Jump aboard the USS Get Lit as we journey to the depths of the earth, center of the sea and orbits of the moon through the adventurous life of Jules Verne, one of the founding fathers of Science Fiction. Verne's work laid out concepts for new technology and science as he sought to unit his passions for literature, science, history, and facts - but not really law... Bon voyage! Listen HERE.

This week's hot take: we should all want to be Sylvia Beach when we grow up... Learn more about the founder of Shakespeare and Company, translator, editor, author, and patron saint of booksellers as we jet off to Paris in celebration of her ongoing impact on the literary world! Listen HERE.

Just in time for extended St. Patrick's Day festivities, we're celebrating Irish author James Joyce, author of Ulysses, The Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and more! We interview Jon DiSavino, the actor behind the 'Short Story Today' podcast who is also featuring Joyce this week. Filled with some fantastic stories that seem like his fiction, we hope you enjoy this special episode! Listen HERE.

Some pig! Well, author... This week, we're recounting the life of E.B. White, author of numerous novels, poems, and essays for children and adults, but most famously: Charlotte's Webb and Stuart Little! We also answer the age-old question: Is Stuart Little actually a mouse?! Listen HERE.

Meet the woman behind the Irish literary renaissance: Lady Augusta Gregory! A preservation powerhouse, Lady Gregory ensured that Irish history, literature, theatre, and culture was recorded for future generations (including us!) to enjoy. Come celebrate both Women's and Irish History month, Get Lit style! Listen HERE.

You may know him as an 'explorer' but we're discussing Sir Walter Raleigh as a poet and author whose titles are nearly as long as his works! This episode includes some fantastic stories and features Jon singing, along with a beheading (Sir Walter, not Jon...), so be sure to tune in! Listen HERE.

We're taking a deeper dive into the women of the Harlem Renaissance with this week's author, Nella Larsen. Larson was a nurse, librarian, and volunteer in addition to writing some extraordinary work exploring what it means to be biracial and her experiences grappling with her identity between worlds. We also discuss the growing interest in her work amongst present day scholars and artists! Listen HERE.

Get to know the extraordinary woman behind the Harlem Renaissance: Jessie Redmon Fauset! This remarkable teacher, editor, and author helped to foster the careers of Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and others, in addition to her dedication to education! She's someone you definitely need to know more about!  Listen HERE.

This week, we're featuring Alain Lock, the Father of the Harlem Renaissance and an incredible trail blazer for African Americans in the academic, philosophical, and cultural realms! We examine the tensions of his legacy and reflect on the incredible advancements that he and others alongside him were able to achieve in a world determined to hold them back. Listen HERE.

To kick off our celebration of Black Authors for Black History Month, we honor the legacy of bell hooks, who died this past December after an incredible career as an author, poet, teacher, activist, and critic. She challenges us to love as an action, rather than feeling to make this world a better place. Listen HERE.

We're on a literary pilgrimage of sorts as we trace the life of Geoffrey Chaucer, 'The Father of English Literature' across his various jobs and literary works! From poetry to an astrolabe manual, and diplomat to gardener, there really wasn't much he didn't cover in his writing or get paid to do! Listen HERE.

Possibly our most charming episode yet, we're celebrating the literary contributions of author, playwright, and poet A.A. Milne! Most known for creating Winnie the Pooh, Milne's work of all sorts has been cherished by generations of families and fans. Join us this week as we head off to the Hundred-Acre Woods! Listen HERE.

This week, a tribute to the woman who did all she could to further equality for all and then kept going: Julia Ward Howe. Most famous for writing the 'Battle Hymn of the Republic' and championing the causes of women and other marginalized groups, may we take inspiration from her and all aspire to look like a walnut. Listen HERE.

Looking for some inspiration for 2022? Let Robert Louis Stevenson show you the way! This popular Scottish author took young and old readers alike through physical and mental journeys in his works, including Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, among many others! Join us for this seafaring adventure! Listen HERE.

In our last episode of 2021, we remember Joan Didion who revolutionized journalism as we know it, capturing the unique American experiences during the second half of the 20th century. She died on December 23 at the age of 87. Listen HERE.

This week, just in time for Christmas, we answer all your literary-oriented Christmas questions! Ever wonder why Charles Dickens wrote Christmas ghost stories? Or how Santa's reindeer got their names? Or how the Nutcracker came to be a season classic? Tune in while you're opening your stockings or gifts or just enjoying your weekend!  Listen HERE.

As we head into December, the time for FROST is upon us! That's right - Robert Frost! We head out East (mostly) to explore the life of this failed chicken farmer, teacher, newspaper delivery person and four-time Pulitzer Prize winning poet. We're off on a road less traveled by, come along for the walk! Listen HERE.

A noble bloodline. A stay at a convent. Crossdressing. Hidden identities. Numerous affairs. Revolution. Sound like the plot of a fantastic adventure story? Yes! But it also captures just some of George Sand's life experiences! Tune in this week for an absolutely bananas report on a French literary legend that you'll have to hear to believe! Listen HERE.

This week, we remember theatrical titan Stephen Sondheim and his extraordinary life and legacy. His lyrics brought a profound freedom to the human experience, inspiring countless theatre artists and patrons alike. We'd like to propose a toast to Mr. Sondheim. Listen HERE.

To honor American Indian Heritage Month, we're featuring author, speaker, and activist, Simon Pokagon. Known for his work advocating for Indigenous land rights through his writing and speeches, Pokagon's legacy is charged but very worth examining. Thank you to our listener Rebecca for this recommendation! Listen HERE.

We're spending this week in Europe, as we cover poet, playwright, and the first Nobel Laureate in Literature from Ireland: William Butler Yeats! Join us for some ghost stories and a sidebar in Germany with Jon!  Listen HERE.

We heard you called for a magical realist, multilingual, genre-defying author from Argentina! And we're here to deliver! Well, Jon specifically, who will be sharing out this week on the remarkable life of Jorge Luis Borges! Grab your sun lotion and shades - we're headed south of the equator!  Listen HERE.

Never heard of Neith Boyce? Meet the woman who wanted to make it possible for women to live as bachelors. A columnist, journalist, novelist, and playwright, Neith Boyce blazed a trail that we're still following today!  Listen HERE.

Just in time for Halloween, we jump into the history of some more unusual books, featuring a how-to guide to summoning your own demon, books bound in human skin, 'the witches hammer' that spurred on the witch hunts of Europe, and a book written by the ghost of Mark Twain, this episode is sure to get you into the spooky spirit! Listen HERE.

Jon is enroute to Germany and shares his explorations of the life of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German Shakespeare. There are career switches to silver mining, disguises, and a reluctance to travel to Italy, along with too many jokes about eyes... Here we Goethe!  Listen HERE.

Arguably the most important labor journalist of the 20th century, Mary Heaton Vorse advocated for the rights of women, children, workers, and people living in poverty over the course of her 70 year career. This week, we salute her extraordinary legacy just after her 147th birthday! Listen HERE.

"We all know that something is eternal..." could most certainly refer to the impact that Thornton Wilder had on the American literary landscape with his novels, and plays, most notably, 'Our Town'. This week, we celebrate his fascinating life from Wisconsin to China, California or New Hampshire and every where in between. Listen HERE.

In this special episode to kick off the Halloween season, we revisit Edgar Allan Poe - iconic author and poet, critic, cryptographer, and crafter of detective stories! We fill in some of the gaps in his life and provide plenty of stories that make this man as mysterious as his tales... Listen HERE.

This week, meet Puerto Rico's unsung master poet, Julia de Burgos. Her short, remarkable life resembles the myths that had an impact on her work. Like these timeless tales, we hope to celebrate her work so that it lives on eternally! Listen HERE.

We're back to your usually scheduled programming with August Wilson, an extraordinary playwright who revolutionized American theatre with his Century Cycle. We jump across America, following Wilson's unstoppable efforts and success, exploring what it truly means to 'lean ahead'. Listen HERE.

This week, we set up a mic and waited for your stories at the Printer's Row Lit Fest in Chicago, IL. In the first part of this episode, we share your answers to questions like, 'what book or author has had an impact on you?' and 'if you could take a literary character or author to dinner, who would you take and why?' In the second half, we hear from local and indie authors who share their new and upcoming releases with you! Connecting with you this weekend was absolutely fantastic! Here's to growing the literary community of Get Lit and beyond!  Listen HERE.

Elizabeth Gask-who? Exactly! We're hoping to shine a light on this oft neglected author of Victorian England who wrote about poverty, double standards, and the working class, made her own money and traveled around Europe! Grab your tea - it's Dickens, without the baggage!  Listen HERE.

Eudora Welty. Wildly underrated, glass ceiling shattering, novelist, short story writer, photojournalist, Pulitzer Prize winner, and a card carrying member of the Night-Blooming Cereus Club to boot. Pack some sun lotion and a fan - we're headed to Jackson, Mississippi this week! Listen HERE.

This week: The Woman. The Myth. The Legend: Susan Sontag! We attempt to unpack the persona of an exceptional American author, philosopher, playwright, and director, reconciling her life and work. Special shoutout to Nicholas Cage (seriously). Listen HERE.

Get to know this exceptional poet, speaker, abolitionist, feminist fighter: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper! She was not only first African American woman to publish a short story, but traveled on a tour circuit fighting for liberty and justice for all, in the truest sense of the phrase!  Listen HERE.

Learn more about the author who inspired James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, helped bring mental healthcare to Harlem in the 1940's, and starred in a film version of one of his own works, Richard Wright. We hope to inspire you to take a closer look at this remarkable novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, poet, and reformer through this week's research! Listen HERE.

Back from their Minnesota tour, Jon and Steph discuss Minnesotan author and cartoonist, Charles Schulz. With a story that spanned 50 years and 17,000+ comic strips, Schulz has left a legacy across generations, across the globe and even into space! Listen HERE.

Introducing 'Get a Little Lit' - our shorter episodes that feature some of the more unusual stories in literary history! This week, we're delighted to bring you the story of Nancy Luce, the Madonna of the Chickens! She's as legendary as that title proclaims... listen to find out more about this extraordinary poet who lived her entire life on a small island off the coast of Massachusetts. Listen HERE.

Jon covers Indiana superstar poet & performer, James Whitcomb Riley. Fun Fact: We can definitely attribute #girlboss to Riley. Seriously. Find out how in this week's episode AND listen for a special (little) announcement! Listen HERE.

This week, Steph took up the field work to report on Jim Harrison from Northern Michigan, with a feature on Ernest Hemingway! Harrison fused philosophy with nature, blended with his signature rugged voice. Grab a lawn chair and join us in the field! Listen HERE.

This week, we have a TRUNK to unpack with the interesting life of Patricia Highsmith - iconic murder thriller and LGBTQ+ writer who was as fascinating a character as the ones she wrote! Join us, The Talented Mr. Ripley for a ride with some Strangers on a Train for this exciting episode!  Listen HERE.

We're featuring a wildly underrated expert of the Southern Gothic genre: Carson McCullers, who helped redefine the search for identity in American culture and what it means to understand 'the others' of society. Listen HERE.

We're CHARGING forward this week IN MEMORIAM of Victorian star poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson! Come learn about the icon behind the most heart-breakingly beautiful poetry and the phrase "Tis better to have loved and lost, / Than never to have loved at all"... Listen HERE.

We honor the remarkable, colorful children's book author and illustrator Eric Carle, who left a deep and lasting impact on picture books, how we see bugs, and a very fat cat called Julian. Join us to learn about his unexpected life before the books and the origins of The Very Hungry Caterpillar! Listen HERE.

We're headed ALL the way back to the Greek Island of Lesbos to celebrate the exquisite, striking, and extraordinary poetry of Sappho, often just referred to as 'The Poetess' because she was THAT good! Join us as we attempt to piece together the various fragments of her poetry and her life! Listen HERE.

This week, we welcome guest Mark Frale to discuss and explore the controversial, colorful life of the 2nd youngest Nobel Prize for Literature Winner, Albert Camus (with plenty of Greek Myth references and conspiracy theories to boot)! Listen HERE.

Jon takes us through the wild life of Gore Vidal as we kick off pride month and celebrate LGBTQ+ authors, ft. world travels due to exile, pen names, and a few fights (verbal and physical)... Listen HERE.

This week, we take a look at Justin Chin - a spoken word and performance art creator, poet, and author who also helped explore the modern intersectional nature of immigration stories, LGBTQ+ communities, and inequity. He used his voice as a signal for change, and his legacy lives on today. Listen HERE.

This week, learn about the legacy of Hisaye Yamamoto, an extraordinary Japanese-American author with a harrowing experience in the Interment Camps of WWII. Her work captured the experiences of so many whose narratives were typically ignored as she fought for justice over the course of her life. Listen HERE.

This week, we learn about the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, among many other accolades and who introduced Western audiences to Asian cultures: Pearl Buck. Jon takes us back and forth between China and the US, unpacking the complex relationship that Pearl shared in her multi-cultural upbringing. Listen HERE.

Jon takes over this week and reports out on Miguel de Cervantes, a Spanish author most famous for writing Don Quixote. Also featuring William Shakespeare, pirates, and a series of odd jobs! Listen HERE.

This week, we feature cookbook author, chef, and change maker, Julia Child! We discuss the story and power behind her cook books, along with her role with the pre-CIA and the time she met the creator of the Cesar Salad! Bon Appetite!  Listen HERE.

In a special feature with a LIVING author this week, we're sitting down with Jess Darnell, an interdisciplinary artist who operates at the intersection of writing, theatre, performance, and Mary Oliver. Join us for this beautiful conversation and a chance to learn more about your inner child, the self-publishing industry, and giving yourself permission to create. Listen HERE.

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Adrienne Rich is an intersectionally-oriented activist and poet that we should all read! Her work changed the way women saw themselves in literature, particularly regarding race and gender. Join us to remember a remarkable woman who wouldn't be silenced!  Listen HERE.

You're late, you're late, for a very important date! We're headed down the rabbit hole, quite literally, in fact, to explore the life and work of Lewis Carroll, author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the Jabberwocky. Come with us through the looking glass to discover some delightful stories about this remarkable English author. Listen HERE.