Why are they cutting down the trees? In our first guest episode listen in to Anthony, Nathan and Adrian discuss Dr Seuss and one of his whimsical children's stories; The Lorax. A story about hyperconsumerism, environmental consciousness and linguistic playfulness. A discussion and full reading of the story is available in this episode.
Anthony David Vernon is a professor at Miami-Dade College and St. Thomas University whose love of literature was sparked by the words of Dr Seuss. You can learn more about Anthony and his writing at: https://medium.com/@antmanvernon305
Timestamps
00:00-Introduction
08:04-Growing up with different stories
22:11-Reading and Performance of The Lorax
38:32-Discussion of The Lorax
1:02:56-Closing thoughts
We carry on with Chapter 3, addressing how the animals learn language, history as a broken wheel that keeps turning and some background insight from Orwell's 1984.
Timestamps:
00:00-Introduction
06:00-Chapter reading begins
20:08-Discussion of Chapter 3
23:59-Animal Farm in the context of religious fundamentalism
37:18-Political control of language and the workplace
47:39-George Orwell's 1984 and connections to Animal Farm
51:01-Closing thoughts
A continuation of our commentary and reading of George Orwell's Animal Farm
Timestamps
00:00-Introduction
03:00-Chapter 2 begins
10:00-Brief discussion on Chapter 2 so far
15:28-Chapter 2 continues
24:35-Discussion of Chapter 2 - Religion
30:54-Literary analysis of Chapter 2
32:44-Our personal stories growing up reading Animal Farm
47:45-Animal Farm & Political Philosophy
54:38-Closing thoughts
Join Nathan and Adrian as we explore George Orwell's political fable of pigs, horses, dogs, cats, rats and...political rebellion. We explore our own background on reading Animal Farm, George Orwell's authorship and how Animal Farm can be applied to today.
Episode 53 - Animal Farm, Chapter 1
Timestamps:
00:00-Introduction
01:44-Our previous experience with Animal Farm
09:22-Context, George Orwell and compositional history
12:31-Things to know if you are new to Animal Farm
14:07-Chapter 1 of Animal Farm reading
31:26-Political discussion of Chapter 1
47:25-A brief history of Communism
51:22-Literary analysis of Animal Farm & closing thoughts
Episode 52 - On the early history of New Brunswick, Canada - Part 2
00:00-Introduction & first section
02:28-Discussion - St John's River & Miramichi River
06:05: Where and what is St Ann's Point?
08:46:How non-fiction is composed
12:28-Section 2 reading
15:58-The Canadian colonies during wartimes
17:51-The history of Canada & Pacifism
22:02-Finnish, Canadian and British education systems
Join Nathan and Adrian on our first non-fiction episode. We discuss a historical account from 1862, how this affected the Maritime province of New Brunswick, and various ways in which we as audiences read and interpret history.
Timestamps:
00:00-Introduction
02:21-Where is New Brunswick?
08:02-Context before section reading starts
11:10-Section 1 of "...history of New Brunswick"
12:49-Discussion of Section 1
17:32-Section 2
19:32-Discussion of phonetics (pronunciations)
22:20-Canadiana history25:36-Section 3
26:32-Ending discussion
Join Nathan and Adrian as we discuss The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S Eliot. We discuss rhyme, how the poem applies to today and T.S Eliot's approach to composing poems.
00:00-Introduction
03:45-Social anxiety as a theme of the poem
09:45-On learning "etiquette"
11:21-Applying the poem to today's time
18:46-What reading T.S Eliot's poetry feels like
20:36-Our personal approaches to writing poems
25:22-20th Century modernism
29:21-Closing thoughts
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/44212/the-love-song-of-j-alfred-prufrock
Join Adrian and Nathan for the poem reading of The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot. Adrian does a wonderful reading and we continue the discussion of it in the next episode.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/44212/the-love-song-of-j-alfred-prufrock
Join Adrian and Nathan for the third and final portion of our discussion of Book 9 of The Odyssey by Homer, using Alexander Popes translation. We finish our discussion on the land of the cyclops, and the creature as a character.
00:00-Introduction
07:42-Discussion of the Cyclops' scene
12:52-Ending section of Cyclops
Join Adrian and Nathan for the second portion of our discussion of Book 9 of The Odyssey by Homer, using Alexander Popes translation. We discuss the land of the cyclops, the structure of this portion of the Odyssey, and our thoughts on the piece as a whole.
00:00-Introduction
04:50-Story overview and next section
10:12-Literary discussion, scene setting & language
14:40-Homer's Blindness
16:10-Section 3 of Cyclops
20:30-Closing thoughts
Join Adrian and Nathan for the first portion of our discussion of Book 9 of The Odyssey by Homer, using Alexander Popes translation. We discuss the structure of one of the original stories, and discuss how different a performed Odyssey would be from written accounts.
00:00-Introduction
04:04-Book 9 begins
06:41-Discussion of The Odyssey's structure
11:28-Odysseus sailing through storms
15:32-The Lotus Eaters
19:48-How the oral tradition of stories worked
25:11-Closing thoughts
Join Adrian and Nathan as we continue with our final portion of Dune by Frank Herbert. We discuss the dynamics of fatherhood and the means to portray a good villain.
