Get Lit Podcast

Send us Fan Mail This week, we're celebrating the strong, passionate, and powerful presence of Lillian Hellman. Hellman wrote plays that broke barriers, advocated for workers and women, and stood up to the most powerful people in America. Her work and way of living are very inspiring, with just a touch of spite and magic! 

Send us Fan Mail This week: murder, mayhem, and Machinal! That's right - we're bringing you Sophie Treadwell! This extraordinary woman was a groundbreaking journalist, author, actress, and playwright who forged forward, leaving chaos but paving the way for other women to follow. Her work, like her, is strong, powerful, and passionate! Join us! 

Send us Fan Mail This week, we get to know Mary Church Terrell: activist, speaker, writer, and educator! Terrell's TIRELESS work changed the lives of Black people across the U.S. She advocated for women's voting rights, worked on anti-lynching and desegregation campaigns, all while teaching, writing, and lecturing around the world. Terrell's ineffable spirit should certainly serve a...

Send us Fan Mail This week, we learn about William Wells Brown! Who is he? An excellent question - Wells Brown was born into slavery, escaped, and spent his life advocating for abolition and rights for women through his writing, exceptional speeches and activism. He helped dozens of other enslaved people to freedom, toured the US and Europe, and became a Doctor toward the end of his life. Wells Br...

Send us Fan Mail We're continuing our celebration of Black History Month with Margaret Walker! This remarkable poet certainly walked the walk and wrote the... writing? She used the power of her pen to advocate for Black women, while teaching and creating space to celebrate and uplift Black creatives! Join us for this and a little Valentine's Day appreciation! 

Send us Fan Mail This week, we're kicking off our Black History Month celebration by honoring the legacy of James Weldon Johnson, the brilliant writer behind 'Lift Every Voice and Sing'. BUT did you know that Johnson wrote numerous other poems, articles, and songs in addition to being a school principal, lawyer, diplomat, jingle writer, Broadway composer, and professor? There's...

Send us Fan Mail It's our 200th episode! And we're descending into hell to learn more about Italian writer, poet, delegate,  and apothecary Dante Alighieri! Dante's influence casts a wide net across politics, our understanding of 'hell', the Italian language and more! We're joined by Ailey Yamamoto and Dan Esquivel with original games, and plenty of stories. Grab your...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Jon takes over host duties to explore the legacy of a hugely influential author (and also clerk, sheriff, and other assorted jobs): Sir Walter Scott. Scott's historically oriented and romantically inclined work influenced authors from Jane Austen to Edgar Allan Poe, cementing his place in the literary canon! 

Send us Fan Mail This week: iconic lesbian bohemian poet Renée Vivien, everyone! She lived a fantastically wild life, writing work and living as her truest and most authentic self. She traveled the world wearing pants, left suitors in her wake, and wrote decadent and devastating poetry along the way. We celebrate 'The Muse of Violets', (for your consideration as Valentine's Day appr...

Send us Fan Mail This week, we unpack and interrogate the legacy of modernist poet Ezra Pound, who had a heavy hand in shaping contemporary poetry, but also had some heavily problematic beliefs. From his initial limericks to his long cantos, there's a lot of things in this episode's suitcase! Join us for this AND find out which works enter the public domain in 2023 - also VIP information...

Send us Fan Mail We're kicking off 2023 with an inspiration - Ursula K. LeGuin. A poet, novelist, essayist, short story writer, and fierce advocate for writers, there are many things we can learn from this exceptional story teller. Full of magic, courage, and heart, this is an episode you won't want to miss about an author you should read as soon as you are able! 

Send us Fan Mail This week: lyrical, brilliant, clever, and spectacular, we look at the life of poet Dylan Thomas who fused a variety of art forms to craft his stunning works. We have a guest reader to give you a taste of Thomas' poetry, along with the results of our Would You Rather game, name poll, and some author holiday cards that got lost in the mail! We think it's a delightful epis...

Send us Fan Mail Just in time for your Holiday work or school party, we have a very special 'Ho-LIT-day' episode for you full of stories, games, and fascinating trivia! Find out which classic Christmas song was saved from the trash, the origins of sending Christmas Cards, and discover your new favorite Hanukkah tale! We also have a delightful literary 'would-you-rather' game to...

Send us Fan Mail It's stories, facts, pranks, and curiosities galore this week as we learn about the life of journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Known for his chaotic, energetic writing, Thompson made a huge impact on the field of journalism and inspired movies and cultural movements! He also ran for town Sheriff in CO, so there's that. 

Send us Fan Mail This week, we're here to tell you about feminist icon Angela Carter who worked to forge her own path, traveling the world and infusing her writing with elements of the gothic, magic, and fantasy at a time when women weren't expected to do any of those things! Help us celebrate this 'raconteur of glee' known for her acerbic, bold writing (including several visce...

Send us Fan Mail We're off to the theater this week, featuring Russian playwright and short story author, Anton Chekhov, MD! We dive into the backstory of this masterful comedic writer, take a short stop east of Siberia, and learn more about the nuances of acting and 19th century theater! 

Send us Fan Mail Stephanie returns from California with an author in tow: Jack London - adventurer, author, activist, and Oyster Pirate? We explore his work and prolific career, featuring many dog protagonists and also bring you a stop at an F. Scott Fitzgerald haunt, Ray Bradbury's Hollywood walk of fame star and a few bookstore stops! 

Send us Fan Mail This week, we profile Native Doctor, author, activist, and speaker Charles Eastman. Eastman traveled around the world to raise awareness and educate people about Native American traditions, cultures, and communities. He worked tirelessly to advocate for Native American rights and served on numerous committees at local and national levels, ensuring that his people would always have...

Send us Fan Mail Just in time to mark this most recent election cycle, we honor the legacy of Zitkala-Ša - activist, writer, composer, and educator. She worked tirelessly to properly document and present Native American culture, advocate for Native suffrage, and create connections between communities that helped ensure their heritage and ways of life could be preserved for future generations. 

Send us Fan Mail It's Native American History Month! We're celebrating the legacy of Ella Cara Deloria: a ground-breaking novelist, anthropologist, and translator who helped promote and deepen our understanding of the Sioux (Dakota and Lakota) culture, traditions, and ways of life. Her collaborations, research, and work as an educator helped ensure that these traditions live on today. Jo...

Send us Fan Mail In honor of what would have been Sylvia Plath's 90th birthday, we celebrate her work and explore the deep and abiding impact she had on the literary world at large! She changed the way people saw women's voices in writing and how mental health was reflected in society. We salute you, Sylvia! 

Send us Fan Mail In this special spooky episode, we feature two early engineers of Gothic horror/terror novels - Ann Radcliffe & Charlotte Dacre. These two women had a huge impact on authors including Jane Austen, Edgar Allen Poe, Sir Walter Scott and Lord Byron! They helped define a new genre and wrote compelling work that is in desperate need of attention! We also walk you through our very o...

Send us Fan Mail Jon is back from his galavanting and brought back an author to share with us: Luís de Camões. This week, learn about this poet, author, and adventurer often referred to as the Portuguese Shakespeare! We also feel implored to say here: Kids, stay in school... 

Send us Fan Mail Ailey and Mary from the 'Ghosts in the Closet' Podcast guest host this week as we cover the SCANDALOUS life of Lord Byron! This episode is full of fantastic stories and conspiracies, looking at Byron's wild connections, intensely passionate writing, and adventures across Europe! There is also some wonderful queer-history trivia so come along for the ride*! *In your...

Send us Fan Mail Guest host Dan Esquivel joins Stephanie this week as they cover two Greek powerhouse authors: Aristotle and Sophocles! This episode covers plenty of Get Lit conspiracies and we're bringing you two games you won't want to miss! Join us for this delightful, mythic account of some of the origins of Western thought and writing.