We begin our next “close read” series with the first two sections of Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, which conclude with the famous line “God is dead.” Lise, Jeff, and Brian discuss Nietzsche’s imagery, allusions, and treatment of questions of love, envy, and humanity.

Brian interviews Daniel Elkins, founder and director of the Veterans Education Project, which works to address issues faced by veterans in higher education. You can find more information on the Project’s website. And tune in to the Project’s podcast “Coffee with Congress” here, where it shares conversations with members of Congress about everything but politics.

We’re joined today by actor Matt Eitzen who is also a Shakespeare and Roman history aficionado. You can catch Matt in upcoming productions at The Guinea Pig Theater in Dallas, Texas through this link: https://www.facebook.com/theguineapigdallas/

You can rent Brian’s favorite interpretation, “Caesar Must Die” on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVY_edU8vZA

Brian is joined by guest George Eckerle, St. John’s grad and co-founder (with Brian) of the Plato Project, a series of online seminars for discussion of Plato’s complete works. In this episode they discuss one of William Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedies, King Lear.

Referenced Links: Peter Burke version of King Lear – https://youtu.be/0DWCn6H_KZM
Ismail Kadare “Essays on World Literature” – https://www.amazon.com/Essays-World-Literature-Aeschylus-Shakespeare/dp/1632061740

How does speech move the human soul? How can a leader use speech inspire others to action? Lise, Jeff, and Brian tackle those questions in their discussion of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s address to the graduating class of Harvard’s divinity school in 1838.

Jeff, Lise, and Brian continue our “close-read” series on Aristotle’s Politics. They continue to tackle Aristotle’s discussion of slavery, which raises questions about nature, law, and virtue.

Brian sits down with St. John’s College alum Jennifer Wright, who is a writer and the author of several books including It Ended Badly: Thirteen of the Worst Breakups in History. They talk about Ms. Wright’s informed and fun take on history, as well as her career path from SJC to professional writer.

What is the relationship between the natural world and the human world? In this belated Halloween episode, Lise, Jeff, and Brian discuss Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Fall of the House of Usher.”

What is slavery? What does slavery have to do with the household or the state? Brian, Lise, and Jeff dig deeper into the Politics in Part 3 of their discussion of this series.

How do human beings confront a crisis? Anne Kniggendorf and Matt Young join Brian for a conversation about Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants.”

In case you missed it: Tune in to Brian’s interviews with Anne and Matt in previous episodes.