Ear Read This

S3E104 Today, Ash broadcasts from the Hermitage of Braid in Morningside, to talk about a poem Robert Fergusson was inspired to write on a visit there in 1771.    Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis earreadthis@gmail.com facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E103 Today, Ash interviews Frank Rennie, Professor of Sustainable Rural Development at the University of the Highlands and Islands and author of numerous books, including this year's The Merlin. Tune in to find out more about this elusive and magical raptor, from it's earliest fossil records to the environmental challenges facing it today.    To order a copy of Frank's book, click here:   https:...

S3E102 Today, Ash interviews Edinburgh-based author Krystelle Bamford about her debut novel, Idle Grounds for a conversation ranging from Scotland to the "horse country" of New England.    To order a copy of Krystelle's book, click here:   https://www.amazon.co.uk/Idle-Grounds-Krystelle-Bamford/dp/1529154588   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadt...

S3E101 Donald Smith takes us on a literary tour of Edinburgh's Old Town, touching on the stories of writers including Robert Louis Stevenson, J. K. Rowling, Naomi Mitchison, Robert Burns and many more.    To order a copy of Donald's book, Our Storied Town, click here:    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edinburgh-Storied-Town-Donald-Smith/dp/180425150X   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All othe...

S3E100 Miles Leeson returns to the podcast to talk about Iris Murdoch, this time concentrating on her short collection of poems, A Year of Birds.    Miles and Ash discuss connections between Murdoch's poetry and philosophy, the critical reputation of her poems and some of the folklore tradition associated with her chosen birds.    To pre-order a copy of Poems from an Attic:  https://www.penguin.co...

S3E99 Today Ash looks at not one but three short poems composed by Robert Burns on the subject of his 'elder brother in the Muse', Robert Fergusson.    Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis earreadthis@gmail.com facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E98 Today's special episode of Ear Read This was recorded on location in Portobello Library, where Ash interviewed novelist Alice Thompson about artificial intelligence, the effect of Edinburgh on the imagination of a writer and the influence of Sylvia Plath.  For copies of books mentioned in the podcast please visit Salt Publishing:  https://www.saltpublishing.com/products/chimera-9781784632540...

S3E97 Iconic Edinburgh poet Robert Fergusson is the subject of today's podcast, as Ash looks at his breakthrough poem, 'The Daft Days':  Now mirk December’s dowie face Glowrs owr the rigs wi sour grimace, While, thro’ his minimum of space, The bleer-ey’d sun, Wi blinkin light and stealing pace, His race doth run. From naked groves nae birdie sings, To shepherd’s pipe nae hillock rings, The breeze...

S3E96 On today's episode, Ash looks at a poem from Frieda Hughes' debut collection, Wooroloo, discussing Hughes' longstanding connection with birds, and how 'Kookaburra' relates to the poetry of her parents, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath.    Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis earreadthis@gmail.com facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E95 A belated Burns Night celebration, featuring one of Burns' lesser liked poems. But one of the only poems to inspire a toilet seat. Tune in for an exploration of Burns' time in Edinburgh, the Enlightenment's paradoxical attitude to Scottishness, and lots of rhyme-whining.    Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis earreadthis@gmail.com faceb...

S3E94 As a Halloween treat, Ash talks with the author of Ominous Whoosh: A Wandering Mind Returns to Twin Peaks, John Thorne. Tune in for a in-depth conversation about Twin Peaks with one of the leading scholars of the show.  Follow John on Twitter here: @thornewip And purchase Ominous Whoosh: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ominous-Whoosh-Wandering-Returns-Peaks-ebook/dp/B0BCNXTCLJhttp://www.patriciagri...

S3E93 Ash is again joined by Trish Grisafi to talk about her book Breaking Down Plath as well as Plath's relationship with feminism, the changing reputation of Plath and the "Plath phase".  Follow Trish on Twitter here: @PatriciaGrisafi And visit her website: http://www.patriciagrisafi.com/about-1   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis earread...

S3E92 Ash is joined by Patricia Grisafi to discuss 'Stings' by Sylvia Plath, the third poem in her Bee Sequence. Tune in for a conversation about red comets, queen bees, and scapegoats. Follow Trish on Twitter here: @PatriciaGrisafi And visit her website: http://www.patriciagrisafi.com/about-1   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis earreadthis...

S3E91 On today's extended interview, Ash talks some more to Peter K. Steinberg, about his work as co-editor of the Collected Letters of Sylvia Plath and The Collected Writings of Assia Wevill. Follow Peter on Twitter here: @sylviaplathinfo And visit his website https://sylviaplathinfo.blogspot.com/   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis earrea...

S3E90 Ash is joined again by Peter K. Steinberg to discuss Sylvia Plath's late poem 'The Swarm'. Tune in to hear about Plath's interest in Napoleon, her experiences bee-keeping and Peter's theory that The Swarm may contain coded references to Assia Wevill.  Follow Peter on Twitter here: @sylviaplathinfo And visit his website https://sylviaplathinfo.blogspot.com/   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The J...

S3E89 Ash is joined by Peter K. Steinberg to discuss Sylvia Plath's fascinating poem, 'Electra on Azalea Path'. Tune in for a discussion about reckless psychoanalysis, bumblebees (and their ways) and... Tolkien?  Follow Peter on Twitter here: @sylviaplathinfo And visit his website https://sylviaplathinfo.blogspot.com/   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound. ...

S3E88 Ash is joined again by Kate Levey to talk more about her mother, Brigid Brophy: her work outside of writing, her relationship with Iris Murdoch and her reputation today.  Follow Kate on Twitter here: @brophylevey And visit her website www.brigidbrophy.com If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis   Title Music: 'Not Drunk'...

S3E87 "Mozart, sex and death" is in store today, as Ash and his guest Kate Levey discuss her mother's brilliant 1964 novel, The Snow Ball.  Follow Kate on Twitter here: @brophylevey And visit her website www.brigidbrophy.com If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by...

S3E86 Following on from episodes on The Spanish Tragedy and The Birth of Merlin, Darren Freebury-Jones joins Ash once again, this time to talk about his own work on Thomas Kyd and early modern authorship studies.  Follow Darren on Twitter here: @Freeburian And order a copy of his book, Shakespeare's Tutor, here: https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526164742/ If you enjoy my work and would...

S3E85 Ash is joined again by Shakespearean scholar, Darren Freebury-Jones to discuss a rarely-performed Jacobean play, The Birth of Merlin or The Child Hath Found its Father. Their conversation takes in the play's controversial authorship question, the special effects of early modern theatre and Arthurian drama.  Follow Darren on Twitter here: @Freeburian And order a copy of his book, Shakespeare'...

S3E84 Ash is joined by Shakespearean scholar, Darren Freebury-Jones to discuss Thomas Kyd's hugely influential play, The Spanish Tragedy. As well as talking about Darren's specialist subject, the influence of Kyd on Shakespeare, in today's wide-ranging episode we talk about the genre of revenge, the contemporary religious crises in Kyd's England, and the playwright's own sufferings at the hands of...

S3E83 To celebrate Burns Night, Ash talks about Robert Burns' Now Westlin Winds, a song written at the very start of the Bard's career. Tune in for a discussion of the circumstances that inspired the song, and the long and fruitful afterlife it has had in the repertoire of folk-singers from Burns' day to our own.   Songs featured:   I Had A Horse and I Had Nae Mair by Katherine Campbell: https://y...

S3E82 Ash is joined once again by poet Sarah Corbett to discuss her writing, both poetry and fiction, her vision for The Sylvia Plath Literary Festival and its accompanying anthology, After Sylvia. Follow the festival for updates on digital events here:  @plathfest And follow Sarah on Twitter:  @sarahcorbett70 If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https:...

S3E81 Poet, novelist and Plath Fest Director Sarah Corbett joins Ash to discuss Plath's November Graveyard; a poem about death, resurrection and the Yorkshire countryside.  Follow Sarah on Twitter:  @sarahcorbett70 If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Merchandise!  https://ear-read-this.creator-spring.com/   Title Music: 'N...

S3E80 Donnie Secreast joins Ash again to talk more about Hardcastle Crags, environmental themes in Plath's work and her search for a 'universal element'.  Read Donnie's article here:  muse.jhu.edu/article/750706 And follow her on Twitter:  @donniesecreast If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Merchandise!  https://ear-read-t...