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S3E29 It's Burns Night! And to celebrate, here's an episode all about the Caledonian Bard's witch tale, Tam o' Shanter. Tune in for a discussion of Burns in Edinburgh, the folk tale origin of his story and the poem's sumptuous use of rhyme. With apologies to Scottish accents everywhere.  Sound Bite: Burns.. The Myth & The Man (1994) Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epi...

S3E28 Ash is joined by actor and writer Debbie Cannon to discuss a classic of medieval literature, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Tune in for a discussion of alliterative verse, the pitfalls of chivalry and the unusual agency of female characters on show in this extraordinary poem, written in the days of Chaucer and translated by the likes of J. R. R. Tolkien and Simon Armitage.  Check back tomo...

S3E27 Finally! After three attempts, Ash and Adam have at last recorded an episode on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Join us for a festive discussion about Victorian Christmases, ghosts, quibbling and our favourite adaptations of this classic tale. Thank you everyone for the support in 2020 and a very happy new year to all our listeners!  Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other...

S3E26 A rusty return to Foul Papers featuring an appalling American accent, a hardboiled poem from Irvine Welsh, a big fat quiz and an episode of Barclay and Woof.  Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  www.patreon.com/earreadthis @earreadthis earreadthis@gmail.com facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E25 Let's have a day off the Plantagenets and King Arthur, and go fishing with Ted Hughes in a pond as deep as England. Funnily enough, what we reel in will take us right back to Shakespeare, as we discuss everything from Williamson's Salmon to Wittgenstein's Lion.  To read along with Ash check our Instagram page @earreadthis and pack your wellies.  Sound Bite: Ted Hughes reading Pike.  Listen t...

S3E24 Today, Ash is once again joined by Rob Myles and Sarah Peachey from The Show Must Go Online, to talk more in detail about their wonderful work: namely, casting, rehearsing and performing live on Zoom a new Shakespeare play every week! Something they've done since March, and are now close to having performed the entire Shakespeare canon.  To find out more about the great work of The Show Must...

S3E23 Previously on the Plantagenets: Prince Hal, the future King Henry V had proved his royal chops by killing Hotspur at the Battle of Shrewsbury. His father lies gravely ill. Falstaff continues to entertain, but for him too, time is running out. Today, Ash is once again joined by Rob Myles and Sarah Peachey from The Show Must Go Online, to discuss Henry IV Part 2.  To find out more about the gr...

S3E22 We’re back on Shakespeare's History plays, picking up a year or so after the events of Richard II. Today, Ash is joined by Rob Myles and Sarah Peachey - co-creators of The Show Must Go Online - to discuss Henry IV, Part 1. To find out more about the great work of The Show Must Go Online, and to access all of their past productions, visit www.robmyles.co.uk/theshowmustgoonline Watch TSMGO’s p...

S3E21 It's closing time in the bingo hall, as Adam and Ash have run out of both balls and patience. One last trundle from Mr. Patterson gives us more fascinating background on all the husbands in his Slop to Sling at Women #94 and some amazing lasagne. Apologies for giving up, and just apologies.  Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  www.patreon.com/earrea...

S3E20 Today, we have an extended interview with Tom Williams, biographer of Raymond Chandler. Check out yesterday's episode on the life of Chandler, and get Tom's fantastic book A Mysterious Something in the Light here:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mysterious-Something-Light-Raymond-Chandler/dp/1613736789/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=a+mysterio You can reach Tom on Twitter at @twilliams81 Title Music...

S3E19 Today, Ash is joined by Tom Williams to talk about the life of Raymond Chandler. Tom has written a fantastic biography of Chandler called A Mysterious Something in the Light - which you can find on Amazon using the link below: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mysterious-Something-Light-Raymond-Chandler/dp/1613736789/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=a+mysterio You can reach Tom on Twitter at @twilliams81...

