This week on pplpod, we examine the life of Anton Chekhov, the Russian physician and author who famously declared that medicine was his "lawful wife" and literature his "mistress". Join us as we trace his journey from a poverty-stricken childhood in Taganrog, where he endured a physically abusive father, to his rise as one of the greatest writers of all time.

We discuss how Chekhov supported his bankrupt family by writing humorous sketches under pseudonyms like "Antosha Chekhonte" while attending medical school. You’ll learn about the turning point when a letter from a celebrated writer struck him "like a thunderbolt," inspiring him to pursue serious literary artistic ambition.

The episode explores his pivot to playwriting, including the initial disastrous premiere of The Seagull and its subsequent triumph with the M ...