Shows
Burning Books IrelandClaire HennessyClaire Hennessy talks about Malory Towers, Wonder Boys, Rachel’s Holiday and all kinds of everything from depression to editing as she tells Ruth McKee which books she would save if her house was on fire.
Claire Hennessy is a writer, editor and creative writing facilitator. Best known as an author and reviewer of YA fiction, In the Movie of Her Life (Doire Press) is her debut collection of short stories for adults.
2025-05-191h 21
2025-04-1554 min
Aunty M Brain Tumours Talk ShowMel's Inoperable Meningioma StoryMel Hennessy's emotional journey from the moment shereceived her brain tumour diagnosis to her recovery process. It highlights the challenges she faced as a new mother, the medical hurdles she navigated, and the emotional turmoil that accompanied her diagnosis and treatment. Mel's storyis about resilience, love, and the struggle to maintain normalcy in life-altering circumstances.DISCLAIMER: Any of the sites under Claire Bullimore or Aunty M Brain Tumours is not intended to provide and does not constitute medical, legal, or other professional advice. The content on Aunty M Brain Tumours is designed to support, not replace, medical...
2025-03-1020 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastMadame Bovary (1857)Madame Bovary scandalized and fascinated nineteenth-century France upon its release, and is a groundbreaking exploration of desire, romantic disillusionment, and the mundane realities of rural life. Joining us are Professors Mary Donaldson-Evans who taught at University of Delaware, Jennifer Yee from Oxford University, Rachel Mesch from Boston University, and C.F.S. Creasy from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. Recommended Readings:Flaubert, Gustave. Madame BovaryCreasy, C.F.S.. "Flaubert’s Alibi: The Impossible Ensemble of Madame Bovary," Novel. 2015. p363-380.Donaldson-Evans, Mary. Madame Bovary at the Movies. Rodopi B.V., Am...
2024-03-1520 min
Positively LeadingS1E4 - The Journey to Self-Discovery and Leadership Confidence with Claire HennessySend us a textWelcome to today’s episode, where we dive into an incredibly uplifting journey of transformation and leadership with Claire Hennessy. Once a reserved individual, Claire has emerged as a shining example of leadership, all thanks to her innovative work as a teacher and the brains behind The Feeling Center. Today, she's here to break down the self-development strategies that catapulted her success, focusing on how aligning her inner emotions with her actions and the significant impact of emotional intelligence has made her the leader she is today. If you’re looking to lead with...
2024-03-0930 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastGulliver's Travels (1726)Gulliver’s Travels remains one of the finest satires in the English language, delighting in the mockery of everything from government to religion and —despite the passing of nearly three centuries-remaining just as fun, funny and relevant today.Our guest-speakers are chief editors of the 2023 Cambridge Companion to Gulliver’s Travels Dr. Daniel Cook and Dr. Nicholas Seager. Daniel is an Associate Dean and Reader in English Literature at the University of Dundee whose teaching and research interests include eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literature. Nick is Lecturer in English Literature at Keele University, UK. His research interests are Restoration and ei...
2024-02-1520 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastMy Struggle (2009)A Norwegian author and well-known worldwide for six autobiographical novels, titled My Struggle and multiple prize winner, Karl Ove Knausgaard has been described as "one of the 21st century's greatest literary sensations". With us today is our returning guest-speaker Dr. Bob Blaisdell. As I’ve introduced him on the show before, he is professor of English at the City University of New York’s Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn. He is author of Creating Anna Karenina: Tolstoy and the Birth of Literature's Most Enigmatic Heroine; and another book titled Chekhov Becomes Chekhov: The Emergence of a Literary Genius.R...
2023-12-3120 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastZuleika Dobson (1911)Zuleika Dobson, or an Oxford love story, is the only novel by English essayist Max Beerbohm, a satire of undergraduate life at Oxford published in 1911. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Zuleika Dobson 59th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. Robert Mighall in his Afterword to the New Centenary Edition of Zuleika (published by Collector's Library, in 2011), writes: "Zuleika is of the future that Beerbohm anticipates an all-too-familiar feature of the contemporary scene: the D-list talent afforded A-list media attention."With us today is Dr. Margaret Stetz, the Mae and Robert Carter...
2023-12-1520 min
Make It WorkHow To Find A New Way Of Being When Life Gets Disrupted with Claire Harbour (1 of 2) | Ep7 (Special Series Part 4)In Claire Harbour’s own words, she “fits in everywhere and belongs nowhere”. Claire holds French and British passports but really is the quintessential global citizen, having lived in almost 20 countries and can speak 8 languages. Claire started her career in Asia, was once the General Manager for Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy in the UK, and since entering coaching 20 years ago, she has now coached over 2000 people. All this whilst single-handedly raising four children (who are now well-adjusted adults!).
Amongst the many hats Claire wears, she is currently advisor to the Harvard Business Review, has written a book and...
2023-12-0223 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastNew Grub Street (1891)New Grub Street is a novel by George Gissing published in 1891, which is set in the literary and journalistic circles of 1880s' London.The story deals with the literary world that Gissing himself had experienced. Its title refers to the London street, Grub Street, which in the 18th century became synonymous with hack literature; by Gissing's time, Grub Street itself no longer existed, though hack-writing certainly did. Its two central characters are a sharply contrasted pair of writers: Edwin Reardon, a novelist of some talent with limited commercial prospects, and Jasper Milvain, a young journalist, hard-working and capable of...
2023-11-3020 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastThe Aesthetic Cold WarHow did superpower competition and the cold war affect writers in the decolonizing world? In the book The Aesthetic Cold War, Peter Kalliney explores the various ways that rival states used cultural diplomacy and the political police to influence writers. In response, many writers from Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean—such as Chinua Achebe, Mulk Raj Anand, Eileen Chang, C.L.R. James, Alex La Guma, Doris Lessing, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, and Wole Soyinka —carved out a vibrant conceptual space of aesthetic nonalignment, imagining a different and freer future for their work. With us today is the book’s a...
2023-11-1621 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastPsychoanalysis and LiteratureTaking Sigmund Freud's theories as a point of departure, Jean-Michel Rabaté's 2014 book The Cambridge Introduction to Literature and Psychoanalysis, explores the intriguing ties between psychoanalysis and literature. With me today is Professor. Jean-Michel Rabaté. He is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Rabaté has authored and edited more than 40 books on modernism, psychoanalysis, contemporary art, philosophy, and writers like Beckett, Pound and Joyce. Since 2008, he has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.Recommended Reading:Jean-Michel Rabaté, The Cambridge Introduction to Literature and Psychoanalysis (2014)Re...
2023-10-3120 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastShakespeare's Enigmatic Late PlaysThe famous English poet, playwright, and actor William Shakespeare had during his lifetime produced 39 plays which are widely regarded as being among the greatest in the English language and are continually performed around the world, translated into every major living language. In recent years, modern criticism has labeled some of these plays "problem plays" that elude easy categorisation, or perhaps purposely break generic conventions, and has introduced the term romances for what scholars believe to be his later comedies. What is so enigmatic about these later plays? Today, the distinguished American scholar and professor of English, Dr. Seth Lerer...
2023-10-1520 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastFrankenstein (1818)Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. It recounts the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature through an unorthodox scientific experiment. Though Frankenstein is infused with elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement, some scholars have argued for it as the first true science-fiction story. The novel has had a considerable influence on literature and on popular culture, spawning a complete genre of horror stories, films, and plays. Since the publication of the novel, the name "Frankenstein" has often been used, erroneously, to refer...
2023-09-1520 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastThe MahābhārataIn a most unsettling dice gambling game that is to determine the fate of its two players, a man loses his brothers, himself, his wife, and his kingdom to the servitude of the monster incarnate, thus meeting the threshold of an ominous age where the good and the just fight the battle against the evil and unjust. Thank you for tuning in to the Global Novel. I’m Claire Hennessy. The Mahābhārata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, and is often compared by Western scholars as important to world civilization as that of t...
2023-08-3120 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastRobinson Crusoe After 300 YearsRobinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe, published in 1719. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is presented as an autobiography of the title character – who is a castaway spending 28 years on a remote tropical desert island near the coasts of Venezuela and Trinidad, and encountering cannibals, captives, and mutineers before being rescued. Robinson Crusoe was well received in the literary world and is often credited as marking the beginning of realistic fiction as a literary genre. It is generally seen as a contender for the first English novel. The work has been variously read as an all...
2023-08-1520 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastApter's Politics of UntranslatabilityEmily Apter’s Against World Literature: On the Politics of Untranslatability is a pivotal monograph in the study of comparative literature, published in 2014, ushering a significant turn in theorizing what is world literature and what it should be as a discipline in the US academia. Emily Apter is the major contributor to the recent debate about world literature theory. She is a Harvard graduate and her areas of expertise range from philosophizing in Languages, Political Theory, Translation theory, to continental philosophy, psychoanalysis, French and German literature. She is currently Professor of Comparative Literature and French at New Yo...
2023-07-1627 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastWater Margin (16th century)Water Margin (水浒传) is one of the earliest Chinese novels written in vernacular Mandarin, and is attributed to Shi Nai'an(施耐庵).It is also translated as Outlaws of the Marsh or All Men Are Brothers. The story, which is set in the Northern Song dynasty (around 1120), tells of how a group of 108 outlaws gather at Liangshan (梁山)Marsh to rebel against the government. Later they are granted amnesty and enlisted by the government to resist the nomadic conquest of the Liao(辽) dynasty and other rebels. It is considered one of the masterpieces of early vernacular fiction and Chinese literature. It has introduced readers to many of...
2023-06-3020 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastMarxism and LiteratureIn today’s episode of the Global Novel, Dr. Daniel Tutt will review Marxism’s key concept of "alienation." He will also discuss the relationship between Marxism and literature.Recommended Readings:S.S. Solomon Prawer, Karl Marx and World literatureTerry Eagleton, Marxism and Literary CriticismRaymond Williams, Marxism and literatureThis podcast is sponsored by Riverside, a professional conference platform for podcasting.Subscribe at http://theglobalnovel.com/subscribeComment and interact with our hostsBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREED...
2023-06-1520 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastAbout MarxismMarxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialectical perspective to view social transformation. Today I speak with philosopher Daniel Tutt on several basic notions of Marxism and literature. Daniel’s research focuses on psychoanalytic theory and Marxist thought. He is the author of Psychoanalysis and the Politics of the Family: The Crisis of Initiation. He is also Adjunct Professor of philosophy at George Washington University, Marymount University and Senior Research Fellow at the Global Ce...
2023-05-3020 min
Narratives of Purpose®Special French Language Episode - Interview de Charlotte Hennessy & Patrick Dupuis du Refettorio GenèveAujourd'hui, nous concluons nos épisodes bonus du mois de mai. Les épisodes d'interviews complètes en version originale de notre mini-série sur les systèmes alimentaires durables.Notre troisième et dernier épisode présente le restaurant Refettorio à Genève avec deux de ses collaborateurs : Charlotte Hennessy et Patrick Dupuis. Le Refettorio réunit la gastronomie et l’action humanitaire en promouvant l’inclusion sociale, en favorisant l’accès à une alimentation équilibrée aux personnes en situation de précarité, et en luttant contre le gaspillage alimentaire. Charlotte et Patrick pa...
2023-05-3020 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastDon Quixote (1605)Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. It was originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615. It is the most generative work of fiction of all time. There are literally thousands of works of fiction, theater, poetry, and music inspired, based on, or dealing in other ways with Cervantes’s novel. Don Quixote has been depicted by more artists than any other fictional character, which is part of the reason why he is the most easily recognized fictional character. A founding work of Western literature, Don Quixote is often labelled as the first modern novel an...
2023-05-1620 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastAncient Greek Novel: Aethiopika (350-375 AD)Aethiopica is a fascinating and complex work that tells the story of a young Ethiopian princess named Chariclea and her lover Theagenes, a Thessalian nobleman. The novel is filled with adventure, romance, and intrigue, and it has captured the imagination of readers for centuries. Written in the third or fourth century AD, Aethiopica is considered one of the earliest surviving examples of the ancient Greek novel. It is a product of a rich literary tradition that flourished in the Hellenistic and Roman periods and is known for its vivid storytelling, complex characters, and exploration of themes such as love...
2023-04-3020 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastAbout The NovelConsider, even English literature was a late comer to the academy, therefore the novel, being a late comer to the late comer, did not made it to the curriculum in the English departments world wide by the 1950. In fact, even by the mid 1980, it was so marginal that taking any graduate seminar related with fiction would be considered as side-tracked. Now, major theorists of the novel such as Franco Moretti hailed this field of study as “a great anthropological force,” highlighting its close examination on humankind by redefining the sense of reality and the meaning of individual existence. As now...
2023-04-1625 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastThe Orphan of Zhao Part 2The Orphan of Zhao (趙氏孤兒) was the first classical Chinese play to be translated into any European language dating from 1731. It was also the first Chinese play to be adapted and re-enacted by the Royal Shakespeare company in 2012.Prof. Patricia Sieber and Prof. Shih-pe Wang(汪詩珮) in our last episode have jointly revealed how the classical narrative form called zaju(雜劇) effectively enacts the moral dilemma of the protagonist Cheng Ying(程嬰) who sacrifices his own son in order to save his lord’s son. In this episode, they will discuss how the theme of familial revenge is placed in the context of Confucian mor...
2023-03-3034 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastThe Orphan of ZhaoThe Orphan of Zhao(趙氏孤兒) is a famous play from the Chinese Yuan dynasty, in the 13th century generally attributed to the dramatist Ji Junxiang (紀君祥). The play is classified in the zaju (雜劇) genre of Chinese drama and revolves around the central theme of revenge and was the earliest Chinese play to be known and even translated in Europe.Joining the show today is Dr. Patricia Sieber, associate professor of Chinese literature at Ohio State University. Prof. Sieber is the author of the book Theaters of Desire: Authors, Readers, and the Reproduction of Early Chinese Song-Drama and the editor of How...
2023-03-1624 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastThe Princesse de Clèves (1678)La Princesse de Clèves is a French novel which was published anonymously in 1678. Many regarded the novel as the precursor to the modern psychological novel and a classic of world literature. Its author is generally attributed to Madame de La Fayette. The novel is unique for its highly realistic plot, introspective language that explored the characters' inner thoughts and emotions.Joining the show today is Dr. Benjamin Fancy, author of the recently published essay titled ‘Fantôme de devoir’: La Princesse de Clèves’s Haunting Duty. Recommended Readings:Madame de La Fayette, Princesse...
2023-02-2820 min
Narratives of Purpose®Exploring Sustainable Food Systems (PART 1/3) - Food Waste WarriorsIn today’s episode, we are doing something different. This is Part One of our conversation focused on Exploring Sustainable Food Systems around the world.You will hear from multiple voices that represent who we like to call, ‘Food Waste Warriors’ in their field, and it’s sure to give you a fresh and exciting perspective on how to make small changes that create a powerful impact for our future.Show notes:In this episode we spoke with Jamie Cr...
2023-02-2849 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastLittle Nemo In Slumberland (1905-1911)Little Nemo in Slumberland is a comic strip created by American cartoonist Winsor McCay. It depicts Nemo having fantastic dreams that were interrupted by his awakening in the final panel. The strip is considered McCay's masterpiece for its experiments with the form of the comics page, its use of color and perspective, its timing and pacing, the size and shape of its panels, and its architectural and other details.Joining the show today is Prof. Scott Bukatman, who is a cultural theorist and professor of film and media studies at Stanford University. His research explores how such...
2023-02-1520 min
Narratives of Purpose®Exploring Sustainable Food Systems (INTRO) - What Does Sustainable Nutrition Mean?Welcome to a fresh new perspective for the Narratives of Purpose Podcast. In today’s episode, I invite you to our short three-part series on Exploring Sustainable Food Systems that will conclude this season of the podcast.Over the following three episodes you will be hearing from multiple voices that represent who I like to call, ‘agents of change’ in their field, and for this series we will be shining a spotlight on the sustainable food movement.This episode is an introduction to what is to come as we wrap up this powerful and thought-provoking season...
2023-02-1426 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastThe Arabian Nights and Its 2021 Translation Part 2A cornerstone of world literature and a monument to the power of storytelling, the Arabian Nights has inspired countless authors, from Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe to James Joyce and A.S. Byatt. Now, in this lavishly designed and illustrated edition of The Annotated Arabian Nights, the acclaimed literary historian Paulo Lemos Horta and the woman poet and translator Yasmine Seale co-present a new selection of tales, featuring treasured original stories as well as later additions including “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp” and “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” and bringing the Nights out of Victorian antiquarianism into the twen...
2023-01-3032 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastThe Arabian Nights and Its 2021 TranslationKing Shahriyar and his brother King Shahzaman of India and China suspect their suffering to be unique in this world. Their wives have slept with other men, and this drives them to grief, to madness—Shahzaman skewers his wife and her lover. Shahriyar begins to take a new bride each night, only to have her killed the next morning. Parents grieve; the kingdom darkens. Eventually, Shahrazad, the vizier’s daughter, comes up with a plan. She offers herself as a bride, but holds Shahriyar’s attention, night after night, with stories that end on a cliffhanger. With every dawn, the ki...
2023-01-1520 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastThe Emergence of A Literary Genius: Anton ChekhovIn 1886, a twenty-six-year-old Anton Chekhov was publishing short stories, humor pieces, and articles at an astonishing rate, and was still a practicing physician. Yet as he honed his craft and continued to draw inspiration from the vivid characters in his own life, he found himself—to his surprise and occasional embarrassment—admired by a growing legion of fans, including Tolstoy himself.He had not yet succumbed to the ravages of tuberculosis. He was a lively, frank, and funny correspondent and a dedicated mentor. And as Bob Blaisdell discovers, his vivid articles, stories, and plays from this period—when r...
2022-12-3026 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastRebirth of the English Comic Strip“Once upon a time: the comic strip was a poor, un- baptized, and unrecognized stepsister of caricature, which was the poor sister of the graphic arts, which were the poor sisters of the fine arts. If there was a fairy godmother at the birth of the sleeping beauty, the prince of public acclaim was slow in coming to wake her.” Such is the witty humor that sets in motion David Kunzle’s new monograph Rebirth of the English Comic Strip: A Kaleidoscope 1847-1870. Today I have the honor again to speak with Dr. Kunzle, professor eméritus of art history...
2022-12-1520 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastAnna Karenina (1878)Anna Karenina is one of the most nuanced characters in world literature and we return to her, and the novel she propels, again and again. Joining us today is critic and professor Bob Blaisdell who unravels the novel’s author Leo Tolstoy’s family, literary, and day-to-day life during the period that he conceived, drafted, abandoned, and revised Anna Karenina in his recent book titled Creating Anna Karenina. Recommended Reading:Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, trans. Kent and Berberova (2000)Bob Blaisdell, Creating Anna Karenina (2021)This podcast is sponsored by Riverside, a professional conference platform for...
2022-11-3020 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastTranslating System of ComicsTranslation studies is an academic interdiscipline dealing with the systematic study of the theory, description and application of translation, interpreting, and localization. After I talked with Tierry Groensteen, whose work on comic theory was translated and introduced to the Anglophone world by Bart Beaty and Nick Nguyen, today I speak with these two translators who will share with us their experience and insights of translating theory.Recommended Reading:Ann Miller and Bart Beaty, The French Comics Theory Reader (2014)This podcast is sponsored by Riverside, a professional conference platform for podcasting.Subscribe at...
2022-11-1520 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastSystem of ComicsListen to Thierry Groensteen, one of the leading French-speaking comics researchers and theorists join and speak on the Global Novel podcast. Tierry's works have profound influence beyond the field of comics. According to the English translators of System of Comics, Thierry Groensteen “is not only the most prolific scholar on the subject of comics, he is indisputably one of the best. ” The System of Comics is his chef d’oeuvre, his masterpiece, reaching even broader audience in the anglophone world and inspiring new investigations into the field of comics.Recommended Reading:Tierry Groensteen, System of Comics (1999)—...
2022-10-3017 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastLoki, Norse God of Mischief And Its Representation In Popular MediaLoki is a god of mischief in Norse mythology. The character is originally refered to in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, among other sources in Scandinavian folklore. In Modern popular culture, Loki has been depicted in or is referred to in an array of media including Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as a villain who consistently comes into conflict with the superhero Thor, his adopted brother and archenemy. Today our returning guest-speaker Dr. Shepherd Siegel will share with us his recent essay on Loki.Recommended Reading:
2022-10-1527 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastMulan: Different Versions of a Classic Chinese LegendMulan is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era of Chinese history, roughly from 4th to 6th century CE. The story of Mulan was originally told in Ballad of Mulan as a Yuefu (樂府) genre, in which Chinese poems were composed in a folk song style. Over the centuries, the story of Mulan has been reiterated, being performed on the stage, adapted for the screen, and rewritten as dramas for television and even animated films. Joining us today is Dr. Shiamin Kwa, associate professor of East Asian languages and cultures and comparative literature at Bryn...
2022-10-1520 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastAbout TrickstersIn mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwise disobey normal rules and defy conventional behavior. Today I speak with Dr. Shepherd Siegel, author of the recently published book titled Tricking Power into Performing Acts of Love, as Siegel’s work weaves together delightful stories of mischief from famous tricksters and rereads a buried historical current of people who use creativity and play to challenge authority and envision new possibilities—through musi...
2022-09-3020 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastTao Yuanming's UtopianismPeach Blossom Spring (桃花源记) is a short prose fable written by China's best known poet during the six dynasties period, Tao Yuanming (陶渊明). Joining us today is Dr. Wendy Swartz, professor of Chinese literature at Rutgers to share her knowledge with us on the subject. Prof. Swartz is the author of Reading Tao Yuanming: Shifting Paradigms of Historical Reception, and another book Reading Philosophy, Writing Poetry: Intertextual Modes of Making Meaning in Early Medieval China. Recommended Reading:Earl Trotter, Tao Yuanming: Selected Poetry & Prose (primary text)Wendy Swartz, Reading Tao Yuanming: Shifting Paradigms of Historical Reception (secondary text)For...
2022-09-1520 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastMarlowe: Doctor Faustus (1592)A mysterious spy who wrote about the most captivatingly infamous intellectual of the time, Christopher Marlowe is among the most accomplished and enigmatic of the Elizabethan playwrights. Joining us today is Dr. Robert Sawyer, professor in the department of literature and language at East Tennessee State University. Professor Sawyer’s is the author of Shakespeare Between the World Wars, and Marlowe and Shakespeare: The Critical Rivalry. Recommended Reading:Doctor Faustus Additional Readings:A play is best learned when watched, you can find out the Review on Shakespeare's Globe's Doctor Faustus or go to a...
2022-08-3020 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastKrazy Kat’s AestheticismToday is August 22nd, the birthday of one of the greatest American cartoonists George Herriman. In this episode, we will cast a critical lens on Krazy Kat’s aestheticism and defining techniques that distinguish itself as a work of art. We suggest people to get the primary text of George Herriman’s Krazy Kat’s collections, which can be accessed through the links included in the description of this episode. On top of that, we highly recommend McDonnell, O’Connell and De Havenon’s coedited book (MOD for future reference)— Their book is titled Krazy Kat: The Comic Art of George Herr...
2022-08-2233 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastEp 24 Comic Strip Krazy Kat, The Poetics of Passing With Michael TisserandIn his 2018 google talk, Michael discusses his book, "Krazy: George Herriman, A Life in Black and White," winner of the 2017 Eisner Award for best comics-related book, and a finalist in both the National Book Critics Circle Awards for Biography and the PEN America/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography. Krazy was also selected as a Kirkus Best Nonfiction Book of 2016 and as one of Vanity Fair‘s “Must-Read Books of the Holiday Season."Tisserand’s previous books include THE KINGDOM OF ZYDECO, an exploration of Louisiana music that received the ASCAP-Deems Taylor award for music writing, and the Hur...
2022-08-1552 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastMilton: Paradise Lost (1667) Paradise Lost is an epic poem by the 17th-century English poet John Milton, published in 1667. In its most creative fashion, it supplemented the biblical story of the origin and the Fall of Man, and imaginatively explains how and why Adam and Eve are tempted by the fallen angel Satan and thereby their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. It is considered to be Milton's masterpiece, solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest English poets of all time. Joining us today is Dr. David Loewenstein, Edwin Earle Sparks Professor of English and the Humanities at Penn State University.
2022-08-1520 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastDante TranslatedThe word “Inferno” is the Italian for Hell, an imaginary creation by the 14th-century poet Dante. The Inferno is the first part of the Divine Comedy, followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. One of the most therapeutic books of the world, it is about a hero’s journey through Hell, guided by the ancient Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as nine concentric circles of torment located within the Earth; it is “the realm ... of those who have rejected spiritual values by yielding to bestial appetites or violence, or by perverting their human intellect to fraud or malice ag...
2022-07-3020 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastThe Allegory of The Cave: Plato's RepublicThe Allegory of the Cave, or Plato's Cave, is an allegory presented by the Greek philosopher Plato in his work Republic to compare "the effect of education(παιδεία) and the lack of it on our nature". It is written as a dialogue between Plato's brother Glaucon and his mentor Socrates, narrated by the latter. Along with my interpretation of the cave, what you will hear is the original text read by Dr. Jim Nielson, former faculty member in arts and humanities at University of British Columbia.Recommended reading:Plato, Republic Book VI-X...
2022-07-1521 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastChinese Strange Writings of "The Six Dynasties" (222-589AD)Are ghost stories real? And why do people write and read ghost stories in early medieval China? Prof. Robert Ford Campany, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair of Humanities, from department of East Asian Studies at Vanderbilt University will shed light on a distinctive Chinese narrative genre called "zhiguai"(志怪) or Chinese strange writings. Prof. Campany is among the first group of scholars to systematically trace, study and theorize this Chinese narrative genre.Recommended readings:Robert Ford Campany, A Garden of Marvels: Tales of Wonder from Early Medieval China, University of Hawaii Press, 2015. (primary text)—Signs from the Unseen...
2022-06-3020 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastRodolphe Töpffer, Visionary Graphomaniac and Father of ComicsIn this episode of The Global Novel podcast, Dr. David Kunzle (UCLA) will uncover the unknown history of how a once frowned-upon visual story-telling genre, called "picture-stories," legendarily made its way into the hands of one of the greatest literary figures of world literature Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and since then, won the hearts of the entire world. By tracing comic strips’ unique lineage in Rodolphe Töpffer, father of comic strips, Dr. Kunzle will shed light on Töpffer’s visual story-telling rhetoric as well as its endless potential as a medium.Recommended Readings:David Kunzle...
2022-06-1520 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastThe Tale of Genji and Its TranslationThe Tale of Genji (or Genji Monogatari) is a classic work of Japanese literature written in the early 11th century by the noblewoman and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu. The work recounts the fictional life of Hikaru Genji, or "Radiant Prince", who is the son of an ancient Japanese emperor (known to readers as Emperor Kiritsubo) and a low-ranking concubine called Kiritsubo Consort. Due to the intense political conflicts at the court and out of protection for his son, the emperor removes Genji from the line of succession, demoting him to a commoner by giving him the surname Minamoto, so that h...
2022-05-3020 min
The Guild DispensaryClinical Governance, What Does It Mean For Me - Claire Bekema and Chloe Hennessy - Ep 97You have heard the term, 'clinical governance' before but not fully understood what it means. However, clinical governance is an increasing area of focus for pharmacies. Clinical governance is also a focus of the Guild. A key component of the Guild’s Centenary Strategic Plan is to prioritise and enhance the quality and safety of pharmacy services and clinical governance forms a key part of this. Clinical governance is highly important in every pharmacy, and our aim today is to understand a little more about what it is, why it’s important, and step through it in...
2022-05-1527 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastWorld Literature: Theories, Methods and DebatesWhat is world literature? How do we define its scope and nature? This episode will share a critical lens on the current theories, methods and debates on world literature, which move in and between countries and cultures. By investigating canonical works of leading theorists, we will get a sense of how institution shapes its discourse around the field. In doing so, we will develop aesthetic, ethical and pedagogical reflections towards a more constructive sense of “world literature." Reading list (paid links):Introduction chapters of the following books: The Princeton Sourcebook in Comparative Literature: Fro...
2022-05-1529 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastThe Assassin's Story in Records of the Grand Historian (90BCE)In this episode, we will read long Jing Ke's assassination of the first emperor of Qin, which is a classic of Chinese literature. We will first get to known the Qin history with Burton Watson's helpful introduction. After reading the plot, we will approach the significant critique on the plot offered by Andrew H. Plaks.Recommended Readings:Burton Waston, trans. Records of The Grand Historianfor aficionados in classical Chinese: Shiji(史記)Nicola Di Cosmo, Ancient China and its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History For aficionados of modern Chinese: 中国叙事学(Chinese Narrat...
2022-04-3028 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastJing Ke Assassinates First Emperor of China (90 BCE)Many may still remember the 2002 martial art film directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Jet Li. The name is Hero and it is based on the historical event of Jing Ke’s assassination attempt on the first emperor of China, King of Qin in 227 BC. The original story is explicitly detailed in the Records of The Grand Historian, also known by its Chinese name Shiji(史記). A monumental history of ancient China and the world, it was completed around 94 BC by the Western Han Dynasty official Sima Qian after having been started by his father, Sima Tan, Grand Astrolog...
2022-04-1525 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastI Love The Beauty That Isn’t Mine: Ovid’s MetamorphosesNarcissus was a hunter from Thespiae in Boeotia who was known for his beauty. According to Tzetzes, he rejected all romantic advances, eventually falling in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, staring at it for the remainder of his life. After he died, in his place sprouted a flower bearing his name. This episode explores how aspects of psychoanalysis, in particular, gender, sexuality, visual pleasure, as well as self and other, are represented.Recommended Reading:Ovid, Metamorphoses This episode is able to be delivered to you in high qu...
2022-03-3021 min
Gigomi with Dave Holley#16 Claire Cordeaux & Liam HennessyIn today's episode Dave has not 1 but 2 guests to talk about some of the stresses and strains that can be peculiar to a musician's life, what you can do to keep an eye on them and how to look after yourself physically and mentally.Claire Cordeaux joins us from BAPAM (which stands for the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine) whose mission it is to provide information and training to prevent poor health, provide care when things go wrong, support healthy careers and aid recovery from illness. They work across all the performing arts including music.
2022-03-1755 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastThe Realm of Freedom: Zhuangzi's Metaphysical TaoismIn the episode we will explore one of the earliest narratives that attempts at capturing the essence of wisdom, freedom and happiness. It was 375 BC when Plato was writing the Republic, the same time when Zhuangzi wrote his eponymous work in the warring states of China. This episode will explore how Zhuangzi’s philosophical narratives convey their ethical and political meanings and how intellectuals played their roles in the pre-modern society of the East.Recommended readings :The Complete Works of ZhuangziChapter 10 “The Third Phase of Taoism: Chuang Tzu” in Fung Yu-lan's Chinese PhilosophyTh...
2022-03-1522 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastEpisode 16 Folklore as the Vehicle for Visual-Storytelling: Sandra M. Posey's "Postapocademia"Writer and graphic novel artist Sandra Mizumoto Posey, who also holds her PHD in folklore studies from UCLA, comes to the show to share her story-telling techniques on her forth-coming graphic novel Postapocademia. Professor. Posey will showcase how visual form of story-telling can critically reveal the problems of higher education.Resources mentioned in the show:Http://sandraposey.nethttps://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2018/02/kumbaya-history-of-an-old-song/Support the show (http://patreon.com/theglobalnovel)
2022-03-1140 min
The Global Novel: a literature podcastThe Beginning of Story-telling of the Western Tradition: Homer's Narrative StructureWhat's the difference between oral and written form of story-telling? How do Homer's poetic narratives set the canon for Western literature? We will walk through The Illiad and The Odyssey together to find the answers.Suggested Readings: The Illiad The Odyssey Narrative Discourse: An Essay in MethodThis podcast is sponsored by Riverside, a professional conference platform for podcasting.Subscribe at http://theglobalnovel.com/subscribeComment and interact with our hostsBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post co...
2022-02-2823 min
Powerful Personal BrandThe Impact of Your Natural Voice on Your Personal BrandIn this episode of the Powerful Personal Brand Podcast, we talk about the Impact of Your Natural Voice. Brienne Hennessy (she/her) is a licensed Speech-Voice Pathologist on a Mission to empower professional women through the impact of their natural voices. She reveals how the use of our voices impact voice longevity, alignment to messaging in personal branding, and even self-image. Voices can reveal many aspects about you. Your personality, whether your health is good, as well as the passion you have for your work. Brienne is on a mission to provide preventative wellness to those who...
2022-02-0233 min
A Conversation with ClaireBlack Is....Gold Fronts. Durags. Sundresses. Lip Gloss. Polo Boots. Hennessy Bottles. Black & Mild Wrappers. Lemon Pepper Wings. Long Eyelashes. Box Braids. Long Acrylic Nails. 2K. Trap Music. Baggy Clothes.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
2021-02-2314 min
Claire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 37: Fellow Brit Simon Brooks Talks Folktales – Part TwoIn part two of my chat with British storyteller, humorist and raconteur Simon Brooks, we talk about what he found different when first arriving in America and then go on to chat about how he first got into storytelling. From telling stories as a youth hostel manager, to entertaining his kids as a stay-at-home-dad, to digging down below the surface and honoring the origins of a story he wants to tell. Simon explains the reason behind setting up his successful podcast “Friday with Friends.” Plus how a magical dragon helped him with artwork for his CDs and how to take a go...
2020-12-1756 min
Claire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 36: Fellow Brit, Simon Brooks Talks Folktales – Part OneI am delighted to have as my guest, fellow Brit, Simon Brooks. Simon is a full-time storyteller, telling traditional tales, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of various folktales and legends. I learned a lot from our chat. We discuss how some of today’s lack of communication could be down to people not telling stories around the table to their kids. He talks about going into schools to tell stories and teach workshops on the art of storytelling and how different that is now everything is virtual. Simon also works with the Children’s Literacy Foundation, and has been a “feral...
2020-12-1045 min
Claire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 35: Jessica Robinson – Alcohol virginity, swearing and movie stars behaving badly!WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE. This episode I talk to a relatively new friend of mine from Fairfax, Virginia, Jessica (Piscitelli) Robinson. She is the founder of the storytelling show, Better Said Than Done, which she set up in 2011 in Northern Virginia, to avoid having to drive into DC and park! She’s told stories in many places, some great, some small. As she says: she’s a big deal! She is also a writer, author and producer. She tells a funny story regarding the fact that she didn’t lose her alcohol virginity until she was 21 years old, which involved an unplea...
2020-11-1754 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 34: Mindy Uhrlaub’s Unnatural ResourcesMy guest this episode is award-winning author and Write on Mama, Mindy Uhrlaub. She is also a film producer, writing a feature length film, “Stalled” back when she was 20. As if that was not enough, she has also been an honest-to-God Rock Star! She played in Denver-based rock band 40th Day, supporting arena bands like Kansas and Smashing Pumpkins. Mindy spills the beans on a few personal secrets, including her love of crossword puzzles, how you would not want her navigating in a car for you, and an unusual food dislike. Her debut novel, Unnatural Resources, launches on October 30th with...
2020-10-2052 min
Claire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 33: Moments of Magic with Brandon SparsMy guest this episode is one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet: Brandon Spars. He is not only a talented and hilarious storyteller, but he is jolly clever too! A high school and college teacher, he is the author of four books with another on the way. He is a five-time Moth StorySlam winner and two-time Moth GrandSlam winner, plus a TEDx speaker. Brandon shares a funny fact about himself that makes his dog tilt his head in confusion. He spent a few years living in Indonesia and the Marshall Islands and shares a funny story...
2020-10-061h 01
Claire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 32: A glimpse into the extraordinary world of Sheila ArnoldThis episode, I talk to one of the hardest working and most delightful storytellers around, Sheila Arnold. Based out of Hampton, VA, Ms. Sheila, as she is fondly known, has been performing full-time since 2003. She is an incredible storyteller, but that is just one of the many, many hats she wears. She is also an inspirational and motivational speaker, historical consultant bringing characters of historical importance to life, Consultant of Truth and Reconciliation for the Storytelling Association of California, and co-founder of Artists Standing Strong Together, now a 501c whose mission is: Connecting Artists to Resources. We talked about her...
2020-09-2251 min
Claire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEpisode 31 - Funny Stories with Corey RosenThe very talented Corey Rosen is my guest. Corey teaches and performs storytelling and improv in San Francisco and now online. He performs at BATS Improv and has hosted The Moth StorySlams in the Bay Area for over 6 years. He tells a funny incident about how, when emceeing, he told a story that made the audience hate him! True to his improv background, he also told a couple of funny stories on the fly, one about hurting himself quite badly trying to impress other people and the other about being humiliated trying to be cool. Corey is also a writer...
2020-09-0844 min
Claire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 30: Naked comedy with Calvin CatoWarning: EXPLICIT! This episode’s guest, Calvin Cato, made me laugh a lot! He is not only hilarious, being an award-winning comedian, storyteller, podcaster and actor, but a really lovely person. Calvin was named Time Out New York’s Queer Comics of Color to Watch Out For and, when not in a worldwide pandemic, he hosts speed-dating events. He tells a funny story about one speed-dating event involving Long Island Iced Teas! We discuss the word Queer and why Calvin has reclaimed this word. We also chat about how he got onto a well known gameshow because of a naked part...
2020-08-2556 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 29 – Life at an English boarding school with Tanya and BucketI was thrilled, not to mention thoroughly over-excited, to interview my two best friends, Tanya and Bucket. We talk about what life was like at an English boarding school back in the early 70’s, including lumpy horsehair mattresses and apple-pie beds, formidable and sadistic matrons, school uniform and why we had to wear TWO pairs of knickers (panties), plus why food was such an important part of our lives and not always in a good way! We spill the beans on the strange and secret games we got up to after lights out in the dormitories, including spanking competitions, midnight fe...
2020-08-041h 07
Claire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 28: Interview with the Ambassador of Fun, Robin GelfenbienI virtually met the wonderful and talented Ambassador of Fun, Robin Gelfenbien during the COVID-19 shut-down. She’s a New York based comedian, storyteller, podcaster, writer, producer and coach. She was a delightful and effortless guest, talking about storytelling and the yummy ice cream cakes she makes for her in-person New York show “Yums The Word”. She is fearless, with balls of steel, when it comes to getting famous guests to come on her shows, such as Tim Gunn from Project Runway. She also sings for me – something I avoid at all costs – a funny little ditty called “Jesus Steals my Thunder”...
2020-07-2150 min
Claire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 27 – Sidney, Joy & Journey talk Black Lives MatterSidney, 37, from Nerds on a Couch once again guests on my show to talk about the Black Lives Matter movement. We were joined by two young activists: Journey, 21, training to be an EMT and Joy, 19, student at San Diego State University while also working for a non-profit. They talk about what they feel is different about the current situation, what types of conversations are now happening and what these two young people feel about on-going racism. Sidney talks about some personal experiences she has had to go through in her life which brings it home what some people have had...
2020-07-0843 min
Forever Young Adult Podcast33. Like Other Girls - Claire HennessyWoop its Pride Month and we are back discussing trans narratives in YA fiction and in Claire Hennessy's "Like Other Girls" Laura is having a number of struggles and one of them is adjusting to her best friend coming out as trans.
Content Warning: Transphobia, Homophobia, Biphobia, unplanned pregnancy, abortion, alcohol abuse
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2020-06-071h 10
Claire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 26: Mary Carouba, Part 2 - Prison Life!Because she was so great, I had to bring Mary Carouba back to talk about a subject I am inordinately interested in – prisons. Instead of dreaming of getting married or becoming a doctor or lawyer or famous artist, Mary spent her childhood scheming how to survive in prison! She was convinced she was headed there, and it was only the Delancey Street Foundation that saved her. Part of the philosophy at Delancey Street was to “Act as if” and Mary describes how she used this to completely change her outlook on life. This also helped when Mary took a Delancey Street...
2020-05-1947 min
Claire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 25 – The Life and Times of Mary Carouba, Part 1I was thrilled to invite Mary Carouba back, this time to talk about her very interesting life. In fact, it was so interesting, I have had to split this into two episodes. In Part 1, we start off talking about rats and squirrels for some bizarre reason and then get back on track and talk about how receiving a life-saving liver transplant from a 14-year-old boy had the consequence of Mary performing 100 acts of kindness. Mary then talks about her traumatic childhood, where she received a lot of physical and emotional abuse. She shares the different roles that kids play in...
2020-05-0547 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 24 – Nancy Davis Kho: The Thank You ProjectI was delighted to interview a friend of mine, Nancy Davis Kho. She is the author of a fabulous book called The Thank You Project, where she describes how, in her 50th year, she decided to write 50 thank you letters. It is a really interesting book and Nancy is a really interesting person to interview. She talks not only about how amazing it was to write the letters and how it changed her life in lots of ways, but also some of science behind why gratitude is such a powerful tool.
2020-04-2133 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 23 Storytelling with Mary Carouba and Regina StoopsThis episode I chat with Mary Carouba and Regina Stoops, who are two very talented comedians and storytellers. Together, due to the Covid-19 and the fact that we can no longer meet in person, we have started Six Feet Apart Productions, and in particular, Sunday Night Stories. We chat about why we came up with a live storytelling YouTube Show and what the challenges have been. How does it translate from being in front of live audiences to telling a story from your living room, with nothing but a little green dot to connect you with everyone? As usual, we...
2020-04-0832 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 22 -Dating in the Gay CommunityWarning: Adult content! This week I interview my good friend GB (aka “Gay Boy”) and he explains why he calls me “The Gay Whisperer” and how we bonded over our shared love of UK sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. GB gives us a fascinating glimpse at the gay dating scene, including why older men are much in demand at the moment. We each find there are some words that need explaining – like “slapper,” “under the sheets,” “sex blanket” and “the Daddy Stroll.” As well as being hilarious, the talk also gets serious as we discuss the Aids crisis and how that compares to the current coronavirus
2020-03-3137 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 21 – Part 2 of the interview with Julie Gunn and Flamenco Guitar with Ricardo GarciaPart 2 of my interview with Julie Gunn. We start with some more lovely music from Ricardo and then Julie tells a funny story about accosting a hip-hop street dancer on the streets of San Francisco. She then explains about their fabulous workshops for children and institutions which started in New Jersey and then they took them all over Africa and shares about the benefits of clapping. There was another funny story about one particular prison and how the big burly prison guards took to Flamenco. Plus, what does tree-planting have to do with Flamenco dancing? I end with Julie singing...
2020-03-2026 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEpisode 20 – Part 1: Manifesting with Julie Gunn and Flamenco Guitar with Ricardo GarciaI was thrilled to interview my great friend Julie Gunn, who manages her extremely talented partner of 27 years, Ricardo Garcia, world renowned, Award-winning Flamenco and Classical guitarist. They were staying with us and I had forgotten how much I drink when with a fellow Brit, so had a sore head a few mornings. Julie reveals how she is a “manifesting maven” or you might think it purely coincidental, that’s up to you. She talks about the surprising story of how she and Ricardo met, plus fascinating stories about their travels all over the world, from Edinburgh in Scotland, across Africa...
2020-03-1041 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 19: Alcohol, Beats and Kidnapping!This episode I sit down with Kyle David, a friend of my stepson Benj, who works at Legion Beats. We talk about his journey from drinking too much, through rehab and how having a positive attitude has transformed his life. Legion Beats has had a lot to do with it too. I like to end on a funny story and this time we found out we both had kidnapping stories! You decide which one was the scariest!
2020-02-1937 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 18 – Dating: What it was like back in the dayAs a follow-on to my last episode, Bug and I talk about what it was like to date back before the dawn of time … well, before mobile phones and the internet, which is just about the same thing! We talk about the “Dating Apps” of our time: the pub, school dances, parties, friends, work. How the order of things was not sex first and then let’s get to know each other, but the other way round! And sometimes, no sex at all! Plus, Bug reveals a pick-up line that actually worked, a surprising incident with a very forward young lady, an...
2020-02-0538 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 17: Dating – Everything you always wanted to know and more from a serial dater!This episode I interview my stepson, Ben (or Count Henny as he is known in the music biz!) about dating in the 2020’s. What Apps are good, how to use them, are they purely for sex! Ben lets us into a couple of secrets for speeding up the dating process and shares some of his more interesting dates, plus what happened when the reality really didn’t match up to the profile! By the end I am in awe of his stamina (and impressed with his chivalry at times), but also thanking my lucky stars that I’m happily married and no...
2020-01-1540 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 16: The Bonkers Brit Live in San FranciscoTo end the decade I have uploaded the audio to my live performance from The Marsh in San Francisco: British-born author and storyteller, Claire Hennessy, reunites with her high school sweetheart, Bug, after not seeing him for over 30 years. The catch? He lives 5,000 miles away in California. After an intense, frequently hilarious long-distance relationship, they decide to meet to see if they can rekindle their adolescent chemistry. Will awkwardly erotic talks about sex, a disastrous lingerie shopping binge, crippling inhibitions and high expectations lead to fireworks? Or will her forty-something, out-of-shape, perimenopausal body douse any sparks of desire?
2019-12-3124 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEpisode 15 - Worst Christmas Present Buying plus the Worst Month of my lifeI thought I was quite good at buying presents, but when it comes to gadgets and Christmas stockings, apparently I am mistaken! Delusional, even. I have now been banned from doing stockings for my family and a little part of my soul has died! Find out how I traumatized my son with one particular English Christmas tradition. I also talk about the difference in eating habits and restaurant etiquette between England and California, and finish with a story about one of the worst months of my life.
2019-12-1827 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 14: UK Revisited - Travelling with too much luggage and going to the pub!Who likes being weighed? No-one, right? What would happen if they weighed you at the airport as well as your luggage? I talk about this awful possibility, plus the cost of not travelling light on my recent trip to England. I let you into what I got up to which, to be honest, mostly consisted of going to the pub! Scrabble, Cards Against Humanity and cartoon capers with my best friends, plus I finish with my worst travelling story ever, when I took soooo much luggage on a short Spanish holiday that my friends still talk about how horrific it...
2019-12-0229 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 13 – UK vs USA Supermarkets and Ghosting Submarining and BreadcrumbingWhat are the differences between an English Supermarket and a Californian ‘grocery store’? Do you even care? Well, I do! Then, I was asked to do a story in San Francisco on the topic of Ghosting. As a woman of a certain age, I had no idea what Ghosting even was until I looked it up and then I found all sorts of other hilarious terms. For instance, do you know what being Submarined is? Or when the Cuffing Season is? Or even what Cuffing is? You might be surprised. I was. It’s so NOT what my filthy mind though...
2019-11-0620 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 12 – Isle of Man Magic, Grandparents and Buddhist FestivalWhy does the population of the Isle of Man insist on paying respect to the “Little People” and what happens if you don’t? And what do golf balls, swimming and terrible cooking all have in common? And what about the existential question: if a Buddhist farts in the woods does anyone hear or, more importantly, smell it?
2019-10-0926 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 11: Good, good, good, good vibrations!What do a Chinese man, a deckchair and an orange cone have in common? And why would I take my husband and my daughter to a strip show? Find out by listening to Episode 11 of The Bonkers Brit. I also review excellent concerts by Boz Scaggs and Mark Knopfler (ex Dire Straits) and by the way, do you know the correct pronunciation of his name? Plus, how music is all vibration. What matches your vibration?
2019-09-2401 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 10: Love Reunited Review - Oversharing, dating post-kids and dieting!Love Reunited Review. In Episode 10, I talk about a recent comedy performance at The Marsh in San Francisco and if perhaps it was ‘over-sharing’ to talk in so much detail about your most intimate relationship! My daughter certainly thought so! I also ponder the delights of dating with post-kids’ belly-fat and thighs that rub together so much I am a potential fire hazard! Plus I can sometimes be a diet-bore. And a listener shout-out.
2019-09-0421 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 9 - Birthdays - some rather strange English traditions to make you laughThis week I talk about my rather strange English family and some of the odd traditions we inflict on each other on birthdays. Plus why cards are different in UK vs USA. And what present caused my husband to become my ex-husband!
2019-08-2017 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEp 8 Crazy Family Members, incl High Tea in a posh English houseSid and I laugh about some crazy weird family members. Did I tease and bully my younger sister into becoming a Buddhist Nun? What is Patum Peperium? And whose Aunt gets into fights in New York, is afraid of businessmen and has 'urban tendencies'?
2019-08-0636 min
Meet/CuteSay hello to your friends! Claire Hennessy talks the Babysitters' Club, young adult literature and teaching aspiring writersYou can follow Claire on Twitter and Instagram – she even has a Wikipedia! FANCY. And check out Big Smoke Writing Factory, the creative writing school she co-founded. And check out Banshee, the literary journal Claire co-edits, here. If you've never read The Babysitters' Club books, now's the perfect time to start... Plus, bonus blog: What Claudia Wore. We mention Louise O'Neill's book, Almost Love, too (uncomfortable, but good, reading). (Imogen Heap's Hallelujah is what Marissa goes out to, if you'll forgive the bluntness of that statement. Spoiler alert for The OC.) *** Would you like to hear more from me? Read my writing on...
2019-07-3000 minClaire Hennessy presents: The Bonkers BritEps 7: PC or Not PCThis week Sid and I discuss how completely unPC I was when I first arrived in California from Britain. The faux pas, what I called co-workers that made my boss clasp her hands over her ears, and how in the UK it is a compliment to be rude to your friends. Then, all joking aside, Sid explains why being PC is actually very important.
2019-07-2330 min