376 Why John Milton? (with Joe Moshenska)

The History of Literature

Jacke Wilson

Arts, History, Books

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 24 January 2022

⏱️ 65 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Yes, John Milton was important, and yes, Paradise Lost has been part of the canon since the 17th century - but why should we read anything by John Milton today? Do we imbibe his poetry like medicine? Is it a slog through cerebral but sterile prose? Or is there something wilder, more compelling, more alive? In this episode, Jacke talks to biographer Joe Moshenska, author of Making Darkness Light: A Life of John Milton, about the poet beloved by everyone from Virginia Woolf to Jorge Luis Borges to revolutionaries all over the world. More listening ideas: Want more Milton? We've got you covered in Episode #154 John Milton. Ready for more wild poetic visions? Try our episode on William Blake. Poetry not your thing? Check out our interview with Samantha Silva about the life of Mary Wollstonecraft. Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The History of Literature podcast is a member of the Podglomerate Network and LitHub radio.
0:07.0	Hey folks, it's Jack.
0:11.0	Do you ever find yourself wondering about the little mysteries in life?
0:15.0	Like how refrigeration happened?
0:17.0	Or just how many times did the CIA try to assassinate Fidel Castro anyway?
0:23.0	If you find yourself going down rabbit holes like these, then I recommend a trip to the podcast,
0:29.0	The History of Everything, hosted by history lover Steven Bell and scientist Gabby Bell,
0:35.0	the show dives into all the cool but weird little details that make our world what it is today.
0:41.0	You can count on them to cover literally the history of everything, from potatoes to the crusades.
0:48.0	So don't miss out.
0:50.0	Listen to history of everything wherever you get your podcasts and tell them I sent you.
0:55.0	Hey folks, it's Jack here to talk about the History of Literature podcast.
1:00.0	No, not to ask you to listen, but to ask you to consider becoming a patron through our Patreon account.
1:07.0	Producer Emma and I are extremely grateful to all our patrons, and this month we'd like to invite you to become a patron too.
1:14.0	The money you share helps us to cover the costs of hosting, editing, and generally putting out the best version of this humble little podcast that we can.
1:23.0	If you're finding some value in the history of literature and you're willing to send us a little something each month, we would appreciate it.
1:30.0	Think of it as buying us a coffee each month.
1:33.0	Only if you can afford it, of course.
1:35.0	That's patreon.com slash literature, or if you'd like to make a one-time donation,
1:40.0	a lump sum with no questions asked.
1:43.0	You can do that at historyofliterature.com slash donate.
1:47.0	That's patreon.com slash literature, or historyofliterature.com slash donate.
	...

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