6 Oct 2026 · 49 min
310: The Tower of Babel
Ever heard of a Chiasm? I hear it was the basis for naming the band "Kris Kross."
Podcast · Arts & Books
Classical Stuff You Should Know
by A.J. Hanenburg, Graeme Donaldson, and Thomas Magbee · English · Arts & Books
A.J., Graeme, and Thomas discuss everything having to do with the classical world. Our aim is to help both educators and laypeople enjoy the classical world as much as they enjoy fine ales and good tales.
- New episodes
- Weekly
- Typical length
- 1 hr 3 min
- Latest
- 6 Oct 2026
- Language
- English
Latest episode
Earlier episodes 29 most recent
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S1 · E309 · 29 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
309: How to Rite Goodest
In this episode A.J. dives into the nuts and bolts of what makes writing good or bad. In Graeme's words, this episode was "shorter than it felt." So . . . buckle up for fun.
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S1 · E308 · 15 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 13 min
308: Wise Blood
Thomas guides us through a book that would only improve with Daniel Day Lewis in the cast.
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S1 · E307 · 8 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
307: Planet Narnia: Saturn, Mercury, and Venus
In this episode we finish Graeme's series on Lewis and his planets.
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S1 · E306 · 4 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
306: Planet Narnia: Moon and Sun
Did C.S. Lewis organize his Narnia books around the medieval planets? Graeme sure thinks so. Thomas doesn't. This episode covers the two books connected to the sun and moon.
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S1 · E304 · 21 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
304: Kierkegaard's "The Sickness Unto Death," Part One
In this episode, we discuss part one of the book, in which we find out that we're all despairing, even it you are pretty sure you're not. Rosy book, this one.
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S1 · E303 · 14 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
303: Planet Narnia: Jupiter and Mars
In this book, Graeme teaches us Michael Ward's theory about Narnia---how each book corresponds to one of the planets. Sounds like something Lewis would do. He's a nerd.
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S1 · E302 · 18 May 2026 · 54 min
302: Of Mice and Men
In this episode, A.J. talks about George and Lennie and their unfortunate run-in with wannabe boxer.
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S1 · E301 · 12 May 2026 · 1 hr
301: Crime and Punishment Part 2: Electric Boogaloo
In this episode, Graeme finishes what he began in episode 299: a full retelling of Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment." Honestly, I would listen to more audiobooks if they were just Graeme telling me stories.
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S1 · E299 · 31 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
299: Crime and Punishment: Raskolnikov the Edgelord
In this episode, we dive into Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment." We've never really done the whole book in an episode before, so this is (part 1) of a great little introduction for those thinking about reading the book or teaching it to a few edgelords of your own.
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S1 · E297 · 3 Mar 2026 · 55 min
298: Federalist Papers #10
In this episode, Graeme walks us through the complicated world of factions. How do we make sure that everybody . . . and nobody . . . gets what they want?
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S1 · E297 · 24 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
297: Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" and "The Fall of the House of Usher"
In this episode we cover a little of Poe's life, then two of his famous stories.
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S1 · E296 · 10 Feb 2026 · 1 hr
296: Coleridge's "Kubla Khan"
In this episode, we discuss how Coleridge's poem "Kubla Khan" relates to the victory of Romanticism. That, and we giggle sometimes.
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S1 · E295 · 3 Feb 2026 · 1 hr
295: Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe
In this episode, we discuss ol' Robinson Crusoe, how he lived on the island, and escaped twenty-eight years later. It's . . . kinda good?
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S1 · E294 · 20 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
294: The Servile State, by Hilaire Belloc
In this episode, Graeme introduces us to "The Servile State," by Hilaire Belloc. All I know is that living in the woods has always been attractive to me, and now Graeme introduces fishing? Hot diggity, look for me near the trees, boys!
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S1 · E292 · 30 Dec 2025 · 58 min
292: Nominalism and William of Ockham
In this episode, we learn about William of Ockham's ridiculous notion that our words don't mean anything. Then why am I even writing this, WILLIAM. WHY DO WE EVEN TALK. You can tell that I (A.J.) am a big fan of this theory.
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S1 · E291 · 23 Dec 2025 · 49 min
291: J.R.R. Tolkien's "Letters from Father Christmas"
Apparently Tolkien is a fabulous illustrator. Who knew? I've seriously looked up prints, and they are weirdly hard to find . . . but enchanting. Oh, this episode is about Christmas. Merry Christmas!
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S1 · E290 · 16 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 4 min
290: Civil Disobedience by David Henry Thoreau
In this episode, we learn how to---as Graeme would say---RIP THE SYSTEM. Well, at least until an aunt bails us out.
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S1 · E289 · 9 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 3 min
289: John Bunyan and Babe le bœuf bleu
In this episode, we talk about allegory and cattle. Oh, and Pilgrim's Progress
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S1 · E288 · 2 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 7 min
288: Macbeth Inverted
In this episode, Graeme talks us through a framework in which we can experience Macbeth (you know, that Scottish play). Turns out that when you kill a Scottish king, everything goes topsy turvy.
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S1 · E287 · 4 Nov 2025 · 57 min
287: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving
Ever heard of the headless horseman? Did you know he was a Hessian Soldier? Do you know where the Jack-o-lantern comes from? FIND OUT IN THIS SPOOOOOOOKY EPISODE.
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S1 · E286 · 7 Oct 2025 · 43 min
286: Prince Darling
Faeries. Stay away from them or you'll have your finger pricked all to heck.
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S1 · E285 · 30 Sep 2025 · 1 hr 8 min
285: The Democratic Man: Plato's Republic Revisited
In this episode, Graeme discusses the degradation of man as a reflection of the degradation of the state suggested in Plato's Republic, Book VIII. Apparently true freedom is bloodshed.
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S1 · E284 · 9 Sep 2025 · 1 hr 18 min
284: Sun Tzu's "The Art of War"
In this (far too long) episode, we play a quiz show with a cake as a prize. Because really, that's what every war is about: cake.
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S1 · E283 · 2 Sep 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
283: Beauty and the Beast
Thomas continues his series on children's books with the (an?) original Beauty and the Beast tale. It's pretty lovely. Is it bad if I want to be Thomas's kid?
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S1 · E282 · 26 Aug 2025 · 1 hr 10 min
282: Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
In this episode, we discuss Jane Austen's "Sense & Sensibility," along with a bunch of doofy males. I mean we discuss them, we don't podcast with them.
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S1 · E281 · 19 Aug 2025 · 1 hr 9 min
281: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Evil deeds? Never. I would never do that. I mean, somebody else might. But I never would. Trample a child? Nah. Nope. Not me.
About Classical Stuff You Should Know
A.J., Graeme, and Thomas discuss everything having to do with the classical world. Our aim is to help both educators and laypeople enjoy the classical world as much as they enjoy fine ales and good tales.
Classical Stuff You Should Know is a English arts & books podcast from A.J. Hanenburg, Graeme Donaldson, and Thomas Magbee. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
- Publisher
- A.J. Hanenburg, Graeme Donaldson, and Thomas Magbee
- Language
- English
- Category
- Arts & Books
- New episodes
- Weekly
- Typical length
- 1 hr 3 min
- Latest episode
- 6 Oct 2026
- Feed
- RSS — paste into any podcast app
- Apple Podcasts
- podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1305381419
More English arts & books
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