It’s Lit!
Season 3
A series of smart, funny video essays from PBS Digital Studios about their favorite books and why they love to read. Host Lindsay Ellis delves into topics like the evolution of YA, how science fiction mirrors our own anxieties, and why the book is sometimes just a _bit_ better than the movie.
Where to Watch It’s Lit! • Season 3
5 Episodes
- The Women of Jane Austen
E1The Women of Jane AustenElizabeth Bennet. Emma Woodhouse. Marianne Dashwood. Jane Austen has been responsible for creating some of the most frequently adapted and analyzed women in the English literary language. These women reveal to us Jane Austen's insight into her growth as an author her politics, and just how she feels about what makes a girlboss and #girlboss. - Inside the Absurdist Mind of Kurt Vonnegut
E2Inside the Absurdist Mind of Kurt VonnegutIt can be said that there are two types of fiction writers - those who take a backseat and let their work take the spotlight, and those who are as iconic as their work, sometimes even more so. But maybe there’s a third type - a type of writer whose complex persona is so intertwined with their fiction - that to ignore them as a person would be to ignore their work entirely. - Why Edgar Allan Poe Isn't Just a Sad Boy
E3Why Edgar Allan Poe Isn't Just a Sad BoyWe remember Edgar Allan Poe for his tales of horror and the macabre as well as inventing the entire Detective Fiction Genre. But unlike many of the great authors of Western classic literature, he has become an icon unto himself, recognized to this day by name and face almost more than the titles of his stories and poems. But his legacy is more complicated than school books may have lead us to believe. Hosted by Lindsay Ellis and Princess Weekes, It’s Lit! is a show about our favorite books, genres, and why we love to read. It’s Lit is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor. - Why Magical Realism is a Global Phenomenon
E4Why Magical Realism is a Global PhenomenonBlurring the lines between fantasy and reality, magical realism in literature and other media combines fantasy elements with concrete realities to make statements about the world we live in. In this episode, we explore its roots, lay out the tenets of the genre, and discuss how it has flourished in Latin American Literature. - Toni Morrison’s Opus About Confronting a Terrible Past
E5Toni Morrison’s Opus About Confronting a Terrible PastBeloved is the magnum opus of the late, great Toni Morrison. It has become a key piece of literature taught in schools and is considered one of the great pieces of American literature. To understand Beloved, we must first look at the woman behind the pages: Nobel Prize Winner Toni Morrison.