American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)

In this episode, I look at some of James Weldon Johnson's early essays and the introductions to some of his edited work.

In this episode I will look at two Philip K. Dick tales that make up a single story. "Stand-by" and "What'll We Do WIth Ragland Park" together make a short novel about the media, automated political power, folk music, and posthumanism.

Back to some Philip K. Dick short stories. The first we will look at is "The Days of Perky Pat" a tale about war, the future, and Barbie dolls.

The finale of my review of James Weldon's Johnson autobigraphy, "Along This Way" Thsi part focuses on his civil rights work with the NAACP.

In this part of "Along This Way" James Weldon Johnson discusses his career in the State Department and his participation in U.S. imperialism in Latin America.

The finale of my review and commentary on Philip K. Dick's novel "The Gameplayers of Titan".    

 Part 2 of James Weldon Johnson's autobiography "Along This Way" looks at his time in New York with with his brother and his time as a school principal.

Part 3 of my review and comments of Philip K. Dick's "The Game-Players of Titan". Thanos has yet to show up.

"Along This Way" is James Weldon Johnson's autobiography. The first part of it explores his family and his education.

Part two of my comments on Philp K. Dick's "The Game-players of Titan".

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? Colonialism? Psychotherapy? Classical Music? In a Philip K. Dick novel of the 1960s, it can be about all those things.

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.

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-winning novel.

Part five of my review of "The Man in the High Castle".

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. Articles from the "Crisis"--lots of them.

Part four of my comments and review of Philip K. Dick's Hugo Award-winning novel "The Man in the High Castle".  

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."

More of "The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick.

Part 2 of my comments on Philip K. Dick's "The Man in the Hight Castle".

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".

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-determination after the war and the Marcus Garvey movement.

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 stories and novels of the 1950s. (Vulcan's Hammer and Dr. Futurity, published in 1960, were written much earlier). I will be back soon with the novels and stories of the 1960s, beginning with "The Man in the High Castle".

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.

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 thematically.

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 such as the founding of "The Crisis" and education.