Lone Genius? SHAKESPEARE’S Influences and Collaborators | Dr Darren Freebury-Jones

Meeting the real Lord BYRON | Prof Andrew Stauffer

Who was the real Lord Byron? Was he really the brooding, scandalous Romantic we’ve inherited through legend? Or was there a very different Byron hiding in plain sight—in the extraordinary letters he wrote to friends, lovers, family and fellow writers? In this episode of The Scholar’s Armchair, I speak with Professor Andrew Stauffer about his acclaimed new book, Byron: A Life in Ten Letters. Rather than telling Byron’s story through a conventional biography, Stauffer lets Byron speak for himself, revealing a man who was witty, self-aware, vulnerable, contradictory and startlingly modern. Along the way we discuss the birth of celebrity culture, the origins of the Byronic hero, Byron’s influence on Mary Shelley, the Brontës and the Gothic tradition, his friendships with Percy Shelley and Thomas Moore, his role in the Greek War of Independence, and why his life and work continue to shape literature more than two centuries after his death. Whether you’re a lifelong admirer of Romantic poetry or simply curious about one of history’s most fascinating literary figures, I hope you enjoy the conversation. Andrew Stauffer’s book: Byron: A Life in Ten Letters (Cambridge University Press)⁠ https://share.google/XCk4I1M8cAQuRkHOE If you enjoyed this interview, please consider subscribing to The Scholar’s Armchair, where I speak to leading scholars and authors about literature, history, philosophy and the ideas that continue to shape our world.

Regain The Power of Deep Reading | Cognitive Neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf

What if the way we read is changing the way we think? In this episode of The Scholar's Armchair, I speak with cognitive neuroscientist and reading researcher Maryanne Wolf, author of Proust and the Squid and Reader, Come Home, about one of the defining questions of our digital age. Maryanne begins with a remarkable personal story. After a lifetime devoted to literature and the science of reading, she discovered that she could no longer read one of her favourite novels with the depth and pleasure she once had. That experience led her to ask a profound question: had her reading brain changed? Our conversation explores how the brain learns to read, why deep reading is one of humanity's greatest cultural achievements, and what may be happening as more of our lives move onto screens. We discuss attention, empathy, critical thinking, education, AI, and why reading is about far more than absorbing information. It is about cultivating the very capacities that allow us to think, imagine, understand others, and make sense of ourselves. Among the questions we explore: • Why isn't reading a natural human ability? • What is "deep reading," and why does it matter? • How do books shape empathy and critical thought? • Is digital technology changing our brains? • What is the "biliterate brain"? • Can we recover our capacity for sustained attention? • How should we educate children in an age of screens and AI? After recording this interview, Maryanne very kindly shared the new preface to the forthcoming edition of Reader, Come Home and generously gave me permission to make it available to viewers. You'll find a link to read it in the description below. ======================= LINKS: 📕Read the new preface to the forthcoming edition of Reader, Come Home: https://open.substack.com/pub/thescholarsarmchair/p/exclusive-new-preface-to-maryanne 📘Reader, Come Home: https://www.maryannewolf.com/reader-come-home-1 📕Proust and the Squid: https://www.maryannewolf.com/proust-and-the-squid Nido Learning website: https://www.nidolearning.com/ 📘Byung Chul Han’s The Scent of Time: https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=the-scent-of-time-a-philosophical-essay-on-the-art-of-lingering--9781509516049 📕Niall Williams’ This is Happiness: https://niallwilliams.com/pages/this-is-happiness If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about literature, philosophy, psychology, history and the ideas that shape our world, please consider subscribing to The Scholar's Armchair. 📸SUBSCRIBE to my new Instagram! http://www.instagram.com/thescholarsarmchair

John KEATS and The Power of Uncertainty | Professor Ou Li

John Keats is often remembered as the poet of beauty and “negative capability.” But what if he was also one of the most profound thinkers about uncertainty? In this episode of The Scholar’s Armchair, I speak with Dr Li Ou about her book Keats and Scepticism. We explore a side of Keats that is often overlooked: a poet deeply engaged with questions of knowledge, perception, imagination, and the limits of certainty. What did Keats mean by “negative capability”? Why did he resist the “irritable reaching after fact and reason”? And what can his embrace of uncertainty teach us in an age of social media, ideological certainty, and instant opinions? Our conversation explores the philosophical influences behind Keats’s poetry, offers fresh readings of the great odes, and considers why scepticism can be not a weakness but a form of intellectual humility and ethical openness. Whether you’re a lover of Romantic poetry, philosophy, or simply interested in how literature can help us navigate modern life, I hope you’ll enjoy the discussion. In this conversation: • Why Keats should be understood as a philosopher as well as a poet • The true meaning of negative capability • Scepticism, imagination, and the search for truth • Fresh perspectives on the great odes • Why uncertainty can deepen empathy and understanding • What Keats can still teach us today If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about literature, philosophy, history, and culture, please consider subscribing to The Scholar’s Armchair. LINKS: Professor Li’s books: 📕 Keats and Negative Capability: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/keats-and-negative-capability-9781441147240/?__cf_chl_f_tk=wG3AKRuLU2qPN4RZ5CMlEz5_lUcdx3bS2K1NaldTdmc-1782812508-1.0.1.1-6FHb_HJEkJq0hYC0u7RNgnrdfe.h7GUrY9DBA7T7Lhk 📘Keats and Scepticism: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003285403/keats-scepticism-li-ou Searchable etext of Keats’ letters: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35698/35698-h/35698-h.htm

What Darwin did to Emily Dickinson | Prof Renée Bergland

Read the book: https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691235301/natural-magic?_gl=1*1dmglc8*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTczMjY1MDM3LjE3ODIyMTg4Njg.*_ga_N1W9JWKLY3*czE3ODIyMTg4NjckbzEkZzAkdDE3ODIyMTg4NjckajYwJGwwJGgxODg0NTE5NzQ3 Emily Dickinson is often imagined as a secluded poet, withdrawn from the world and writing from the privacy of her room in Amherst. But what if she was actually responding to one of the greatest intellectual revolutions in human history? In this episode of The Scholar’s Armchair, I speak with Prof Renée Bergland about her book Natural Magic: Emily Dickinson, Charles Darwin, and the Dawn of Modern Science. We explore how Dickinson’s poetry emerged at a moment when traditional ideas about nature, faith, and humanity were being challenged by new scientific discoveries, particularly the evolutionary theories associated with Charles Darwin. Was Dickinson simply a poet of inwardness, or was she grappling with the same questions that confronted the modern world? How did evolutionary thinking change the way people understood nature, death, and meaning? And how did Dickinson’s distinctive poetic style become a way of exploring uncertainty rather than escaping it? Our conversation examines Dickinson’s scientific education, her fascination with the natural world, her engagement with questions of belief and doubt, and Bergland’s compelling argument that Dickinson developed a form of “natural magic”: a way of preserving wonder in a universe no longer guaranteed by divine certainty. Whether you’re interested in poetry, literature, philosophy, science, religion, or the history of ideas, this discussion offers a fascinating new perspective on one of America’s greatest poets.

A Cultural History of Goblins | Prof Matt King

What exactly is a goblin? Today we imagine goblins as fantasy creatures from Tolkien, Dungeons & Dragons, Harry Potter, and video games. But where did they come from, and why have they survived for centuries while so many other monsters have faded away? In this episode of The Scholar’s Armchair, I speak with historian Matt King about his fascinating book A History of Goblins. We trace the goblin’s journey from medieval Europe, where goblins were often feared as demonic beings, through Victorian literature and folklore, to their reinvention in modern fantasy, gaming, and even internet culture. Along the way we discuss fairyland, demons, Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market, Tolkien’s influence on fantasy, Dungeons & Dragons, Goblincore, and what our enduring fascination with goblins reveals about human fears, desires, and imagination. Far from being a minor fantasy creature, the goblin turns out to be a surprisingly revealing guide to the history of religion, folklore, literature, and popular culture. Topics discussed: * The medieval origins of goblins * Goblins, demons, and fairy folklore * Why goblins are so difficult to define * Victorian goblins and Goblin Market * Tolkien, orcs, and modern fantasy * Dungeons & Dragons and gaming culture * Goblin Mode and Goblincore * What monsters reveal about society Links: Matt’s book A History of Goblins: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-01063-6 Matt’s profile at University of South Florida: https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/departments/history/people/matt-king.aspx #Goblins #Folklore #Fantasy #Tolkien #DnD #History #Mythology #Literature #MattKing #TheScholarsArmchair #GoblinMarket #FantasyHistory #MedievalHistory #FairyTales #CulturalHistory