Lend Me Your Ears is a six-part podcast miniseries exploring how Shakespeare’s works have shaped our modern views on politics. Each month, host Isaac Butler will dig into a different Shakespeare play to explore how Shakespeare was responding to his current events, and how they map onto our own. In this first episode, Lend Me Your Ears is looking at one of Shakespeare’s most accessible works: Julius Caesar. Why was the Bard so fascinated with the fall of the Roman Republic? Why do we tend to turn to this play when we worry about society’s future? How have contemporary theater makers reinvented Shakespeare’s version of the story for their audiences, especially in troubled political times? You can subscribe to the rest of the podcast by searching for "Lend Me Your Ears" in your podcast app. Learn more about Lend Me Your Ears at slate.com/shakespeare Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Miller, Alex Barasch, and Gabriel Roth discuss the new novel by Alan Hollinghurst, The Sparsholt Affair, a multigenerational saga about gay life. Following this episode, the Audio Book Club will be going on hiatus. From the hosts and producers of the show, thanks for listening.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Miller, Jacob Brogan, and Charlie Jane Anders discuss Ursula K. Le Guin's classic science fiction novel "The Left Hand of Darkness". Please fill out the Slate podcast survey at slate.com/podcastsurvey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katy Waldman, Parul Sehgal, and Laura Bennett discuss Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado. This episode is Katy's last episode as host of the Audio Book Club, but watch this space for more about the future of the show.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katy Waldman, Parul Seghal, and Meghan O'Rourke discuss Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey by Homer. Next month's book will be Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices