Wodehousekeeping

Ian is joined by storyteller Matthew Bellwood to discuss Mike and Psmith, the second half of the double novel Mike, published in 1909. This is the debut of the beloved character Psmith, and the final public school novel by Wodehouse published in his lifetime.There will be spoilers. May contain knuts.Mike and Psmith at Project GutenbergThe Lost Lambs (magazine version) at Madame EulalieOther Wodehouse works referenced:Mike at WrykynPsmith in the CityPsmith, JournalistLeave it to PsmithSomething NewJoy in the Morning (Preface)The Globe By The Way Book"The Reformation of Study Sixteen""The Stone and the Weed""Society Gossip"Also referenced:Richard Usborne, Wodehouse At Work To The EndNorman Murphy, A Wodehouse HandbookDoris Buckler, "Thanks to Psmith"Terry PratchettDouglas AdamsJane Austen, Pride and PrejudiceStella Gibbons, Cold Comfort FarmKen Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestRupert D'Oyly-Carte (the inspiration for Psmith)Sir Kreemy Knut (Sharp's Toffee mascot)E C Segar, Thimble TheaterSir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sherlock Holmes storiesF Anstey, Babboo JabberjeeCharles Dickens, David CopperfieldRudyard Kipling, Stalky and CoE W Hornung, the Raffles storiesC. J. Cutcliffe Hyne, the Captain Kettle storiesArthur Ransome

Ian is rejoined by Alexander Rennie of the "Forgotten Towns" podcast to discuss Mike at Wrykyn, the first half of the double novel Mike, published in 1909. It's a public school story focused on cricket and introduces a new series character. Other Wodehouse books mentionedMike and PsmithPsmith in the CityPsmith JournalistLeave it to PsmithVery Good JeevesRing For Jeeves (the novel where Jeeves appears without Bertie Wooster)Laughing GasThe Mating SeasonA Gentleman of LeisureAlso referenced:Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook (copiously)Richard Usborne, Wodehouse at Work To The EndSophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse, A Life in Letters (source of all the letters quoted)Alec WaughMalcolm MuggeridgeGeorge OrwellThe Foster family of WorcestershireThe Haileybury walkoutClement AtleeVarious cricketersVictoria Wood

Ian is joined by composer Peter Falconer, of the How I Hobby podcast, to look at The Swoop! or, How Clarence Saved England: A Tale of the Great Invasion (1909) a spoof of three separate Edwardian trends: invasion literature, the boy scout movement, and the music hall. Thanks again to madameeulalie.org. There will be spoilers.Content note: racismOther Wodehouse works mentioned:The Military Invasion of America (US version of the story)The Next InvasionEggs, Beans and CrumpetsThe Man UpstairsDo Butlers Burgle BanksWeekend WodehouseLove Among the ChickensOver SeventyThe Inimitable JeevesSummer LightningThe Prince and BettyAlso mentionedIonicusVladimir NabokovJ R R TolkienJohn Le CarréShirley JacksonWilliam le Queux, The Invasion of 1910Alfred and Hildebrand HarmsworthSaki When William CameBaden-Powell Scouting For BoysGeorge and Weedon Grossmith Diary of a NobodyI'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (radio show)Ici on parle français (play)Ocean's Twelve (film)Big Train (TV show)Paul Hatcher, The World Stare-out Championship FinalJohn Major, My Old ManHenry LauderAndy G, "Tawny Owl"Aerated Bread CompanyNorman Murphy, A Wodehouse HandbookBart KennedyEdgar WallaceBugsy MaloneDouglas AdamsRob Grant and Doug NaylorTerry Pratchett

I am joined by Gwen Sheldon to look at extracts from The Globe By The Way Book — A Literary Quick-Lunch for People Who Have Only Got Five Minutes to Spare (1908) in particular the spoof serial "Women, Wine and Song". We also look at "For Love or Honour" (1907) a serial from the Globe By the Way daily newspaper column. Both works were written with Herbert Westbrook, the Prince of Slackers. Thanks to Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website for sharing these out-of-print delights!https://www.madameulalie.org/articles/Deconstructing_The_Globe_By_the_Way_Book.htmlhttps://www.madameulalie.org/globe/women_wine_song_01.htmlhttps://www.madameulalie.org/grp/For_Love_or_Honour.htmlAlso referenced:"Jeeves Takes Charge" from Carry On, Jeeves"Goodbye to All Cats" and "The Amazing Hat Mystery" from Young Men in SpatsNorman Murphy, A Wodehouse HandbookWodehouse scholars John Dawson, Karen Shotting and Neil MidkiffLewis CarrollWilliam Haselden, the book's illustratorThe work of Glen BaxterHall CaineWinston ChurchillJonathan SwiftAlexander PopeThe Suffragette movementBioscopes and myrioramasThe radium crazeThe Saphead (film)Flanders and Swann, "A Song of the Weather"E Phillips OppenheimPeter Motteaux (the "Was for him the work of a moment" chap)Stella Gibbons, Cold Comfort FarmFrancis Beaumont, The Knight of the Burning PestleThere is little more to tell.

Ian Cockburn talks to Mora about the first of two collaborations with Herbert Westbrook, Not George Washington (1907), a semi-autobiographical novel about life in Edwardian London as a struggling writer. There will be spoilers.Free eBook of Not George Washington at Project GutenbergNot George Washington public domain audiobook at LibriVox(NB the book is not public domain in all countries)Also mentioned in the podcast:Reference books and resources:Norman Murphy's A Wodehouse HandbookSophie Ratcliffe's P.G. Wodehouse: A Life in LettersDaniel Garrison & Neil Midkiff Who's Who in WodehouseMadame Eulalie's Rare Plums Other Wodehouse books and storiesOver Seventy (memoir)The Small BachelorLove Among the ChickensA Gentleman of Leisure "Jeeves and the Yule-tide Spirit" (Very Good, Jeeves)"Best Seller" (Mulliner Nights)"An Unfinished Collection""The Last Instance"Other booksGeorge Du Maurier, TrilbyGuy Thorne, When it was Dark (which I read about in Claud Cockburn's Bestseller)Not mentioned in the podcast is the archetype of "struggling London writer novels", George Gissing's New Grub StreetThis might be the painting of Napoleon and his generals Wodehouse meant.For more about Westbrook check out the podcasts on The Gold Bat and on Love Among the ChickensFor more about Seymour Hicks check out the episode on The Head of Kay'sMora's podcast (about the fantasy series/world Malazan) is Smiley'sThe music for the Boxing jingle is by Shaun Day.

Ian talks to Ujjwal Deb about the eighth P. G. Wodehouse book, "The White Feather" (1907), a public school novel set at Wrykyn School, in some ways a sequel to "The Gold Bat". Spoilers feature early and often.Topics discussed include:Wodehouse's popularity in IndiaUjjwal's experience on the TV show MastermindThe schoolboy code of honourThe possible real-life origin of WrykynWhether the Jackson in this book is any relation to Mike (of Mike and Psmith)Motor cars and motoring regulations in the Edwardian ageRacism in boxing in the period, and in public school life and literature.C. S. Calverley and Thomas Babington Macaulay (both quoted in the book)The history and meaning of the symbol, "the white feather"Tom Brown's Schooldays by Thomas Hughes

Ian talks to writer Thom Robinson about the seventh Wodehouse book, "Love Among the Chickens". There will be spoilers.Among Wodehouse's books, this is:   The first intended for a general audience, as opposed to schoolboys or young children   The first to involve a love story   The first to introduce a major recurring character, which is Ukridge   The first with golf as a major element.   The first to be properly published in the USAIt exists in two versions (four versions actually, but two book versions): The original 1906 book and the 1921 rewrite. We look at both versions to discuss how the changes reflect his development as a writer.Also discussed:   William Townend, who gave him the plot   Herbert Westbrook, partial model for Ukridge   The trip Wodehouse took to Lyme Regis with the "Lyon cubs", that provided the setting   Arthur Conan Doyle's The Stark-Munro Letters, a probable influence on the novel   The narrator Jeremy Garnet's description of his working life as a novelist, and how far it is likely autobiographical   The self-deprecating humour about being unable to write convincing female characters   The old "Have someone pushed into the water so you can rescue them" wheezeThom's old podcast with Hazel Smoczynska: https://soundcloud.com/yammerofthegods

Ian talks to his brother Josh about the sixth Wodehouse book, "The Head of Kay's". It's yet another school story. There will be spoilers.Also discussed or referencedSummer MoonshinePsmith in the CityJeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian FaulksThe Boys of Castle Cliff School by R. A. H. GoodyearToddy Scores Again by Alfred JuddA Wodehouse Handbook by N. T. P. MurphyLet's Do It: The Birth of Pop by Bob StanleyN.A.KnoxSeymour Hicks.