780 Chekhov on Writing (with Bob Blaisdell)

The History of Literature

Jacke Wilson

Books, History, Arts

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 2 March 2026

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In an 1886 letter to his brother, Anton Chekhov delivered some advice about truthfulness in writing. "Don't invent sufferings you have not experienced," he wrote, "and don't paint pictures you have not seen--for a lie in a story is much more boring than a lie in conversation." In this episode, Jacke talks to editor Bob Blaisdell about the book Chekhov on Writing: the Mentor, the Self-Critic, Literary Questions, and Fictional Writers, which gathers the wisdom and grace of one of literature's most celebrated artists. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Help support the show at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/literature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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 Lit Hub Radio.
0:08.8	I'm Alan and I'm Sean and together we host the prancing pony podcast.
0:12.9	Every week I explore Middle Earth with Sean or with other co-hosts lately with in-depth analysis and plenty of nerd humor.
0:18.5	From The Hobbit to the Lord of the Rings and more,
0:21.1	it's a great way for first timers to experience J.R.R.R. Tolkien's captivating world. And for long-time
0:26.1	fans, it's a deep dive into their favorite stories. So if you're ready to take the next step
0:30.4	into the most beloved world in fantasy literature and become a part of a vibrant active community of
0:35.5	listeners, then look for The Prancing Pony
0:37.9	Podcast, wherever you listen.
0:40.5	Hello, we begin today with a quotation.
0:42.7	This comes from the great Russian writer Anton Chekhov in a letter dated April 1st, 1890.
0:50.3	Chekhov was 30 years old, and he was writing to his publisher.
0:54.2	Quote,
0:54.7	You abuse me for objectivity, calling it indifference to good and evil,
1:00.0	lack of ideals and ideas, and so on.
1:03.3	You would have me, when I describe horse thieves, say,
1:07.4	Stealing horses is an evil.
1:10.0	But that has been known for ages without my saying so. Let the jury judge
1:15.1	them. It's my job simply to show what sort of people they are. I write, you are dealing with
1:22.7	horse thieves, so let me tell you that they are not beggars but well-fed people, that they are people of a special
1:29.2	cult, and that horse stealing is not simply theft, but a passion. Of course, it would be pleasant to
1:36.1	combine art with a sermon, but for me personally, it is extremely difficult and almost impossible
	...

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