesnutt. We have some more stories in the Julius series, including one on So...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: 87.5: Time Out of Joint (5)
08 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The finale of my review of Philip K. Dick's novel "Time Out of Joint".
Philip K. Dick Book Club: 87.4: Time Out of Joint (4)
05 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part 4 of my review of Philip K. Dick's "Time Out of Joint".
Episode 113: Charles W Chesnutt. The Marrow of Tradition (2)
05 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of my review of Charles Chesnutt's novel "The Marrow of Tradition"
Episode 112: Charles W. Chesnutt: The Marrow of Traditon (1)
01 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The first of two episodes looking at Charles W. Chesnutt's masterpiece, "The Marrow of Tradition", a book on post-Reconstruction politics, race relati...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: 87.3: Time Out of Joint (3)
01 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We go a little bit deeper into the rabbit hole of Ragle Gumm's strange life in part three of my review of Philip K. Dick's "Time Out of Joint".
Episode 111: Charles W. Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars (2)
28 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The finale of my review of Charles W. Chesnutt's "The House Behind the Cedars." The novel shifts from being about the color line to being about sexual...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: 87.2: Time Out of Joint (2)
28 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part 2 of my review of Time Out of Joint by Philip K. Dick.
Episiode 110: Charles W. Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars (1)
26 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In "The House Behind the Cedars" Charles Chesnutt takes a deep look at the color line. The result is a brilliant novel on race, but also gender and th...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: 87.1: Time Out of Joint (1)
26 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part one of my review of "Time Out of Joint", Dick's 1959 novel about a man realizing that the world he lives in is a false front. This is one of Dick...
Episode 109: Charles W. Chesnutt, The Wife of His Youth (2)
21 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of my review of the stories in Charles Chesnutt's collection "The Wife of His Youth and Other Stories of the Color Line." A lot of great stor...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: 86: Null-O
21 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The sociopathy of the technocrat and other issues are explored in Philip K. Dick's short story "Null-O." Dick had to sit on this one a while before pu...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: 85: Misadjustment
18 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This is a story by Philip K Dick about posthumanism, with an interesting twist. They have the ability to change reality. So in "Misadjustment" do we h...
Episode 108: Charles W. Chesnutt, The Wife of His Youth (1)
18 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
And now we look at some of the stories in Charles Chesnutt's collection "The Wife of His Youth and Other Stories of the Color Line." This ia a great w...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: 84 The Unreconstructed M
14 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
"The Unreconstructed M" is a good story to join with the more well-known "The Minority Report." While "The Minority Report" is based on psi powers, Di...
Episode 107: Charles Chesnutt, The Conjure Woman
14 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I begin a brand new series on turn of the century African-American writers. First up is Charles W. Chesnutt and his connected collect...
Episode 107: James Fenimore Cooper: The Prairie (4)
12 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
And we have reached the end of the Leatherstocking Tales. In this episode we have my final thoughts on "The Prairie" . Looking ahead we are going to...
Philip K Dick Book Club: Episode 83.6: Eye in the Sky (6)
12 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The finale of my review of Philip K. Dick's 1957 novel, "Eye in the Sky". Next up: more short stories.
Philip K Dick Book Club: Episode 83.5: Eye in the Sky (5)
07 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I continue my examination of Philip K. Dick's novel "Eye in the Sky". In this episode, we go from the Puritianical to the paranoid.
Episode 105: James Fenimore Cooper: The Prairie (3)
07 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part 3 of my review of James Fenimore Cooper's final Leatherstocking Tale, "The Prairie".
Philip K Dick Book Club: Episode 83.4: Eye in the Sky (4)
05 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part four of my review of "Eye in the Sky" by Philip K. Dick. In this part we leave the nutty religious world and enter the nutty world of clean bourg...
Episode 104: James Fenimore Cooper: The Prairie (2)
05 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of my review of James Fenimore Cooper's novel "The Prairie". Let's see if old man Bumppo still has any of his old tricks.
Philip K Dick Book Club: Episode 83.3: Eye in the Sky (3)
03 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part three of my review of Philip K. Dick's "Eye in the Sky".
Philip K Dick Book Club: Episode 83.2: Eye in the Sky (2)
03 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of my review of Philip K. Dick's novel "Eye in the Sky".
Philip K Dick Book Club: Episode 83.1: Eye in the Sky (1)
02 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In Dick's second novel, published in 1957, "Eye in the Sky", we go where no one has gone before, into the minds of others.
Episode 103: James Fenimore Cooper: The Prairie (1)
02 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part one of my review of "The Prairie", the last of the Leatherstocking Tales. It is a great send off for our hero Natty Bumppo.
Episode 102: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pioneers (4)
26 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The finale to my review of "The Pioneers" by James Fenimore Cooper. It is all downhill from here. Only one more Leatherstocking Tale to go, "The Prair...
Philip K Dick Book Club: Episode 82.4: The Cosmic Puppets (4)
26 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Conclusion to my review and thematic summary of Philip K. Dick's "The Cosmic Puppets". Let me know you thought of this novel. Next time, "Eye in t...
Philip K Dick Book Club: Episode 82.3: The Cosmic Puppets (3)
25 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part 3 of my review of "The Cosmic Puppets" by Philip K. Dick.
Philip K Dick Book Club: Episode 82.2: The Cosmic Puppets (2)
24 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of my review of Philip K. Dick's "The Cosmic Puppets".
Philip K Dick Book Club: Episode 82.1: The Cosmic Puppets (1)
23 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part one of my review of "The Cosmic Puppets" by Philip K. Dick, a great novel exploring the shifting realities in our towns and cities.
Episode 101: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pioneers (3)
23 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As we enter into the second half of James Fenimore Cooper's "The Pioneers" we find the most clear expression of Cooper's thoughts on the realtionship ...
Episode 100: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pioneers (2)
19 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the second quarter of "The Pioneers" by James Fenimore Cooper, we get a closer look at the emerging settler society in Templetown and learn more of...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 81: Pay For the Printer
19 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In "Pay For the Printer," Dick explores the challenges of a world of technological post-scarcity as it relates to our skills and knowledge. And he ima...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 80: To Serve the Master
15 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In "To Serve the Master", Dick explores the internal conflict between the work ethic and technological leisure. Which side are you on?
Episode 98: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pioneers (1)
15 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part one of my series on James Fenimore Cooper's "The Pioneers," the first of the Leatherstocking Tales to be written. It shows Natty Bummpo as an old...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 79: The Minority Report
11 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
"The Minority Report" is a bit of a Rorschach test for us. We will invariably see it as a story on police powers and survelliance, but maybe all Dick ...
Episode 98: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pathfinder (Finale)
11 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
My final look at James Fenimore Cooper's The Pathfinder. We say goodbye to Natty for a while, but he will be back as old man Leatherstocking in The Pi...
Episode 97: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pathfinder (4)
09 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part 4 of my review of James Fenimore Cooper's "The Pathfinder".
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 78.6: The Man Who Japed (6)
07 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The finale of my series on Philip K. Dick's novel "The Man Who Japed".
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 78.5: The Man Who Japed (5)
07 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part five of my series on Philip K. Dick's novel "The Man Who Japed".
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 78.4: The Man Who Japed (4)
07 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part four of my series on Philip K. Dick's novel "The Man Who Japed".
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 78.3: The Man Who Japed (3)
07 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part three of my series on Philip K. Dick's "The Man Who Japed".
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 78.2: The Man Who Japed (2)
07 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of my series on Philip K. Dick's novel, "The Man Who Japed."
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 78.1: The Man Who Japed (1)
07 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part one of a series on Philip K. Dick's novel "The Man Who Japed."
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 77; Autofac
07 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Finally we come to Philip K. Dick's clearest expression of one of his long running concepts, the "Autofac", as important today as it ever was.
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 76: Human Is
07 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
"Human Is" brings an end to an informal series of Philip K. Dick short stories on adultery, beginning with "Out in the Garden", "Beyond the Door," and...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 75: The Mold of Yancy
05 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In "The Mold of Yancy", Dick examines how the media can shape public perception and figures that the best way to create ideological conformity is to p...
Episode 96: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pathfinder (3)
05 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part 3 of my comments on James Fenimore Cooper's "The Pathfinder". This is the section where Natty (Pathfinder) has his heart broken.
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 74: The Chromium Fence
02 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the story "The Chromium Fence", Philip K. Dick explores technology and the debate over transhumanism. Are we forced to particpate in the updates of...
Episode 95: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pathfinder (2)
02 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part 2 of my series on James Fenimore Cooper's "The Pathfinder." We end up where we began, but we have lots of fun doing it.
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 73: Surface Raid
29 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In "Surface Raid," Philip K. Dick explores posthumanism in ways similiar to that of "Planet for Transients," but with deeper themes and emotional punc...
Episode 94: James Fenimore Cooper: The Pathfinder (1)
29 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In "The Pathfinder", James Fenimore Cooper picks up just a few months after the events of "The Last of the Mohicans". We see Natty Bummpo up to his ol...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 72: Psi-Man Heal My Child!
25 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this story, Philip K. Dick comes close to presenting a general theory of the post-human. Are they a threat? Are they the future? Are they are comra...
Episode 93: James Fenimore Cooper: The Last of the Mohicans (4)
25 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
And now, the finale of James Fenimore Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans".
Episode 92: James Fenimore Cooper: The Last of the Mohicans (3)
22 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part 3 of my review of James Fenimore Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans".
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 71: Service Call
22 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Do consumer goods control our minds? How does mass media, radio, or just the products in your hope affect your ideology? These are some of the questio...
Episode 91: James Fenimore Cooper: The Last of the Mohicans (2)
18 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of my review of James Fenimore Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans". In this episode we learn more about one of the best villans in early U.S....
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 70: The Hood Maker
18 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for the U.S. release of the episode of "Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams" comes my thoughts on the 1955 story. (Plus a few words on the e...
Episode 90: James Fenimore Cooper: The Last of the Mohicans (1)
15 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In thie episode we begin out look at the second of James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales, the epic adventure story "The Last of the Mohicans."...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 68: Nanny
12 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In "Nanny", Philip K Dick explores child rearing and automation. What will the robotics revolution mean for raising children? Can robots do a better j...
Episode 89: James Fenimore Cooper: The Deerslayer (5)
12 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
And now the conclusion to James Fenimore Cooper's "The Deerslayer."
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 67: Foster You're Dead
08 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What is the relationship between war and consumerism? What was the impact on children of the Cold War-era brinkmanship? To what degree is totalitarian...
Episode 88: James Fenimore Cooper: The Deerslayer (4)
08 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this section of my review of "The Deerslayer", I discuss torture and the morality of denying marriage. As the Deerslayer is on "furlough" from his ...
Episode 87: James Fenimore Cooper: The Deerslayer (3)
05 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive deeper into James Fenimore Cooper's novel "The Deerslayer": a ransom, a rescue, and a kidnapping.
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 66: War Veteran
05 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Philip K. Dick Book Club moves onto 1955. In "War Veteran" Dick plays with time travel and conspiracies and the ongoing conflict between Earth and...
Philip K. Dick Book Club: Episode 65: Strange Eden
01 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
And now for a story I really do not like, "Strange Eden". "Strange Eden" is a story of ancient alien explorers mixed with some mighty strange sexual p...
Episode 86: James Fenimore Cooper: The Deerslayer (2)
01 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I look at chapters 7 through 12 of James Fenimore Cooper's novel, "The Deerslayer." In this section, the Deerslayer, Natty Bummpo, mak...