Best OSK Podcasts (2025)

1
716 Icelandic Folk Legends (with Dagrun Osk Jonsdottir) | John le Carre at the Bodleian 58:28

28d ago58:28

58:28

Since the first permanent settlers landed there more than a thousand years ago, Iceland has been perhaps the most unique and enchanting place in all of Europe. How fitting, then, for its people to have developed unique, enchanting, and captivating stories involving hidden people, trolls, ghosts, sea monsters, and more. In this episode, Jacke talks …

1
724 The Stranger by Albert Camus (#22 Greatest Book of All Time) | Christopher Isherwood (with Jake Poller) | Postcard from a Listener in Yunnan 1:01:38

25m ago1:01:38

1:01:38

Put on your black turtleneck! Jacke starts the episode with a look at #22 on the list of The Greatest Books of All Time, The Stranger by Albert Camus. Then he talks to Jake Poller about British and American novelist and playwright Christopher Isherwood, whose Goodbye to Berlin was adapted into the stage musical and movie Cabaret. In discussing his …

1
20 | Anna Morgado / AM Ceramics: How Vulnerability Transforms Artistry and Business From Fear to Freedom 1:39:46

10h ago1:39:46

1:39:46

🎙️ From Clay to Connection: The Artistic Entrepreneurship of Anna Morgado How do you build a soulful business rooted in creativity, community, and intuition? In this episode, we sit down with Anna Morgado—a Brazilian ceramic artist and entrepreneur now based in Hamburg—whose journey from graphic designer to successful creative founder offers a fres…

1
723 The Moral Rights of Authors (with Mira T Sundara Rajan) | My Last Book with Radha Vatsal 1:16:28

3h ago1:16:28

1:16:28

As technology advances, the ability of authors and artists to prevent their works from being pirated or misused has become urgent. In this episode, Jacke talks to copyright expert Mira T. Sundara Rajan (The Moral Rights of Authors and Artists: From the Birth of Copyright to the Age of Artificial Intelligence) about the history of copyright law, the…

1
Dom Ford, "Mytholudics: Games and Myth" (de Gruyter, 2025) 56:10

5d ago56:10

56:10

Dom Ford joins Jana Byars to talk about Mytholudics: Game and Myth (DeGruyter Brill, 2025). Games create worlds made of many different elements, but also of rules, systems and structures for how we act in them. So how can we make sense of them? Mytholudics: Games and Myth lays out an approach to understanding games using theories from myth and folk…

1
722 Kerouac's Road - A Conversation with Ebs Burnough, Director of a New Kerouac Documentary | My Last Book with Beat Generation Expert Steven Belletto 1:03:15

7d ago1:03:15

1:03:15

Since its publication in 1957, Jack Kerouac's iconic novel On the Road has inspired millions to head for the highways and live life to its fullest. In this episode, Jacke talks to filmmaker Ebs Burnough about his new documentary Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation, which interweaves stories of modern-day travelers with those influenced by or conne…

1
Isabel Toral and Beatrice Gruendler, "An Unruly Classic: Kalīla and Dimna and Its Syriac, Arabic, and Early Persian Versions" (Brill, 2024) 1:05:02

8d ago1:05:02

1:05:02

The collection of wisdom fables known as Kalila and Dimna began its long literary life in Sanskrit more than two millennia ago, and was subsequently translated to numerous languages. But it is the Arabic version, adapted from Middle Persian by the eighth-century scholar Ibn al-Muqaffa, that has left the most substantial literary footprint. A founda…

1
721 Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (The #23 Greatest Book of All Time) 1:28:14

11d ago1:28:14

1:28:14

Jacke continues his journey through the list of the 25 Greatest Books of All Time with a look at Flaubert's "perfect novel," Madame Bovary (1856-57). Telling the story of the bored wife of a provincial doctor who enters into a series of infidelities, Flaubert's debut caused an immediate sensation - and changed the way we've come to view both novels…

1
720 The 25 Greatest Books of All Time - #24 "The Odyssey" by Homer | The Conclusion to F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" (with Mike Palindrome) 1:23:43

14d ago1:23:43

1:23:43

Jacke continues his analysis of "The 25 Greatest Books of All Time" by a special look at Homer's Odyssey. Then Mike Palindrome, the president of the Literature Supporters Club, joins Jacke for a discussion of the second half of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1922 story, "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," in which a young midwesterner travels to a secluded Mo…

1
719 "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" by F Scott Fitzgerald (with Mike Palindrome) | 25 for 25 - #25 The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 1:51:49

18d ago1:51:49

1:51:49

In June of 1922, the twenty-five-year-old wunderkind F. Scott Fitzgerald published "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," an incredible story of fabulously wealthy people living a secret life in remote Montana. Later that month, he began composing his most famous work, The Great Gatsby. In this episode, Jacke and Mike read and discuss this early Fitzger…

1
718 Jim - The Life and Afterlives of Huckleberry Finn's Comrade (with Shelley Fisher Fishkin) | Mark Twain's Dreams 1:36:04

21d ago1:36:04

1:36:04

In this episode, Jacke talks to eminent Twain scholar Shelley Fisher Fishkin (Was Huck Black?: Mark Twain and African-American Voices) about her new book Jim: The Life and Afterlives of Huckleberry Finn's Comrade, which sheds new light on the origins and influence of Mark Twain's beloved yet polarizing figure. PLUS Jacke takes a look at the recent …

1
717 Einstein and Kafka (with Ken Krimstein) | Dr Johnson Helps a Friend (and Changes the Course of Literary History) | My Last Book with Fernando Pessoa Expert Bartholomew Ryan 53:41

25d ago53:41

53:41

It's an action-packed day at the History of Literature! First, Jacke recounts the story of Dr. Johnson racing to the aid of his friend, the playwright Oliver Goldsmith, whose landlady was threatening him with debtor's prison. Naturally, the great critic and dictionary author Johnson found a very literary way to help. Then Jacke is joined by author …

1
19 | David Cerami / Rest: Unveiling the Future of Coffee: A Deep Dive into REST's Revolutionary Approach 42:18

28d ago42:18

42:18

Reinventing Coffee with David Cerami | Founder of Rest What if your morning coffee didn’t come from beans at all — and was better for the planet and your wallet? In this episode, Helga sits down with David Cerami, founder of Rest, a bold startup reinventing coffee as we know it. David takes us on a journey from his creative roots and athletic minds…

1
715 How Did George Eliot and the Victorians Respond to Climate Collapse? (with Nathan Hensley) | People at Museums Are Losing Their Brains! | My Last Book with Stephen Browning and Simon Thomas 1:09:12

1M ago1:09:12

1:09:12

What does it feel like to live helplessly in a world that is coming undone? If you're alive in 2025, you are probably very familiar with this feeling - and if you'd been alive in the age of Victorian literature, you might have felt that way too. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Nathan K. Hensley about his book Action without Hope: Victorian L…

1
Kirstie Macleod, "The Red Dress: Conversations in Stitch" (Quickthorn, 2025) 30:31

1M ago30:31

30:31

The Red Dress: Conversations in Stitch (Quickthorn, 2025), shares the deeper story of The Red Dress, its embroiderers and Kirstie Macleod's own story whilst opening up the wider issues the garment prompts for its audiences through thematic essays by individuals involved in the greater project on subjects such as empowerment, finding voice, feminism…

1
Jasper Waugh-Quasebarth, "Finding the Singing Spruce: Musical Instrument Makers and Appalachia's Mountain Forests" (West Virginia UP, 2023) 1:08:24

1M ago1:08:24

1:08:24

2023 Weatherford Award Finalist, Nonfiction How can the craft of musical instrument making help reconnect people to place and reenchant work in Appalachia? How does the sonic search for musical tone change relationships with trees and forests? Following three craftspeople in the mountain forests of Appalachia through their processes of making instr…

1
714 The Real Charles Dickens (with Stephen Browning and Simon Thomas) | Dickens and the Theatre 1:22:00

1M ago1:22:00

1:22:00

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) led one of the most colorful and interesting lives of any author. But while many of us are familiar with his unforgettable characters and fantastically successful novels, we often don't know the details of his difficult early life, his success as a reporter, his troubled marriage and suspected relationship with another w…

1
713 The Odyssey (with Daniel Mendelsohn) | The History of Literature Podcast Tour! 1:31:43

1M ago1:31:43

1:31:43

Homer's Odyssey is one of the oldest surviving works of literature - and yet, somehow, it can also feel like one of the newest. The inventive narrative structure, complex hero, and surprisingly modern themes still feel fresh, thousands of years after the poem's genesis. In this episode, Jacke talks to author and translator Daniel Mendelsohn about h…

1
712 Shakespeare's Greatest Love (with David Medina) | New Play About Shakespeare's Collaboration with Marlowe 56:46

1M ago56:46

56:46

He might be the greatest writer about love that the world has ever known. But as is so often the case with Shakespeare, the biographical record raises as many questions as it answers. How often did Shakespeare fall in love, and with whom, and what happened? Who was Shakespeare's greatest love? In this episode, Jacke talks to David Medina about his …

1
711 How Does Literature Handle Atrocities? (with Bruce Robbins) | My Last Book with Hemingway Expert Alex Vernon | Who Will Come to Jacke and Emma's Party? 1:10:28

2M ago1:10:28

1:10:28

For millennia, literature has represented humanity at its finest. Over the same period of time, human beings have been committing the worst acts of mass violence imaginable. How have authors addressed these atrocities? Have they shown an ability to look at their own nation with the critical eyes of a stranger? And if so, have works of imagination p…

1
710 Weird and Wonderful Stories from Ancient Greece and Rome (with Paul Chrystal) | A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT | Two Listeners Follow Their Dream (And Create Something Amazing) 57:09

2M ago57:09

57:09

It's another action-packed episode! First, Jacke relays the story of a long-time listener who worked some mundane jobs before becoming an artistic bookmaker. Then Jacke talks to author Paul Chrystal about his work diving into lesser-known ancient texts for his book Miracula: Weird and Wonderful Stories of Ancient Greece and Rome. And in between, Ja…

1
18 | Othmar Handl / Forward Festival: Keeping up with possibilities in creativity and communication 53:21

2M ago53:21

53:21

Turning ideas into action. Building Creative Communities with Othmar Handl the Founder of Forward Festival. How do you turn a passion project into a 10-year movement that connects thousands of creatives across the globe? In this episode, we sit down with Othmar Handl, the founder of Forward Festival—Europe’s leading creative conference bridging des…

1
Introducing The Critical Edition of the Works of C. G. Jung 15:33

2M ago15:33

15:33

"Princeton University Press is thrilled to share news of a major new initiative: the publication of The Critical Edition of the Works of C. G. Jung. As the longtime publisher of the Collected Works of C. G. Jung in North America, PUP is honored to be global publisher of the Critical Edition, having recently secured world language rights and the sup…

1
709 Black American Humor (with Damon Young) | The Greatest American Joke Ever Told? 1:28:52

2M ago1:28:52

1:28:52

DAMON YOUNG (⁠What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays⁠) is a Pittsburgh writer and humorist. In this episode, Jacke talks to Damon about his work editing and writing an introduction for That's How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor, which emphasizes how and why Black American humor is uniquely transfixing.…

1
708 Science Fact and Science Fiction (with Keith Cooper) | AI Discovers a Work of Ancient Philosophy and Dreams Up a Reading List 1:08:01

2M ago1:08:01

1:08:01

For decades, writers and filmmakers have imagined worlds where characters can do things like watch a double sunset (on Tatooine, of course), or stand among the sand dunes of Arrakis, or gaze at the gas-giant planet Polyphemus from the moon Pandora. But even as works like Star Wars, Dune, and Avatar have enticed us with their fictional renditions of…

1
707 Emile Zola (with Robert Lethbridge) | Graham Greene's Only Ghost Story | My Last Book with Irina Mashinski 57:42

2M ago57:42

57:42

For years, listeners have been requesting an episode devoted to the French novelist, journalist, playwright, and public intellectual Émile Zola (1840-1902). In this episode, Jacke talks to author Robert Lethbridge, whose new book Émile Zola: A Determined Life presents a comprehensive exploration of the life, work, and times of the celebrated French…

1
17 | Pat Chirico / Insight Breathwork: Unleashing from corporate culture to following your hearts path 57:59

2M ago57:59

57:59

From Numbers to Nurturing: Pat’s Journey from Corporate Accountant to Breathwork Facilitator In this episode of Founders-Meeting, we delve into the transformative journey of Pat, who transitioned from a conventional corporate career as an accountant to embracing a vocation centred on breathwork and somatic healing practices. Pat shares his experien…

1
706 Living with Jane Austen (with Janet Todd) | A Listener Changes His Life | Bored Parents 1:09:23

2M ago1:09:23

1:09:23

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Jane Austen's novels make us wish she was our friend. She wouldn't be just any old friend: she'd be the sharpest and wisest, the one we turn to in a crisis, the one who understands our flaws and helps us see our blind spots. As we navigate the perils of love and life, she'd be the friend who gently point…

1
705 Runaway Poets - How the Brownings Fell in Love (And Why It Matters) 59:34

2M ago59:34

59:34

Elizabeth Barrett (1806-1861) was one of the most prolific and accomplished poets of the Victorian age, an inspiration to Emily Dickinson, Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allan Poe, and countless others. And yet, her life was full of cloistered misery, as her father insisted that she should never marry. And then, the clouds lifted, and a letter arrived. It was …

1
704 Butterflies Regained 1:23:31

3M ago1:23:31

1:23:31

Poetry, butterflies, and original music oh my! With some help from poets Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, William Wordsworth, and John Keats, along with original music by composer Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal, Jacke tackles the topic of butterflies. Yes, yes, we all know that butterflies are symbols of beauty and transformation - but can great poets get beyon…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

OSK Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide