Best Dr David F George Podcasts (2025)

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754 Christopher Marlowe (with Stephen Greenblatt) | My Last Book with Eric White 55:43

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3d ago55:43

55:43

Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) was born into relative obscurity and died in mysterious circumstances at the age of 29. And yet, somehow this ambitious cobbler's son brought about a spectacular explosion of English literature, language, and culture. In this episode, Jacke talks to Stephen Greenblatt about his book Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Ti…

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753 Tenth-Anniversary Special (with Mike Palindrome and Laurie Frankel) | Giving Thanks | My Last Book with Eve Dunbar 1:17:22

8d ago1:17:22

1:17:22

When Jacke started the podcast in 2015, he decided to privilege books that were at least fifty years old. (Longtime listeners will know he's made a few exceptions, but for the most part, that's been the policy.) Last month, the History of Literature Podcast celebrated its tenth anniversary - which means there are ten years' worth of books that are …

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Overtime – Episode #715: Killer Mike, Donna Brazile 17:22

2h ago17:22

17:22

Bill Maher and his guests answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 11/21/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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752 The Brontes' Sibling Rivalry (with Catherine Rayner) | My Last Book with Keith Cooper 1:01:28

10d ago1:01:28

1:01:28

Charlotte Brontë wasn't born the eldest child, but she was thrust into a leadership role at the age of ten, as the Brontë children dealt with the tragic deaths of their mother and two eldest sisters. How did this affect their family dynamic? And when the younger two sisters, Emily and Anne, had their novels accepted while Charlotte's alone was reje…

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Ep. #715: Mel Robbins, Killer Mike, Donna Brazile 1:00:22

4d ago1:00:22

1:00:22

Bill’s guests are Mel Robbins, Killer Mike, Donna Brazile (Originally aired 11/21/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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751 Covering Iran's Women-Led Uprising (with Nilo Tabrizy) | My Last Book with Sharmila Sen 1:02:37

14d ago1:02:37

1:02:37

In September 2022, a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Jîna Amini, died after being beaten by police officers who arrested her for not adhering to the Islamic Republic’s dress code. Her death galvanized thousands of Iranians—mostly women—who took to the streets in one of the country’s largest uprisings in decades: the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. In thi…

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Overtime – Episode #714: Scott Galloway, Fareed Zakaria, Josh Barro 18:31

15d ago18:31

18:31

Bill Maher and his guests answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 11/14/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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750 A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (with Mark Cirino) | Joyce Carol Oates vs the Trillionaire | My Last Book with Ken Krimstein 1:28:09

17d ago1:28:09

1:28:09

It's the 750th episode of the History of Literature, and what better way to celebrate than to talk some Hemingway with repeat guest Mark Cirino? In this episode, Jacke talks to Mark about Hemingway's classic love-and-war novel A Farewell to Arms, including the recent Norton Library edition of the book, which Mark edited. PLUS Jacke takes a look at …

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Ep. #714: Scott Galloway, Fareed Zakaria, Josh Barro 1:00:04

18d ago1:00:04

1:00:04

Bill’s guests are Scott Galloway, Fareed Zakaria, Josh Barro (Originally aired 11/14/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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749 Willing and Will-Making in the English Renaissance (with Douglas Clark) | #7 Greatest Book of All Time 1:06:00

21d ago1:06:00

1:06:00

When Hamlet, in his famous soliloquy, pondered the "dread of something after death, / the undiscovered country," he noted that such thoughts "puzzles the will." (Earlier editions of the play had this as a "hope of something after death" that "puzzles the brain." What's the significance for an Elizabethan writer (and audience) of the change from hop…

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Overtime – Episode #713: Bill O'Reilly, Rep. Jared Moskowitz 21:15

22d ago21:15

21:15

Bill Maher and his guests answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 11/7/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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748 Katherine Mansfield (with Gerri Kimber) | The Poet and the Sex Worker Who Burgled Him | My Last Book with Emerson Expert Kenneth Sacks 55:47

24d ago55:47

55:47

Katherine Mansfield's writing, said Virginia Woolf, "was the only writing I was ever jealous of." In this episode, Jacke talks to author Gerri Kimber about Katherine Mansfield: A Hidden Life, which explores the life and work of one of literary modernism's most significant writers. PLUS Jacke takes a look at the unusual friendship between poet W.H. …

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Ep. #713: Kenny Chesney, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, Bill O'Reilly 1:00:40

25d ago1:00:40

1:00:40

Bill’s guests are Kenny Chesney, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, Bill O'Reilly (Originally aired 11/7/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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747 Graphomaniac - The Story of a Horrible Russian Poet (with Ilya Vinitsky and James H. McGavran III | My Last Book with Stephanie Sandler | #8 Greatest Book of All Time 1:11:57

28d ago1:11:57

1:11:57

Dmitry Ivanovich Khvostov (1757-1835) might be the worst poet who ever lived. Pathologically prolific and delusional dedicated to a craft for which he had no talent, he continued to write and publish his poetry despite the pleadings of friends, loved ones, critics, and the public. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Ilya Vinitsky and translator …

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Overtime – Episode #712: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Michael Moynihan, Dan Farah 12:49

29d ago12:49

12:49

Bill Maher and his guests answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 10/31/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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746 Wild Jane Austen (with Devoney Looser) | #9 Greatest Book of All Time 1:04:37

1M ago1:04:37

1:04:37

Author Devoney Looser may be a mild-mannered English professor to most people, but roller derby fans know her as Stone Cold Jane Austen, her smashmouth alter ego. In this episode, Devoney tells Jacke about her new book Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane, which suggests we also rethink the commonly held view of "spinster Jan…

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Ep. #712: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Michael Moynihan, Dan Farah 1:00:13

1M ago1:00:13

1:00:13

Bill’s guests are Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Michael Moynihan, Dan Farah (Originally aired 10/31/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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745 Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti (Halloween Fun-Size Edition) 2:14:14

1M ago2:14:14

2:14:14

In the spring of 2022, Jacke dropped everything to plummet into one of the strangest poems he had ever read, "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894). The result was a two-part episode that never quite found its home. In this special Halloween episode, we've combined the best parts of both of those episodes to bring you the full story of a…

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Overtime – Episode #711: Gov. Andy Beshear, Kate Bedingfield, Michael Steele 12:16

1M ago12:16

12:16

Bill Maher and his guests answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 10/24/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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744 Love, Sex, and Frankenstein (with Caroline Lea) | #10 Greatest Book of All Time | My Last Book with Geoffrey Turnovsky | A Letter from a Middle School Teacher and Mom 1:26:42

1M ago1:26:42

1:26:42

The year is 1816, and 18-year-old Mary Shelley has fled London with her lover, Percy Shelley, and her sister, Claire. They're on their way to visit Lord Byron's villa in Lake Geneva, Switzerland - and to change the course of literary history. In this episode, Jacke talks to Caroline Lea about her novel Love, Sex, and Frankenstein, which tells the h…

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Ep. #711: Gov. Andy Beshear, Kate Bedingfield, Michael Steele 1:00:26

1M ago1:00:26

1:00:26

Bill’s guests are Gov. Andy Beshear, Kate Bedingfield, Michael Steele (Originally aired 10/24/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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743 Fairy Tales (with Jack Zipes) [RECLAIMED] | Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (#11 GBOAT) | Chaucer News 1:02:07

1M ago1:02:07

1:02:07

An early encounter with one of the most famous people in the world initiated Jack Zipes into the world of fairy tales - and he never looked back. In this episode, Jacke talks to the fairy tale expert about his book Buried Treasures: The Power of Political Fairy Tales, which profiles modern writers and artists who tapped the political potential of f…

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Overtime – Episode #710: Mark Cuban, Andrew Ross Sorkin 12:20

1M ago12:20

12:20

Bill Maher and his guests answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 10/17/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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742 Edgar Allan Poe (with Richard Kopley) | Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (#12 GBOAT) | My Last Book with Christopher Herbert 1:17:41

1M ago1:17:41

1:17:41

It's October, the perfect month to celebrate the master of mystery and the macabre. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Richard Kopley about his book Edgar Allan Poe: A Life, a comprehensive critical biography that combines a narrative of Poe's enduring challenges (including his difficult foster father, poverty, alcoholism, depression, and his n…

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Ep. #710: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Mark Cuban 1:01:24

2M ago1:01:24

1:01:24

Bill’s guests are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Mark Cuban (Originally aired 10/17/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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741 Gabriela Mistral 1:04:27

2M ago1:04:27

1:04:27

In 1945, the Nobel Committee awarded its prize for literature to Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) "for her lyric poetry which, inspired by powerful emotions, has made her name a symbol of the idealistic aspirations of the entire Latin American world." Born in a rural Andean valley and abandoned by her free-spirited father at the age of three, Mistral s…

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740 Mel Brooks and Other Eminent Jews (with David Denby) | War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (#13 GBOAT) 1:03:56

2M ago1:03:56

1:03:56

In this episode, Jacke talks to author David Denby about his new book, Eminent Jews: Bernstein, Brooks, Friedan, Mailer, a group biography (loosely inspired by Lytton Strachey's Eminent Victorians) that describes how four larger-than-life figures upended the restrained culture of their forebears and changed American life. PLUS in honor of War and P…

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739 Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (#14 GBOAT) | Johannes Gutenberg (with Eric Marshall White) 1:34:01

2M ago1:34:01

1:34:01

Thanks to his invention of Europe's first typographic printing method, and his pioneering work on the first printed Bible, the fifteenth-century German inventor Johannes Gutenberg has a fame and reputation that continues to this day. In 1997, Time magazine credited him with the most important innovation of the past one thousand years. However, due …

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Overtime – Episode #709: Van Jones, Thomas Friedman 12:56

2M ago12:56

12:56

By HBO Podcasts

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738 Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (#15 Greatest Book of All Time) 1:16:09

2M ago1:16:09

1:16:09

Emily Brontë only published one full-length book before dying at the tragically young age of 30. But that book, Wuthering Heights, which tells the story of obsessive and vengeful love on the rugged moors of Yorkshire, is still considered one of the pinnacles of English literature, landing at #15 on the list of Greatest Books of All Time. In this ep…

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Ep. #709: Louis C.K., Van Jones, Thomas Friedman 1:01:02

2M ago1:01:02

1:01:02

Bill’s guests are Louis C.K., Van Jones, Thomas Friedman (Originally aired 10/3/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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737 "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs 42:21

2M ago42:21

42:21

It's October! Jacke kicks off his favorite month with a classic tale of horror, "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs. Perhaps you know the general contours of the paradigmatic "be careful what you wish for" story from the Simpsons or another popularization - but just how scary was the original story? And who was W.W. Jacobs? Join Jacke on a trip throu…

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Overtime – Episode #708: Rep. Nancy Mace, Michael Smerconish 15:26

2M ago15:26

15:26

Bill Maher and his guests answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 9/26/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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736 Jane Austen's Favorite Brother, Henry (with Christopher Herbert) | A Letter from the South of France | My Last Book with Nicholas Jenkins 1:00:29

2M ago1:00:29

1:00:29

Jane Austen had six brothers, but her older brother Henry was her favorite. Kind and witty, Henry has long been appreciated by Austen fans for his devotion to Jane and his championing of her novels. But Henry was a fascinating figure in his own right, capering through risky financial schemes and marrying an enigmatic French countess before ending h…

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Ep. #708: Aidan Walker, Rep. Nancy Mace, Michael Smerconish 59:49

2M ago59:49

59:49

Bill’s guests are Aidan Walker, Rep. Nancy Mace, Michael Smerconish (Originally aired 9/26/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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Overtime – Episode #707: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Alex Wagner 13:48

2M ago13:48

13:48

Bill Maher and his guests answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 9/19/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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735 Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (with Mark Hussey) | My Last Book with Graham Watson 1:23:55

2M ago1:23:55

1:23:55

Jacke talks to author Mark Hussey (Mrs Dalloway: Biography of a Novel) about Virginia Woolf's beloved novel Mrs Dalloway, which turned 100 earlier this year. PLUS author Graham Watson (The Invention of Charlotte Bronte) stops by to discuss his choice for the last book he will ever read. Join Jacke on a trip through literary England (signup open thr…

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Ep. #707: WH Border Czar Tom Homan, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Alex Wagner 59:27

2M ago59:27

59:27

Bill’s guests are WH Border Czar Tom Homan, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Alex Wagner (Originally aired 9/19/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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734 The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (#16 GBOAT) | 1925 - A Literary Encyclopedia (with Tom Lutz) 56:09

3M ago56:09

56:09

Jacke talks to author Tom Lutz about 1925: A Literary Encyclopedia, which provides a fascinating window into a year when literature was arguably at its peak centrality. PLUS a look at J.R.R. Tolkien and his influential Lord of the Rings, #16 on the list of the Greatest Books of All Time. Join Jacke on a trip through literary England (signup open th…

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Overtime – Episode #706: Ben Shapiro, Tim Alberta 20:10

3M ago20:10

20:10

Bill Maher and his guests answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 9/12/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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733 Haruki Murakami (with Mike Palindrome | To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (#17 GBOAT) | A Letter from Tehran 1:24:11

3M ago1:24:11

1:24:11

Haruki Murakami (b. 1949) is one of the rare writers who combines literary admiration with widespread appeal. Host Jacke Wilson is joined by lifelong Murakami fan Mike Palindrome to discuss what makes his novels so compelling, so mysterious, and so popular. Works discussed include The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Norwegian Wood, Kafka on the Shore, and …

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Ep. #706: Charlie Sheen, Tim Alberta, Ben Shapiro 1:00:01

3M ago1:00:01

1:00:01

Bill’s guests are Charlie Sheen, Tim Alberta, Ben Shapiro (Originally aired 9/12/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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732 The Bible (#18 GBOAT) | The Diaries of Samuel Pepys (with Kate Loveman) | Health Advice 1:13:35

3M ago1:13:35

1:13:35

Jacke starts the episode by looking at the different ways that ten writers have viewed the Bible, #18 on the list of the Greatest Books of All Time. Then he's joined by scholar Kate Loveman, one of the few people in the world who's been able to read the diaries of Samuel Pepys in the original shorthand, for a discussion of her book The Strange Hist…

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Overtime – Episode #705: Kaitlan Collins, Steven Pinker, Stephen Moore 15:30

3M ago15:30

15:30

Bill Maher and his guests answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 9/5/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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731 The Brothers Karamazov Reclaimed (#19 Greatest Book of All Time) 1:21:06

3M ago1:21:06

1:21:06

Responding to a special request from a listener, Jacke discusses Fyodor Dostoevsky, his novel The Brothers Karamazov, and the search for meaning in a meaningless world. This episode was originally released as episode #250 on October 7, 2020. For reasons Jacke discusses, it has not been available for several years. One show note: at several points i…

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Ep. #705: Steven Pinker, Kaitlan Collins, Stephen Moore 1:01:59

3M ago1:01:59

1:01:59

Bill’s guests are Steven Pinker, Kaitlan Collins, Stephen Moore (Originally aired 9/5/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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730 "To Autumn" by John Keats | The Invention of Charlotte Brontë (with Graham Watson) | My Last Book with Sara Charles 1:06:20

3M ago1:06:20

1:06:20

Jacke looks forward to a new season by exploring the language and imagery of John Keats's famous ode to autumn. Then he talks to Graham Watson about his new book The Invention of Charlotte Brontë: A New Life, which tells the story of how how Charlotte reinvented herself as an acclaimed author, a mysterious celebrity, and a passionate lover. PLUS Sa…

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729 Milton the Revolutionary (with Orlando Reade) | My Last Book with Jodi Picoult | More Exciting News 1:07:45

3M ago1:07:45

1:07:45

Since the publication of John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost in 1667, readers and critics have noted the relationship between the poem and the author's political and personal struggles. What has been less prominent - at least until now - is how the poem came to haunt various political struggles over the next four centuries. In this episode, Jacke…

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Overtime – Episode #704: Andrew Huberman, Frank Bruni, Christopher Rufo 22:03

3M ago22:03

22:03

Bill Maher and his guests answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 8/22/25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy HBO Podcasts

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728 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (#20 GBOAT) | Lorraine Hansberry - RECLAIMED 1:30:35

3M ago1:30:35

1:30:35

As part of the "25 for '25" series, Jacke starts the episode with a look at #20 on the list of Greatest Books of All Time, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. Then he reclaims a previous episode devoted to Lorraine Hansberry, author of A Raisin in the Sun, a brilliant playwright who died at the tragically young age of 34. (The Hansbe…