S3E18 Following on from the blood, thunder and turbulent priests of yesterday's episode, today Ash is joined once again by Dr. Jayme Stayer, President of the International T. S. Eliot Society to discuss his work as one of the editors of Eliot's Complete Prose, the release of the Emily Hale archive and the work of the Society. International T. S. Eliot Society: http://tseliot.sites.luc.edu/   Back...

S3E17 Ash is joined today by special guest, Dr. Jayme Stayer, President of the International T.S. Eliot Society, to discuss the poet's 1935 play, Murder in the Cathedral.  To find out more about the society, check the links below to visit their website and see some of the work written by their members.  International T. S. Eliot Society: http://tseliot.sites.luc.edu/   Back issues of the Society n...

S3E16 Today we discuss the delightful first entry in T.H. White's Arthurian epic The Once and Future King. A novel "unique in it's creation of a childhood for King Arthur" (here nicknamed the Wart), The Sword in the Stone shows the future King of England receiving tuition from Merlyn. Join us for talk about favourite childhood reads, missing cannibals and tyrant pike.   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by...

S3E15 Following on from our episode on Richard II, Ash is joined once again by Gregory Gudgeon, to talk about his fabulous production of the play, as well as the art of verse speaking, puppetry and much more.  You can check out the show's Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/events/410847263027877 Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. Sound Bite: Richard II (1960). All other music by Epidemic S...

S3E14 Today, Ash is joined by special guest Gregory Gudgeon to talk about Richard II, Shakespeare’s most lyrical history play. Gregory has recently performed the role in the fantastic production Puppet King Richard II, which you can hear more about in tomorrow’s extended interview. In the meantime check out the show's Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/events/410847263027877 Title Music: 'Not Drun...

S3E13 Enjoy today's installment of Lady Crime - which is heavy on airports, men and nothing happening, but was excitingly recorded in an all new bingo-hall.  Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. www.patreon.com/earreadthis @earreadthis earreadthis@gmail.com facebook.com/earreadthis    

S3E12 A contentious episode today as Ash and Adam discuss Edward III, a play about the medieval King, which might have been written by William Shakespeare.  We're going to say it was for today, in order to better place it among our other episodes on Shakespeare's History plays. Because as we'll see, Edward looms large over the Plantagenets to come.  Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. Sound...

S3E11 *ERIC. I mean ERIC Weinstein throughout. Pls don't suicide me.  Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. www.patreon.com/earreadthis @earreadthis earreadthis@gmail.com facebook.com/earreadthis    

S3E10 Following on from yesterday's chat with Michael Smith about the alliterative Morte Arthur, today we have an extended interview in which Ash asks Michael about the process of translating from Middle English, his lino-cut prints, and where he got started with medieval literature. His book recommendation is Richard II by Nigel Saul from the Yale English Monarchs Series. To pledge towards Michae...

S3E9 Today, Ash is joined by special guest Michael Smith to talk about the alliterative Morte Arthur, a long poem composed in the 14th century. Michael is completing a new tranlsation of the poem, and so we’re very lucky to have him share some insights into the Alliterative’s Arthur’s provenance, it’s original readership, the joy of alliterative verse and its connections to other medieval Arthuria...

S3E8 And so we march on through the bingo hall of death and dullness. This week features talk about James Patterson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, an overly elaborate DUI and a whole lot of zero, zip, nada.  Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  www.patreon.com/earreadthis @earreadthis earreadthis@gmail.com facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E7 Today, Christopher Marlowe takes us back to Elizabethan theatre! We’re going to be spending quite a lot of time with the Plantagenet Kings of England, and today we meet our first family member, Edward II. Tune in to find out about the real Edward, Marlowe’s inspiration and sources, and how the play has been received critically over the centuries. Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. Sou...

S3E6 The James Patterson Bingo experiment continues and the horror is setting in.  Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  www.patreon.com/earreadthis @earreadthis earreadthis@gmail.com facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E5 Or as James Patterson might call it: "The Seventh Episode".  Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  www.patreon.com/earreadthis @earreadthis earreadthis@gmail.com facebook.com/earreadthis