Why this is a special episode for me

Nabokov's family & childhood

The Russian Revolution, starting in 1917

Nabokov's study years in Cambridge and emigre years in Berlin in the 1920s and 30s

Nabokov's early American years: teaching and butterflies

Nabokov's Russian vs English works, and the problem of translations

Lolita

Pale Fire

Nabokov's writing process

Nabokov's reception

Writing Nabokov's biography: how it started, meeting Nabokov's family, researching and writing, and the responsibility of writing the defining work on someone

Which Nabokov book should new readers read first?

A book or paper more people should read

Something Brian wishes he'd learnt sooner

Advice for PhD students/postdocs

Brian Boyd is a Distinguished Professor in English and Drama at the University of Auckland. We talk mainly about Vladimir Nabokov: Brian wrote the defining biography on Nabokov (in addition to books on more specific aspects about Nabokov), so we discuss Nabokov's life &amp; work, Brian's approachh to writing biographies, with some hints of the new biography Brian is writing about Karl Popper.BJKS Podcast is a podcast about neuroscience, psychology, and anything vaguely related, hosted by Benj...

Buzzsprout

BJKS Podcast

90. Brian Boyd: The life & works of Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita, and writing biographies