PODCAST · arts
Ear Read This
by Ash Caton
Featuring interviews with authors, actors and academics, Ear Read This creates well-researched critical introductions to vintage and modern classics. Specialties include: Shakespeare, Arthurian literature and books from or about our home city of Edinburgh.
Episodes
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12 Poems about Seagulls
This is an omnibus of twelve episodes from the ERT Poem of the Day series on YouTube. I make daily videos in which I read and then discuss a poem, for the last twelve days I've focussed on seagull poems and here are all twelve in one bumper anthology. Poets featured: Samuel Taylor Coleridge…
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‘Verses written at the Hermitage of Braid, near Edinburgh’ (1771) by Robert Fergusson
S3E104 Today, Ash broadcasts from the Hermitage of Braid in Morningside, to talk about a poem Robert Fergusson was inspired to write on a visit there in 1771. Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound. @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis
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“Of Course, Merlins are Different”: Frank Rennie on A Magical Raptor
S3E103 Today, Ash interviews Frank Rennie, Professor of Sustainable Rural Development at the University of the Highlands and Islands and author of numerous books, including this year's The Merlin. Tune in to find out more about this elusive and magical raptor, from it's earliest fossil records to...
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The “Glitchy Atmosphere” of Grievance: Krystelle Bamford on Idle Grounds
S3E102 Today, Ash interviews Edinburgh-based author Krystelle Bamford about her debut novel, Idle Grounds for a conversation ranging from Scotland to the "horse country" of New England. To order a copy of Krystelle's book, click here:...
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“Our Storied Town”: Donald Smith on Edinburgh’s Explosive Literary Past
S3E101 Donald Smith takes us on a literary tour of Edinburgh's Old Town, touching on the stories of writers including Robert Louis Stevenson, J. K. Rowling, Naomi Mitchison, Robert Burns and many more. To order a copy of Donald's book, Our Storied Town, click here:...
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A Year of Birds (1984) by Iris Murdoch
S3E100 Miles Leeson returns to the podcast to talk about Iris Murdoch, this time concentrating on her short collection of poems, A Year of Birds. Miles and Ash discuss connections between Murdoch's poetry and philosophy, the critical reputation of her poems and some of the folklore tradition...
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‘Epitaph for Robert Fergusson’ (1789) by Robert Burns
S3E99 Today Ash looks at not one but three short poems composed by Robert Burns on the subject of his 'elder brother in the Muse', Robert Fergusson. Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound. @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis
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“Technology is Hijacking Our Dreams”: Alice Thompson on AI, Edinburgh and Sylvia Plath
S3E98 Today's special episode of Ear Read This was recorded on location in Portobello Library, where Ash interviewed novelist Alice Thompson about artificial intelligence, the effect of Edinburgh on the imagination of a writer and the influence of Sylvia Plath. For copies of books mentioned in…
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‘The Daft Days’ (1772) by Robert Fergusson
S3E97 Iconic Edinburgh poet Robert Fergusson is the subject of today's podcast, as Ash looks at his breakthrough poem, 'The Daft Days': Now mirk December’s dowie face Glowrs owr the rigs wi sour grimace, While, thro’ his minimum of space, The bleer-ey’d sun, Wi blinkin light and stealing pace…
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‘Kookaburra’ (1998) by Frieda Hughes
S3E96 On today's episode, Ash looks at a poem from Frieda Hughes' debut collection, Wooroloo, discussing Hughes' longstanding connection with birds, and how 'Kookaburra' relates to the poetry of her parents, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath. Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music…
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‘Address to Edinburgh’ (1786) by Robert Burns
S3E95 A belated Burns Night celebration, featuring one of Burns' lesser liked poems. But one of the only poems to inspire a toilet seat. Tune in for an exploration of Burns' time in Edinburgh, the Enlightenment's paradoxical attitude to Scottishness, and lots of rhyme-whining. Title Music: 'Not...
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“Ominous Whoosh”: John Thorne on Twin Peaks
S3E94 As a Halloween treat, Ash talks with the author of Ominous Whoosh: A Wandering Mind Returns to Twin Peaks, John Thorne. Tune in for a in-depth conversation about Twin Peaks with one of the leading scholars of the show. Follow John on Twitter here: @thornewip And purchase Ominous Whoosh:...
