Literary Nomads

Latest Episodes
Reading: “Rebellion” from Dostoevsky’s ‘The Brothers Karamazov’
Still another famous writer has posed the Le Guin question, and he did it in one of Russia's most famous novels, The Brothers Karamazov. Here it is.
Otium and The Moral Philosopher – William James
Le Guin leans on an essay by William James, but what does that have to do with all our garden talk? It's about our blind spots and our privilege.
Marvell’s Garden and Ours – Otium
Speaking of links back to Andrew Marvell's poetry--weren't we?--we expose some of our misapprehensions about nature, leisure, and work. And we read Marvell's poem "The Garden" while we think green tho
Vaster Than Empires – Le Guin
What does it mean to embrace "Other"? And how might we understand carpe diem if we truly had "world enough and time?" Le Guin shows us in her famous science fiction short story.
Signpost – Pretty Gardens in Paint
Where we've been and where we're going, and we take a pause in a museum gallery, too!
Trailer: Journey 6
Looking ahead at Season 6: Ursula K. Le Guin's story, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," and all the wrestling we do with dilemmas of ethics.
What I Get Wrong
We finish a carpe diem journey and I reflect back on what I've learned, what I believe, and where we are going next.
Writing Back 2: Getting Over Our Essay Anxiety
It's time for the end of our carpe diem journey, and we celebrate with a congratulatory essay! Hey, why so glum?
Bellow Seizes Our Day
Sure we can philosophize, but what happens when we put carpe diem to the test in the modern world of capital?
Rilke and Carpe Don’t Rhyme
What is required of us to find the power and meaning in art? in poetry? Is it related to carpe diem? And does it give us any guidance in how to approach meaningful lives?