ARTIDOTE

Dr. John Sellars is a lecturer in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, and is a leading expert in ancient philosophy, with a particular focus on Stoicism. In this interview, we'll be delving into the ancient philosophy of Stoicism, discussing its relevance to modern life, and exploring how we can apply its teachings to our daily lives. We'll also be discussing Sellars's books, "Lessons in Stoicism," "The Art of Living", and his most recent book on Aristotle. All of them provide a practical guide to applying Stoic philosophy in our modern world. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode! You can get John Sellars's book here John's ARTIDOTE page -- GET IN TOUCH WITH ME

Ruth Millington's wonderful book uncovers the hidden figures behind art history's masterpieces. We tend to forget that each great artist, whether from the past or present, has their own unique muse who inspires them, gives them energy and influences their creativity. For Picasso it was Dora Maar; for Rodin it was Camille Claudel; for Frida Kahlo it was her illness. Those muses had a significant impact on the artists we love, but they often get hidden behind the shadows of giants whom they inspired. In this interview, Ruth and I talked about Muses who inspired artists such as Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, Lucian Freud, Tim Walker, and many others. Ruth spent years researching the relationship between artists and their Muses. I asked her to give us some tips about how you and I can mimic great artists so we can connect with our own Muses too. You can get Ruth's book here Ruth's ARTIDOTE page GET IN TOUCH WITH ME

In this episode, Adriana Barton - a journalist and former staff reporter at Canada's national newspaper, The Globe and Mail - tells Vashik Armenikus how we can get reconnected with the healing powers of music. She tells us about the power of music by combining medical studies, discoveries by pioneering neuroscientists, and research from biology and anthropology. She also tells us her personal story of studying cello for nearly two decades, a pursuit she had to leave with physical injuries and emotional scars. And since we are getting very close to the Christmas holidays, I've to say that this book is a perfect gift for a person who's passionate about music. You can get Adriana's book here Adriana's ARTIDOTE page GET IN TOUCH WITH ME

In this episode Vashik Armenikus sits down with philosopher David Fideler, who wrote a brilliant book called Breakfast with Seneca. Seneca was a stoic philosopher who is widely recognised as the most humane writer of the Stoic tradition. He teaches us to live with freedom and purpose. In Breakfast with Seneca , David Fideler explores Seneca's ideas in a series of focused chapters, clearly explaining Seneca's ideas without oversimplifying them. Those chapters can help you to overcome grief; find meaningful friendships; cope with anxiety; and live a truly fulfilling life. Note: This conversation comes in two parts. In the first part we discuss Seneca and Stoic philosophy and in the second part we focus on David's next book on the Renaissance and how we can replicate it in our modern world. The part 2 will be released in a week. You can get David Fideler's book here David's ARTIDOTE page GET IN TOUCH WITH ME

Rumi was a 13th-century Persian poet whose wisdom continues to echo and inspire souls around the world. Every person who has read at least a single line written by Rumi knows that his verse can heal one's heart. We wouldn't have known about Rumi and these mystical powers if not for talented translators like Haleh Liza Gafori. Her recent beautiful translation of Rumi's poetry 'Gold' was published by The New York Review of Books in March 2022. In this episode she told Vashik Armenikus how Rumi can heal our hearts by teaching us the religion that could unite all of us - the religion of Love. You can find more about Haleh, her work and her book recommendation in the link below. Hope you will enjoy listening to this episode! Vashik Armenikus

How to lead a meaningful life? How can we lead a good life and enjoy happiness in a world without a providential God? "In Think Least of Death, Pulitzer Prize–finalist Steven Nadler connects Spinoza's ideas with his life and times to offer a compelling account of how the philosopher can provide a guide to living one's best life." All the show notes

Stalin was an avid and voracious reader. In his recent book, Professor Geoffrey Roberts tells us about the life of Joseph Stalin through the books that the dictator read, collected, annotated, and banned.This book draws an extraordinary vivid portrait of Stalin as an intellectual who could never satiate his curiosity; who ardently believed in ideas; and who believed in mysterious powers of reading. Geoffrey Roberts' profile on ARTIDOTE website Get the Book: Stalin's Library by Geoffrey Roberts Dr. Roberts' Website

This episode's guest is Rachel Corbett, the author of a brilliant book called You Must Change Your Life, which tells the story of the brief and intense relationship between renowned sculptor Auguste Rodin and the poet Rainer Maria Rilke. In 1902, Rainer Maria Rilke was a delicate young visitor from Prague in Paris, he was broke and suffering from writer's block. He was commissioned to write a book on Rodin, who was already a renowned sculptor at the time, this is when everything changes You Must Change Your Life reveals one of the great stories of modern art and literature: Rodin and Rilke's years together as master and disciple, their heartbreaking rift, and moving reconciliation. In her vibrant debut, Rachel Corbett reveals how Rodin's influence lead Rilke to write his most celebrated poems and inspired his beloved Letters to a Young Poet. She captures the dawn of modernism with appearances by Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, Lou Andreas Salome, George Bernard Show and Jean Cocteau. In this interview I also wanted to ask Rachel about how Rodin and Rilke changed HER life, how she discovered them, and what are her favourite poems by Rilke and her favourite sculptures by Rodin. I know this might sound cliche, but When I was reading this book I was getting a strong feeling as if I am reading the script for the second part of Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel. Get the Book: You Must Change Your Life by Rachel Corbett Follow Rachel on Twitter

Exercise is our modern obsession. The way we choose to exercise can tell us so much about our culture, our ambition or our mindset. Ancient Greeks, for example, used to discuss philosophy at their gyms and believed that the intelligence of the mind needs to be in equilibrium with the fitness of the body. In this wonderful book, ‘Sweat: A History of Exercise', Bill Hayes explores the different ways in which we have approached exercise throughout history. Hayes connects his own experience to the cultural and scientific history of exercise, from ancient times to the present day. GET 'SWEAT: A History of Exercise' BILL HAYES' RECOMMENDED BOOKS HERE

In our age of immediacy John Ruskin's ideas remain important more than ever. He can teach us how to see beauty, how to gain control over attention span and how to genuinely care about nature. He was a visionary who predicted many of the challenges we are facing today, such as climate change and culture of distraction. Through his writings we can learn how to become better and live in harmony with the word. In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Suzanne Fagence Cooper, who wrote a brilliant biography of Ruskin. It is a wonderful introduction to his work for those, who like me, did not know where to start reading his works. What would Ruskin think of modern architecture? What would be his advice to us on how to live a meaningful life? These are just two of many questions I asked Dr. Fagence Cooper in this episode.

In this interview Ruth Scurr tells me about Napoleon's relationship with gardens throughout his life. Napoleon was interested in botany and tending gardens satisfied his inherent scientific curiosity. However, Napoleon also viewed gardens as a space for reflection and where he could have deep philosophical conversations with his peers. Paul Valéry wrote that it ‘is a pity to see a mind as Napoleon's devoted to trivial things such as empires, historic events, the thundering cannons In that quote Valéry essentially asks us: What path would Napoleon choose if he decided not to become a military genius? This is a question, that I believe, Dr. Ruth Scurr explores in her brilliant book Napoleon: A life in Gardens and Shadows

Hiking with Nietzsche is a tale of two philosophical journeys in the Swiss Alps: one made by John Kaag as an introspective teenager, the other seventeen years later in radically different circumstances - as a husband and father with his wife and small child in tow.  Kaag travels to the peaks above Sils Maria where Nietzsche routinely summered, and where he wrote his mysterious landmark work, Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Both trips are made in search of the wisdom at the core of Nietzsche's philosophy, yet they bring Kaag to radically different revelations about the human condition. Entertaining, intimate and thought-provoking, Hiking with Nietzsche explores not only Nietzsche's ideals but how his philosophy relates to us in the 21st century. (From the back of the book) I was often asked 'Where to start reading Nietzsche?'. It is a hard question to answer, because each person has "their own" Nietzsche. Professor Kaag spent decades of his life studying and teaching philosophy of the famous philosopher. I believe his book is a perfect introduction to Nietzsche, because it combines three key elements: first of all it tells about N's key ideas; secondly it tells about the philosopher's hard life; and then it applies N's ideas to our own time, making it more tangible and applicable to us.

This is a story about Florentine manuscript hunters. A group of people who travelled across Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries in search of lost ancient works on philosophy and literature. At the centre of this story is a man who is often referred to as ‘Michelangelo of bookselling'. His name is Vespasiano da Bisticci. The most powerful figures across Europe came to him when they needed to find lost or rare editions of Aristotle, Plato, Quintilian or Cicero. In this episode Vashik Armenikus speaks to Ross King, the author of a brilliant book ‘The Bookseller of Florence' which illuminates the stories behind some of the greatest intellectuals who became manuscript hunters in Renaissance Italy. Ross King's profile: https://artidote.uk/episodes/ross-king Subscribe to my newsletter for books like this: http://eepurl.com/he7YKD Get Audible Trial: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=artidote-21

In this interview the Italian pianist Federico Albanese tells about his inspirations from writers such as Virginia Woolf to film-makers like Terrence Malick. He also tells about his latest collaborative EP with Tara Nome Doyle. You can find Federico's EP and all the references of the episode here: https://artidote.uk/episodes/federico-albanese You can listen to EP on our playlist on Spotify. Subscribe to my newsletter for more on classical music: http://eepurl.com/he7YKD Get Audible Trial: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=artidote-21 This episode was mastered by Ilia Rogatchevski. You can find his other work here. Instagram

Everyone perceives Japan in their own unique way. Everyone ‘invents' their own Japan as Oscar Wilde said in his essay ‘The Decay of Lying'. In this episode Matt Alt - the author of a brilliant book ‘Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World' - tells the story behind the unique products such as anime, manga, video games or karaoke. Matt lives in Tokyo since 2003 and runs a localization company with his wife Hiroko Yoda, which produces the English-language versions of popular Japanese video games, comic books, and other forms of entertainment. Subscribe to my newsletter for books like this: http://eepurl.com/he7YKD Matt Alt's profile: https://artidote.uk/episodes/matt-alt Get Audible Trial: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=artidote-21 This episode was mastered by Ilia Rogatchevski. You can find his other work here.

In this interview Vashik Armenikus speaks to Professor Nicholas McDowell, the author of a recent biography of the poet John Milton. In his groundbreaking biography, Prof. McDowell explores the formative years of John Milton and what led to the creation of the greatest narrative poem in English language - Paradise Lost. Subscribe to my newsletter for more: http://eepurl.com/he7YKD Professor McDowell's profile: https://artidote.uk/episodes/nicholas-mcdowell Get Audible Trial: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=artidote-21 This episode was mastered by Ilia Rogatchevski. You can find his other work here.

In the 7th episode of the ARTIDOTE podcast, Vashik Armenikus speaks with the Austrian photographer Stefan Draschan. Stefan is an award winning photographer and author of the ‘Reflections on Art' photography series. In this interview he talks about his journey to becoming photographer after first working as a music journalist. He also shares his favourite masterpieces of cinematography, fine art and literature. Subscribe to my newsletter for more: http://eepurl.com/he7YKD Stefans's profile: https://artidote.uk/episodes/stefan-draschan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stefandraschan/ Get Audible Trial: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=artidote-21 This episode was mastered by Ilia Rogatchevski. You can find his other work here.

In October 2018, I attended a concert by a German pianist Martin Kohlstedt held here in London. It was one of the most atmospheric concerts that I can remember in my life. In this interview Martin told me about his hometown, about the role that subconscious plays in creation of his music and about his connection with trees and why he calls himself 'a child of the forest'. Subscribe to my newsletter for more: http://eepurl.com/he7YKD Martin's profile: https://artidote.uk/episodes/martinkohlstedt website: https://martinkohlstedt.com/ Get Audible Trial: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=artidote-21

I wanted to meet the award-winning street artist Alice Pasquini since 2015, that was when I accidentally stumbled upon her work on Brick Lane in London. I instantly fell in love with her art. In this episode, she told me about her journey to becoming street-artist. She told me about the most dangerous countries in the world to be a street artist; we talked about what influences her and what is it like to be a woman in street art. Enjoy listening, Vashik Armenikus. Subscribe to my newsletter for more: http://eepurl.com/he7YKD Alice's profile: https://artidote.uk/episodes/alicepasquini website: https://www.alicepasquini.com/ Get Audible Trial: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=artidote-21

Donald Robertson is a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist and author of a great book called How to Think Like a Roman Emperor. In this episode he tells Vashik Armenikus about different techniques that Marcus Aurelius - the Roman Emperor and the author of Meditations - used to cope with stress, anger and anxiety. He also shared his practical experience of how he applied various strategies used by the Stoics in his practice with patients. Donald's profile: https://artidote.uk/episodes/donaldrobertson website: https://donaldrobertson.name/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSbmM0eiqFkNOaszMIdr6hw Get Audible Trial: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=artidote-21 Join our book club: http://eepurl.com/he7YKD

Vashik Armenikus invites Steven Gambardella - one of the top writers on philosophy on Medium to discuss modern Stoicism, ideas of Nietzsche and how fine art and classical music have the same healing effects on our mental health as philosophy. Stevens's page: https://artidote.uk/episodes/steven-gambardella                 Medium: https://stevengambardella.medium.com/ Get Free-trial on Audible: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=artidote-21 Get book recs: http://eepurl.com/he7YKD

If you're looking where to start listening classical music, this is a place. Professor Laura Tunbridge reveals the personality of Beethoven through the composer's nine masterpieces. However, if you're already familiar with Beethoven, Laura's research will reveal a side of Beethoven you might not have heard before. Laura's page: https://artidote.uk/episodes/laura-tunbridge Twitter: https://twitter.com/LTunbridge Get Audible Free Trial: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=artidote-21 Book Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/he7YKD

Can one learn a new language using modern apps? How does language learning influence our thinking? Vashik Armenikus asks these and many other questions on language learning to Gaston Dorren - the author of 'Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages' and 'Lingo: A language spotter's guide to Europe'. Gaston's profile: https://artidote.uk/episodes/gaston-dorren Twitter: https://twitter.com/languagewriter Website: https://languagewriter.com/ Get Audible Trial: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=artidote-21 Get more book recs: http://eepurl.com/he7YKD