In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life of Samuel Beckett, the Irish novelist and playwright widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. We trace his journey from a cricket-playing youth in Dublin—becoming the only Nobel laureate to play first-class cricket—to his time in Paris as a confidant of James Joyce.

Discover how a near-fatal stabbing and his service in the French Resistance during World War II shaped his worldview, earning him the Croix de Guerre for what he humbly called "boy scout stuff". We discuss his artistic "revelation" in 1945, where he embraced ignorance and impotence as creative forces, moving away from Joycean knowledge to create his own stripped-down style.

We also delve into his masterpiece, Waiting for Godot, a play famously described by critic Vivian Mercier as one in which "nothing happens, twice," and examine his role as a key figure in the "Theatre of the Absurd". Finally, hear the surprising story of his friendship with a young André the Giant, with whom he bonded over a shared love of sports while driving him to school.

In this episode of pplpod, we explore the turbulent genius of Tennessee Williams, the man who, alongside Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, stands as one of the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama. Born Thomas Lanier Williams III, he adopted his pen name to acknowledge his Southern roots, eventually mining his own dysfunctional family history to revolutionize the theater.

We discuss:

• The Autobiographical Art: How Williams used writing to break free from his puritan upbringing and an unhappy home life, modeling characters in The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire after his mother, his violent father, and himself.
• The Tragic Muse: The heartbreaking story of his sister Rose, whose diagnosis of schizophrenia and subsequent lobotomy haunted Williams and inspired the character of Laura Wingfield.
• Success and Decline: His "sudden fame" at age 33 and the pressure that followed a string of massive Broadway hits like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
• Love and Loss: His exploration of his homosexuality and his 14-year relationship with Frank Merlo, whose death in 1963 triggered a spiral of depression and drug dependence that Williams never fully overcame.

Join us as we examine how the man who claimed theater was the "only thing that saved my life" navigated a career defined by extraordinary critical acclaim and profound personal loneliness.

In this episode of pplpod, we examine the life of Arthur Miller, widely considered one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. From a childhood in Harlem to a family financial collapse during the Wall Street crash of 1929, we trace the origins of the man who redefined the American stage with classics like All My Sons and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Death of a Salesman,.

Join us as we discuss the political firestorm that nearly derailed his career, including his refusal to "name names" before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)—a stance that ended his friendship with director Elia Kazan and inspired his most frequently produced work, The Crucible,,.

We also delve into his highly publicized marriage to film icon Marilyn Monroe, exploring how their relationship unraveled during the filming of The Misfits,. Finally, we look at the complex legacy of his later years, from his leadership at PEN International to the family secrets regarding his institutionalized son, Daniel,.