
828 Confucius (with Mark Csikszentmihalyi) | Celia Bookshop! (with Rachel Pastan) | Jacke in Taiwan
From The History of Literature by Jacke Wilson / The Podglomerate
September 7, 2026 · 1h 22m · Episode 828
About this episode
This episode explores the life of Confucius through a recent discovery and features discussions with scholars and bookstore directors.
What do we know about the Chinese philosopher and teacher Confucius? Although people have written biographies of Confucius for over 2,000 years, a recent discovery of a Chinese tomb containing the oldest written account of his life gives us a chance to look at Confucius afresh. In this episode, after some reflections on his experiences as a young teacher in Taiwan, Jacke talks to Confucian scholar Mark Csikszentmihalyi about his book Confucius: A New Tradition. PLUS a conversation with Rachel Pastan about her role as literary director of the recently opened independent bookstore Celia Bookshop in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. On Sale Now! For more information and to order Great Detective! An Adventure for Two People [2-Book Boxed Set] by Jacke Wilson, visit press.historyofliterature.com. SPECIAL OFFER! For a limited time, enter promotion code LOVE26 to get 20% off! And if you help us get the word out by posting two people enjoying the book on social media (plus a link to our website), we will refund money to your account. Learn more at press.historyofliterature.com! The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn…
People in this episode
Host: Jacke Wilson
Guests: Mark Csikszentmihalyi, Rachel Pastan
Topics covered
- Confucius
- Chinese philosophy
- independent bookstores
- literature
- teaching experiences
- biography
Keywords
- Confucius
- philosophy
- biography
- literature
- independent bookstore
- Taiwan
- Mark Csikszentmihalyi
- Rachel Pastan
Sponsors
History of Literature
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Celia Bookshop, Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal, Lit Hub Radio, The Podglomerate
Products: Great Detective! An Adventure for Two People [2-Book Boxed Set]
Books & works: Confucius: A New Tradition
More episodes of The History of Literature
- 827 American Literature's War on Crime (with Theodore Martin) | W.E.B. DuBois Sits with Shakespeare · August 31, 2026 · 1h 23m
- 826 The Essayist's Essayist - Phillip Lopate on the Pleasures of Reading Washington Irving and Other "Minor Writers" | Notes from the History of Literature Podcast Tour! · August 27, 2026 · 1h 19m
- 825 Henry James's Ghosts (with Morgan Lloyd Malcolm) | My Last Book with David Womersley · August 24, 2026 · 1h 8m
- 824 Why Did Mary Shelley Try to Erase Her? The Claire Clairmont Story (with Emily Franklin) | My Last Book with Mathelinda Nabugodi · August 17, 2026 · 1h 5m
- 823 Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, and Shakespeare in a Divided America (with James Shapiro) · August 13, 2026 · 55 min
- 822 Wild Thoreau (with Lydia Willsky-Ciollo) | My Last Book with Douglas Clark · August 10, 2026 · 1h 8m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The History of Literature podcast page.