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Keep the Aspidistra Flying, first published in 1936, is a socially critical novel by George Orwell. It is set in 1930s London. The main theme is Gordon Comstock’s romantic ambition to defy worship of the money-God and status and the dismal life that results. George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic. His work is characterized by lucid prose, biting social criticism, total opposition to totalitarianism, and outspoken support of democratic socialism. Orwell produced literary criticism and poetry, fiction and polemical journalism. He is known for the allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). His non-fiction works, including The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), documenting his experience of working-class life in the north of England, and Homage to Catalonia (1938), an account of his experiences soldiering for the Republican faction of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), are as critically respected as his essays on politics and literature, language and culture. In 2008, The Times ranked George Orwell second among “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945”. Orwell’s work remains influential in popular culture and in political culture, and the adjective “Orwellian”—describing totalitarian and authoritarian social practices—is part of the English language, like many of his neologisms, such as “Big Brother”, “Thought Police”, “Two Minutes Hate”, “Room 101”, “memory hole”, “Newspeak”, “doublethink”, “unperson”, and “thoughtcrime”, as well as providing direct inspiration for the neologism “groupthink”. 

Katherine Hepburn is not only a beloved movie icon, but one of the early progenitors of the American woman’s movement. Coming from a life of wealth and privilege, she continued her family‘s tradition of zealously guarding the rights of others while becoming one of the the world’s most beloved and original actresses we have known. This is her story in her own words and the words of the people who knew her and loved her. This is a one-of-a-kind audio celebration of an unforgettable American original.

Towards the end of her time, Katherine Hepburn became closer to her extended family dividing time between her New York townhouse and New England estate. She maintained close relationships with friends in Hollywood assisting them when they were in trouble and freely giving the grandmotherly advice, she was famous for. She once commented she was “America’s grandmother”, so beloved was she to people everywhere. In the second part of this homespun look at Hepburn’s life, Kate speaks candidly about her life after Hollywood following the death of her beloved, Spencer Tracey.

Katherine Hepburn was the archetypical, no nonsense, all American independent, Yankee woman, but she was also a movie star. She is remembered here in this touching tribute as a woman who helped redefine what a woman was to be in the coming time and blazed new ground as a riveting, one of a kind, actor’s actor. With exclusive interviews with Kate’s brother, Dr. Robert Hepburn and a host of celebrated Hollywood friends. Featuring a very special interview with Ms. Hepburn’s longtime producer friend and intimate confidant, John Dayton.