Irina Dumitrescu joins Tom for a Close Readings fusion episode looking at Chaucer’s classical mind, and in particular his use of Ovid’s Heroides in The Legend of Good Women, in which the poet does penance for his poor depictions of women by retelling the stories of Ariadne, Phaedra, Lucrece and others in a more sympathetic light. They discuss Chaucer’s playf ... Show More
Nov 21
Aftershock: The War on Terror – Episode 1: With Us or Against Us
In the days after 9/11, George W. Bush declared a state of emergency and initiated what would become an unprecedented expansion of US power. Public debate narrowed: there were new limits on what was acceptable, and not acceptable, to say. The London Review of Books published a nu ... Show More
44m 54s
Nov 15
Introducing ‘Aftershock: The War on Terror’
After 9/11, George W. Bush launched a global War on Terror. What followed was an unprecedented expansion of American power, from Guantánamo Bay to drone strikes, mass surveillance to the weaponisation of the financial system. Asked when it would end, Vice-President Dick Cheney re ... Show More
3m 57s
Mar 2025
The Myth of Aspasia, Woman, Politician, Philosopher, Wh*re
Aspasia was an intelligent, independent and influential woman at the heart of Classical Athenian politics. She was also a sex worker. This is the instagram reel this episode is 'responding' to. Submit your question for the next Q&A via email or a voice note. Get ad-free episodes ... Show More
39m 44s
Nov 2024
Conversations: How Women Became Poets, Gender History in Greek Literature w/ Emily Hauser
Liv speaks with author Emily Hauser about her book How Women Became Poets. They look at women in Greek myth, literature, etymology, and, very specifically, the long and arduous history of women 'poets' in Greek literature. Plus, a sneak peak at Emily's next work: Mythica/Penelope ... Show More
1h 51m
Sep 2024
Raging Misogynist or Original Social Justice Warrior? The Murky Life of Euripides
We have more of Euripides' work than either of the other tragedians combined and yet the details of his life, him as a real person composing real art, are frustratingly lacking. And when they're not lacking, they're often just slander or wild misunderstandings of history. Today w ... Show More
38m 43s
Oct 2024
It's Always Witching Hour Here, Revisiting Ancient Witchcraft (and More)
Featuring clips from episodes on Ovid's Medea, Chthonic Cuties, conversations with Antonia Aluko and Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts, and readings of Homer's Odyssey, translated by Samuel Butler.CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves g ... Show More
1h 11m
May 2025
100: Mailbag: An Embarrassment of Riches
<p>Abby, Patrick, and Dan mark one hundred episodes of Ordinary Unhappiness! They start by looking back on the show’s run so far, and what they’ve gotten from engaging with psychoanalysis as a living body of knowledge, as a corpus of classic texts, as a way of seeing the world, a ... Show More
1h 30m
Sep 21
ON WRITING... With Salman Rushdie and Kazuo Ishiguro
Welcome to another special edition of How to Fail, where I revisit conversations from the How to Fail archives. Each week, we shine a light on a particular theme, hopefully offering inspiration, perspective and comfort through the words of past guests. This week’s theme is on wri ... Show More
24m 18s