Hello all, apologies for the delay in releasing this episode! Hannah has been going through some medical issues and has recently had surgery. Hannah also recently passed her PhD Viva and so has been busier than usual. We have more episodes recorded for this season and we will work hard to get these to you much sooner than we did before.
In this episode, we dive in Carl von Clausewitz’s On War to explore its relevance to the 21st century. We are joined by Dr. Henry Brown who has experience in the militarisation of antifacist politics in Interwar Europe. Throughout the episode we examine Clausewitz’s concept of “absolute war” and how this changes in the age of total war, proxy conflicts, and mutually assured destruction. We discuss the gendered language of war, as well as Clausewitz’s life and On War’s history and uses.
Sources and Media
You kind find all source material discussed in the episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cq5NGq7lgrtdkiCZiQMHUQhC9UPxvNWQq56AkFASbEk/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
Join us for a very special interview with Rustam Alexander, author of Red Closet: The Hidden History of Gay Oppression in the USSR. Alexander uncovers an overlooked area of 20th century history, tracing the roots and realities of the lives of queer people in the USSR. We explore how Alexander conducted the archival research for this book, how he felt writing the text, and some of the history discussed in the text.
This is the second collaboration with Manchester University Press, offering you an exclusive discount on this book. This is one of the only texts covering this topic in an easy to read format, and we highly recommend you pick up a copy!
You can find the book here: https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526167453/. Use discount code THEORY30 for 30% off (until the 23rd December 2025).
Sources and Media
You kind find all source material discussed in the episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QdNTQ6KZJ92oGG9R-42TzVUb7Em_WyWH3j6xc_AMquA/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
We’re back from our mid-season break and diving fang-first into the Gothic! In this episode, we sink our teeth into Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (1872), the vampire novella that predates Dracula and oozes with queerness, gothic description, and Victorian sensibilities. Join us as we explore themes of desire, tension, obliviousness, and erotic friendship. Expect vampires, hand holding, and a lot of laughs.
Sources and Media
You kind find all source material discussed in the episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sFIN9vNHxjA9rPLz70uxiYEB-fRd8ceg2Jif9-mImwU/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
A little update on where we've been...
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
This week we’re taking a deep dive into all things witchy by discussing The Malleus Maleficarum (edited by Peter Maxwell-Stuart). Originally written by Heinrich Kramer in the 15th century, this book played a pivotal role in the witch hunts across Europe. Utilizing Maxwell-Stuart's translation and introduction, we explore the Malleus’ origins, impact, and why women are often seen at the center of witch trials.
This episode marks one of the first collaborations of the season with Manchester University Press, offering you an exclusive discount on this text. This edition of the Malleus offers a clear, readable translation and an introduction that lays out the context of late-medieval Europe, a time of spiritual paranoia when powerful men suspected women’s sexuality was a tool of the Devil.
Get your copy here: https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526181473/ and use discount code THEORY30 for 30% off (until the 23rd December 2025).
Sources and Media
You kind find all source material discussed in the episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11MVURJIBg6mMOuf7J-yf7ma4KgbkmowzWuQE66yU3CA/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
In this episode we dive into the world of phenomenology, exploring its rich history and evolution from its roots with Edmund Husserl to its contemporary developments with thinkers like Sara Ahmed. Phenomenology, a complex yet fascinating philosophical movement, focuses on the study of consciousness and experience. Join us as we break down key terms, examine the central ideas and history that have shaped this field, explore the critical counterpoints to phenomenology and explore how phenomenology still holds sway today.
Sources and Media
You kind find all source material discussed in the episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HjtGDBqhV-hLDzX3u1arPm_lYD2O4uCHxxB_bts8E8c/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
In this episode, we dive into Clement Greenberg’s influential 1939 essay ‘Avant-Garde and Kitsch’. We explore and outline the concepts of avant-garde and kitsch, unpack their complex relationship, and examine how Greenberg connects kitsch with totalitarianism. Join us as we unpack these ideas and their continued relevance to the world of art and culture.
Sources and Media
You kind find all source material discussed in the episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/146NNYOs21-5gjgIIiexoDsxdiBXM0SdLNQIYoNFXpas/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email:theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are onTwitter,Instagram andTikTok at theoryish_pod andFacebook at theoryishpod
Music
Welcome to the first theory episode of Season 3! Today we are joined by Matthew Bliss, a PhD researcher based in the History of Art department at the University of Warwick.
The Arcades Project is the dreamlike and fragmentary unfinished project of Walter Benjamin which offers an enormous amount of writing on Paris in the 19th century. In the episode we unpack the architectural structure of arcades, why Benjamin was so fascinated with them, the flâneur before finishing with a discussion of films, books and more that feature strolling about as a theme.
This is our fourth (and possibly final) episode on Walter Benjamin and we really hope you enjoy!
Find out more about Matthew Bliss here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/scapvc/arthistory/research/students/studentresearch/bliss/
Sources and Media
You kind find all source material discussed in the episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WPKpI5Wb1uGc6b9qjEoQgR1A0ZIQDGGbjWX7W5WXk_M/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
We are back (and better than ever!)
Join us as we give some much needed life updates and chat about the upcoming season.
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
Thank you for listening to Season 2 of Theoryish! In this episode we reflect on the season, give life updates, and chat about Season 3.
We will begin preparation for Season 3 soon, and have some really exciting episodes coming your way next year.
Until then, please don’t forgot to subscribe, comment, and rate our podcast 5 stars!
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
In this week’s incredible episode, we got the opportunity to speak to Migueltzinta Solís about his article Embodying the postcolonial perverse: mestizXXX sadomasochist performance methodologies (2021). In this episode we discuss consent, queer and trans methdologies, perversity, creative practice, land relations and more!
Migueltzinta Solís is a trans Chicanx interdisciplinary artist, writer, educator, and Tarot practitioner. A creator of immersive site-specific experiences, his creative practice blends performance, video, installation, painting, and textile. Migueltzinta writes across multiple genres and forms, working towards a counter-institutional poetics of knowledge mobilization. Theme parks, amateur porn, Indigenous futurities, colonial imaginaries, queer materialities, and (un)belonging have been recurring themes. Migueltzinta holds an MFA in Art and a PhD in Cultural, Social and Political Thought from the University of Lethbridge/Iniskim in Treaty 7, traditional Blackfoot territory.
Sources and Media
You kind find all source material discussed in the episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pdAnRjpraEtM_WQDOWfbifk7bmIkeAXiXOSik7CSbIo/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
This week we provide an overview of intersectionality, a concept that gave a name to the ways in which individuals experience intersecting oppressions that combine to create varied modes of discrimination and privilege. This introduction to intersectionality covers the history of the term, Kimberlé Crenshaw's 1989 article, and some of the critiques and issues with applying intersectionality in research and praxis.
Whether you’re new to the concept yourself, or want to offer an introductory source for your students, friends, family and loved ones, this episode offers a comprehensive overview for those who want to understand this important concept.
Sources and Media
You kind find all source material discussed in the episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V2fXLZDqZLfZHXe0W6z4w1tzsWuETVOlJGSREXNjVxc/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
This week, guest Meaghan Allen joins us to discuss Julia Kristeva’s 1980 book Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection. Join us as we discuss abjection, the allure of horror, final girls, the body, and Carol J. Clover’s Men, Women and Chainsaws. Towards the end of the episode, we use abjection to discuss the 1973 film The Exorcist. If you’re interested in horror, this is definitely an episode you don’t want to miss!
Meaghan Allen is a PhD researcher at the University of Manchester interested in the intersections of the medieval and the modern, with a particular focus on violence against women. Her thesis uses blood to investigate the medieval inheritance of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, exploring topics like vampires and the Eucharist, virgin martyrs and horror heroines; blood and the soul.
Sources and Media
You kind find all source material discussed in the episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ugCD-46Dle8mR0E84islIbMEdFyyPWICKqlsloqQmBs/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
We are back from our midseason break with an episode on Sigmund Freud’s 1920 essay Beyond the Pleasure Principle. In this essay Freud challenges some of his preconceived ideas about the pleasure principle through his exploration of the death drive. Join us as we break down Freudian terminology, deepen our understanding of psychoanalysis, and use the death drive to think about the Sopranos and Persona 3.
Sources and Media
You kind find all source material discussed in the episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O1zigSKuhQOB4ezdnqh5cn51EsfqHZAuAF6eyN5saRQ/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
Welcome to our first ‘Introduction To...’ of the season! In this episode we introduce you to Poststructuralism, outline what this concept is, where it came from, and who the poststructuralists are (despite their insistence to the contrary).
Sources and Fan Fiction
You kind find all source material discussed in the episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PrI0L5dW-WKRDbMiNldAmNhATr2ZvjvTj5JUB6S3DAM/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
Join us for our second ever author interview, in which we are joined by J. Daniel Luther and Roshan Johri to discuss Luther’s book Queering Normativity and South Asian Public Culture: Wrong Readings Only (2023). In this episode we discuss how normativity functions, and how difficult it can be to interrogate. We discuss how to find and create a queer archive, or an archive of ‘the normal’. Daniel and Roshan also discuss publishing outside of academia, and academic practices more generally.
J. Daniel Luther is Associate Programme Director at the Rhodes Trust, University of Oxford (UK). They are the co-founder of the international platform and network called ‘Queer’ Asia. They have previously taught at the Department of Gender Studies at LSE (UK) as a LSE fellow in Gender, Film and Media, and at the University of Warwick, and SOAS, University of London. Their doctoral research examined the production and reiteration of gender and sexual norms in South Asian public culture. They are the co-editor of ‘Queer’ Asia: Decolonising and Reimagining Gender and Sexuality (2019).
Roshan Johri is a Masters student in English at the Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence Delhi NCR. Johri helped support with creation of the book through conceptual editing and proof reading.
Sources
You kind find all source material and fan fiction discussed in the episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1esxfCn7tEuDPGyTCZ8JV8FHKmkdToQOyWzbKxhsQBX8/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios
Following on from Part 1, this episode discusses the last three chapters of Eve Kosofsky Sedwick's seminal 1990 text, Epistemology of the closet. Join us as we discuss sentimentality, homosexuality in Renaissance England, and the idea of a closet made of glass.
Sources & Fan Fiction
You can find a list of all the sources and fan fiction discussed in this episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ajTjlyWYI9y6NSMfc5ZCh7ZWrZTiUtHz1gZ4_dLMrgY/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You can get in touch with us via our email: theoryishpodcast@gmail.com
Socials
We are on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at theoryish_pod and Facebook at theoryishpod
Music
Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios