Send us a textIn this episode Luc and Kirk explored the idea of the role of a mentor in ones life. To what degree should we revere them? How personal does the relationship have to be? What value is there in a mentor? How can you be better mentor? What truly does a mentor do? How is a mentor different than a teacher?Luc shared a wonderful sculpture with all of us and Kirk chose a poem (stole might be a better word! From a talk by Lisa VanDamme, "Life Poetry and Keats.")This podcast is a conversation one that will certainly surprise you with the inherent truths in great works of art. You do not need to be a scholar to approach these podcasts. Luc and Kirk provide approachable ways to make art more meaningful in your life.Special thanks to: Lisa Vandamme for her reading of the poem. You can follow along with Lisa's literary readings and commentary on her Read with Me App. Painting Voice Recorders:Adriana Carlson - Author of the young adult novel Penelope and the Hob KingMolly Johnson - Esteemed member of the Surprised by Art facebook group!Jake Rivas - of Jake of All Trades, a financial podcast for millennialsHere's the poem:Great SpiritsBy John KeatsGREAT spirits now on earth are sojourning;He of the cloud, the cataract, the lake,Who on Helvellyn’s summit, wide awake,Catches his freshness from Archangel’s wing;He of the rose, the violet, the spring,        The social smile, the chain for Freedom’s sake:And lo!—whose steadfastness would never takeA meaner sound than Raphael’s whispering.And other spirits there are standing apartUpon the forehead of the age to come;        These, these will give the world another heartAnd other pulses. Hear ye not the humOf mighty workings in the human mart?Listen awhile, ye nations, and be dumb.

Send us a textA discussion of the new show, Andor on Disney+

Send us a text*To view the full painting visit: https://www.troubadourmag.com/post/surprised-by-art-3-childhood-wildnessOn this episode you get to hear a fundamental disagreement between Luc and Kirk regarding the interpretation of the poem.This was a wild ride of a show. You'll get to experience a wonderful painting that most people pass by. It's a hidden gem rife with meaning, despite its minimalism. Luc and Kirk discussed the nature of wildness, bravery, thrill seeking and more with this painting.WIth the poem, Luc and Kirk got to experience a knight's tale, from a very unusual and unexpected location.We wanted to give a special thanks to our voice recording volunteers! They did a wonderful job describing the painting. Deanna Hekkinen of Piisan Academy, Rachael Rivera, and Jason Letman

Send us a textOn this episode both Kirk and Luc are quite surprised at what they find similar and different between the chosen painting and poem.Luc chose a wonderful painting to illustrate "Righteous Defiance," and Kirk chose a rousing poem to define the topic.The audio podcast is designed to help you visualize the painting without seeing it, but eventually you should explore the painting for yourself. We recommend exploring it after you hear the recordings of other people giving their first impressions.You can see the painting and some close ups of it here: https://www.troubadourmag.com/post/surprised-by-art-righteous-defianceSpecial thanks to our volunteers, who took one quick glance at the painting and described it: Jennifer Minjarez, Atul Kapur, Amy Chou, and Sean Doherty (in order of appearance).

Send us a textToday Luc Travers and Kirk cover the topic that you chose "Man's Loss of Faith."Luc picked a painting that really affected Kirk. And Kirk wowed Luc with his selection.Though paintings are of course visual, we have used audio descriptions of the painting to give you as clear an idea as possible of the painting. We do have a thumbnail that you can see as the artwork for this podcast episode.You can also go to https://www.troubadourmag.com/post/surprised-by-art-man-s-loss-of-faith to experience the painting in the way that Luc recommends.You can also read the poem there.*Note to parents this episode does have a few swear words in it. 

Send us a textJoin me for a reading and discussion of William Cowper's final poem The Castaway (1799)This is the second time I have done a reading of this poem.

Send us a textAn elegy is a poem written to mourn the death of someone. Here we will explore the hidden depths of this philosophic poem.Halloween is a time to face fears. Do not allow the fear of a lack of comprehension of this poem stop you from attempting to mine its meaning and beauty.

Send us a textThis special episode of Troubadour Talks features three members of the Literary Canon Club—a group dedicated to reading through the entire Western Canon from Homer to Rand. Book one in our group was The Iliad. In this episode, Kirk discusses various aspects of Homer’s The Iliad with Molly Johnson, Marco Romero and Heather Schwarz. Even if you have never read the Iliad, this discussion will show you the value of taking time out of your busy life to read great literature.

Send us a textOn today’s episode of Troubadour Talks, I chat with a host of the Daily Objective, Nikos Sotirakopoulos, about the novel by Jack Schaefer “Shane.” One critic of Shane has expressed, correctly, that if you are to read one Western novel, let it be Shane. Nikos and I discuss the straightforward plot and then have a deep discussion of the characters and their relationships. As this is a frontier story, like all Westerns, we will talk about life on the frontier, how it is different from life in a fully civilised location, and most importantly, how manliness is required in these frontier lands.We also talk about the fraternity among men and how to earn the manly love of your brothers. This was an enjoyable conversation with a true brother in arms!

Send us a textToday's guest is Rucka, and we will be discussing Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie and The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson. We had a great discussion of the meaning of Peter Pan and why this is such a valuable story for children and adults.What is the meaning of a boy who never grows up? What role does passion play in our lives, and do we have to give up our desires as we age? These and many other questions are ones that we discuss on this wide-ranging talk about these two great works of literary art and their role in our lives.