In anticipation of the long-developed third issue in our present cycle, the editors sat down to explore the theme of pilgrimage that connects the classics covered in the upcoming instalment of the Incidental Encyclical. From Hunter S. Thompson’s drug-fuelled trip through the desert to find the heart of America, to the theme of death in the journeys of the donkey protagonist in Apuleius’ ancient poem and in Stoker’s modern myth Dracula, the trail of the pilgrim in all its aspects is traced. At the centre of the riddle is the mediaeval understanding of the liminal journey to participate in death and return home… all is teased and some is teased out ahead of the full release of the written edition of Issue 3 in the Grail Cycle: Queer Bedfellows.

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In this accompanying podcast for the upcoming Issue 2 of 2024, The Land Turned Waste, our editorial crew takes a dizzying journey through the many contributions that make up the newest issue of the Incidental Encyclical. From Ancient Rome to the Court of Camelot, the Soviet Gulag to Napoleonic Europe, the theme of humanity’s desolation and self-betrayal is unfolded in myriad stories and historical moments.

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In a this YouTube podcast discussion, editors Harry and Samuel discuss the symbol of the Wasteland - the new theme of our upcoming issue for the Incidental Encyclical - through the lens of the writers whose works have informed the present inquiry. T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Hollow Men’, Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur’, and Alexandr Solzhenitsyn’s ‘The Gulag Archipelago” form the backbone of a symbolic exploration of humanity’s responsibility for creating desolation. Listen to the audio via Substack, or watch the video below:

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In this discussion on the Grail Quest - our theme for this quarter and overarching theme for the year at the Incidental Encyclical - our editors discuss the person of the Grail seeker. Samuel presents his thesis on the nature of pagan, Christian, and anti-Christ seekers of the Grail, embodied in the mythic characters of Oedipus, Parzival, and Captain Ahab - figures whose legends stretch from antiquity to modernity. Having already discussed Parzival in the first episode of Socrates' Razor, and likewise Oedipus in the previous bonus episode of the discussion, a lot of the focus of this episode is on the novel Moby Dick, and the figures of Ahab, Ishmael, and Queequeg.

Stay tuned for more leviathan-themed content in the coming weeks, as well as the full release of Issue 1 for 2024, coming soon!

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Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex has been one of the most celebrated example of ancient tragedy for over two thousand years - so it’s no easy task to write about, considering the amount of discussion that has taken place over it in that time. Editors Samuel and Levi tackle the task with a summary of the narrative and a discussion on how it fits in to the present theme of the magazine.

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In this very first bonus episode of 2024, Samuel inquires into one of Levi’s fields of study: the legacy and history of the Proto Indo-Europeans. Levi provides information as to how we know of this ancient group of wide-ranging horseback warriors, and Samuel considers how Levi’s insights tie into the project of the classics and the magazine as a whole. Join us in this one-of-a-kind quest to understand the offerings of a range of different disciplines - linguistics, archaeology, and genetics - and see how even modern inquiries follow ancient patterns of storytelling.

{Edit: this re-upload features improved audio thanks to regular listener Jake Welch, who offered to improve the quality and remove some of the sounds of the car - our heartfelt thanks to Jake!}

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In our final podcast discussion of our first year as a project, editors Samuel, Levi, and Michael discuss the works covered in our upcoming issue: Strife Within. From the familial turmoil of Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, to the contradictory rhetoric of Plato’s Symposium, and through the depths of customs and games displayed in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the theme on which we conclude this year’s Journey Up is unfolded in its myriad aspects.

Join our discussion by messaging us on socials to get access to the Incidental Encyclical Discord server, where we do live readings, give updates on the progress of each issue, and talk with readers and contributors alike about the works and themes covered each quarter!

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In this special episode of the podcast, editors Samuel and Levi are talking about their favourite Christmas story: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by the anonymous Pearl Poet of the 14th century. It’s an Arthurian romance that comes to us from late mediaeval England, featuring headless horsemen, knightly deeds, seduction, and witchcraft. And all of it taking place in the most wonderful time of the year - Yuletide. But what’s even more special is that this episode is our first video podcast, available to watch on YouTube as well as listen via the Substack podcast feed.

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope to hear from you all through our socials, or our Discord server, to join the discussion leading up to our final issue of our first year as a publication!

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In this bonus episode of the Incidental Encyclical podcast, editors Samuel, Levi, and Mike - with a call-in appearance from editor Harry - bring up some points of interest concerning the massive novel, the Brothers Karamazov. This discussion moves between the insights from multiple readings of the story, to the perspective of a first-time reader of Dostoyevsky, bringing forth a rounded consideration of the massive story.

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With Issue 3 of the Incidental Encyclical soon to be released, we bring you this unique instalment of the podcast. Not only is it slightly longer than normal, but it also features for the first time some in-person discussion - discussion that covers the work of Australia’s only Nobel Prize-winning author, Patrick White, and his novel, Voss. We also have special guest to the podcast - Jack Summerhill - to explain indigenous land management in Australia, which bridges the discussion of our theme, ‘Wisdom in Desert Places’, from two works of exile, Seneca’s “Letter to Hevlia” and the medieval hagiography of Simeon Stylites.

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