Yeats’s poem “Sailing to Byzantium” begins and ends with the concept of reproduction. In the first stanza, this reproduction is natural and sexual, and in the final stanza is entirely a matter of artifice. The living songbird is transformed into both product and producer, with a form of singing that is gilded by a consciousness of its departure from nature. ... Show More
Aug 18
Containment and Play in “Jaws”
We’re never told exactly how Martin Brody ended up as sheriff of a small beach community, despite his fear of the water. But his ultimate confrontation with the water, and the shark that inhabits it, have a fateful character that seems to implicate his own internal conflicts. Oce ... Show More
47m 14s
Aug 2024
The Poetry of Modern Storytelling, with Olivia Gatwood
A poet, performer, novelist and screenwriter, Olivia Gatwood has received international recognition for her writing, which has focused on topics including coming of age, feminism, gendered violence and true crime. Her debut novel is Whoever You Are, Honey, a dark and brilliant st ... Show More
40m 46s
Jul 2024
Writer Anne Lamott on how to tap into your creativity
When it comes to writing, Anne Lamott’s philosophy is to take things one step at a time, keep moving, and give yourself permission to be who you are. She expressed it most famously 30 years ago in her seminal book on writing and life, Bird by Bird. But it also appears across her ... Show More
23m 29s
May 2024
The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
Novelist Alex Michaelides (The Silent Patient, The Fury) joins Andy and John to discuss Ford Madox Ford's classic novel The Good Soldier (1915), a tale of passion in which, owing to a narrator of almost comic unreliability, nothing can be taken for granted. It is a book that seem ... Show More
1h 1m
Aug 8
*Preview* — 129.5 Plečnik Finale Bonus Episode
This is a clip from our latest Patreon bonus episode, if you'd like to hear our final thoughts on Plečnik in full, please consider subscribing at https://www.patreon.com/about_buildings — the show relies on listener support, and you'll get access to our full back catalogue of bon ... Show More
5m 10s
Mar 2025
ADOLESCENCE: Creating the new Netflix One-Take hit series with actors Stephen Graham & Erin Doherty, director Philip Barantini & writer Jack Thorne
On today’s episode, our primo host Dom Lenoir sits down with the team behind Netflix’s latest hit, Adolescence – a groundbreaking mini-series where every episode is shot in a single take. It’s an incredible achievement from the entire cast and crew, and we couldn’t wait to find o ... Show More
1h 20m
May 2019
Episode 6: The .01 Percent
In this episode, Israeli poet Tahel Frosh talks to us about her debut poetry collection Betsa (Avarice, 2014), financial crisis, and the value of culture. We revisit the summer of 2011, when a series of protests spread across Israel sparked by rising housing costs, the increased ... Show More
27m 46s
Mar 2016
Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner
Sylvia Townsend Warner's debut novel 'Lolly Willowes' is the main book under discussion in this episode. It's nominated by journalist, author & playwright Samantha Ellis, and she discusses witchcraft, spinsters and the Chilterns with John, Andy and Mathew. Also touched on: epic p ... Show More
1h 4m
Nov 2024
Episode 84 - The Battle of Stiklestad (1030)
"This will be the site of a great battle, a battle that will go down in Norwegian history, and you my friends, have front row seats!" The Amelia Project is a fiction podcast comedy about fake deaths and new identities. In this episode we take you back to a defining moment in viki ... Show More
41m 14s
Sep 2021
Sound of Violence Writer & Director Alex Noyer talks going from Short to Feature, Clubhouse Horror Movies and fuding & making a hit directorial debut.
On today’s show, Giles Alderson and co-host Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar sit down with Alex Noyer, the writer and director of Sound of Violence, which premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2021. Alex dives deep into Clubhouse of Horror, what the room is about, what it’s ... Show More
1h 18m