EpisodeThe Art of Historical Fiction
A special episode of “With Good Reason,” recorded live at the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville. NPR book critic Alan Cheuse (George Mason University) discusses his recent novel, …
EpisodeReplay: “So… Beowulf?”
Beowulf, the most famous epic poem written in Old English, seems to be undergoing a revival. The recent movie featuring Angelina Jolie is just the tip of the iceberg. There …
EpisodeThe Road Less Traveled
US Highway 58 begins at the beaches of Hampton Roads and winds along the southern border of Virginia. Author Joe Tennis (Virginia Highlands Community College) shares stories from this road, …
EpisodeWilliam Faulkner and Zelda Fitzgerald
William Faulkner was a rich presence on the University of Virginia grounds fifty years ago. Steve Railton (University of Virginia) discusses Faulkner’s influence on American literature and what the recordings …
EpisodeTo Kill A Mockingbird
The National Endowment for the Arts is encouraging all of us to read or re-read Harper Lee’s 1960 novel, that presents the Jim Crow south through the eyes of a …
EpisodeAre the Classics Relevant?
Western civilization is founded on the thoughts and ideas of the ancient Greeks and Romans, but many scholars warn that the study of their languages is close to extinction in …
EpisodeReplay: Southern Writing: Flannery O’Connor and Ellen Glasgow
She’s considered one of the best writers of the 20th century South, but Flannery O’Connor published only 32 short stories and two novels before she died in 1965 of complications from …
EpisodeChristmas Songs and Stories
On this special holiday edition of With Good Reason, we feature an assortment of songs, stories and thoughts about Christmas. Jazz pianist John Toomey (Old Dominion University) plays his rendition of several …
EpisodeReplay: Shakespeare and Race
Until recently, scholars assumed that the Elizabethans were both white and English and that they didn’t know people of color. But if that’s the case, why did Shakespeare, the best-known …
EpisodeSouthern Writing: Flannery O’Connor and Ellen Glasgow
She’s considered one of the best writers of the 20th century south, but Flannery O’Connor published only 32 short stories and two novels before she died in 1965 of complications …
EpisodeEthnic Impersonators and Carpetbaggers
Forrest Carter claimed The Education of Little Tree was a memoir of his childhood as a part Cherokee orphan. Some were shocked to later learn that Forrest Carter was, in fact, Asa …
EpisodeWerewolves and Other Were-Creatures
Tales of humans who transform themselves into animals are common in the myths of many cultures. James Jordan (Longwood University) has researched “were-animal” stories as a historical phenomenon. Mack Swift (Blue Ridge Community …