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“Plath’s Not a Phase”: Trish Grisafi on Breaking Down Plath
S3E93 Ash is again joined by Trish Grisafi to talk about her book Breaking Down Plath as well as Plath's relationship with feminism, the changing reputation of Plath and the "Plath phase". Follow Trish on Twitter here: @PatriciaGrisafi And visit her website: http://www.patriciagrisafi.com/about-1...
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‘Stings’ (1962) by Sylvia Plath
S3E92 Ash is joined by Patricia Grisafi to discuss 'Stings' by Sylvia Plath, the third poem in her Bee Sequence. Tune in for a conversation about red comets, queen bees, and scapegoats. Follow Trish on Twitter here: @PatriciaGrisafi And visit her website: http://www.patriciagrisafi.com/about-1...
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“I Felt Like I Was Cheating on Plath”: Peter K. Steinberg on the Writings of Assia Wevill
S3E91 On today's extended interview, Ash talks some more to Peter K. Steinberg, about his work as co-editor of the Collected Letters of Sylvia Plath and The Collected Writings of Assia Wevill. Follow Peter on Twitter here: @sylviaplathinfo And visit his website…
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‘The Swarm’ (1962) by Sylvia Plath
S3E90 Ash is joined again by Peter K. Steinberg to discuss Sylvia Plath's late poem 'The Swarm'. Tune in to hear about Plath's interest in Napoleon, her experiences bee-keeping and Peter's theory that The Swarm may contain coded references to Assia Wevill. Follow Peter on Twitter here:...
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‘Electra on Azalea Path’ (1959) by Sylvia Plath
S3E89 Ash is joined by Peter K. Steinberg to discuss Sylvia Plath's fascinating poem, 'Electra on Azalea Path'. Tune in for a discussion about reckless psychoanalysis, bumblebees (and their ways) and... Tolkien? Follow Peter on Twitter here: @sylviaplathinfo And visit his website...
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“My Mother’s Legacy is Secure”: Kate Levey on Brigid Brophy
S3E88 Ash is joined again by Kate Levey to talk more about her mother, Brigid Brophy: her work outside of writing, her relationship with Iris Murdoch and her reputation today. Follow Kate on Twitter here: @brophylevey And visit her website www.brigidbrophy.com If you enjoy my work and would like…
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The Snow Ball (1964) by Brigid Brophy
S3E87 "Mozart, sex and death" is in store today, as Ash and his guest Kate Levey discuss her mother's brilliant 1964 novel, The Snow Ball. Follow Kate on Twitter here: @brophylevey And visit her website www.brigidbrophy.com If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do…
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“Shakespeare’s Tutor”: Darren Freebury-Jones on The Influence of Thomas Kyd
S3E86 Following on from episodes on The Spanish Tragedy and The Birth of Merlin, Darren Freebury-Jones joins Ash once again, this time to talk about his own work on Thomas Kyd and early modern authorship studies. Follow Darren on Twitter here: @Freeburian And order a copy of his book…
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The Birth of Merlin (1622) by William Rowley
S3E85 Ash is joined again by Shakespearean scholar, Darren Freebury-Jones to discuss a rarely-performed Jacobean play, The Birth of Merlin or The Child Hath Found its Father. Their conversation takes in the play's controversial authorship question, the special effects of early modern theatre and...
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The Spanish Tragedy (1587) by Thomas Kyd
S3E84 Ash is joined by Shakespearean scholar, Darren Freebury-Jones to discuss Thomas Kyd's hugely influential play, The Spanish Tragedy. As well as talking about Darren's specialist subject, the influence of Kyd on Shakespeare, in today's wide-ranging episode we talk about the genre of revenge,...
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Now Westlin Winds (1785) by Robert Burns
S3E83 To celebrate Burns Night, Ash talks about Robert Burns' Now Westlin Winds, a song written at the very start of the Bard's career. Tune in for a discussion of the circumstances that inspired the song, and the long and fruitful afterlife it has had in the repertoire of folk-singers from…
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“A Festival that Focuses on Female Voices”: Sarah Corbett on Directing Plath Fest
S3E82 Ash is joined once again by poet Sarah Corbett to discuss her writing, both poetry and fiction, her vision for The Sylvia Plath Literary Festival and its accompanying anthology, After Sylvia. Follow the festival for updates on digital events here: @plathfest And follow Sarah on Twitter:...
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‘November Graveyard’ (1956) by Sylvia Plath
S3E81 Poet, novelist and Plath Fest Director Sarah Corbett joins Ash to discuss Plath's November Graveyard; a poem about death, resurrection and the Yorkshire countryside. Follow Sarah on Twitter: @sarahcorbett70 If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here:...
