In this episode, I speak with the philosopher, podcaster, and substacker extraordinaire, Justin E.H. Smith about Cormac McCarthys fourth novel, Suttree. We were both struck by how different this novel is from McCarthys later, more famous worksboth in

In this episode, I am joined by Professor Roosevelt Montas to discuss his new book, Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed my Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation. Montas, a Dominican born American academic, makes the compelling case that

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Kevin Kambo about Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, in light of an essay by Louise Cowan titled “The Tragic Abyss.” Cowan argues that tragedy is “a liturgical confrontation of a deep seated dread which, when

In this episode, I speak with the president of the University of Tulsa, Brad Carson, about Allen Bloom’s infamous book, The Closing of the American Mind. Brad and I ultimately decide that while we like some of Bloom’s key ideas about what a un

In this patrons only episode I speak with Chad Wellmon about his new book, Permanent Crisis: The Humanities in a Disenchanted Age.  I hope you enjoy our conversation and many thanks for your continued support for the podcast!  We are currently w

In this episode, I speak with the journalist Damon Linker about the Pulitzer prize winning American playwright, Eugene O’Neill. Our conversation mostly centers around A Long Day’s Journey Into Night, the semi-autobiographical account of the to