Celebrate Poe

Send us a textToni Morrison shows us that literature can be both beautiful and necessary. That stories, especially the hard ones, can teach us how to see, how to remember, and maybe even how to heal.Morrison's importance stems from several key aspects of her work:Her novels powerfully explore the complexities of Black life in America, often focusing on the perspectives of Black women and girls. She intentionally did not center the "white gaze" in her writing, instead creating a "canon of black work" that spoke directly to Black audiences.Now let me take a detour and deal with the concept of a “white gaze” in an individuals writing. The "white gaze" in literature refers to the unconscious assumption that the default reader is white. This forces authors of color to constantly consider how their work will be perceived by a white audience. This can lead to over-explanation, where authors feel the need to explain cultural nuances, historical context, or even everyday customs of their communities. Characters and situations may be simplified to fit preconceived notions of a white readership - in other words stereotyping. Writers may avoid certain topics or narrative choices for fear of alienating, confusing, or being judged by a white audience - also known as self censorship.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a text"Before Narnia ever existed, C.S. Lewis had a secret weapon: a band of Oxford friends who argued, challenged, and inspired him—the Inklings."Think C.S. Lewis wrote The Chronicles of Narnia all by himself? Think again. Lewis was part of the Inklings, a group of Oxford professors, writers, and thinkers who met to read aloud, debate, and challenge one another.When we think of CS Lewis today, we often picture The Chronicles of Narnia, or his rational, graceful Christian apologetics. But to really understand him, we need to see him inside a unique circle of writers and thinkers: the Inklings—a group that met in Oxford in the 1930s and '40s to read aloud, critique, and sometimes spar over each other's works.In fact, I was aware that C.S. Lewis was an extremely influential modern writer when I began this episode and intended to write it just about Lewis, but came to quickly realize that he was only a part of the “creative puzzle.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a text=Eugene O'Neill's development as a playwright was deeply rooted in his turbulent personal life and a deliberate rejection of the popular theater of his time. He evolved from a young man adrift to become a revolutionary force in American drama.O'Neill's upbringing was steeped in theater, but not in a way that he admired. His father, James O'Neill, was a successful actor known for a single, melodramatic role - that of playing Edmond Dantès in a stage adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's novel, The Count of Monte Cristo.James O'Neill first performed the role of Dantès in 1883 and it became his career-defining part. While it brought him immense financial success, he felt trapped by it, as audiences only wanted to see him in that role. This frustration over his squandered artistic talent became a central theme in Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical play, Long Day's Journey Into Night, where the father figure, James Tyrone, is a famous actor who regrets giving up classic roles for a lucrative, but repetitive part.Eugene O'Neill grew up on the road, traveling with his father and witnessing firsthand the "ranting, artificial" nature of the American stage, which he grew to despise. He wanted to create something more profound and truthful.He lived a restless and often desperate life, working as a sailor, a prospector, and a journalist. These experiences exposed him to the harsh realities of life and the people on the fringes of society—sailors, derelicts, and prostitutes—characters who would become central to his works.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textThe subject of today's podcast, Oscar Wilde is extremely important because of his efforts in making wit an art form. His plays — such as The Importance of Being Earnest — are still laugh-out-loud funny more than a century later, which almost no other Victorian writer can claim. He exposed the hypocrisy and absurdity of his society with dazzling one-liners that still feel sharp in our own age of image-making and social performance.But beyond the jokes, Wilde's life gives him lasting weight. He lived boldly, at enormous personal risk, in an era when his sexuality was criminalized. His downfall — from London celebrity to prison — makes his art feel all the more courageous.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textLeo Tolstoy is Russia's other literary giant — a master of epic storytelling, moral inquiry, and psychological insight. His genius lies in observing the human soul with relentless curiosity, asking the questions every creative mind wrestles with: How do we live well? How do we understand ourselves and others? In Tolstoy, as in Dostoyevsky, we see that the tension between human desire, conscience, and society fuels some of the most enduring art ever written.""Imagine a man who could stage a battlefield in words… then lecture his kids on morality like a drill sergeant. That's Leo Tolstoy — genius, eccentric, and totally obsessed with the human soul. Come meet the Russian titan who made storytelling feel like an epic adventure and a moral debate at the same time.”"He wrote battles you can feel and love affairs you can't forget. Leo Tolstoy was a genius storyteller, a relentless moral thinker, and a man whose life was as epic as his novels. Join me as we dive into the world of Russia's literary titan — his triumphs, his crises, and the creativity that made him unforgettable."Leo Tolstoy was a genius storyteller who lived through enormous personal and societal change. “Imagine a man who could write war scenes so vivid they feel like battle — and domestic life so intimate you feel you're eavesdropping. That's Leo Tolstoy.”Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textIn the previous episode, we walked with Walt Whitman down the open roads of America, hearing the chorus of ordinary lives. Now we cross continents and step into the narrow corridors of the human soul with Fedor Dostoevsky—where freedom and conscience wrestle in shadows. Whitman's poetry celebrated the sweep of America, the chorus of countless lives, and the boundless possibilities of freedom. Across the ocean and slightly later in time, Dostoevsky turned his gaze inward, exploring the shadowed recesses of the human heart. Whereas Whitman's lines embraced the world, Dostoevsky's narratives probe the tensions, doubts, and moral struggles that define our inner lives. In moving from Whitman to Dostoevsky, we travel from the expansive optimism of a young nation to the intense psychological and ethical landscapes of nineteenth-century Russia—a shift that reminds us just how varied, yet universally human, the work of great writers can be.Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821–1881) is one of the towering figures of 19th-century literature and is often credited with deeply influencing modern psychological fiction. Born in Moscow into a middle-class family, he faced hardship early: his mother died when he was young, and his father was reportedly a strict and harsh figure. Dostoyevsky originally trained as an engineer, but his passion for literature led him to the literary scene in St. Petersburg.His life was marked by intense personal struggle. He was arrested in 1849 for involvement in a group promoting liberal ideas and was sentenced to death— On December 22, 1849, Fyodor Dostoyevsky stood on a frozen parade ground in St. Petersburg. He and his fellow prisoners were blindfolded, tied to stakes, and told they had only moments left to live. The firing squad raise  d their rifles. - the prisoners realized they only had a few seconds to live …And then—at the very last instant—the sentence was commuted. Death was postponed and his sentence was commuted at the last moment to imprisonment in a Siberian labor camp.  Life returned, with an almost unbearable intensity.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWalt Whitman's writing helped to capture and define the spirit of the growing United States during the challenging 1800s. He had a bold and unusual way of writing that created a new artistic style for America. Whitman's importance comes from three big changes that he led: a new way of writing poetry, a new way of thinking about democracy, and a new influence on American art.   Whitman called himself "an American, one of the roughs, a Kosmos,”  and he carefully created this public image, which matched the bold and rebellious style of his writing. He presented himself as a "rough working man,” and this wasn't just a part of his life story. It was a key part of his art. It showed he was rejecting the old European rules for poetry to create a new, truly American style.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWithin the past few days, this podcast has dealt with Victor Hugo, Jonathan Swift, and Edgar Allan Poe - all these individuals were giants who challenged the status quo, but in vastly different ways. Today I would like to add Henry David Thoreau to the mix for a hopefully a compelling contrast. He's often misunderstood, just like Poe, but his rebellion was one of quiet solitude rather than gothic excess or satirical fury.Now when you think of a revolutionary, what comes to mind? A furious orator on a soapbox, a satirist wielding a pen like a sword, or a poet railing against the universe? We've talked about all of them: Jonathan Swift and his biting satire, Victor Hugo and his grand, sweeping social protests, and Edgar Allan Poe, the ultimate rebel of the interior self.But what about the man who rebelled by simply walking away?Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textFirst you might ask - why should I read Victor Hugo.  Well I'm glad you asked.  You see, Reading Victor Hugo is an immersive and profound experience.  But before we deal into Les Miserables, I want to say a little bit about his earlier novels.You see, before his masterwork Les Misérables (1862), Victor Hugo wrote several other significant works, including novels, plays, and poetry. Two of his most important earlier novels are The Last Day of a Condemned Man (1829) and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831). These works were crucial for his development as a writer and established the themes that he would later fully realize in Les Misérables.The Last Day of a Condemned Man (1829)This short but powerful novel is told entirely from the perspective of a man awaiting execution by the guillotine. It is a raw and unflinching look at the psychological torment of a person facing death. Hugo doesn't reveal the man's name or his crime, forcing the reader to focus on his humanity rather than his guilt. Abolition of the Death Penalty: The novel is a direct and passionate plea for the abolition of capital punishment. Hugo uses the condemned man's thoughts and fears to expose the brutality and inhumanity of the state-sanctioned killing. This was a core moral conviction for Hugo and became a lifelong crusade. This work is considered a precursor to the social consciousness of Les Misérables. It shows Hugo's early commitment to using literature to champion the cause of the oppressed and challenge a justice system he viewed as flawed. The book's central argument—that the act of killing a human being is fundamentally wrong, regardless of the crime—is a theme he would revisit.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textI can't believe it, but we are halfway through the list of writers.   I have at least 13 of the 25 writers on the list finished - and today is Charles Dickens.Now, Charles Dickens was a brilliant storyteller, a powerful voice for social justice, and a master of crafting unforgettable characters.You could say that Charles Dickens was The Voice of the Common Person.Dickens used his novels to expose the harsh realities of Victorian England, particularly for the poor and working class. His own childhood, which included a stint in a blacking factory after his father was imprisoned for debt, gave him a unique and empathetic perspective. He wrote about the brutal conditions in workhouses, the exploitation of child labor, and the hypocrisy of the justice system. Through his writing, he gave a voice to those who had none, forcing the public to confront the social injustices of their time. For example, in Oliver Twist, he vividly depicted the squalor of London's slums and the plight of orphaned children. His work was so effective it led to real-world social reforms.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textImagine this: William Wordsworth, in the early 1800s, walking the hills of England's Lake District. He stops to watch a field of daffodils swaying in the breeze, and suddenly, the moment becomes eternal. For Wordsworth, nature is not just scenery — it is a teacher, a healer, even a kind of companion. The world outside reflects the life within.  And it's reflective moments like these that remind us: literature is never written in isolation… it's a conversation that stretches across centuries. Wordsworth's vision would echo far beyond his own time.” For Wordsworth, nature is not just scenery — it is a teacher, a healer, even a companion. The world outside reflects the life within.Now, shift forward a century. Robert Frost, in rural New England, standing at a fork in a snowy path. His tone is different. Nature is still the stage, but here it is a testing ground. The woods are ‘lovely, dark and deep,' but they are also a reminder of choices, obligations, even mortality. But Frost's world carried a sharper edge. If Wordsworth saw nature as a gentle teacher, Frost often saw it as a mirror of human struggle — full of choices, boundaries, and unanswered questions. Where Wordsworth sought transcendence, Frost leaned into ambiguity. Yet both, in their own ways, turned the soil of everyday life into poetry that still speaks to us today.What ties these two poets together? Both reject lofty, artificial language. They wanted poetry in the voice of ordinary people — the farmer, the shepherd, the walker on a country road. Both believed that truth could be found in the quietest moments: a walk by a river, a stone wall between neighbors, a road not taken.But here's the tension. Wordsworth looks at nature and sees transcendence — a spiritual renewal. Frost looks at the same natural world and sees ambiguity, sometimes even danger. And yet, together, they teach us how a flower, or a snowfall, or even the silence of the woods can become a doorway to the deepest truths about human life.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWhat if I told you one of the most famous writers in history calmly suggested… eating babies?Here's the situation: You're sitting down with a brand-new pamphlet in Dublin, 1729. The author, Jonathan Swift, is proposing a solution to poverty in Ireland. And here's the solution: the Irish poor should sell their babies as food to the wealthy.Yes, you heard that right. Children — on the dinner plate.Swift wrote, “I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children.” As well as I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textNow, Daniel Defoe, the author of Robinson Crusoe, was a prolific and multi-talented English writer, journalist, and spy, whose life was as adventurous as his most famous characters. Born Daniel Foe around 1660 in London to a family of Dissenters (Protestants who did not conform to the Church of England), he later added the aristocratic-sounding "De" to his name.Defoe's early career was far from literary. He was a merchant, dealing in a wide range of goods from hosiery to wine. His business ventures were often precarious, and he experienced several bankruptcies, which gave him a firsthand understanding of economic and social struggles. This period also saw him participate in the failed Monmouth Rebellion in 1685, a political uprising against King James II, which he narrowly escaped punishment for. Later, he became a close ally of King William III and worked as a government agent and spy, particularly during the lead-up to the 1707 Act of Union between England and Scotland.  So you have Daniel Defoe going from jail to literary fame.Defoe's outspoken political pamphlets frequently landed him in hot water. In 1703, he was arrested and sentenced to the pillory for publishing a satirical pamphlet titled The Shortest-Way with the Dissenters, which ironically mimicked the extreme views of those who wanted to persecute his own religious group. While in prison, he wrote "Hymn to the Pillory," a poem that mocked his punishment and gained him public sympathy. After his release, he began his career as a professional writer and journalist, founding and almost single-handedly writing a periodical called The Review for nine years.Although he wrote hundreds of works on various topics—from politics and economics to crime and history—Defoe is best known today as one of the founders of the English novel. At the age of nearly 60, he published Robinson Crusoe (1719), which was an immediate sensation. Drawing on the real-life story of castaway Alexander Selkirk, Defoe's novel used a detailed, realistic narrative style that helped define a new g his goal was to expose their hypocrisy and bigotry by taking their arguments to the most absurd and logical conclusion that the only   enre of fiction. He followed this success with other major works, including Moll Flanders and A Journal of the Plague Year (both 1722). His ability to create compelling, believable characters and stories from the perspective of ordinary, often marginalized, people cemented his place in literary history.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a text"Darkness visible — a phrase that captures the paradox of John Milton's life: eventual blindness in body, yet vision without bounds in the mind.”"Imagine a world gone dark — yet in that darkness, a man named John Milton could see more clearly than anyone else."John Milton grew up with privilege, expectation, and a mind hungry for knowledge. His father, a scrivener, provided tutors, music lessons, and an education that would prepare him for greatness. From an early age, Milton believed he was destined for immortality.Yet life would test him. He faced political upheaval, personal loss, and eventually, blindness. By the early 1650s, at just forty-three, Milton could no longer see.Blindness for Milton was more than a physical loss; it demanded dependence on others and challenged his sense of independence. And yet, in that darkness, he created some of the greatest works in English literature.From the epic grandeur of Paradise Lost to the quiet triumph of Paradise Regained, Milton's inner vision never dimmed. And in this episode, we'll also explore how his phrase “darkness visible” has echoed across centuries, influencing writers and poets long after his time.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWell here no I don't wanna do this I don't wanna do this because when I start doing stuff like this screw up so I'm just showing you I've got a belt a few hundred more to hit how are your running since you changed your topic much much higher there's no comparisonSupport the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 458 - The Greatest of Them All, Part Two“In Episode 1, we followed Shakespeare from Stratford-upon-Avon to the bustling streets and theatres of London, watching him experiment with history, tragedy, and love. But the story doesn't stop there. From these early works, Shakespeare climbed higher, perfecting his craft and tackling the deepest questions of humanity.Take Hamlet, for instance. Here is a prince torn between revenge, morality, and his own inaction. With the simple, yet profound, words ‘To be, or not to be…,' Shakespeare captures a question that has haunted humans for centuries: what does it mean to act, and what does it mean to live? In King Lear, he explores family, power, and madness, peeling back the layers of human pride and vulnerability. In Othello, we watch jealousy and manipulation destroy trust, while Macbeth examines ambition, guilt, and the blurred lines between fate and choice. In each play, characters are no longer symbols or types—they are fully human, with thoughts, fears, and contradictions that mirror our own.That's like a musician dropping three platinum albums in twelve months. Shakespeare wasn't just producing — he was redefining what theater could be.This is the run that still leaves critics gasping: the great tragedies. Between about 1600 and 1608, he wrote Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. It's the Shakespeare equivalent of The Beatles going from Help! to Sgt. Pepper in a handful of years.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a text The Greatest of Them All - Part 1Now when I first decided to have a series of podcast episodes dealing with what I believe are the 25 most influential writers, it seemed easiest and most effective to have one episode for each writer. But I soon found that William Shakespeare easily deserved several episodes - so I'm going to devote two episodes to Shakespeare because of his importance to the English language and creativity -still fully realizing that's not enough.Anyway, If you visit Stratford-upon-Avon today, the first thing you'll hear is that William Shakespeare was born in 1564. We don't actually know the exact day, but we do know he was baptized on April 26th at Holy Trinity Church. Since baptisms usually happened a few days after birth, tradition has settled on April 23rd — St. George's Day — as Shakespeare's birthday. A fitting coincidence, since St. George is England's patron saint and Shakespeare would become its greatest poet.He was the son of John Shakespeare, a glove maker and part-time wool dealer who rose to become an alderman in the town, and Mary Arden, who came from a well-off farming family. That gave young Will a household connected both to trade and to old Warwickshire landowners.Like many boys of his station, he probably attended the King's New School in Stratford. The curriculum would have been heavy on Latin, rhetoric, and the classics. Day after day, he would have been drilled in the works of Ovid, Seneca, and Plautus. Later, echoes of those schoolroom authors would resurface in his plays — Pyramus and Thisbe in A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Roman senators in Julius Caesar.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Chaucer -Not Just PaperworkBefore Shakespeare, before Austen…even before Milton, there was Jeffrey Chaucer. Boldly writing in English when most of the literary world preferred Latin or French. Imagine that audacity!"Cue pause: 1 second, let the audience absorb “audacity.”“The English language just wasn't considered worthy of literature, and here was, Jeffrey Chaucer giving the English language -  life, color, and humor.”Fireflies harp"Chaucer didn't just write stories—he invented a whole way of telling them. And the people he created? Funny, scandalous, and strangely familiar. Some things really don't change.""So, Chaucer wasn't just funny—he was innovative. Let's talk about his life and how he took English from everyday speech to literary gold.”Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

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Send us a textToday I'd like to talk about a unique individual from the New Testament first known as Saul, and after his conversion, was known as PaulBased on what we know, Paul's voice and style can best be described as urgent, argumentative, and full of rhetorical questions and paradoxes. Compared to Moses and David, he's much less about stories and much more about persuasion.Genres he influenced: his letters basically create Christian epistolary literature, setting a pattern that has influenced writers from Augustine to Kierkegaard.  ats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a text“Hello, friends, and welcome to Celebrate Creativity! My name is George Bartley, and today we turn to one of the most influential writers of the ancient world — David, the poet-king.David is certainly famous as a king of Israel, but, as I am sure you most of you know, he is also remembered as a prolific writer of Psalms — songs and poems that explore the full range of human emotion and our relationship with the divine. Unlike Moses, whose writings often focus on law and history, David's work is intensely personal, lyrical, and designed to be felt as much as read.Before we dive into some of his most memorable Psalms, a quick clarification: you may have heard of the Song of Solomon. While it is part of the Hebrew Bible, it is traditionally attributed to Solomon, not David. David's contribution lies in his Psalms, which became a template for lyrical, devotional, and confessional poetry for generations.”I am sure that you are familiar with Psalm 23 - one of his most famous worksThe Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a text“Hello, friends, and welcome to Celebrate Creativity! My name is George Bartley, and today we begin an extraordinary journey into one of the most influential storytellers in human history — Moses.Most listeners know the creation story, but did you know that tradition credits Moses as its author? That's right — the words ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth' and all that follows in Genesis are part of what Moses transmitted to the world. Before we go any further, I want to emphasize that this podcast series called Voices Through Time is not a series whose purpose is to convert you to a certain belief, but an exploration of some of the greatest and most interesting writers who have ever lived. Now let's take a moment to hear that story.”Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - My name is George Bartley, and this is Episode 451 - only 49 more episodes to go until this podcast reaches 500 - anyway,What you're hearing is not a full length episode - I'm close to going over my limit. But I want to let you know about an exciting series that will be released September 6 at 12 o'clock midnight ESTI'm launching a new series called "Voices Through Time," where I will explore the lives and works of some of the most influential writers in history. This isn't just about reading books; it's about understanding the people behind them and how their words have shaped our world.After hundreds of hours of work, I have written the transcripts for all but three more writers to cover in the series.  My original goal was to compile an admittedly subjective list of the top 25 most creative and influential writers and do an episode regarding each writer - in future months, I plan to have episodes devoted to the most creative and influential painters, religious leaders, classical musicians, popular artists, among others - but for the month of September, the episodes will deal with some of the greats of literature - from familiar writers to ones that might be completely new to youWe begin on September 6 with Moses — not often thought of as a writer, but his words still shape laws, stories, and the moral imagination thousands of years later.  By the way, if you have ever read the words - and who hasn't - in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth - you are reading words written by Moses.  Most scholars believe that Moses wrote the creation story.  In fact, it is generally agreed that Moses wrote the book of Genesis. But I digress.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity- Episode 450 - Poe's Words of HopeWhen you hear the name of the 19th century writer, Edgar Allan Poe, what comes to mind?  Perhaps you picture a somber, extremely unhappy man scribbling tales of madness and murder in a dimly lit room.In this episode, originally written for the voices through time series, we look at a different - even life affirming aspect of Poe.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textThe final individual in this podcast miniseries about great literary figures who had a form of epilepsy deals with Truman Capote, and while he is listed among famous writers who had epilepsy, there's no indication that he depicted characters with epilepsy or seizures in his fictional works. As I hope you know by now, writers such as Fyodor Dostoevsky, for example, are known to have integrated their experience with epilepsy into their characters and narratives. However, for Capote, the information primarily points to his personal health struggles, not literary creations.Regarding the role of seizures/epilepsy in his later life, it's a significant and unfortunately tragic part of his story. Truman Capote suffered from seizures, and this health issue was compounded by his severe struggles with alcohol and drug abuse.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 448 - Queen of CrimeWe have talked in this podcast about such great writers as Dostoyevsky and Flaubert, but so far I've left out the most popular writer of them all and that is Agatha Christie.Only the Bible and Shakespeare have sold more copies that Agatha Christie - she is often mentioned alongside great writers who have had epileptic seizures, but her case is a bit more ambiguous than Dostoevsky or Flaubert.  In this episode, I'd like to lay out what scholars and biographers have pieced together about her health, and how possible seizures might have shaped her writing and life.Now I know that some of you younger listeners might know mysteries or even Knives Out, but not realize how much all of that traces back to Agatha Christie. Let me give you a short - very short - introduction to Agatha Christie as a writer. Agatha Christie (1890–1976) was an English novelist, playwright, and short story writer — and she's often called the “Queen of Crime.” Over the course of her life she wrote 66 detective novels, 14 short story collections, and the world's longest-running play, The Mousetrap.Her works introduced some of the most famous detectives in literature, like Hercule Poirot — the meticulous Belgian sleuth with the “little grey cells” — and Miss Marple, the seemingly gentle village spinster who sees into the darkest corners of human nature.Christie's stories have sold over two billion - yes that's billion with a B - copies worldwide — more than any other author except Shakespeare and the Bible. Her works have been translated into over 100 languages, making her one of the most widely read writers in history.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity -  Episode 447 - What the Dickens!Today I want to look at Charles Dickens - and no I could not find any reliable information that said Charles Dickens suffered from epilepsy, but his connection to epilepsy and neurology is extremely notable because of his descriptions of some of his characters having epileptic episodes.Again, there is no record of Charles Dickens have any form of epilepsy - at least none that I could find - and I really looked - but he was an excellent writer, and described characters of his works who suffered from seizure disorders objectively and in great detail - in fact many medical schools today use his descriptions in neurology classes.Dickens an extremely keen eye for human behavior. While though there's no evidence he personally experienced epilepsy, he was fascinated by the extremes of human emotion and physical reaction. He grew up in a time when epilepsy was stigmatized and often poorly understood, which may have made his detailed depictions both sensational and socially informative.Dickens was part of the Victorian realist tradition, which emphasized detailed, psychologically rich portrayals of characters. When writing someone experiencing a seizure—like the character of Squeers' son or other minor characters—he wasn't just showing a medical condition; he was conveying inner terror, vulnerability, or moral weakness. His meticulous depictions helped readers visualize and emotionally connect with characters.Dickens read widely, including medical journals of his time such as  John Russell Reynolds' Aids to the Diagnosis of Diseases of the Nervous System or other Victorian neurology texts that    described seizures clinically. Dickens likely drew on these descriptions to give his fiction both realism and credibility.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 447 - The Perfect WordWelcome to this podcast episode. Today, get ready to hear more meet a writer who took being a perfectionist to a whole new level - possibly hear about him for the very first time. His name is Gustave Flaubert, and he's not just another author from history—he's a rebel who changed how stories are told forever.So, why should you care about him?Imagine a writer who spent years on a single book. Gustave Flaubert was obsessed with finding the one perfect word for every sentence, often screaming his writing out loud to make sure it sounded just right. This crazy-intense effort is why his main accomplishment, a novel called Madame Bovary, is so famous. When it came out, it caused a massive scandal! People were so shocked by his story of a bored woman trying to find excitement in her life that he was actually put on trial.But there's another reason he's so interesting. Flaubert suffered from epilepsy. This illness made his life incredibly difficult and private, but it also gave him a unique view of the world. It's a powerful and inspiring story of a person who took his own personal struggles and turned them into some of the most beautiful and honest writing the world has ever seen.So, stick around as we continue our look into the life of Gustave Flaubert.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Episode 445 of Celebrate Creativity - Ultimate Freedom - This is the third and final episode devoted to characters with epilepsy from   the writings of Fydor Dostoyevsky.In addition to Prince Myskin and Smerdyakov, there was another major character who has a relationship with epilepsy called Kirillov from dostoyevsky's novel by the name of Demons.  You see, Dostoevsky never explicitly says Kirillov is epileptic, but there are strong echoes of the condition, and scholars often connect him to Dostoevsky's own experiences of seizures. In Demons, Kirillov is obsessed with ultimate freedom and the idea of overcoming the fear of death by committing suicide. At several points, he describes moments of sudden, radiant joy that come to him — a kind of ecstatic clarity just before unbearable suffering. Dostoevsky himself experienced something very similar with his own epilepsy. He wrote that just before some of his seizures, he would feel a sudden, luminous happiness, as though eternity were revealed to him in a single instant.In Demons (Part II, Chapter 1), Kirillov says:“There are moments, and it is only for a few seconds, when you feel the presence of eternal harmony … You feel it in all your being, and it is clear, it is undeniable. At such moments you would not exchange it for all the joys of earth.”This is almost identical to Dostoevsky's personal description of his epileptic aura. Many readers — and critics — have taken this as evidence that Kirillov is written as an epileptic character, even if Dostoevsky never uses the word.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity – Episode 444 – A Multitude of WaysIn this podcast series, I am delving into authors who had epilepsy. And there is probably no better example than Dostoyevsky. Now it is said that Fydor Dostoevsky's portrayal of epilepsy, especially in his character Prince Myshkin, is one of the most accurate and empathetic in literature largely because it goes beyond just describing the physical symptoms. He delves into the psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions of the condition. Having experienced epilepsy himself, Dostoevsky was able to portray the condition with an authenticity that was rare for his time.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity – Episode 444 - Fate, illness, or Deception?This is the first podcast episode in a three part series dealing with a fascinating individual - the Russian writer Fydor Dostoevsky and his literary treatment of seizure disorders.  His works are rich with recurring themes such as morality, free will, nihilism, faith, and the nature of good and evil.Dostoevsky himself suffered from epilepsy - so it could be argued that his reaction to the condition it's quite different from most Siri set an alarm for five minutes writers - largely because he suffered so many seizures.  He he even went out of his way to portray some of his characters - note that I said some of his characters - having seizure disorders and being exemplary people.  Today they might be called role models.  This is perhaps most true of one of the leading characters of his novel, The Idiot - a character known as Prince Myshkin.Dostoevsky's Life and Historical ContextDostoevsky's life was marked by extreme highs and lows, which directly influenced his writing. Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 442  Was He Drunk? I should hope that after you have listened to the preceding episode, the name of Dr. John Robertson should be familiar to you.  In case it is not, Dr. John Robertson was a neurologist and an avid collector of Poe's works who, in his 1921 study "Edgar A. Poe: A Study," argued that Poe suffered from a form of epilepsy, specifically complex partial seizures. He contended that these seizures, rather than just substance abuse, were the underlying cause of Poe's erratic behavior and many of the "spells" or "fits" documented by his contemporaries.Robertson's Main PointsPoe's "Spells" as Complex Partial Seizures: Robertson, writing from a 20th-century neurological perspective, reinterpreted the anecdotal descriptions of Poe's "spells" or "brain fever" as symptoms of complex partial seizures. These seizures, often originating in the temporal lobe, were not well understood in the 19th century and could be mistaken for insanity or drunkenness. Robertson argued that symptoms like staring, personality changes, mutism, and amnesia, which were described by Poe's acquaintances, were highly consistent with this diagnosis.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity Episode 441 - Did Poe Have Epilepsy?As many of you know, I used to work at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond Virginia - my favorite room in the entire museum, and one of my favorite places in the entire world, is the Virginia Poe room name for the mother of Edgar Allan Poe.  Now this building contains  an excellent collection of the writers works - original editions of everything from Hans Pfall - for obvious reasons, the museum takes stringent security measures - security concerns and actions which I don't even begin to understand - nor would I want to.  The reason that I am talking about this collection is that it was given to the museum by a Dr.  John Robertson - he not only had deep pockets, but was a neurologist - a brain doctor - and a genuine expert on the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe. He wrote a huge book about Poe's life - especially from from a neurological standpoint - and in the following episodes I would like to address some of his findings regarding America's Shakespeare - especially where Dr. John Robertson connected his medical expertise to his passion for Poe's works.  And a look at Dr. Robertson's findings are especially relevant when looking at any possible connection of Edgar Allan Poe and seizure disorders.As mentioned before, Dr. John W. Robertson's (1856-1934) was a neurologist and author who was a prominent Poe collector. His collection of Poe's works and memorabilia was substantial and is noted to have included original manuscripts and rare editions. He was a benefactor of the Poe Museum in Richmond and is also listed as having placed a plaque at a cemetery with the museum's founder, James H. Whitty. This deep interest in Poe's life and his writings went beyond simple collection; it fueled his professional endeavors.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a text-Welcome to is Celebrate Creativity for episode 440 Crossing the Symbol -the second part of a look into Lord Byron.Making swimming even more difficult historically and even today it's a vital strategic waterway which means it was and still is a busy maritime passageway  Now if you will excuse me, I wanna take a little aside and delve into the Hellespont - and hopefully in a few minutes you will understand it's importance to Lord Byron, his thinking, and where I'm trying to go with this.So I asked Gemini for a little background about the Hellespont.It answered - The Hellespont, now known as the Dardanelles, is a narrow, historically significant strait in northwestern Turkey that connects the Aegean Sea (part of the Mediterranean) to the Sea of Marmara, and ultimately, via the Bosphorus, to the Black Sea.To Lord Byron, the Hellespont was what's like a bridge Between Continents and Civilizations - metaphorically. It famously marks a natural boundary between Europe (on the Gallipoli Peninsula side) and Asia (on the Troad, or mainland Turkey, side). Byron's swim was, in essence, a literal crossing between continents.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 439 -  An Uneasy MindLet me start with an example of my creative - if if that is what you wanna call it - approach to Gemini - I figured out what I wanted to say, my situation, and give Gemini a place to start with. I knew that Gustav Flaubert and Lord Byron lived approximately at the same time, but I was not exactly sure which came first chronologically.  So I looked them up Gemini and got Lord Byron was Born: January 22, 1788 and died April 19, 1824 - whileWell now I guess you could say that I'm speaking as me here I guess you could say that is true with me personally I may have the tendency to have a seizure but I haven't had a seizure for decades but then I can take well anticonvulsants and the medication's seem to have Gustave Flaubert was born about 30 years later on December 12, 1821 and died may 8, 1880.  So chronologically, this episode and the one afterwards will be about Lord Byron.  I then typed the following prompt into GeminiI am doing a podcast where I am planning several episodes about writers who it is believed suffered from epilepsy - such as Edgar Allan Poe, Dostoyevsky - definitely - Agatha Christie - of course there are other notable figures who are believed to have suffered from epilepsy. From what I understand there is not definite proof that dickens had epilepsy, but he did take great care en describing the symptoms and actions of people with epilepsy. First - and it may require several episodes to cover all the writers - could you describe the role of epilepsy in the life of Lord Byron?And Gemini replied - The role of epilepsy in the life of Lord Byron is a fascinating and often debated topic. While some historical accounts and figures (like Nietzsche) suggested he suffered from epilepsy, modern interpretations of the available evidence tend to be more nuanced, suggesting that if he experienced seizures, they were likely occasional convulsions rather than chronic epilepsy.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 437 - Epilepsy and Famous WritersToday, Celebrate Creativity is beginning a new series, one that peels back the layers on a topic rarely discussed in   the hallowed halls of literature. We're going to talk about famous writers who lived with epilepsy.Now I did not just randomly choose the topic of creativity and epilepsy. You see, as some of you may know, my family and I went to Washington DC when I was in the eighth grade, and saw Bob Dylan.  The next day, I came back to my high school and had my first epileptic seizure while walking down the hall - I think I've said before, my dear mother always believed from that point on that Bob Dylan caused my seizure - his music may be powerful, but I doubt that it is that powerful.  Anyway I spent several weeks at the University of Virginia Hospital, and was prescribed Dilantin - a drug that controlled my seizures for the most part.  A few years later, the doctors changed my anticonvulsant medication to Depakote - a much newer drug that was ironically smuggled into the United States by a neurologist.  It had been used with great success in Europe, and since I started taking Depakote, I have not had any seizures.  No I don't wanna give anybody false hope and say that you might get the same results if you were in a similar situation, but I can say I know what it's like to go through years where I did not know if I would remain conscious or not - I didn't particularly view epilepsy as a gift.  So those experiences have led me to examine if creativity and epilepsy were related in various talented individuals from the past in this podcast. And to my surprise, there does seem to be some connection between creativity and epilepsy - this is still rather controversial.  I found many great individuals who suffered from epilepsy - far more than I could deal with in a few episodes - so initially I am confining my exploration of individuals with epilepsy to only writers with a seizure disorder- I hope to get into some other areas - such as artists and musicians - in the future - but in this series, I am going to try and concentrate on writers although I know I'm gonna wander off into other disciplines now and then.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to celebrate creativity - my name is George Bartley and this is episode 437 -  the Second of a two part series - Poe's Creativity - Part TwoMr. Poe - you know I I'm very curious about your writing - and the effects you attempted to generate - Would you say that you were a stylist?Indeed, Mr. Bartley, I would say that I am a stylist, and in the most deliberate and uncompromising sense of the word. Style, to me, is not a mere flourish or a decorative element to be draped over a story's frame. It is the very foundation of the work, the precise and calculated means by which a particular effect is achieved.I am a stylist in my relentless pursuit of "Unity of Effect." I believe that a work of art, be it prose or poetry, must be a complete and coherent experience. Every word, every sentence, every rhythm and cadence is chosen not for its individual beauty, but for its contribution to the single, overarching mood I wish to evoke. When I write of a decaying mansion, the language itself must feel as if it is crumbling. When I write of a man's descent into madness, the very structure of the sentences must become a reflection of his unraveling mind.My style is also a reflection of my belief in the power of sound and rhythm. I hold that the ear is as important as the eye in receiving a work of art. My poems, such as "The Raven," are meticulously crafted with assonance, alliteration, and internal rhyme, not as poetic tricks, but as a hypnotic drumbeat that lulls the reader into a state of profound melancholy. The repetition of "Nevermore" is not just a word; it is a tolling bell, a final, inescapable sound that echoes the narrator's despair.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - my name is George Bartley and this is episode 436 -  the first of a two part series - Poe's Creativity - Part OneFirst I have a confession to make - her somehow got the last two audio files, their titles, and numbers mixed up - it's very easy to do - I will definitely be sure to do all that I can to be sure that this doesn't happen again - and I hope I'm now back on track with this episode. I apologize for any inconvenience.Now, this and the following episode deal with Edgar Allan poe and creativity - first his creativity and poetry, then his creativity in relation to prose.  And here is the ghost of Mr. Poe right now - a character that listeners to this podcast might be familiar with from earlier episodes, and a writer who will certainly return for many other future podcast episodes.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to celebrate creativity.  My name is George Bartley, and this is episode 435 - Walt's CloakIt seems that the best way to get useful information from an ai is by using clear and thorough prompts. In other words, the best way to get an answer that is useful is to spend time thinking how to communicate clearly what you want to say - possibly writing down a list of the questions you want to ask - because it is easy to get off-topic.  Sometimes, that might require that you spend a few sentences describing your situation.  This will inevitably get you a better answer.Here I am using perplexity - not my favorite AI - but one that is serviceable enough. To start with, I enter what might seem like a rather long prompt. Some people might feel that it even has unnecessary information, but I have found that's a more information you give the AI.bot the more information it has to go on and the better answer we can give you.So without further ado, my prompt regarding Whitman and Peter Doyle is as follows:Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate. Creativity  - This is Episode 434 - A Fierce Undeniable AttractionWalt Whitman's words about the female form is the subject of the first section of this episode.Section 4  This is the female form,A divine nimbus exhales from it from head to foot,It attracts with fierce undeniable attraction,I am drawn by its breath as if I were no more than a helpless vapor, all falls aside but myself and it,Books, art, religion, time, the visible and solid earth, and what was expected of heaven or fear'd of hell, are now consumed,Mad filaments, ungovernable shoots play out of it, the response likewise ungovernable,Hair, bosom, hips, bend of legs, negligent falling hands all diffused, mine too diffused,Ebb stung by the flow and flow stung by the ebb, love-flesh swelling and deliciously aching,Limitless limpid jets of love hot and enormous, quivering jelly of love, white-blow and delirious juice,Bridegroom night of love working surely and softly into the dawn,Undulating into the willing and yielding day,Lost in the cleave of the clasping and sweet-flesh'd day.And this episode continues with Walt Whitman's words and commentary about the female form.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 433 - Cataloging the SensualI left off talking about Whitman's use of free verse, and now I'd like to say a little bit more. about his technique of cataloging - away in which you might say that he glorified the common place. In his catalogues, such as the one in "I Hear America Singing," Whitman elevates the ordinary work of everyday people into something monumental. He lists the "mechanic," the "carpenter," the "mason," the "boatman," and the "ploughboy," giving each person their own song. By placing these working-class individuals at the center of his epic poem, he broke with the tradition of focusing on kings, gods, or mythic heroes. This was an act of courage that validated the lives of the American people.Celebrating the Human Body: Whitman's courage was particularly evident in his treatment of the human body and sexuality. In "I Sing the Body Electric," he writes with a frankness that was shocking for his time, describing and celebrating the body in all its forms. He writes, "The press of my foot to the earth, it is as a contact with spirits." He goes on to praise not just beauty but also strength, age, and sexuality without shame. This was a direct challenge to the prudish, repressed social norms of the Victorian era.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - My name is George Bartley and this is episode 432 - Flowing and SwellingThis episode is the second in a series of podcast episodes about Walt Whitman's unique approach to free verse.Now a good example of Walt Whitman's free verse - one that celebrates the messy, vibrant, and expansive reality of the modern world is from "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry." In this poem, he captures the sensory experience of a daily commute, blending the sublime with the mundane."Flowing and swelling, swelling and flowing,""The current rushes on, the men and women crowd the deck,""The flags and pennants, the masts, the white gulls, the dark water,""The fine-pointed towers of the new city rise to the sky,""The steam-boats passing, the bell-tolls, the cries of the men, the girls' laughter."This passage is a prime example of his free verse. It lacks a consistent meter or rhyme scheme. Instead, the lines flow with a natural, organic rhythm, much like the ferry's movement. He uses a long, sprawling line to fit in a multitude of images: the natural current, the diverse crowd, the man-made "towers," and the cacophony of modern city life. Whitman's democratic vision is also at play here, as he places the "men and women" alongside the "gulls" and "steam-boats," giving each element equal importance in this vibrant, modern scene.Walt Whitman often blended everyday language with elevated language, creating a style that was both democratic and epic. This elevated language drew inspiration from sources such as the Bible, opera, and classical literature, giving his poems a sense of grandeur and timelessness. He used these high-flown words and phrases to elevate the common person and everyday American life to a heroic, almost spiritual, level.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Poe - Episode 431 - A Patient SpiderFrom a week of Shakespeare to a series of podcast episodes about Walt Whitman - not as big jump as you might think.You see, Walt Whitman and William Shakespeare are two of the most influential poets in the English language, and while they lived in different eras and had vastly different styles, they share some key commonalities. Both poets are renowned for their profound impact on literature, and their works are considered foundational to their respective traditions.Both writers explored similar universal themes and used powerful literary techniques to do so.  So much has been written about Walt Whitman's free verse - in other words - poetry that doesn't rhyme - that it would be impossible to do it justice in several episodes.  But in this and the following episodes, I want to examine Walt Whitman's use of free verse.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 431 - Yesterday and TomorrowI mentioned that it was necessary to have a list of name signs when signing a play by William Shakespeare in an earlier podcast episode.  And I want to say a final note about that here.  What I always did when interpreting a play at the black fires Playhouse, I printed a sheet on my computer with ready set go - I doubt that anybody remembers that - a page making program where I could have eight or 10 pictures of various cast members and the name sign that I had given to that character. Obviously there wouldn't be enough room to have name signs for all the characters, but I would definitely have name signs for say major characters like Romeo, Juliet, or Hamlet. I took about 10 minutes at the beginning of the play to introduce the name signs of the major characters, but found that you couldn't always depend on every member of the deaf audience to be there on time. So This was especially a big help for deaf people who might've come in late.  And I always printed enough to give a copy of the name signs to members of the cast - they always appreciated it and said they would put it in their scrapbook. I have found - no outstanding observation here - but it is always a good idea to stay on good terms with the cast and director.  I remember one time the director of a play was introducing me to a group - he said this is George Bartley - he is greatly beloved by our cast - I thought to myself, this is the first Time I have ever been called beloved - I've been called stubborn many many times - but never beloved.Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity Episode 429  Playing with LanguageSnce the auditory characteristics of a Shakespearean play (such as puns and meter) are outside the frame of reference of a Deaf audience, puns can be shown in “plays on signs,” instead of “plays on words.”  Meter can be communicated though smooth and regular signs – the jerky interpreter who is searching for words cannot convey the inner stresses and beats in a line of text.  Instead of “rhythm in spoken language over a period of time,” the concept of meter can be communicated through “grace in space.”  Clear and flowing signing is the Deaf equivalent of articulate and smooth speaking in hearing actors.Rhetorical Devices: Balancing ShakespeareASL lends itself well to the expression of certain rhetorical devices.  While the interpreter and actors should never over emphasize the use of rhetoric, the principles involved in several of the classic figures of speech can inform an ASL translation and even make it clearer.  Schemes of balance, for example, take on a new dimension in ASL.  In parallelism with two elements, there is a similarity of structure in related words, phrases, or clauses.  The elements can be visually expressed by signing the first item of a series on one side of the body, and the second on the other side of the body.  ASL can use the concept of spatial relationships to show that the two elements are on the plane and balanced concepts.  The eyes see “the whole picture,” so a signer can use more than one sign concurrently.  For example, in Hamlet's  “to be or not to be” (The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, 3.1.17) soliloquy, the antithetical concepts of “life” and “death” can be signed at the same time – adding a new dimension to Hamlet's weighing two alternatives. Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 429 _ How to Say NoName Signs as Clarifiers: Which Side Is He On?One common practice when interpreting a play is for t when mythological references are used the interpreter needs well needs to be able to be creative yes be creative add to avoid finger spelling and therefore breaking the meter the interpreter excuse me just a second here he interpreter to come up with a sign to signify a character - this is much faster - much faster - then finger spelling the name each time. And a name sign is also easier for a member of the death audience to see. Name signs can be introduced while the interpreter speaks with the Deaf audience a few minutes prior to the beginning of a play. This not only serves as a time to introduce the characters and helps the Deaf audience make the transition into Shakespeare's world, but gives the Deaf audience an opportunity to become accustomed to the signing style of the interpreter.An interpreter should not “overload” the Deaf audience with name signs.  In many cases, a character can be referred to by their relationship or role, such as “nurse” or “servant.”  If the character is on stage, the interpreter can point to that person.  If the character is offstage, and is referred to again, the interpreter may establish a position on stage, “assign” the location to a character, and when he quickly points to that area, the audience knows that specific character is being mentioned.   Name signs can even be used to clarify relationships between characters in a Shakespearean play.  In the Blackfriars production of The Life and Death of King Richard the Third, the characters who supported the House of York had name signs on the left side of the body, while the characters who supported of the House of Lancaster  had name signs on the right side of the body.   That night, the Deaf individuals were perhaps the only people in the audience unfamiliar with English history who were easily able to follow the political intrigues of the play!  Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 427 -  Yesterday and TomorrowLet's get back to a brief look at American Sign Language - remember American Sign Language or ASL is the natural language of the deaf.It might be a good idea to review the five parameters of American Sign Language.  AslThey are Location: Where on the body the sign is made.Movement: The way the sign moves.Palm Orientation: Which way the hand is facing.Non-Manual Markers: Facial expressions and body movements.Handshape: The shape of the hand.Let's look at a few examples:Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 427 - Hear the Hungry LionWhen we left the previous episode I was working with Gemini to make my Master thesis about interpreting Shakespeare's place for the deaf more understandable.  And Gemini said -Okay, here's the next section, revised for a seventh-grade reading level. I've broken down the longer paragraphs and used simpler language to explain the concepts of ASL grammar and the different styles of interpreting.      And then Gemini continued withASL Grammar: A Different Way to TalkASL has a unique sentence structure that is sometimes called "topic/comment." This means you often say the main idea first, then add more details. By the way that is a very good way, of stating a rather complicated concept. For example, instead of "Is this a dagger I see before me?" from Shakespeare's Macbeth, a translation in ASL might be "dagger, do I see?"Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to celebrate creativity - episode 426 - Signing ShakespeareIn graduate school, I did a master thesis called Signing Shakespeare regarding interpreting the works of Shakespeare and Performance into American Sign Language for the deaf.  Now the problem is that the language of the paper was certainly appropriate for graduate School, but way over the head of the normal, average person - in other words the language was far too high falutin and made up of words almost guarantee to put you to sleep.  It did have some good ideas - but was far too boring.I liked the content of the paper, so I asked Gemini if it could help me adapt my thesis for a seventh grade reading level to make it more understandable.  I entered my request, and Gemini replied -Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome back to celebrate creativity - Episode 425 - From Stratford to London. Today, we're going on a very special Elizabethan journey, not into one of Shakespeare's plays, but into the writer's very own life - a life that was surprisingly simple. Who was the man who created all these amazing characters and stories? Where did he come from? And then we will look at his writings from using a fascinating form of communication.But first I want to tell you - very briefly - how I became interested in Shakespeare in a big way!One day - more years ago than I care to think - I got a telephone call to interpret for the recently built American Shakespeare Center - at that time the world's only exact replica of Shakespeare's original indoor theater, the Blackfriars.  This theater was built in my hometown of Staunton, Virginia, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Now   I had spent hundreds of hours doing rather tedious interpreting for the Deaf in the area, but this was the first time I had a chance to do something that was truly creative - and the pay was very good too. Well to make a long story short, I have interpreted all of Shakespeare's plays over the years in various cities and can now say that I have interpreted more Shakespearean plays into American Sign Language than any other person on the planet. And I am now working on an online course to teach other individuals the basics of interpreting a Shakespearean play.Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 424 - Things to Come -If you are listening to this podcast episode, that means I have a few more minutes on my podcasting hosting time - just enough for this episode. I am taking some time off from recording to concentrate on writing episodes that are more Direct, interesting, and just generally a better experience. One of the subjects that I know I will be delving into is Shakespeare because that was my major in graduate school - and covering his works on a direct level that gives you confidence that you understand what can sometimes be confusing material. Of course I also want to emphasize creativity and approaching Shakespeare, as well as how Shakespeare's works or precursor to AI. Of course any examination of creativity includes a closer look at AI - especially in education - and I will be spending a great deal of time reading and delving into the subject matter.Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.