Godward: A Lit-Wisdom Podcast

In this based episode, see a couple of interesting short clips, hear some stuff about Franz Kafka & his story, "The Metamorphosis," and learn about the Art of Dark podcast. We should talk more about what we mean by "Based," but we'll save that for the secret streams. Themes of alienation and disorientation. The highly modernist setting. A dash of German and a dash of Jewishness. I mean, this episode really has it all.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Godward

In this ineffable video, ironically, not as many visuals -- just some talking about language and thought after re-reading Cormac McCarthy's "Kekule Problem" essay... here's a link to the original essay:

https://nautil.us/issue/47/consciousness/the-kekul-problem

I've always found this to be a stimulating locus for meditation -- the origin of language, what it has to do with the self, and being human, etc.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Godward

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@Godward:5?r=FFgMAmWyyzJ2b8HrstejXYp7UaTdV9ep

In this positively-perspectival episode, learn about what happened after the Gospels and after the Book of Acts, both in Jerusalem and in places like Ephesus and Athens and Rome and Alexandria. Eusebius's church history is an attempt to narrate a people into existence -- he refers more than once to "the Christian race," and he definitely sees the destruction of Jerusalem as the fulfillment of prophecy. He cites Josephus and Philo, as well as a letter said to be written by Jesus Christ himself. Seriously fun content here.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Godward

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@Godward:5?r=FFgMAmWyyzJ2b8HrstejXYp7UaTdV9ep

In this very English video, hear a bit of background and statistics on Milton's famous poem, "Paradise Lost." See some video footage of North Carolina in Spring. Hear about what's so wrong with communism, and why Psychology is only helpful if it builds upon a proper understanding of the essential nature of mankind. Blank verse is a slog, but if you love iambs, you'll enjoy this episode!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Godward

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@Godward:5?r=FFgMAmWyyzJ2b8HrstejXYp7UaTdV9ep

In this abstract episode, consider a few specific examples taken from literary classics -- as well as a couple from modern books & movies -- in order to answer the question of whether there are limits to interpretation that are "built into" the narratives we enjoy. What ramifications do these proposed limits of interpretation have on our own sense of moral duties, heroism, virtue, and human psychology? If we consider our own lives as a story, does it help us to make good moral judgments, or was Socrates right in saying we should throw out the stories because they give us a false sense of reality? There's a lot going on in this episode, but the good news is, you'll be able to keep up even if you haven't read Aeschylus or Euripides -- although, you probably should at least know the outline of Antigone & the New Testament, okay? I mean come on. Get a grip.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Godward

In this atonal episode, hear almost nothing about Milledgeville and very little about Lupus, but hear a pretty good complete reading of a fragment of an uncompleted novel based on a line from Psalm 2 by Flannery O'Connor -- who wrote the fragment, which has been published as a story titled "Why the Heathen Rage" (not Psalm 2, of course). In a way that's hard for Protestants to understand, thinking about violence and interesting unexpected-but-inevitable endings in relation to Christianity all made sense to Flannery. Also a little discussion of violence & catharsis in "American Psych0."

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Godward

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@Godward:5?r=FFgMAmWyyzJ2b8HrstejXYp7UaTdV9ep

In this mystical episode, learn a bit about German theologian Meister Eckhart and hear from his sermon, "Blessed are the Poor." We're talking exoteric and esoteric, outward and inward -- the god beyond all concepts of "God." The church wasn't exactly comfortable with him 700 years ago and some people still aren't. Enjoy!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Godward?fan_landing=true

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@Godward:5?r=FFgMAmWyyzJ2b8HrstejXYp7UaTdV9ep

In this very plausible episode, learn to appreciate the way that the intricate, realistic, and even mundane details of a typical Borges story -- in this case, "Funes, El Memorioso" -- create a catalyst to imagination that can free you from your stuck-in-a-rut basic concerns about politics and orthodoxy and everything else that's predictable. Put your sails up to full mast and let's go somewhere! We're not staying in the ghetto, gang.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Godward?fan_landing=true

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@Godward:5?r=FFgMAmWyyzJ2b8HrstejXYp7UaTdV9ep

In this scattershot episode, we discuss the incentives and pressures that exist in modern, post-revolutionary capitalist society. We trash Milton Friedman a little bit and bolster some new stuff by David Graeber and some older stuff by Thoreau & Melville -- plus, hear from Wendell Berry & Leo Marx. We can reason about macroeconomics, but it's more difficult when (or: "if") we take into account the moods and emotions and yes, preferences, of the individual children of god that macroeconomists refer to as "labor." Hello my fellow Leftists.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Godward

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@Godward:5?r=FFgMAmWyyzJ2b8HrstejXYp7UaTdV9ep

In this experimental video, just get into the trance, learn to think like an iris flower, see some inverted video and hear more from Aarvoll & Dogen & Dionysus. There's also a bunch of paintings and pictures of early Spring. And what's with Moses covering his face?