139 A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka

In 1922, the miserable genius Franz Kafka wrote a short story, Ein Hungerkünstler (A Hunger Artist), about another miserable genius: a man whose “art” is to live in a cage and display his fasting ability to crowds that don't always appreciate what he is trying to do. Inspired by actual historical figures, though suffused with nostalgia and Kafka’s penetrating insight, the story asks us to reconsider our conceptions of art and spectacle, life and death, hunger and humanity. Host Jacke Wilson is joined by superguest Mike Palindrome, President of the Literature Supporters Club, to feast on one of the greatest short stories ever written. For more on Franz Kafka, try Episode 134 - The Greatest Night of Franz Kafka's Life For more on short stories, try Episode 57 - Borges, Munro, Davis, Barthelme - All About Short Stories (And Long Ones Too) For a deep dive into Alice Munro’s “A Bear Came Over the Mountain,” try Episode 115 - The Genius of Alice Munro For a deep dive into Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” try Episode 110 - Heart of Darkness - Then and Now Help support the show at patreon.com/literatureor historyofliterature.com/shop. Learn more about the show at historyofliterature.com or facebook.com/historyofliterature. Contact the host at [email protected] or via our new Twitter handle, @thejackewilson.   *** This show is a part of the Podglomerate network, a company that produces, distributes, and monetizes podcasts. We encourage you to visit the website and sign up for our newsletter for more information about our shows, launches, and events. For more information on how The Podglomerate treats data, please see our Privacy Policy.  Since you're listening to The History of Literature, we'd like to suggest you also try other Podglomerate shows surrounding literature, history, and storytelling like Storybound, Micheaux Mission, and The History of Standup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices