{"id":8139,"date":"2014-08-26T09:05:23","date_gmt":"2014-08-26T13:05:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/?p=8139"},"modified":"2014-08-26T09:10:32","modified_gmt":"2014-08-26T13:10:32","slug":"podcast-the-war-poet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/podcast-the-war-poet","title":{"rendered":"Podcast – The War Poet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jonathan<\/a><\/p>\n

Virtual Memories Show: Jonathan Rose\u00a0– The War Poet<\/a><\/p>\n

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“Churchill was one of the last members of the Aesthetic Movement, except he applied his aestheticism to war.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Professor Jonathan Rose<\/a> joins the show to talk about his new book, The Literary Churchill: Author, Reader, Actor<\/a>\"\"\u00a0(Yale University Press). It’s a fascinating work about the books and plays that influenced one of the 20th century’s greatest statesmen, drawing connections from Churchill’s literary interests (and aspirations) to his policy decisions. Prof. Rose tells us about the most surprising literary influence he discovered, Churchill’s roots in Victorian melodrama, his love of the coup de theatre<\/em>, his no-brow approach to art, how Hitler was like a photo-negative of Churchill, and why a politician like him would never survive in today’s party-line system.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/virtualmemories\/Season_4_Episode_32_-_The_War_Poet.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div>

Podcast: Play in new window<\/a> | Download<\/a><\/p>

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“Just as Oscar Wilde was a public performer who created a persona, I think Churchill did something very similar in his life. His greatest creation was Winston Churchill. It was his greatest work of art.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Along the way, Prof. Rose also tells us about the one book he wishes Churchill had read, why Churchill would love the internet, why so many politicians cite him as an influence but fail to live up to his example, what it’s like teaching history to students who weren’t alive during the Cold War, and why we need more literary biographies of political figures (at least, for those who read).<\/p>\n

Enjoy the conversation!<\/a>\u00a0Then check out\u00a0the archives<\/a>\u00a0for more great episodes! Related conversations:<\/p>\n