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The list of susÂpenseÂful novÂels availÂable as free podÂcasts starts with the “monÂster novÂels” of 19th cenÂtuÂry Britain. These novÂels, which freÂquentÂly offered a roundÂabout comÂmenÂtary on the anxÂiÂeties proÂduced by a sociÂety in the midst of rapid indusÂtriÂalÂizaÂtion and wideÂspread coloÂnial involveÂment, include Mary ShelÂley’s FrankenÂstein (1818), Robert Louis StevenÂson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1886), and Bram StokÂer’s DracÂuÂla (1897). MeanÂwhile, across the pond, AmerÂiÂca was proÂducÂing its own disÂtincÂtive thrillers. In the trove of free audio books, you get WashÂingÂton IrvÂing’s clasÂsic 1820 short stoÂry, The LegÂend of Sleepy HolÂlow (lisÂten here or here) as well as Edgar Allan Poe’s great short tales: The Tell Tale Heart (1843), The Raven from 1845 (lisÂten here or here), and The Cask of AmonÂtilÂlaÂdo (1846). (AmazÂing that he wrote all of these before he died at 40.) LastÂly, we’d also point you to the famous ghost stoÂry, The Turn of the Screw (lisÂten here and here), writÂten by one of AmerÂiÂca’s greats, HenÂry James. You’ll note that some of these podÂcasts come from LibÂrivox, and that’s because LibÂrivox, with the help of volÂunÂteers, has quickÂly put togethÂer a strong colÂlecÂtion of audio texts from the pubÂlic domain. If you like audio verÂsions of the clasÂsics, then you’ll want to spend some time reviewÂing their catÂaÂlogue, and, in the meanÂtime, enjoy these susÂpenseÂful tales. P.S. If you haven’t seen it before, check out our recent favorite: The War of the Worlds on PodÂcast: How H.G. Wells and Orson Welles RivÂetÂed A Nation See Open CulÂture’s PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtions: Arts & CulÂture — Audio Books — ForÂeign LanÂguage Lessons — News & InforÂmaÂtion — SciÂence — TechÂnolÂoÂgy — UniÂverÂsiÂty (GenÂerÂal) — UniÂverÂsiÂty (B‑School) |
Free Podcasts of Classic American and British Thrillers
This American Life Goes Hollywood (or Something Like That)
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This AmerÂiÂcan Life, a slightÂly quirky but always comÂpelling radio show, has develÂoped a large and fierceÂly dedÂiÂcatÂed audiÂence since it first aired in 1995. And nowaÂdays, the proÂgram, hostÂed by Ira Glass, is one of the most popÂuÂlar podÂcasts on iTunes. (It curÂrentÂly ranks #2 on the most popÂuÂlar podÂcast list: iTunes Feed Web Site.) On March 22, This AmerÂiÂcan Life will take the next step in its evoÂluÂtion when ShowÂtime airs a teleÂvised verÂsion of the proÂgram. If you’re a fan who is wonÂderÂing what the show might look like on TV — how they might transÂlate the feel of the show to a visuÂal mediÂum — below you can find a couÂple of trailÂers that will give you a quick taste: |
See Open CulÂture’s PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtions:
Arts & CulÂture — Audio Books — ForÂeign LanÂguage Lessons — News & InforÂmaÂtion — SciÂence — TechÂnolÂoÂgy — UniÂverÂsiÂty (GenÂerÂal) — UniÂverÂsiÂty (B‑School)
MLK’s “Stride Toward Freedom” (A Free Lecture)
For many lifeÂlong learnÂers, The TeachÂing ComÂpaÂny is a blessÂing. Since 1990, the comÂpaÂny has recordÂed uniÂverÂsiÂty coursÂes taught by leadÂing proÂfesÂsors and made them availÂable to conÂsumers. The coursÂes, which tend to be bread-and-butÂter in a good way, range in price dependÂing on the media forÂmat you choose. If you buy coursÂes on sale (they always run sales), and if you buy the cheapÂer MP3 verÂsions (as opposed to the more expenÂsive DVDs and audio CDs), you can get a lot of valÂue for your monÂey. For examÂple, 24 excelÂlent lecÂtures on Ancient Greece will run you $34.95, which is not too shabÂby.
Now how does all of this tie into what we do here at Open CulÂture? Here’s how: The TeachÂing ComÂpaÂny has postÂed a free 45-minute lecÂture on MarÂtin Luther King, “Stride Toward FreeÂdom,” which is part of a largÂer course called “FreeÂdom: PhiÂlosÂoÂphy of LibÂerÂaÂtion.” You can access the lecÂture in difÂferÂent audio forÂmats here, and you’ll get a sense of what The TeachÂing ComÂpaÂny is all about.
Caveat: The free offerÂing was supÂposed to have expired on FebÂruÂary 28. So it may go away soon.
Seymour Hersh’s Powerful Charge: US Backing Al-Qaeda Sympathizers to Counter Iran
In the afterÂmath of 9/11, the US began its assault on al-QaeÂda and othÂer SunÂni terÂrorÂist groups. Fast
forÂward to 2003: the US invades Iraq, in part because HusÂsein supÂposÂedÂly has ties to al-QaeÂda, and a new ShiÂite-led govÂernÂment is evenÂtuÂalÂly creÂatÂed. Now fast forÂward anothÂer couÂple of years: we find that the ShiÂite govÂernÂment is sudÂdenÂly getÂting too cozy with Iran, the major leader of the ShiÂite MidÂdle East. The SaudÂis, the major SunÂni powÂer in the region, get nerÂvous. And so, too, are the hawks in WashÂingÂton who fear a potenÂtialÂly nuclear Iran. The result: the Bush adminÂisÂtraÂtion is now lookÂing to conÂtain ShiÂite powÂer at all costs.
This “re-direcÂtion” has involved develÂopÂing conÂtinÂgency plans for a milÂiÂtary (most likeÂly aerÂiÂal) assault on Iran. And, the Bush adminÂisÂtraÂtion, in conÂjuncÂtion with the SaudÂis, is even now backÂing (i.e. funÂnelÂing finanÂcial aid to) radÂiÂcal SunÂni groups who oppose ShiÂite authorÂiÂty, even though they also amazÂingÂly have ties with al-QaeÂda. Bizarrely, we’re now indiÂrectÂly helpÂing the very eneÂmy that we iniÂtialÂly set out to destroy. Or so that’s the claim of the Pulitzer Prize-winÂning jourÂnalÂist SeyÂmour Hersh, who famousÂly broke the stoÂries on My Lai and Abu Ghraib.
HerÂsh’s claims are spelled out in a new artiÂcle appearÂing in the latÂest ediÂtion of The New YorkÂer, which is well worth a read. (His othÂer New YorkÂer pieces on the Iran attack plan appear here, here, and here.) You’ll also want to give a lisÂten to his enerÂgetic interÂview on NPR’s Fresh Air (iTunes — Feed — Mp3), where he covÂers much of the same ground.
On a relatÂed note, we’d also refer you to a recent proÂgram aired by Open Source. It, too, deals with likeÂliÂhood of a US invaÂsion of Iran, and tries to figÂure out whether the Bush adminÂisÂtraÂtion’s hardÂenÂing rhetoric is simÂply a risky negoÂtiÂaÂtion stratÂeÂgy, a way to force the IraÂniÂans to the table, or whether it’s a preÂlude to an almost cerÂtain war. You can lisÂten here (Itunes — Mp3) or check out the relatÂed piece on the Open Source blog.
Managing Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions
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The UniÂverÂsiÂty ChanÂnel has postÂed an inforÂmaÂtive debate over how to deal with Iran’s nuclear ambiÂtions. It feaÂtures two major experts — Ken Waltz (ColumÂbia UniÂverÂsiÂty) and Scott Sagan (StanÂford) — who have had a long runÂning debate over ways to hanÂdle nuclear proÂlifÂerÂaÂtion in genÂerÂal. You can catch the debate here in the folÂlowÂing forÂmats: MP3 audio — MP4 video — StreamÂing video — iTunes. Below, you’ll find the UniÂverÂsiÂty ChanÂnel’s descripÂtion of the debate:
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Arthur Schlesinger Jr — Remembered in Video
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AmerÂiÂca lost last night one of its most promiÂnent hisÂtoÂriÂans. A forÂmer HarÂvard UniÂverÂsiÂty proÂfesÂsor, Arthur Schlesinger Jr. was awardÂed the Pulitzer Prize twice and wrote authorÂiÂtaÂtive hisÂtoÂries of Andrew JackÂson and Franklin Delano RooÂsevelt. Also rather unusuÂalÂly for a hisÂtoÂriÂan, he ran in elite politÂiÂcal cirÂcles. Indeed he served in JFK’s White House and had a close relaÂtionÂship with Robert Kennedy. You can read the full New York Times obit here. Below you can also revisÂit an interÂview with CharÂlie Rose where the hisÂtoÂriÂan talks a good deal about his life and memÂoir. (PS. Here is Arthur Schlesinger appearÂing on Fresh Air in 2002 and talkÂing about the Cuban MisÂsile CriÂsis, someÂthing that he wrote a lot about.) See Open CulÂture’s PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtions: Arts & CulÂture — Audio Books — ForÂeign LanÂguage Lessons — News & InforÂmaÂtion — SciÂence — TechÂnolÂoÂgy — UniÂverÂsiÂty (GenÂerÂal) — UniÂverÂsiÂty (B‑School) |
101 Early Wallace Stevens Poems on Free Audio
Here’s a quick litÂtle find for the poetÂry lover: A slew of earÂly poems by WalÂlace Stevens, the great AmerÂiÂcan poet, can now be downÂloaded as podÂcasts (iTunes). They include many clasÂsics — AnecÂdote of the Jar, The EmperÂor of Ice Cream, Peter Quince at the Clavier, SunÂday MornÂing, ThirÂteen Ways of LookÂing at a BlackÂbird, and many othÂers. RecordÂed for LibÂriVox by Alan Drake, all poems are in the pubÂlic domain.
SpeakÂing of WalÂlace Stevens, you may want to give a lisÂten to a podÂcast that we highÂlightÂed here once before. It feaÂtures the great litÂerÂary critÂic Harold Bloom (see bio) teachÂing a semÂiÂnar at Yale on “The Art of ReadÂing a Poem” (iTunes — mp3). Here, Bloom takes his stuÂdents through a poem by WalÂlace Stevens, Parts of a World,and moves between interÂpreÂtaÂtion and intriguÂing perÂsonÂal anecÂdotes. If you want to hear a masÂter at work, give a good lisÂten.
If you like what we’re doing here, please help spread the word and let othÂers know what they can find on Open CulÂture.
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Einstein’s E = mc2 Explained
E = mc2. It’s hands-down the most well known equaÂtion out there. But how many have the faintest idea what the equaÂtion realÂly means? Not too long ago, PBS’ NOVA put togethÂer a “docuÂdÂraÂma,” called EinÂstein’s Big Idea, which took a close look at how EinÂstein arrived at the equaÂtion and what it means. Along with the proÂgram, NOVA proÂduced some relatÂed media resources, among which you’ll find a series of podÂcasts (iTunes — Feed — mp3) feaÂturÂing 10 top physiÂcists (includÂing two Nobel Prize winÂners) who briefly explain the meanÂing and imporÂtance of E = mc2. In addiÂtion, and perÂhaps even betÂter, they’ve postÂed an audio clip of EinÂstein himÂself explainÂing what the equaÂtion is all about. You’ll find many good resources here, so have a good look around.
If physics intrigues you, you should also check out a new StanÂford course that’s being disÂtribÂuted for free via video podÂcast. The course, ModÂern TheÂoÂretÂiÂcal Physics: QuanÂtum EntanÂgleÂment, is preÂsentÂed by Leonard Susskind, whom many conÂsidÂer the father of string theÂoÂry, a conÂtroÂverÂsial innoÂvaÂtion in physics that squares quanÂtum theÂoÂry with relÂaÂtivÂiÂty and explains the nature of all matÂter and forces. Now, when Susskind disÂcussÂes quanÂtum entanÂgleÂment, he is sureÂly getÂting into some heady, cutÂting-edge stuff. But the good thing is that the very popÂuÂlar course was preÂsentÂed through StanÂford’s ConÂtinÂuÂing StudÂies ProÂgram (where I work, just to put my cards on the table), and was geared toward the genÂerÂal pubÂlic. The course is expectÂed to last a full year, and it should result in 30 free two-hour lecÂtures, which will all be gradÂuÂalÂly postÂed online. You can find a more detailed course descripÂtion here.
The Big Picture: Who Won and Lost in Iraq
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WinÂners:
Losers:
See Open CulÂture’s podÂcast colÂlecÂtions: Arts & CulÂture — Audio Books — ForÂeign LanÂguage Lessons — News & InforÂmaÂtion — SciÂence — TechÂnolÂoÂgy — UniÂverÂsiÂty (GenÂerÂal) — UniÂverÂsiÂty (B‑School) |
The New Yorker Magazine’s Famous Cartoons Now Available on Podcast
Here’s a difÂferÂent kind of podÂcast: You can now find on iTunes a new video podÂcast that feaÂtures aniÂmatÂed verÂsions of The New YorkÂer’s famous carÂtoons. A venÂture called RingÂTales has apparÂentÂly been givÂen an excluÂsive license to aniÂmate and disÂtribÂute The New YorkÂer’s library of over 70,000 carÂtoons. Each week, they’ll issue three new video aniÂmaÂtions, which you can access on iTunes as well as by rss feed. They’ll also be availÂable on The New YorkÂer webÂsite. For more details, see this press release.
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