This hour, we take a look at the legends of King Arthur. We discuss their evolution and why they endure.

Plus, we talk with author Lev Grossman about his new retelling of the King Arthur legend, The Bright Sword.

And, a conversation with an archeologist about excavating the history of Arthurian legends.

GUESTS: 


Lev Grossman: Bestselling author of The Magicians Trilogy. His new book is The Bright Sword


Leah Tether: Professor of Medieval Literature and Publishing at Bristol University, and Vice President of the International Courtly Literature Society


Win Scutt: Archeologist and Senior Properties Curator for the West of England at English Heritage, a nonprofit that cares for over 400 historic monuments

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode. 

Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on July 30, 2024.

This hour, we take a look at the legends of King Arthur. We discuss their evolution and why they endure.
Plus, we talk with author Lev Grossman about his new retelling of the King Arthur legend, <a href="https://levgrossman.com/book/the-bright-sword/">The Bright Sword</a>.
And, a conversation with an archeologist about excavating the history of Arthurian legends.
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Lev Grossman: Bestselling author of The Magicians Trilogy. His new book is The Bright Sword
</li>
<li>
Leah Tether: Professor of Medieval Literature and Publishing at Bristol University, and Vice President of the International Courtly Literature Society
</li>
<li>
Win Scutt: Archeologist and Senior Properties Curator for the West of England at English Heritage, a nonprofit that cares for over 400 historic monuments
</li>
</ul>
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub21ueWNvbnRlbnQuY29tL2QvcGxheWxpc3QvYWMwYmU5NjktZDdkZi00NjBjLWE2NmMtYTZmOTAwZTFlYmQxLzcxZGM0YTBmLWU4Y2EtNDAyMS1hZWM5LWFhMDMwMDI2MDQyZC9iNjk1Y2I4Ny1mNmE5LTRjNzYtOGYxMS1hYTAzMDAyNjA0M2IvcG9kY2FzdC5yc3M">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.&nbsp;
Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on July 30, 2024.

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

The Colin McEnroe Show

The legends of King Arthur and why they still matter today

‘Tis the season for holiday movies. This hour, we look at this year's offerings from Netflix and Hallmark, discuss what makes a good holiday movie, and get some ideas for what to watch this holiday season.

GUESTS: 
Laura Bradley: Entertainment and features reporter
Amanda Hess: Critic at large for The New York Times

&lsquo;Tis the season for holiday movies. This hour, we look at this year's offerings from Netflix and Hallmark, discuss what makes a good holiday movie, and get some ideas for what to watch this holiday season.
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Laura Bradley: Entertainment and features reporter</li>
<li>Amanda Hess: Critic at large for The New York Times</li>
</ul>

The joy of Christmas movies, from the classics to the NFL and ‘Hot Frosty’

Samuel and Olivia Clemens and their children moved into the house they’d had built at Nook Farm in Hartford — the house that we now call the Mark Twain House — in 1874, 150 years ago this year.

To celebrate that anniversary, this hour we present a new version of our 2015 interview with the late Hal Holbrook.

Holbrook was probably best known for his one-man show, Mark Twain Tonight!, which he performed for 63 years — longer than Samuel Clemens used the Mark Twain moniker.

Beyond Mark Twain Tonight!, you probably know Hal Holbrook as Deep Throat in All the President’s Men. He’s in a Dirty Harry movie. He’s in a Steven Spielberg movie. He’s in Wall Street and The Firm and John Carpenter’s The Fog. He appeared on Designing Women and The West Wing and The Sopranos and Sons of Anarchy and Grey’s Anatomy.

Hal Holbrook won a Tony Award. He was nominated for 12 Emmys, and he won five. And he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Into the Wild.

We talked to Holbrook on the evening of February 3, 2015. He was two weeks shy of his 90th birthday — which birthday he celebrated by performing Mark Twain Tonight! at The Bushnell in Hartford.

Hal Holbrook died in 2021. He was 95.

GUEST:
Hal Holbrook: Film, television, and stage actor

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

This interview was originally produced by Betsy Kaplan.

Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired February 4, 2015, and June 17, 2023, in a different form.

Samuel and Olivia Clemens and their children moved into the house they&rsquo;d had built at Nook Farm in Hartford &mdash; the house that we now call the Mark Twain House &mdash; in 1874, 150 years ago this year.
To celebrate that anniversary, this hour we present a new version of our 2015 interview with the late Hal Holbrook.
Holbrook was probably best known for his one-man show, Mark Twain Tonight!, which he performed for 63 years &mdash; longer than Samuel Clemens used the Mark Twain moniker.
Beyond Mark Twain Tonight!, you probably know Hal Holbrook as Deep Throat in All the President&rsquo;s Men. He&rsquo;s in a Dirty Harry movie. He&rsquo;s in a Steven Spielberg movie. He&rsquo;s in Wall Street and The Firm and John Carpenter&rsquo;s The Fog. He appeared on Designing Women and The West Wing and The Sopranos and Sons of Anarchy and Grey&rsquo;s Anatomy.
Hal Holbrook won a Tony Award. He was nominated for 12 Emmys, and he won five. And he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Into the Wild.
We talked to Holbrook on the evening of February 3, 2015. He was two weeks shy of his 90th birthday &mdash; which birthday he celebrated by performing Mark Twain Tonight! at The Bushnell in Hartford.
Hal Holbrook died in 2021. He was 95.
GUEST:
<ul>
<li>Hal Holbrook: Film, television, and stage actor</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884" data-cms-ai="0">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p" data-cms-ai="0">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show" data-cms-ai="0">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/" data-cms-ai="0">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/" data-cms-ai="0">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters" data-cms-ai="0">Subscribe to The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow" data-cms-ai="0">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow" data-cms-ai="0">Twitter</a>.
This interview was originally produced by Betsy Kaplan.
Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired February 4, 2015, and June 17, 2023, in a different form.

Our hour with the late Hal Holbrook

This hour we look at the art of the epigraph. We'll talk with writers about how they pick the quotes that open their books, what epigraphs can do well, how the business of epigraphs works, and what they mean for readers. Plus, a look at how some movies use epigraphs.

GUESTS: 
Tajja Isen: Writer, editor, and voice actor. She is a contributing writer for The Walrus and author of Some of My Best Friends
Courtney Maum: Writing coach, teacher, and the author of five books including Before and After the Book Deal and the memoir The Year of The Horses. She also writes the Substack titled “Before and After the Book Deal”
David Edelstein: Film critic

This hour we look at the art of the epigraph. We'll talk with writers about how they pick the quotes that open their books, what epigraphs can do well, how the business of epigraphs works, and what they mean for readers. Plus, a look at how some movies use epigraphs.
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Tajja Isen: Writer, editor, and voice actor. She is a contributing writer for <a href="https://thewalrus.ca/author/tajja-isen/">The Walrus</a> and author of <a href="https://tajjaisen.com/book">Some of My Best Friends</a></li>
<li>Courtney Maum: Writing coach, teacher, and the author of five books including <a href="https://books.catapult.co/books/before-and-after-the-book-deal/#:~:text=Before%20and%20After%20the%20Book%20Deal%3A%20A%20Writer%27s%20Guide%20to,Rebecca%20Makkai%2C%20and%20Ottessa%20Moshfegh%2C">Before and After the Book Deal</a> and the memoir <a href="https://tinhouse.com/book/the-year-of-the-horses/">The Year of The Horses</a>. She also writes the Substack titled &ldquo;<a href="https://courtneymaum.substack.com/">Before and After the Book Deal</a>&rdquo;</li>
<li>David Edelstein: Film critic</li>
</ul>

The legends of King Arthur and why they still matter today

In 1 playlist(s)

The Colin McEnroe Show

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips