In 1886, the twenty-six-year-old Anton Chekhov was practicing medicine, supporting his family, falling in and out love, writing pieces for newspapers at a furious pace - and gradually becoming one of the greatest short story writers the world has ever seen. In this episode, Jacke talks to Bob Blaisdell, author of Chekhov Becomes Chekhov: The Emergence of a Literary Genius, about the two-year period in which Chekhov went from a virtual unknown to a promising literary star admired by Tolstoy himself. Bob Blaisdell is Professor of English at the City University of New York’s Kingsborough College and the author of Creating Anna Karenina. He is a reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Review of Books, The Christian Science Monitor, and the editor of more than three dozen Dover literature and poetry collections, including a collection of Chekhov's love stores. He lives in New York City. Additional listening suggestions: 150 Chekhov's "The Lady with the Little Dog" "Gooseberries" by Anton Chekhov "Gusev" by Anton Chekhov 63 Chekhov, Bellow, Wright, and Fox (with Charles Baxter) 290 The Seagull by Anton Chekhov 292 Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov 294 Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov 295 The Past, The Future, and Chekhov 299 The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices