Best Alexander Charles Adams Podcasts (2025)

1
704 Butterflies Regained 1:26:31

2d ago1:26:31

1:26:31

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…

1
248 - The Vanishing of Sherri Holland 1:26:43

3d ago1:26:43

1:26:43

When thirty-four year old Sherri Holland never arrived at her north Atlanta home after a drive up from Florida, her family knew something was wrong. More than a week later, her car was found abandoned along the side of I-75, less than thirty miles from her home. The car was in good shape, but a nail had flattened the front tire. Days later, Sherri'…

1
The Real Cost of Dismantling Public Eduction with former U.S. Secretary of Education, John B. King 50:08

5d ago50:08

50:08

What if the federal government walked away from public education? That’s not a hypothetical—it’s part of a real plan gaining traction right now. In this episode, we break down what it actually means to defund and dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, and why it could upend the future for millions of students. Former Secretary of Education Joh…

1
703 D.H. Lawrence (with David Ellis) | My Last Book with Dorian Lynskey 1:09:35

9d ago1:09:35

1:09:35

D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930) is one of the most famous novelists of his era - and one of the most difficult to pin down. Was he a tasteless, avant-garde pornographer? Or the greatest imaginative novelist of his generation (as E.M. Forster once said)? What should we know about his hard-luck childhood and turbulent adult life? In this episode, Jacke tal…

1
702 Writing in the World of Jane Austen (with D.G. Rampton) | Disaster at the Book Festival! 52:01

13d ago52:01

52:01

Jacke talks to D.G. Rampton, Australia's Queen of the Regency Romance, about her love for the novels of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer - and what it's like for a twenty-first-century novelist to set her novels in the early-nineteenth-century world of intelligent heroines, dashing men, and sparkling banter. Find PLUS Jacke dives into the story of a…

1
701 Emerson's Struggle with Slavery (with Kenneth Sacks) | My Last Book with Victoria Namkung | We Had Sex Inside Moby-Dick! 1:11:31

16d ago1:11:31

1:11:31

For several decades, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was perhaps the most prominent writer and intellectual in America. As an advocate of personal freedom living in Massachusetts, surrounded by passionate abolitionists, one might expect that his positions regarding slavery would be obvious and uncomplicated. And yet, Emerson struggled with the issu…

1
Rethinking Purpose: Why Chasing Big Goals Might Be Making You Miserable with Jordan Grumet 1:05:13

22d ago1:05:13

1:05:13

What if the relentless chase for big goals is actually what’s making you feel unfulfilled? In this episode, hospice physician and author Jordan Grumet shares what he’s learned from those at the end of life—and why our culture’s definition of purpose may be all wrong. Instead of striving for impact, Jordan invites us to focus on the simple, joyful a…

1
700 - Butterflies at Rest 28:08

23d ago28:08

28:08

Returning to some devastating news after a trip to Paris, Jacke searches for lost time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Jacke Wilson / The Podglomerate

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699 Gatsby's Daisy (with Rachel Feder) | My Last Book with Francesca Peacock 1:12:12

1M ago1:12:12

1:12:12

F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby might be one hundred years old, but it's still incredibly relevant: one list-of-lists site ranks it as the number-one book of all time. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Rachel Feder about this classic tale of reinvention - and the reinventing she did for her book Daisy, which retells the Gatsby sto…

1
698 Dante in Love (with Ellen Nerenberg and Anthony Valerio) [Ad-Free Archive Edition] 1:05:26

1M ago1:05:26

1:05:26

It's springtime! A great time to be in love - and if you're a poetic genius like Dante Alighieri, a great time to catch a glimpse of a girl named Beatrice on the streets of Florence, fall madly in love with her, and spend the rest of your life beatifying her in verse. In this episode, we present a conversation that first aired in February 2018, in …

1
247 - The Disappearance of Peggy McGuire 1:43:43

1M ago1:43:43

1:43:43

Twenty-eight year old Peggy Anne McGuire was last seen dropping her son off for school in Canadian, Oklahoma on the morning of Monday, November 16th, 2015. Within hours of leaving the school, the single mother would mysterious disappear leaving behind a series of confusing clues which continue to cloud the truth. The day after her disappearance a l…

1
697 Race in European Fairy Tales (with Kimberly Lau) | My Last Book with Rolf Hellebust 1:21:03

1M ago1:21:03

1:21:03

Anyone digging into fairy tales soon discovers that there's more to these stories of magic and wonder than meets the eye. Often thought of as stories for children, the narratives can be shockingly violent, and they sometimes deliver messages or "morals" at odds with modern sensibilities. In this episode, Jacke talks to Kimberly Lau about her book S…

1
696 John Ruskin (with Sara Atwood) | My Last Book with Collin Jennings 1:00:25

1M ago1:00:25

1:00:25

John Ruskin (1819-1900) was a powerhouse of a man: writer, lecturer, critic, social reformer - and much else besides. From his five-volume work Modern Painters through his late writings about literature in Fiction, Fair and Foul, he brought to his subjects an energy and integrity that few critical thinkers have matched. His wide-ranging influence r…

1
695 Ten Indian Classics (with Sharmila Sen) | My Last Book with Adam Smyth 1:03:57

1M ago1:03:57

1:03:57

For the past ten years, the Murty Classical Library of India (published by Harvard University Press) has sought to do for classic Indian works what the famous Loeb Classical Library has done for Ancient Greek and Roman texts. In this episode, Jacke talks to editorial director Sharmila Sen about the joys and challenges of sifting through thousands o…

1
694 Apocalyptic Literature (with Dorian Lynskey) | My Last Book with Charles Baxter 1:07:02

2M ago1:07:02

1:07:02

For some reason, human beings don't seem to be content just thinking about their own death: they insist on imagining the end of the entire world. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Dorian Lynskey (Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell About the End of the World), who immersed himself in apocalyptic films and literature to discover exactly wha…

1
What AI Can’t Replace - and Why That Matters with WSJ Bestselling Author, Faisal Hoque 1:02:10

2M ago1:02:10

1:02:10

This isn’t another hype-filled tech episode or a doomsday warning about robots taking over. It’s a grounded, human conversation about what we lose when we hand over too much to AI—and how to hold onto what matters most. In this episode, author and technologist Faisal Hoque blends decades of innovation experience with Eastern philosophy to explore s…

1
693 Understanding the Wonders of Nature (with Alan Lightman) | My Last Book with Alan Lightman 1:00:13

2M ago1:00:13

1:00:13

In today's world of specialization, Alan Lightman is that rare individual who has accomplished remarkable things in two very different realms. As a physicist with a Ph.D. from Cal Tech, he's taught at Harvard and MIT and advised the United Nations. As a novelist, he's written award-winning bestsellers like Einstein's Dreams and The Diagnosis. In th…

1
692 An Investigation in Chinatown (with Radha Vatsal) | The Five Books (with Tali Rosenblatt-Cohen) 1:02:57

2M ago1:02:57

1:02:57

It's a two-for-one special! First, Jacke talks to novelist Radha Vatsal about her new book, No. 10 Doyers Street, which tells the gripping story of an Indian woman journalist investigating a bloody shooting in New York's Chinatown circa 1907. Then podcaster Tali Rosenblatt-Cohen stops by to discuss her experience hosting The Five Books, which asks …

1
691 The Making of Sylvia Plath (with Carl Rollyson) | My Last Book with Cheryl Hopson 1:04:05

2M ago1:04:05

1:04:05

Since her death, poet and novelist Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) has been an endless source of fascination for fans of her and her work. But while much attention has been paid to her tumultuous relationship with fellow poet Ted Hughes, we often overlook the influences that formed her, long before she traveled to England and met Hughes. What movies did s…

1
690 Coleridge and the Person from Porlock [Ad-Free] 1:06:26

2M ago1:06:26

1:06:26

[This episode originally ran on July 18, 2016. It is presented here without commercial interruption.] In 1797, the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge took two grains of opium and fell into a stupor. When he awoke, he had in his head the remnants of a marvelous dream, a vivid train of images of the Chinese emperor Kubla Khan and his summer palace, Xanadu.…

1
Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper-Persuasion with Harvard Professor, Rebecca Lemov 38:24

2M ago38:24

38:24

What if brainwashing isn’t just a Cold War relic, but something we’re all quietly experiencing every day? In this episode, Harvard professor and author Rebecca Lemov joins us to unpack the hidden mechanics of mind control—from historical POW camps to the subtle pull of your social media feed. We talk about the concept of “ungrounding,” how it sets …

1
689 Thomas Kyd (with Brian Vickers) | My Last Book with Jonathan D.S. Schroeder 47:28

2M ago47:28

47:28

For centuries, the playwright Thomas Kyd has been best known as the author of The Spanish Tragedy, a terrific story of revenge believed to have strongly influenced Shakespeare's Hamlet. And yet, a contemporary referred to Kyd as "industrious Kyd." What happened to the rest of his plays? In this episode, Jacke talks to scholar Brian Vickers about hi…

1
688 Georges Simenon 1:05:36

2M ago1:05:36

1:05:36

The Belgian-born French writer Georges Simenon (1903-1989) was astonishing for his literary ambition and output. The author of something like 400 novels, which he wrote in 7-10 day bursts (after checking with his physician beforehand to ensure that he could handle the strain), he's perhaps best known for his creation of Chief Inspector Jules Maigre…

1
Feed Drop! Money For Couples - 192- We spend 98% of what we make—Where is it all going 18:09

2M ago18:09

18:09

We're sharing a new show we think you'll enjoy! If you ever wonder, “Where is all our money going?”—you’re not alone. In episode 192 of Money For Couples titled, “We spend 98% of what we make—Where is it all going?”, you’ll hear real stories and practical strategies to help you align on finances, stop money fights, and build a shared financial visi…

1
687 Gatsby Turns 100 (with James West) 53:29

2M ago53:29

53:29

"I want to write something new," American author F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in a letter to his editor, "something extraordinary and beautiful and simple and intricately patterned." Months later, he presented the results: the novel that would eventually be titled The Great Gatsby. Published in 1925 to middling success, the book has since become a can…

1
Don't Let Your Doctor Kill You: How to Beat Physician Arrogance, Corporate Greed and a Broken System with Dr. Erika Schwartz 56:45

3M ago56:45

56:45

Ever wonder why a routine checkup can leave you more anxious than assured? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Erika Schwartz—author of Don’t Let Your Doctor Kill You—who’s on a mission to dismantle the fear culture in modern medicine. If you’re tired of endless tests and pill-pushing, get ready for real talk about where to draw the line.Think yo…

1
686 Russian Poetry After the Cold War (with Stephanie Sandler) 55:32

3M ago55:32

55:32

For decades, the Soviet Union was unfriendly territory for poets and writers. But what happened when the wall fell? Emerging from the underground, the poets reacted with a creative outpouring that responded to a brave new world. In this episode, Jacke talks to Russian poetry scholar Stephanie Sandler about her new book The Freest Speech in Russia: …

1
685 Charles Chesnutt (with Tess Chakkalakal) | My Last Book with John Goodby 1:01:41

3M ago1:01:41

1:01:41

Complex and talented, Charles W. Chesnutt (1858-1932) was one of the first American authors to write for both Black and white readers. Born in Cleveland to "mixed race" parents, Chesnutt rejected the opportunity to "pass" as white, instead remaining in the Black community throughout his life. His life in the South during Reconstruction, and his kno…

1
684 The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne (with Mike Palindrome) 1:29:36

3M ago1:29:36

1:29:36

What happens when a respected church leader shows up one day wearing a mysterious veil that conceals his eyes, offering no explanation - and keeps wearing it for decades? How will the community respond? What conspiracy theories will they develop? And how will an author like Nathaniel Hawthorne, writing a hundred years later, spin a New England sin-…

1
Reflections - The Truth About The Nature of Sex and Gender 14:41

3M ago14:41

14:41

Introducing 'Reflections,' a new twist on our classic podcast format. In this special new series, I'm flipping the script - instead of interviewing an expert, I'm sharing my personal takeaways, insights, and action items from our previous conversation. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at how our expert's wisdom is impacting my life, and discove…

1
683 Marianne Moore (with Cristanne Miller) 1:12:13

3M ago1:12:13

1:12:13

Marianne Moore (1887-1972) achieved something rare in American letters: a modernist poet who was popular with both critics and the public. Famous for her formal innovation, precise diction, and wit - as well as her black tri-corner hat and cloak, which she wore as she dashed around Manhattan - she was lauded by T.S. Eliot (and numerous prize commit…

1
682 The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature (with Farah Jasmine Griffin) [Ad-Free Re-Release] 58:55

3M ago58:55

58:55

As America closes out this year's Black History Month, Jacke dives into the archives for one of his favorite episodes, which featured a conversation with Columbia University professor Farah Jasmine Griffin about her book Read Until You Understand: The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature. PLUS friend of the show Scott Carter stops by to tal…

1
The Truth About Sex and Gender: What Nature Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are with Dr. Nathan Lents 1:12:28

3M ago1:12:28

1:12:28

Sex and gender are at the center of heated debates—but what if much of what we believe isn’t rooted in biological truth? In this episode, Dr. Nathan Lents, author of The Sexual Evolution, reveals what nature and evolution really tell us about sex, gender, and human relationships. You’ll discover why diversity in biology—whether in sex, gender, or m…

1
681 The Jolly Corner by Henry James - Part 3 | My Last Book by Colm Tóibín 56:02

3M ago56:02

56:02

It's the conclusion to "The Jolly Corner"! Spencer Brydon lived in Europe for 33 years (as did his creator, Henry James) before returning to his childhood home in New York City. Europe has changed him - and he can't help thinking, as he observes a highly transformed New York, that he'd have been a very different person had he stayed in America duri…

1
680 The Jolly Corner by Henry James - Part 2 1:16:34

3M ago1:16:34

1:16:34

After spending decades in Europe, the American Henry James felt haunted by the idea that he'd given up something essential. Inspired by a trip home to New York City, the place of his birth, he wrote an astonishing story about a man who creeps through his childhood home late at night, searching for ghosts, and one in particular he's desperate to see…

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246 - The Disappearance of Mary "Bobo" Shinn 2:56:01

3M ago2:56:01

2:56:01

Mary "Bobo" Shinn was a well liked, friendly and talented artist and teacher living in her native Magnolia, Arkansas. Teaching classes out of a small art studio she purchased north of the town square, she made strong connections with many people, both children and adults, as she guided them to find their artistic abilities. On Thursday, July 20th, …

1
679 The Jolly Corner by Henry James - Part 1 1:15:52

3M ago1:15:52

1:15:52

Although the writer Henry James (1843-1916) was born in New York City's Washington Square, he spent most of his adulthood in Europe, where he wrote such masterpieces as The Portrait of a Lady, The Wings of the Dove, and The Golden Bowl. Late in life, he returned to New York after a thirty-three year absence to find the city much transformed, as sky…

1
678 Fernando Pessoa (with Bartholomew Ryan) | My Last Book with Robin Waterfield 1:09:28

3M ago1:09:28

1:09:28

Jacke's been trying to come to grips with Portuguese modernist poet Fernando Pessoa ever since Harold Bloom named him one of the 26 most influential writers in the entire Western canon. But it's not easy! As a young man, Pessoa wanted to be, in his words, "plural like the universe," and he carried this out in his poetry: writing verse in the style …

1
Why AI Could Be the Key to Better, Faster, and Cheaper Healthcare with Dean of Stanford Medicine, Dr. Lloyd Minor 53:23

4M ago53:23

53:23

🚨 AI is changing healthcare—are we ready? 🚨 In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Lloyd Minor, Dean of the Stanford School of Medicine, to explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing medicine—from diagnosing diseases faster to improving patient care and even reshaping drug development. But with all the promise, there are major challenges…

1
677 Dylan Thomas (with John Goodby) | Emily Brontë and the Search for Hope 1:07:50

4M ago1:07:50

1:07:50

Dylan Thomas: brilliant poet or self-indulgent blowhard? In this episode, Jacke talks to John Goodby, co-author of the biography Dylan Thomas: A Critical Life, about the misconceptions swirling around the famous Welsh poet, and the approach that he and fellow author Chris Wigginton took in presenting a revealing and fresh introduction to Thomas's l…

1
676 "Mrs Spring Fragrance" by Sui Sin Far (with Mike Palindrome) 1:25:52

4M ago1:25:52

1:25:52

Mike Palindrome, the President of the Literature Supporters Club, joins Jacke for a reading and discussion of "Mrs. Spring Fragrance" by Sui Sin Far. The story, which takes place against a backdrop of waves of immigration to America in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (and the racist anti-Asian laws that followed), depicts an enterprisi…

1
Reflections - Three Tips for Inspiring Others (Adam Galinsky episode) 14:22

4M ago14:22

14:22

Introducing 'Reflections,' a new twist on our classic podcast format. In this special new series, I'm flipping the script - instead of interviewing an expert, I'm sharing my personal takeaways, insights, and action items from our previous conversation. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at how our expert's wisdom is impacting my life, and discove…

1
675 Zora Neale Hurston (with Cheryl Hopson) | Jack Kerouac's Newly Discovered Writings 1:10:18

4M ago1:10:18

1:10:18

Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) was the most published African American woman writer of the first half of the twentieth century; her signature novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is still read by students, scholars, and literature lovers everywhere. In this episode, Jacke talks to Hurston biographer Cheryl R. Hopson (Zora Neale Hurston: A Critical Li…

1
674 Nabokov vs Freud (with Joshua Ferris) [Ad-Free Re-Release] 51:13

4M ago51:13

51:13

“I admire Freud greatly,” the novelist Vladimir Nabokov once said, “as a comic writer.” For Nabokov, Sigmund Freud was “the Viennese witch-doctor,” objectionable for “the vulgar, shabby, fundamentally medieval world” of his ideas. Author Joshua Ferris (The Dinner Party, Then We Came to the End) joins Jacke for a discussion of the author of Lolita a…

1
2024 Wrap-Up Q&A 51:41

4M ago51:41

51:41

In this Special Episode, we take a look back at 2024 and answer listener submitted questions about the show, specific cases and anything that you want to know. Following the Q&A there is a short "state of the podcast" segment in which we discuss plans for 2025, new ideas for the show and different ways to get you, the listener, more involved. Regul…

1
How Understanding Social Hierarchies Can Help You Inspire Others and Get What You Want with Adam Galinksy 49:48

4M ago49:48

49:48

In this episode, Adam Galinsky, acclaimed professor and TED speaker, dives into the fascinating world of social hierarchy, influence, and inspiration. From his role as an expert witness in high-profile cases like Dominion vs. Fox News to his groundbreaking research on human dynamics, Adam shares how understanding social structures can empower us to…

1
673 Edna Ferber (with Julie Gilbert) | My Last Book with Jessica Kirzane 1:04:39

4M ago1:04:39

1:04:39

Novelist and playwright Edna Ferber (1885-1968) lived a wondrous life: residing in Manhattan as a member of the famed Algonquin Round Table, writing a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (So Big), and producing works that Hollywood turned into twentieth-century classics, including the Kern & Hammerstein musical Show Boat and George Stevens's Giant, starri…

1
672 The Little Review (with Holly A. Baggett) | My Last Book with Phil Jones 58:43

4M ago58:43

58:43

Founded in Chicago in 1914, the avant-garde journal the Little Review became a giant in the cause of modernism, publishing literature and art by luminaries such as T.S. Eliot, Djuna Barnes, William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, Ezra Pound, Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, Gertrude Stein, Jean Toomer, William Carlos Williams, H.D., Amy Lowell, Marcel Duchamp,…

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Reflections - How GLP-1s Changed My Thinking On Medicine (Dr. Alexandra Sowa episode) 14:45

4M ago14:45

14:45

Introducing 'Reflections,' a new twist on our classic podcast format. In this special new series, I'm flipping the script - instead of interviewing an expert, I'm sharing my personal takeaways, insights, and action items from our previous conversation. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at how our expert's wisdom is impacting my life, and discove…

1
671 Shakespeare's Tragic Art (with Rhodri Lewis) | My Last Book with Joel Warner 1:00:06

4M ago1:00:06

1:00:06

It is a truth universally acknowledged that tragedy is one of the world's highest art forms, and that Shakespeare was one of the form's greatest practitioners. But how did he do it? What models did he have to draw upon, and where did he innovate? In this episode, Jacke talks to Shakespeare scholar Rhodri Lewis about his new book Shakespeare's Tragi…

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