In this special year-end episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Tim McIntosh and Emily Maeda share their five favorite reads of 2025. Moving from plays and poetry to memoir, philosophy, theology, neuroscience, and historical fiction, they reflect on the books that most shaped their thinking this year. Along the way, they discuss stage design and historical drama, political memoir, levitating saints and historiography, divided brain theory, mystical theology, and poetic devotion. They also ask an intriguing question: Which of these contemporary works might endure as future classics? The episode closes with a preview of next season’s theme—short narratives exploring the milestones of human life.

Episode Outline

• Introduction to the “Top Five Reads of 2025” format
• Discussion of the “Top Five Reads of 2025”
• Preview of next season: short stories and short narratives across the arc of life

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Literature and Performance Across Time: The Lehman Trilogy demonstrates how stagecraft and direction can elevate historical narrative into sweeping theatrical art, while Herbert’s The Temple shows how poetry functions as an architectural whole rather than isolated lyrics.
• Autobiography vs. Memoir: Dorothy Day’s A Long Loneliness offers a straightforward recounting of lived experience, in contrast to more literary memoirs like Augustine’s Confessions. The distinction between recounting and artistic shaping becomes part of the interpretive conversation.
• Mysticism and the Limits of Modern Materialism: Carlos Eire’s They Flew challenges historians to take seriously supernatural claims recorded in early modern sources, raising questions about empiricism, testimony, and belief.
• The Divided Brain and Cultural Imbalance: Ian McGilchrist’s The Master and His Emissary and The Matter with Things argue that Western culture overprivileges left-hemisphere abstraction at the expense of right-hemisphere wholeness, intuition, and poetic knowledge.
• Devotion and Incarnation: Simone Weil’s Waiting on God and George Herbert’s The Temple exemplify deeply incarnational spiritual writing—faith expressed through attention, humility, and beauty.
• The Question of the “Future Classic”: Throughout the episode, the hosts consider which of their contemporary selections might endure. While older works like Kierkegaard and Herbert are already canonical, authors like Franzen, Fosse, and McGilchrist raise the question of long-term literary legacy.

Questions & Discussion

• What makes a book feel “classic” rather than merely contemporary?
  Consider whether clarity of moral vision, stylistic excellence, cultural influence, or thematic universality determines lasting status.
• How does rereading change a book’s power?
  Reflect on whether returning to a familiar text (like The Temple) reveals layers missed in earlier readings.
• Is intuition a legitimate form of knowledge?
  Drawing from McGilchrist’s work, consider how intuition functions in your own decision-making and whether it can be trusted.
• Can contemporary fiction capture generational change convincingly?
  Discuss whether multi-generational novels like Crossroads can successfully portray cultural shifts across decades.
• Which of these books do you think will still be read 100 years from now?
  Identify one title from this episode and defend its potential longevity.

Suggested Reading & Resources

• Devotchka
• The Lehman Trilogy by Stefano Massini
• Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen
• The Sickness Unto Death by Søren Kierkegaard
• Trilogy by Jon Fosse
• Waiting for God by Simone Weil
• The Temple by George Herbert
• The Long Loneliness by Dorothy Day
• They Flew: A History of the Impossible by Carlos Eire
• The Master and His Emissary by Ian McGilchrist
• The Matter with Things by Ian McGilchrist
• The Life You Save May Be Your Own by Paul Elie 
• The League of the Lexicon
• Classical Academic Press

In this penultimate episode of Hot Takes on the Classics’ season on love, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh step back to reflect on what a sustained engagement with classic texts has revealed about love itself. Drawing on philosophy, novels, poetry, and plays explored throughout the season, they consider why love is harder to portray than war, why modern culture lacks an adequate vocabulary for love, and why friendship has been undervalued. The conversation revisits themes from C.S. Lewis, Cicero, Jane Austen, Tolstoy, and others, while also looking ahead to future seasons and the kinds of questions classic literature continues to provoke.

Episode Outline

• Introduction and framing the season on love in contrast to the prior season on war
• Why conflict is easier to dramatize than love
• The need for a richer vocabulary of love beyond romantic eros
• Reconsidering the importance and rarity of true friendship (philia)
• Distinguishing friendship from camaraderie and social closeness
• Reflections on The Wind in the Willows and Cicero as models of friendship
• Love as an ontological and demanding subject rather than entertainment
• Revisiting major literary masterworks on love and why they remain underrated
• Affection (storge) as love of place, home, and belonging
• Mysticism and love: Simone Weil and Waiting on God
• The range of genres and voices explored during the season
• Romantic love as a mystery in classical thought
• Rapid-fire reflections and closing thoughts on the season’s legacy

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Love vs. War in Literature: War is often more narratively exciting because it centers on conflict, while love is more difficult to portray precisely because it aims at harmony and unity.
• The Poverty of Modern Love Vocabulary: English lacks precise terms for different kinds of love, flattening distinctions that were carefully preserved in Greek and Latin traditions.
• The Recovery of Friendship (Philia): True friendship is rare, selective, and morally demanding—far more than mere companionship or camaraderie.
• Affection and Love of Place (Storge): Love of home and country need not depend on superiority or perfection, but on belonging and loyalty despite flaws.
• Masterworks Remain Underrated: Familiar texts like Romeo and Juliet, Pride and Prejudice, and Anna Karenina are often misunderstood because their popularity obscures their depth.
• Mysticism as Energizing Love: Simone Weil’s Waiting on God presents love not as sentimental or escapist, but as demanding attention, patience, and openness.
• Romantic Love as Mystery: Classical thinkers treated romantic love as something strange, destabilizing, and difficult to explain—closer to a force of nature than a manageable emotion.

Questions & Discussion

• Why is love harder to portray in literature than war?
  Consider how conflict, suffering, and resolution function differently in narratives about love versus narratives about violence.
• Do we need more words for love today?
  Reflect on how language shapes moral imagination and whether modern culture collapses distinct loves into a single category.
• What distinguishes true friendship from camaraderie or social closeness?
  Think about Cicero’s idea of friendship as “another self” and how that challenges modern assumptions.
• Why do classic love stories remain undervalued despite their fame?
  Consider whether overexposure dulls attentiveness and how rereading changes interpretation.
• Is romantic love best understood as rational choice or mystery?
  Compare modern expectations of romance with classical portrayals of love as destabilizing and inexplicable.

Suggested Reading & Resources

• Waiting for God by Simone Weil
• The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis   
• On Friendship by Cicero
• Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame    
• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare 
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 
• Devotchka

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh close their season on love by turning to Simone Weil’s Waiting for God. Through a wide-ranging conversation, they explore Weil’s life as an “activist mystic,” her radical commitment to solidarity with the afflicted, and her understanding of attention as the heart of prayer, learning, and love of neighbor. The episode examines Weil’s reflections on affliction, consent to suffering, and the paradoxical joy that emerges when the self is emptied, situating her thought alongside figures such as Julian of Norwich, Plato, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and George Herbert.

Episode Outline

• Opening quotation from Waiting for God and introduction to Simone Weil
• Weil’s historical context: a life spanning the two World Wars
• Simone Weil as “activist mystic”: solidarity, deprivation, and integrity
• Weil’s intellectual brilliance and philosophical formation
• Encounters with suffering: factory work, war, and social marginalization
• Waiting for God as a book of letters and essays
• Letters to Father Jean-Marie Perrin and Weil’s struggle with baptism
• Attention as the core of prayer, education, and love
• Affliction (malheur) and consent to the void
• Joy, suffering, and supernatural reversal
• Weil’s encounter with George Herbert’s “Love (III)”
• Closing reflections on mysticism, activism, and transformed love

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Attention as Prayer: For Simone Weil, attention is not an act of willpower but a receptive openness. Taken to its highest degree, attention becomes prayer and prepares the soul to receive God.
• Affliction and the Void: Weil understands affliction as more than physical suffering—it annihilates the ego and creates an empty space in which God alone can enter.
• Consent Rather Than Escape: Spiritual transformation comes not from avoiding suffering but from consenting to it without illusion, allowing a mysterious reversal to occur.
• Education and Desire: True learning occurs through attention and is driven by desire and joy, echoing insights found in Plato and later educators like Charlotte Mason.
• Love of Neighbor as Creative Attention: Weil insists that genuine love recognizes the afflicted not as categories but as persons, offering presence and attention as acts of love.

Questions & Discussion

• What does Simone Weil mean by “waiting for God”?
  Consider how waiting differs from asking, striving, or controlling, and how this challenges modern ideas of prayer and productivity.
• How does Weil redefine attention in both education and spiritual life?
  Reflect on how her understanding of attention contrasts with the modern “attention economy.”
• What role does affliction play in spiritual transformation?
  Discuss whether Weil’s insistence on consent to suffering is compelling, troubling, or both.
• How does Weil’s thought compare to other mystics discussed this season, such as Julian of Norwich?
  Explore similarities and differences in how they understand suffering, joy, and divine love.
• What does it mean to love one’s neighbor through attention?
  Consider the practical implications of Weil’s claim that attention itself is an act of love.

Suggested Reading & Resources

• Waiting for God by Simone Weil
• Simone Weil's The Iliad or the Poem of Force by Simone Weil
• Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich
• The Republic by Plato translated by Allan Bloom 
• The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• The Temple, “Love (III)” by George Herbert
• Devotchka

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh explore Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich, the first known book written in English by a woman. They discuss Julian’s life as a fourteenth-century anchoress, her extraordinary visions during a near-fatal illness, and her enduring theological vision of divine love as all-encompassing, sustaining, and ultimately victorious over sin and suffering. Along the way, they reflect on the nature of mysticism, the symbolic imagination of medieval Christianity, and why Julian’s insistence that “all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well” can only be understood in the shadow of the Cross.

Episode Outline

• Opening quotation from "Little Gidding" by T.S. Eliot and its connection to Julian of Norwich
• Julian of Norwich’s historical context: anchoress life, Middle English, and medieval spirituality
• The recovery, transmission, and modern rediscovery of Revelations of Divine Love
• What it means to call Julian a “mystic” and how mysticism differs from systematic theology
• Julian’s illness, visions, and the structure of the “shewings”
• The hazelnut vision and Julian’s understanding of creation as sustained by love
• Sin as “behovely” and the meaning of “all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well”
• Julian’s Trinitarian vision of love and being “oynd” with God
• Christ as mother: metaphor, symbolism, and theological daring
• The lasting relevance of Julian’s mystical theology for modern readers

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Mysticism and Direct Vision: Julian exemplifies the mystic as one who receives interior visions that convey theological truth through symbol, image, and contemplation rather than abstract doctrine.
• Love as the Structure of Reality: For Julian, divine love is not merely an attribute of God but the sustaining force of all that exists, holding creation together like a hazelnut in God’s hand.
• Sin as Privation, Not Power: Sin is real and painful, but it has no independent substance; it is contained within God’s larger work of love and redemption.
• The Cross as the Context of Hope: Julian’s famous assurance that “all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well” emerges not from denial of suffering but from prolonged contemplation of Christ’s Passion.
• Expansive Christological Imagery: Julian’s portrayal of Christ as mother draws on medieval symbolism to express nourishment, sacrifice, and intimate care, expanding the reader’s theological imagination.

Questions & Discussion

• What distinguishes mysticism from formal theology in Julian’s writing?
  Consider how vision, symbol, and lived experience function differently from doctrinal explanation.
• How does the hazelnut vision reshape the way we think about creation and evil?
  Reflect on whether seeing the world as sustained entirely by love alters how we interpret suffering.
• What does Julian mean when she says that “Sin is behovely”?
  Discuss how this idea challenges modern assumptions about moral causality and blame.
• How does Julian of Norwich’s assurance “all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well” resonate with Tolkien’s idea of eucatastrophe?
  Consider how both thinkers understand hope not as the denial of suffering, but as the surprising revelation of goodness emerging through loss, failure, or apparent defeat.
• How should modern readers approach Julian’s image of Christ as mother?
  Consider the role of metaphor and symbolism in theology and whether discomfort signals resistance or misunderstanding.

Suggested Reading & Resources

• Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich
• The Book of Margery Kempe by Margery Kempe
• Four Quartets,"Little Gidding" by T.S. Eliot
• Thomas Aquinas: Selected Writings by Thomas Aquinas 
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 
• Devotchka

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Tim McIntosh and Emily Maeda explore The Temple by George Herbert, one of the most profound devotional poetry collections in the English language. Through close readings of Herbert’s poems and reflections on his life, suffering, and vocation, the hosts examine how Herbert uses poetic form, architectural structure, and startling imagery to express the depths of divine love. Along the way, they reflect on the experience of reading poetry slowly and attentively, the relationship between affliction and grace, and why Herbert continues to shape poets, theologians, and readers centuries later.

Episode Outline

• Opening reading of George Herbert’s poem “Bitter-sweet”
• Emily’s personal encounter with Herbert through Christine Perrin’s lecture at The CiRCE National Conference
• Poetry as an experiential art: reading collections versus isolated poems
• Comparing poetry collections to listening to a full album
• Discussion of poetry collections by Rainer Maria Rilke, T.S. Eliot, and R.S. Thomas
• George Herbert’s life: education, illness, vocation, and pastoral ministry
• Herbert’s relationship to John Donne and the metaphysical poets
• The Country Parson as Herbert’s only work published during his lifetime
• The posthumous publication and reception of The Temple
• Structural “architecture” of The Temple: Church Porch, The Church, The Church Militant
• Close readings and discussion of poems from The Temple, including “The Glance,” “The Agony,” “Virtue,” “The Wreath,” and “Love (III)”.
• Herbert’s use of poetic form (visual poems, repetition, symmetry)
• Reflections from T.S. Eliot, W.H. Auden, Elizabeth Bishop, and Simone Weil
• Poetry as the proper language for suffering and divine love
• Closing reflections on poetry, attention, and formation

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Poetry as Formation: Herbert’s poetry resists abstraction and demands patient attention, shaping the reader through image, rhythm, and form rather than argument.
• Affliction and Divine Love: Herbert presents suffering not as a contradiction of God’s love but as one of its deepest avenues, especially in poems like “The Agony” and “Love (III).”
• Architectural Meaning: The Temple is structured like a sacred space—moving inward, upward, and through the stages of the Christian life.
• Form Serves Meaning: Herbert’s experimental poetic forms (wreaths, wings, typographic play) embody theological truth rather than merely decorate it.
• Enduring Influence: Herbert’s work continues to shape modern poets, theologians, and seekers across belief traditions.

Questions & Discussion

• Why does reading poetry slowly matter?
  Consider how reading an entire poetry collection—rather than isolated poems—changes interpretation and emotional impact.
• How does Herbert connect suffering and love?
  Reflect on how poems like “The Agony” and “Love (III)” portray pain as a vehicle for grace rather than its opposite.
• What does Herbert gain by using poetic form visually?
  Discuss how poems like “The Wreath” or “Easter Wings” communicate meaning through structure, not just words.
• Can poetry communicate theological truth better than prose?
  Think about why figures like Erik Varden argue that poetry is uniquely suited to expressing spiritual realities.
• Why does “Love (III)” remain so powerful for readers today?
  Reflect on its depiction of divine hospitality, shame, and acceptance, and why it continues to resonate across centuries.

Suggested Reading

• The Temple by George Herbert
• The Poems of George Hebert by George Herbert
• The Country Parson by George Herbert
• Confessions by St. Augustine translated by Sarah Ruden
• Holy Sonnets by John Donne
• Duino Elegies by  Rainer Maria Rilke
• Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot
• R.S. Thomas: Everyman Poetry by R.S. Thomas
• Waiting for God by Simone Weil
• Healing Wounds by Bishop Erik Varden
• Chastity: The Reconciliation of Senses by Bishop Erik Varden

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh explore how Western art and music have depicted the many faces of love—from divine ecstasy to tragic longing to the gentle affections of pastoral life. They move through Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa, and Bruegel’s The Wedding Dance, examining how artists across eras have tried to portray the beauty, complexity, and vulnerability of human and divine love. Through music, sculpture, and painting, Emily and Tim reflect on what these works reveal about desire, the human soul, and our longing for harmony.

Episode Outline

• Opening reflections on how music and visual art express forms of love beyond words
• Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and the emotional world of shepherds
• The pastoral tradition and the association of shepherds with simplicity, joy, and musical beauty
• Pieter Bruegel’s The Wedding Dance and the communal joys of embodied love
• Bernini’s The Ecstasy of St. Teresa as a depiction of divine, overwhelming union
• The ambiguity of mystical imagery—sensual, spiritual, or both?
• Shift to tragic eros in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas
• Dido’s lament as one of the most powerful expressions of forsaken love
• Classical echoes: Virgil’s Aeneid and Dido’s place in the Inferno
• Closing reflections on what art and music teach us about the varieties of love

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Music as a Language of Affection and Joy: Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony evokes the emotional clarity, peace, and playfulness associated with shepherds—figures who embody a simpler, more integrated relationship to nature and love.
• The Pastoral Tradition and Innocent Desire: From classical poetry to Renaissance art, shepherds symbolize a state of harmony where affection and desire are uncorrupted by ambition or social pretense.
• Embodied Celebration in Bruegel’s The Wedding Dance: Bruegel captures the physicality, joy, and communal warmth of love—reminding us that affection is often expressed through bodies in motion.
• The Ecstatic Union in Bernini’s St. Teresa: Bernini dramatizes a moment of mystical encounter that blurs the line between spiritual and sensual love, inviting viewers to consider the intensity of divine desire.
• Dido’s Tragic Eros in Purcell and Virgil: Dido’s grief in Dido and Aeneas echoes the literary Dido of the Aeneid, revealing how erotic love can elevate and devastate. Her lament remains one of the most moving expressions of abandonment in Western music.

Questions & Discussion

• How does pastoral imagery shape our understanding of innocent love?
  Consider how shepherds represent harmony, simplicity, and musical beauty. Does this imagery still resonate with modern listeners? What role do bodies play in the expression of love?
• Reflect on Bruegel’s Wedding Dance.
  How does embodied joy communicate forms of affection that words cannot? Is Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa primarily spiritual or sensual?
• Discuss whether the sculpture’s intensity reveals something essential about divine love—or whether it intentionally makes us uncomfortable.
  What makes Dido’s lament so emotionally powerful?
• Think about how Purcell uses musical repetition, silence, and harmonic descent to portray a soul collapsing under the weight of loss.
  How do these artworks together expand our understanding of love? Explore how divine love, tragic love, and communal love form a fuller picture than any single work could express.

Suggested Reading & Related Resources

• The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis
• The Aeneid by Virgil  
• The Holy Bible 
• Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”) by Ludwig van Beethoven
• Dido and Aeneas (“Dido’s Lament”) by Henry Purcell 
• The Wedding Dance by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
• “The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa” by Gian Lorenzo Bernini 
• Various sculptures, fountains, architectural works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
• As You Like It by William Shakespeare
• The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare
• All’s Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh take a deep dive into Jonathan Edwards’s A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, one of the most important theological works ever published in America. They explore Edwards’s historical moment in the midst of the First Great Awakening, the cultural divide between “old lights” and “new lights,” and Edwards’s effort to distinguish genuine spiritual transformation from mere emotional excitement. Along the way, they unpack Edwards’s definition of “affections,” discuss why Edwards remains so influential, and consider how his framework might apply to the renewed spiritual energy emerging in the U.S. today.

Episode Outline

• Opening quotation from A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections
• Who was Jonathan Edwards? Background, intellect, and role in American Christianity
• Edwards’s historical moment: The First Great Awakening
• Old Lights vs. New Lights — a cultural and theological divide
• Why Edwards’s preaching feels “medieval” to modern ears
• Edwards on the nature of “religious affections”
• False signs of spiritual renewal — emotions vs. lasting change
• True signs of grace — the centrality of long-term obedience
• Edwards’s pastoral purpose in writing the Treatise
• Parallels between the Great Awakening and contemporary spiritual “vibe shifts”
• Closing reflections on agape and the love of God

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Edwards’s World: Revival and Upheaval: Edwards writes in the heart of the First Great Awakening—a period of mass conversions, emotional preaching, and widespread debate about what counts as “true religion.”
• Affections vs. Emotions: For Edwards, affections are deep movements of the will—love, hatred, desire—not fleeting emotions. Genuine Christianity requires these affections to be transformed.
• False Signs of Spiritual Renewal: Intense emotions, tears, dramatic experiences, or even hearing Scripture in powerful ways do not necessarily indicate genuine spiritual change.
• True Signs of Grace: Edwards insists that lasting obedience, humility, love, and good works—not dramatic feelings—are the real evidence of transformed affections.
• Relevance for Today: Tim and Emily connect Edwards’s concerns to modern American spiritual trends, asking whether our current “renewals” will lead to sustained, virtuous lives.

Questions & Discussion

• What distinction does Edwards make between emotions and true spiritual affections?
  Consider why Edwards locates religious transformation in the will rather than in fleeting feelings. How might this help us evaluate contemporary spiritual experiences?
• How does Edwards challenge both the ‘old lights’ and the ‘new lights’?
  Reflect on Edwards’s attempt to affirm genuine emotion while warning against emotional excess. Where do you tend to locate yourself in this debate? 
• Why does Edwards place so much emphasis on long-term obedience?
  Discuss whether you agree with Edwards that sustained virtue—not emotional intensity—is the clearest sign of genuine Christian faith.
• How does understanding the First Great Awakening illuminate Edwards’s Treatise?
  Think about how cultural, theological, and political pressures influenced Edwards’s writing and why his framework was so needed in a divided moment.
• What parallels do you see between Edwards’s time and current spiritual movements?
  Explore how Edwards’s insights might help us discern whether today’s “vibe shift” reflects genuine spiritual change.

Suggested Reading

• Treatise on Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards 
• Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards 
• A Religious History of the American People by Sydney E. Ahlstrom
• Jonathan Edwards by George M. Marsden 
• Pew Research Center
• McIntosh, Timothy Andrew. My Name Is SØREN KIERKEGAARD. Directed by Frank Mihelich

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh explore one of the most influential works in Western thought—St. Augustine’s Confessions. Through Augustine’s prayerful reflections, they trace the restless search of a soul divided between desire and grace, and how divine love—caritas—gathers a disintegrated self into unity. Emily and Tim discuss Augustine’s literary innovation, his relationship with his mother Monica, his encounter with Ambrose, and the pivotal conversion in the garden that forever shaped the Christian imagination. Along the way, they uncover why Confessions remains possibly not only the first memoir but also the greatest story of a heart transformed by love.

Episode Outline

• Opening reading from Confessions, Book X: “Late have I loved you, beauty ever ancient, ever new…”
• Defining memoir vs. autobiography—why Confessions resists both labels
• The revolutionary nature of self-reflection in Augustine’s writing
• The influence of Confessions on Western thinkers and writers: Dante, Kierkegaard, and Wittgenstein
• Augustine’s relationship with his mother Monica as an image of caritas
• Monica’s perseverance and the bishop’s prophecy: “The son of so many tears will not perish.”
• Augustine’s flirtation with Manichaeism and the intellectual restlessness it revealed
• Encounter with Ambrose in Milan and the power of typological reading
• The conversion in the garden: “Tolle lege, tolle lege”—“Take and read”
• Reading Romans 13 and the surrender of the divided will
• Augustine’s vision of divine love gathering a fragmented soul into unity
• The final scene with Monica: shared contemplation of eternal wisdom
• Augustine’s later reflections on memory, time, and creation—feeling ideas rather than merely thinking them
• The enduring image of Confessions as a prayer, not merely a story

Key Topics & Takeaways

• The Birth of the Modern Self: Augustine’s Confessions created a new literary form—introspective, honest, and spiritually reflective—laying the groundwork for later memoirs and psychological writing.
• Love as Caritas: For Augustine, divine love (caritas) is self-giving, faithful, and redemptive. It unites a fragmented soul and orders all human loves under the love of God.
• The Role of Monica: Augustine’s mother models steadfast, intercessory love—a living embodiment of patient, redemptive grace that mirrors divine charity.
• From Disintegration to Unity: Augustine’s conversion is not merely moral but ontological—the healing of a divided self through the gathering power of divine love.
• The Nature of Conversion: Augustine’s moment in the garden reveals that faith is both intellectual assent and surrender of the will—love that transforms desire itself.
• Influence Across Centuries: From Kierkegaard to Tolstoy, Confessions shaped how the West understands interiority, repentance, and the restless search for meaning.

Questions & Discussion

• What makes The Confessions more than a memoir?
  Consider how Augustine’s prayerful address to God transforms the genre. In what ways is it less about recounting facts and more about revealing divine truth?
• How does Monica’s love exemplify caritas?
  Reflect on her perseverance and faith. How might Monica’s love serve as a model for parental or spiritual intercession today?
• Why is Augustine’s conversion scene set in a garden?
  Discuss the symbolism of the garden—from the theft of pears to the moment of surrender. What might Augustine be saying about the restoration of Eden?
• What does it mean that Augustine “felt ideas”?
  Explore how Augustine’s intellect and emotion intertwine. How does his way of “feeling ideas” invite readers into a deeper, more embodied understanding of truth?
• How does divine love unify the divided self?
  Consider Augustine’s confession: “You gathered me from the disintegration in which I had been lost.” How does love heal fragmentation in our modern experience of selfhood?
• What legacy did Confessions leave on Western thought?
  Identify how Augustine influenced later thinkers such as Dante, Kierkegaard, Wittgenstein, and Charles Taylor. How does his vision of selfhood still shape our modern world?

Suggested Reading

• Confessions by St. Augustine translated by Sarah Ruden
• City of Godby St. Augustine translated by Henry Bettenson
• A Confession by Leo Tolstoy translated by Alastair Hannay 
• Philosophical Fragments and Fear and Trembling by Søren Kierkegaard
• Philosophical Investigationsby Ludwig Wittgenstein
• Sources of the Self by Charles Taylor 
• Chronicles of Wasted Time by Malcolm Muggeridge
• Romans 13
• The Gospel of John 

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh turn to the fourth and final love in C.S. Lewis’s taxonomy—agape, or divine charity—through the Gospel of St. John. They explore how John’s vision of love transforms an ordinary Greek term into the heartbeat of Christian revelation. Emily and Tim trace the word’s evolution from the Greek poets through the Septuagint to the New Testament, discuss the literary brilliance of John’s Gospel, and reflect on how reading Scripture well requires patience, imagination, and humility. Together, they uncover how John’s “cosmic love” invites readers not merely to study divine truth but to be transformed by it.

Episode Outline

• Opening reading from John 5:20–21: “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.”
• The season’s turn to agape—how John reshapes the Greek concept of love
• Etymology and evolution of agape: from Homer’s simple pleasure to covenantal and divine love
• The Septuagint’s role in transforming language and preparing for the Gospel
• The word agape as covenant faithfulness: God’s steadfast love for His people
• “A new commandment I give you”: how Jesus redefines love as self-giving, not desire
• Eros as ascent vs. Agape as descent: divine self-emptying in contrast to human striving
• The Gospel of John as “cosmic biography” rather than chronological narrative
• John’s artistry and symbolic storytelling—light, water, wine, and gardens
• Typology: Jesus as the New Adam redeeming Eden through the garden of His passion
• Reading Scripture well: avoiding interpretive “barnacles” and returning to the text itself
• Three barriers to good reading—accretion of commentary, neglect of subtext, and fragmentation by chapters and verses
• The power of reading large swaths for narrative and symbolic unity
• The wedding at Cana as literary scene: subtext, silence, and divine mystery
• The Gospel’s pace, intensity, and climax: conflict, crucifixion, and new creation
• The Gospel’s global influence—from Augustine and Aquinas to Bach and Eliot
• Closing quote from historian W.E.H. Lecky on the unmatched moral influence of Jesus’ life

Key Topics & Takeaways

• The Transformation of Agape: Once a modest Greek word, agape becomes the deepest expression of divine nature—God’s self-giving love revealed in Christ.
• The Septuagint’s Legacy: Translating Hebrew covenantal love into Greek language reshaped world history, bridging Jewish revelation and Hellenistic philosophy.
• Reading Scripture with Fresh Eyes: Tim warns that modern readers are “Bible-rich but hermeneutically poor”—too quick to interpret, too slow to attend.
• Typology and Symbol: Emily highlights John’s garden imagery as cosmic renewal—Christ as the New Adam restoring Eden.
• Subtext and Silence: John’s narrative artistry invites contemplation rather than quick conclusions; meaning emerges from what is shown, not told.
• The Gospel’s Literary Power: John fuses poetic imagination with divine revelation—“mini-biography” as cosmic drama.
• Enduring Influence: From Augustine’s theology to Bach’s St. John Passion, John’s vision of divine love continues to shape Western imagination and moral thought.

Questions & Discussion

• How does the Gospel of John redefine love compared to earlier Greek and Hebrew traditions?
  Reflect on how agape moves from satisfaction or pleasure to covenant faithfulness and divine self-giving. How does this shift change the meaning of love?
• What does it mean that “Eros is ascent but Agape is descent”?
  Discuss how divine love moves toward others in self-emptying, while human love seeks fulfillment. How might this distinction inform how we love in practice?
• Why does Emily call John’s Gospel a “cosmic biography”?
  Consider how John begins with “In the beginning” and expands the story beyond time and place. What does this reveal about his understanding of Jesus’ role in creation and redemption?
• What prevents modern readers from reading Scripture well, according to Tim?
  Examine the three barriers—accretion of commentary, loss of subtext, and over-fragmentation. How might slow, narrative reading restore our sense of wonder?
• How does John’s use of symbol and subtext enrich the story?
  Analyze examples like Nicodemus’ nighttime visit or the wedding at Cana. How do these scenes reward deeper reflection rather than quick interpretation?
• Why does the garden setting matter in John’s Gospel?
  Explore Emily’s insight that Jesus’s death and resurrection in a garden reverses Eden’s fall. How does this reinforce the theme of new creation?
• How has the Gospel of John shaped Western thought and art?
  Identify examples—from Augustine and Aquinas to Bach, Dante, or Eliot—that continue to echo John’s portrayal of divine love.

Suggested Reading & Viewing

• The Gospel of John 
• The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis   
• The Septuagint
• The Gospel of Mark
• Confessions by St. Augustine translated by Sarah Ruden
• SummaTheologiae by Thomas Aquinas
• Four Quartets: A Poem by T.S. Eliot
• History of European Morals by W.E.H. Lecky
• McIntosh, Timothy Andrew. My Name Is SØREN KIERKEGAARD. Directed by Frank Mihelich

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh close out their episodes on Eros with Leo Tolstoy’s monumental novel Anna Karenina. They explore how Tolstoy intertwines two contrasting marriage plots—Anna’s tragic affair and Levin’s redemptive union with Kitty—to illuminate the tension between passion, virtue, and meaning in modern love. Along the way, Emily and Tim discuss Tolstoy’s critique of high society, the “woman question” in 19th-century Russia, and why Anna Karenina remains one of the most psychologically profound works ever written.

Episode Outline 

• Opening reading: Anna’s first appearance at the ball and Tolstoy’s breathtaking description of her poise and vitality
• The “marriage plot” tradition in European fiction and why Tolstoy expands it beyond romance into questions of faith and purpose
• The woman question, the man question, and changing gender roles in industrial society
• Levin as Tolstoy’s alter ego: spiritual seeker, social reformer, and bumbling idealist
• The pentagon of love: Oblonsky, Anna, Vronsky, Kitty, and Levin
• The ball scene and its double vision—social spectacle and emotional catastrophe
• Vronsky and Anna’s affair: passion, honor, and the collapse of moral coherence
• Dolly and Oblonsky’s broken marriage as foreshadowing
• Levin and Kitty: humility, healing, and the hard work of real marriage
• Anna’s growing isolation and societal exile—Tolstoy’s critique of hypocrisy
• The double standard between men and women in sin and punishment
• Levin’s moment of transcendence while mowing—finding joy in work, nature, and grace
• The legacy of Tolstoy’s two marriages: tragedy redeemed through meaning
• Reflections on translation and reading Russian literature in English (Constance Garnett’s legacy)

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Two Marriages, Two Fates: Tolstoy contrasts Anna’s passion that destroys with Levin’s love that sanctifies; both reveal human longing for wholeness.
• The “Woman Question”: 19th-century debates about women’s independence evolve into timeless reflections on vocation, family, and social responsibility.
• Society and Hypocrisy: Tolstoy exposes the moral double standard that condemns women for transgression while excusing men like Vronsky.
• The Spiritual Quest: Levin’s awakening joins the physical and the divine—embodied work as revelation of grace.
• Marriage as Redemption: True love in Tolstoy’s vision demands humility, forgiveness, and moral renewal, not mere passion.

Questions & Discussion

• What do Anna’s and Levin’s stories reveal about the possibilities and limits of love?
  Compare how passion leads Anna to isolation while humility brings Levin to peace. What does this suggest about the relationship between love and self-knowledge?
• How does Tolstoy’s “woman question” speak to today’s debates about gender and fulfillment?
  Discuss whether the novel’s concerns about women’s social roles still resonate. How do Anna’s and Kitty’s choices reflect competing visions of freedom?
• What role does society play in Anna’s downfall?
  Consider Tolstoy’s portrait of aristocratic hypocrisy—how do gossip, status, and judgment contribute to tragedy?
• Why does Tolstoy end the novel not with Anna but with Levin?
  Reflect on why the story closes in spiritual serenity rather than despair. How does Levin’s labor and awakening resolve the novel’s central questions?
• How does translation shape our encounter with Tolstoy’s moral vision?
  Does accessibility or fidelity matter more when reading Tolstoy today?

Suggested Reading

• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy  translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky 
• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky  
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky translated by Constance Garnett
• A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
• The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
• The Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily Wilson
• The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh unpack Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, exploring how this beloved novel redefines what makes a good marriage. The hosts trace Elizabeth Bennet’s spirited self-knowledge and Mr. Darcy’s humbling transformation to show how love matures through mutual respect, truth-telling, and growth. Along the way, they laugh over Mr. Collins’s oblivious proposals, the absurdities of Mrs. Bennet’s matchmaking, and the enduring appeal of Colin Firth’s iconic portrayal of Darcy. Together, they reveal why Pride and Prejudice remains one of the most intelligent and emotionally satisfying love stories in literature.

Episode Outline

• Opening reading from Pride and Prejudice and introduction of Austen’s world
• Why Pride and Prejudice stands as the quintessential romantic comedy
• Emily’s long love affair with the novel—and Tim’s early indifference
• The Bennet family and its five daughters: economic pressures and social maneuvering
• Mr. and Mrs. Bennet: the comic and cautionary marriage at the novel’s heart
• First impressions: Elizabeth’s wit, Darcy’s pride, and the spark of tension
• The dance scenes as metaphors for social order and romantic pursuit
• Mr. Collins, Charlotte Lucas, and the pragmatism of marriage as security
• Elizabeth’s refusal of Collins and Darcy’s disastrous first proposal
• The letter that transforms Elizabeth’s understanding—mutual humility and growth
• Lydia’s scandal and Darcy’s hidden act of restitution
• The resolution: love grounded in respect and equality
• Comparing good and bad marriages in the novel (Bennet, Lucas, Gardiner, Darcy)
• How Austen blends irony, moral seriousness, and humor
• Closing reflections on enduring appeal and cultural adaptations (BBC, film, etc.)

Key Topics & Takeaways

• The Question of Marriage: Austen’s central inquiry—what makes a marriage good?—is tested through a range of examples: practical, foolish, and virtuous.
• Elizabeth Bennet’s Integrity: Her quick wit and moral independence challenge both societal expectations and her own prejudice.
• Darcy’s Transformation: His humility and self-reform mark a rare picture of masculine virtue in the romantic genre.
• Irony and Moral Vision: Austen’s humor exposes folly without cynicism, showing that true happiness depends on character, not wealth.
• A Study in Balance: The novel celebrates attraction grounded in mutual respect, contrasting passionate impulsiveness with enduring affection.

Questions & Discussion

• What makes Elizabeth and Darcy’s marriage distinct from the others in the novel?
  Compare their relationship to Charlotte and Mr. Collins or Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. What does Austen suggest is necessary for mutual respect and lasting happiness?
• Why is Austen’s opening line—“It is a truth universally acknowledged…”—so powerful and ironic?
  Discuss whether it functions as social satire, a universal truth, or both. How does it shape the reader’s expectations of the story?
• How does Elizabeth’s “prejudice” evolve throughout the novel?
  Explore the turning points that lead her from misjudgment to humility. What does this transformation reveal about genuine self-knowledge?
• What does the novel suggest about economic pressure and moral choice?
  Consider Charlotte Lucas’s marriage to Mr. Collins. Is her decision purely pragmatic—or does Austen grant her a certain dignity in her realism?
• In what ways does Austen redefine romance through comedy?
  Reflect on how laughter, wit, and irony allow love to emerge as both emotionally satisfying and morally serious.

Suggested Reading & Viewing

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 
• Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare 
• The Taming of the Shrewby William Shakespeare 
• Pride and Prejudice. Directed by Simon Langton, written by Andrew Davies, BBC/A&E, 1995.
• Pride & Prejudice. Directed by Joe Wright, Working Title Films, 2005.

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh revisit Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, asking what makes this story so enduring and how it reshapes tragedy. They trace Romeo’s shift from infatuation to eloquent devotion, highlight Juliet’s prudence and wit, and map the play’s pivot from sparkling comedy to swift catastrophe. The hosts also consider parallels to sectarian conflict and the way the lovers’ deaths reconcile a city divided by an “ancient grudge.” 

Episode Outline

• Opening lines and why Romeo and Juliet may be Shakespeare’s most universally known story
• Romeo before Juliet: clichéd love-sighs and mockery of courtly-love conventions
• “She doth teach the torches to burn bright”: meeting Juliet and the sudden elevation of Romeo’s language
• Juliet’s innocence and wisdom: caution, prudence, and poetic brilliance (Nurse scenes)
• The structural “turn”: from masked-ball comedy to Act III tragedy (Tybalt, Mercutio, banishment)
• Forced marriage to Paris and Friar Lawrence’s risky plan
• Tomb scene and the play’s resolution: private tragedy, public reconciliation
• Comparing tragic models: character-flaw punishment vs. fated misrecognition; who is truly “punished”?
• Cultural echoes and adaptations: West Side Story; the 1996 Baz Luhrmann film
• Closing: why the reconciliation scene matters—and why this grief endures

Key Topics & Takeaways

• From Infatuation to True Speech: Before Juliet, Romeo’s language is wooden and self-dramatizing; after he sees her, his diction becomes vivid and precise—Shakespeare signals genuine love through better poetry.
• Juliet’s Prudent Innocence: Juliet is not naïve; she insists love must be deliberate (“too rash, too unadvised, too sudden”), shows wit with the Nurse, and matches Romeo in lyric power.
• Comedy to Catastrophe: Acts I–II play like a festive comedy; Act III turns on street violence (Tybalt/Mercutio), banishment, and a fateful plan that collapses by minutes.
• Who Bears the Tragic Penalty?: The lovers’ deaths heal the feud; the fathers acknowledge “poor sacrifices of our enmity.” The play’s moral center may indict the parents and the city more than the lovers. 

Questions & Discussion

• Is Romeo and Juliet a “classic” tragedy of character flaw—or something else?
  Consider the difference between punishment for vice (e.g., Macbeth) and tragic misrecognition or fatal timing. Where does this play belong, and why? 
• How does Shakespeare use language to show real love vs. infatuation?
  Compare Romeo’s early clichés to his imagery after meeting Juliet (e.g., “teach the torches to burn bright”). What changes in tone, precision, and metaphor? 
• What makes Juliet a compelling portrait of young wisdom?
  Trace moments of prudence (her “too rash” speech), humor (with the Nurse), and poetic strength. How do these complicate the stereotype of naïve youth? 
• Where does the play most forcefully critique the feud and the city?
  Weigh the banishment, the forced marriage to Paris, and the parents’ final vows. How does public disorder shape private doom—and reconciliation? 
• Why have adaptations and companion works endured (West Side Story, modern films)? Identify which elements—star-crossed love, civic division, youthful courage—translate most powerfully across settings and eras. 

Suggested Reading & Viewing

• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare 
• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare 
• As You Like It by William Shakespeare
• Macbeth by William Shakespeare Macbeth 
• Antigone by Sophocles  
• Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller  
• The Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily Wilson
• The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri translated by Allen Mandelbaum 
• Romeo + Juliet. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, 20th Century Fox, 1996.
• West Side Story. Directed by Steven Spielberg, 20th Century Studios, 2021.

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh dive into Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy, one of the most ambitious works in world literature. They examine how Dante portrays love—especially eros—when it becomes disordered, destructive, or distorted. From Francesca and Paolo in Inferno to the purifying flames of Purgatorio, the poem moves from the consequences of misplaced desire to the redemptive ordering of love toward God. Emily and Tim reflect on how Dante blends theology, poetry, and personal longing into a vision that still speaks to modern readers about desire, sin, and transformation.

Episode Outline

• Opening reflections on Dante’s life, exile, and literary ambition
• The structure of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso
• Francesca and Paolo: the tragic allure of adulterous love in Inferno
• The fire of purification in Purgatorio: eros redirected toward the divine
• Beatrice as guide: eros elevated into spiritual vision
• Dante’s theological synthesis of classical and Christian thought
• How love, in all its forms, orders the soul and the cosmos
• Closing reflections: why Dante’s vision of ordered and disordered eros endures

Key Topics & Takeaways Questions & Discussion

• Eros in Disorder: Francesca and Paolo’s story illustrates how passion, severed from virtue and fidelity, leads to eternal loss.
• Love as Purification: In Purgatorio, Dante shows that eros must be refined and reordered before it can ascend toward God.
• Beatrice and Transcendent Love: Beatrice personifies eros transformed—love that lifts Dante beyond self and toward the divine.
• A Christian Epic of Love: The Commedia synthesizes classical models of epic with Christian theology, showing how every love must be rightly ordered to flourish.
• The Enduring Challenge: Dante asks readers to confront their own loves—whether they bind us to sin or free us for union with God.

Questions & Discussion Suggested Reading

• How does Dante depict eros when it becomes disordered?
  Reflect on Francesca and Paolo’s story—why does Dante portray their passion as both sympathetic and damning?
• What role does purification play in Dante’s vision of love?
  Discuss the fires of Purgatorio and how they reframe eros not as rejection but as transformation.
• Why is Beatrice so central to Dante’s journey?
  Consider how she represents both personal love and transcendent grace.
• How does Dante integrate classical and Christian thought about love?
  Explore how figures like Virgil, alongside biblical and theological themes, shape Dante’s epic.
• What does the Commedia teach modern readers about the ordering of love?
  Debate whether Dante’s vision offers a corrective to today’s understanding of desire and fulfillment.

Suggested Reading

• The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri translated by Allen Mandelbaum 
• The Aeneid by Virgil 
• The Bible (Genesis, Psalms, Revelation – scriptural echoes in Dante’s imagery)

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh explore Plato’s Phaedrus, a dialogue that weaves together questions of love, rhetoric, and the soul. They trace Socrates’ speeches on the nature of desire, his paradoxical claim that love is both divine madness and a path to truth, and Plato’s broader concerns about the power and danger of persuasion. Emily and Tim unpack how Phaedrus challenges modern categories of romance, friendship, and eros, while reflecting on what it means for love to shape the soul’s ascent toward the divine.

Episode Outline

• Opening reflection on love as “divine madness”
• Why Plato’s Phaedrus stands apart in the dialogues
• Socrates’ first speech: love as destructive passion
• Socrates’ second speech: love as divine inspiration
• The myth of the charioteer: the soul’s struggle between reason and desire
• Plato on rhetoric: persuasion as both dangerous and necessary
• The link between love, truth, and the soul’s ascent
• Comparisons with Symposium and other Platonic dialogues
• Closing reflections on Phaedrus as a work about love, language, and longing

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Love as Madness and Gift: For Socrates, love is a form of divine madness—irrational yet capable of elevating the soul toward truth and beauty.
• The Charioteer Myth: Plato’s image of the soul as a charioteer struggling with two horses (reason and passion) dramatizes the tension within human desire.
• Rhetoric and Power: Plato warns of rhetoric’s dangers, yet also affirms its potential when aligned with truth and aimed at the good.
• Comparison with Symposium: Phaedrus offers a more dynamic, paradoxical vision of love, showing it as both perilous and transformative.
• Enduring Influence: The dialogue has inspired centuries of reflection on eros, persuasion, and the human longing for transcendence.

Questions & Discussion

• What does it mean to call love “divine madness”?
  Reflect on how Socrates redefines madness not as loss of reason but as a gift that breaks ordinary limits.
• How does the charioteer myth help us understand human desire?
  Consider the image of reason guiding passion—do you find it accurate to human experience, or overly dualistic?
• What role does rhetoric play in shaping the soul?
  Discuss whether persuasion can ever be morally neutral, or if it always points us toward truth or falsehood.
• How does Phaedrus compare with Symposium in its vision of love?
  Think about the similarities and differences between Socrates’ “ladder of love” in Symposium and the “madness of love” in Phaedrus.
• What might Phaedrus teach us about love today?
  Reflect on whether love in the modern sense still carries the potential to elevate us, or whether it has been reduced to sentiment or utility.

Suggested Reading

• Phaedrus by Plato 
• Plato’s Symposium translated by Jowett 
• The Republic by Plato translated by Bloom (sections on the soul) 

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh explore Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, a beloved children’s classic that also raises profound questions about friendship, loyalty, and home. They reflect on the gentle affection between Mole and Rat, the comic recklessness of Toad, and the novel’s vision of rural England as a space of beauty and belonging. Along the way, they connect Grahame’s tale with other literary traditions, from Homer’s Odyssey to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, considering why friendship across differences remains so vital in literature and life.

Episode Outline

• Opening reflections: Kenneth Grahame’s life and the creation of The Wind in the Willows
• The friendship of Mole and Rat: loyalty, gentleness, and affection (storge + philia)
• The character of Toad: comic energy, recklessness, and the limits of friendship
• The pastoral setting: home, hospitality, and the idealized English countryside
• The novel as both children’s tale and adult meditation on loss and belonging
• Connections to the epic tradition: from Homer’s Odyssey to Virgil and beyond
• Parallels with other classics of children’s literature: Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and George MacDonald’s fairy tales
• Closing thoughts: why The Wind in the Willows endures as a story of affection and friendship

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Friendship Across Difference: Mole, Rat, and Toad represent different temperaments, yet their bonds show how affection (storge) and loyalty (philia) transcend differences.
• The Beauty of Home and Place: Grahame’s pastoral vision of the riverbank reflects the restorative power of home, stability, and natural beauty.
• Comic Folly and Limits of Friendship: Toad’s antics highlight both the burdens and the joys of friendship, reminding us that loyalty is tested by folly.
• Children’s Story or Adult Meditation?: While beloved by children, the novel also speaks deeply to adult readers about nostalgia, belonging, and mortality.
• A Link in the Classical Tradition: Echoes of Homer and Virgil remind us that even children’s literature participates in the great tradition of stories about journey, home, and friendship.

Questions & Discussion

• What makes Mole and Rat’s friendship so enduring?
  Reflect on how affection and loyalty create stability in a world of uncertainty.
• How do Toad’s reckless actions test the limits of friendship?
  Consider whether real friendship requires patience, forgiveness, and boundaries.
• What role does home and place play in The Wind in the Willows?
  Discuss how Grahame’s pastoral vision speaks to our modern longing for belonging.
• Is this more of a children’s story or a story for adults?
  Think about the ways nostalgia and mortality resonate differently with child and adult readers.
• How does Grahame’s work echo the epic tradition?
  Compare moments in The Wind in the Willows with Homer’s Odyssey or Virgil’s Aeneid as stories of journey and homecoming.

Suggested Reading

• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame 
• The Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily Wilson
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
• Fairy tales and stories by George MacDonald

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Tim and Emily explore Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, asking whether a man and a child can truly be friends. They unpack the novel’s uneven yet profound legacy, including its powerful portrayal of Huck and Jim’s unlikely bond, its place in the tradition of banned books, and its lasting influence on American literature. Along the way, they compare Twain’s work with Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Dostoevsky, Faulkner, Hemingway, and even American tall tales—highlighting how Twain’s use of dialect and moral pragmatism reshaped the novel as a form.

Episode Outline

• Opening discussion: Huck Finn’s place among banned books and why Louisa May Alcott opposed it
• Mark Twain as humorist, critic of society, and reluctant moralist
• Background on Huckleberry Finn as a sequel to Tom Sawyer and its uneven yet profound reputation
• Huck’s escape from abuse and his meeting with Jim, forming the heart of the story
• The raft as a space of freedom, trust, and moral testing
• Twain’s use of dialect and vernacular speech, reshaping the American novel
• The tension between Huck’s pragmatism and the moral ideals of his society
• The central friendship between Huck and Jim: affection, sacrifice, and equality across boundaries
• Critics and comparisons: T.S. Eliot, Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Dostoevsky, Faulkner, Hemingway, and others
• Closing reflections on Huck’s decision to “light out for the territory” and the novel’s enduring claim as the Great American Novel

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Friendship Across Boundaries: Huck and Jim’s relationship challenges racial and social hierarchies, showing that true friendship can form in defiance of unjust conventions.
• Moral Awakening on the River: Huck’s decision to protect Jim, even at the cost of “going to hell,” marks a profound step in his moral development.
• The Raft as Sanctuary: Life on the raft symbolizes equality, trust, and affection, a fragile refuge from the hypocrisy and cruelty of society on shore.
• The Power of Vernacular: Twain’s use of Huck’s voice and dialect reshaped American literature, capturing authenticity and exposing social pretenses.
• The Problem of the Ending: Twain unsettles readers with Tom Sawyer’s reappearance, raising questions about whether the novel affirms or undercuts Huck and Jim’s hard-won friendship.

Questions & Discussion

• What makes Huck and Jim’s friendship so radical for its time?
  Reflect on how their bond defies racial and social hierarchies, and whether Twain suggests friendship can transcend entrenched divisions.
• Can an adult and a child truly be friends?
  Consider Andrew Willard Jones’s idea that friends are “equally unequal.” Consider how this applies to Huck and Jim.
• How does Huck’s moral development unfold on the river?
  Consider how Huck’s decisions about Jim reveal his growth—and whether he truly escapes the prejudices of his upbringing.
• What role does satire play in Twain’s critique of society?
  Discuss how humor exposes hypocrisy in issues like slavery, religion, and “civilized” life.
• Does the ending of the novel strengthen or weaken its message?
  Examine whether the reintroduction of Tom Sawyer complicates or undermines Huck and Jim’s story of freedom and friendship.

Suggested Reading

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain   
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 
• Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson 
• Walden by Henry David Thoreau 
• “Introduction to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (1935 essay) by T.S. Eliot
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 
• Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather 
• Port William novels (Jayber Crow, Hannah Coulter, Nathan Coulter, etc.) by Wendell Berry 

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh turn to Cicero’s On Friendship, a dialogue exploring what makes friendship possible, lasting, and good. They unpack Cicero’s conviction that friendship is only possible between those committed to virtue, and that true friendship is one of life’s greatest gifts—second only to wisdom. The hosts trace Cicero’s Roman context, his defense of republican ideals, and his enduring insights into the moral foundations of friendship.

Episode Outline 

• Opening quote from Cicero on the harmony of virtue in friendship
• Why Cicero remains a beloved figure in Western history
• Cicero’s role as statesman, writer, and defender of the Roman Republic
• Background on On Friendship as a dialogue between Laelius and Scipio
• Cicero’s definition of virtue as “ordinary excellence” rather than lofty ideals
• The claim that friendship can only exist among the good—what Cicero means by “the good”
• The distinction between acquaintances, comradeship, and true friendship
• Cicero’s famous images of friendship: “a second self” and “remove friendship from life and you remove the sun from the world”
• Reflections on Cicero’s legacy in light of the later Christian revolution of values
• Closing reflections on the timelessness of Cicero’s insights

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Virtue as the Ground of Friendship: Cicero insists that friendship requires moral integrity: honesty, courage, liberality, and freedom from greed, lust, or violence.
• Friendship vs. Acquaintance: Cicero distinguishes between true friendships based on virtue and other social bonds based on utility, association, or convenience.
• The Sweetness of Conversation: For Cicero, the “fruit of friendship” lies in the joy of conversation and the freedom to speak openly without bitterness.
• A Second Self: A true friend is like “a second self,” sharing life so deeply that one’s strength, wealth, and even life are experienced in common.
• Lasting Significance: Though Cicero’s republican world collapsed, his insights into virtue and friendship remain profound and enduring.

Questions & Discussion

• Why does Cicero argue that friendship is only possible among the good?
  Reflect on whether you agree. Discuss whether people lacking in moral integrity still form real friendships, or only temporary alliances.
• How does Cicero’s idea of virtue as “ordinary excellence” shape his vision of friendship?
  Consider whether friendship requires lofty ideals or simply consistent, everyday integrity.
• What is the difference between comradeship, acquaintanceship, and true friendship?
  Think of your own relationships and discuss which category each falls into. Discuss if this distinction changes how you use the word “friend”.
• What do you make of Cicero’s claim that “remove friendship from life and you remove the sun from the world”?
  Discuss whether friendship really is as essential as Cicero claims. Describe what life looks like without it.
• How should we value Cicero’s insights in light of Christianity’s later revolution in values?
  Explore whether Cicero’s pre-Christian view of friendship still holds truth for us, or whether Christianity’s vision of love changes the foundation of friendship.

Suggested Reading

• On Friendship by Cicero
• On Duties by Cicero
• The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis   
• Christianity and Classical Culture by Charles Norris Cochrane 
• Dominion by Tom Holland 
• The Bible, Proverbs 18:24
• The Epic of Gilgamesh translated by Sophus Helle 

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Tim McIntosh and Emily Maeda journey into the world’s oldest surviving epic, The Epic of Gilgamesh. They explore how the story dramatizes philia, or friendship, through the bond between Gilgamesh and Enkidu—a friendship that transforms a tyrant into a true man. From their first clash to their adventures slaying monsters, and finally to Enkidu’s death, the hosts unpack the role of friendship as a civilizing force, a mirror of ourselves, and a source of both joy and grief.

Episode Outline

• Introduction: Why start friendship with the world’s oldest epic?
• Background on The Epic of Gilgamesh and its Mesopotamian context
• Gilgamesh the tyrant and the gods’ creation of Enkidu as his counterbalance
• The forging of friendship: wrestling, recognition, and solidarity
• Adventures together: the Cedar Forest and the slaying of Humbaba
• The grief of Enkidu’s death and Gilgamesh’s confrontation with mortality
• The search for immortality and the wisdom gained in failure
• Comparison to Achilles and Patroclus in Homer’s Iliad
• The theme of fame vs. wisdom: what endures in human memory?
• Closing reflections and preview of next episode

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Friendship as Humanizing Power: Gilgamesh’s tyranny is undone by friendship—his bond with Enkidu turns him from a destroyer into a true king.
• The Shared Quest: Their adventures dramatize the power of philia: shared labor, shared danger, and shared joy as the basis of community.
• Grief and Mortality: Enkidu’s death shatters Gilgamesh, revealing how friendship not only ennobles but also exposes us to profound loss.
• The Search for Immortality: The epic wrestles with what lasts: glory, monuments, or wisdom. In the end, Gilgamesh learns that human meaning lies in love and the endurance of community.
• Ancient Echoes in Later Literature: The friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu prefigures later literary friendships like Achilles and Patroclus, David and Jonathan, and Sam and Frodo.

Questions & Discussion

• How does the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu transform the meaning of kingship?
  Consider how Gilgamesh changes after meeting Enkidu. Discuss what this says about friendship’s power to humanize authority.
• What does Enkidu’s death teach us about love and mortality?
  Reflect on how grief reveals both the cost and the depth of true friendship. Consider if love exists without vulnerability to loss.
• Why do ancient epics so often pair heroes with companions?
  Explore parallels with Achilles and Patroclus or David and Jonathan. Define what makes companionship central to heroism.
• What endures: fame, monuments, or wisdom?
  Discuss whether the pursuit of lasting glory or the acceptance of human limits offers a truer path to meaning.
• Is friendship a luxury or a necessity?
  Engage Tim’s hot take. Consider if a person can truly become human without philia.

Suggested Reading

• The Epic of Gilgamesh by Andrew George
• The Iliad by Homer translated by Emily Wilson: Achilles and Patroclus 
• The Bible: 1 Samuel (David and Jonathan’s friendship)
• The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh dive into John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, exploring how the novel wrestles with the tension between familial affection (storge), honesty, and moral responsibility. The hosts examine Steinbeck’s portrayal of family bonds marked by both tenderness and devastation, paying special attention to the complex relationships between parents, children, and siblings. Together, the hosts probe Steinbeck’s vision of love, inheritance, and choice.

Episode Outline

• Introduction and Steinbeck’s place in American literature
• The role of affection (storge) in East of Eden
• Family as both a haven and a crucible of pain
• Sibling rivalries: echoes of Cain and Abel
• The Trask family and inherited patterns of sin
• Cathy/Kate as a force of destruction and anti-storge
• The concept of timshel (“thou mayest”) as a message of human freedom and responsibility
• How affection, truth, and cruelty intertwine in Steinbeck’s moral vision
• Closing reflections on the legacy of East of Eden

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Storge in Steinbeck’s World: Steinbeck presents affection as essential to family life, but always precarious—capable of nurturing or corroding depending on whether it is tethered to truth.
• The Cain and Abel Pattern: The story mirrors the biblical narrative of Cain and Abel, showing how rivalry and jealousy warp affection within families.
• The Dark Counterpart: Cathy/Kate: Through Cathy/Kate, Steinbeck shows what happens when familial love is replaced with manipulation and malice, corrupting natural affection into something destructive.
• Timshel and Moral Agency: The novel insists that despite inherited patterns, humans retain freedom—“thou mayest”—to choose goodness over cruelty.

