Reading Recap: October 2026

Timewise, the Argonautica epic is a mythological prequel to the Iliad and the Odyssey. Jason is selected as the leader of a group of heroes who go on a quest to obtain the Golden Fleece. Many of these heroes are the fathers of those we encounter in the Iliad. Apollonius of Rhodes ...  Show more

I’ve just started reading Jason and the Argonauts for the monthly Short Great Books reading group that I lead. It got me thinking about Greek Mythology and what the best way to immerse yourself in that world. I offer some thoughts, suggest some books, and give my opinion on where ...  Show more

In part one of our two-part episode on Cormac McCarthy's blood-soaked phantasmagorical 1985 masterpiece Blood Meridian, David and Tamler talk about the historical sources of the novel, the cosmic questions the book poses, the capriciousness of the ne ...

In part 2 of our journey into Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, Tamler and David talk about the kid and his form of resistance to the judge's gleeful nihilism - does he (as the man) ultimately succumb at the end of the novel? We also discuss other no ...

David and Tamler conclude their three-part discussion of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. We talk about the Judge's coin trick by the fire and the question of the supernatural in the novel. Next we dive into the imbecile's "baptism" by the river, and then try to wrap our head ...