The Canon Ball

And we’re finally on the road with book one of Don Quixote. When you look around and realize you’re just a burnt out old man why not reinvent yourself as your personal ideal? Is that any more ridiculous than inadvertently basing every move in your life on other narratives? Daniel and I discuss reinvention in 17th-century Spain and speculate on the effects the Reconquista and Inquisition (i.e., ethnic cleansing) may have had on this particular motif in Don Quixote. We also take a look at the Don’s (and others’) masochistic, self-enfolded sexual frustration, which is much less exciting than it sounds. The Canon Ball is a member of the Agora Podcast Network, and if you enjoy our show then be sure to check out some of the others on the network like the Renaissance English History podcast where Heather Teysko walks through the days in the lives of the Tudors. You can find it at https://www.englandcast.com/; and for more check out our blog at thecanonballpodcast.wordpress.com. You’ll see our occasional scribblings on canonical things as well as the order in which we’re tackling the canon. You can also find us on Twitter @canonballpod or on Facebook if you look for our group. Rate and review on Apple Podcast; thanks and enjoy the show.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

And here we go, sallying officially forth in the first of our series on Don Quixote! In this episode, we commence with some background discussion of Spain in Cervantes’ time, writing in Cervantes’ time, and the genres that went into the making of what Claude is very close to arguing is officially the first novel. We also get into the multiple Spains that make up Spain and the epistemological crisis that is attendant to the rise of the chivalric prose tale. It’s… actually more interesting than it sounds… The Canon Ball is a part of the Agora Podcast Network.  If you like the show, check out some of the other shows on the network, like History of Alchemy, History of Germany, and the Secret Cabinet, all part of the Podcastnik Productions team. They specialize in all things Germanic and many things esoteric.  Find out more at www.podcastnik.com and for more information on the shows on the network, go to agorapodcastnetwork.com. And if you want more of the Canon Ball, check out the blog at thecanonballpodcast.wordpress.com.  You’ll see our occasional scribblings on canonical things as well as the order in which we’re tackling the canon. You can also find us on Twitter @canonballpod or on Facebook if you look for our group. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts if you like the show and recommend us to a friend! But wait! There’s more! We have a new sponsor, Onlinegreatbooks.com. Enter the promo code CAN to get 25% off your first three months.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Canon Ball and the Agora Podcast Network are proud to present this preview episode of the upcoming Wondery podcast American Innovations. Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts. Find out more at wondery.com/shows/american-innovations/  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s our most quixotic episode yet! In that it’s an episode that’s only tangentially about Don Quixote! While Daniel and I get our materials together to tackle Cervantes, I have a talk with Chris Ludovici, author of the novel The Minors, about his experiences with Quixote and the canon. It’s a little looser than what we usually do, but Chris’ perspective on literature and the meaning of Don Quixote is pretty singular, and even if this is a bit of a digression from the regular path, it was a really good conversation. You can find Chris’ book on Amazon and pertinent to our discussion is an article he wrote for the Penn Gazette, “The Prodigal Student.” Check it out at http://thepenngazette.com/the-prodigal-student. The Canon Ball is a member of the Agora Podcast Network, and if you enjoy our show then be sure to check out some of the others on the network like Roifield Brown’s 10 American Presidents a show about landmark presidencies. Each show features an expert narrator giving their take on the life of one of the presidents as well as a dramatic score and audio clips to create a whole listening experience. For more information on 10 American presidents, go to 10usp.com. and for more information on the shows on the network, go to agorapodcastnetwork.com. And if you want more of the Canon Ball, check out our blog at thecanonballpodcast.wordpress.com. You’ll see our occasional scribblings on canonical things as well as the order in which we’re tackling the canon. You can also find us on Twitter @canonballpod or on Facebook if you look for our group. Rate and review on Apple Podcasts if you like the show. This week's episode is sponsored by Onlinegreatbooks.com. Enter the promo code CAN to get 25% off your first three months.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s our third and final episode on Montaigne! So what does an Epicurean think of marriage? What’s the middle way in the middle of a civil war? Why are rugged individualists like Emerson and Nietzsche such total plagiarists? And how exactly should one execute a bowel movement? Montaigne has the answers to all of these questions and more that you probably never cared to ask! Join us on this episode as we finally think through Montaigne’s final word on final words.  The Canon Ball is a member of the Agora Podcast Network, and if you enjoy our show then be sure to check out some of the others on the network, like the History of England, a chronological walk through, well… the history of England. This isn’t a dry, events only podcast, but one that takes its time to meander through the customs and cultures that make the history of the UK funny if not fascinating. For more information on the show, check out thehistoryofengland.co.uk and for more information on the shows on the network, go to agorapodcastnetwork.com. And if you want more of the Canon Ball, check out our blog at thecanonballpodcast.wordpress.com.  You’ll see our occasional scriblings on canonical things as well as the order in which we’re tackling the canon. You can also find us on Twitter @canonballpod or on Facebook if you look for our group. Rate and review on itunes; thanks and enjoy the show.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode we do a deep dive into the longest of Montaigne's essays, the Apology for Raymond Sebond! And boy do we get confused! Is Montaigne a Pyrrhonist? Is Pyrrhonism a form of deconstruction? Are Montaigne's politics regressive? Are Montaigne's politics progressive? Do we answer any of these questions? Just listen to find out the answer is "no!" But if you leave as baffled as we were we consider our jobs done. Check out some of the other podcasts on Agora like Thom Daly’s “American Biography,” which looks at American history through a human prism by examining the lives of important, if less discussed, Americans who have exerted great influence upon the nation's development. And for a deal on headphones, hit up our sponsor Sudio at www.sudiosweden.com and use the code CANNONBALL at checkout for 15% off (we know, they added an N, just go with it). Stop by the blog at thecanonballpodcast.wordpress.blog and drop us a line at claudemoinc@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook under The Canon Ball and on Twitter at @DrCMGoozer.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of the Canon Ball Daniel and Claude get overly personal (appropriately enough) as we begin our deep dive into Montaigne’s essays! Could Montaigne, a man who shut himself in a tower to read all of what was considered the canonical texts of his day and think through their effects on him, be the patron saint of the podcast? Sure, why not! Check out some of the other podcasts on Agora like Steve Guerra’s “Beyond the Big Screen,” a guide to the stories behind your favorite films. And for a deal on headphones, hit our sponsor Sudio at www.sudiosweden.com and use the code CANNONBALL at checkout for 15% off (we know, they added an N, just go with it). Stop by the blog at thecanonballpodcast.wordpress.blog and drop us a line at claudemoinc@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook under The Canon Ball and on Twitter at @DrCMGoozer.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

An introduction to a new American history podcast, with a short preview of their series on the Cold War.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Daniel takes another quick break while we get out reading of Montaigne together. In his stead we have Matt Shifflet returning to give us some insights into how to read Montaigne (and maybe how not to...). As an added bonus, the original podcastnik Travis J. Dow of the History of Germany podcast (among others) has given us an exclusive man on the street segment from his recent trip to Wittenberg to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Look for other segments scattered about in various other Agora podcasts. And check out some of the other stuff upcoming from Agora like the History of Westeros, a wide-ranging examination of all things Game of Thrones. Find us on the web at thecanonballpodcast.wordpress.com. Thanks, and hope you enjoy the show.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Daniel returns from paternity leave to join Claude as they dive back into Moliere and discuss The Misanthrope and Tartuffe.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Daniel's on paternity leave, so special guest Matt joins Claude to talk about Moliere.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join us for our first official episode on the Agora podcast network as Daniel and Claude try to get a view of the greatest of great beyonds. And there's crusades! And be sure to check out some of the other great podcasts on the network. In particular, try out Tiny Vampires with Raven Forrest. Got a thing for tiny blood-sucking parasites? Then that's the podcast for you!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which Daniel and Claude atone for their sins and try to figure out what happened to Virgil.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which Daniel and Claude begin a three part series on Dante! Let's go straight to hell!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which Daniel saves Claude's bacon with his intricate knowledge of ancient church law! Join us for a discussion of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales with extensive commentary on the why's and wherefore's of a church pardon.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.