In this episode of Off the Shelf, Dr. Fleming and Stephen shamelessly plug the newest publication from the Foundation, A Thousand Years of Jihad. Both Dr. Fleming and Stephen discuss their reflections on the essays contained therein, authored by Dr. Brownlow and Dr. Fleming. The Barbary Pirates, Janos Hunyadi, and Lord Byron are just a few of the cast of characters.
In this episode, Dr. Fleming and Stephen discuss Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day. Dr. Fleming first explains his opposition in general to these sorts of government sponsored fake holy-days, then specifically why he opposes Memorial Day like most federal holidays.
In this episode of Off the Shelf, Dr. Fleming and Stephen discuss what is often pushed onto today’s high schoolers as a candidate for “The Great American Novel.” They start the discussion by examining whether there is such a thing as “the” Great American Novel and then delve a bit deeper into a book that pleasantly surprised both of them on what was a third or fourth read.
In this episode Dr. Fleming and Stephen continue to discuss the role of the gods in Homer as well as the outlines of Greek religion in general, its practices, “commandments,” and theology. We also briefly explore the age-old discussion: why do the good suffer?
In this episode of Utopia Limited, Dr. Fleming discusses the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta that is the namesake of the series, as well as a dystopian classic set with some of the same ideas about English government: G.K. Chesterton’s The Napoleon of Notting Hill.
In this episode of Homer, Dr. Fleming discusses the value of the Greek religion from a cultural perspective, and begins to describe the qualities of the gods.
In this inaugural episode of Utopia Limited Dr Fleming traces first the introduction of Utopian literature and the necessary “myth of progress” which led to the first dystopian literature, and how the genre is distinct from science fiction.
In this episode of Homer, Dr. Fleming discusses various episodes in the Iliad and their particular resonances. He also goes on to discuss the overall structure of the work and how little the “main story” occupies the majority of the work.
In this episode of On the Shelf, Stephen shares his thoughts on Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey, and Dr. Fleming comments on it and what he considers a superior Western novel, The Virginian by Owen Wister. Join us for discussions of shootouts, Mormons, and the beguiling beauty of the American West.
Homeric epic poems were not originally written but preserved by a tradition of oral composition that made these stories easier to recite (and remember). To appreciate the brilliant technique, it is useful to understand dactylic hexameter, which is used throughout the Iliad, as well as how the various “homeric” texts came down into the texts we know today as the Iliad and the Odyssey.
