Best Purgatorio Podcasts (2024)

1
Redefining The Terms Of What Seems To Be: PURGATORIO, Canto XV, Lines 25 - 33 15:41

2d ago15:41

15:41

Dante the poet is playing a very crafty game. He's been pulling out all the stops with two metaphors to help us understand the weight, meaning, and timing of the light . . . and then he redefines that source of light right underneath all those metaphors. And just as the poet pulls off that trick, Virgil also redefines the very terms on which PURGAT…

1
Is hell really boring? Rowan Williams & Jesse Armstrong, Dante & William Blake 32:44

1d ago32:44

32:44

Rowan Williams and Jesse Armstrong talked at The Idler festival, partly around the idea, caught in the expression, “boring as hell”. But is that right, they asked, when a drama like Succession so clearly appeals to us? The question is fundamental, for an age inclined to regard hell as appealing or intriguing, is one on the way to being lost. Drawin…

1
Utopia Lost 16:59

3d ago16:59

16:59

This week, I have a short story for you that I wrote three years ago after the death of a dear friend. --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sean-thomas-kane/support

1
Playing Around With The Sun: PURGATORIO, Canto XV, Lines 1 - 24 30:57

5d ago30:57

30:57

Dante and Virgil pass on beyond the envious along the second terrace of Purgatory proper. As we enter the first of the middle three canti of all of COMEDY, Dante is blinded by the sun, about as we're blinded by his increasingly complex poetics. These passages begin the brilliant fun of the second half of the poem. Dante begins to play with meaning,…

1
Virgil Inscribes Circularity Into Linearity: PURGATORIO, Canto XIV, Lines 142 - 151 28:47

9d ago28:47

28:47

Having been accosted by two voices decrying the fate of the envious on the second terrace of Purgatory proper, Dante and Virgil begin to walk toward a stairway to the third terrace. As they do, Virgil, silent for quite a while, refocuses and reinterprets most of what we've read in PURGATORIO, Cantos XIII and XIV. He offers circularity in place of t…

1
An Election Year Independence Day 8:50

10d ago8:50

8:50

This week, I’m writing to you with this week’s holiday in mind, with some of my aspirations and hopes for America. --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sean-thomas-kane/support

1
Two More Voices On The Winds Of Envy: PURGATORIO, Canto XIV, Lines 127 - 141 27:07

12d ago27:07

27:07

With Guido del Duca enmeshed in his tears, Dante the pilgrim and Virgil begin to talk on along the terrace of envy, searching for a way up to the third terrace of Purgatory. Lo and behold, they're struck by two voices, just as they were when they got up to this terrace. This time, it's Cain and Aglauros, speaking on the wind. Join me, Mark Scarbrou…

1
Oh, For The Glory Days (That Maybe Never Were): PURGATORIO, Canto XIV, Lines 97 - 126 28:03

16d ago28:03

28:03

Guido del Duca reaches the climax of his diatribe: a nostalgic retrospective of the courts and families of Romagna. Where have the good guys gone? Is this Dante the poet's lament? Or Guido del Duca's? Does this passage tell us more about Guido's problems or Dante's hopes? Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work through a tough passage about historical…

1
Two Cities 12:48

17d ago12:48

12:48

This week, a few words about the trip I just completed to London and Paris. --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sean-thomas-kane/support

1
Now You Know Who We Are: PURGATORIO, Canto XIV, Lines 73 - 96 30:46

19d ago30:46

30:46

At long last, the speaker in PURGATORIO Canto XIV comes clean and reveals who he is . . . and who his compatriot is. They're Guido del Duca and Rinier (or Rinieri) da Calboli. Now that we now who they are, we have to go back and reassess Canto XIV as a whole. Dante is nothing but cagey in the rhetorical games he's playing. He's demanding more and m…

1
The Descent Of The Arno Into Metaphoric Space: PURGATORIO, Canto XIV, Lines 43 - 72 33:57

23d ago33:57

33:57

Dante has been cagey about where he's from, using periphrastic phrasing to describe the Arno valley without naming it. It was apparently the wrong thing to do . . . because one of the envious penitents is going to pick up the pilgrim's (and the poet's?) rhetorical games and push them much further into fully metaphoric space that is also somehow pro…

1
A Tiger in the Sun 17:55

24d ago17:55

17:55

This week, I have a short story for you, in the style of an Irish aisling, a dream narrative, about a tiger basking in the warm February sun. --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sean-thomas-kane/support…

1
The Many Textures Of Envy: PURGATORIO, Canto XIV, Lines 22 - 42 31:13

26d ago31:13

31:13

Dante has started a conversation with two envious penitents . . . a conversation he might not be ready for. They prove more than his rhetorical match. They also muddy the theology of Purgatory itself. Is that intentional? Or are we expected to understand their still-fallen state? Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore more about the two envious so…

1
Dante and civilisational decline. A dispatch on disillusionment in politics 14:44

29d ago14:44

14:44

Dante lived through a period of almost total social collapse. Civil war and city-state terror, practiced by the church as much as secular powers, drove him into exile for the last 20 years of his life. For a while, he lost everything. But then, through the trauma, he regained a ground and rediscovered the fullness of life. The Divine Comedy is the …

1
Be Careful Of The Company You Keep: PURGATORIO, Canto XIV, Lines 1 - 21 31:03

1M ago31:03

31:03

Sapía has finished her amazingly complex speech with the pilgrim Dante . . . or has she? At the opening of Canto XIV, we're not sure who is speaking? Still Sapía? No, two envious souls, leaning against each other, almost gossiping about our pilgrim. And nothing satisfies envy quite like gossip. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore this new thing…

1
Paradiso 16:10

1M ago16:10

16:10

This week, I conclude my three-part reflection on Dante’s Divine Comedy with the Paradiso. --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sean-thomas-kane/support

1
Sapía, Part Four--The Coda: PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, Lines 85 - 104 20:47

1M ago20:47

20:47

We've spent three episodes with this penitent envious soul, Sapía. Now let's look at the entire interchange between her and our pilgrim, Dante . . . as well as the ways PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, reflects INFERNO, Canto XIII. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we talk about the increasingly complex ironies found in one of the most compelling souls in all of…

1
Sapía, Part Three—Rhetorical Games Reveal Both The Penitent And The Pilgrim: PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, Lines 133 - 154 27:21

1M ago27:21

27:21

In the concluding moments of Sapía's speech, we find her in dialogue with Dante the pilgrim . . . who is both forthcoming in his confessional stance and also cagey with his hiding his guide, Virgil. She, too, is caught in her own rhetoric: getting what she wants but ultimately revealing herself as a soul who still has a lot more purgation ahead. Jo…

1
Purgatorio 13:32

1M ago13:32

13:32

Last week, I wrote my thoughts on the first cantica of Dante’s Divine Comedy. This week then, the second part, the Purgatorio. All quotations from the Divine Comedy come from Robin Kirkpatrick’s English translation published in the 2012 Penguin edition. --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Support thi…

1
Sapía, Part Two—Blasphemy Among The Penitents Of Envy: PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, Lines 112 - 132 27:34

1M ago27:34

27:34

Sapía now tells her story to Dante the pilgrim . . . and it includes one of the most blasphemous lines in all of COMEDY. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we look closely at one of the most honest and blasphemous monologues in the poem . . . and as we grapple with Sapía's incredible skills in rhetoric. If you'd like to make a contribution to support thi…

1
Sapía, Part One—The Pilgrim Gets More (And Less!) Than He Bargained For: PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, Lines 94 - 111 27:07

1M ago27:07

27:07

Dante the pilgrim worked up the courage (or the flattery) to get one of the envious to speak up on the second terrace of Purgatory proper. She does . . . and gives him both more and exactly what (or perhaps a bit less) than he asked for. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as I work our first sight of one of the most intricate souls in COMEDY: Sapía. She's a…

1
Inferno 13:50

1M ago13:50

13:50

A while ago, I began reading Dante's Divine Comedy. So, over the next three weeks I will be writing my own reflections on each of its three parts. This week then, I begin with the Inferno. --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Dante: Inferno to Paradise, https://dantedocumentary.com The Blues Brothers,…

1
Flattery Will Get You Irony: PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, Lines 73 - 93 28:04

2M ago28:04

28:04

Dante has finally come among the envious on the bare, bleak, blue-gray second terrace of Mount Purgatory. We've seen their condition: eyes stitched shut. Now for Dante's reaction. And Virgil's reaction to Dante's reaction. And Dante's ham-handed attempt to flatter someone to speak up. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we approach on of the most signific…

1
Our First Languages 9:21

2M ago9:21

9:21

Last week, I listened to an essay from the New York Times Magazine about the possibility that one might lose their first language if they use another too much. Today then, I write to my own experience in this matter. --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify…

1
(Pop) Cultural Marxism, Episode 11: Civil War 1:15:45

2M ago1:15:45

1:15:45

In episode 11 of (Pop) Cultural Marxism, Ajay and Isi examine Alex Garland’s Civil War (2024). Kicking off with a handful of pop culture news items—including the Met Gala, the death of Steve Albini, A24’s Stop Making Sense tribute album, and Apple's alarming iPad Pro commercial—the conversation turns to Garland’s provocative and uneven drama about …

1
Eyes Stitched Shut: PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, Lines 46 - 72 28:08

2M ago28:08

28:08

The second terrace of PURGATORIO proves a wild ride into interiority, into the complicated sin of envy, and back into INFERNO. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore the first moments in which Dante sees the penitents ahead . . . and delays until the last moment revealing their fate: eyelids stitched shut with wires. Thank you for supporting this …

1
The Voices Of Love And Alienation: PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, Lines 22 - 45 35:10

2M ago35:10

35:10

Dante and Virgil make haste across the second terrace of Purgatory before they're accosted by disembodied voices, calling them to the banquet of love. Sounds great, right? Except there's so much alienation in the landscape and even in the poetry. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we take our first steps onto the second terrace of PURGATORIO with Dante a…

1
The Promise of Hope 13:11

2M ago13:11

13:11

Last week, the 7th of May 2024, marked the 200th anniversary of the premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. Today then, I want to talk with you about the hope which runs through that Ode to Joy. The recordings of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony heard in this episode came from the 1956 album by the ProMusica Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under…

1
The Easy Climb Into Complex Meaning: PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, Lines 1 - 21 34:04

2M ago34:04

34:04

Dante the pilgrim and his guide, Virgil, have arrived at the second terrace of Purgatory proper. As readers, we're not even sure what this terrace is about, although we can infer there must be more penitents ahead. Instead, Dante the poet offers us rather straightforward, naturalistic details, a complex neologism (a new word he coined), a crazy lin…

1
Dante, Aquinas, Aristotle, And The Fences Of Truth 32:07

2M ago32:07

32:07

Before we step onto PURGATORIO's terrace of envy, the second ledge of Purgatory proper, let's pause a moment to talk about the relationship among Dante, Aquinas, and Aristotle. We have to take this detour because Dante will increasingly incorporate scientific reasoning into his poem, changing its very nature, based on his understanding of Aristotle…

1
The Art of Joy 10:22

2M ago10:22

10:22

This past weekend, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art debuted a new retrospective exhibit on the life and work of Franco-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle. One of her great initiatives was to express rebellious joy in her art, especially later in her career. --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Suppor…

1
The Second Terrace Of Purgatory: A Read-Through Of PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, Line 1, though Canto XV, Line 84 28:24

3M ago28:24

28:24

We've come with Dante the pilgrim and Virgil, his guide, to the second terrace of Purgatory, the terrace of envy. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, for this initial read-through of the terrace, beginning at the first line of PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, and extending to line 84 of PURGATORIO, Canto XV. If you'd like to help support this podcast, please consider…

1
Erasing God's Writing Even If Virgil Smiles: PURGATORIO, Canto XII, Lines 118 - 139 33:22

3M ago33:22

33:22

Dante the pilgrim and Virgil have a little ways to go before they finally exit the terrace of pride. In fact, Dante has to come to a surprising revelation: It's getting easier. And Virgil has to explain why: Desire is being purified. How? By erasing what God has written. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we look at the interpretive dilemmas and philosop…

1
Is Cash Still King? 26:58

3M ago26:58

26:58

Over the last week, I've been thinking about how much I still use cash, and what that says about my lifestyle as a whole. Guests: Alex Brisson, New York City Elizabeth Duke, Kansas City, MO George Vial, County Donegal, Ireland --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Support this podcast: https://podcaste…

1
Narrow Stairs, Contorted Similes, And The On-Going Poetry Of Hell: PURGATORIO, Canto XII, Lines 100 - 117 21:22

3M ago21:22

21:22

Dante and Virgil begin their climb from the first to the second terrace of Purgatory but as they do, they climb up in an incredibly contorted and difficult simile that swaps around emotional landscapes before landing them in the song of Jesus's beatitudes as well as the screams of hell. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore the climb out in this …

1
The Climb Out Of Pride: PURGATORIO, Canto XII, Lines 73 - 99 28:31

3M ago28:31

28:31

Dante and Virgil begin their exit from the terrace of pride on Mount Purgtory. To do so, they must encounter and angel who implicitly calls back Lucifer (or Satan) into the text yet who welcomes them on their way up the less-steep ascent. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we watch Virgil reassert this role as the guide and see another of the epic angels…

1
Return to Normalcy 12:06

3M ago12:06

12:06

Over the last week, I've been thinking about the standards we define to cast a model of normality, or in an older term normalcy. This week then, I try to answer the question of what even is normal? --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sean-…