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“This Tender Substance”: Donnie Secreast on Plath’s Universal Element
S3E80 Donnie Secreast joins Ash again to talk more about Hardcastle Crags, environmental themes in Plath's work and her search for a 'universal element'. Read Donnie's article here: muse.jhu.edu/article/750706 And follow her on Twitter: @donniesecreast If you enjoy my work and would like to…
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‘Hardcastle Crags’ (1958) by Sylvia Plath
S3E79 Donnie Secreast joins Ash to discuss Plath's nonchalantly brilliant poem, Hardcastle Crags. Set in the Yorkshire Dales, of great interest for its ecological themes and musical intricacy. Read Donnie's article here: muse.jhu.edu/article/750706 And follow her on Twitter: @donniesecreast If…
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”It’s a Rigorous Demand”: Emily Van Duyne on Loving Sylvia Plath
S3E78 Emily Van Duyne returns to talk about her upcoming book, Loving Sylvia Plath, and further explore some of the biographical themes mentioned in yesterday's episode on 'The Jailor'. You can read some of Emily's work here: https://lithub.com/author/emily-van-duyne/ And follow her on Twitter:...
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‘The Jailor’ (1962) by Sylvia Plath
S3E77 Emily Van Duyne is Ash's special guest for today's episode on Sylvia Plath's poem, The Jailor. A portrait of abuse, gas-lighting and 'inescapable femininity', the poem has recently been studied by Plath scholars including Emily for its use of anti-black racist language. You can read some of...
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Creation (8 AD) by Ovid (The Metamorphoses, Book 1)
S3E76 Today Ash discusses the first story in Ovid's Metamorphoses, in which we see the world created, and populated with its first inhabitants. If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Merchandise!...
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The Body Snatcher (1884) by Robert Louis Stevenson
S3E75 Today's exclusive episode takes us to home turf with this Edinburgh based story of resurrection men... If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Merchandise! https://ear-read-this.creator-spring.com/ Title Music: 'Not...
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Olalla (1885) by Robert Louis Stevenson
S3E74 Today I'm finally talking about Olalla! The crazy Spanish vampire story of Stevenson's that's come up on the podcast at least once before... If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Merchandise!...
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The Little Sister (1949) by Raymond Chandler
S3E73 We've reached the fifth Marlowe adventure, The Little Sister. Tune in to hear about what critics call Chandler's "Hollywood novel", and what the author himself called "a gaudy piece of sarcasm masquerading as a mystery". We discuss Chandler's comedy, his cantankerous mood at the time of...
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The Lady in the Lake (1943) by Raymond Chandler
S3E72 Ash discusses the fourth Marlowe novel, The Lady in the Lake. Tune in to hear about Arthurian references, Raymond Chandler's women, Marlowe's men and once again, fish. If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis…
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The High Window (1942) by Raymond Chandler
S3E71 In Philip Marlowe's third outing, he is on the trail of a missing Brasher Doubloon. Tracking down the coin, he unravels a dark family secret and a Beverly Hills murder. If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis…
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Farewell, My Lovely (1940) by Raymond Chandler
S3E70 The second Philip Marlowe adventure features the unforgettable Moose Malloy, bent Bay City cops and a dame to kill for. If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Merchandise! https://ear-read-this.creator-spring.com/…
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The Flood (8 AD) by Ovid (The Metamorphoses, Book 1)
S3E69 It's back to Book 1 of Ovid's Metamorphoses as Ash tells the story of a wrathful Jove, destroying mankind with a great flood. But what does Ovid's flood have in common with the flood found in the Book of Genesis? Is this genocide or editing? And what is left, once the waters have settled?…
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‘Full Fathom Five’ (1958) by Sylvia Plath
S3E68 Today, I'm analysing Sylvia Plath's poem Full Fathom Five, written in 1958 and eventually collected in her book The Colossus. Taking its title from Shakespeare's The Tempest, Full Fathom Five is full of classic Plath imagery: the seldom-surfacing sea-god muse, the lost father and the…
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“Reading Shakespeare Through the Lives of Others”: Paul Edmondson on the Shakespeare Circle
S3E67 Paul Edmondson joins Ash to talk about Shakespeare biography, re-evaluating the sonnets and recording a Shakespeare diary. Listen to Open Your Shakespeares here: https://soundcloud.com/pauledmondson/sets/open-your-shakespeares Find out more about Paul's work here:...
