PODCAST · arts

Isaac Bickerstaff, Physician and Astrologer by Richard Steele (1672 - 1729)

by LibriVox

Isaac Bickerstaff Esq. was a pseudonym used by Jonathan Swift as part of a hoax to predict the death of then famous Almanac-maker and astrologer John Partridge. In 1709, Richard Steele bolstered the release of his new satirical paper The Tatler by naming the fictitious Isaac Bickerstaff Esq. as editor. These are fictional essays/memoirs of Bickerstaff, written by Steele. Isaac writes from his time, and his personal things on what was going on. Bickerstaff, or rather Richard Steele, talks mostly about Mr. Bickerstaff's friends, his family, and the many different entertainments that Bickerstaff goes through. Bickerstaff also gets many opportunities to talk to people who are in trouble with their spouse or maybe looking for a partner, and so Bickerstaff plays the role of a father, giving advice to many characters throughout the book. (Summary by TriciaG & Elijah.)