As I should introduce myself to future listeners, I would say that it is remarkable the extent to which Matt describes an intellectual journey quite similar to how I described my own starting my substack 4 years ago, though I don't believe he read this.
Really looking forward to doing this!
[I feel compelled to add, I was out of practice at writing when I wrote this, and also of course life takes you unexpected directions, I began to write quite different things than I expected, largely very long pieces about the history and current events of various countries.]
I've always meant to read those and still never have! I am not great at reading and following epic poetry, but am always trying to get better at it. I am, at heart, a prose man. Also, I actually know a legit Dante specialist (who I just interviewed for a magazine feature about a largely unrelated matter.)
It all sounds very promising, Matt. I loved the short story and book segments of ATW, so I'm delighted to hear you're doing something similar with a new co-host.
BTW, just a suggestion for when Halloween gets here...how about discussing a little bit of H.P. Lovecraft? I just read a collection of his stories, and I really enjoyed them, especially "The Shadow Over Innsmouth."
I love Herodotus. I also love the fact that Very Serious People were so skeptical of his work for so long only for it to be consistently proven accurate.
Yay! I look forward this weekend to renewing my acquaintance with Aristophanes. And
later with other great authors. And, too, to making the acquaintance of Brad Pearce, though I can't promise not to miss Walter Kirn, who was about my age.
Yes, Matt, if you didn't realize raunchy humor and enlightenment have existed through most of mankind's history, you didn't get as well educated as I did, despite your Ivy League college and my GED+extensive reading from pre-1900.
In my first novel, one character is utterly dissatisfied with his college education, and sets himself to read great works, fiction and non-, to get to a worldview he can live with.
For an interesting exploration of some of what has been happening and still happens when humans are involved, perhaps we can assay Robertson Davies' The Rebel Angels. Filth therapy is touched on, fascinatingly.
Respectfully, check the link at my comment about Twain.
"1601" has to be one of the funniest short stories of all time. Twain's use of the period language makes it mildly challenging at first -- that is, to "read at speed" -- but it's hilarious when recited.
My late father wrote a verse play about Odysseus and Iphigenia. It opens with a long, monologue from Menelaus, which is then commented on with, "because no wind is passing, he sits there passing wind."
YES! The bookclub is back!!! And what a great new pick. I will read it in Greek of course. I have attended the play in Greece in the ancient theater of Epidaurus. Can't wait for the conversation.
That's incredible. I wish I was better at learning languages. I am really good at English and bad at learning foreign languages, partly I think because my natural aptitude for English stopped me from developing study skills. According to DuoLingo after a grueling almost three years I am almost a high B2 French speaker, according to them, but that isn't the reality
(I know French well enough to watch French shows with French subtitles and follow everything fine, so that is certainly some level of knowing French, at the very least.)
I am Greek so I had to learn English since I was 6 years old (we have a rarely spoken/learned languange), started French when I was 10. Learned some Spanish after that. All because only ~12 million people speak my language. So it is a curse and a blessing to speak English as native language for sure. Still, it is great that you tried to learn other languages. I am not sure if I would!
I did guess you were Greek from the name, nevertheless I meant to say I wish I knew Greek as a lover of classics but dont think I could learn it well enough for it to be of any use.
Yes, that's true, I meant to say the odds of my getting good enough at Greek to read in Greek or to be able to look at the original of a sketchy translation passage is unlikely. I could, on the other hand, learn plenty about English from the study of Greek.
A long time ago (1970-ish) public schools tried to replace ignorance with knowledge into children before they could influence society as adults. Now, knowledge is racist or something. It's a sick society.
Speaking of self-education, have you or anyone you know spent time with the (Jordan) Peterson Academy materials? Opinions and impressions? I will pull the trigger when I have time to spend with it.
Ok. I'm back. This sounds great and I will do my best not to compare it to ATW. I couldn't agree more re: education and the classics. When I entered graduate school at Harvard in 1991, my lesbian advisor suggested I might not really want to take that class in which the professor "only taught dead white males." It was the beginning of that excision of the classics you're describing. I took the class anyway, and he turned out to be my favorite and most engaging professor. I look forward to the conversations.
Matt kudos for the risk taking. Your readers have been partisan. Left then right. Marching along to the cliff side; left right left right left right. Kirn was an interesting Trump fluffing bullshitter and Tracey a loud-talking obnoxious misogynist.
You uncomfortably in the middle. A nervous talker but always trying. A hard worker with a chip on your shoulder from unhealed wounds from your more mainstream daze.
If you’re one of those strivers who spends more than you earn and you’re driven by a need to service your debts then these manic-appearing hustles may face plant.
Your partisan subscribers will object to any effort you make to present adult material for reasonable thinkers who have long since mothballed their Mamdami or MAGA jerseys.
I pay money monthly for all manner of shit I hope will interrupt my morbid thoughts about death and dying. I hope to keep you in the mix.
I can’t concentrate long enough to finish a book. Latest exception is Catcher In The Rye. Reading (and finishing it) for the second time.
I can concentrate long enough to START about ten books a week. I have weaned myself off of X so maybe the brain and central nervous system recovery will allow for something new.
As I should introduce myself to future listeners, I would say that it is remarkable the extent to which Matt describes an intellectual journey quite similar to how I described my own starting my substack 4 years ago, though I don't believe he read this.
Really looking forward to doing this!
[I feel compelled to add, I was out of practice at writing when I wrote this, and also of course life takes you unexpected directions, I began to write quite different things than I expected, largely very long pieces about the history and current events of various countries.]
https://www.thewaywardrabbler.com/p/instead-of-an-introduction
I've always meant to read those and still never have! I am not great at reading and following epic poetry, but am always trying to get better at it. I am, at heart, a prose man. Also, I actually know a legit Dante specialist (who I just interviewed for a magazine feature about a largely unrelated matter.)
It all sounds very promising, Matt. I loved the short story and book segments of ATW, so I'm delighted to hear you're doing something similar with a new co-host.
BTW, just a suggestion for when Halloween gets here...how about discussing a little bit of H.P. Lovecraft? I just read a collection of his stories, and I really enjoyed them, especially "The Shadow Over Innsmouth."
Y'all need to be reading Herodotus to put this world in perspective.
Then go to Fadiman's Lifetime Reading Plan.
Cause you only have the one life...and to spend it on petty, silly stuff would be such a waste.
I love Herodotus. I also love the fact that Very Serious People were so skeptical of his work for so long only for it to be consistently proven accurate.
Yay! I look forward this weekend to renewing my acquaintance with Aristophanes. And
later with other great authors. And, too, to making the acquaintance of Brad Pearce, though I can't promise not to miss Walter Kirn, who was about my age.
Yes, Matt, if you didn't realize raunchy humor and enlightenment have existed through most of mankind's history, you didn't get as well educated as I did, despite your Ivy League college and my GED+extensive reading from pre-1900.
In my first novel, one character is utterly dissatisfied with his college education, and sets himself to read great works, fiction and non-, to get to a worldview he can live with.
For an interesting exploration of some of what has been happening and still happens when humans are involved, perhaps we can assay Robertson Davies' The Rebel Angels. Filth therapy is touched on, fascinatingly.
When I was taught Aristophanes in college the Classics professor said one thing it proves is that fart jokes have always been funny
Respectfully, check the link at my comment about Twain.
"1601" has to be one of the funniest short stories of all time. Twain's use of the period language makes it mildly challenging at first -- that is, to "read at speed" -- but it's hilarious when recited.
Cave men were telling those jokes to each other, no doubt…
My late father wrote a verse play about Odysseus and Iphigenia. It opens with a long, monologue from Menelaus, which is then commented on with, "because no wind is passing, he sits there passing wind."
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
*hulk hogan voice* hell yeah brother
Wow, what a great idea! Can't wait to check it out.
YES! The bookclub is back!!! And what a great new pick. I will read it in Greek of course. I have attended the play in Greece in the ancient theater of Epidaurus. Can't wait for the conversation.
That's incredible. I wish I was better at learning languages. I am really good at English and bad at learning foreign languages, partly I think because my natural aptitude for English stopped me from developing study skills. According to DuoLingo after a grueling almost three years I am almost a high B2 French speaker, according to them, but that isn't the reality
(I know French well enough to watch French shows with French subtitles and follow everything fine, so that is certainly some level of knowing French, at the very least.)
I am Greek so I had to learn English since I was 6 years old (we have a rarely spoken/learned languange), started French when I was 10. Learned some Spanish after that. All because only ~12 million people speak my language. So it is a curse and a blessing to speak English as native language for sure. Still, it is great that you tried to learn other languages. I am not sure if I would!
I did guess you were Greek from the name, nevertheless I meant to say I wish I knew Greek as a lover of classics but dont think I could learn it well enough for it to be of any use.
It’s still an Indo-European language, so there still is some commonality, in addition to the Greek words and roots deliberately imported to English.
Yes, that's true, I meant to say the odds of my getting good enough at Greek to read in Greek or to be able to look at the original of a sketchy translation passage is unlikely. I could, on the other hand, learn plenty about English from the study of Greek.
Sounds fun. I can use fun.
Can’t wait! I loved the book club segments with Walter.
A long time ago (1970-ish) public schools tried to replace ignorance with knowledge into children before they could influence society as adults. Now, knowledge is racist or something. It's a sick society.
Speaking of self-education, have you or anyone you know spent time with the (Jordan) Peterson Academy materials? Opinions and impressions? I will pull the trigger when I have time to spend with it.
Ok. I'm back. This sounds great and I will do my best not to compare it to ATW. I couldn't agree more re: education and the classics. When I entered graduate school at Harvard in 1991, my lesbian advisor suggested I might not really want to take that class in which the professor "only taught dead white males." It was the beginning of that excision of the classics you're describing. I took the class anyway, and he turned out to be my favorite and most engaging professor. I look forward to the conversations.
I’m excited for this! Can’t wait.
A request: Dante’s Inferno.
Solzhenitsyn’s “First Circle” would be a good follow up to that.
Matt kudos for the risk taking. Your readers have been partisan. Left then right. Marching along to the cliff side; left right left right left right. Kirn was an interesting Trump fluffing bullshitter and Tracey a loud-talking obnoxious misogynist.
You uncomfortably in the middle. A nervous talker but always trying. A hard worker with a chip on your shoulder from unhealed wounds from your more mainstream daze.
If you’re one of those strivers who spends more than you earn and you’re driven by a need to service your debts then these manic-appearing hustles may face plant.
Your partisan subscribers will object to any effort you make to present adult material for reasonable thinkers who have long since mothballed their Mamdami or MAGA jerseys.
I pay money monthly for all manner of shit I hope will interrupt my morbid thoughts about death and dying. I hope to keep you in the mix.
I can’t concentrate long enough to finish a book. Latest exception is Catcher In The Rye. Reading (and finishing it) for the second time.
I can concentrate long enough to START about ten books a week. I have weaned myself off of X so maybe the brain and central nervous system recovery will allow for something new.
Good luck.