The Troubadour Podcast

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A short story about Prometheus and his bird.

Read the story at Troubadour Magazine

https://www.troubadourmag.com/home/a-promethean-liver

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O. Henry is a modern Troubadour in every sense of the term. Romantic. Whimsical. Imaginative. Ingenious. Enlightening. Entertaining.

In this short story, O. Henry chooses as his characters an editor of a literary magazine and a fledgling writer. They each have their own theories on language in art and in "real life." The story is the epitome of what Troubadour Magazine seeks to bring out in each of us.

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Robert Frost and Donald Trump would have been great friends. They have so much in common: They were both born in big American cities, both have wide appeal in rural America and both speak with poetic fervor about walls. “I will build a great wall — and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me… I will build a great, great wall on our southern border…mark my words,” said President Trump. Indeed, Robert Frost, too, has marked some words about walls in his poem, Mending Wall, which tells the story of two neighbors fixing the gaps in the walls which separate their property.

Trump and Frost are truly kindred spirits, for both also have a love of proverbs. Many of Frost’s’ phrases have made it into the American vernacular, and Trump is more than happy to use the phrases passed down to him. In his love poem about walls, Frost coined the saying: “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors;” recently Trump eloquently quoted his father’s saying: “a nation without borders is not a nation.” Indeed, Mr. Trump and Mr. Frost must be soulmates.

Unlike Frost, the President will not merely speak of building a wall; he’ll do it. “Mark my words,” he states. Don’t discount words too fast, however. There’s power in words as there’s power in building walls. In Frost’s’ realm, he waxes poetical on the beauty of walls: “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, that sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, and spills the upper boulders in the sun; and makes gaps even two can pass abreast.”

Who doesn’t love a wall? That makes boulders spill like milk in the sun, and that pushes the earth beneath like two barefooted lovers walking on damp grass. The very existence of a wall stresses our togetherness. Take a moment to picture two people walking in an open field. One wanders over here by the thrush and another over there by a boulder; this separation is not possible when they approach a wall. They must find the gap and then “two can pass abreast.”

Despite criticisms of President Trump, his intentions are pure. “We are going to stabilize on both sides of the border and we also understand that a strong and healthy economy in Mexico is very good for the United States,” he said upon his Presidential announcement to build a wall. “Today, America get’s back control of its borders.” Indeed!

Frost would nod gravely in agreement. “The work of hunters is another thing,” he would add. Referring to the heartache of mending his wall season after season, due to jackals and beasts of all sorts, he says “I have come after them and made repair where they would have the rabbit out of hiding to please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean, no one has seen them made or heard them made, but at spring mending time we find them there.” As Trump emphasizes many times, the days of cartels “wreaking havoc in our country is over. We are going to get them out and we are going to get them out fast.” How poetic, indeed!

Again Robby Frost would nod sagely and add to his buddy’s assessment. Walls also bring neighbors together. Trump’s wall, after all, will need repairing from time to time. And so our two nations must come together every spring mending time to repair it. When these gaps are found, perhaps the nation to our south will act as Frost does: “I let my neighbor know beyond the hill; and on a day we meet to walk the line and set the wall between us as we go.” Trump, in fact, may not be willing to go so far as his friend Frost here. For, to Frost, this mending of the walls is a “kind of a game” played by neighbors. Oh isn’t that fun? Indeed:

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Shar Lemond (sharlemond.com) is the author of the new novel "Travel Secrets Book One: Rio De Janeiro.

We had a great conversation about the differences between women's lit and "mens lit" (which doesn't really exist exactly).  We also discussed the nature of femininity and masculinity and how to portray valuable themes in great works of literature.

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In part 3 of our 4 part series we explore "Rappaccini's Daughter," one of Hawthorne's most famous short stories.

Whether we understand it or not, our American culture is heavily shaped by Science Fiction. It is arguably the closest we get to a literary genre. It's power is so immense that our views of things like the lone-billionaire scientist (think Musk) and the doting old intellectual (think Bernie) still follow us around today. 

When we look to scientists to solve all of our ecological, biological, earthly "problems" we are acknowledging the impact of sci-fi. Science today resembles a religion of old with its leaders and secretive language and gatekeepers.

This of course is most assuredly NOT science. It is, instead, the by-product of the evolution of science in a literary artform.

In this four part series we are exploring the original conception of this genre. How it was envisioned and some of the original solutions to this primary character: the scientist. What can a scientist know? When should we take scientists at their word? Should we relegate the entire realm of knowledge to the specialists of today?

Explore these ideas as well as the personal moral values in Hawthorne's romantic sci-fi stories in part 3 of our 4 part series.

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This one may be better in video since I watched two trailers. But the audio is good too. 
https://www.facebook.com/kbarbera/videos/10157073720104781/

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This was an impromptu facebook live I did on the first day I started receiving submission for the magazine.

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Jeremiah is a poet living in Souther California, who writes what I would call Romantic literature. On this show we discussed the nature of poetry, spoken word and wrap, and his forthcoming book, which is in the genre called "slave-narrative."

I also have a book recommendation for him and for you in this conversation. A Victor Hugo book that is often overlooked.

Enjoy this conversation with Poet Jeremiah Cobra.

Get Jeremiah's book of poetry and short stories "Beauty and Perspective" www.bookofadriel.com

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This marks Stacey's second time on the podcast and this time we chatted about the first of John Keats' "Ode" Poems, Ode to Psyche.

One of the keys to using this poem in our real life is to ask ourselves if it is possible to maintain a passionate love affair throughout our entire lives? Does passion have to fade? Can it remain eternal? What role does the imagination play in this process? 

Stacey Reay is a popular youtuber who teaches literature and poetry across the pond. Not only did she add valuable insights into the poem but she brought her considerable knowledge of rhyme, meter and prosody to our conversation.  Subscribe to her youtube channel for much more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJhuqpyhE8NzYZFkwTzi_7g