How to Read
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
In Sacred Spaces 3: The Pier (with The House of Louboutin)
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to In Sacred Spaces, a three-episode series in which we visit spaces around NewClick here for more about the episode...In Sacred Spaces 3: The...
In Sacred Spaces 2: Grace Congregational Church of Harlem (with Nigel and Lisa Pearce)
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to In Sacred Spaces, a three-episode series in which we visit spaces around NewClick here for more about the episode...In Sacred Spaces 2: Gra...
In Sacred Spaces 1: St James Presbyterian (With Derrick McQueen)
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to In Sacred Spaces, a three-episode series in which we visit spaces around NewClick here for more about the episode...In Sacred Spaces 1: St ...
The sounds of medieval books (with Andrew Albin)
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Reading today is typically silent – whether reading a book in a library or readingClick here for more about the episode...The sounds of medieval boo...
Reenacting the past (with Catherine Grant)
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When you think about historical reenactment, you probably think about reenacting Civil War battles orClick here for more about the episode...Reenactin...
The history of homemade books (with Deidre Lynch)
05 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We may think of reading and writing as opposite activities, but there’s a long historyClick here for more about the episode...The history of homemad...
Why apocalypse isn’t all bad (with Jennifer M. Wilks)
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the Bible, the Apocalypse is the end of the world as we know it,Click here for more about the episode...Why apocalypse isn’t all bad (with Jennif...
Musical storytelling with repurposed texts (with Randall Eng)
11 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Music can tell stories in a variety of ways: operas and musicals have characters andClick here for more about the episode...Musical storytelling with ...
The hidden politics of translation (with Lamyu Maria Bo)
20 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
During the Cold War, the US and Chinese governments didn’t drop bombs on each other,Click here for more about the episode...The hidden politics of t...
One-sided relationships (with Elaine Auyoung)
05 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A one-sided relationship is a bad relationship, right? Not necessarily, says Elaine Auyoung. She’s interestedClick here for more about the episode.....
Language and injustice in the classroom (with Nelson Flores)
23 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What we notice about someone else’s language is less to do with language itself thanClick here for more about the episode...Language and injustice i...
Understanding chronic pain (with Travis Chi Wing Lau)
16 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chronic pain is pain that lasts for months, years or even a lifetime, and doctorsClick here for more about the episode...Understanding chronic pain (w...
The politics of chill (with Robin James)
02 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You may have noticed that music has been sounding more chilled out recently, with softerClick here for more about the episode...The politics of chill ...
Communities of readers (with Janice Radway)
19 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The classic image of a reader is someone alone with their eyes on a book,Click here for more about the episode...Communities of readers (with Janice R...
Cheerleading and the history of sport (with Frank Guridy)
05 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you picture a cheerleader, you probably imagine a woman. But in the early twentiethClick here for more about the episode...Cheerleading and the h...
Predictability in life and art (with Caroline Levine)
04 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Do you want to live a predictable life? Can great art ever be predictable? MostClick here for more about the episode...Predictability in life and art ...
Why we click with art (with Rita Felski)
20 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we click with some works of art and not others? Why does itClick here for more about the episode...Why we click with art (with Rita Felski)
The value of local knowledge (with Paige West)
06 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When you think of an expert or specialist, you might picture a scientist with aClick here for more about the episode...The value of local knowledge (w...
Readers under lockdown (with Leah Price)
23 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What’s happened to reading during the COVID-19 pandemic? Some people are too busy or stressedClick here for more about the episode...Readers under l...
Images of protests (with Colin Wayne Leach)
09 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Images of protest have a visceral power to grab our attention. Colin Leach has beenClick here for more about the episode...Images of protests (with Co...
Season 4 trailer
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Milan, Olivia and Colby talk about season 4, the challenges of recording remotely and why…Click here for more about the episode...Season 4 trailer
How (not) to read arrogantly (with Paula Moya)
28 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The world doesn’t revolve around you! Many children, and plenty of adults too, have heardClick here for more about the episode...How (not) to read a...
The appeal of crystals through the ages (with Marisa Galvez)
14 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Many people today surround themselves with crystals, whether for healing properties or as part ofClick here for more about the episode...The appeal of...
Pauses in Japanese and American literature (with Andrew Leong)
07 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We usually don’t pay much attention to pauses in language – it’s easy to assumeClick here for more about the episode...Pauses in Japanese and Am...
Atmospheres in literature and life (with Dora Zhang)
23 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Atmospheres are both insubstantial and yet very palpable – for example, think about tension thatClick here for more about the episode...Atmospheres ...
