From the December 18th episode of Monday Morningside is the standalone recording of Josh Kazali's special arts feature, The Airwaves of Paradise Lost.

John Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost: It’s a titanic work which you’re likely familiar with, whether you’re aware of it or not. It’s launched the story of Adam and Eve into the literary imagination, and has become one of the most enduring works of literature in the English language. This Monday Morning, I invite you to join me on a journey through epic poetry, as I explore what I found one of the most exciting parts of the poem that isn’t often examined: the air.

One of the greatest experiences of reading Milton is his ability to put across this sense of materialism, where his ability to describe is so profoundly vivid. Throughout Paradise Lost, he frequently turns this view to the air itself. In this show, I’ll be examining, over the airwaves, the way that the air itself is made the center of Milton’s poetic attention. If you’ve never read the poem before, I hope you’ll stay tuned and enjoy the passages I’ll read, which will surely be exciting even if they’re removed from context. And if you’re a long-time Milton fan, I’m hopeful that there will be something new for you in the show to enjoy.

This program was aired on WKCR at 89.9 FM in New York, or ⁠⁠⁠wkcr.org⁠⁠⁠ online. It was hosted by Josh Kazali. You can contact us at [email protected].