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We've got mail! Jonathan and Honey answer your questions about cinema, films, family and everything in between. This week, the two discuss an unassuming dad bod Superman, non-gruesome TV suggestions for teenagers (Zombie Samurai meets Midsomer Murders) and movies made only for money.It's also time to put on a family screening of 'the pee pee poo poo man', Honey relives being subjected to The X Files at the tender age of six and Jonathan reminisces about his Dickensian milk round.Let us know what you think! You can get involved by emailing us at reeltalk@global.com and follow us on Instagram on @reeltalkrossThanks for listening. Listen and subscribe to Reel Talk on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts.

Today's Lake and Shed framed conversation is once again about the fifth Cormoran Strike novel, Troubled Blood. Nick discusses Rowling's history with the Clerkenwell neighborhood. John talks about Troubled Blood as a double re-telling of The Faerie Queene, Book One, with Strike and Margot as the Redcrosse Knight and Oonaugh and Robin as Una.New to the Lake and Shed Kanreki Birthday series? Here's what we're doing:On 31 July 2025, Joanne Murray, aka J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, will be celebrating her 60th birthday. This celebration is considered a ‘second birth' in Japan or Kanreki because it is the completion of the oriental astrological cycle. To mark JKR's Kanreki, Dr John Granger and Nick Jeffery, both Nipponophiles, are reading through Rowling's twenty-one published works and reviewing them in light of the author's writing process, her ‘Lake and Shed' metaphor. The ‘Lake' is the biographical source of her inspiration; the ‘Shed' is the alocal place of her intentional artistry, in which garage she transforms the biographical stuff provided by her subconscious mind into the archetypal stories that have made her the most important author of her age. You can hear Nick and John discuss this process and their birthday project at the first entry in this series of posts: Happy Birthday, JKR! A Lake and Shed Celebration of her Life and Work.Tomorrow? Our first look at Christmas Pig with both Nick and John talking about the Blue Bunny. Stay tuned!Links to posts mentioned in today's Lake and Shed conversation for further reading:* The Clerkenwell/Islington Gate of St John (Twitter Header)Faerie Queene!John Granger:* How Spenser Uses Cupid in Faerie Queen and Its Relevance for Understanding Troubled Blood* Reading Troubled Blood as a Medieval Morality PlayElizabeth Baird-Hardy* Day One, Part One: The Spenserian Epigraphs of the Pre-Released Troubled Blood Chapters* Day Two, Part Two: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Eight to Fourteen* Day Three, Part Three: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Fifteen to Thirty* Day Four, Part Four: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Thirty One to Forty Eight* Day Five, Part Five: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Forty Nine to Fifty Nine* Part Six: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Sixty to Seventy One* Spenser and Strike Part Seven: Changes for the BetterBeatrice Groves* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 1): Spenserian Clues in Troubled Blood Epigraphs* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 2): Shipping Robin and Strike in the Epigraphs of Troubled Blood* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 3): Searching for Duessa in Troubled BloodThis is a tentative listing by category of the posts at HogwartsProfessor about Troubled Blood. There's much more work to do on this wonderful work!1. Chiastic StructureRowling's fixation on planning in general and with structural patterns specifically in all of her work continues in Troubled Blood. From the first reading, it became apparent that in Strike5 Rowling-Galbraith had taken her game to a new level of sophistication. She continued, as she had in her four previous Strike mysteries, to write a story in parallel with the Harry Potter septology; there are many echoes of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth and equivalent number in the Hogwarts Saga, in Troubled Blood. Just as Phoenix was in important ways a re-telling of Philosopher's Stone, so Troubled Blood also echoes Cuckoo's Calling — with a few Stone notes thrown in as well. The new heights of Rowling's structural artistry, though, extend beyond her patented intratextuality; they are in each of Strike5's first six parts being ring compositions themselves, the astrological chart embedded in the story chapters, and the six part and two chapters correspondence in structure between Troubled Blood and Spenser's Faerie Queen.* Structure Part One* Structure Part Two, Notes Two to Six* Structure Part Three, Notes One to Three* Structure Part Four, Notes One to Three, Eight, and Ten* Structure Part Five, Notes One to Four, Nine* Structure Part Six, Notes One to Four* Structure Part Seven, Ring Latch, Story Axis* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled Blood* Career of Evil Echoes* Order of the Phoenix Echoes* Cuckoo's Calling Echoes* Philosopher's Stone Echoes2. Literary AlchemyPer Nabokov, literary artistry and accomplishment are known and experienced through a work's “structure and style.” Rowling's signature structures are evident in Troubled Blood (see above) and her characteristic hermetic artistry, literary alchemy, is as well. Strike5 is the series nigredo and Strike and Robin experience great losses and their reduction to their respective and shared prima materia in the dissolving rain and flood waters of the story.* Strike's Transformation* Robin Ellacott and the Reverse Alchemy of the First Three Strike Novels* Lethal White as the Alchemical Pivot of the Strike Series* The Wet Nigredo: Troubled Blood's Black Names, Holiday Three Step, and Losses3. Psychology/MythologyRowling told Val McDermid that if she had not succeeded as a writer than she would have studied to become a psychologist:V: If it hadn't worked out the way it has. If you'd sat there and written the book in the café and nobody ever published it, what would you have done with your life, what would you have liked to have been?JK: There are two answers. If I could have done anything, I would have been really interested in doing, I would have been a psychologist. Because that's the only thing that's ever really pulled me in any way from all this. But at the time I was teaching, and I was very broke, and I had a daughter and I think I would have kept teaching until we were stable enough that we were stable enough that I could change.Because of her lifelong study and pre-occupation with mythology, it is fitting that in Strike5 readers are confronted with a host of references to psychologist Carl Jung and to a specific Greek myth which Jungian psychologists consider essential in understanding feminine psychology. All of which leads in the end to the Strike series' equivalent of the Hogwarts Saga's soul triptych exteriorization in Harry, Hermione and Ron as Body, Mind, and Spirit, with Robin and Strike as Handless Maiden and Fisher King, the mythological images of anima and animus neglected and working towards integration.* Carl Jung and Troubled Blood* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus* The Anima and Animus: The Psychological Heart and Exteriorization of the Cormoran Strike Novels4. Valentine's DayThe story turn of Troubled Blood takes place on Valentine's Day and the actions, events, and repercussions of this holiday of Cupid and Heart-shaped candies, not to mention chocolates, shape the Robin and Strike relationship drama irrevocably. Chocolates play an outsized portion of that work symbolically, believe it or not; the word ‘chocolate' occurs 34 times in the first four Strike novels combined but 82 times in Troubled Blood. I explore the importance of this confection in two posts before beginning to explain the importance and appropriateness of Valentine's Day being the heart of the story, one that is in large part a re-telling of the Cupid and Psyche myth.* Troubled Blood: Interpreting the Poetry of Cormoran's Five Gifts To Robin* Troubled Blood: Poisoned Chocolates* Troubled Blood: The Secret of Rowntree* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus5. Edmund Spenser's Faerie QueenTroubled Blood features several embedded texts, the most important of which is never mentioned in the book: Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queen. Serious Strikers enjoyed the luxury of not one but two scholars of Edmund Spenser who checked in on the relevance and meaning of Rowling's choice of the greatest English epic poem for her epigraphs, not to mention the host of correspondences between Strike 5 and Queen. Elizabeth Baird-Hardy did a part by part exegesis of the Troubled Blood-Faerie Queen conjunctions and Beatrice Groves shared her first thoughts on the connections as well. Just as Lethal White's meaning and artistry is relatively unappreciated without a close reading of Ibsen's Rosmersholm, so with Strike 5 and Faerie Queen.* Spenser's Faerie Queen (Above)6. The GhostsRowling's core belief is in the immortality of the soul and her favorite writer of the 20th Century is Vladimir Nabokov, whose work is subtly permeated by the otherworldly. No surprise, then, that Troubled Blood is haunted by a host of ghosts, most importantly the shade of Margot Bamborough but to include the women murdered by Dennis Creed and Nicolo Ricci. Their influence is so obvious and so important that it has spurred discussion of the spectres that haunt the first four Strike novels whose presence had not been discussed prior to the revelations of Strike 5.* Troubled Blood: The Dead Among Us* The Ghosts Haunting Troubled Blood* The Ghosts Haunting Cuckoo's Calling, Silkworm, Career of Evil, and Lethal White7. The NamesThe Cryptonyms or Cratylic Names of Troubled Blood are as rich and meaningful, even funny, as those found in Lethal White. From Paul Satchwell's “little package” to Roy Phipps as the Spanish King Phillip, from the nigredo black elements of Bill Talbot and Saul Morris to the Spenserian echoes of Oonaugh Kennedy and Janice Beattie, and the Rokeby-Oakden coincidences, Strike5 is full of name play. Did I mention that the detectives solve the mystery largely through their exploration of names? Douthwaite and Oakden only pop-up after Strike has revelations consequent to serious reflection on their names and pseudonyms. Rowling-Galbraith really wants her real-world readers to be reflecting on the Dickensian names of all her characters.* The Cratylic Names of Troubled Blood: A Top Twenty Round Up8. The Flints and GaffesRowling commented in one of her interview tableaus for Troubled Blood that she had worked extra hard to get the dates right in this most complicated of novels and that her proof reader and continuity editor found a big mistake. Serious Strikers, though, were left crying “Alas!” and laughing aloud at the number of bone-headed gaffes in The Presence's longest work to date. It remains her best as well as her longest book to date, but, really, get the woman the help she needs to comb the book for errors pre-publication. Can you say, “Isla”?* Troubled Blood: Flints, Errors, and Head Scratchers* Troubled Blood Gaffes: A Second Look at Ages and Dates9. The AstrologyThe principal embedded text in Troubled Blood, the one Robin and Cormoran read repeatedly, create keys for, and discuss throughout the book, is Bill Talbot's ‘True Book.' It features an astrological chart for the exact time and place of Margot Bamborough's disappearance in 1974, which map Talbot used to try and solve the case. Strike is profoundly disgusted by this approach but spends, as does Robin, much of his time trying to figure out the chart or at least what Talbot made of it. Troubled Blood, consequently, turns into something of an exploration of astrology and its relevance to understanding ourselves and the world. Unpacking what Rowling means by it, not to mention what the natal charts of Robin and Cormoran tell us about these charactes, their relationship, and Rowling-Galbraith's intentionally hermetic artistry, is a large part of the exegetical work to be done on Troubled Blood.* Nick Jeffery: Troubled Blood — The Acknowledgements* Part Three, Note Five* Troubled Blood: Strike's Natal Chart* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled Blood* Astrological Allegorical: The Sun Signs of Characters in Troubled Blood* A Second Look at Talbot's Chart: What Does it Reveal to the Unbiased Eye?10. The Tarot Card SpreadsWe know that Rowling has significant skills when it comes to astrology. What is less well appreciated is that almost from childhood she has played with tarot card reading which knowledge has informed her work. This is comic in Trelawney, say, but comes to the fore in Troubled Blood‘s card spreads: the Celtic Cross in Talbot's ‘True Book,' his embedded three card spreads in the illustrations of that tome, and Robin's two readings, one in Laemington Spa and the other in her flat at story's end.* Part Three, Note Six* Part Four, Note Five* Part Five, Note Five* Part Six, Notes Five, Six, Eight* Bill Talbot's Tarot: The Embedded Occult Heart of Troubled Blood* Robin Ellacott's Tarot: The Missed Meanings of Her Twin Three Card Spreads in Troubled Blood11. Who Killed Leda Strike?To Rowling-Galbraith's credit, credible arguments in dedicated posts have been made that every person in the list below was the one who murdered Leda Strike. Who do you think did it?* Jonny Rokeby and the Harringay Crime Syndicate (Heroin Dark Lord 2.0),* Ted Nancarrow (Uncle Ted Did It),* Dave Polworth,* Leda Strike (!),* Lucy Fantoni (Lucy and Joan Did It and here),* Sir Randolph Whittaker,* Nick Herbert,* Peter Gillespie, and* Charlotte Campbell-Ross12. Embedded TextsAll of Rowling's novels feature books and texts, written work as well as metanarratives, with which her characters struggle to figure out in reflective parallel to what her readers are trying to do with the novel in hand. Troubled Blood is exceptionally laden with these embedded texts. Beyond Talbot's True Book and Spenser's Faerie Queen noted above, we are treated to selections from The Demon of Paradise Park, Whatever Happened to Margot Bamborough?, Astrology 14, and The Magus.13. The Murderers: Creed and BeattieA demon-possessed psychopath and the brain-damaged lonely woman… Each is described as “a genius of misdirection” and being without remorse or empathy. The actual murderers in Troubled Blood are distinct, certainly, but paired as well, as one of the many mirrored pairs in this story.14. FeminismTroubled Blood, Rowling has said, is a commentary of sorts on changes in the history of feminism. It is an unvarnished, even brutal exploration of the heroic age of the feminist movement, its front and back, largely through the personalities, circumstances, choices, and experiences of two pairs of women, Margot Bamborough and her plucky Irish side-kick Oonaugh Kennedy and the paired through time couple of Irene Bull-Hickson and Janice Beattie.15. Rokeby 3.0Jonny Rokeby makes his first appearance, albeit only by phone call, in Troubled Blood and yet it has reset thinking about Strike and his biological father considerably. Kurt Schreyer thinks the head Deadbeat is more Snape than Voldemort — and, if this is the case, we need to re-read the series to see how much Strike's emotional injuries from childhood neglect have misshaped his understanding of his dad so he lives in upside-down land.* Guest Post: Rokeby Redux – Is Strike's Father More Snape than Lord Voldemort? Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Today's Lake and Shed framed conversation is about the fifth Cormoran Strike novel, Troubled Blood. Nick discusses Rowling's history with the divinatory art of astrology and the occult resources and reference works she brought into play in writing a novel whose primary embedded text is a murder scene's astrological chart. John talks about the astrological clock structure of twelve houses in which Galbraith tells this remarkable story.New to the Lake and Shed Kanreki Birthday series? Here's what we're doing:On 31 July 2025, Joanne Murray, aka J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, will be celebrating her 60th birthday. This celebration is considered a ‘second birth' in Japan or Kanreki because it is the completion of the oriental astrological cycle. To mark JKR's Kanreki, Dr John Granger and Nick Jeffery, both Nipponophiles, are reading through Rowling's twenty-one published works and reviewing them in light of the author's writing process, her ‘Lake and Shed' metaphor. The ‘Lake' is the biographical source of her inspiration; the ‘Shed' is the alocal place of her intentional artistry, in which garage she transforms the biographical stuff provided by her subconscious mind into the archetypal stories that have made her the most important author of her age. You can hear Nick and John discuss this process and their birthday project at the first entry in this series of posts: Happy Birthday, JKR! A Lake and Shed Celebration of her Life and Work.Tomorrow? Another look at Troubled Blood, this time with an introduction to Rowling's ties to Clerkenwell from Nick and with John making a case for reading Troubled Blood as a re-telling of Spenser's Faerie Queene, Book One, with Strike and Margot as the Redcrosse Knight and Robin and Oonaugh as Una. Stay tuned!Links to posts mentioned in today's Lake and Shed conversation for further reading:* Nick Jeffery: Troubled Blood — The Astrologers in the Acknowledgements* J. K. Rowling, Author-Astrologer, Pt 1: How Did We Not Know About This?* Troubled Blood: Strike's Natal Chart* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled BloodThis is a tentative listing by category of the posts at HogwartsProfessor about Troubled Blood. There's much more work to do on this wonderful work!1. Chiastic StructureRowling's fixation on planning in general and with structural patterns specifically in all of her work continues in Troubled Blood. From the first reading, it became apparent that in Strike5 Rowling-Galbraith had taken her game to a new level of sophistication. She continued, as she had in her four previous Strike mysteries, to write a story in parallel with the Harry Potter septology; there are many echoes of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth and equivalent number in the Hogwarts Saga, in Troubled Blood. Just as Phoenix was in important ways a re-telling of Philosopher's Stone, so Troubled Blood also echoes Cuckoo's Calling — with a few Stone notes thrown in as well. The new heights of Rowling's structural artistry, though, extend beyond her patented intratextuality; they are in each of Strike5's first six parts being ring compositions themselves, the astrological chart embedded in the story chapters, and the six part and two chapters correspondence in structure between Troubled Blood and Spenser's Faerie Queen.* Structure Part One* Structure Part Two, Notes Two to Six* Structure Part Three, Notes One to Three* Structure Part Four, Notes One to Three, Eight, and Ten* Structure Part Five, Notes One to Four, Nine* Structure Part Six, Notes One to Four* Structure Part Seven, Ring Latch, Story Axis* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled Blood* Career of Evil Echoes* Order of the Phoenix Echoes* Cuckoo's Calling Echoes* Philosopher's Stone Echoes2. Literary AlchemyPer Nabokov, literary artistry and accomplishment are known and experienced through a work's “structure and style.” Rowling's signature structures are evident in Troubled Blood (see above) and her characteristic hermetic artistry, literary alchemy, is as well. Strike5 is the series nigredo and Strike and Robin experience great losses and their reduction to their respective and shared prima materia in the dissolving rain and flood waters of the story.* Strike's Transformation* Robin Ellacott and the Reverse Alchemy of the First Three Strike Novels* Lethal White as the Alchemical Pivot of the Strike Series* The Wet Nigredo: Troubled Blood's Black Names, Holiday Three Step, and Losses3. Psychology/MythologyRowling told Val McDermid that if she had not succeeded as a writer than she would have studied to become a psychologist:V: If it hadn't worked out the way it has. If you'd sat there and written the book in the café and nobody ever published it, what would you have done with your life, what would you have liked to have been?JK: There are two answers. If I could have done anything, I would have been really interested in doing, I would have been a psychologist. Because that's the only thing that's ever really pulled me in any way from all this. But at the time I was teaching, and I was very broke, and I had a daughter and I think I would have kept teaching until we were stable enough that we were stable enough that I could change.Because of her lifelong study and pre-occupation with mythology, it is fitting that in Strike5 readers are confronted with a host of references to psychologist Carl Jung and to a specific Greek myth which Jungian psychologists consider essential in understanding feminine psychology. All of which leads in the end to the Strike series' equivalent of the Hogwarts Saga's soul triptych exteriorization in Harry, Hermione and Ron as Body, Mind, and Spirit, with Robin and Strike as Handless Maiden and Fisher King, the mythological images of anima and animus neglected and working towards integration.* Carl Jung and Troubled Blood* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus* The Anima and Animus: The Psychological Heart and Exteriorization of the Cormoran Strike Novels4. Valentine's DayThe story turn of Troubled Blood takes place on Valentine's Day and the actions, events, and repercussions of this holiday of Cupid and Heart-shaped candies, not to mention chocolates, shape the Robin and Strike relationship drama irrevocably. Chocolates play an outsized portion of that work symbolically, believe it or not; the word ‘chocolate' occurs 34 times in the first four Strike novels combined but 82 times in Troubled Blood. I explore the importance of this confection in two posts before beginning to explain the importance and appropriateness of Valentine's Day being the heart of the story, one that is in large part a re-telling of the Cupid and Psyche myth.* Troubled Blood: Interpreting the Poetry of Cormoran's Five Gifts To Robin* Troubled Blood: Poisoned Chocolates* Troubled Blood: The Secret of Rowntree* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus5. Edmund Spenser's Faerie QueenTroubled Blood features several embedded texts, the most important of which is never mentioned in the book: Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queen. Serious Strikers enjoyed the luxury of not one but two scholars of Edmund Spenser who checked in on the relevance and meaning of Rowling's choice of the greatest English epic poem for her epigraphs, not to mention the host of correspondences between Strike 5 and Queen. Elizabeth Baird-Hardy did a part by part exegesis of the Troubled Blood-Faerie Queen conjunctions and Beatrice Groves shared her first thoughts on the connections as well. Just as Lethal White's meaning and artistry is relatively unappreciated without a close reading of Ibsen's Rosmersholm, so with Strike 5 and Faerie Queen.Elizabeth Baird-Hardy* Day One, Part One: The Spenserian Epigraphs of the Pre-Released Troubled Blood Chapters* Day Two, Part Two: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Eight to Fourteen* Day Three, Part Three: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Fifteen to Thirty* Day Four, Part Four: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Thirty One to Forty Eight* Day Five, Part Five: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Forty Nine to Fifty Nine* Part Six: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Sixty to Seventy One* Spenser and Strike Part Seven: Changes for the BetterBeatrice Groves* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 1): Spenserian Clues in Troubled Blood Epigraphs* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 2): Shipping Robin and Strike in the Epigraphs of Troubled Blood* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 3): Searching for Duessa in Troubled BloodJohn Granger:* How Spenser Uses Cupid in Faerie Queen and Its Relevance for Understanding Troubled Blood* Reading Troubled Blood as a Medieval Morality Play6. The GhostsRowling's core belief is in the immortality of the soul and her favorite writer of the 20th Century is Vladimir Nabokov, whose work is subtly permeated by the otherworldly. No surprise, then, that Troubled Blood is haunted by a host of ghosts, most importantly the shade of Margot Bamborough but to include the women murdered by Dennis Creed and Nicolo Ricci. Their influence is so obvious and so important that it has spurred discussion of the spectres that haunt the first four Strike novels whose presence had not been discussed prior to the revelations of Strike 5.* Troubled Blood: The Dead Among Us* The Ghosts Haunting Troubled Blood* The Ghosts Haunting Cuckoo's Calling, Silkworm, Career of Evil, and Lethal White7. The NamesThe Cryptonyms or Cratylic Names of Troubled Blood are as rich and meaningful, even funny, as those found in Lethal White. From Paul Satchwell's “little package” to Roy Phipps as the Spanish King Phillip, from the nigredo black elements of Bill Talbot and Saul Morris to the Spenserian echoes of Oonaugh Kennedy and Janice Beattie, and the Rokeby-Oakden coincidences, Strike5 is full of name play. Did I mention that the detectives solve the mystery largely through their exploration of names? Douthwaite and Oakden only pop-up after Strike has revelations consequent to serious reflection on their names and pseudonyms. Rowling-Galbraith really wants her real-world readers to be reflecting on the Dickensian names of all her characters.* The Cratylic Names of Troubled Blood: A Top Twenty Round Up8. The Flints and GaffesRowling commented in one of her interview tableaus for Troubled Blood that she had worked extra hard to get the dates right in this most complicated of novels and that her proof reader and continuity editor found a big mistake. Serious Strikers, though, were left crying “Alas!” and laughing aloud at the number of bone-headed gaffes in The Presence's longest work to date. It remains her best as well as her longest book to date, but, really, get the woman the help she needs to comb the book for errors pre-publication. Can you say, “Isla”?* Troubled Blood: Flints, Errors, and Head Scratchers* Troubled Blood Gaffes: A Second Look at Ages and Dates9. The AstrologyThe principal embedded text in Troubled Blood, the one Robin and Cormoran read repeatedly, create keys for, and discuss throughout the book, is Bill Talbot's ‘True Book.' It features an astrological chart for the exact time and place of Margot Bamborough's disappearance in 1974, which map Talbot used to try and solve the case. Strike is profoundly disgusted by this approach but spends, as does Robin, much of his time trying to figure out the chart or at least what Talbot made of it. Troubled Blood, consequently, turns into something of an exploration of astrology and its relevance to understanding ourselves and the world. Unpacking what Rowling means by it, not to mention what the natal charts of Robin and Cormoran tell us about these charactes, their relationship, and Rowling-Galbraith's intentionally hermetic artistry, is a large part of the exegetical work to be done on Troubled Blood.* Nick Jeffery: Troubled Blood — The Acknowledgements* Part Three, Note Five* Troubled Blood: Strike's Natal Chart* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled Blood* Astrological Allegorical: The Sun Signs of Characters in Troubled Blood* A Second Look at Talbot's Chart: What Does it Reveal to the Unbiased Eye?10. The Tarot Card SpreadsWe know that Rowling has significant skills when it comes to astrology. What is less well appreciated is that almost from childhood she has played with tarot card reading which knowledge has informed her work. This is comic in Trelawney, say, but comes to the fore in Troubled Blood‘s card spreads: the Celtic Cross in Talbot's ‘True Book,' his embedded three card spreads in the illustrations of that tome, and Robin's two readings, one in Laemington Spa and the other in her flat at story's end.* Part Three, Note Six* Part Four, Note Five* Part Five, Note Five* Part Six, Notes Five, Six, Eight* Bill Talbot's Tarot: The Embedded Occult Heart of Troubled Blood* Robin Ellacott's Tarot: The Missed Meanings of Her Twin Three Card Spreads in Troubled Blood11. Who Killed Leda Strike?To Rowling-Galbraith's credit, credible arguments in dedicated posts have been made that every person in the list below was the one who murdered Leda Strike. Who do you think did it?* Jonny Rokeby and the Harringay Crime Syndicate (Heroin Dark Lord 2.0),* Ted Nancarrow (Uncle Ted Did It),* Dave Polworth,* Leda Strike (!),* Lucy Fantoni (Lucy and Joan Did It and here),* Sir Randolph Whittaker,* Nick Herbert,* Peter Gillespie, and* Charlotte Campbell-Ross12. Embedded TextsAll of Rowling's novels feature books and texts, written work as well as metanarratives, with which her characters struggle to figure out in reflective parallel to what her readers are trying to do with the novel in hand. Troubled Blood is exceptionally laden with these embedded texts. Beyond Talbot's True Book and Spenser's Faerie Queen noted above, we are treated to selections from The Demon of Paradise Park, Whatever Happened to Margot Bamborough?, Astrology 14, and The Magus.13. The Murderers: Creed and BeattieA demon-possessed psychopath and the brain-damaged lonely woman… Each is described as “a genius of misdirection” and being without remorse or empathy. The actual murderers in Troubled Blood are distinct, certainly, but paired as well, as one of the many mirrored pairs in this story.14. FeminismTroubled Blood, Rowling has said, is a commentary of sorts on changes in the history of feminism. It is an unvarnished, even brutal exploration of the heroic age of the feminist movement, its front and back, largely through the personalities, circumstances, choices, and experiences of two pairs of women, Margot Bamborough and her plucky Irish side-kick Oonaugh Kennedy and the paired through time couple of Irene Bull-Hickson and Janice Beattie.15. Rokeby 3.0Jonny Rokeby makes his first appearance, albeit only by phone call, in Troubled Blood and yet it has reset thinking about Strike and his biological father considerably. Kurt Schreyer thinks the head Deadbeat is more Snape than Voldemort — and, if this is the case, we need to re-read the series to see how much Strike's emotional injuries from childhood neglect have misshaped his understanding of his dad so he lives in upside-down land.* Guest Post: Rokeby Redux – Is Strike's Father More Snape than Lord Voldemort? Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Obituary Norman Tebbit Norman Tebbit Former cabinet minister and Thatcher ally dies aged 94 Man shot and seriously injured by police in Hollingbourne Hamas used sexual violence as part of genocidal strategy, Israeli experts say UK emergency alert to be tested for second time in September Children living in Dickensian poverty, says commissioner Families demand answers as Southport inquiry opens Resident doctors vote to strike in long running pay dispute Yorkshire Water to introduce hosepipe ban across county Chefs food decoration at Chinese pre school poisons 233 children

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Families demand answers as Southport inquiry opens Obituary Norman Tebbit Chefs food decoration at Chinese pre school poisons 233 children UK emergency alert to be tested for second time in September Children living in Dickensian poverty, says commissioner Hamas used sexual violence as part of genocidal strategy, Israeli experts say Man shot and seriously injured by police in Hollingbourne Norman Tebbit Former cabinet minister and Thatcher ally dies aged 94 Yorkshire Water to introduce hosepipe ban across county Resident doctors vote to strike in long running pay dispute

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Families demand answers as Southport inquiry opens Chefs food decoration at Chinese pre school poisons 233 children Children living in Dickensian poverty, says commissioner Obituary Norman Tebbit Norman Tebbit Former cabinet minister and Thatcher ally dies aged 94 Yorkshire Water to introduce hosepipe ban across county Hamas used sexual violence as part of genocidal strategy, Israeli experts say Resident doctors vote to strike in long running pay dispute Man shot and seriously injured by police in Hollingbourne UK emergency alert to be tested for second time in September

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Obituary Norman Tebbit Children living in Dickensian poverty, says commissioner UK emergency alert to be tested for second time in September Norman Tebbit Former cabinet minister and Thatcher ally dies aged 94 Families demand answers as Southport inquiry opens Resident doctors vote to strike in long running pay dispute Yorkshire Water to introduce hosepipe ban across county Chefs food decoration at Chinese pre school poisons 233 children Hamas used sexual violence as part of genocidal strategy, Israeli experts say Man shot and seriously injured by police in Hollingbourne

Reposted from Still Slaying: A Buffy-verse podcast which you can find at https://podcastica.com/podcast/still-slaying-a-buffy-verse-podcast“Over bickering and confusion, I'll take pie.” The Slay Squad returns from hiatus with a double episode - Sam, Kara and Penny dig into this pair of episodes that each address the cultural clashes in very different contexts.  The trio digress for some tangents as usual, like parental advice not to take drugs from a stranger, boring dates, general appreciation for the men of Angel, Rachel Dolezal, vampire eyesight, Aragorn, symbolic cannibalism, patriarchy (as always), Dickensian orphanhood, vampire senses, the criminal justice system, voir dire, The Village People, and JRR Tolkien. Next time, we'll be covering Angel, Season 1, Episode 8, “I Will Remember You.”Keep Slaying!News Links/Referenced LinksOriginal Trailers/WB Promos: “The Bachelor Party” and “Pangs”Female Body | farideh | stream wherever you like to listen to music #womenshealth #comedy - YouTubeMissing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) - Native HopeNational Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women May 5th Actions Calling for Justice! | NIWRC5 Films and TV Series Associated with MMIWG2S+Wind River (film) - Wikipedia—----------------------------------------Viewing OrderBuffy 4x01 - The Freshman Angel 1x01 - City of...Buffy 4x02 - Living ConditionsAngel 1x02 - Lonely HeartsBuffy 4x03 - The Harsh Light Of DayAngel 1x03 - In the DarkAngel 1x04 - I Fall to PiecesBuffy 4x04 - Fear ItselfBuffy 4x05 - Beer BadAngel 1x05 - Rm w/a VuAngel 1x06 - Sense and SensitivityBuffy 4x06 - Wild at HeartBuffy 4x07 - The InitiativeAngel 1x07 - The Bachelor PartyBuffy 4x08 - PangsAngel 1x08 - I Will Remember YouAngel 1x09 - HeroAngel 1x10 - Parting GiftsBuffy 4x09 - Something BlueBuffy 4x10 - HushBuffy 4x11 - DoomedAngel 1x11 - SomnambulistAngel 1x12 - ExpectingAngel 1x13 - SheBuffy 4x12 - A New ManBuffy 4x13 - The I In TeamBuffy 4x14 - Goodbye IowaAngel 1x14 - I've Got You Under My SkinAngel 1x15 - The ProdigalBuffy 4x15 - This Year's Girl (1/2)Buffy 4x16 - Who Are You? (2/2)Buffy 4x17 - SuperstarAngel 1x16 - The RingAngel 1x17 - EternityBuffy 4x18 - Where the Wild Things AreBuffy 4x19 - New Moon RisingAngel 1x18 - Five by Five (1/2)Angel 1x19 - Sanctuary (2/2)Buffy 4x20 - The Yoko Factor (1/2)Buffy 4x21 - Primeval (2/2)Buffy 4x22 - RestlessAngel 1x20 - War ZoneAngel 1x21 - Blind DateAngel 1x22 - To Shanshu in LAJoin the conversation! You can email or send a voice message to stillslayingfeedback@gmail.com, or join us at facebook.com/groups/podcastica and Still Slaying A Buffy-verse Podcast where we put up comment posts for each episode we cover. Follow us on Instagram Still Slaying: a Buffyverse Podcast from Podcastica Network (@stillslayingcast) • Instagram photos and videosJoin the Zedhead community - https://www.patreon.com/jasoncabassiTheme Music:℗ CC-BY 2020 Quesbe | Lucie G. MorillonGoopsy | Drum and Bass | Free CC-BY Music By Quesbe is licensed under a Creative Commons License.Tags#buffythevampireslayer #btvs #buffy #buffyverse #buffyfans #vampires #tv #nostalgia #the90s #nerds #nerdy #spuffy #thebronze #stillslaying #stillslayingpodcast #stillslayingcast #podcast #podcastica #angel #angelus #recap #newepisode #favorite #slayer #vampireslayer #buffyseason4 #sunnydale #hellmouth #TheWB  #tvpromo #smashthepatriarchy #femisim #patriarchy #sarahmichellegellar #anthonystewarthead   #alysonhannigan #nicolasbrendanAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Deck the halls with chaos, cutaways, and cranberry sauce! This week, Thom and Anthony dive deep into five more uproarious Family Guy Christmas episodes, from Dickensian parodies to Meg's mall-Santa trauma and Lois's Grinch-worthy meltdowns. With Julia taking a festive hiatus, the guys hold down the fort with unfiltered banter, personal holiday horror stories (bee infestations! Disney World mishaps!), and their signature spicy takes. Inside this episode:

In this episode I go on a history tour with Mike Garland from the Ipswich Tour Guides Association to look at locations in the town that feature in the works of Charles Dickens. We also talk about some other notable places in Ipswich that Dickens visited during his trips to the town.Podcast Artwork:Kelly WadsworthMusic:Caleb HowgegoIpswich Tour Guides Association website www.ipswichtourguides.org.ukFor more local history visit www.ipswichhistory.com

Our sense of smell is vital to appreciating food and drink, it can warn us of danger, and enhance enjoyment of our environment, and yet it is one of our least explored sensory systems. In The Forgotten Sense, olfaction specialist Dr Jonas Olofsson explains the science behind our sense of smell.Dr Ally Louks caused a stink on social media when she mentioned the subject of her PhD thesis, Olfactory Ethics: The Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary Prose. But she shows just how much readers can learn from paying attention to the aroma of a writer's work.While imagining the stench of a Dickensian city street can enhance a reader's experience, what about actually smelling burning rubber as you play a video racing game? Professor Alan Chalmers explains the groundbreaking research currently ongoing to make gaming a more immersive experience, with smell at its centre.Producer: Katy Hickman

I forgot what we talked about between recording and editing this sorry

At the rural orphanage where I volunteered, the place resembled a Dickensian workhouse. The staff's main tools were antipsychotics and violence. The experience gave me a window into Putin's Russia By Howard Amos. Read by Harry Lloyd. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig, chosen by Julia Bradbury A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, chosen by Ramita Navai An Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim, chosen by presenter Harriett GilbertTV presenter, author and walking enthusiast Julia Bradbury recommends a fiction book by Matt Haig, How to Stop Time, which brings to life the idea of living forever.Award-winning British-Iranian investigative journalist, documentary maker and author Ramita Navai shares the epic novel A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, his Dickensian masterpiece of modern India.And Harriett's choice is An Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim, capturing four ladies' unforgettable holiday on the Italian Riviera.Produced by Beth O'Dea for BBC Audio Bristol Follow us on instagram: agoodreadbbc

The crew finally get their act together and begins investigating where they are going to perform their Dickensian scheme.  Please support Dugongs & Sea Dragons on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/DugongsAndSeadragons  

Dickensian upbringings, featuring work by Margo Davis, Eaton Jackson and Richard Moore.Support the show

This week's podcast... The editors of the Washington Post (owned by Jeff Bezos) refused to run this cartoon by Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes. She resigned. See her work now at www.anntelnaes.com For Donald Trump, this really is a Dickensian week: these are the best of times and the worst of times. Even as his second-chance administration falls into place, Trump officially became a convicted felon, and the case of his insurrection-related crimes is now a part of the public record (despite the best efforts of his "crack" legal team). President Biden echoed the warnings of Dwight Eisenhower in his farewell address, but will it have an impact on the oligarchs who are running the Trump-Musk administration?  Trump's clown cabinet nominees have begun the sham hearing process in the Senate with the prospect that Fox News will be seeing a lot of former staffers moving into the most powerful jobs in America. We are recording on Thursday. Mark is in Detroit for today's Democratic National Committee forum featuring would-be leaders of the DNC. We'll do a little time shifting and get his thoughts when the forum wraps up. The Biden speech isn't the only politically significant speech on our radar. Governor Whitmer gave the keynote address at the Detroit Auto Show, a speech which may be a preview of the Whitmer for President campaign in 2028. And Republicans are heaping tragedy on top of catastrophe by politicizing the L.A. fires even as tens of thousands are homeless and the southern California economy is literally reduced to ashes. Some of the other stories that caught our eye this week: Trump Said He'd Solve Ukraine on Day One. Republicans Say He Didn't Mean ‘Day One.' - NOTUS (Allbritton Journalism Institute) Trump tax cuts, if made permanent, stand to benefit highest income earners, Treasury analysis shows - AP News Aaron Rupar on X: "SLOTKIN: Do you agree that there are some orders that could be given by the commander in chief that could violate the US Constitution? HEGSETH: I reject the premise that President Trump is gonna be giving illegal orders" / X Trump's Defense Pick Proudly Admits the Rules Won't Apply to Him - The New Republic Opinion | Republicans in North Carolina Are Treading a Terrifying Path - Frank Bruni/The New York Times $$ Why Costco Isn't Joining the Backlash Against DEI - Wall Street Journal The critical question Pete Hegseth dodged in his confirmation hearing - MSNBC Slotkin, Peters hammer Trump's pick to lead Pentagon at Senate hearing - Detroit News Pam Bondi doesn't rule out probes of Trump foes as attorney general - AP News Suddenly Donald Trump doesn't want to talk so much about the economy - MSNBC Pay for Play: You won't believe all the powerful people I met as a special guest of President-elect Trump - Kevin O'Leary via Daily Mail Online =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Clay Bennett - Chattanooga Times Free Press

RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjardeng MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for the first of his regular audio described theatre reviews for 2025. Vidar was reviewing mark Gatiss' retelling of Dickens' classic winter tale with ‘A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story' at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre with description by professional Audio Describer Carolyn Smith for his first review of 2025. About A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story Birmingham Rep presents a Nottingham Playhouse Production in association with Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Eilene Davidson Productions with A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story. It's a cold Christmas Eve and mean-spirited miser Ebenezer Scrooge has an unexpected visit from the spirit of his former business partner Jacob Marley. Bound in chains as punishment for a lifetime of greed, the unearthly figure explains it isn't too late for Scrooge to change his miserly ways in order to escape the same fate, but first he'll have to face three more eerie encounters. Filled with Dickensian, spine-tingling special effects, prepare to be frightened and delighted in equal measure as you enter the supernatural Victorian world of A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story. Mark Gatiss‘ acclaimed retelling of Dickens' winter ghost story stars Matthew Cottle as Scrooge. “In the hands of Gatiss, Dickens' festive tale banishes all thoughts of ‘bah, humbug'.” - Evening Standard For more about access at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre along with details of audio described performances of their productions do visit - https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/your-visit/accessibility/ (Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)

At the height of his fame, Dickens falls in love with a young woman (Nelly Ternan) and a city (Paris). He survives a train crash and public disapproval over his separation from his wife. People turn out in droves to see him perform his works on stage. But his lifestyle is catching up with him and his health is failing. What is his final scene to be? We look back at his life and try to work out what “Dickensian” really means.Listen to Legacy on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/legacy now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Steff, Milo, and Ram go into the fatigue zone breaking apart two more games (Wolves home and Forest away) in our Dickensian crawl through deep Midwinter, with injuries enveloping our valiant players like unwanted shitty polyester blankets, and the only truth being can we - as a football club - physically put one foot in front of the other. No weirdo diet or kitchen metaphors, just honest conversation about the state of the Spurs union.Website: https://thegameisaboutglory.co.uk/Bluesky: @thegameisaboutglory.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jennifer Sutherland is an award winning poet, author and attorney. Perhaps most importantly, she's a multi time guest in the Garden. Christmas is filled with joys and iconic movies and specials that we've cherished for generations. And a lot of them are creepy, concerning and a little terrifying. We visit some of those in this show. Like the Ghosts of Dickensian fame, we take you to your various stages and wrestle with these properties and our relationships with them. From Wooden Soldiers to Santa Claus, no one is completely spared.

We decided to break format this week, and we might do it again at that (it was wonderful).  To ring in the holiday week, we had to spend a little time talking about A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  And we must admit we had never read it until now.  We sit down with Dean Natalie McKnight at Boston University, and Professor Joel Brattin at Worcester Polytechnic. Both top Dickensian scholars in their field, we ask them why this book still universally resonates….hundreds of years later. Books mentioned in this week's episode: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens The Chimes by Charles Dickens Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens The Battle of Life: A Love Story by Charles Dickens The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain by Charles Dickens Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Bleak House by Charles Dickens Hard Times by Charles Dickens Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens  A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

[This is an encore of Episode 100, originally released November 9, 2022]. Paul's award-winning achievements in the music industry are beyond compare. His work has woven itself into the fabric of 20th and 21st century popular culture. His memorable songs have touched multiple generations around the world. But, as with many alcoholics, Paul's genius grew out of a Dickensian childhood, full of family upheavals and physical challenges that left him with little solace, save his song-writing. By the time alcohol and drugs entered the picture in his early 20's, his musical talents had been honed into a career in which he enjoyed unbridled creativity and massive success during the 1970's. But Paul's burgeoning alcoholism cunningly resided off-stage, in the shadows of his own denial and the enabling of those around him. By 1989, after a decade lost to the disease, Paul faced the bleak reality of his alcoholism and its devastating effects on his life and those he loved. As the gates of hell loomed ever-larger with each passing day, a series of “God-moments” occurred that brought Paul to his knees at the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous. Willing to embrace AA's Program of action, he embarked on a spiritual journey that ultimately saved him. Over the years, he has offered his experience and hope to countless alcoholics, both inside and outside the rooms. Infusing his own fame and fortune with the humility of one who has thoroughly worked a spiritually-guided Program, Paul enjoys his broad role as a trusted servent to those who need AA now or may need it in the future. His gentle, yet powerful, words of encouragement and hope are every bit as inspiring and heart-felt as the songs he created over the years. The challenges of producing an anonymous interview with someone so well-known were considerable. But both Paul and I turned the final outcome over to a power greater than ourselves. I believe you will be pleased by the results. Unfortunately, the sound quality is less than stellar as Zoom was somewhat glitchy the day of the interview. But give it a few minutes. Paul's story will whisk you away to a clear and wonderful awareness of his words. So please enjoy the next hour and ten minutes of AA Recovery Interviews, my one hundredth podcast, as you listen to the insightful and exhilarating words of my friend and AA brother, Paul W. If you've enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series, have a listen to Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30 Original Stories Missing from the 3rd and 4th Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It's an engaging audiobook I narrated to bring these stories to life for AA members who've never seen them. These timeless testimonials were originally cut to make room for newer stories in the 3rd and 4th Editions. But their vitally important messages of hope are as meaningful today as when they were first published. Many listeners will hear these stories for the first time. Lost Stories of the Big Book is available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. It's also available as a Kindle book and in Paperback from Amazon if you'd like to read along with the audio. I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism”. This is the word-for-word, cover-to-cover reading of the First Edition of the Big Book, published in 1939. It's a comfortable, meaningful, and engaging way to listen to the Big Book anytime, anyplace. Have a free listen at Audible, i-Tunes, or Amazon. [Disclaimer: AA Recovery Interviews podcast strictly adheres to AA's 12 Traditions and all General Service Office guidelines for safe-guarding anonymity on-line. I pay all podcast production costs. AA Recovery Interviews and my guests do not speak for or represent AA at-large. This podcast is simply my way of giving back to AA that which has been so freely given to me. – Howard L.]

Merry Christmas … ‘tis the season to be jolly and joyous…. fa la la! So for our special we discuss the much loved festive favourite ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol' from 1992. Michael Caine joins Kermit, Miss. Piggy and all the Muppets as he plays Scrooge in this interpretation of the Dickensian novella. Tune in and remember that ‘Wherever you find love it feels like Christmas'

Quick heads up: Little Boy Christmas has a tenuous relationship with his parents, and therefore, this episode isn’t suited for kids. Have you ever wondered about Little Boy Christmas, the forgotten son of Santa and Mrs Claus? Nope, neither had we. That’s probably why he’s forgotten. Looking like an unbelievably shredded Dickensian orphan (you’re going to want to watch the YouTube for this one), Little Boy Christmas chats to Hugh, Ryan and Josh about the physical and psychological pressures of being in the most famous family in the world. A BIG thank you to Guy Montgomery who introduced us to Little Boy Christmas. All ad revenue from this episode will be donated to Guy Montgomery’s chosen charity of Auckland City Mission. Auckland City Mission responds to poverty, aiming to help people find permanent housing and food. If you’d like to donate, or check out what they’re about, follow this link - https://bit.ly/3VB0dfM

Quick heads up: Little Boy Christmas has a tenuous relationship with his parents, and therefore, this episode isn’t suited for kids. Have you ever wondered about Little Boy Christmas, the forgotten son of Santa and Mrs Claus? Nope, neither had we. That’s probably why he’s forgotten. Looking like an unbelievably shredded Dickensian orphan (you’re going to want to watch the YouTube for this one), Little Boy Christmas chats to Hugh, Ryan and Josh about the physical and psychological pressures of being in the most famous family in the world. A BIG thank you to Guy Montgomery who introduced us to Little Boy Christmas. All ad revenue from this episode will be donated to Guy Montgomery’s chosen charity of Auckland City Mission. Auckland City Mission responds to poverty, aiming to help people find permanent housing and food. If you’d like to donate, or check out what they’re about, follow this link - https://bit.ly/3VB0dfM

Clare Keegan's slim 2021 novella about one Irishman's crisis of conscience during the Christmas season, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, has also been adapted into a film starring Cillian Murphy. In this week's episode, MJ Franklin discusses the book with his colleagues Joumana Khatib, Lauren Christensen, and Elizabeth Egan.  Keegan's book was also one of The New York Times Book Review's 100 best books of the 21st century. As we wrote, "Not a word is wasted in Keegan's small, burnished gem of a novel, a sort of Dickensian miniature centered on the son of an unwed mother who has grown up to become a respectable coal and timber merchant with a family of his own in 1985 Ireland. Moralistically, though, it might as well be the Middle Ages as he reckons with the ongoing sins of the Catholic Church and the everyday tragedies wrought by repression, fear and rank hypocrisy."  Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Welcome to "Norm! A Cheers Podcast!" Grab a pint of lager and get into the Dickensian spirit as we continue our discussion of Cheers Season 9 with "I'm Getting My Act Together and Sticking it in Your Face." Please follow us on Twitter (@cheers_norm), like our page on Facebook (@normcheerspodcast), and email us at normcheerspodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

Don't be fooled by the lack of Dickensian drama: melancholy, materialism, regret, a graveyard–today's poem is A Christmas Carol for the modern man. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

Today I welcome Sharon Lynn Fisher to the show to discuss two of her books I read this year. SALT AND BROOM is a witch retelling of Jane Eyre, and her new book, GRIMM CURIOUSITIES, is a perfect Yuletide ghost story that explores Krampus while using the Dickensian atmosphere of a Victorian curiosity shop. Both books manage to honor their Gothic inspiration while offering a cozy atmosphere, and we discuss that genre bending work on the show. All links and show notes are on my website at sheworeblackpodcast.com

Happy Holidays!Scott Interrante of This is the Greatest Song I've Ever Heard in My Entire Life and Tara Giancaspro of xoxo Gossip Giancaspro join Nicole and Ryan to talk about The Muppet Christmas Carol, which begs the question, "Do we even like the general story of A Christmas Carol?" Our answers to that question will shock you as well our answers to "who is in your muppet big 3?" We also discuss which human should accompany the Muppets if they ever take another shot at adapting this Dickensian classic.Chapters:0:00:00 - 0:08:45 Intros and Guests' Connections to The Muppet Christmas Carol0:08:46 - 0:23:04 Paul Williams and the songs of A Muppet Christmas Carol0:23:05 - 0:39:55 Discussing the Film0:39:56 - 0:45:03 The score of the film and The Muppets straddling the line between adult and kid-friendly0:45:04 - 0:53:59 Who would work as Scrooge in a reboot / More thoughts on the songs0:54:00 - 1:00:27 Actors/Actresses we'd like to see work with The Muppets1:00:31 - 1:13:53 Our Muppet Big 3s 1:13:54 - 1:18:01 Bespoke Muppets at Coldplay 1:18:02 - END     Saying Farewell to Our GuestsThank you for listening! We would love it if you would join our Patreon membership, where you will get quarterly bonus episodes, early access to our regular episodes and more!

We ran our patent heat-sensing Scrutiniser®️ over the week's news and here's what set the bells off … … are buskers now more expensive live entertainment than Taylor Swift? … a Dickensian oik in Chapel Market and other riddles of modern etiquette. … ‘Holiness and horniness': how Hallelujah rebooted Leonard Cohen and became a one-song industry. … the teenage self-promotional flair of Robert Plant and Marc Bolan. … are singles a social experience and albums a solitary one? … “Would you like a fruit gum?”: the 1950s in a single phrase. … highly recommended: Wendy Waldman, Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band and ‘The Room' by Fabiano do Nascimento. … rock snobs' alarm about the revelations of their Spotify Wrapped. … why the Sherman Brothers are as enduring as Lennon-McCartney. … Hallelujah cover versions - from kd lang and Rufus Wainwright to Johnny Mathis and the Osmonds. ... how King David removed ‘love rival' Uriah the Hittite. … reconnecting with records you haven't heard for 40 years.   … whatever happened to She Sherriff?! … Loudon Wainwright's early inference about the YMCA. … plus Lindsey Buckingham, Hugh Lloyd, Tony Hancock and fond memories of “stolen cheese guy”.Find out more about how to help us to keep the conversation going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We ran our patent heat-sensing Scrutiniser®️ over the week's news and here's what set the bells off … … are buskers now more expensive live entertainment than Taylor Swift? … a Dickensian oik in Chapel Market and other riddles of modern etiquette. … ‘Holiness and horniness': how Hallelujah rebooted Leonard Cohen and became a one-song industry. … the teenage self-promotional flair of Robert Plant and Marc Bolan. … are singles a social experience and albums a solitary one? … “Would you like a fruit gum?”: the 1950s in a single phrase. … highly recommended: Wendy Waldman, Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band and ‘The Room' by Fabiano do Nascimento. … rock snobs' alarm about the revelations of their Spotify Wrapped. … why the Sherman Brothers are as enduring as Lennon-McCartney. … Hallelujah cover versions - from kd lang and Rufus Wainwright to Johnny Mathis and the Osmonds. ... how King David removed ‘love rival' Uriah the Hittite. … reconnecting with records you haven't heard for 40 years.   … whatever happened to She Sherriff?! … Loudon Wainwright's early inference about the YMCA. … plus Lindsey Buckingham, Hugh Lloyd, Tony Hancock and fond memories of “stolen cheese guy”.Find out more about how to help us to keep the conversation going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We ran our patent heat-sensing Scrutiniser®️ over the week's news and here's what set the bells off … … are buskers now more expensive live entertainment than Taylor Swift? … a Dickensian oik in Chapel Market and other riddles of modern etiquette. … ‘Holiness and horniness': how Hallelujah rebooted Leonard Cohen and became a one-song industry. … the teenage self-promotional flair of Robert Plant and Marc Bolan. … are singles a social experience and albums a solitary one? … “Would you like a fruit gum?”: the 1950s in a single phrase. … highly recommended: Wendy Waldman, Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band and ‘The Room' by Fabiano do Nascimento. … rock snobs' alarm about the revelations of their Spotify Wrapped. … why the Sherman Brothers are as enduring as Lennon-McCartney. … Hallelujah cover versions - from kd lang and Rufus Wainwright to Johnny Mathis and the Osmonds. ... how King David removed ‘love rival' Uriah the Hittite. … reconnecting with records you haven't heard for 40 years.   … whatever happened to She Sherriff?! … Loudon Wainwright's early inference about the YMCA. … plus Lindsey Buckingham, Hugh Lloyd, Tony Hancock and fond memories of “stolen cheese guy”.Find out more about how to help us to keep the conversation going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charles Dickens is arguably the most celebrated author of the Victorian period, but is his reputation deserved? How about Ebenezer Scrooge—should we grant forgiveness to greedy CEOs if they show enough generosity? In episode 330, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they chat about Luke's experience at Dragonsteel Nexus 2024, what people mean by “Dickensian,” and how effective Dickens was at showing the living conditions of the lower classes. Join them next week when they discuss “Scrooged” (1988) directed by Richard Donner! Dragonsteel Nexus recap: 58:38 Full Video version available on YouTube https://bit.ly/3Xdjc1n Purchase Bookish Merch from The Marauder's Market: https://maraudersmarket.com/ Support the show on Patreon for bonus content, merch, and the ability to vote on upcoming projects! https://www.patreon.com/inktofilm Get A Christmas Carol or any of the source novels at the Ink to Film Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/inktofilm Ink to Film's Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky (@inktofilm) Home Base: inktofilm.com Luke Elliott Recent publications: “Your Black Apron Meal Kit Has Arrived” in the Even Cozier Cosmic anthology https://bookshop.org/a/23566/9781630230975 “Beyond Heaven” in the Beyond the Vanishing Point anthology: https://a.co/d/cTwnwz7 Website: www.lukeelliottauthor.com Social Media Accounts: www.lukeelliottauthor.com/social James Bailey BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/jamebail.bsky.social IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamebail/ Music:  Intro music, One lone night for Christmas with a Snow Wonders by myuu (Royalty Free Music) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMVQN78qHgY

Todays episode is on Dickens' final Christmas Book The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain. A deeply powerful story, where the chemist, Stephen Redlaw is offered the chance to forget all his painful memories by a Phantom who is a ghastly copy of himself drawn from the shadows in his study. Redlaw accepts the ghost's bargain … but then faces a desperate struggle to have this spell lifted again, when to his horror he discovers that his new gift has a 'King Midas' quality of infecting everyone he meets (or nearly everyone) with the same curse of forgetting …   Light in the story comes in the form of Millie, one of Dickens' good little women and a ministering angel to the people around her. Millie, her sparky husband William Swidger and her ancient father in law Philip, quietly try to help Stephen: turning up the lamps or decorating his study with that powerful wintry emblem, holly …Dominic is joined by the inimitable Dr Lydia Craig, Lecturer in English at the University of Eastern Illinois. Lydia co-authored The Verse of Charles Dickens for Edinburgh University Press and her specialities include Nineteenth Century Race and Gender and The English Novel.She is both Associate editor of The Dickensian and The Charles Dickens Letters project, Co-editor of Dickens Search and Treasurer of The Dickens Society …Support the showIf you like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrardHost: Dominic GerrardSeries Artwork: Léna GibertOriginal Music:

We revisit our episode with Gregory Maguire.******"That's really all we are obliged to do for those we call our enemies. We are obliged to see them as humans, and then we behave the way we will. We are obliged not to consider them as less than human because that way, all hell breaks loose. - Gregory MaguireGregory Maguire expresses himself with extreme precision. While many of us may grasp for words to communicate a specific emotion or to describe a series of events, Gregory seemingly has words and turns of phrase on command. What a delight it is to listen to Gregory talk about his journey, his writing, and his thoughts on a wide variety of topics. Close to Gregory's heart is the belief that everyone has a backstory, a context—even our enemies. And no matter how difficult the task may seem, he believes it is our duty to understand that story and find it within ourselves to empathize with them—not to excuse them but to simply see them as humans.Gregory has built his career around telling the stories of antiheroes, most notably through the reimaginings of classic fairytales in novels such as "Wicked," "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister," and "Mirror Mirror." That ability to find empathy and a curiosity to understand even the most seemingly undeserving characters emerges in his other children's and young adult books and is deeply rooted in experiences from Gregory's early life.In this episode, Gregory shares those early life experiences (which can honestly be described as “Dickensian”) and how his relationships with his father and siblings have impacted his writing and life choices. He tells us about his love of the “arresting strangeness” of literary worlds and how this sensation inspired him to become a writer. He also shares why he believes in the children's stories he writes, not always getting a “happily ever after.”***Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. ***In his reading challenge, Arresting Strangeness (a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien), Gregory has compiled a list of his favorite books that envelop you completely and force you to look at the world around you anew. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com/gregory-maguire***This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Lauren Mobley, a middle school librarian in Atlanta, Georgia. She tells us about a fun reading program she set up in her school inspired by a hit reality TV show.ContentsChapter 1 - Travel of the MindChapter 2 - Home, the Orphanage, and back againChapter 3 - The Children of Green KnoweChapter 4 - Harriet the RecorderChapter 5 - Origins of EmpathyChapter 6 - The Absence of a Happily Ever AfterChapter 7 - Arresting StrangenessChapter 8 - Beanstack Featured LibrarianLinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupGregory MaguireGregory (@gregorymaguire) • Instagram photos and videosWICKED Official Trailer (2024)by JRR Tolkien - On Fairy-StoriesThe Children of Green Knowe (Green Knowe, #1) by Lucy M. Boston | GoodreadsThe Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Beanstack resources to build your community's reading cultureHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Season 2 is finally here and it's all about what we wore in high school! Wendy and Alice chat about their best fits, worst fits, and how teen fashion experimentation made them who they are today!

The TMI guys are back with their most epic episode yet, diving DEEP into the bewitching television classic and its hidden history as a groundbreaking queer/feminist text. You'll learn all about the behind-the-scenes drama that led to the legendary Darrin switch, the twisted on-set love triangle, and the distressingly high number of cast members who died during production. Dick York's Dickensian childhood represents the darkest moment in the podcast's history, rivaled possibly by the mysterious death that haunted Paul "Uncle Arthur" Lynde for the rest of his life. (Jordan's attempts to lighten the mood with his 'Hollywood Squares' one-liners only goes so far.) You'll also discover the show's surprising connection to the JFK assassination, OJ Simpson, atomic bomb testing, and the Lockerbie bombing — and hear all about that one Christmas episode written by a bunch of children that wound up with the cast wearing blackface. (Really.)  Support your friendly neighborhood TMI Guys here! https://ko-fi.com/toomuchinformationpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Babe, wake up, the new Bandsplain season just dropped. And what dark alleyways is Yasi leading us down next? This season we're gazing across the pond toward the underground scenes of the 80s and 90s in the UK following the peak of punk music – namely, Madchester, Brit Pop, and shoegaze. For our first episode, music industry savants and known Scots John Niven and Chlöe Walsh look back on “Baggy” and how the Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses revitalized indie music and helped cement the rise of rave culture in the industrial, Dickensian landscape that also birthed The Smiths, Joy Division, and The Buzzcocks, as well as Oasis a decade later. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the scene, this season is sure to turn you into a 24-hour-podcast person. SKIP AHEAD: 20:43 - Formation of Happy Mondays 1:00:40 - Formation of The Stone Roses 3:12:05 - Squirrel And G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) (1987) 3:31:21 - Sally Cinnamon EP (1987) 3:48:06 - Arrival of Ecstasy EPISODE PLAYLIST: Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE CREDITS: Host: Yasi Salek Guests: John Niven, Chlöe Walsh Producer: Liz Sánchez Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's podcast is presented by Stephen and Michelle. We hear from:Anna from Berkshire, who has enjoyed hearing about all the businesses in Ambridge and who has a plot prediction about one of them;Katherine, who wonders what is the point of Kenton and Jolene;Claire from Clapham, who was cheering Lilian on on Thursday;Witherspoon, who has Dickensian thoughts about Justin;Katherine, who thinks that Justin is more like Joey from Friends;And finally Ditsy of Darrington who returns to the charge on Americanisms;We also have an email from Gillian.Plus: we have the Week in Ambridge from Suey, a roundup of the Dumteedum Facebook group from Vicky, and the Tweets of the Week from Theo.Please call into the show using this link:www.speakpipe.com/dumteedum Or send us a voicenote via WhatsApp on: +44 7810 012 881 (07810012 881 if in the UK) – Open the WhatsApp app, key in the number and click on the microphone icon.Or email us at dumteedum@mail.comHow to leave a review on Apple podcasts: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/podcasts/pod5facd9d70/mac***Also Sprach Zarathustra licenceCreative Commons ► Attribution 3.0 Unported ► CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..."You are free to use, remix, transform, and build upon the materialfor any purpose, even commercially. You must give appropriate credit."Conducted byPhilip Milman ► https://pmmusic.pro/Funded ByLudwig ► / ludwigahgren Schlatt ► / jschlattlive COMPOSED BY / @officialphilman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In chapters 3 and 4 of Knight of Shadows, Merlin is dragged into a full-on quest -- a tussle between the Pattern and the Logrus -- during which he is meant to "choose sides". We're introduced to the idea of Pattern Ghosts, and begin the Dickensian parade of ghosts of all our favorite characters from the Corwin books.

“Summertime, and the living is easy, fish are jumping, and”… wait a minute, what the hell is this?A summer camp for kids – but with a disturbing corporate twist. Some outlets of Chick-fil-A, the fast food chicken chain, are promoting a summer camp where children as young as 5 can learn “how to be a Chick-fil-A worker.”Isn't this fun? The corporation says that while the chickadees won't actually be doing the work of regular employees, they will learn how to “take orders, deliver orders, make drinks, and be a hostess.”Of course, the little campers don't get paid – indeed their families must pay to let the company give them an early dose of the good ol' American work ethic and a “behind-the-scenes look” inside the hierarchal corporate order. You can't start ‘em too young on these life lessons! The kiddos do get compensated, sort of, with their very own Chick-fil-A nametag and t-shirt.Okay, this is not the Dickensian dystopia of 19th century England – but is that our modern standard? There is nothing wrong with young kids working… but 5-year-olds? And – as was the case in the pre-teen tasks I had in my father's small business and on my Aunt Eula's farm – the objective ought not be indoctrination into the corporate culture of low-wage franchises. Rather, I was learning to help the family and how to contribute to the larger community. My reward was not merely a token stipend, but a recognition that I belonged – that I had a role and was valued as part of that community.  People didn't need a corporate name tag to know who I was.This is Jim Hightower saying… There's so much more that an $11 billion nationwide giant like Chick-fil-A could do for the communities that provide its profits. Can't they think of anything less selfish than promoting a fast-food future for children.Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

Ep 305- Joining us this week is Beverly Cornell, author and host of the Spark & Ignite marketing podcast. Beverly brings with her a story of family. Not your typical family story. A story of 3 generations of adoption, discovering family and roots. It's a tale Dickensian in epicness, with twists and surprises and strange … Continue reading "Ep 306- “Why Did Your Name Change?”"

David Ambroz was one of three kids raised by a single mother with mental health issues. In his book, "A Place Called Home,"  he describes his Dickensian childhood surviving a flawed parent, life on the streets, and a social services system seemingly designed to deprive his family of the help they needed.   When his mother grew too violent, David was initially relieved to be put in the foster system, despite being separated from his siblings. But things went from bad to worse, until finally he found a family that helped him find acceptance and balance into his young adulthood.  David overcame the odds and went on to become very successful--completing college, and earning a law degree.   Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com

Rep. Ritchie Torres joins Tim Miller to discuss how to win working-class voters, his Dickensian upbringing, and Israel under the microscope of 24-hour news. Plus, mental health, Pride, and Trump as the GOP's new lord and savior. Then, Ben Smith talks about Americans fragmenting the media universe, and the Epoch Times grift. show notes: Torres talking about being a Zionist after being heckled New Yorker piece on Guo Wengui that Ben mentioned 

The lads have just come from the studio recording Pierre's audiobook! Pre-order the book here: https://geni.us/pierrenovelliebookThey discuss Made In Chelsea and Phil's new love of reality shows generally, and suggest Werk House for Dickensian entertainment, and Phil saw an argument between a member of the public and a Member Of Station Staff. Correspondence from Pete regarding gardening soiling oneself, and Jeff is suggesting a new fart enjoyment theory. Get bonus BudPod on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our conversation on the concluding chapters of The Warden, in which the Close Reads team discusses whether this books ends in anti-climax, whether Trollope is actually poking more fun at Harding himself than it seems at first, the anti-Dickensian nature of the story, the book's unique moral vision, and much more. Happy listening! Close Reads HQ is a community-supported publication. To ensure that we can keep making the content you value, please consider subscribing! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

Greg Jenner is joined by Dr Emily Bell and Mike Wozniak to find out what Christmas was like with Charles Dickens.We take a walk through the many Christmases of the renowned Victorian author. From elephants walking on ice to the family Christmas punch recipe, we take a closer look at the factors that may have influenced some of his most famous works and unpick what the phrase Dickensian has come to mean over the years.Written by Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner Produced by Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner Assistant Producer: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow Researcher: Jessica White Project Management: Isla Matthews Audio Producer: Steve Hankey