What keeps a culture from drifting into amnesia? In this episode, we make the case for the literary canon as one of civilization’s most reliable anchors. From Homer to Shakespeare to Twain—and from Confucius to Achebe—these works carry the collective memory of entire peoples, binding past and present through shared language, moral debate, and enduring stories.

Drawing on David Christian’s Big History and a historian’s eye for shifting reputations, we show how both history and literature are selective memories—what we choose to keep says as much about us as it does about the past. Along the way, we read from The Odyssey, Henry V, and Huckleberry Finn, proving that centuries-old words can still hit with full force today.

It’s a fast-moving, thought-provoking look at why the canon matters, how it changes, and what we lose if we cut it loose.