Dancing stars in Indian cinema (with Usha Iyer)
08 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Spectacular dance sequences are one of the most recognizable elements of Indian cinema, and femaleClick here for more about the episode...Dancing star...
Poetry, prayer and paying attention (with David Marno)
25 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s difficult to maintain attention when surrounded by distractions. Even if we’re just trying toClick here for more about the episode...Poetry, ...
The art of bingeing (with Michaela Bronstein)
11 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For many people, binge-watching is a guilty pleasure. In the Golden Age of Television, weClick here for more about the episode...The art of bingeing (...
Not having time to read (with Christina Lupton)
20 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s hard to find time for undistracted reading, and it’s easy to blame modern developmentsClick here for more about the episode...Not having time...
Why it’s good to read like a teenager (with Juno Jill Richards)
06 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a negative stereotype of teenage readers as naively absorbed in their favourite books –Click here for more about the episode...Why it’s ...
How art can transform us (with Laurie Paul)
16 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Life experiences can transform us in many ways, and Laurie Paul wants us to appreciateClick here for more about the episode...How art can transform us...
The idea of dirtiness (with Stephanie Newell)
01 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We tend to have a visceral response to someone we think is dirty. But StephanieClick here for more about the episode...The idea of dirtiness (with Ste...
What we remember after reading (with Andrew Elfenbein)
16 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After we finish reading a book, our memories of it quickly fade and can evenClick here for more about the episode...What we remember after reading (wi...
Policing reading in colonial Egypt (with Michael Allan)
25 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It might seem obvious that it’s good to read in ways that are literary, criticalClick here for more about the episode...Policing reading in colonial...
Weird ways poems address their readers (with Jonathan Culler)
07 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Many poems speak to a “you” who is not you the reader. And when aClick here for more about the episode...Weird ways poems address their readers (w...
Remakes, sequels and other story expansions (with Sarah Chihaya)
23 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What do we want when we revisit a beloved story? Sarah Chihaya suggests we’re drawnClick here for more about the episode...Remakes, sequels and othe...
How illustrations reshaped the Romantic legacy (with Tom Mole)
09 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When we think about the generation before us, we might feel that their cultural touchstonesClick here for more about the episode...How illustrations r...
Why Eve got blamed (with Stephen Greenblatt)
26 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The basic story of Adam and Eve is that Eve was tempted by a serpent,Click here for more about the episode...Why Eve got blamed (with Stephen Greenbla...
Identifying with characters (with Merve Emre)
12 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Some academics think that reading a book just to identify with a character is self-centredClick here for more about the episode...Identifying with cha...
Literature from speech to writing and back (with Martin Puchner)
28 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We tend to think of literature as something that’s written down. But Martin Puchner isClick here for more about the episode...Literature from speech...
The history of the chapter (with Nicholas Dames)
01 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Pick up a novel today, and it’s almost guaranteed to be divided up into chapters.Click here for more about the episode...The history of the chapter ...
How to read philosophy (with Kwame Anthony Appiah)
17 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You might not think writing style matters in philosophy. But Kwame Anthony Appiah – aClick here for more about the episode...How to read philosophy ...
Philadelphia’s utopian roots (with Bethany Wiggin)
03 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A utopia presents an ideal world that has overcome the problems of the present. ForClick here for more about the episode...Philadelphia’s utopian ...
Global currents in US literature (with Wai Chee Dimock)
20 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What connects Langston Hughes to Hong Kong, Malcolm X to Mecca, and Syrian merchants to the 9/11 memorial? In this episode, English professor Wai Chee...
The long history of reading aloud (with Roger Chartier)
06 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The idea of putting spaces between written words didn’t develop until thousands of years afterClick here for more about the episode...The long histo...
The politics of disobedient wives (with Julie Crawford)
22 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
During the Renaissance, a writer could be imprisoned just for claiming that a husband beatingClick here for more about the episode...The politics of d...
Social networks in novels (with Paul Saint-Amour)
08 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when we apply today’s ideas about social networks back onto literature of theClick here for more about the episode...Social networks in...
Why description matters (with Heather Love)
25 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest Heather Love is out to convince us of the value of description —Click here for more about the episode...Why description matters (with Heat...
Atrocity, time, and the novel (with Bruce Robbins)
11 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We live in a world with a long history of atrocity — from the colonizationClick here for more about the episode...Atrocity, time, and the novel (wit...
Intriguing opening sentences (with Jenny Davidson)
28 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes it pays to zoom in. Today, we focus on some opening sentences which reward closeClick here for more about the episode...Intriguing opening ...