Episode 274: Beverly Cleary

Past Present

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the life and legacy of the late children’s author Beverly Cleary.

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Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• At the age of 104, children’s author Beverly Cleary has died. Natalia drew on this Bulwark article about Cleary’s apolitical appeal, and Niki referred to this Atlantic essay and this Vulture piece about her grasp of children’s emotional landscape. Neil and Natalia referred to this New York Times article about her books’ appeal to boys and girls.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia recommended the podcast Stolen: the Search for Jermain.
• Neil discussed Phil Hoad’s Atavist article, “Cat and Mouse.”
• Niki shared Rebecca Onion’s Slate essay, “A Modern Feminist Classic Changed My Life. Was it Actually Garbage?”