Prequel

Eve Of Ides

Playwright David Blixt talks about Eve of Ides, his play and new audio drama which imagines the relationships between the main characters of Julius Caesar. David reveals the ways in which Eve of Ides is both a sort of prequel and a sequel to Shakespeare’s play; how he was introduced to Roman history as a child from a Colleen McCullough audiobook; how he borrowed from Shakespeare in the same way Shakespeare borrowed from Plutarch; why Shakespeare never explores the most important relationship in the play; how Shakespeare reclaimed and completely redefined the reputation of Brutus; and how the fall of the Roman Empire – and how the physical design of Washington DC – offers a scary prediction for America. (Length 19:00)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 19:01 — 21.9MB)

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By austin, ago

Courting Mr. Lincoln

Louis Bayard is the author of such novels as Mr. Timothy, Roosevelt’s Beast, and The Pale Blue Eye, the former recapper of Downton Abbey for the New York Times, and the author of the New York Times obituary for William Shakespeare which appeared on the front-page of the April 23rd, 2016 edition, the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. HIs new novel Courting Mr. Lincoln is funny, poignant, and fascinating comedy of manners, and Lou discusses the impulses that led to this writing the novel, influences ranging from private letters to the novels of Jane Austen and Henry James, catching Mary Todd at her best, performing rehabilitative acts, spawning (and creating) clickbait-y articles, the glories and challenges of writing on spec, the fun of digging into primary sources, discovering further eerie and ironic Booth/Lincoln interactions, and the privilege of being the novelist who steps in where the historical record falls silent. (Length 26:03)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 26:03 — 30.2MB)

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By austin, ago