))
Popular culture, poetry, music and visual arts and the roles they play in our society.
…
continue reading
Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world. History fans can learn about pivotal wars and societal upheavals, such as the rise and fall of Napoleon, the Sack of Rome in 1527, and the political intrigue of the Russian Revolution. Those fascinated by the lives of kings ...
…
continue reading
'The Legend of the Origin of the Tao Te Ching on Lao Tsu's Road into exile' is a short poem by Bertolt Brecht whose protagonist, Lao Tsu attempts to distil his learning down into 81 Sayings. It served as a creative impulse for 81 authors from all over the world who came together after the Covid-19 pandemic to reimagine what these 81 Sayings could have been. In the podcast, Sukhesh Arora speaks to some of the authors who make visible the rigidity in our volatile world, and also make more tang ...
…
continue reading
A weekly podcast focusing on horror literature of all kinds.
…
continue reading
Welcome to a show hosted by a smart idiot and a dumb genius. We bring you education on whatever topics we want... entirely from memory.
…
continue reading
1
m is for Mack the Knife by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht
10:48
10:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:48
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Ever since Franz Anton Mesmer induced trance-like states in his Parisian subjects in the late eighteenth century, dressed in long purple robes, hypnosis has been associated with performance, power and the occult. It has exerted a powerful hold over the cultural imagination, featuring in novels and films including Bram Stoker’s Dracula and George d…
…
continue reading
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and role of one of the most significant figures in early 20th Century German history. Paul von Hindenburg (1847-1934) had been famous since 1914 as the victorious commander at the Battle of Tannenberg against Russian invaders, soon burnishing this fame on the Western Front and Hindenburg was to claim he woul…
…
continue reading
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
In 1710, the British Parliament passed a piece of legislation entitled An Act for the Encouragement of Learning. It became known as the Statute of Anne, and it was the world’s first copyright law. Copyright protects and regulates a piece of work - whether that's a book, a painting, a piece of music or a software programme. It emerged as a way of ba…
…
continue reading
1
L is for Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
55:54
55:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
55:54
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the decisive role of one of the great 20th Century physicists in solving the question of nuclear fission. It is said that Meitner (1878-1968) made this breakthrough over Christmas 1938 while she was sitting on a log in Sweden during a snowy walk with her nephew Otto Frisch (1904-79). Both were Jewish-Austrian refugee…
…
continue reading
1
k is for Key to the Mysteries, by Don Webb
12:37
12:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:37
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Korea's brief but significant period as an empire as it moved from the 500-year-old dynastic Joseon monarchy towards modernity. It was in October 1897 that King Gojong declared himself Emperor, seizing his chance when the once-dominant China lost to Japan in the First Sino-Japanese War. The king wanted to have the sa…
…
continue reading
1
K is for The King in Yellow, by Robert W. Chambers
54:34
54:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
54:34
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the great figures in world literature. The French playwright Molière (1622-1673) began as an actor, aiming to be a tragedian, but he was stronger in comedy, touring with a troupe for 13 years until Louis XIV summoned him to audition at the Louvre and gave him his break. It was in Paris and at Versailles that M…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the great figures in world literature. The French playwright Molière (1622-1673) began as an actor, aiming to be a tragedian, but he was stronger in comedy, touring with a troupe for 13 years until Louis XIV summoned him to audition at the Louvre and gave him his break. It was in Paris and at Versailles that M…
…
continue reading
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests explore typology, a method of biblical interpretation that aims to meaningfully link people, places, and events in the Hebrew Bible, what Christians call the Old Testament, with the coming of Christ in the New Testament. Old Testament figures like Moses, Jonah, and King David were regarded by Christians as being ‘types’ or s…
…
continue reading
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the best known events and figures in Irish history. In 1014 Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Hiberno-Norse forces of Sigtrygg Silkbeard and allies near their Dublin stronghold, with Brian losing his life on the day of battle. Soon chroniclers in Ireland and abroad were recording and retelling the…
…
continue reading
1
i is for In the Hills, the Cities, by Clive Barker
28:57
28:57
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:57
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the brothers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus whose names are entwined with the end of Rome's Republic and the rise of the Roman Emperors. As tribunes, they brought popular reforms to the Roman Republic at the end of the 2nd century BC. Tiberius (c163-133BC) brought in land reform so every soldier could have his farm, whi…
…
continue reading
1
I is for In Watermelon Sugar, by Richard Brautigan
39:39
39:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
39:39
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961), who was part of the movement known as phenomenology. While less well-known than his contemporaries Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, his popularity has increased among philosophers in recent years. Merleau-Ponty rejected Rene Descartes’ division between…
…
continue reading
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most energetic, varied and innovative playwrights of his time. Thomas Middleton (1580-1627) worked across the London stages both alone and with others from Dekker and Rowley to Shakespeare and more. Middleton’s range included raucous city comedies such as A Chaste Maid in Cheapside and chilling revenge tra…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most energetic, varied and innovative playwrights of his time. Thomas Middleton (1580-1627) worked across the London stages both alone and with others from Dekker and Rowley to Shakespeare and more. Middleton’s range included raucous city comedies such as A Chaste Maid in Cheapside and chilling revenge tra…
…
continue reading
1
H is for The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston
59:08
59:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
59:08
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the history and reputation of the Persian ruler Cyrus the Great. Cyrus the Second of Persia as he was known then was born in the sixth century BCE in Persis which is now in Iran. He was the founder of the first Persian Empire, the largest empire at that point in history, spanning more than two million square miles. H…
…
continue reading
1
g is for Glimmer, Glimmer, by George Alec Effinger
11:31
11:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
11:31
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Since plants have to mate and produce offspring while rooted to the spot, they have to be pollinated – by wind, water, or animals – most commonly insects. They use a surprising array of tricks to attract pollinators: striking colours, iridescent light effects, and enticing scents, to name but a few. Insects, on the other hand, do not seek to pollin…
…
continue reading
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Hindu goddess Kali, often depicted as dark blue, fierce, defiant, revelling in her power, and holding in her four or more arms a curved sword and a severed head with a cup underneath to catch the blood. She may have her tongue out, to catch more blood spurting from her enemies, be wearing a garland of more severe…
…
continue reading
1
f is for From the Mouth of Mad Pratt, by Ross Smeltzer
24:23
24:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:23
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the renowned and versatile Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith (1728 - 1774). There is a memorial to him in Westminster Abbey’s Poet’s Corner written by Dr Johnson, celebrating Goldsmith's life as a poet, natural philosopher and historian. To this could be added ‘playwright’ and ‘novelist’ and ‘science writer’ and ‘pamphle…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the renowned and versatile Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith (1728 - 1774). There is a memorial to him in Westminster Abbey’s Poet’s Corner written by Dr Johnson, celebrating Goldsmith's life as a poet, natural philosopher and historian. To this could be added ‘playwright’ and ‘novelist’ and ‘science writer’ and ‘pamphle…
…
continue reading
1
F is for Fail-Safe, by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler
59:17
59:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
59:17
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), the youngest child of the newly dominant Spanish rulers Ferdinand and Isabella. When she was 3, her parents contracted her to marry Arthur, Prince of Wales, the heir to the Tudor king Henry VII in order to strengthen Spain's alliances, since Henry's kingdom was a longstanding trade pa…
…
continue reading
1
e is for Eight O' Clock in the Morning, by Ray Nelson
15:12
15:12
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:12
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the architect Sir John Soane (1753 -1837), the son of a bricklayer. He rose up the ranks of his profession as an architect to see many of his designs realised to great acclaim, particularly the Bank of England and the Law Courts at Westminster Hall, although his work on both of those has been largely destroyed. He is…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the architect Sir John Soane (1753 -1837), the son of a bricklayer. He rose up the ranks of his profession as an architect to see many of his designs realised to great acclaim, particularly the Bank of England and the Law Courts at Westminster Hall, although his work on both of those has been largely destroyed. He is…
…
continue reading
1
E is for The Electric State, by Simon Stålenhag
56:27
56:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
56:27
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss a story that circulated widely in the middle ages about a highly learned woman who lived in the ninth century, dressed as a man, travelled to Rome, and was elected Pope. Her papacy came to a dramatic end when it was revealed that she was a woman, a discovery that is said to have occurred when she gave birth in the st…
…
continue reading
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Plato's Crito and Phaedo, his accounts of the last days of Socrates in prison in 399 BC as he waited to be executed by drinking hemlock. Both works show Socrates preparing to die in the way he had lived: doing philosophy. In the Crito, Plato shows Socrates arguing that he is duty bound not to escape from prison even …
…
continue reading
1
D is for Death Note, by Tsugumi Ohba
1:10:50
1:10:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:10:50
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for Death N…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most consequential battles of recent centuries. On 20th September 1792 at Valmy, 120 miles to the east of Paris, the army of the French Revolution faced Prussians, Austrians and French royalists heading for Paris to free Louis XVI and restore his power and end the Revolution. The professional soldiers in t…
…
continue reading
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for The Candidate, by Henry Slesar D is for ... d i…
…
continue reading
1
C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
55:03
55:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
55:03
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier c is for ... D is for ... d is for ... E is for ... e is…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss slime mould, a basic organism that grows on logs, cowpats and compost heaps. Scientists have found difficult to categorise slime mould: in 1868, the biologist Thomas Huxley asked: ‘Is this a plant, or is it an animal? Is it both or is it neither?’ and there is a great deal scientists still don’t know about it. But de…
…
continue reading
1
b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson
21:31
21:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:31
The Atrocious Abecedarius - 2025 A is for Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson a is for The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving B is for Batman: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder b is for Button, Button, by Richard Matheson C is for ... c is for ... D is for ... d is for ... E is for ... e is for ... F is for ... f is for ..…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss eighteenth century 'vase-mania'. In the second half of the century, inspired by archaeological discoveries, the Grand Tour and the founding of the British Museum, parts of the British public developed a huge enthusiasm for vases modelled on the ancient versions recently dug up in Greece. This enthusiasm amounted to a…
…
continue reading
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss eighteenth century 'vase-mania'. In the second half of the century, inspired by archaeological discoveries, the Grand Tour and the founding of the British Museum, parts of the British public developed a huge enthusiasm for vases modelled on the ancient versions recently dug up in Greece. This enthusiasm amounted to a…
…
continue reading
