The Troubadour Podcast

Send us a textThis is the first reading of the novella by Herman Melville. In part 1 I argued why this remains a classic story we should all read. It may help to listen to my introduction.Visit troubadourmag.com for a list of important terms, including nautical terms, that may help you to better understand the text.In the next episode I will give you a summary of this section of the story, and then an exploration of some key themes in the text so far.

Send us a textIn part one of this series I argue why it is of critical importance for all Americans to read this novella by Herman Melville before it is too late. In it are critical observations about the American spirit, and an underlying philosophy that is currently tearing us apart.Melville's story, published in 1855, is a thriller/mystery based on a true story. In 1799 an American Whaling Captain, Amasa Deleno, espies a ship in distress off the coast of Chile. As a good American, he goes to the rescue, bringing food and water. Upon boarding the ship, however, he begins to perceive odd behavior that he cannot explain.In this introduction, I describe the core epistemological quandary of this character, and of our own lives in America today.Stories should be experienced and enjoyed as stories, but nonetheless, with some guidance, I will help to show you how this classic tale can breath insight into your own daily life.

Send us a textOn this episode I talk with Troubadour Magazine's new Assistant Editor, Joe Dimon, about the three short stories we selected for his upcoming course on Science Fiction Literature. The three stories areNathaniel Hawthorne's "Rappaccini's Daughter"Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron,"David Griggs's "A Song Before Sunset."In this episode we discuss each short story and compare them. Whether or not you have read them,we give you an overview and explain there signifance.

Send us a textIn this short episode we explore the poem "Spring" by Shakespeare, from his play "Love's Labour Lost." This short two stanza poem will become clearer and clearer to you as we flesh out the four dimensions of poetry.

Send us a textKelsy Landin is a sculptor who has recently found an unexpected niche: The Nose. On the social media platform TikTok her videos have been reaching millions of young people. She had been making 60 second videos teaching different aspects of sculpting, when suddenly, one video she posted reached 4.5 million views and almost 17,000 comments.What happened? On this show we discuss that particular video (and I play the video for you) and we discuss how finding the beauty of a nose led to some very important discoveries about ourselves and art.Enjoy this conversation with Kelsy Landin.Support her work on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/SculptrixBuy a bronze https://www.thesculptrix.com/sculptures/bronzeWatch her Tiktoks @ landinartWatch her on youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEotHcs3DgZQcJpOc1PsB5g

Send us a textDon't just read news articles, read poetry. 

Exploring the author's creative process and character development, navigating artistic expressions and quarantine productivity, and embracing artistic pursuits in quarantine. From dark contemplative scenes in the book to mixing cocktails for social connections, the podcast delves into influential artists, emotional journeys, and the challenges of writing during quarantine.

Send us a textShakespeare in LUST!When most of us think of Shakespeare we think of the great love poet. He is known as one of the greatest romantic love poets of all time. Yet in this poem he rails against sex. Not romantic sex of course, but sex devoid of spirit.By the end of watching this video you'll be able to talk about this poem with anyone, and you'll have a better understanding of how Shakespearean sonnets are structured and how they operate.

Send us a textAsk someone the following two questions. First, "Is reading literature a good thing?" Then, "Do you read literature?" And it is amazing that everyone will answer affirmative in the former and negative in the latter.Do that with anything else in life and you will likely find a wide range of answers. "Is riding horseback a good thing?" Some will say yes and some will say no and some will be neutral. Then follow with the second question "Do you horseback ride,? And again you'll get a variety of answers. Try the question with 'working hard,' 'following your passion,' 'exercise,' 'eating healthy.'There is a huge disconnect in our society. We all know that reading literature is a Good and yet very few of us actually read literature. On today's episode I talked with Deanna Heikkinen from Pisan Academy to talk about the value of literature. Both Deanna and I share the missoin of attempting to bring literature to non-academics. At the Pisan Academy, they focus on creating curriiculum for homeschoolers.

Send us a textWho remembers those magic eye illusions from the 90s? On this episode I use Shakespeare's most famous poem to illustrate how poetry is like those illusions.Poetry begins as a meaningless jumble of lines on a page, but it ends with deep meaning. As Frost puts it, a good poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom. But how can we reach that "end?" And is it truly worth it?These are some questions I discuss with you as I explore this great and short 14 line sonnet by the great bard himself.