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S3E104 Today, Ash broadcasts from the Hermitage of Braid in Morningside, to talk about a poem Robert Fergusson was inspired to write on a visit there in 1771.    Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E103 Today, Ash interviews Frank Rennie, Professor of Sustainable Rural Development at the University of the Highlands and Islands and author of numerous books, including this year's The Merlin. Tune in to find out more about this elusive and magical raptor, from it's earliest fossil records to the environmental challenges facing it today.    To order a copy of Frank's book, click here:   https://pelagicpublishing.com/products/the-merlin?srsltid=AfmBOoru3v7wQ8u2l2OQCbduNIgIR89n-s7Ux3KMqtydFKeq9hWvm8zw   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E102 Today, Ash interviews Edinburgh-based author Krystelle Bamford about her debut novel, Idle Grounds for a conversation ranging from Scotland to the "horse country" of New England.    To order a copy of Krystelle's book, click here:   https://www.amazon.co.uk/Idle-Grounds-Krystelle-Bamford/dp/1529154588   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E101 Donald Smith takes us on a literary tour of Edinburgh's Old Town, touching on the stories of writers including Robert Louis Stevenson, J. K. Rowling, Naomi Mitchison, Robert Burns and many more.    To order a copy of Donald's book, Our Storied Town, click here:    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edinburgh-Storied-Town-Donald-Smith/dp/180425150X   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E100 Miles Leeson returns to the podcast to talk about Iris Murdoch, this time concentrating on her short collection of poems, A Year of Birds.    Miles and Ash discuss connections between Murdoch's poetry and philosophy, the critical reputation of her poems and some of the folklore tradition associated with her chosen birds.    To pre-order a copy of Poems from an Attic:  https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/470920/poems-from-an-attic-by-murdoch-iris/9781784746124 And to listen to The Iris Murdoch podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-iris-murdoch-society-podcast/id1506230228   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E99 Today Ash looks at not one but three short poems composed by Robert Burns on the subject of his 'elder brother in the Muse', Robert Fergusson.    Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E98 Today's special episode of Ear Read This was recorded on location in Portobello Library, where Ash interviewed novelist Alice Thompson about artificial intelligence, the effect of Edinburgh on the imagination of a writer and the influence of Sylvia Plath.  For copies of books mentioned in the podcast please visit Salt Publishing:  https://www.saltpublishing.com/products/chimera-9781784632540?srsltid=AfmBOoqcVviTu-PSkktp9HMgUK6lSgCGgxLZ48NqRlu-2CDT-vU5Ab0J Or Portobello Bookshop:  https://www.theportobellobookshop.com/contributed-by/alice-thompson And to read my review of Alice's latest novel, Chimera:  https://glasgowreviewofbooks.com/2024/02/07/a-shipload-of-symbolic-freight-on-chimera-by-alice-thompson/ Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E97 Iconic Edinburgh poet Robert Fergusson is the subject of today's podcast, as Ash looks at his breakthrough poem, 'The Daft Days':  Now mirk December’s dowie face Glowrs owr the rigs wi sour grimace, While, thro’ his minimum of space, The bleer-ey’d sun, Wi blinkin light and stealing pace, His race doth run. From naked groves nae birdie sings, To shepherd’s pipe nae hillock rings, The breeze nae od’rous flavour brings From Borean cave, And dwyning nature droops her wings, Wi visage grave. Mankind but scanty pleasure glean Frae snawy hill or barren plain, Whan winter, ‘midst his nipping train, Wi frozen spear, Sends drift owr a’ his bleak domain, And guides the weir. Auld Reikie! thou’rt the canty hole, A bield for many caldrife soul, Wha snugly at thine ingle loll, Baith warm and couth, While round they gar the bicker roll To weet their mouth. When merry Yule-day comes, I trou, You’ll scantlins find a hungry mou; Sma are our cares, our stamacks fou O’ gusty gear, And kickshaws, strangers to our view, Sin fairn-year. Ye browster wives, now busk ye braw, And fling your sorrows far awa; Then come and gie’s the tither blaw Of reaming ale, Mair precious than the well of Spa, Our hearts to heal. Then, tho’ at odds wi a’ the warl’, Amang oursels we’ll never quarrel; Tho’ Discord gie a canker’d snarl To spoil our glee, As lang’s there’s pith into the barrel We’ll drink and ‘gree. Fidlers, your pins in temper fix, And roset weel your fiddle-sticks; But banish vile Italian tricks Frae out your quorum, Not fortes wi pianos mix – Gie’s Tulloch Gorum. For nought can cheer the heart sae weel As can a canty Highland reel; It even vivifies the heel To skip and dance: Lifeless is he wha canna feel Its influence. Let mirth abound, let social cheer Invest the dawning of the year; Let blithesome innocence appear To crown our joy; Nor envy wi sarcastic sneer Our bliss destroy. And thou, great god of Aqua Vitae! Wha sways the empire of this city, When fou we’re sometimes capernoity, Be thou prepar’d To hedge us frae that black banditti, The City Guard.   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E96 On today's episode, Ash looks at a poem from Frieda Hughes' debut collection, Wooroloo, discussing Hughes' longstanding connection with birds, and how 'Kookaburra' relates to the poetry of her parents, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath.    Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E95 A belated Burns Night celebration, featuring one of Burns' lesser liked poems. But one of the only poems to inspire a toilet seat. Tune in for an exploration of Burns' time in Edinburgh, the Enlightenment's paradoxical attitude to Scottishness, and lots of rhyme-whining.    Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E94 As a Halloween treat, Ash talks with the author of Ominous Whoosh: A Wandering Mind Returns to Twin Peaks, John Thorne. Tune in for a in-depth conversation about Twin Peaks with one of the leading scholars of the show.  Follow John on Twitter here: @thornewip And purchase Ominous Whoosh: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ominous-Whoosh-Wandering-Returns-Peaks-ebook/dp/B0BCNXTCLJhttp://www.patriciagrisafi.com/about-1   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E93 Ash is again joined by Trish Grisafi to talk about her book Breaking Down Plath as well as Plath's relationship with feminism, the changing reputation of Plath and the "Plath phase".  Follow Trish on Twitter here: @PatriciaGrisafi And visit her website: http://www.patriciagrisafi.com/about-1   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E92 Ash is joined by Patricia Grisafi to discuss 'Stings' by Sylvia Plath, the third poem in her Bee Sequence. Tune in for a conversation about red comets, queen bees, and scapegoats. Follow Trish on Twitter here: @PatriciaGrisafi And visit her website: http://www.patriciagrisafi.com/about-1   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E91 On today's extended interview, Ash talks some more to Peter K. Steinberg, about his work as co-editor of the Collected Letters of Sylvia Plath and The Collected Writings of Assia Wevill. Follow Peter on Twitter here: @sylviaplathinfo And visit his website https://sylviaplathinfo.blogspot.com/   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis

S3E90 Ash is joined again by Peter K. Steinberg to discuss Sylvia Plath's late poem 'The Swarm'. Tune in to hear about Plath's interest in Napoleon, her experiences bee-keeping and Peter's theory that The Swarm may contain coded references to Assia Wevill.  Follow Peter on Twitter here: @sylviaplathinfo And visit his website https://sylviaplathinfo.blogspot.com/   Title Music: 'Not Drunk' by The Joy Drops. All other music by Epidemic Sound.  @earreadthis [email protected] facebook.com/earreadthis