In this episode, Professor Lawrence Warner joins us to talk about Adam Pinkhurst, a 14th century scribe who may or may not have been cursed in a humorous poem by Geoffrey Chaucer. We explore the evidence for Pinkhurst’s identification as Chaucer’s “owne scriveyn” behind two early manuscripts of The Canterbury Tales, enjoy some impromptu Middle English recitation, and question the relationship between paleography and literary studies.
To hear the full conversation, become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
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7:26
Anglo-Saxon Attitudes by Angus Wilson
And we're back with a new season and episode covering Angus Wilson's Anglo-Saxon Attitudes, first published in 1956. The book tells the story of an archealogical hoax and its slow revelation due to the reluctant intervention of Gerald Middleton, a depressive medieval historian. We talk about the novelist versus the historian's investigation of truth, Wilson's treatment of gay relationships, and parallels with the Bayeux Tapestry.
This episode is the first in a pair about medievalism and its ambiguities. Join our Patreon to follow along: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
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1:16:39
Shorts: Unbound with Jonathan Meades and John Mitchinson
On this episode of Shorts, we're talking to author Jonathan Meades and publisher John Mitchinson about the unique publishing process at Unbound. We discuss how they each became readers, Unbound's roots in the subscription model of the 17th century, Meades' magnum opus, and more.
Order Empty Wigs: https://unbound.com/books/empty-wigs
Join the Unbound newsletter: https://unbound.com/newsletter
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29:45
Teaser: A Tomb for Boris Davidovich by Danilo Kiš
In this episode, we talk about A Tomb for Boris Davidovich by Danilo Kiš and Philip Roth's Writers from the Other Europe series from the 1970s and 80s.
Listen to the full episode on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
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7:51
Ending Up with Craig Brown
Author and critic Craig Brown joins us to discuss Kingsley Amis' novel Ending Up. The story follows a group of poverty-stricken elders as they suffer the miseries of one another's company (and their relatives) over the holidays. We talk about the limits of comic writing, Amis' penchant for irritation, and the context of 1970s England. It's our 50th NYRB Classic! Let's cut the telephone wires in celebration!
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384