LATEST SERIES: Carchemish (C Episodes) - tracing the life and death of the Neo-Hittite kingdoms; PREVIOUS SERIES: The Ancient World - from the earliest human civilizations down through 500 BC; Rediscovery (R Episodes) - the stories of the modern scholars and adventurers who rediscovered the ancient world; Bloodline (B Episodes) - tracing the descendants of Mark Antony and Cleopatra over ten generations; Thea (T Episodes) - tracing the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire
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The ArtiFact Podcast is a long-form show on books, culture, painting, and music hosted by Alex Sheremet, Joel Parrish, and a revolving door of co-hosts and guests. Each subject is covered in depth and at length, with past shows featuring the Epic of Gilgamesh, Charles Johnson's "Oxherding Tale", Leonard Shlain’s "Art & Physics", John Williams's "Stoner", and more. Opinionated, controversial, and prone to making enemies and friends of friends and enemies, ArtiFact delivers new perspectives on ...
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Antony and Cleopatra is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607. It was first printed in the First Folio of 1623. The plot is based on Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's Life of Marcus Antonius and follows the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony from the time of the Parthian War to Cleopatra's suicide. The major antagonist is Octavius Caesar, one of Antony's fellow triumviri and the future first emperor of Rome. The trag ...
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Join me on Unsolved Histories as we investigate the greatest mysteries of the past. From disappearance of Amelia Earhart to the identity of Jack the Ripper, we delve deep into the evidence and theories surrounding historical events that have confounded experts for years. Each episode, we explore a different unsolved mystery from the annals of history, examining the clues and piecing together the evidence in an attempt to shed new light on these intriguing enigmas. Whether you're a history bu ...
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Examining film adaptations of Shakespeare movie by movie
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“Talking About Someday” dives inside the making of a record with the creators behind it. Each episode pairs producer Sammy Bananas with a different featured artist from his forthcoming LP as they chronicle the song they wrote together. The conversation starts as an interview and moves into a discussion about songwriting, the nuts and bolts of each track and collaboration in general. Musical elements from each song illustrate points and glean a deeper understanding, with the full piece closin ...
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Cellist Daniel Lelchuk engages the most extraordinary thinkers, writers, musicians, and entertainers in spirited conversations and connects music to the wider world.
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Shakespeare For All is an engaging, accessible introduction to the life and work of William Shakespeare, featuring world-class scholars and performers. You’ll learn who Shakespeare was and what historical events shaped his writing. You’ll be guided through his most popular poems and plays by leading scholars, actors, and interpreters of Shakespeare. And you’ll find the tools you need to become an interpreter of Shakespeare yourself and join in the ongoing global discussion his works have ins ...
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In Search of Legends: Cleopatra and Mark Antony's Tomb
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Send Joe a Text Message. In this captivating episode of Unsolved Histories, host Joe Foster embarks on a journey to uncover the mysterious final resting places of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. The episode delves into historical accounts, archaeological discoveries, and intriguing clues, examining ancient legends and modern expeditions. Joe explores th…
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GAME OVER: Kamala Harris Pulls The Plug | ArtiFact 63: Alex Sheremet, Keith Jackewicz
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As soon as Joe Biden dropped out, Kamala Harris cinched the Democratic Party nomination. We assess Kamala Harris's uphill battle, and the extent to which Joe Biden condemned her to it. For example, why did Democrats hide Joe Biden's condition, even from themselves? What role will Biden's support for Israel's war crimes in Gaza play in 2024? We also…
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Send Joe a Text Message. In this episode of Unsolved Histories, host Joe Foster delves into the mysterious disappearance of the USS Cyclops, a massive naval ship that vanished in 1918 with over 300 people on board. Exploring various theories, from natural disasters to sabotage and the infamous Bermuda Triangle, the podcast investigates the unresolv…
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The Oak Island Money Pit: A Treasure Hunter's Obsession
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Send Joe a Text Message. In this episode of 'Unsolved Histories', host Joe Foster delves into the baffling Oak Island Money Pit, a centuries-old mystery located off the coast of Nova Scotia. Since its discovery in 1795 by Daniel McGinnis, the pit has captivated treasure hunters and historians with its enigmatic treasures and intricate traps. Theori…
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The Voynich Manuscript: History's Greatest Puzzle
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17:46
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Send Joe a Text Message. In this episode of Unsolved Histories, host Joe Foster delves into the mystery of the Voynich Manuscript, a cryptic document filled with undecipherable text and strange illustrations discovered in 1912. The episode explores its background, dating back to the early 15th century, and various theories regarding its origins and…
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Synopsis: Part 2 of a two-part Spotlight series on the rise and fall of the Roman Emperor Galerius: refugee, herdsman, soldier, Caesar, Augustus, Tetrarch, conqueror, schemer, would-be ruler of the (Dacian?) Empire, and persecutor of the Christians. A rollicking Third Century romp inspired by my current residence in his former tetrarchal capital of…
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Frozen Secrets: Unraveling the Dyatlov Pass Mystery
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Send Joe a Text Message. The Mysteries of Dyatlov Pass In this episode of Unsolved Histories, host Joe Foster explores the perplexing and chilling mystery of the Dyatlov Pass incident. The show delves into the background, details, theories, and investigations surrounding the 1959 event in which nine experienced hikers met mysterious deaths in the U…
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Synopsis: Part 1 of a two-part Spotlight series on the rise and fall of the Roman Emperor Galerius: refugee, herdsman, soldier, Caesar, Augustus, Tetrarch, conqueror, schemer, would-be ruler of the (Dacian?) Empire, and persecutor of the Christians. A rollicking Third Century romp inspired by my current residence in his former tetrarchal capital of…
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Thaao Penghlis on Memory & Greek Mythology | ArtiFact 62: Alex Sheremet, Thaao Penghlis
1:04:41
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Thaao Penghlis is a legendary actor who appeared on "Days Of Our Lives", "General Hospital", "Mission Impossible", and more. Yet he is also an intellectually curious person, and put together a mini-series on the archaeology of Homer's Greece. In ArtiFact 62, writer and filmmaker Alex Sheremet speaks with Thaao about Homer's "Iliad", the nature of c…
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The Mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke
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Send Joe a Text Message. This episode of Unsolved Histories, hosted by Joe Foster, delves into one of America's oldest mysteries: the Lost Colony of Roanoke. In 1587, English settlers, led by Governor John White, aimed to establish the first permanent English colony in North America on Roanoke Island, off the coast of present-day North Carolina. Ho…
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The Arts Naked & Up Close | ArtiFact 61: Erik Hill, Alex Sheremet
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Author and filmmaker Alex Sheremet sits down with Erik Hill of Erik Hill Reviews @erikhillreviews to discuss all things art: the relationship between filmmaking and poetry, how the Harlem Renaissance and rap music changed Alex's life, the perils of Steven Pinker, and fresh insights into Alex Sheremet's and Joel Parrish's new film, "From There to Th…
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Send Joe a Text Message. This episode of Unsolved Histories, hosted by Joe Foster, delves into the infamous case of Jack the Ripper, a serial killer who terrorized the Whitechapel district of London in the late 19th century. The podcast examines the gruesome murders of five women, all prostitutes, discussing the killer's possible knowledge of human…
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The Enduring Mystery of Amelia Earhart's Disappearance
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Send Joe a Text Message. This episode of 'Unsolved Histories' hosted by Joe Foster delves into the unsolved mystery of aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart's disappearance in 1937. Beginning with Earhart's early life and her trailblazing career in aviation, the podcast outlines her numerous accomplishments and contributions to women's rights. It then fo…
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I Made The Film Nobody Else Would | ArtiFact 60: Destin Davis, Joel Parrish, Alex Sheremet
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Filmmaking can be highly technical, or not. As first-time director Alex Sheremet argues, finding the right topic and having an artistic blueprint in mind are far more important to master, as no amount of technical training will overcome bad ideas and artistic choices. Alex Sheremet and Joel Parrish sit down with Destin Davis of the Benton Courier t…
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Send Joe a Text Message. From unsolvable crimes to alien abduction, we will dive deep into the strange and surreal to explain some of the world's most bizarre events in history-where the most fitting theory isn't always the most conventional. Unsolved Histories premieres May 15th, free wherever you get your podcast! Need more Unsolved Histories? • …
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Why White People LOVE Thomas Sowell | ArtiFact 59: Alex Sheremet, Dan Schneider
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Thomas Sowell has a reputation for unorthodox positions and intellectual chops, but does he deserve it? His comments on slavery, equality, freedom, and philosophical concepts are rather thin, while his claims about the public commons are hypocritical. In this video, authors and cultural critics Alex Sheremet and Dan Schneider go through some of Tho…
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How Jared Taylor WASTED His Life | ArtiFact 58: Alex Sheremet, Dan Schneider
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2:48:50
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Jared Taylor was born in Japan, traveled the world and became fluent in several languages, yet has wasted his life on white separatism. In this way, he extracted all the benefits of diversity—personal, professional, developmental—then decided to shut the door behind him. A longtime white supremacist, Jared Taylor nonetheless looks down on the vast …
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Lust for Survival in Shakespeare's ANTONY & CLEOPATRA | ArtiFact 57: Laura Woods, Keith Jackewicz
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Myths of Rome and the Orient, as well as questions of race and sexuality all play major roles in William Shakespeare’s underrated play, Antony and Cleopatra. It follows the final years of Roman triumvir Mark Antony and Egypt’s queen Cleopatra VII, as they engage in affairs, neglect their imperial duties, and wage war against Octavius Caesar (August…
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Bitcoin For Socialists? | ArtiFact 56: Joshua Davila, Alex Sheremet
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Bitcoin and cryptocurrency are a hotbed for right-wing ideologues, but Joshua Davila argues this technology is not going away and ought to be used for left-wing activism. Bitcoin, for example, is not inherently capitalistic, while projects on Ethereum and other protocols have been more exploratory and experimental. In ArtiFact 56, Alex and Josh dis…
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Norman Maclean’s ”A River Runs Through It” Is Great | ArtiFact 55: Alex Sheremet, Keith Jackewicz
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Norman Maclean's "A River Runs Through It" is a great American novel, which is particularly shocking since it was Maclean’s first book and written in his 70s. In essence a memoir, “A River Runs Through It” follows the relationship between two brothers in 1930s Montana. Alex Sheremet and Keith Jackewicz dissect the book’s strengths, its powerful ima…
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More great books at LoyalBooks.comBy William Shakespeare
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More great books at LoyalBooks.comBy William Shakespeare
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Synopsis: Faced with a series of disloyal vassals, Sargon conquers the remaining Neo-Hittite kingdoms and absorbs them into his empire. The Cimmerian invasion of Anatolia leads to the deaths of two powerful kings. In their absence, the preservation of peace and stability falls to local rulers such as Azatiwadas of Quwe. “I am Azatiwadas, the Sun Go…
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More great books at LoyalBooks.comBy William Shakespeare
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More great books at LoyalBooks.comBy William Shakespeare
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More great books at LoyalBooks.comBy William Shakespeare
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More great books at LoyalBooks.comBy William Shakespeare
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Israel Against The (Civilized) World | ArtiFact 54: Mouin Rabbani, Alex Sheremet
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The Hamas attack of October 7 was preceded by a number of escalations: ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and Jerusalem, Netanyahu’s threats to annex Palestine, encroachments into the Al Aqsa Mosque, the rise of the Lion’s Den movement and Unity Intifada, as well as Israeli-Arab normalization agreements (“Abraham Accords”) which excluded Palestinian…
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Synopsis: Rusa of Urartu wins early victories against Assyrian armies, but his intrigues in the Zagros kingdom of Mannea earn him Sargon’s wrath. After a crushing defeat by Cimmerian invaders, Rusa’s unable to prevent Sargon’s destruction of his kingdom. “I caused there to be lamentation in the wide land Urartu and in all the mountains, and I made …
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Decolonizing Shakespeare in ”The Tempest” | ArtiFact 53: Keith Jackewicz, Alex Sheremet
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In light of decolonization and postcolonial theory, William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” has received new interest. Although Caliban is often thought of as the play’s centerpiece, Prospero remains its best-sketched character, as he has complex relationships and contradictory beliefs. His subjects, Ariel and Caliban, both demand freedom, while the st…
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Predicting the Human with Loren Eiseley | ArtiFact 52: Arnold Schroder on ”The Night Country”
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Loren Eiseley was a paleontologist more famed for his beautiful writing than for scientific discoveries, a fact that both oppressed and liberated him. In his book, “The Night Country”, Eiseley discusses his childhood exploring underground worlds and compares this with his work as a scientist and writer. He deals with questions such as “the ghost in…
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Synopsis: After defeating Syrian rebels at Qarqar and extending his dominion to the borders of Egypt, Sargon II labors to defend Tabal from the advances of Midas of Phrygia. Letters to Midas from Pisiri of Carchemish give Sargon a pretext to depose the Country Lord and annex his kingdom to Assyria. “In my fifth regnal year, Pisiri of the city Carch…
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Ivan Katchanovski on the Future of Ukraine | ArtiFact 51: Alex Sheremet, Ivan Katchanovski
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Now that Israel’s invasion of Gaza is center stage, Russia’s war in Ukraine is getting less attention. This has frustrated Zelensky in the midst of bad news. The Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed, and both Ukrainian and Western officials are wondering if negotiations should be the next step. This will require preparing the Ukrainian public for …
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Synopsis: Shalmaneser V succeeds his father to the thrones of Assyria and Babylonia, then deals with rebellions in Samaria and Tyre. But his reign is cut short by the violent coup of Sargon II. After losing his hold on Babylonia, Sargon marches west to confront a Syrian alliance under Yaubidi of Hamath. “With regard to the city Assur…Shalmaneser V,…
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Making GREAT Independent Films On A Budget | ArtiFact 50: Joel Parrish, Alex Sheremet
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Although there’s often a desire for big, Hollywood films, having too many resources, and too much polish, contradicts the mission of art. Independent films can be shot with minimal equipment and lend themselves to bigger, bolder ideas in a smaller package. In ArtiFact 50, Alex Sheremet and Joel Parrish reflect on shooting their first film, “From Th…
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Synopsis: Tiglath-pileser crushes rebellions in Patin and Luash and annexes their territories to Assyria. King Rasyan of Aram-Damascus forms a coalition of southern kingdoms - including Israel, Edom, Phoenicia and Philistia - to challenge Assyrian dominance, but betrayal by allies and the brutal tenacity of Tiglath-pileser lead to his kingdom’s dow…
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Synopsis: Matti’el of Arpad turns his back on the Treaty of Katikka and allies with Sarduri II of Urartu. The usurpation of Tiglath-pileser III heralds an Assyrian resurgence and the kingdom of Arpad’s destruction. “Matti’el the son of Attar-shumki (II) fomented a rebellion against Assyria and violated his loyalty oath. To the kings of Hatti and Ur…
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What The Al-Ahli Gaza Hospital Bombing Really Meant | ArtiFact 49: Alex Sheremet, Keith Jackewicz
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The IDF is accused of bombing the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. As a result, both Israelis and Palestinians have staked their reputations on the responsible party. Yet this would already be the 35th hospital strike in Gaza since 2008, while fully half of Gaza’s medical infrastructure had been leveled in Cast Lead and again in Protective Edge. In t…
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Frank Whaley’s ”The Jimmy Show” Is So Underrated | ArtiFact 48
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Taking great influence from Martin Scorsese's "The King of Comedy", Frank Whaley's underrated character portrait, "The Jimmy Show", was attacked by critics and filmgoers upon release, and is mostly forgotten now. In ArtiFact 48, critics Jessica Schneider, Ethan Pinch, Alex Sheremet, and Ezekiel Yu break down the film’s strengths and weaknesses whil…
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How The Black Panthers Changed My Life | ArtiFact 47: Eldridge Cleaver’s ”Soul on Ice”
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Two years after the creation of the Black Panther Party, Eldridge Cleaver’s prison writings were published as SOUL ON ICE. He became the party’s Minister of Information, but would soon have a falling out with Huey P. Newton over tactics and ideology. In ArtiFact #47, authors Alex Sheremet and Keith Jackewicz break down the text, highlighting its st…
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Norman Finkelstein on the IMPLOSION of Ibram X Kendi | ArtiFact 46
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Ibram X Kendi (born Henry Rogers) is an "antiracist scholar" who is now under investigation by Boston University due to alleged mismanagement of the Center for Antiracist Research. In ArtiFact #46, Holocaust scholar Norman Finkelstein breaks down the allegations, as well as his responses to Ibram X. Kendi's scholarly writing in "Stamped from the Be…
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First off I wanted to let everyone know that I am deep into researching and writing the upcoming season of “The Ancient World – Carchemish.” It’s got lots of fun stuff: Tiglath-pileser III, Sargon II and - most importantly - the final demise of the Neo-Hittite and Aramean kingdoms. Just a really interesting period and I’m looking forward to sharing…
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