Listen to the Morgan's podcast series of readings from the exhibition The Diary: Three Centuries of Private Lives. Actors Paul Hecht and Barbara Feldon read selections from the diaries on view.
The podcast series will be updated during the exhibition.
Or copy and paste the following URL into any other podcasting tool to subscribe:
Writing The Grapes of Wrath: John Steinbeck (1902–1968). As he composed what he hoped would be one of America's great novels, John Steinbeck kept a daily diary of his writing progress. Struggling through self-doubt and everyday distractions, he finally produced The Grapes of Wrath.
Sex, Drugs, and Ennui: Tennessee Williams (1911–1983). At the height of his literary success, dramatist Tennessee Williams was full of anxiety and dependent on drugs and alcohol. His diary revealed his inner anguish.
Wedding Day: Charles Seliger (1926–2009). In 1975, on the day he married Lenore Klebanow, American painter Charles Seliger began writing in a fresh notebook to mark his life's renewal.
Boating with Thoreau: Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864). After Henry Thoreau came to dinner one day in 1842, novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne described the unusual young man who seemed to live in perfect accord with nature
At Home in the World: Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862). One chilly summer day in 1851, Henry Thoreau took a walk, listened to the wind and the birds, and reflected on his place in the world.
New Motherhood: Sophia Hawthorne (1809–1871). Full of joy and wonder, Sophia Hawthorne charted her daughter's first year of life, from her newborn cries to her first unsteady steps.
Diary of a Marriage: Sophia (1809–1871) and Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864). Newlyweds Sophia Peabody and Nathaniel Hawthorne kept a diary together, making a joint record of intimate life in their new home.
Dear Diary, Dear Beloved: Frances Eliza Grenfell (1814–1891). Forbidden to correspond with Charles Kingsley, the man she adored, Fanny Grenfell kept a diary in the form of unsent love letters.
Pride and Piracy: Bartholomew Sharpe (ca. 1650–1690). As he terrorized Spanish towns and ships in the Americas, English pirate Bartholomew Sharpe kept a diary of his voyage and his exploits.
Final Years of a Full Life: Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832). With life's cares weighing him down and yet another novel to finish, Sir Walter Scott turned to his diary—and his nightly whisky and cigar—to get him through difficult days.
A Dark and Stormy Night: Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855). Fed up with teaching young girls their lessons, future novelist Charlotte Brontë began a diary entry that grew into a fictional fantasy.
Soldiers' Missionary: Walt Whitman (1819–1892). During the American Civil War, the poet Walt Whitman visited army hospitals, listened to soldiers' stories, and expressed the pain of a wounded nation.
The programs of The Morgan Library & Museum are made possible with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