00:00-Introduction
01:05-Dune Part 1 Film Discussion
06:21-Duke Leto & Fatherhood
10:54-Writing villain characters
15:06-Baron Harkonnen's chapter reading begins
Join Adrian and Nathan as we add another portion to our discussion of Dune by Frank Herbert. We discuss the differences between the book and movie, shields, mentors, politics, and prophecy.
00:00-Introduction
02:42-Differences between the novel and the movie
07:35-Princess Irulan
09:05-Dune & Shields
11:09-Dune & Causality
13:25-Gurney Halleck
16:28-The mastery of Frank Herbert
19:18-Dune Chapter reading begins, Duke Leto & Paul
Join Adrian and Nathan as we continue our discussion of Dune by Frank Herbert. We discuss the first reading compared to the movie and continue with Paul's training.
00:00-Introduction
05:00-Dune & Lord of The Rings
17:07-Characters of Dune (Chapter 1)
22:44-Religious references of Dune
25:09-Chapter reading, Paul & Thufir Hawat
45:54-Paul & Gurney Halleck
Join Adrian and Nathan as we discuss Dune by Frank Herbert. We begin by looking at the very first chapter and set the stage for a grand epic adventure.
Timestamps
00:00-Introduction
11:48-Chapter 1 reading begins
20:48-Paul Atriedes' test
33:48-Mythology of the Bene Gesserit
Join Adrian and Nathan as we discuss 4 poems concerning war. We look at the Crimean war, American Civil War, and the First World War. We will be covering:
1. The Charge of the Light Brigade, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
2. The Pride of Battery B, by Frank H. Gassaway.
3. More Cruel than War, by W.S. Hawkins.
4. Dulce et Decorum Est, by Wilfred Owen.
00:00-Introduction
06:15-The Charge of The Light Brigade, by Tennyson
08:52-Poem analysis and discussion
13:30-War and Journalism before WWI
18:21-Literary analysis of Poem 1
24:13-The Pride of Battery B, by Frank H. Gassaway
28:14-Poem analysis and discussion 2
39:11-Literary analysis of Poem 2
40:55-More Cruel Than War, by W.S Hawkins
44:43-Poem analysis and discussion 3
49:12-Literary analysis of Poem 3
53:33-Content Warning: Depictions of violence/gore
54:35-Dulce Et Decorum Est, by Wilfred Owen
58:18-Poem analysis and discussion 4
1:02:06-Literary analysis of Poem 4
1:10:42-The role of poetry in wartime
1:15:44-Closing thoughts
Join Nathan and Adrian as we finish Act 5 of Othello. Continuing the discussions by focusing on Othello and the final moments of his part in Iago's treachery.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1531/1531-h/1531-h.htm
00:00-Introduction
01:04-Othello's solemn speeches
02:53-Othello & Desdemona
07:51-Othello & Emilia
11:48-Iago & others enter the scene
21:08-Othello's final speech
23:34-Discussion section begins
36:20-Our opinions on politics and more
46:15-The politics in Othello applied to today
52:46-Closing thoughts
Join Nathan and Adrian as we carry on into Act 3 of Othello. Continuing the discussions of oppression, poetry v prose, and the differences between our time and Shakespeare's.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1531/1531-h/1531-h.htm
00:00-Introduction
08:24-Our mistakes as men and trying to do better
13:00-Performance of Othello, Act 3, Scene 3
28:31-Discussion of scene start
35:36-Linguistic discussion of Othello's "Farewell" speech
39:30-Rhyming vs non rhyming poetry, free verse and blank verse
42:29-East Cost Canadians; the Maritimes
44:53-The internal linguistic rhythm of Othello's speech
46:59-The downsides of plays when they are poems too
51:43-Nathan being a history nerd
53:05-Today's audiences
54:11-Othello and racial literary criticism
56:16-Closing thoughts
Join Adrian and Nathan as we discuss our upbringings surrounding the holidays. What did we do with our families, and how did we feel about it all? Let's Find out.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Good Will to all.
00:00-Introduction02:00-How did Adrian celebrate the holidays?08:18-How did Nathan celebrate the holidays?12:51-Saying grace at Christmas21:08-If you celebrate the holidays by yourself22:12-Slow cooking a chicken25:41-Incorporating mum’s stare 28:28-Experiencing a campfire for the first time34:16-Tolerance of others in today’s time37:09-Christmas carolling39:18-Mandatory weather report40:27-Christmas family arguments42:20-Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?47:50-Mulled wine at Christmas51:57-The best Christmas presents we got59:40-The spirit of gift-giving1:02:34-Our holiday message from the podcast
Join Nathan and Adrian as we continue with Act 2 and the crux of Iago's plan comes to light. What does he intend to do and why?
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1531/1531-h/1531-h.htm
00:00-Introduction
03:24-Performance section 1
13:00-Shakespeare, prose vs verse
17:45-Performance section 2
26:10-Being "on watch"
30:00-Othello as the general
33:16-Performance section 3
40:32-Discussion: Iago and jealousy
49:03-Closing thoughts
