Get Lit Podcast

Get Lit Episode 229: Harold Pinter

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we're featuring playwright/actor Harold Pinter and joined by Pinter enthusiast and literature teacher, Brian Hardie! Storie...

Get Lit Episode 228: William Golding

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textJust in time for the school year, we're profiling Lord of the Flies author William Golding! Join us and learn more about this curious ...

Get a Little Lit Episode 4: A Brief History of Pencils

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe've got a back-to-school special episode for you this week: A Brief History of Pencils! We're investigating the origins of this...

Get Lit Episode 227: Ida B. Wells

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're kicking off our series celebrating authors who were also teachers with Ida B. Wells! Known for her extraordinary activism in the...

Get Lit Episode 226: Mary Chase

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we're back with an episode on the remarkable Mary Chase. Known for her Pulitzer Prize winning play, Harvey, Chase wrote so ...

Get Lit Episode 225: Hrotsvitha

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're headed way back to the 10th century this week to discuss the incomparable Hrotsvitha! Her plays help us reconsider the ways wome...

Get Lit Episode 224: Noël Coward

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textJon takes over hosting this week to bring us a biography of acclaimed playwright Noël Coward. Coward wrote some of the most well-known and...

Get Lit Episode 223: Robert Browning

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we discuss Emily Barrett Browning's husband, Robert Browning! Also a poet and writer, Browning experimented with the dramat...

Get a Little Lit Episode 3: The American Revolution in Print

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're back for our 3rd Get a Little Lit Episode, just after the 4th of July: The American Revolution in Print! We take a closer look a...

Get Lit Episode 222: Catharine Maria Sedgwick

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis 4th of July, we salute the incredible Catharine Maria Sedgwick. Sedgwick chronicled the voices of those not often represented or heard...

Get Lit Episode 221: Zines

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're celebrating the end of Pride Month with a special episode about the Queer intersections of Zines! Zines (short for magazines) ha...

Get Lit Episode 220: Howard Ashman

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, Dan Esquivel guest stars during Pride month to feature Howard Ashman, the iconic lyricist, playwright, director, and more behind...

Get Lit Episode 219: Anne Lister

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe continue our celebration of Pride Month with Anne Lister - diarist, mountaineer, business woman, travel writer, and of course, lesbian! ...

Get Lit Episode 218: Arnold Lobel

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're kicking off Pride Month with a celebration of Frog & Toad creator Arnold Lobel! Lobel wrote simple, significant works that v...

Get Lit Episode 217: Elie Wiesel

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're ending our exploration of Jewish American Heritage Month with Elie Wiesel. Wiesel's iconic memoir 'Night' is for ...

Get Lit Episode 216: Norman Mailer

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textJon takes us all on a JOURNEY through Norman Mailer's life. Mailer was as much of a character as those he wrote. We discuss his colorf...

Get Lit Episode 215: Nora Ephron

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textNeed a respite this week? Join us for Nora Ephron whose masterful screenplays capture so much of what we love about love and love about eac...

Get Lit Episode 214: Emma Goldman

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a text IT'S. EMMA. GOLDMAN. This incendiary Jewish icon used her voice to fight for worker's rights, women's independence, access...

Get Lit Episode 213: Nelly Sachs

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textMay is Jewish History Month and we're heading out of Poetry Month with Nelly Sachs, a Jewish poet whose writings serve as a deep and a...

Get Lit Episode 212: Allen Ginsberg

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textJon takes over for our last week of Poetry Month with Allen Ginsberg! Ginsberg revolutionized the poetry scene and helped define the beat g...

Get Lit Episode 211: Edgar Lee Masters

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, another very-important-poet-with-three-names-the-first-of-which-is-Edgar... That's right! It's Edgar Lee Masters. Mast...

Get Lit Episode 210: Sara Teasdale

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're kicking off our 5th season with an episode on Sara Teasdale - master of lyric poetry, Pulitzer Prize winner, and archeologist of...

Get Lit Episode 209: L. Frank Baum (Live!)

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're celebrating the last episode of our 4th season with a trip to Oz! We're discussing the life of the legendary writer, chicke...

Get Lit Episode 208: Elizabeth Bishop

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textTo conclude Women's History Month and kick off National Poetry Month, we're proud to bring you Elizabeth Bishop. Bishop wrote cle...

Get Lit Episode 207: Elsa Maxwell

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textJoin us for some tall tales, short tales, and some stories that are truly the stuff of fairy tales as we discuss Elsa Maxwell. Maxwell revo...

Get Lit Episode 206: Lillian Hellman

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we're celebrating the strong, passionate, and powerful presence of Lillian Hellman. Hellman wrote plays that broke barriers...

Get Lit Episode 205: Sophie Treadwell

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week: murder, mayhem, and Machinal! That's right - we're bringing you Sophie Treadwell! This extraordinary woman was a groun...

Get Lit Episode 204: Mary Church Terrell

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we get to know Mary Church Terrell: activist, speaker, writer, and educator! Terrell's TIRELESS work changed the lives of B...

Get Lit Episode 203: William Wells Brown

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we learn about William Wells Brown! Who is he? An excellent question - Wells Brown was born into slavery, escaped, and spent his...

Get Lit Episode 202: Margaret Walker

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're continuing our celebration of Black History Month with Margaret Walker! This remarkable poet certainly walked the walk and wrote...

Get Lit Episode 201: James Weldon Johnson

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we're kicking off our Black History Month celebration by honoring the legacy of James Weldon Johnson, the brilliant writer ...

Get Lit Episode 200: Dante Alighieri

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textIt's our 200th episode! And we're descending into hell to learn more about Italian writer, poet, delegate,  and apothecary Dante...

Get Lit Episode 199: Sir Walter Scott

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, Jon takes over host duties to explore the legacy of a hugely influential author (and also clerk, sheriff, and other assorted job...

Get Lit Episode 198: Renée Vivien

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week: iconic lesbian bohemian poet Renée Vivien, everyone! She lived a fantastically wild life, writing work and living as her truest...

Get Lit Episode 197: Ezra Pound

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we unpack and interrogate the legacy of modernist poet Ezra Pound, who had a heavy hand in shaping contemporary poetry, but also...

Get Lit Episode 196: Ursula K. LeGuin

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're kicking off 2023 with an inspiration - Ursula K. LeGuin. A poet, novelist, essayist, short story writer, and fierce advocate for...

Get Lit Episode 195: Dylan Thomas

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week: lyrical, brilliant, clever, and spectacular, we look at the life of poet Dylan Thomas who fused a variety of art forms to craft ...

Get Lit Episode 194: A Ho-lit-day Anthology

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textJust in time for your Holiday work or school party, we have a very special 'Ho-LIT-day' episode for you full of stories, games, a...

Get Lit Episode 193: Hunter S. Thompson

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textIt's stories, facts, pranks, and curiosities galore this week as we learn about the life of journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Known for h...

Get Lit Episode 192: Angela Carter

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we're here to tell you about feminist icon Angela Carter who worked to forge her own path, traveling the world and infusing...

Get Lit Episode 191: Anton Chekhov

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're off to the theater this week, featuring Russian playwright and short story author, Anton Chekhov, MD! We dive into the backstory...

Get Lit Episode 190: Jack London

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textStephanie returns from California with an author in tow: Jack London - adventurer, author, activist, and Oyster Pirate? We explore his work...

Get Lit Episode 189: Charles Eastman

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we profile Native Doctor, author, activist, and speaker Charles Eastman. Eastman traveled around the world to raise awareness an...

Get Lit Episode 188: Zitkala-Ša

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textJust in time to mark this most recent election cycle, we honor the legacy of Zitkala-Ša - activist, writer, composer, and educator. She wo...

Get Lit Episode 187: Ella Cara Deloria

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textIt's Native American History Month! We're celebrating the legacy of Ella Cara Deloria: a ground-breaking novelist, anthropologist...

Get Lit Episode 186: Sylvia Plath

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textIn honor of what would have been Sylvia Plath's 90th birthday, we celebrate her work and explore the deep and abiding impact she had o...

Get Lit Episode 185: Ann Radcliffe & Charlotte Dacre

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textIn this special spooky episode, we feature two early engineers of Gothic horror/terror novels - Ann Radcliffe & Charlotte Dacre. These ...

Get Lit Episode 184: Luís de Camões

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textJon is back from his galavanting and brought back an author to share with us: Luís de Camões. This week, learn about this poet, author, a...

Get Lit Episode 183: Lord Byron

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textAiley and Mary from the 'Ghosts in the Closet' Podcast guest host this week as we cover the SCANDALOUS life of Lord Byron! This e...

Get Lit Episode 182: Aristotle & Sophocles

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textGuest host Dan Esquivel joins Stephanie this week as they cover two Greek powerhouse authors: Aristotle and Sophocles! This episode covers ...

Get Lit Episode 181: Vita Sackville-West

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're pleased to introduce your new favorite novelist-playwright-garden-designer-baroness-paramour, Vita Sackville-West! We're di...

Get Lit Episode 180: Printer's Row Lit Fest 2022

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis special episode covers our interviews, stories, and snippets from Printer's Row Lit Fest in Chicago, IL! We talked to people of a...

Get Lit Episode 179: Countee Cullen

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're exploring the much-neglected legacy of Countee Cullen, Harlem Renaissance poet, playwright, and also, Junior High School teacher...

Get Lit Episode 178: Mary Robinson

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we're featuring the 'Sappho of England': Mary Robinson (not the former Prime Minister of Ireland...)! She lived a...

Get Lit Episode 177: John Milton

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textEven though our author this week didn't live in Paradise, we hope our humor isn't totally Lost! That's right, we're lea...

Get Lit Episode 176: Griselda Gambaro

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, Dan Esquivel joins us to talk about the remarkable living legacy of Griselda Gambaro, Argentine playwright and activist who used...

Get Lit Episode 175: E.E. Cummings

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're waxing poetic about the legacy of the revolutionary and ever eccentric E.E. Cummings! We explore his work and interesting life a...

Get Lit Episode 174: Carolyn Keene

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're here to uncover the mystery behind the author of The Nancy Drew Series! Known to us as Carolyn Keene, the Nancy Drew novels were...

Get Lit Episode 173: Angelina Weld Grimké

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we're looking at the legacy of Angelina Weld Grimké: poet, playwright, and physical education teacher? That's right! ...

Get Lit Episode 172: Thomas Chatterton

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're covering the flash of tragic poetic brilliance that was Thomas Chatterton. We explore his history and influence along with a hea...

Get Lit Episode 171: Ada Lovelace

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textIn a bit of a twist this week, we're celebrating the poetic technical writing of Ada Lovelace. Widely considered among the first compu...

Get Lit Episode 170: Selma Lagerlöf

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textMeet the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature: Selma Lagerlöf! In addition to her groundbreaking literary accomplishments, Lag...

Get Lit Episode 169: Federico García Lorca

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're wrapping up our Pride Month Celebration with Federico García Lorca, a poet, playwright, musician, and artist who helped spur a ...

Get Lit Episode 168: Margaret Wise Brown

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textGet to know the whimsical, hard-working, clever, and Queer author behind the classic children's picture book Goodnight Moon. Margaret ...

Get Lit Episode 167: Natalie Clifford Barney

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textShe has arrived. The Queen of the Paris Lesbians: Natalie Clifford Barney! We're so delighted to speak about the legacy of the woman w...

Get Lit Episode 166: Christopher Isherwood

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're continuing our celebration of Pride Month with Christopher Isherwood, who not only contributed greatly to gay literature, but al...

Get Lit Episode 165: Radclyffe Hall

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textIn this week's very special kick off to Pride Month, Steph is joined by co-hosts of the 'Ghosts in the Closet' Podcast, Aile...

Get Lit Episode 164: Sanmao

25 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, meet the remarkable bohemian author Sanmao who made an incredible impact on the world (very literally - she visited over 50 coun...

Get Lit Episode 163: Carlos Bulosan

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're headed to the Pacific Northwest as Jon takes over this week to present on the incredible author, activist, poet laureate, and ch...

Get Lit Episode 162: Anne Frank

11 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week,  in recognition of Jewish American History Month, we honor the legacy of Anne Frank and her extraordinary diary. We hope to fur...

Get Lit Episode 161: Rudyard Kipling

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're taking a dive into the complex legacy of Rudyard Kipling. Join us in challenging the traditional cannon and learn more about the...

Get Lit Episode 160: Fanny Burney

27 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we're featuring an extraordinary playwright, novelist, diarist, and Keeper of the Robes - Fanny Burney! In addition to thes...

Get Lit Episode 159: H.D.

20 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textH.D. doesn't ring a bell? Hilda Doolittle, maybe? Regardless of how familiar she might be to you, you'll definitely enjoy this we...

Get Lit Episode 158: 4th Anniversary Celebration

13 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, Get Lit celebrates its 4th birthday! We celebrate by giving some superlative awards (Most likely to star in a reality TV series,...

Get Lit Episode 157: Jules Verne

06 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textJump aboard the USS Get Lit as we journey to the depths of the earth, center of the sea and orbits of the moon through the adventurous life...

Get Lit Episode 156: Sylvia Beach

30 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week's hot take: we should all want to be Sylvia Beach when we grow up... Learn more about the founder of Shakespeare and Company...

Get Lit Episode 155: James Joyce

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textJust in time for extended St. Patrick's Day festivities, we're celebrating Irish author James Joyce, author of Ulysses, The Dubli...

Get Lit Episode 154: E.B. White

16 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textSome pig! Well, author... This week, we're recounting the life of E.B. White, author of numerous novels, poems, and essays for childre...

Get Lit Episode 153: Lady Gregory

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textMeet the woman behind the Irish literary renaissance: Lady Augusta Gregory! A preservation powerhouse, Lady Gregory ensured that Irish hist...

Get Lit Episode 152: Sir Walter Raleigh

02 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textYou may know him as an 'explorer' but we're discussing Sir Walter Raleigh as a poet and author whose titles are nearly as lo...

Get Lit Episode 151: Nella Larsen

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're taking a deeper dive into the women of the Harlem Renaissance with this week's author, Nella Larsen. Larson was a nurse, li...

Get Lit Episode 150: Jessie Redmon Fauset

16 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textGet to know the extraordinary woman behind the Harlem Renaissance: Jessie Redmon Fauset! This remarkable teacher, editor, and author helped...

Get Lit Episode 149: Alain Locke

09 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we're featuring Alain Lock, the Father of the Harlem Renaissance and an incredible trail blazer for African Americans in th...

Get Lit Episode 148: bell hooks

02 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textTo kick off our celebration of Black Authors for Black History Month, we honor the legacy of bell hooks, who died this past December after ...

Get Lit Episode 147: Geoffrey Chaucer

26 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're on a literary pilgrimage of sorts as we trace the life of Geoffrey Chaucer, 'The Father of English Literature' across ...

Get Lit Episode 146: A.A. Milne

19 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textPossibly our most charming episode yet, we're celebrating the literary contributions of author, playwright, and poet A.A. Milne! Most ...

Get Lit Episode 145: Julia Ward Howe

12 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, a tribute to the woman who did all she could to further equality for all and then kept going: Julia Ward Howe. Most famous for w...

Get Lit Episode 144: Robert Louis Stevenson

05 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textLooking for some inspiration for 2022? Let Robert Louis Stevenson show you the way! This popular Scottish author took young and old readers...

Get Lit Episode 143: Joan Didion

29 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textIn our last episode of 2021, we remember Joan Didion who revolutionized journalism as we know it, capturing the unique American experiences...

Get Lit Episode 142: A Christmas Anthology II

22 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, just in time for Christmas, we answer all your literary-oriented Christmas questions! Ever wonder why Charles Dickens wrote Chri...

Get Lit Episode 141: Robert Frost

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textAs we head into December, the time for FROST is upon us! That's right - Robert Frost! We head out East (mostly) to explore the life of...

Get Lit Episode 140: George Sand

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textA noble bloodline. A stay at a convent. Crossdressing. Hidden identities. Numerous affairs. Revolution. Sound like the plot of a fantastic ...

Get Lit Episode 139: Stephen Sondheim

01 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textThis week, we remember theatrical titan Stephen Sondheim and his extraordinary life and legacy. His lyrics brought a profound freedom to th...

Get Lit Episode 138: Simon Pokagon

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textTo honor American Indian Heritage Month, we're featuring author, speaker, and activist, Simon Pokagon. Known for his work advocating f...

Get Lit Episode 137: W.B. Yeats

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe're spending this week in Europe, as we cover poet, playwright, and the first Nobel Laureate in Literature from Ireland: William But...

Get Lit Episode 136: Jorge Louis Borges

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWe heard you called for a magical realist, multilingual, genre-defying author from Argentina! And we're here to deliver! Well, Jon spe...

Get Lit Episode 135: Neith Boyce

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textNever heard of Neith Boyce? Meet the woman who wanted to make it possible for women to live as bachelors. A columnist, journalist, novelist...

Get a Little Lit Episode 2: Spooky Books!

30 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textJust in time for Halloween, we jump into the history of some more unusual books, featuring a how-to guide to summoning your own demon, book...

Get Lit Episode 134: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textJon is enroute to Germany and shares his explorations of the life of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German Shakespeare. There are career s...

Get Lit Episode 133: Mary Heaton Vorse

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textArguably the most important labor journalist of the 20th century, Mary Heaton Vorse advocated for the rights of women, children, workers, a...