Common Knowledge

In this episode of Common Knowledge, hosts Brett Harkey and Chris Reynolds welcome Liberty Common School instructor Alysa Balfour for a thought-provoking exploration of two timeless works: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis and Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Together, they uncover surprising connections between Lewis’s satirical insights on human temptation and Aurelius’s stoic reflections on virtue and self-mastery. The discussion situates both works within “The Great Conversation,” tracing how ideas from vastly different eras and traditions still speak to one another—and to us—about the moral struggles and philosophical questions that shape the human experience.

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• Liberty Common School Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.libertycommon.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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In this episode, librarian Paige Gowing and English instructor Lander Hultin join to explore the work of celebrated author Gary D. Schmidt. Best known for his deeply moving young-adult novels, Schmidt’s storytelling addresses universal themes—identity, resilience, empathy, and moral growth—through richly drawn characters and historical settings.

He’s received two Newbery Honors (Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy in 2005; The Wednesday Wars in 2008), a Printz Honor, and a National Book Award finalist nod for Okay for Now. His most recent works include Just Like That (2021), The Labors of Hercules Beal (2023, winner of the Josette Frank Award), and the forthcoming A Day at the Beach (2025).

Connect with Liberty Common School:

• Liberty Common School Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.libertycommon.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Bees don’t just make honey—they model a universe of order, purpose, and cooperation that has captivated thinkers from Aristotle to modern naturalists. In this episode, we’re joined by third-grade instructor and backyard beekeeper Meghan Duran for a conversation blending classical education, natural science, and philosophical reflection. From the hum of the hive to the habits of virtue, this is a conversation about what it means to live thoughtfully—even at the scale of six legs and two wings.

About Meghan Duran

Megan teaches third grade at Liberty’s Plato campus. She has an associate’s degree in elementary education, a bachelor's degree in Business, and a master's degree in Teaching and Learning. She loves cornhusker football, honey bees, and USA wrestling.

Connect with Liberty Common School:

• Liberty Common School Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.libertycommon.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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In this episode, we explore the work of contemporary author Kate DiCamillo. Known for beloved novels like Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, and Flora & Ulysses, DiCamillo’s writing captures deep truths about the human condition through accessible and engaging stories for young readers. Jenna Allen and Steven Ronen join us to discuss how DiCamillo, despite being a relatively newer author, contributes meaningfully to the "Great Conversation" of literature — engaging with timeless themes like hope, friendship, loss, and redemption — and why her works have resonated so deeply with readers of all ages.

Books Mentioned In This Episode

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Tale of Despereaux

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Because of Winn-Dixie

Tiger Rising

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Connect with Liberty Common School:

• Liberty Common School Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.libertycommon.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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About the Episode

Art can seem elusive, and so many of us feel unequipped to pass judgment on an artwork. One of the most powerful tools in artistic analysis is aesthetic theory. The practice of using aesthetic theories can help us first classify the function of an artwork. After we classify the function, then we can more confidently determine the success. This episode walks listeners through the more common aesthetic theories and applies them to some of our favorite artworks.

Imitationalism
Symbolism
Emotionalism
Formalism
Instrumentalism
Institutionalism
Artists/Artworks Referenced:
Michelangelo
John James Audubon
Yosemite Valley by Ansel Adams
Nighthawks by Edward Hopper
I and the Village by Marc Chagall
The Last Supper by Leonard DaVinci
Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali
The Scream by Edvard Munch
Andrew Wyeth
Passing Storm over the Sierra Nevadas by Albert Bierstadt
Edgar Degas
Paul Cézanne
Piet Mondrian
Wassily Kandinsky
Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange
Fountain by Marcel Duchamp
Campbell's Soup Cans by Andy Warhol
Shibboleth by Doris Salcedo
Comedian by Maurizio Cattelan

Connect with Liberty Common School:

• Liberty Common School Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.libertycommon.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Although Latin is often called a "dead language," its influence is very much alive in modern culture. From film and literature to science and law, Latin continues to shape the way we communicate and think. Latin Instructor Jake Bryan dives deep into the beauty behind the language and why it is still relevant today.

About Jake BryanJake started at Liberty Common in the fall of 2022. Before that, he taught Latin at a college preparatory school in Oklahoma City for five years. Originally from Dallas, Texas, he attended the University of Oklahoma, where he majored in Letters with a minor in Latin.

Connect with Liberty Common School:

• Liberty Common School Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.libertycommon.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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This episode explores the origins and influence of jazz as America’s truly original art form. Guest Dave Lunn, a saxophonist and music educator, joins hosts Brett Harkey and Chris Reynolds to discuss jazz’s deep roots, key figures, and lasting impact on American culture and music.

About Dave Lunn

Dave Lunn is in his 25th year of teaching at Liberty Common School, where he teaches instrumental music, music theory and music history. He received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Colorado State University, and in 2018, he was a finalist for Colorado Teacher of the Year. In addition to his work at Liberty, he is involved in many other musical endeavors, including leading the Fort Collins Youth Jazz Project, working as a clinician, and performing with many ensembles around the area. He and his wife, Lori, live in Fort Collins and have 3 children and when not teaching or making music, he is an avid mountain biker and rock climber.

Mentioned In This Episode:

• Spyro Gyra
• Charlie Parker
• John Coltrane
• Tijuana Brass
• Thelonious Monk
• Louis Armstrong
• Benny Goodman
• Duke Ellington
• Dizzy Gillespie 
• Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
• Cannonball Adderley
• Bill Evans - Sunday Night at the Village Vanguard
• Ella Fitzgerald
• Bing Crosby
• Frank Sinatra
• Nat King Cole
• Billy Holiday 
• Robert Glasper
• Snarky Puppy
• Dave Brubeck - Time Out
• Esperanza Spalding
  

Connect with Liberty Common School:

• Liberty Common School Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.libertycommon.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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This episode delves into the fascinating role of jewelry in sixteenth-century Anglo-Scottish diplomacy. Our guest, Cassie Auble, explores how Mary, Queen of Scots, and Elizabeth I used jewelry as tools of political negotiation, self-representation, and material culture.

Cassie has been a Liberty Common School Latin instructor since 2018. She has an M.A. in history with a certification in Medieval and Renaissance Studies from the University of Nebraska Lincoln.

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About the Episode:

The episode explores what makes a book a "classic" and how books shape the moral and idyllic imaginations of young readers. Our guest, Paige Gowing, a librarian at Liberty Common School, shares insights on the value of classic literature and dispels common misconceptions, while broadening the definition of what makes a book timeless and enduring.

Paige is a Librarian at Liberty Common School’s Plato Campus.  She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Concentration in Creative Writing from Colorado State University and has been working at Liberty since graduation. Before becoming an employee of Liberty Common School, Paige was once a student here. She began attending Liberty in 1997, the same year the school opened. 

Referenced Books:

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In the late Middle Ages, the city-states of Italy witnessed the rebirth of an ancient form of government: the republic.  These Italian republics provide the backdrop for the impressive cultural achievements of the Renaissance, and arguably made them possible.  We will consider the conditions which led Italian cities to adopt republican governments, how their republican experiments managed to overcome the threat of warfare and social division, and why they ultimately fell.  We will also consider the legacy of Italy’s Renaissance republics and how they might help us understand our own republic better.

Dr. Penning started teaching history at Liberty in 2018. He received his B.A. in history at Clemson University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University. In addition to Colorado, he has spent time living in Kansas, South Dakota, Illinois, South Carolina, Australia, and Italy. When not in the classroom, he can usually be found with his nose in a book.

Connect with Liberty Common School

Liberty Common School Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.libertycommon.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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