1
Storytelling, Moral Allegory, And The Human Paradox: PURGATORIO, Canto XII, Lines 64 - 72 18:10

3M ago18:10

18:10

Dante the poet adds a coda to his (fake) ekphrastic poetry on the reliefs in the road bed of the terrace of pride on Mount Purgatory. He steps back and explains the very nature of the art to us: realer than real, as it were. Then he moves the passage out from its narrative base and into a moral lesson based on an allegorical (and anagogical) readin…

1
More Questions Than Answers About The Reliefs In The Road Bed Of Pride: PURGATORIO, Canto XII, Lines 22 - 63 27:49

3M ago27:49

27:49

We've spent three episodes going over the reliefs in the road bed of the terrace of pride on Mount Purgatory. Now let's step back and look at the whole passage. Yes, its sweet. But also its curiously crafted problems. And the way it leaves us with more questions than answers, even though we're supposed to take away a very distinct moral lesson. Joi…

1
The Eclipse 12:12

3M ago12:12

12:12

This Monday, North America experienced its second total solar eclipse in the last decade. --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sean-thomas-kane/support

1
Walking On Pride, Part Three: PURGATORIO, Canto XII, Lines 49 - 60 27:54

3M ago27:54

27:54

We've come to the last four reliefs in the paving stones of the terrace of pride. We're almost on our way to the next terrace of Purgatory . . . but not quite. Dante the pilgrim has to pay attention to these final moments, the final exemplars, some of whom are stated outright in the carvings and some of whom are strangely occluded. Join me, Mark Sc…

1
Walking On Pride, Part Two: PURGATORIO, Canto XII, Lines 37 - 48 24:07

3M ago24:07

24:07

We're still walking on top of the reliefs of the prideful in the road bed of the first terrace of Mount Purgatory after the gate: the terrace of pride. Here, Dante the pilgrim sees four more figures: two from the classical age and two from the Biblical age. And the classical figures seem distinctly connected to art. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we …

1
A Matter of Grammar 8:35

3M ago8:35

8:35

This week, after going down the rabbit hole of the Chicago Manual of Style's monthly Q&A newsletter, I thought I'd talk a bit about grammar. --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sean-thomas-kane/support…

1
Walking On Pride, Part One: PURGATORIO, Canto XII, Lines 25 - 36 26:07

3M ago26:07

26:07

Virgil has directed Dante the pilgrim to look down at the road bed. Dante sees figures carved into the terrace . . . and he begins to walk on pride, the way one might walk over tombs in the floor of a church. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore the first four figures carved into road bed. Who are they? How is the passage crafted? And what can t…

1
Art, Realism, And Dante's Sheer Audacity: PURGATORIO, Canto XII, lines 13 - 24 23:14

4M ago23:14

23:14

The opening of PURGATORIO, Canto XII, becomes even stranger as the poet Dante claims that the art he’s about to see beneath his feet is even clearer than the actual events when they happened. All well and good, until we remember this isn’t God’s art, as Dante wants us to believe. It’s Dante’s. And audacious. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore …

1
On Technology 21:11

4M ago21:11

21:11

Last week, I returned to Chicago, this time on a business trip to attend a conference, and on the way took time to slow things down and enjoy the lived experience. --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sean-thomas-kane/support…

1
Dante's Pride Both Lanced And Swelling: PURGATORIO, Canto XII, Lines 1 - 12 20:22

4M ago20:22

20:22

Dante is still hunched over, going along like a dumb ox, paired up with the souls on the terrace of pride. His pride has been lanced by their monologues. Until Virgil tells him to be like the damned Ulysses. And then he straightens up and heads out. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore the curious opening lines to PURGATORIO, Canto XII. Dante se…

1
Some News That Affects Future Episodes Of PURGATORIO 3:41

4M ago3:41

3:41

Some personal news . . . and not the sort I ever want to share . . . about future episodes of this podcast. I hope you'll understand.By Mark Scarbrough

1
The Essence of Being 9:21

4M ago9:21

9:21

This week, to begin Season 4 of the Wednesday Blog podcast, I want to talk about what it means to exist. I know, small topic for a Wednesday. --- Click here to support the Wednesday Blog: https://www.patreon.com/sthosdkane --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sean-thomas-kane/support…

1
A Bad Boy Makes Good On The Terrace Of Pride: PURGATORIO, Canto XI, Lines 109 - 139 34:27

4M ago34:27

34:27

If you'd like to make a contribution to help me with hosting, licensing, streaming, editing, and royalty fees, please consider visiting this PayPal link right here. We’ve come to the end of PURGATORIO, Canto XI . . . and the end of the artist Oderisi’s monologue. He finishes up, not with more about himself, but with the tale of the third penitent w…

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