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The Tempest (1611) by William Shakespeare
S3E66 Such stuff! Joining Ash on an enchanted island is special guest Paul Edmondson to discuss Shakespeare's final solo-authored play, The Tempest. Find out more about Paul's work here: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/about-us/news-media/spokespeople/paul-edmondson/ If you enjoy my work and would...
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‘Address to the Deil’ (1786) by Robert Burns
S3E65 Ash analyses Robert Burns' comical kirk-tirlin poem, "Address to the Deil". If you enjoy my work and would like to support Ear Read This, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/earreadthis Tam o'Shanter episode on YouTube:...
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“She Never Wanted to Write Consoling Fantasies”: Miles Leeson on Iris Murdoch
S3E64 Miles Leeson joins Ash on the podcast to discuss the work of Iris Murdoch, as well as his own work at the Iris Murdoch Research Centre. The Iris Murdoch Society Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m6iYZJIgHIuavTtZTevyD?si=2a53af4b74034d48 The Iris Murdoch Society:...
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The Green Knight (1993) by Iris Murdoch
S3E63 Ash discusses the 25th novel by Iris Murdoch with his special guest, Miles Leeson. Join us for a trip to Murdochland, for the story of a fumbled murder attempt, warring magicians and the quest for justice, all taking place in contemporary London. The Iris Murdoch Society Podcast:...
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‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ (1917) by Wilfred Owen
S3E62 Today Ash discusses one of the most famous poems of the First World War, Wilfred Owen's Dulce Et Decorum Est. Tune in for an exploration of guilt and natural disorder in this "anti-souvenir" from the trenches. Access bonus content here: Ear Read This is creating Podcasts | Patreon Title...
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“It Felt Right to Reunite Them”: Emily Ingram on Writing Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley
S3E61 Today Ash is joined again by special guest Emily Ingram to discuss her play-in-progress, based on the life of Mary Shelley. You can find out more about Emily's work and her theatre company, Some Kind of Theatre, here: https://www.somekindoftheatre.co.uk/ Access bonus content here: Ear Read...
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Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley
S3E60 Join us for a dissection of Mary Shelley's iconic novel, Frankenstein, the tale of an ambitious young Swiss scientist, who in the course of penetrating the deepest mysteries of nature, creates artificial life. Ash's special guest this week is Emily Ingram, theatre practitioner and writer…
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“Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz”: Gail Crowther on Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton
S3E59 Joining Ash to talk about Sylvia Plath is Dr. Gail Crowther, whose latest book, Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz looks at the rebellions of Plath and her fellow poet, Anne Sexton. If you'd like to buy a copy of the book, you can do so here:...
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The Bell Jar (1963) by Sylvia Plath
S3E58 Today, Ash is joined by Dr. Gail Crowther to discuss Sylvia Plath’s iconic novel, The Bell Jar. Tune in for a conversation about the book’s strange publication history, the perils of reading it as pure autobiography, and an exploration of some of Plath’s often unsettling and grotesque...
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“A Plath for all Seasons”: Eilish Mulholland on Reading Sylvia Plath
S3E57 Ash is once again joined by Eilish Mulholland of the Plath and Co. podcast, to talk about Sylvia Plath. In a wide-ranging conversation they discuss Plath and Hughes' use of the occult, pandemic podcasting, the best biographies and fictional depictions of Plath and the hypnotising effect of...
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‘A Birthday Present’ (1963) by Sylvia Plath
S3E56 Ash is joined by writer, researcher and fellow podcaster Eilish Mulholland to discuss Sylvia Plath's late poem, A Birthday Present. In it, a woman is taunted by a mysterious veiled gift, the significance of which is initially unclear. You can find Eilish's podcast, Plath & Co, here:...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Featuring interviews with authors, actors and academics, Ear Read This creates well-researched critical introductions to vintage and modern classics. Specialties include: Shakespeare, Arthurian literature and books from or about our home city of Edinburgh.
HOSTED BY
Ash Caton
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Ear Read This have?
Ear Read This currently has 164 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Ear Read This about?
Featuring interviews with authors, actors and academics, Ear Read This creates well-researched critical introductions to vintage and modern classics. Specialties include: Shakespeare, Arthurian literature and books from or about our home city of Edinburgh.
How often does Ear Read This release new episodes?
Ear Read This publishes regularly with 164 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Ear Read This?
You can listen to Ear Read This on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Ear Read This?
Ear Read This is created and hosted by Ash Caton.
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