Podcasts about Literature

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony was this past Sunday, and we've got a lot to talk about. Today, I'm joined by Vibe Check co-hosts and friends of the pod, Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford, to recap all things Oscars, discussing everything from our Timothée Chalamet burnout to why people pitted Sinners and One Battle After Another against each other, and a whole lot more. This is a follow-up to my pre-Oscars chat with Saeed and Zach last week on Vibe Check—you can listen to that episode here.*This episode is exclusive to members of The Stacks Pack on Patreon and our Substack subscribers. You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2026/3/20/tsu-57-saeed-jones-zach-staffordConnect with Saeed: Instagram | BlueSky | WebsiteConnect with Zach: Instagram | ThreadsConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join us for an awe-inspiring conversation with astrobiologist and astronomer Caleb Scharf as he eloquently makes the case for "dispersal," the nearly inevitable advance of life and humanity across our solar neighborhood. From the book: "The idea of Dispersal is one where the sheer scale and scope of life’s future extension into the solar system profoundly changes things: not because of some new (and unlikely) cultural enlightenment from within but because of what the enormous expanse of space will do to dilute and change our species and all others.” Adam Frank says of the book, “If we can make it through the many crises of the next century, then the Solar System and the stars beyond await us. In The Giant Leap, Caleb Scharf demonstrates how becoming a true space-faring species is more than just humanity’s future.” Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-caleb-scharfSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Krista: I was longing for a deep dive on the radiant and common-sense hope that Jason Reynolds embodies after I interviewed him at a Georgetown event last year. I got my chance at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival. Jason's perspective is so urgent for the world we've now walked into: on giving ourselves grace to be hopeless, the virtue of stamina, and the hope that stays strong in him from his life in relationship with the very young in our midst — "the arbiters and purveyors of the future" — as well as an occasional stranger in a bar. Jason himself is preternaturally wise as well as talented and kind and humble. He's become a friend across the years and is one of my favorite people in the world.  — Find an excellent transcript of this show, edited by humans, on our show page. Sign yourself and others up for The Pause to be on our mailing list for all things On Being and to receive Krista's monthly Saturday newsletter, including a heads up on new episodes, special offerings, recommendations, and event invitations. Jason Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author of over 20 books for children and young adults. From 2020–2022, he served as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Among many honors, he has received the Newbery, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Awards, and was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2024. He is on the faculty at Lesley University for the Writing for Young People M.F.A. Program. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the short life and lasting works of Keats (1795-1821), who in one year wrote some of the most loved poems in English. Among these are Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn and Ode on Melancholy. That most productive year began in autumn 1818, when Keats had been stung by some reviews labelling him an uncouth Cockney who should go back to his former work as an apothecary, work he had left for poetry only two years before with the encouragement of enthusiastic friends. Just over two years later, Keats was dead in Rome from tuberculosis, before his work found fame, though some who knew him, including Shelley, believed his true killer was the critics.WithFiona Stafford Professor of English Language and Literature and Tutorial Fellow at Somerville College, University of OxfordNicholas Roe Wardlaw Professor of English Literature at the University of St AndrewsAndMeiko O'Halloran, Senior Lecturer in Romantic Literature at Newcastle UniversityProducer: Simon TillotsonReading list:John Barnard, John Keats (Cambridge University Press, 1987)Katie Garner and Nicholas Roe (eds), John Keats and Romantic Scotland (Oxford University Press, 2022)Ian Jack, Keats and the Mirror of Art (Oxford University Press, 1967) John Keats (ed. John Barnard), John Keats: Selected Writings (Oxford University Press, 2020)John Keats (ed. John Barnard), John Keats: Oxford 21st-Century Authors (University Press, 2017)John Keats (ed. John Barnard), Selected Poems (Penguin, 2007)John Keats (ed. John Barnard), The Complete Poems (Penguin, 2nd edition, 1977)John Keats (ed. Jeffrey N. Cox), Keats's Poetry and Prose: A Norton Critical Edition (W. W. Norton & Company, 2008)Carol Kyros Walker, Walking North with Keats (Edinburgh University Press, 2021)Richard Marggraf Turley (ed.), Keats's Places (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018)Lucasta Miller, Keats: A Brief Life in Nine Poems and One Epitaph (Jonathan Cape, 2021) Michael O'Neill (ed.), John Keats in Context (Cambridge University Press, 2017)Christopher Ricks, Keats and Embarrassment (Oxford University Press, 1974) Nicholas Roe, John Keats: A New Life (Yale University Press, 2012) Helen Vendler, The Odes of Keats (Belknap Press, 2004)Susan J. Wolfson, Reading John Keats (Cambridge University Press, 2015)Susan J. Wolfson (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Keats (Cambridge University Press, 2001)In Our Time is a BBC Studios ProductionSpanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Misha Glenny and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.

Daniel A. Olivas, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, is a fiction writer, poet, playwright, book critic, and attorney. In this episode, Jacke talks to Daniel about his lifelong devotion to literature and its ability to humanize the targets of anti-immigration sentiment. In the interview, Daniel recounts how his interest in literature led to his novel inspired by Mary Shelley, Chicano Frankenstein, and his play inspired by Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godínez: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts. PLUS Jane Austen expert Janet Todd (Living with Jane Austen) stops by to discuss her choice for the last book she will ever read. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Help support the show at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/literature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing up in the Salinas Valley of Northern California, John Steinbeck dreamed of becoming a professional writer. In his youth he took on odd jobs and worked amongst ranch hands and migrant workers, who would inspire some of his greatest work, including The Grapes of Wrath. Published in 1939, the book captured the struggles of everyday Americans during the Great Depression, and Steinbeck became famous for his empathetic portrayal of the working class.Steinbeck would go on to become one of the most decorated authors of the 20th Century, winning the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature, but he was plagued by marital struggles and chronic illness that threatened to cut short his writing career.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on The Stacks, we're joined by award-winning author T Kira Madden to discuss her newest book, Whidbey. This novel follows three women whose lives intersect in the wake of a man's murder. We chat about the questions that are left in the wake of trauma, her unique writing process, and how she tricks herself to keep writing fun.The Stacks Book Club pick for March is Paradise by Toni Morrison. We'll be discussing the book with Namwali Serpell on March 25th.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/3/18/ep-416-t-kira-maddenConnect with T Kira: Instagram | Website | Threads Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nightfall With a DogmanAfter fifteen years as a patrol officer and SWAT operator, a veteran responds to a frantic 911 call on a stormy October night: an elderly rancher reports a monstrous black creature—tall, fast, with eyes like fire—mauling his livestock. Arriving at the isolated property, the officer finds the chicken coop and lamb pen in savage ruin: birds shredded beyond recognition, six lambs mangled with impossible force, their bodies twisted and torn. Massive bipedal tracks, nearly seventeen inches long with clawed toes, confirm something unnatural walked upright through the mud. Drawn into the black pines by the old man's terrified warning that “it watches,” the officer confronts the entity: a hulking shadow with glowing red eyes seven feet high, radiating pure hate. A deep growl vibrates through his chest, followed by an inhuman shriek that silences the storm; the creature vanishes as quickly as it appeared. Backup searches yield nothing more, and the incident is logged as a routine “suspicious circumstance / possible livestock mauling.” The old man flees, abandoning the cursed ranch to rot. Hunters now avoid the woods, and the officer remains haunted, knowing those fiery eyes may still linger in the darkness, watching.Join my Supporters Club for $4.99 per month for exclusive stories:https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/what-if-it-s-true-podcast--5445587/support

This week, Claudia Salazar, an award-winning Peruvian Writer, literary critic, and scholar, joins us on BG Ideas. She has a PhD in Latin American Literature from New York University and is recognized internationally for her contributions both as a novelist and as a cultural critic. In this episode, we discuss how emotion can provoke a different way of understanding, conversations surrounding gender and sexuality in Peru and Latin America, and the process of navigating a novel through different translations. She wanted to find languages that addressed the violence of the war in Peru during the 1980s without reproducing violence and to center the experience of women during this time. Listen as Claudia Salazar reminds us of the many ways readers can understand a text, showing how meaning is constantly being formed, shaped, and contested. If you are interested in learning about Claudia Salazar's book Blood of the Dawn, click here and follow her on Instagram @clausalazarjimenez. A transcript for this episode can be found here.

The case is underway! Jury selection complete. Opening argument argued. And now, at long last, witnesses are taking the stand. What will they say? Will they sink Clyde's case? PLUS a lesson in antiquity. AND a new nickname for Robert is REVEALED!!!Support Obscure!Read Michael's substackFollow Michael on TwitterFollow Michael on InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Unleashed: The Political News Hour with Susan Price – As America approaches its 250th anniversary, attention turns to educating children through inspiring literature like the World of Britfield. Author Chad Robert Stewart champions creativity, history, and critical thinking, offering families an engaging alternative that blends storytelling with meaningful lessons for young minds in a rapidly changing cultural landscape...

This week we've commissioned all thirteen of our clones to record thirteen other versions of this podcast, because we're just such busy guys that we can't do them all ourselves. So are you listening to us, or the clones? And if you're listening to clones, which ones??Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis.Follow @overduepod on Instagram and BlueskyAdvertise on OverdueSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The prince Kha-em-Waset (lived c.1260 BCE) was a learned man, and an accomplished priest. Centuries after his death, storytellers remembered the prince as a sage and magician. They told tales of his adventures, including one where Khaemwaset stole a magical book, belonging to the great god Djehuty/Thoth. In a tale of gothic horror, the prince must wrangle with the consequences of his greed... CONTENT WARNING: Story contains themes of suicide, murder, and sexual horror. Please listen with discretion. Music: Matt Uelman, "Tristram;" Keith Zizza, "Dissatisfaction," "Memories of Thebes," and "Beloved of Ma'at;" Ray Noble & His Orchestra, "Midnight with the Stars and You (Instrumental);" TableTop Audio "The Mummy's Tomb." Logo image: Statue of Khaemwaset from Asyut, now in British Museum (photo Dominic Perry); painting of Tabubue, by M. Lalau (1932). The Tale of Khaemwaset and the Book of Thoth: Griffith, F. L. (1900). Stories of the high priests of Memphis: The Sethon of Herodotus and the Demotic tales of Khamuas. Available at Internet Archive. Lichtheim, M. (1980). Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume III: The Late Period, 125—151. Ritner, R. K. (2003b). The Romance of Setna Khaemuas and the Mummies (Setna I). In W. K. Simpson (Ed.), The Literature of Ancient Egypt: An Anthology of Stories, Instructions, Stelae, Autobiographies, and Poetry (3rd ed., pp. 453--469). Vinson, S. (2018). The Craft of a Good scribe: History, Narrative and Meaning in the First tale of Setne Khaemwas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last time we spoke about the Soviet-Japanese neutrality pact. In the summer of 1939, the Nomonhan Incident escalated into a major clash along the Halha River, where Soviet-Mongolian forces under Georgy Zhukov decisively defeated Japan's Kwantung Army. Zhukov's offensive, launched on August 20, involved intense artillery, bombers, and encirclement tactics, annihilating the Japanese 23rd Division and exposing weaknesses in Japanese mechanized warfare. The defeat, coinciding with the Hitler-Stalin Nonaggression Pact, forced Japan to negotiate a ceasefire on September 15-16, redrawing borders and deterring further northern expansion. Stalin navigated negotiations with Britain, France, and Germany to avoid a two-front war, ultimately signing the German-Soviet pact on August 23, which secured Soviet neutrality in Europe while addressing eastern threats. Post-Nomonhan, Soviet-Japanese relations warmed rapidly: fishing disputes were resolved, ambassadors exchanged, and the Chinese Eastern Railway sale finalized. By 1941, a neutrality pact was concluded, allowing Japan to pivot southward toward China and Southeast Asia.   #193 The Chiang-Wang Divide Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. After that lengthy mini series covering the battle of Khalkin Gol, we need to venture back into the second sino-japanese war, however like many other colossal events….well a lot was going on simultaneously. I wanted to take an episode to talk about the beginning of something known as the Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China, or much shorter, the Wang Jingwei Regime. It's been quite some time since we spoke about this character and he is a large part of the second sino-japanese war.    After the fall of Tianjin and Beiping, the government offices in Nanjing entered their annual summer recess. All of GMD's senior leadership, from Chiang Kai-shek down to Wang Jingwei, gathered on Mount Lu, a picturesque resort in northern Jiangxi, south of the Yangtze, famed for cliffs, clouds, and summer villas. Although Chiang had visited Mount Lu every summer, this was the first occasion that nearly the entire central government assembled there. Analysts suspected the gathering was a deliberate move to relocate government functions inland in the event of total war. Dozens of the nation's leading intellectuals were invited to Mount Lu to discuss strategies for countering Japan's ambitions. The forum was scheduled to begin on July 15 and to last twenty-seven days in three phases. The bridge incident caught them off guard. Unlike Manchuria, Beiping had long been the nation's capital, and the shock added urgency to the proceedings. When the forum, chaired by Wang, finally opened on July 16, speculation ran as to whether this signaled another regional conflict or the onset of full-scale war. The media pressed for a resolute stance of resistance from the government. To dispel the mounting confusion and perhaps his own indecision, Chiang delivered a solemn speech on July 17, declaring that if the incident could not be resolved peacefully, China would face the "crucial juncture" of national survival and would consider military action; if war began, every Chinese person, from every corner of the country and from every walk of life, would have to sacrifice all to defend the nation.   Chiang's Mount Lu Speech was now commonly regarded as the moment when China publicly proclaimed its firm commitment to resistance. Contemporary observers, however, did not take Chiang's stance at face value. Tao Xisheng, a Peking University law professor who had been invited, recalled that after the speech, people gathered in Hu Shi's room to discuss whether a peace option remained. Chiang left the mountain on July 20, leaving Wang to chair the conference. The discussions continued upon their return to Nanjing, where a National Defense Conference was organized in mid-August. It was also Tao's first encounter with Wang Jingwei. A "peace faction," largely composed of civil officials and intellectuals, began to take shape around Wang, favoring diplomatic solutions over costly and potentially ineffective military action.   During this period, both Chiang and Wang publicly called for resistance, while both harbored hopes for a peaceful solution. Yet their emphases differed. On July 29, Wang Jingwei delivered a radio address from Nanjing titled "The Critical Juncture," echoing Chiang's slogan. He likewise asserted that after repeated concessions and retreats, the critical juncture had come for China to rise against Japan. It would be a harsh form of resistance, since a weak nation had no alternative but to sacrifice every citizen's life and scorch every inch of land. Yet toward the end, Wang's speech took on an ironic turn. He stated, "The so-called resistance demands sacrificing the whole land and the whole nation to resist the invader. If there is no weakness in the world, then there is also no strength. Once we have completed the sacrifice, we also realize the purpose of resistance. We hail 'the critical juncture'! We hail 'sacrifice'!" The sentiment sounded almost satirical, revealing his doubt about the meaning of total sacrifice.   The hope for containment was crushed by Japan's ongoing advances. On November 12, Shanghai fell. Chiang's gamble produced about 187,200 Chinese casualties, including roughly 30,000 officers trained to German standards. Japanese casualties were estimated at a third to a half of the Chinese losses, still making it their deadliest single battle to date. The battered Japanese Imperial Army and Navy, long convinced of their invincibility, were consumed by vengeful bloodlust. The army swept from Shanghai toward Nanjing, leaving a trail of murder, rape, arson, and plunder across China's heartland.   With the fall of Nanjing looming, the central government announced on November 20 that it would relocate to Chongqing, a city upriver on the Yangtze protected by sheer cliffs. Plans for Chongqing as a reserve capital had already begun in 1935, with Hankou as the midway station. To preserve elite troops for the future while saving face, Nanjing was entrusted to General Tang Shengzhi and his roughly one hundred thousand largely inexperienced soldiers. Nanjing fell on December 13. Despite this victory, Japan's hopes of ending the China Incident within three months were dashed. The carnage produced by the war, especially the Rape of Nanjing, left a profound moral stain on humanity. A mass exodus from the coastal provinces toward the hinterland began. People fled by boats, trains, buses, rickshaws, and wheelbarrows. Universities, factories, and ordinary households were moved halfway across China, step by step. The nation resolved to persevere, even in distant mountains and deserts if necessary. In Sichuan alone, government relief agencies officially registered about 9.2 million refugees during the war years.   Chiang Kai-shek, after paying respects at Sun Yat-sen's mausoleum, flew to Mount Lu with Song Meiling. The so-called Second Couple chose a more modest path: like most refugees, the Wang family traveled upriver along the Yangtze. On November 21, they left Nanjing, abandoning a recently renovated suburban home and thirty years of collected books. Coincidentally, the ship carrying Wang Jingwei from Nanjing to Wuhan was SS Yongsui, the former SS Zhongshan that had escorted Sun Yat-sen to safety and witnessed Wang's ascent and subsequent downfall from power. Ironically renamed "Yong-sui," the ship's new title meant "peace," while the compound term suijing denoted a policy of appeasement. This symbolism—Wang being carried away from Nanjing by a ship named "Eternal Peace"—foreshadowed his eventual return to the city as a champion of a "peace movement."   After the Mount Lu Forum, Hu Shi and Tao Xisheng could not return to Beiping, now under Japanese occupation. They joined the government in Nanjing. Beginning in mid-August, Japanese bombers began attacking Nanjing. Air power—an unprecedented weapon of mass destruction—humbled and awed a Chinese public largely unfamiliar with airborne warfare. By striking a target that did not serve its immediate interests, Japan demonstrated its world-class military might and employed psychological warfare against the Chinese government and people. Because Zhou Fohai's villa at Xiliuwan had a fortified cellar suitable as an air-raid shelter, a group of like-minded intellectuals and civil servants sought refuge there. They preferred a peaceful approach to the conflict, subscribing to the idea of trading space for time—building China's industrial and military capabilities before confronting Japan. Tao Xisheng and Mei Siping, old allies of Zhou Fohai, lived in his house. Another frequent guest was Luo Junqiang, an ex-communist. The former CCP leader Chen Duxiu, recently released from prison, joined their gatherings a few times. Gao Zongwu hosted another meeting site. Hu Shi, as a guest himself, jokingly called this circle the "Low-Key Club" (Didiao julebu), a label that underscored their pragmatic defiance of the government's high-flown rhetoric urging all-out resistance. Many members of this group would later become central figures in a conspiracy known as the "peace movement," with Wang Jingwei as its leader and emblem.   As Gerald Bunker noted, the peace scheme did not originate with Wang but with certain associates of Chiang, elements in Japanese military intelligence, and members of liberal-minded Japanese political circles who were linked to Konoe. Zhou Fohai belonged to the Chiang-loyalist CC faction, named for Chen Guofu and Chen Lifu. Zhou believed that resistance under current conditions was suicidal. He sought to influence Chiang through people around him, including Wang Jingwei, whom he found impressionable and began visiting at Wang's salon. Gao Zongwu, head of the Foreign Ministry's Asian Department, felt sidelined by Chiang's uncompromising stance. They shared the sense that Chiang might be willing to talk but feared the price, perhaps his own leadership. They were dismayed by the lack of a long-range war plan beyond capitulation. Their view was that China's battlefield losses would worsen the terms of any settlement, and that the war's outcome seemed to benefit Soviet Russia and undermine the GMD more than China itself. The rapid collapses of Shanghai and then Nanjing vindicated their pessimism. Chiang's autocratic decision-making only deepened their dissatisfaction. They feared China was again at risk of foreign conquest from which it might not recover.   Wang Jingwei became the focal point for these disaffected individuals, drawn by his pacifist leanings, intellectual temperament, and preference for consensus-building. After the government relocated to Hankou, he lent guidance to the Literature and Art Research Society (Yiwen yanjiu hui), a propagandist body led by Zhou Fohai and Tao Xisheng. Its purpose was to steer public opinion on issues like the war of resistance and anticommunism, and to advocate a stance that the government must preserve both peace and war as options. Many believed it to be Wang's private organization; in truth, Chiang supported its activities. For much of 1938, Chiang's belligerent anti-Japanese rhetoric and Wang's conciliatory push were two sides of the GMD's broader strategy.   Among the society's regional branches, the Hong Kong chapter flourished under Mei Siping and Lin Baisheng. In addition to editing South China Daily News, Lin established Azure Books and the International Compilation and Translation Society (Guoji bianyishe) as primary propaganda organs. Ironically, Mei Siping had himself been a radical during the 1919 student protests, when he helped set fire to the deputy foreign minister's house in protest of perceived capitulation to Japan.   Wang Jingwei also actively engaged in international efforts to broker peace between Japan and China, including Trautmann's mediation by the German ambassador. Since the outbreak of war, various Western powers had contemplated serving as mediators, but none succeeded. Nazi Germany, aligned with Japan in an anti-Soviet partnership, emerged as China's most likely ally because it did not want Japan to squander its strength in China or compel China to seek Soviet help. Conversely, Japan's interest lay in prolonging the war or achieving a swift settlement. Ambassador Trautmann met with Wang Jingwei multiple times from October 31 to early November 1937 to confirm China's preference for peace before negotiating with Japan. The proposal Trautmann carried to Chiang Kai-shek on November 5 proposed terms including autonomy for Inner Mongolia, a larger demilitarized zone in North China, an expanded cease-fire around Shanghai, a halt to anti-Japanese movements, an anti-communist alliance, reduced tariffs on Japanese goods, and protection of foreign interests in China. Although Japan did not specify territorial gains, these terms deviated significantly from Chiang's demand to restore pre–Marco Polo Bridge status. After Shanghai fell, Chiang's rigidity softened.   On December 5, at Hankou, the National Defense Conference agreed to begin peace negotiations based on Trautmann's terms, a decision Chiang approved. But it was too late: Nanjing fell on December 13, and a provisional Beiping government led by Wang Kemin was established, signaling Japan's growing support for regional separatism. On December 24, Japan issued an ultimatum for a harsher deal to be accepted by January 10. In response, Chiang resigned as chairman of the Executive Yuan on January 1, 1938, and was succeeded by his brother-in-law Kong Xiangxi. Chiang declared that death in defeat was preferable to death in disgrace and refused to yield under coercion. The Konoe Cabinet announced on January 16 that Japan would not negotiate with Chiang Kai-shek. Trautmann's mediation had failed.   After Konoe's announcement, mediation became even more precarious, as it placed the already deadly, no-win situation between the two nations in deeper jeopardy. Secret contacts between the two governments persisted through multiple channels—sometimes at the direction of their own leaders, other times at the initiative of a cadre of officials and quasi-official figures of dubious legitimacy. Many of these covert efforts were steered by Chiang himself. In late 1937, Wang Jingwei even sent Chen Gongbo to Rome to explore the possibility of Italian mediation between China and Japan. After meetings with Mussolini and Foreign Minister Ciano, Chen concluded that Italy had no genuine goodwill toward China and favored Japan. His conversations with other Western leaders (Belgium, France, Britain, and the United States) proved equally fruitless. In diaries, Zhou Fohai and Chen Kewen recorded a pervasive mood of pessimism among Hankou and Chongqing's national government factions. Although direct champions of negotiating with Japan were few, many voices insisted that China was on the brink of collapse while secretly hoping peace talks would begin soon. Gao Zongwu's mission emerged from this tense atmosphere.   With Konoe's cabinet refusing to negotiate with Chiang Kai-shek, many regarded Wang as the best candidate to carry forward a diplomatic solution. Yet Wang remained convinced of his loyalty to Chiang and to Chiang's policy. The Italian ambassador visited Wuhan to offer mediation between Wang and the Japanese government, an invitation Wang declined. Tang Shaoyi's daughter traveled to Wuhan to convey Tokyo's negotiation intent, but was similarly turned away. Even Chen Bijun, then in Hong Kong, urged Wang to join her and start peace negotiations; he again declined. Tao Xisheng remembered a quiet night when Wang confided in him: "This time I will cooperate with Mr. Chiang until the very end, regardless of how the war unfolds." His stance did not change when Gao Zongwu reported that the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office wanted him to head the peace talks.   Gao Zongwu's bid was brokered by Dong Daoning, head of the Japan Affairs Section in the Foreign Ministry. Shortly after Konoe's statement, Dong traveled to Shanghai to meet Nishi Yoshiaki, representative of Mantetsu, and Matsumoto Shigeharu, a Dōmei News Agency journalist. Nishi and Matsumoto then introduced Dong to Kagesa Sadaaki, head of the Strategy and Tactics Department in the General Staff Office. Kagesa introduced Dong to Deputy Director Tada Hayao and colleagues Ishiwara Kanji and Imai Takeo, who agreed that a peaceful resolution to the China crisis aligned with Japan's interests. It would be inaccurate to paint these figures as pacifists: Ishiwara, who helped build Manchukuo, also recognized that further incursions into China could jeopardize Japan's hard-won gains. They proposed a temporary resignation by Chiang to spare Konoe from having to retract his refusal to negotiate, thereby allowing Wang to lead the talks. In short, the scheme aimed to save face for Konoe.   Dong returned to Hong Kong and delivered the proposal to Gao Zongwu, who had been stationed there since February under Chiang's orders to oversee intelligence and liaison with Japan. Luo Junqiang, Gao's contact, testified that Gao was paid monthly from Chiang's secret military fund. Gao went back to Hankou twice, on April 2 and May 30. On the second trip, he personally conveyed Japan's terms to Chiang. Gao later admitted that Chiang never gave him explicit instructions, but rather cultivated an impression of tacit approval. At no point did Gao view the deal as Chiang's betrayal. As long as Chiang retained control of the military, Wang's leadership could only be nominal and temporary. Unbeknownst to Wang, Gao's personal ties to Chiang remained hidden from him; he learned of them only through Zhou Fohai. Startled, he handed the information to Chiang Kai-shek and told Tao Xisheng: "I cannot broker peace with Japan alone. I will not deceive Mr. Chiang." Given Tao's later departure from Wang's circle to rejoin Chiang, Tao's recollection could be trusted.   Two months later, Wang left Chongqing to pursue a peace settlement. A key factor may have been persistent lobbying by Zhou, Gao, Mei, Tao, and especially his wife Chen Bijun. Luo Junqiang recalled that Kong Xiangxi objected that Gao acted without him, prompting Chiang to order Gao to halt his covert efforts, an order Gao ignored. Gao and Mei Siping continued to press for a deal. Gao even spent three weeks in Japan in July, holding extensive talks with Kagesa Sadaaki and Imai Takeo. Their discussions produced the first substantive articulation of the Wang peace movement as a Sino-Japanese plot to end the "China incident." On November 26, Mei flew from Hong Kong to Chongqing with a draft of Japan's terms and Konoe's planned announcement. The proposal stated that the Japanese army would withdraw completely within two years once peace was reached, but it demanded that China formally recognize Manchukuo. Wang was to leave Chongqing for Kunming by December 5, then proceed to Hanoi. Upon Japan receiving news of his arrival in Hanoi, the telegram would reveal the peace terms. This pivotal moment threw Wang into intense inner turmoil. Zhou Fohai visited Wang daily, and Wang delayed decisively each time, much to Zhou's frustration. Ultimately, it seemed that Chen Bijun rendered the final judgment on Wang's behalf. As in earlier episodes, Wang found himself trapped by an idealized image of himself held by family, followers, and loyalists, seen by them as a larger-than-life figure who must undertake a mission too grand to fail.   Yet Wang's stance was not purely involuntary. As Imai Takeo noted, he fundamentally disagreed with Chiang's strategy of resistance. The so-called scorched-earth approach caused immense suffering. Three episodes stood out: the 1938 Yellow River flood, ordered by Chiang to impede Japan's advance, which destroyed dikes and displaced millions, yielding devastating agricultural and humanitarian consequences; the subsequent epidemics and famine that followed, producing about two million refugees and up to nine hundred thousand deaths, while failing to stop the Japanese advance toward Wuhan (which fell in October); and the Changsha fire, ignited in the early hours of November 13, which killed nearly thirty thousand people and devastated most of the city. These events sharpened Wang's doubts about Chiang's defense strategy, especially its reckless execution and cruelty. By late November, Wang began to openly challenge Chiang's approach, delivering a series of speeches advocating his own war-weariness and preference for limiting resistance to preserve national strength for future counterstrikes. He argued that guerrilla warfare burdened the people and wasted national resources that could be saved for a later, more effective defense. He urged soldiers to exercise judgment and listen to their consciences, and he attributed much of the civilian suffering to the Communists; nonetheless, with General von Falkenhausen, Chiang's German adviser, now urging a shift toward smaller-unit mobile warfare, Wang's critique of Chiang's strategy took on a more pointed, risksome tone. If resistance equaled total sacrifice, Wang was not prepared to endorse it. As Margherita Zanasi noted, Wang Jingwei and Chen Gongbo had long shared a vision of a self-consciously anti-imperial "national economy", the belief that China's economy had not yet achieved genuine nation-power and that compromising with the foe might be necessary to save the national economy.   Wang and Zhou also worried that continuing resistance would strengthen the Communists and that genuine international aid would not arrive, at least not soon. After Nazi Germany occupied Czechoslovakia, Wang briefly hoped for the formation of an antifascist democratic alliance. Yet the Munich Agreement disappointed him. Viewing Western democracies as culturally imperialist, he doubted they would jeopardize their relations with Japan, another imperial power, on China's behalf. This view was reinforced by Zhou Fohai and other China specialists who had recently joined Wang's circle; they argued that China would fall unless the international situation shifted dramatically. Their forecast would prove accurate only after Pearl Harbor.   In the end, Wang longed for decisive action. He had been sidelined since the government's move to Wuhan. At the GMD Provisional National Congress in Hankou (March 29–April 1), the party resolved to restore Chiang Kai-shek to near-total control by reasserting the authoritarian zongcai system. The Congress also established the People's Political Council as a nominal nod to democracy, but it remained largely consultative. Wang was elected deputy director and chairman of the council, yet he clearly resented the position. Jiang Tingfu described Wang's Hankou mood as "somewhat resentful," recognizing the role as largely ceremonial. More optimistic observers attributed his dismay to the return of dictatorship, and he likely felt increasingly useless. Since the Mukden Incident, Wang had prioritized party unity and been content to play a secondary role to Chiang, but inaction did not fit his sense of historical purpose. It was Zhou Fohai who urged Wang to risk his reputation for a greater cause, presenting a calculated nudge to someone susceptible to idealism. A longing to find meaning through action may have finally pushed him toward a fateful decision. As Chen Bijun bluntly told Long Yun, her husband "was merely an empty shell in Chongqing and could contribute nothing to the country; thus he wanted to change his surroundings."   Wang considered staying abroad as a serious option amid the Hanoi uncertainty. Gao Zongwu had previously told Japanese negotiators that if Konoe's stance did not satisfy Wang, he might head to France. Chongqing echoed this possibility. On December 29, Ambassador Guo Taiqi, acting on Chiang's orders, telegraphed Wang suggesting he go to Europe "to take a break." It would have offered a graceful exit. Kagesa recommended Hanoi as Wang Jingwei's midway station because, as a French colony, it offered a relatively safe environment. Only the French were armed there, and several members of the extended Wang family had grown up in France, enabling them to communicate with the colonial authorities.   After Wang departed for Hanoi, Long Yun hesitated for weeks. On December 20, he telegraphed Chiang, saying Wang had paused in Kunming on the way to Hanoi to seek medical treatment. Knowing this was untrue, Chiang replied on December 27 with a stern warning about Japan's unreliability, a message that appeared to have persuaded Long. A day later, Long urged leniency for Wang. Following Wang's publication of the "yan telegram," public anger likely pushed Long toward a final decision. On January 6, he informed Chiang of a letter from Wang delivered by Chen Changzu, and he noted that the Wangs were considering the French option, but recommended allowing Wang to return to Chongqing to show leniency and to enable surveillance.   Chiang replied two days later that Wang would be better off going to Europe. The extended Wang family resided in two Western-style mansions at 25 and 27 Rue Riz Marché, surrounded by high walls. On February 15, Chongqing's envoy Gu Zhengding brought their passports to Hanoi. Accounts differed on what happened next. One version had Wang offering to travel abroad if Chongqing accepted his proposal to start peace talks; if Chongqing remained indecisive, he would return to voice his dissent. Another version claimed Gu's primary task was to bring Wang back to Chongqing, which Wang declined, preferring France.   Although the French option was gaining favor, the Wang circle continued to explore other avenues. In early 1939, secret contacts with the Japanese government persisted, though not always in a coordinated way. Chiang's intelligence advised that the Wang group was forming networks in Shanghai and especially Hong Kong, with Gao Zongwu playing a central role. On February 1, Gao returned from Hong Kong and stayed for five days, finding Wang in a despondent mood. Wang asked Gao to pass along a few letters to Japanese leaders urging the creation of a unified Chinese government to earn the Chinese people's understanding and trust. Wang believed his actions would serve the best interests of both China and Japan. On March 18, the Japanese consulate in Hong Kong informed Gao that funding for the Wang group would come from China's customs revenues that Japan had seized.   Meanwhile, Chiang Kai-shek sensed a shift in the war's direction. On February 10, Japan seized Hainan, China's southernmost major island. The next day, Chiang held a press conference describing the development as "the Mukden Incident of the Pacific." He warned that Japan's ambitions could threaten British and French colonial interests and U.S. maritime supremacy. Gao Zongwu read the speech and concluded that Chiang's outlook had brightened.   For three months, the Wang circle met frequently to weigh options. The prominent writer and scholar Zhou Zuoren, who had already accepted a collaborationist post as head of the Beiping library, warned Tao Xisheng, saying "Don't do it," signaling his misgivings about collaborating with Japan based on his reading of Japanese politics. As Zhou observed, many young Japanese militarists did not even respect General Ugaki, let alone a foreign leader.   Then the assassination of Zeng Zhongming, Wang's secretary and protégé, abruptly altered the meaning of Wang's mission. The Wang group was deeply unsettled by Zeng Zhongming's assassination. The event came as a shock. On March 20, Gu Zhengding's second Hanoi visit concluded. Allegedly Gu delivered passports and funds for a European excursion. On a bright spring day, the entire Wang family enjoyed a lighthearted outing to Three Peaches Beach, only to be halted by a French officer who warned they were being followed. During their afternoon rest, a man posing as a painter, sent by the landlord to measure rooms for payment, appeared at the door and was turned away when he insisted on entering every room. More than twenty people in the household, none were armed.   Since January, Hanoi had been a hive of BIS activity. The ringleader was Chen Gongshu, a veteran operative under spymaster Dai Li, though Chen's recollections clashed with those of other witnesses, leaving the exact sequence unclear. Chen claimed their role was intelligence and surveillance until March 19, when an unsigned telegram from Dai Li ordered, "Severest punishment to the traitor Wang Jingwei, immediately!" The mission supposedly shifted. The Wang family was followed the next day but evaded capture in traffic, prompting a raid on the house. Reports varied: some said Wang resided on the second floor of No. 27; others suggested he lived in No. 25, with No. 27 used for day guests. The force entered the courtyard, forced open the door to Wang's room, and a getaway car waited outside. Chen, in the car, heard gunshots: initial shots toward a downstairs figure, then three shots through a bedroom door hacked open with an axe, aimed at a figure beneath the bed, believed to be Wang Jingwei. The team drove off after four to five minutes. Vietnamese police soon detained three killers who lingered in the courtyard and even listened in on a hospital call. Chen didn't realize the target had been misidentified until the next afternoon. Some BIS records suggested Wang and Zeng Zhongming had swapped bedrooms that night, a detail Chen doubted. Chen did not mention a painter's earlier visit.   There were competing accounts of the event with their numerous inconsistencies that fueled conspiracy theories. Jin Xiongbai outlined three possibilities: (1) the killers killed the "wrong person" as a warning to Wang Jingwei; (2) they killed Zeng to provoke Wang toward collaboration; or (3) the episode was always part of a broader Chiang-Wang collaboration plan.   In any case, Dai Li showed unusual leniency toward Chen Gongshu, who was never punished and later led the Shanghai station. After Dai Li's agent Li Shiqun was captured in 1941, Li not only spared Chen's life but recruited him on a double-agent basis for the remainder of the war, with Chen retiring to Taiwan. Chiang Kai-shek never discussed the case publicly or in his diary, and his silence was perhaps the strongest indication that he ordered the killing.   I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Wang Jingwei, once a key figure in China's resistance against Japan, grew disillusioned with Chiang Kai-shek's scorched-earth tactics during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Amid devastating events like the Yellow River flood and Changsha fire, which caused immense civilian suffering, Wang joined a peace faction advocating negotiation. Secret talks with Japanese officials led to his defection in 1938. He fled Chongqing to Hanoi, where an assassination attempt, likely ordered by Chiang, killed his secretary Zeng Zhongming instead.   

When Shogun was released last year on Hulu, it featured a great cast, spectacular visuals, and a gripping story. It was a commercial and critical success on release, and again when awards season came around. So of course, academic historians fretted. Were they concerned that it painted sixteenth-century Japan as another Game of Thrones (with more ninjas and fewer dragons)? Maybe a little. But most scholars were anxious because they understood how important the show would be, how profound an impact it would have, for years to come, on the public's perception of Japanese culture and history — all the more so because the story captures a moment of extraordinary significance, in such vivid detail, on such a vast canvas. In this talk, David Spafford, Associate Professor of Premodern Japanese History at the University of Pennsylvania, takes a closer look at the complexities of the period and unpacks why this particular moment in history matters so much — and how the hit Shogun series does (or doesn't) help us understand it. David Spafford was born and raised in Rome and first moved to the States to earn his PhD. He is currently Associate Professor of Premodern Japanese History in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches courses on samurai and the invention of the Way of the Warrior, on early modern urbanization, and on premodern law and violence. He is the author of A Sense of Place: The Political Landscape in Late Medieval Japan (2013), which explores the resilience of medieval regional identities and cultural geographies during the early Warring States period. In recent years, he has written about the role and boundaries of kinship in warrior society between 1450 and 1650. He is currently completing a short monograph on the writings of a sixteenth-century widow, known to us only as Jukeini, the only woman to rule a warrior domain. Paul Atkins is professor of Japanese in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington, Seattle, where he teaches and writes about the literature, drama, and culture of medieval Japan. He holds a Ph.D. in Japanese from Stanford University. Professor Atkins was awarded the William F. Sibley Memorial Translation Prize by the University of Chicago in 2011 and the Kyoko Selden Memorial Translation Prize by Cornell University in 2021 for his translations of classical Japanese texts into English. Publications include the monographs Teika: The Life and Works of a Medieval Japanese Poet (University of Hawai'i Press, 2017) and Revealed Identity: The Noh Plays of Komparu Zenchiku (Center of Japanese Studies, University of Michigan, 2006) as well as a number of articles. Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Washin Kai. This event is sponsored by the UW Center for Japanese Studies and the UW Department of Asian Languages and Literature. Nominal support provided by Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle.

Sasquatch Terror for HikersIn 2016, while driving from Los Angeles to Portland with his girlfriend and detouring for off-roading in his new Jeep, the narrator and his partner heard repeated blood-curdling screams echoing through remote mountain roads, sounding like a woman in distress. They dismissed it at the time, but later at a tourist spot they discovered a guest book filled with locals' Bigfoot sightings, planting the first seed of curiosity in his mind. Four years later, now a committed Bigfoot believer with a new Jeep Rubicon, a massive Mastiff, and a new girlfriend, he set out on what seemed like a routine hike in the mountains near central LA County. As they descended into a bowl-shaped valley, they encountered a series of increasingly large piles of freshly uprooted shrubs and bushes deliberately blocking the narrow trail—plants too tough for any human to pull bare-handed—followed by twisted and braided tree branches high overhead. The climax came at a massive 9-foot-wide, 6-foot-tall wall of freshly torn trees and debris that completely sealed the path; after pushing through, they felt intensely watched, heard sprinting footsteps, and glimpsed a large figure scrambling up a steep cliff and hiding behind bushes, rocks tumbling in its wake. Years afterward, while camping with a friend in a Sequoia grove in Yosemite's Sierra National Forest, the narrator heard slow, deliberate knocking sounds coming from the tree line across a clearing—sounds that ceased whenever anyone approached within 25 feet and resumed once they retreated, as if something were playfully interacting with them. Though his life has since changed dramatically—his beloved dog passed away in 2020, he sold his Jeep, moved away from Southern California, and hikes far less—these encounters left him forever drawn to the outdoors and convinced of what lurks unseen in the wild.Join my Supporters Club for $4.99 per month for exclusive stories:https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/what-if-it-s-true-podcast--5445587/support

The cultural hangovers of Christianity are well attested.Recently, people who were once describing themselves as ‘New Atheists' have gone as far as to call themselves ‘Cultural Christians', due to the prevalence of Christian thought in modern ethics.But what if the great dream of the New Atheists eventually succeeded?What would a world where God was actually dead look like?FOR FULL SHOW NOTES - click here.CREDITSUndeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher.Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant.  Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Peter Kozushko is our North American representative and a point of contact for church pastors interested in engaging with our work here at Undeceptions.  Editing by Richard Hamwi.Our voice actor today was Dakotah Love. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

Let’s learn how to BEHAVE and how to RESIST HYPNOTISM! It’s The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners and The Wicked Weasel Spell!

669. Part 2. We continue Women's History Month by concluding our conversation with Marcelle Bienvenu. Whe is an author working on the history of Creole cooking. Marcelle Bienvenu's highly anticipated new release of her timeless classic, Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make A Roux? is a treasure trove of over two hundred recipes, revised with a Foreword by Emeril Lagasse and sumptuous color photography capturing the essence of every season. Marcelle is a cookbook author and food writer who has been preparing Cajun and Creole dishes since the 1960s. She has written on Creole/Cajun Cooking for The Times Picayune, Time-Life Books, and has been featured in Garden & Gun, Food & Wine, Saveur, Southern Living, Redbook, The New York Times, Louisiana Life, and Acadiana Profile. Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy. The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in print for the first time in 222 years. Order your copy today! This week in the Louisiana Anthology. Meghan F. McDonald.'NOLA: An Interactive Street Performing Experience.'     Before embarking on my street performing tour of the U.S., one aspect I said I would investigate on the road was how influencial setting is for creating music.     Admittedly, this question was buried under piles of other questions that surfaced during my earlier stops, D.C., Nashville, Asheville and Atlanta. But that changed once I arrived in New Orleans.     Music and culture ' especially along Royal Street ' ooze from NOLA's pores, pumping through its streets as if the heart of all music can be found somewhere within the veins of the French Quarter. It is New Orleans, after all, that mothered music greats ranging from Louis Armstrong and Fats Domino to Lil Wayne. And that variety is not accidental ' it's part of NOLA's appeal.     On one street you may walk into an impromptu jazz ensemble performance, complete with an upright bass, saxophone player and a singer throwing out some hot scats. Five blocks down, you could stumble upon a high-energy brass group filled with trumpets, trombones and a tuba. Not to mention the multiple solo acts scattered throughout NOLA's streets at all hours of the day and night.     One factor that makes NOLA an ideal street performing city is the layout. The Quarter's tight streets, filled with sheltered sidewalks due to the vast amounts of layered decks, create a rich acoustic experience for buskers. The sound stays contained from having a ceiling of sorts, which then bounces off the parallel building in full circle. This week in Louisiana history. March 13, 1815. Gen. Andrew Jackson declares the end of martial law in New Orleans at the end of War of 1812. This week in New Orleans history. The City Park property was famous as a dueling ground long before it was a park ' more Affaires d'honneur were fought in New Orleans than in any other American city. They resulted from serious affronts, petty insults, or deliberate confrontations for the sole purpose of displaying fencing skills. Weapons of choice included swords, sabers, pistols, rifles, even bare hands. During the 1800s a series of duels were fought between fencing masters ' the most famous, Spaniard Pepe Llula was known as a duelist who met any man with any weapon. Times-Democrat on March 13, 1892, reported, "Between 1834 and 1844 scarcely a day passed without duels being fought at the Oaks'. Dueling had been outlawed two years before under the death penalty (if a death resulted) but it was seldom enforced.  This week in Louisiana. Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge 480 Richland Place Monroe, LA 71203 Open daily from sunrise to sunset Website: fws.gov/refuge/black-bayou-lake Email: blackbayoulake@fws.gov Phone: (318) 387‑1114 March is one of the best months to visit Black Bayou Lake, with mild temperatures, active wildlife, and early spring blooms along the trails and boardwalks: Boardwalk Trail: A scenic walk over the cypress‑studded lake, ideal for birdwatching and photography. Visitor Center & Nature Exhibits: Located in a restored plantation house with hands‑on displays. Wildlife Viewing: Frequent sightings of herons, egrets, turtles, and alligators in their natural habitat. Postcards from Louisiana. Sporty's Brass Band. Listen on Apple Podcasts. Listen on audible. Listen on Spotify. Listen on TuneIn. Listen on iHeartRadio. The Louisiana Anthology Home Page. Like us on Facebook. 

In this episode, we review some of our favorite clinical papers pertaining to uveitis or scleritis, published online in 2025.The discussant report no relevant financial disclosures.

Bigfoot Pie ThiefA 12-year-old boy finishing lunch at his grandparents' farm watched in shock as a furry hand reached through the open kitchen window and snatched one of Grandma's freshly baked apple pies from the sill. Grandma charged in swinging her hickory switch like a sword, cracking the knuckles of the thief and sending both hand and pie flying out the window. Racing to look outside, the boy saw a six-foot-tall, hairy creature sprinting toward the woods with the pie in its grip, grunting and laughing the whole way. Grandpa arrived just in time to see it vanish into the trees, then calmly sat the boy down on the porch and explained that the creature was a “Booger”—one of a small family living several miles over the ridge. The young male thief had been bold enough to test Grandma's cooking before, but the clan generally kept its distance and meant no real harm. Over the years the now-57-year-old narrator had many more encounters with the Boogers, some face-to-face, yet he always remembered Grandpa's advice: lower any weapon, raise empty hands, smile, and back away slowly. Treating them with the same respect given to any wild predator—giving them room and never crowding them—kept every meeting peaceful. The creatures sometimes passed through at night or watched from the woods, but they could also be surprisingly considerate; the morning after the pie theft, six fresh apples appeared on Grandma's windowsill as repayment. The narrator lives with the firm knowledge that these beings exist, neither crazy nor delusional, and believes people and Boogers can coexist just fine if both sides show a little courtesy.Join my Supporters Club for $4.99 per month for exclusive stories:https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/what-if-it-s-true-podcast--5445587/support

This is a special episode of Strong Sense of Place in which we announce that we're doing it again — we're taking a group of readers back to Trevor Hall. In October 2025, we took over Trevor Hall — a Georgian manor house in Llangollen, Wales — with forty members of the Strong Sense of Place community. It was the best book club ever. We took walks in the countryside, talked about (so many) books, enjoyed ridiculously delicious meals, and told spooky stories by candlelight. And we made lifelong friends. We're doing it again — and you're invited to join us! Together, we'll make ourselves at home in this historic mansion surrounded by the picturesque North Wales countryside. We'll have a book club, share gourmet meals in the Great Hall, play parlor games, ramble in the hills, and stomp our feet at a Celtic ceilidh. Our weekend begins in Manchester, England — a UNESCO City of Literature. We'll check into our rooms at a design hotel and enjoy our first IRL meetup in a historic library. After a good night's sleep, we're off to Elizabeth Gaskell's House for a private tour of the Victorian villa where she wrote ‘North and South' (and entertained literary friends like Charlotte Brontë and Charles Dickens). After a restorative tea-and-cake break, we'll ride together via private motor coach through the rugged countryside to Llangollen, a charming town on the River Dee in North Wales. Our destination: Trevor Hall. The Hall sits on a wooded hilltop overlooking green slopes dotted with sheep and horses. After a tour of the house and gardens, we'll ease into country living in the Hall's luxurious (and tastefully eclectic) rooms. With bookish activities, entertainment, and surprises planned throughout the weekend, you're sure to be delighted — and have plenty of time to connect with old and new bookish friends. DatesThis is a five-day, four-night trip: Thursday through Monday. It will be held on two consecutive weekends; each weekend is limited to 19 guests. Weekend 1: Thursday, November 5 through Monday, November 9 Weekend 2: Thursday, November 12 through Monday, November 16 Also! Click here for the complete details about the weekend and to enjoy the pretty photos For early access to tickets, join our Patreon. To be notified the minute tickets go on sale, join our free Substack newsletter. If you're curious about last year's trip, listen to our podcast episode That Time We Rented a Manor House in Wales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jann checks in from Iceland, Caitlin shares her rollercoaster trying to buy a new home in Toronto, and Sarah announces she has joined a legion ahead of a very special guest! Prolific crime author Lynda La Plante shares her journey from childhood plays to becoming a legendary crime writer and television producer. She shares insights on writing, character development, her challenges in the industry as a woman, and her ongoing passion for storytelling. More About Lynda La Plante: Lynda La Plante was born in Liverpool. She is the author of over forty novels, all of which have been bestsellers. She trained for the stage at RADA and worked with the National theatre and RSC before becoming a television actress. She then turned to writing - and made her breakthrough with the phenomenally successful TV series Widows. Lynda's original script for the much-acclaimed Prime Suspect won awards from BAFTA, Emmys, British Broadcasting and Royal Television Society as well as the 1993 Edgar Allan Poe Award. Lynda is an honorary fellow of the British Film Institute and was awarded the BAFTA Dennis Potter Best Writer's Award in 2000. In 2008, she was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to Literature, Drama and Charity. Lynda La Plante is the first layperson to be awarded an honorary fellowship to the Forensic Science Society. In 2020 she launched the acclaimed Listening to the Dead podcast with former CSI Cass Sutherland, exploring forensic science and its impact on solving crimes. https://lyndalaplante.com/books/ #ASKJANN - want some life advice from Jann? Send in a story with a DM or on our website. Leave us a voicenote! ⁠⁠www.jannardenpod.com/voicemail/⁠⁠⁠ Get access to bonus content and more on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/JannArdenPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.jannardenpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/jannardenpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/jannardenpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the world of literary tourism, the Brontë Parsonage Museum in the Yorkshire moors is a heavy hitter. Alison Booth says this small stone house in the town of Haworth served as the creative crucible for Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Also: A king's rage and a murder that changed history. John Adrian dives into the medieval crime scene of Canterbury Cathedral and the centuries of pilgrimage it sparked. Now his Canterbury study semester is opening that world to students from Appalachia. Later in the show: From curating award-winning wine cellars in the Berkshires and Keswick, Virginia to building a new life in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, Richard Hewitt is the ultimate guide to the soul of Portugal. Join this master sommelier and author as he swaps the classroom for the countryside, leading us on an intimate journey through the sun-drenched vineyards and hidden cultural treasures he now calls home.

Thanks a bunch to Philip Chase for coming on! Check out his channel & his book series here: https://amzn.to/40NQcOF⭐️ Exclusive Book Club! Join/Support on Patreon

You keep hearing about AI, but nobody is telling you how it actually fits into a biotech career or a job search. That changes today.In this episode, Carina sits down with Heather Karner, a bench scientist with a background in RNA biology who works alongside machine learning researchers in the Bay Area. Heather is actively job searching and has quietly become the go-to AI resource for her lab and her network, not because she is a tech expert, but because she started experimenting and never stopped.Together they share the exact AI use cases they are running right now: a personalized daily brief that flagged Gilead and Eli Lilly RNA acquisitions before they hit LinkedIn, a literature review workflow built for scientists, how to use AI as a tireless teacher for coding and lab protocols, AI note taking that surfaced 10 action items from a 10-minute meeting, and how to turn a rambling brain dump into a clear, professional message.

The world has a northern bias: our politics, culture, and literature all tend to view the northern viewpoint as the default position, leaving the far southern latitudes (Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Southern Africa among others), as a faraway land full of strangeness. But what if you live in those lands? How can a strange, faraway place be home? In this episode, Jacke talks to Elleke Boehmer about her book Southern Imagining: A Literary and Cultural History of the Far Southern Hemisphere, which analyzes the impact of the world's northern bias on literature and culture--and offers an alternative perspective to the way we usually look at the world. PLUS John McMurtrie (Literary Journeys: Mapping Fictional Travels Across the World of Literature) stops by to discuss his choice for the last book he will ever read. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Help support the show at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/literature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the happy occasion of the publication of Francesca Wade's magnificent Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife, we speak with the biographer about Stein's life, work, and complicated relationships.Wade describes her access to new Stein archives that afforded her a fresh look on the enigmatic writer, the difference between Stein's legend and her life, the particular value of her various publications, and what she was ultimately trying to capture with her singular writing style. Wade also explores Stein's “afterlife,” the controversial legacy that her writings and persona have left us.We also discuss the fraught Hemingway-Stein relationship, that cryptic passage in A Moveable Feast, and what each might have meant to the other.Join us for a new consideration of one of Hemingway's oldest friendships and rivalries! 

Welcome to season four of Restorative Works! Podcast! In this episode, Dr. Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Johari "J.P." Mitchell for a discussion around positive self-talk, children's literature, and how the power of storytelling helps shape how we relate to ourselves and one another.  J.P. explores how children's literature, especially picture books, can serve as a restorative practices tool across all ages. She emphasizes the concept of restorative practices-rooted self-talk: the internal narratives we use to make sense of shame, grief, identity, and belonging. J.P. illustrates how stories offer young people and adults pro-social alternatives to dealing with shame. She explains how picture books act as mirrors and windows, reflecting our inner lives while inviting us to step into experiences we may not yet have lived. Through age-appropriate storytelling, children gain language for complex emotions like loss, difference, and empathy long before crisis arrives. This proactive exposure builds emotional literacy, resilience, and relational capacity.  The episode also challenges the assumption that children's books are only for children. J.P. and Claire reflect on how picture books speak powerfully to adults, educators, parents, and leaders by reconnecting us to the "child within" and creating space for intergenerational dialogue. From navigating grief to understanding identity and difference, children's literature becomes a shared entry point for meaningful, restorative conversations.  Johari "J.P." Mitchell is an educator, writer and speaker whose passion is helping leaders link vision to opportunity through the power of words. J.P. is a restorative practices trainer with Columbus City Schools, as well as a 2-time TEDx speaker, author, and Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her family.  Tune in to learn how to become a friend of children's literature, not just a consumer, and use stories as a bridge to stronger relationships and healthier communities. 

Today on The Stacks, we're joined by bestselling author Tayari Jones to talk about her newest book, Kin. This novel follows the lifelong friendship between Vernice and Annie, two motherless girls whose paths diverge in adulthood. In our conversation, Tayari shares how Kin was the book she had to write, even though it was not the one she was contracted to write, why she avoided writing a historical novel until now, and how coming home to Atlanta has impacted her as a person and a novelist. The Stacks Book Club pick for March is Paradise by Toni Morrison. We'll be discussing the book with Namwali Serpell on March 25th.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/3/11/ep-415-tayari-jonesConnect with Tayari: Instagram | Threads | Website | FacebookConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Blue is off attending to something secret and mysterious, so the gals are going to answer nearly an hour of Q&A! Can they stay on topic? No! But hey, who needs a topic when you have conversations like these? Our podcast, like our videos, sometimes touches on the violence, assaults, and murders your English required reading list loves (also we curse sometimes). Treat us like a TV-14 show.Preorder Aurora Volume 2 Today:https://comicaurora.com/books/OSP has new videos every Friday:https://www.youtube.com/c/OverlySarcasticProductionsChannelQuestion for the Podcast? Head to the #ask-ospod discord channel:https://discord.gg/OSPMerch:https://overlysarcastic.shopFollow Us:Patreon.com/OSPTwitter.com/OSPyoutubeTwitter.com/sophie_kay_Music By OSP Magenta ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The new novel Whidbey explores the lives of three women who are all connected by the same abusive man. Birdie has moved to a remote island to escape the man who abused her as a child. Linzie, also a victim of the same man, has become famous for writing a memoir about her experiences. Mary-Beth is the mother of the abuser. When the man is found murdered, the lives of these three women begin to intersect. Author T. Kira Madden discusses the novel, her debut, out now.

A great story is truly timeless. However, since “A Question of Price” is pretty mid at best, we're giving it a little less than 90 minutes. In our newest side quest, we're returning to the world of Witcher comics to discuss Dark Horse's adaptation of the Andrzej Sapkowski short story, determining if this recent graphic novel has anything new to offer besides some pretty art. (In fairness, it's VERY pretty art.) Does the story that introduced The Witcher's Law of Surprise still hold some surprises of its own? Does the return of “Headband Geralt” hit differently after Crossroads of Ravens? And does Calanthe bring that milf energy and thirst for Geralt that she has in other versions of this story? Sharpen your swords and don your doublets, we're returning to Cintra!

In Episode 34 DDSWTNP sit down for a revelatory talk with Tom LeClair, a founding critic in the study of DeLillo, his longtime friend and liaison to the literary world, and a figure who has both written fiction shaped by DeLillo's and (he suggests) seen his own stories turned into scenes and dialogue by DeLillo himself. We get into LeClair's relationship with DeLillo going back more than forty years, starting from the time the author sent him a copy of Ratner's Star and proceeding to a 1979 interview in Athens that illuminated a then rather reclusive and secretive writer, including the story behind a card DeLillo handed out in those years reading “I don't want to talk about it.” We also ask LeClair questions about his many readings of DeLillo's and others' works over the years, starting from his major books In the Loop: Don DeLillo and the Systems Novel (1987) and The Art of Excess: Mastery in Contemporary American Fiction (1989), studies that initiated LeClair's career-long examination of encyclopedic works that form categories of “systext,” “monsterpiece,” and others he has defined in his many major magazine and newspaper reviews and in his current substack. What does LeClair make of the many mentions of “systems” in Underworld? What does a line from Point Omega suggest to him about the possibility someday of a DeLillo biography? What does LeClair mean when he calls DeLillo a thoroughly “intuitive” writer and an artist obsessed his whole life with embodiment, birth, death, and fear? Is “mystery” the right word for what drives DeLillo's narrative seeking, and is Catholicism a useful lens? What to make of the ending of Zero K? Why did DeLillo want to visit Beirut with LeClair? And what do these two talk about when they have lunch together? The interview also gets into depth on the many comparisons LeClair sees with his own fiction, its set of Kierkegaardian maneuvers through the Greece-based world of basketball player Michael Keever, the hero of Passing Off (1996) who begins for LeClair a series of examinations of games, terrorism, and some familiar DeLillo territory that extends through the four other Passing novels that LeClair has published in the thirty years since.    Cover photograph by Kinga Owczennikow. A native of Poland, Kinga Owczennikow is currently based in New York City. She holds a BA (Hons) in Photography from the University for the Creative Arts in the UK. Kinga is an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society, a member of the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel and an exhibiting member of the Soho Photo Gallery in New York City. Kinga had a solo exhibition “The secret paths of Hong Kong” at the Asia and Pacific Museum in Warsaw, in 2011. Her photographic work has also been exhibited internationally in group shows. Her first photobook "Framing the World" was published by Ephemere in Tokyo, in 2025.   Texts by Tom LeClair and others discussed in this episode:   “Don DeLillo: The Word, The Image, The Gun.” BBC, 1991. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4029096/   Amy Hungerford, “Don DeLillo's Latin Mass.” Contemporary Literature 47.3 (Autumn 2006): 343-380.   Tom LeClair and Larry McCaffery, eds. Anything Can Happen: Interviews with Contemporary American Novelists. U. of Illinois P., 1983.   Tom LeClair. In the Loop: Don DeLillo and the Systems Novel. U. of Illinois P., 1987.   ---. The Art of Excess: Mastery in Contemporary American Fiction.U. of Illinois P., 1989.   ---. “Me and Mao II” (1993). https://perival.com/delillo/meandmaoii.html   ---. Passing Off. Permanent Press, 1996.   ---. “An Under-history of Mid-Century America” (review of Underworld). The Atlantic, October 1997.   ---. “Two On One: Writing a Basketball Novel.” In What to Read (and Not): Essays and Reviews. Dzanc Books, 2014.   ---. “Serious But Not Dangerous Don DeLillo” (review of The Silence). American Book Review 42.4 (May/June 2021): 10-11.   —-. Harpooning Donald Trump: A Novelist's Essays. Mediacs, 2017.   ---. Passing Again. 2022.   Tom LeClair's Substack: https://tleclair.substack.com/   Vince Passaro, “Dangerous Don DeLillo.” New York Times Magazine, May 19, 1991. https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/19/magazine/dangerous-don-delillo.html   Lawrence Weschler, Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder: Pronged Ants, Horned Humans, Mice on Toast, and Other Marvels of Jurassic Technology. Vintage, 1995.

Xifeng is shaking with anger. Is there meaning in the madness? What are the real and imagined consequences of Jia Lian's transgressions? We try to conceive a contemporary framework for interpreting a tumultuous series of events in Dream of the Red Chamber 紅樓夢.Support the show

Oil! by Upton Sinclair ---Exploring the first 100 pages of Oil! by Upton Sinclair, Jesan Sorrells and Tom Libby dive into the gritty realities of entrepreneurship, the evolving concept of work-life balance, and how leadership demands both killer instinct and humility. They draw parallels between entrepreneurship and film direction, critique society's shifting attitudes toward work and success, and dissect how true leaders mentor others amidst competitive challenges. Hear lively debates on generational expectations, lessons from pop culture, and the importance of intent and teachability on the entrepreneurial journey.Book: Oil! Author: Upton SinclairGuests: Jesan Sorrells (host), Tom Libby (co-host)---Time Stamped Overview---00:00 Welcome and Introduction - Oil! by Upton Sinclair.10:21 "There Will Be Blood Overview."13:12 "Upton Sinclair's Influence on There Will Be Blood."20:17 Startup Founder as Visionary Director.24:26 "Track Record Drives Investment."30:28 Rethinking Work-Life Balance.33:28 Work-Life Balance and Societal Evolution.38:57 "Rethinking Work and Its Role."44:48 Defining Human Nature and Oil Exploration.53:36 "Success Requires Sustained Effort."58:04 "Confronting Uncertainty with Resilience."01:03:00 "Embracing Uncertainty Through Learning."01:09:11 Entrepreneurship: Ten Years to be an 'Overnight' Success.01:12:26 "Defining Legacy: Provider or Visionary?"01:19:04 "Evolution of NBA Eras."01:26:18 "Art School: Talent, Drive, and Killer Instinct."01:31:09 "Fostering Competitive Spirit in Youth."01:33:54 The Role of Social Media in Opportunity.01:43:04 Humbling Arrogance Through Jiu-Jitsu.01:48:11 "Elevating Others Through Leadership."01:53:12 Staying on the Leadership Path with Oil! by Upton Sinclair.---Opening theme composed by Brian Sanyshyn of Brian Sanyshyn Music.---Pick up your copy of 12 Rules for Leaders: The Foundation of Intentional Leadership NOW on AMAZON!Check out the Leadership Lessons From the Great Books podcast reading list!--- ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Clowns in the Burying Ground: The Grateful Dead, Literature, and the Limits of Philosophy

Clyde is there in that darn Bridgeburg courtroom trying his level best to keep calm and carry on, but it's tough. It's TOUGH! That Orville Mason is one tough cookie, and his opening argument certainly doesn't leave any room for doubt. That's one guilty son of a gun. Or say I! Plus, it remains cold.Support Obscure!Read Michael's substackFollow Michael on TwitterFollow Michael on InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michael Urie catches Jenna & Sheinelle up on his role in the newest season of “Shrinking." Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts stops by to talk all about his new children's book “Better Than a Touchdown." Plus, tips on how to refresh your wardrobe ahead of the spring season and a conversation with Amy Jo Burns, the author of March's “Read with Jenna” pick, “Wait for Me." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mathematics is everywhere: a common refrain from high school math teachers. But did you ever think math could be linked to literature? And not just in works from the literary greats of the past but for example Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. The relationship between math and literature are fundamentally creative, says Sarah Hart, a mathematician and author who speaks to Nahlah Ayed about how these two things that seem so polar opposite are deeply intertwined.Sarah Hart's book is called Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature.

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Sarah Berry of the University of Dallas discuss Acedia, Avarice, and part of Gluttony in Cantos 18-22 of the Purgatorio.Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information!Check out our GUIDE to the Purgatorio!Dr. Sarah Berry joins Deacon Harrison Garlick to explore Cantos 18–22, covering the terrace of sloth (acedia) and the transition into avarice and prodigality. In Canto 18, Virgil delivers a pivotal discourse on love as the root of all human action, explaining that love can be misdirected (pride, envy, wrath), deficient (sloth), or excessive (avarice, gluttony, lust). Berry emphasizes the terrace's brevity and lack of a formal prayer: “their prayers are their action... the penitents too... are doing the thing as a way of offering up some kind of prayer to God” (Dr. Sarah Berry), with running souls and examples of zeal (Mary's haste to Elizabeth, Caesar's swift march) countering sloth's cooling of love. The dream of the siren in Canto 19 warns against deceptive earthly goods, while the face-down penance on the avarice terrace forces fixation on the earth once loved excessively: “these are those who had a disordered love of money... goods that can't be shared” (Dr. Sarah Berry).Cantos 20–22 deepen the exploration of avarice's societal and personal consequences. Hugh Capet's lament in Canto 20 indicts the French dynasty's greed and sacrilege, including the capture of Boniface VIII. Berry highlights the terrace's broadened scope: “Dante is really broadening... our awareness of this constellation of problems” beyond mere hoarding or spending. In Canto 21, Statius is released with an earthquake and song, explaining his long purgation on sloth and avarice before moving freely upward. Canto 22 poignantly contrasts Statius (saved through Virgil's influence and grace) with Virgil himself, who lacks faith despite his virtues. Berry notes the tragedy: “Dante is inviting us... hoping that there is some special providence for Virgil at the end of his journey through purgatory” (Dr. Sarah Berry). The cantos reveal Purgatorio's hopeful, dynamic nature: purgation reorders love through grace, habituation, and contemplation, moving from deficient to excessive attachments, preparing the soul for divine union.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Ascend and Dante's Purgatorio02:29 Exploring Dante's Purgatorio: Themes and Structure04:30 The Importance of Purgatorio in Spiritual Growth08:32 Understanding Love and Culpability in Purgatorio12:00 Diving into Canto 18: The Lesson on Love13:26 Virgil's Discourse on Love and Free Will17:40 The Nature of Love: Ascent and Culpability20:31 The Role of Reason in Human Actions26:01 The Formation of Intellect and Will33:12 Contrapasso: The Penance of Slothfulness40:19 Examples of Zeal: Mary and Caesar42:17 Understanding Zeal and Sloth47:04 The Subtlety of Sin and Human Effort52:31 Dreams and Allegory in Purgatory01:00:27 The Nature of Prayer and Action01:01:58 Exploring Avarice and Its Consequences01:20:15 Exploring Dante's Inferno: Sin and Intellect01:23:03 Wrath and Sloth: Roots of Sin in Purgatorio01:25:23 Positive Examples: Virtue Against Avarice01:29:30 Dante's Critique of French Dynasties01:35:56 The Role of Statius: A New Perspective01:50:30 Virgil's Tragic Journey: Hope for Salvation?KeywordsDante's Purgatorio, Sloth, Love, Virtue, Spiritual Growth, Theology, Literature, Dante, Purgatory, Christian Virtues Dante, Purgatorio, allegory, sin, virtue, divine justice, theology, Mount Purgatory, purgation, salvation

Fr. Spencer Howe joins Patrick to discuss English Literature (2:41) what is the role of Literature in the life of the Church? What is the history of the Catholic Church in England? (10:26) what is the Catholic influence of Shakespeare. (18:55) Break 1 (19:50) Richard - I'm a reader of CS Lewis, George McDonald. I can tell you how I was put on to CS Lewis and then George McDonald. (23:54) C.S. Lewis one of the evangelists? (28:43) Karen - Wanted to talk about reading Tolkien and then becoming Catholic. Heard about it on Fr. Simon's show. (34:00) Break 2 WWI’s influence on English Writers in their literature. (37:56) St John Henry Newman’s authorship and teaching. Who was Ronald Knox and why is he so important? (45:32) Chesterton’s importance in the common people’s mind. Resources: Newman Studies https://www.newmanreader.org/

Writing on the desire to be of service, from Judith Chalmer, Diana Woodcock, and Andrew Brown. Support the show

God, save us from the tender mercies of the social reformer.---Opening theme composed by Felipe Sarro - Bach - Silotti - "Air"  from Orchestra Suite No. 3, BWV 1068 Closing theme composed by Brian Sanyshyn of Brian Sanyshyn Music.---Pick up your copy of 12 Rules for Leaders: The Foundation of Intentional Leadership NOW on AMAZON!Check out the Leadership Lessons From the Great Books podcast reading list!---Subscribe to the Leadership Lessons From The Great Books Podcast: https://bit.ly/LLFTGBSubscribeCheck out Leadership ToolBox at: https://leadershiptoolbox.us/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Journalist and writer Elizabeth Bisland was sent on a trip around the world in 1889, in a sort of race against Nellie Bly. But that was not something she wanted to be known for. Research: Bisland, Elisabeth. “At the Sign of the Hobby Horse.” Houghton, Mifflin and Co. Riverside Press. 1910. https://archive.org/details/atsignofhobbyhor0000eliz/page/n12/mode/1up Bisland, Elizabeth, 1861-1929. “A Candle of Understanding: a Novel.” New York and London: Harper & brothers, 1903. Bisland, Elizabeth. “In Seven Stages: A Flying Trip Around the World.” New York. Harper & Brothers. 1891. https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bisland/stages/stages.html Bisland, Elizabeth. “Societies for Minding One's Own Business.” The North American Review. 11/1/1910. Bisland, Elizabeth. “The Art of Travel.” From The woman's book, dealing practically with the modern conditions of home-life, self-support, education, opportunities, and every-day problems. 1894. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_LBEhBEGmUq4C/ Bisland, Elizabeth. “The Truth About Men and Other Matters.” New York. Avondale Press. 1927. Britannica Editors. "Lafcadio Hearn". Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lafcadio-Hearn. Accessed 18 February 2026. Codrescu, Andrei. “The Many Lives of Lafcadio Hearn.” The Paris Review. 7/2/2019. https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2019/07/02/the-many-lives-of-lafcadio-hearn/ “Foley, Alethea "Mattie",” Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, accessed February 19, 2026, https://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/300004770. Goodman, Matthew. “Elizabeth Bisland’s Race Around the World.” Public Domain Review. 10/16/2013. https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/elizabeth-bislands-race-around-the-world/ Harrison-Kahan, Lori and Karen E. H. Skinazi. “The Girl Reporter in Fact and Fiction: Miriam Michelson's New Women and Periodical Culture in the Progressive Era.” American Quarterly , Jun., 2002, Vol. 54, No. 2 (Jun., 2002). https://www.jstor.org/stable/30041927 Heitman, Danny. “Lafcadio Hearn in New Orleans.” HUMANITIES, May/June 2012, Volume 33, Number 3. https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2012/mayjune/feature/lafcadio-hearn-in-new-orleans New York Times. “MRS. E.B. WETMORE, AUTHOR, DIES IN SOUTH; Former Elizabeth Bisland of This City to Be Buried in Woodlawn Today.” 1/19/1929. https://www.nytimes.com/1929/01/09/archives/mrs-eb-wetmore-author-dies-in-south-former-elizabeth-bisland-of.html Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc. “Historical and Archaeological Investigations of Fort Bisland and Lower Bayou Teche, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana.” June 1991. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA242489.pdf Roggenkamp, Karen. “Dignified Sensationalism: ‘Cosmopolitan,’ Elizabeth Bisland, and Trips around the World.” American Periodicals , 2007, Vol. 17, No. 1 (2007). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20770967 Rose, Alex. “Elizabeth Bisland: Around the World in 76 Days.” Science Museum Group. 1/30/2023. https://blog.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/rare-globe-celebrates-elizabeth-bislands-voyage-around-the-world/ Science Museum Group. “Elizabeth Bisland 1861-1929.” https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/cp172999/elizabeth-bisland Tutwiler, Julia R. “The Southern Woman in New York.” The Bookman: A Magazine of Literature and Life. February, 1904. https://archive.org/details/the-bookman-1895-1933/1900-1909/1904/The%20Bookman%20v18n06%20%281904-02%29%20%28unz%29/page/624/mode/1up Tutwiler, Julia R. “The Southern Woman in New York: Part 2.” The Bookman: A Magazine of Literature and Life. March, 1904. https://archive.org/details/bookmanareviewb05unkngoog/page/50/mode/1up Vatican Apostolic Library. “Elizabeth Bisland.” En Route Project. https://enrouteproject.com/en/the-research/the-female-travelers/elizabeth-bisland/ Williams, Susan Millar. “L’enfant Terrible: Elizabeth Bisland and the South.” The Southern Review; Oct 1, 1986; 22, 4; ProQuest pg. 680. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I don't care if Monday's blue, Tuesday's grey and - wait, Morrie's here. Tuesday's not so bad after all! Mitch Albom's breakthrough account of his meetings with the late Morrie Schwartz includes some moving lessons about how facing death head-on can help you lead life to the fullest. It also includes some observations by Albom that really threw Craig for a loop.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com/overdue.Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis.Follow @overduepod on Instagram and BlueskyAdvertise on OverdueSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Andrew Klavan. Let's Talk About The War. As missiles rain down on the Middle East, BS rains down on America. Watch this video at- https://youtu.be/WO-CijekeCE?si=b3S6DtYRAMjh5Afk Andrew Klavan 811K subscribers 43,650 views Premiered Mar 6, 2026 The Andrew Klavan Show As missiles rain down on the Middle East, BS rains down on America. Ep. 1269

Contact John: John@relevantrecovery.orgRecovery literature (quit-lit) recommendations: BreathingUnder Water: Spirituality And The Twelve Steps - https://a.co/d/04c0D2qjBest piece of Recovery Advice: "Trunk to Tail"Resources: https://www.relevantrecovery.org/https://theretreat.org/programs/https://www.hazelden.org/store/welcomehttps://www.marrch.org/Media story on Recovery Ranch: https://thephoenixspirit.com/2024/09/founder-envisions-minnesotas-first-recovery-ranch/https://www.relevantrecovery.org/recovery-ranch/Song that symbolizes recovery: Pentatonix - AmazingGrace (My Chains Are Gone)  - https://youtu.be/Obp-9BEZe1c?si=xe_STqS_S9m5YvO8 TakeawaysJohn Magnuson shares his journey of recovery from alcoholaddiction.Serving the recovery community starts with maintainingpersonal sobriety.Recovery means finding love, happiness, and a sense ofpurpose.Childhood experiences shaped John's understanding ofaddiction.Alcohol was a significant part of John's early life and ledto serious consequences.Navigating early adulthood involved balancing politicalaspirations and addiction.A turning point in John's life led to a deeper understandingof spirituality in recovery.Failure in business prompted a reevaluation of prioritiesand personal growth.Community support is crucial in the recovery process.Embracing change and new directions can lead to unexpectedopportunities. Personalizing recovery pathways is crucial for individualsuccess.Authenticity in communication fosters connection andunderstanding.Humility allows for growth and acceptance in recovery.Peer support has evolved but still needs to adapt to currentneeds.Coaching families can lead to profound transformations inrecovery.Creating a supportive environment is essential for healing.Daily routines play a significant role in sustainablerecovery.Literature can provide valuable insights and guidance inrecovery.Music serves as a powerful tool for healing and expression.Trusting the process and remaining open to change is vital. SummaryIn this conversation, John Magnuson shares his journey ofrecovery from alcohol addiction, emphasizing the importance of serving therecovery community, the evolution of his understanding of recovery, and therole of spirituality in his life. He reflects on his childhood, earlyexperiences with alcohol, and the turning points that led him to embrace a newdirection in life. John discusses the significance of community support, thelessons learned from failure, and the power of personal stories in recovery. Healso addresses the complexities of privilege and the language used in therecovery community, ultimately highlighting the transformative power ofrecovery and personal growth. In this conversation, John Magnuson shares hisinsights on the importance of personalizing recovery pathways, the role ofauthenticity and humility in communication, and the evolution of peer support.He discusses his journey into coaching and the vision behind Relevant Recovery,emphasizing the significance of creating a supportive environment for familiesin recovery. John also highlights the healing power of music and the importanceof daily routines in maintaining recovery. His experiences reflect a deepunderstanding of the spiritual aspects of recovery and the need for communitysupport.Don't forget to check out “The Way Out Playlist” available onlyon Spotify. Curated by all our wonderful guests on the podcast! https://open.spotify.com?episode/07lvzwUq1L6VQGnZuH6OLz?si=3eyd3PxVRWCKz4pTurLcmA (c) 2015 - 2026 The Way Out Podcast | All Rights Reserved. ThemeMusic: “all clear” (⁠⁠⁠https://ketsa.uk/browse-music/)byKetsa (https://ketsa.uk⁠⁠⁠)licensedunderCCBY-NC-ND4.0(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd)

Special thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. Since Charles Darwin's 1859 book On the Origin of Species, evolution has been considered by many to be the final nail in the coffin of religion.Because evolution is supposedly random - or indeed, blind - the argument follows that there is no design.But recently, a quiet revolution has been raging among the top tier of evolutionary scientists.The apparent randomness of evolution has come into question, and some experts now suggest there may be patterns, agency, and even intention behind it all.FOR FULL SHOW NOTES - click here.CREDITSUndeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher.Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant.  Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Peter Kozushko is our North American representative and a point of contact for church pastors interested in engaging with our work here at Undeceptions.  Editing by Richard Hamwi.Our voice actor today was Dakotah Love. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out. Undeceptions sponsors: Zondervan AcademicAnglican AidSelah Travel