Credo Quia Absurdum

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The podcast that analyzes and interprets texts (and other pieces of media) from contemporary times and antiquity. Siblings Cat and Anna Jane love stories and love finding the absurdity in them (whether or not that absurdity was intended). Whether beautiful and poignant, creepy and atmospheric, utterly ridiculous, or some combination of the above, we delve deep into what some of our favorite works mean to us.

Anna Jane & Cat


    • May 7, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 5m AVG DURATION
    • 9 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Credo Quia Absurdum

    The Shadow: In which we explore the archetypal resonance of Jigglypuff

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2021 66:00


    It's our season finale, and it's a doozy. We explore two texts: Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Shadow" and Ursula K. Le Guin's essay "The Child and the Shadow," which gives an analysis of the fairy tale. We also pull in many of the stories we've discussed this season, as well as our own experiences, in order to explore this fantastical, creepy, and fascinating archetype. We will be taking a break for a few months to work on a brand new theme and topics, but stay tuned for our next season! Find us on Instagram under the handle @cqapodEmail us at credo.quia.absurdum.podcast@gmail.com Content warnings: mentions of suicide, depression, and eat disorders

    Shang Dynasty Tomb Art: Ancient shamanism for dummies

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2021 64:17


    This week we travel back to the Shang Dynasty of China, where we examine tomb art and the lives of the shamans and kings who interpreted the cracking of oracle bones and presided over human sacrifices. Find the images we discuss on our instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cqapod/Content warnings: mentions of death, violence, human sacrifice 

    Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Sexual Awakenings

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2021 52:13


    Today we're trying something new, and discussing a movie that shaped our childhood, even though it was an utter box office flop. It's Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, which came out in 2003 under DreamWorks Animation, and it's a swashbuckling romp across the ocean, complete with a sneaky, slinky goddess, a wise-cracking pirate thief, way too much innuendo for a children's movie, and--Avast ye! Is that some queer subtext on the horizon? Polygon article about the movie: https://www.polygon.com/2020/11/17/21557362/sinbad-movie-legend-of-the-seven-seas-cast-making-of-dreamworksContent warnings: sexual topicsNote: we had some audio issues in this episode, so apologies if you hear buzzing. 

    The Queen of Spades: Close encounters with ghosts and frenemies

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2021 83:25


    The Queen of Spades is a fantastic and spooky little tale from Russian literary great Alexander Pushkin. In this episode we enter his magical world of 1830s St. Petersburg, where we attend lavish balls, play cards late into the night, yearn, possibly commit murder, and definitely see some ghosts. Note: at the beginning of this episode we say this story was published in 1933; it was actually published in 1833. Content warnings: mention of violenceEmail: credo.quia.absurdum.podcast@gmail.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cqapod/Website: https://credoquiaabsurdum.buzzsprout.com/

    Queer Love: In which Herman Melville is gay and we don't even make a Moby Dick joke

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2021 62:39


    In this episode we explore two epistolary romances: one between 17th century samurai and the other between two American writers, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville, with forays into Kabuki theater, scented gel pens, and an honorable mention of Alexander Hamilton's flirty flirty prose. Our new instagram! : https://www.instagram.com/cqapod/Links: My Dear Boy gay love letter excerpts: http://rictornorton.co.uk/dearboy.htmAll-female theater group: https://www.insidejapantours.com/blog/2017/12/15/takarazuka/More of Melville and Hawthorne's exchange: https://www.brainpickings.org/2019/02/13/herman-melville-nathaniel-hawthorne-love-letters/Content warnings: Mentions of self harm and suicide, violence, sexual topics

    The Uncanny: A Freudian analysis of a certain Netflix show about fairies

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2021 69:46


    In a loose continuation of our discussion of "The Sandman," in this episode we delve into the bizarre, fantastical, and spooky world of Sigmund Freud's theories, and find that even though he is both ridiculous and unscientific, there is still something here that resonates with us. If you have spooky or uncanny stories you'd like to share with us, you can email them to us at credo.quia.absurdum.podcast@gmail.com! Content Warnings: discussions of sexuality and mental health topics

    The Sandman: in which we propose Zoolander as the new romantic

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2021 73:23


    In this episode we discuss The Sandman, the 1816 short story by ETA Hoffmann. The story has had a substantial influence on fantasy and horror genres, as well as on early psychoanalysis, and as you’ll soon hear, we just love it. It’s full of fun spooky motifs, creepy imagery, and lovingly making fun of over-dramatic young men (always a favorite). Content warnings: light discussion of body horror imagery, mental health-related issues, and mention of death and suicide. NOTE: This is the last of our pre-recorded episodes! Thank you for your listens! From here on out, we will be releasing bi-weekly, the next release on Friday, February 19.

    sandman eta hoffmann
    Howl's Moving Castle: in which we mostly discuss Howl's suits

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2021 57:20


    Howl's Moving Castle is a Studio Ghibli classic, but it was originally based off of a book by the British author Diana Wynne Jones, which happens to be very dear to our hearts. Here we expound on how much we love it, how funny and how insanely plot-dense it is, revel in the snark of the book characters, and do a little cross-analysis with the movie.

    The Illiad: in which Achilles is mad

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2021 62:29


    Here we kick off our first episode of Credo Quia Absurdum! This week, we are analyzing a classical text, the Iliad. We talk about the story, the history, and our favorite homeric moments. Content warnings: Some discussion of violence, gore, death.

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