Celebrate Poe

Send us a textToday I vant to talk vith the final Composer of the three Bs - this podcast has previously Broadcast episodes regarding Bach and Beethoven - and vill certainly have more regarding those musicians - but today I vant to talk about another composer vhose last name also begins vith B, and is also considered one of the greats.  That composer is yo-HAH-nes Brahms. Unlike some composers of his era, he did not have any recorded middle names or additional given names—he vas vas alvays knovn as  yo-HAH-nes Brahms.  And by the vay, the musical opening to this podcast it's an excerpt from a remix of Brahms Hungarian danceGhost soundAh, here is the ghost of - or if you vill -       the spirit of Brahms.Maestro Brahms, thank you for joining me today. To begin, could you tell us a little about your early life in Hamburg?Ah, Hamburg. A fine city of ships and sailors, though not so fine ven hen one is poor. I vas as born in 1833, the son of a bass player—my father Johann Jakob—and my mother, a seamstress. had little but music and determination. From the beginning, it seemed I vas destined to live at the piano.I've heard you began playing in public quite young.Herr Bartley, By the time vas a boy, I played in taverns and dance halls to earn a fev  coins.Imagine a skinny lad of thirteen, pounding avay at the piano vile sailors shouted for more beer. Hardly the glamorous concert life! But those rough rooms taught me discipline. I learned to keep the music alive, even if no one cared to listen.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWell, a logical place to begin would be to ask the Maestro about his beginnings“Ah, señor Bartley, I am pleased to be here. You ask about my beginnings? wery well. I was born October 10, 1813, in Le Roncole, a small willage in the Duchy of Parma. My father, Carlo, ran our taern, and my mother, Luigia, kept the household in order. We were not rich, nor were we musicians by trade, yet music found me nonetheless. The hymns of the willage church, the organ, the singing of neighbors — they became my earliest companions.”“So Maestro werdi you were drawn to music even as a child?”“Indeed. Herr Bartley, From the first I lowed the organ, its voices like a Conversation with the heavens. I studied with local teachers, but the most important influence was Antonio Barezzi, a wealthy merchant and music lower. He saw promise in a boy from the countryside, offered lessons, guidance, and even support. Without him, I might newer have left the Village where I was born. He became my mentor, my patron, and a friend.”“And yet life in a small Village must have had its challenges?”Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textMusical attributions at end of transcriptHere the ghost - or if you will - the spirit of Richard Wagner -  is reminiscing about his existence in 1864.  A struggling genius. A lonely king. One shared dream that changed the sound of Western music forever. In Music and Majesty, Richard Wagner and King Ludwig of Bavaria revisit the passion, faith, and madness that forged a masterpiece.GeorgeWe left you in the last episode, Maestro Wagner, with you rather down on your luck - especially financially - in other words there was no way to make your dreams come true.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textMusic attribution at bottom of transcriptThat was a portion of ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner - and if you're old enough, like me, you might remember hearing that from cartoons - especially porky pig dressed in a hunting outfit and singing kill the wabbit , kill the wabbit about Bugs Bunny - but I digress This is the first episode where I would like to explore the world of Richard Wagner.   The reason I say that this is the first episode, is that the more I delved into the life of Richard Wagner, I began to realize that there is no way that I could even begin to cover his life in one episode. Oh certainly I will have some more episodes later on as appropriate regarding the lives of Beethoven and Bach, but I wanted to have at least two episodes about Richard Wagner together - one after another - so stay with me as we look into the life of this unique composer.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textYou know, Every generation has its superstar — the one who turns talent into legend, and performance into art.  For us, that might mean Elton John or Lady Gaga. But in the 1800s, one name ruled the musical world like a comet blazing across the sky: Franz Liszt.A man whose concerts caused hysteria, whose charm        melted hearts, and whose fingers seemed touched by lightning.So let's pull back the velvet curtain and step into the age of Lisztomania!Ghost soundMaestro Liszt, welcome.Thank you, Herr Bartley. Speaking across centuries is a strange delight — music is the bridge that time cannot burn.Let's begin at the beginning. You were born in 1811 in Raiding, Hungary, the son of a musician employed by the Esterházy family. How did music first enter your life?Ah, Monsieur Bartley, Music was like breathing. My father played cello, piano, violin — he introduced me to the piano, and I was performing publicly at nine. By eleven, I studied with Czerny in Vienna, a pupil of Beethoven himself. The training was rigorous, but awe-inspiring.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textvelcome to Celebrate Creativity - episode 488 - in her voices. The opening bars to this podcast episode are from Robert schumann's troy mu ri - a word that means dreamingAnd today    ve speak vith the ghost of Robert Schumann—a man vhose music vas alive vith fire and reflection, vhose inner voices shaped every note. Step inside his vorld, if you dare.Nov before ve meet the ghost of or if you vill the spirit of - the great Robert Schumann, a quick note: you may hear me speak of his tvo sides—Florestan, fiery and bold, and Eusebius, dreamy and reflective. But don't be misled—Schumann definitely did not have multiple personalities -  at least until his final years. Florestan and Eusebius vere his artistic alter-egos, vays to explore contrasting emotions in music and vriting. Think of them as characters living inside his imagination, giving voice to the fire and the reflection that shaped his art.”  But enough of that for nov …Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textGhost entersAh, here is the ghost of Maestro Frederick Chopin - one of my favorite composers.  vould you prefer that I call you Maestro Frederick or Maestro Chopin.Maestro Chopin vould be sufficient.You could refer to me as simply Herr Bartley - or in the style of the French salons, you may also refer to me as Monsieur Bartley.Ah, then Monsieur Bartley it is.Well first, Maestro Chopin, could you tell us about your early years.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textIf you have ever been to a wedding or seen a portion of one on television or in the movies, I am sure you have heard some of them music of Mendelson - such as the wedding March at the beginning of this episode. Today we are fortunate enough to speak vith the ghost or if you vill - the spirit of Felix MendelsonHerr Bartley, thank you for that vedy direct introduction to vhat has to be my most vell-knovn vork.  But Herr Bartley—allov me to step into the light once more. By name, I am Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born in Hamburg, Germany, on February 3, 1809.      You are Mr. Bartley, I am here Herr Bartholdy.  Perhaps ve are related.Not that I know of, but Maestro Mendelson, could you tell us about your family?Ja, Herr Bartley, my family vas vealthy, cultured, and deeply musical; my father, Abraham, vas a banker and patron of the arts, and my mother, Lea, nurtured a love of literature and learning. From an early age, music vas ever-present in our home—my mother's piano, the violin in our hands, and evenings filled vith song and discussion.     Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textToday we have the privilege of speaking With the ghost or if you will the spirit of Ludwig van Beethoven —arguably the greatest composer of all time.Ghost  soundMaestro Beethoven, thank you for joining us. Could you begin by telling us about your background?Herr Bartley, it is extremely strange to look back from beyond the grave, but let me oblige. I vas born in Bonn, December 1770, into a family of musicians. My grandfather, Kapellmeister Ludvig van Beethoven, vas a respected man, and my father, Johann, sang in the court chapel. From him I inherited both music and hardship. He drank heavily, and though he recognized my talent, his methods vere Vetty harsh.As a boy, I vas pushed to practice the clavier late into the night. Neighbors recalled hearing me sobbing over the keys, small fingers stumbling, vhile my father demanded brilliance. It vas a cruel apprenticeship, but it forged in me a stubborn resilience.By my early teens, I vas already performing publicly in Bonn and serving as assistant organist. The Elector of Cologne, vho ruled Bonn, supported my education. He sent me to study vith Christian Gottlob Neefe, vho introduced me to the vorks of Bach — those fugues became my daily bread, the grammar of my musical thought.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textAnd here, right on time is the ghost of maestro Haydn to tell us about his story - his life and his music - Maestro Haydn, why don't you start at the be ginning.Certainly, Herr Bartley. I, Joseph Haydn, vas born in 1732 in the small Austrian village of Rohrau, near the border of Hungary. My father, a humble vheelvright, could not imagine that his son vould one day travel to the grand palaces of Europe or have his music performed by orchestras in London. Yet music called me early. From my earliest years, I vas dravn to melody and harmony. I sang in the village choir, and it vas soon clear that my voice and my ear vere exceptional.From vhat I understand, Maestro Haydn, you vent to Vienna as a young lad to become a choirboy at St. Stephen's Cathedral vhen you vere only eight years of age.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textGavotteWelcome to celebrate creativity - in ze past few episodes, I'm afraid I've been a bit off in ze numbering of episodes - this is actually ze fourth season, and I believe that this is episode 483 - now we began this episode with ze Gavotte in G by ze ghost or if you will spirit - of our guest today.Ghost soundTaken a vastly different path than the one that my father had chosen for me well     Herr Bartley — good day. It is certainly good to meet you.Ya, I am Maestro George Frideric Handel; permit me first to speak plainly of those first years that zet me upon ze road of music.  That would be a very good place to start.Herr Bartley, I vas born in ze year 1685. My fazer vas a barber–surgeon and wished me to follow a sober, respectable profession — law vas his hope for me — and he forbade any serious musical study. My mozer, Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textI have the ghost of Herr Bach right here - Frst could you tell us about your early life and family.Herr Bartley, I vas born in 1685 in Eisenach, Germany. My family had been musicians for generations: organists, cantors, court players. To be a Bach vas, in truth, to be a musician. My father, Johann Ambrosius, vas Eisenach's town musician. From him, I learned the violin and the rudiments of theory.So in a sense you really didn't have a choice but to become a musician.Herr Bartley, it vas a choice that I made very, very gladly!Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textHost: Welcome to the "Echoes of Genius series” -  the podcast where we explore the lives and legacies of the greatest classical composers.  This is episode 480 - Red Priest Rising.  The music that you have heard at the beginning of each episode, and will continue to hear throughout this podcast series is a brief the ghost of the composer who stands at the pinnacle of the Italian Baroque movement -maestro Antonio Vivaldi   section of spring from The Four Seasons written by the ghost or if you will spirit - of our guest today(Sound of a short, elegant musical flourish)Ghost soundCiao, Maestro Vivaldi! La tua musica ancora ci incanta musica.For our English listeners, that is  Hello, Maestro Vivaldi! Your music still enchants us.  And before we go any further, Maestro Vivaldi, I have to say, I never realized your hair was quite that red.  With that shock of red hair, you'd look at home in a rock bandSupport the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textFirst I have a confession to make. I plan to do an episode regarding a musician every day, but my right hand started hurting and I mean excruciating painful. I worried about what to do, and realized if I continue to overdo it on an already injured hand/ I would have serious problems. I thought about giving up this podcast altogether but eventually decided to take a day by day approach. It seems to be getting much better than it was yesterday, so if I notice improvement I will certainly do a podcast/. I have already written the Scripps with voice control on the Macintosh, so I didn't really need to use my hands that much in what I consider the hardest part of doing a podcast, but there's no way that you can really use Voice control with an audio program.  So I'll just take it one day at a time, and I'm asking you to bear with me.Second,When I recorded my episode on Monteverdi, something unexpected happened. I'd worried I might not have enough to say, but as I began speaking in his rhythm — my approximation of his  lilting Italian cadence — the words seemed to sing themselves. I found myself moving my hand in slow circles as I spoke, and somehow the motion gave the voice its own kind of melody. The pauses stretched naturally, almost like rests in a score. What I thought would be a short reflection became nearly forty minutes, not because of the facts or analysis, but because Monteverdi's spirit reshaped the way I spoke.That experience stayed with me. It reminded me that a voice can be musical, even when it isn't singing — that the phrasing, the breath, the stillness between words are as expressive as the words themselves. And that's the insight I've carried with me into Purcell — another composer who understood that silence, rhythm, and human feeling are inseparable.”Today, we move forward in time — from Venice to London — to meet another spirit who carried that torch into a new century. Henry Purcell took the lessons of Monteverdi and shaped them into something deeply English yet profoundly human: the marriage of reverence and drama, sacred and stage.If Monteverdi taught us how to breathe through music, Purcell teaches us how to speak through it — to find the eternal note that echoes across time.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textThis is the first of what I hope to be a series of 25 podcast episodes regarding some of the most influential and creative musicians prior to the 1900s - all ranked chronologically - then the following month, I will deal to some of the most influential musicians after the 1900s.  It somehow didn't seem right to have Beethoven and the Beatles compete with each other in a list of the greats. Both Bach and Beyoncé are extremely influential in their own ways, but how can you possibly compare the two?Each episode is a conversation across time: we'll explore their lives, their work, and their personalities, with anecdotes, playful commentary, and yes—sometimes a little mischief. You'll hear the human side of genius, the struggles, the bold choices, and the moments of brilliance that made them unforgettable And we begin our journey with the man who changed the very sound of music: Claudio Monteverdi.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWell, I checked my stats for Celebrate Creativity and I am now just 7 downloads 25,000 downloads in 100 countries and territories - something I could have never envisioned five years ago when I started this podcast as Celebrate Poe.  And I will soon be starting a new series of podcasts where I talk to the ghosts - or if you will - spirits of various musicians.  Therefore before I start that series, volume brimming with the knowledge of the ages snuggled into a big company chair I thought it would be interesting to go back to when I first encountered the ghost of a very talented creator - that this would be a great time to go back five years ago to the very first episode of Celebrate Poe and introduce the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe.In this reprise of one of the most downloaded episodes of Celebrate Poe, you'll hear how I first “met” the ghost — or spirit — of Edgar Allan Poe.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textSpring intro“Welcome, my friends, to The Microphone Episode. Yes, this is the one where the.  greatest composers of all time—individuals who shuffled off their mortal coil long ago—are handed a microphone for the very first time.Now you might also think of this episode as a promo or the introduction to the majority of the episodes in October where I take a deep dive into the life and music of approximately 25 noted classical musicians prior to 1900. Before I actually start, I wanna talk a little bit about the challenges involved in doing such a program.First, was the actual writing of the transcript for each podcast episode. I would read about and do research regarding each musician. Then I would know what questions to ask ChatGPT to give me a more interesting answer. For example, if I just asked ChatGPT to tell me about Beethoven - it really wouldn't have that much to go on - but if I specifically asked if Beethoven wrote any letters regarding his hearing loss, then it could give me some very useful answers.  In fact, in one of the most moving documents in all of music history, Beethoven wrote in a letter to his brothers Carl and Johann in October 1802. He was only 31 at the time, but his hearing loss was advancing, and he poured out his despair, frustration, and longing for life and art. He never sent the letter—it was found among his papers after his death in 1827.[Closing music – Spring from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi, Performed by John Harrison,. Source: Wikimedia Commons - CC BY-SA ,License: Public Domain (composition) / Creative Commons (recording)Ghost Entrance: Source: https://www.zapsplat.com/page/6/?s=ghost&post_type=music&sound-effect-category-idhttps://zapsplat.net/zapsplat-sounds/download.php?fileName=sound_design_texture_ghostly_pass.mp3&expiry=1601608139,LLicense: Creative Commons.“Vespro Della Beata Vergine/ Deus In Adiutorium - Domine Ad Adiuvandum”, by Claudio Monteverdi, Performed by Schwäbischer Singkreis; Hans Grischkat, Source: https://dn721902.ca.archive.org/0/items/lp_vespro-della-beata-vergine_claudio-monteverdi-schwabischer-singkredisc1/01.01.%20Vespro%20Della%20Beata%20Vergine%3A%20Deus%20In%20Adiutorium%20-%20Domine%20Ad%20Adiuvandum.mp3. License: Public Domain (composition) / Creative Commons (recording)  0:00-00:30.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 475 - Echoes of Horror  Man is capable of tremendous atrocities against other individuals. An example is The Great Chinese Famine (1959-1961): This was a period of mass starvation under Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward.  While the exact number of deaths is debated, estimates range from 15 to 55 million people. While not a direct campaign of extermination like the Holocaust, it was the result of deliberate and disastrous government policies that led to mass death.The Soviet Purges and Gulag System where a result of Joseph Stalin's policies. This period led to widespread repression, forced labor, and mass executions. The death toll from famines, executions, and the Gulag system is estimated to be in the tens of millions, with some sources citing numbers as high as 20 million people.The conquests of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century are considered one of the deadliest conflicts in history. It's estimated that military campaigns led by Genghis Khan and his successors resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of people, though a precise number is impossible to determine.And while these events often had a higher total number of victims, the Nazi Extermination Efforts - or Holocaust - is distinguished by its systematic, state-sponsored industrial-scale goal of exterminating an entire people.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us a textWhen people talk about the most successful writers of all time, one name is almost always among the first: J. K. Rowling. The author of the Harry Potter series didn't just sell books — she created a cultural earthquake. For millions of readers, Hogwarts was not a fictional castle, but a place they knew as well as their own schools. Her novels inspired midnight release parties at bookstores, fan conventions that filled stadiums, and a cinematic franchise that grossed billions. Children who had never finished a book before suddenly tore through six- and seven-hundred-page volumes. Adults, too, found themselves sneaking the books into briefcases or pretending they were buying them for their kids. “But Rowling's brilliance didn't appear out of nowhere. She was inspired by the masters who came before her, most notably Charles Dickens. In Dickens, she found a model for eccentric characters, worlds that felt alive, and the courage to confront cruelty — especially towards children. Much like Pip, Oliver, or the young heroes of Dickens' novels, Harry and his friends navigate a world that can be frightening, unfair, and full of moral complexity.”Rowling herself has acknowledged Dickens as a major influence, and it's easy to see why. Dickens' novels often center on children navigating worlds that are harsh, unfair, and sometimes cruel — think of the orphaned Pip in Great Expectations or Oliver Twist in Oliver Twist. Similarly, Rowling's young protagonists face dangerous and sometimes frightening circumstances: orphaned Harry navigating a neglectful household, children confronting magical and moral threats, and characters whose lives are shaped by the indifference or cruelty of adults.Rowling also mirrors Dickens in her love for eccentric and vividly drawn characters. From the strangely named and larger-than-life figures in Dickens' novels to the magical teachers, ghostly ancestors, and quirky classmates at Hogwarts, Rowling populates her books with personalities so distinct they feel almost tangible. Each character, no matter how minor, contributes to the richness of the world, giving readers a sense that they are peeking into a fully realized society.Cover art:Image of J.K. Rowling, Daniel Ogren, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia CommonsImage of J.K. Rowling, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

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.

Send us a textSupport the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

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.