Quiddity

In this edition of Notes From The Quad, Brandon LeBlanc sits down with Saint Constantine College Provost, Dr. Timothy Bartel to discuss Longfellow. Drawing on Dr. Bartel's scholarly work and Brandon's cultural familiarity they focus on Longfellow's Evangeline in particular.

In this episode of Quiddity, we go back to an interview with David Hicks by David Kern. David Hicks answers some listener questions about classical education, books, and his book, Norms and Nobility. 

Christine and Brandon read aloud Affliction (IV) by George Herbert. This beautiful meditation on suffering in this world with the hope of the next is poignant and timely for our hosts. If you need it, we hope it is for you too.FORMA Symposium: https://circeinstitute.org/events/forma-symposium/Send questions and comments to podcasts@circeinstitute.orgMore from Christine on Herbert and others:Harmony in George Herbert’s Poetry and Soul - https://circeinstitute.org/product/harmony-in-george-herberts-poetry-and-soul/Metaphorical Judgment - https://circeinstitute.org/product/metaphorical-judgment-poetry-as-an-education-in-metaphor/Weil on Affliction:The Love of God and Affliction - https://www.clarion-journal.com/files/simone-weil---the-love-of-god-and-affliction.pdfOn the Psalms:The Psalms of David: Translated from the Septuagint Greek: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-psalms-of-david-translated-from-the-septuagint-greek-donald-sheehan/8762574?ean=9781620325100

In this episode, Brandon sits down with author, translator, and podcaster Deacon Nicholas Kotar. A son of Soviet refugees and a first-generation graduate of the Classical Renewal, Dn. Nicholas is a unique voice in literature and education today. Brandon talks to him about his own educational experience and how it has shaped his work bringing the Slavic fairytales and folktales to the English-speaking world. They also discuss how Kotar's two worlds converge in his Raven Son fantasy series, and his collaborative work to help other authors.More from Dn. Nicholas Kotar: https://nicholaskotar.com/Send questions and comments to podcasts@circeinstitute.org

In this Episode our resident composer introduces Brandon to Tone Poems with Richard Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks. Sheet Music: http://en.instr.scorser.com/D/19118.htmlSheet Music and Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV5r9KG1eycCenter for Western Studies: https://www.centerws.com/

Christine and Brandon read aloud The Beautiful Changes by Richard Wildbur. They discuss his interplay between nature and memory.Send questions and comments to podcasts@circeinstitute.org

John Mason Hodges joins Brandon for another installment of our music literacy feature. In this episode, John talks us through Igor Stravinsky's Firebird, fairytales, and getting a new musical to the stage.John's show: https://www.goldenthemusical.com/The Green Room 42: https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com/

It may seem like Classical Education is the antithesis to the modern concept of "data-driven education" which has a tendency to reduce everything, including people, to a data point on a spreadsheet. But that doesn't mean data and research don't have a place in the Classical renewal. In this conversation, Brandon LeBlanc is joined by Dr. Albert Cheng, Director of The Classical Education Research Lab, to discuss how both long-term data on the 1st generation of Classical graduates and new studies on specific pedagogy and policy can help the renewal as we move from "off the radar" to " in the spotlight". Links of note: Cardus/Good Soil Report: https://www.classicaldifference.com/good-soil/ The Classical Education Research Lab: https://classical-education-research.uark.edu/

In this episode, Brandon visits with Dr. Ryan Messmore and Trae Bailey of Magdalen College. They discuss The Integrated Humanities Program at The University of Kansas, including Trae's interviews with graduates of the program. Trae and Ryan also share the role poetic knowledge plays in the life and curriculum of Magdalen College.Magdalen College: https://magdalen.edu/Summer Program: https://magdalen.edu/summer/Poetic Knowledge: https://bookshop.org/p/books/poetic-knowledge-the-recovery-of-education-james-s-taylor/7448856?aid=1329&ean=9780791435861&listref=quiddity-list