Questions & Discussion

• How does Steinbeck’s use of the Cain and Abel story shape our understanding of family rivalry in East of Eden?
  Reflect on how biblical archetypes deepen our reading of sibling conflict. Consider if these stories resonate with modern family struggles.
• What role does Cathy/Kate play as a foil to natural affection?
  Consider how her rejection of storge sharpens the novel’s exploration of love’s absence. Decide if she is purely a villain, or something more complex.
• What does Steinbeck mean by timshel—“thou mayest”?
  Discuss how this theme of choice reshapes our view of fate, family inheritance, and moral responsibility.
• Can affection stand alone without truth? Can truth stand alone without affection?
  Explore Tim’s hot take. Discuss examples in the novel—or in life—where sentimentality or cruelty distort what should have been true love.

Suggested Reading

• • East of Eden by John Steinbeck 
  • The Bible: Genesis 4 (Cain and Abel)
  • The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis   

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily and Tim dive into Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, a quintessential American novel exploring the power of familial affection, or storge. Through the domestic world of the March sisters, the novel celebrates love that is rooted in everyday acts of care, sacrifice, and support. Tim and Emily discuss the enduring impact of the book—especially its deep appeal for young women—and the formation of character through simple joys, sibling tensions, and motherly wisdom. Along the way, they debate adaptations, Austen echoes, and whether Louisa May Alcott made the right romantic choices for Jo. Emily’s Hot Take: Joe should’ve married Laurie. No matter how much we try to appreciate Professor Bhaer, Laurie was the one. Period.

Episode Outline

• Opening Reflections
• Literary Value and Canon Status
• Portrait of a Family
• Character Spotlights
• Historical and Cultural Context
• Movie Adaptations

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Little Women offers an idealized but powerful vision of affection (storge) within a family.
• Joe March serves as a formative figure for generations of readers, particularly girls.
• The March family embodies the American ideal of virtue over wealth, simple joys over splendor.
• Literature with female protagonists often receives less exposure among boys—why?
• Canon-worthiness isn’t only about literary perfection but also about emotional and cultural resonance.
• Movie adaptations shape popular memory of books—sometimes more than the books themselves.

Questions & Discussion

• Does Little Women belong in the Western canon? Why or why not? Consider the book's artistic merits alongside its cultural impact. Define a classic in your view.
• Why do young readers form such strong attachments to characters like Jo March? Identify a fictional character who shaped your own identity or dreams. Name the qualities that made them powerful to you.
• What do we gain—and lose—by reading books with protagonists who differ from us in gender, time, or culture? Consider how engaging with characters unlike ourselves can deepen empathy and expand our perspective.
• Was Louisa May Alcott right to have Jo marry Professor Bhaer instead of Laurie? Share your take. 
• How does Little Women shape our understanding of affection (storge)? Explore what this novel teaches about family, sacrifice, and the ordinary beauty of home life.

Suggested Reading

• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott  
• Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
• Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
• Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis
• Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
• Little Britches by Ralph Moody
• The Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily Wilson
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh explore Homer’s Odyssey as a foundational story of familial love and longing. They examine Odysseus as the archetypal man of arete, whose journey is motivated by storge—a profound affection for home, wife, and son. From Penelope’s weaving to Telemachus’ awakening, the episode explores how the epic gives voice to the restorative power of love rooted in place and people. Emily offers a powerful hot take: that The Odyssey reclaims nostalgia not as a sentimental escape, but as a noble longing for wholeness—something sorely missing in the modern, disenchanted view of home.

Episode Outline

• The Odyssey as the Blueprint for Western Storytelling
• Odysseus as the Hero of Arete
• Nostalgia as a Restorative Force
• Penelope’s Weaving as Faith and Affection
• Hospitality, Honor, and Disorder
• Divine and Mortal Conflict
• The Wonder of the Ancient Worldview
• The Final Reckoning and the Hero’s Return
• Emily’s Hot Take

Key Topics & Takeaways

• The Odyssey as Foundational Myth: All Western narrative art borrows from the structure of The Odyssey, with its themes of exile, return, and restoration.
• Arete and Heroic Cunning: Odysseus is celebrated for his excellence and craftiness, which are essential to his survival and return.
• Nostalgia as Noble Longing: Unlike the modern form, Homeric nostalgia seeks reunion with the real—family, home, and rooted life.
• Storge in Action: Penelope’s patience, Telemachus’ growth, and Odysseus’ longing all demonstrate the beauty and cost of affectionate love.
• Reverence for the Unmapped World: The poem’s enchanted world makes space for mystery—gods, monsters, and fate—which modernity tends to dismiss.

Questions & Discussion

• How does Odysseus’ longing for home reflect storge?
  Think about how affection motivates actions in your life. 
• Is Odysseus’ cleverness a virtue or a vice?
  Ancient Greeks saw cunning (metis) as heroic, while modern readers may view it as deceit. Consider where the line is between strategy and dishonesty. 
• What role does Penelope’s weaving play in the story?
  Consider the symbolic meaning of her craft and how it represents emotional labor, resistance, and devotion. 
• How does hospitality function as a moral category in The Odyssey?
  Explore how welcoming or violating guests defines the moral order in the poem. 
• What distinguishes ancient nostalgia from its modern form?
  Emily suggests modern nostalgia is escapist, while Homeric nostalgia is a drive toward reintegration. Consider which vision resonates more with your experience.
• How do the divine elements of The Odyssey influence its moral universe?
  Explain if the belief in the gods amplifies the stakes of Odysseus’ choices, or diminish his agency.

Suggested Reading

• The Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily Wilson
• The Iliad by Homer translated by:
  • Lattimore
  • Fitzgerald
  • Fagles
  • Wilson
• The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis 
• The Aeneid by Virgil 
• The Western Canon by Harold Bloom 
• Real Presences by George Steiner
• The Bible, Genesis 32 (Jacob wrestling the angel)
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 
• King Lear by William Shakespeare

Episode Outline

• Introduction to the episode and recap of the season’s theme: love
• Background on Antigone and its place in the Theban Cycle
• Defining storge and how it differs from other loves in Lewis’s taxonomy
• Antigone’s motivation to bury her brother Polyneices as an act of familial devotion
• Creon’s competing love: duty to the state as a form of civic affection
• Tragedy and the limits of agency: how characters are bound by the consequences of their choices
• Discussion of Antigone as a feminist figure—affirmed and complicated
• The chorus’s role in shaping audience perspective
• Final reflections on the tension between love and law
• Preview of next episode on friendship (philia)

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Storge as Sacred Duty: Antigone’s decision to bury her brother exemplifies storge—familial love rooted in loyalty and obligation, even in defiance of civic authority.
• Love in Conflict with Law: Creon’s decree and Antigone’s defiance stage a tragic clash between two legitimate loves: civic order and family devotion.
• Tragedy and Human Limitation: Tragedy reveals how well-intentioned actions lead to disaster when individuals cannot escape the consequences of love and loyalty.
• Modern Readers vs. Ancient Audiences: Today’s audiences often read Antigone as a heroic rebel, but Sophocles portrays her and Creon as equally bound by conflicting obligations, complicating easy moral judgments.
• Antigone and Feminism: Though often held up as a feminist icon, Antigone is more accurately understood as someone fighting for what women value—family, ritual, and care—rather than political revolution.

Questions & Discussion

• What does Antigone’s devotion to her brother teach us about familial love?
  Reflect on whether love of family should take precedence over law or civic duty. 
• Is Creon a villain, or is his position understandable?
  Explore the possibility that both Antigone and Creon are right—and that this mutual “rightness” is what creates the tragedy.
• How does Antigone redefine what strength and virtue look like?
  Consider whether Antigone’s strength lies in boldness or vulnerability. 
• In what ways do modern readers misunderstand Antigone’s actions?
  Consider if we overemphasize Antigone as a symbol of personal freedom and underestimate her rootedness in cultural and religious obligations.
• How does the idea of tragic inevitability shape the story?
  Discuss whether any of the characters had the power to avoid the outcome, or if their virtues themselves led inevitably to destruction.

Suggested Reading

• Antigone by Sophocles 
• The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis  
• The Iliad by Homer translated by:
  • Lattimore
  • Fitzgerald
  • Fagles
  • Wilson
• The Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily Wilson  

In this special episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh unveil the reading lineup for Season 2, themed around love. Drawing from C.S. Lewis’s framework of the four loves—Storge (affection), Philia (friendship), Eros (romantic love), and Agape (charity)—they nominate and debate the classic works that best represent each love. From Shakespeare and ancient epics to religious poetry and modern novels, the hosts haggle, reflect, and wrestle with what makes love so difficult to portray well in literature. Tim also offers a spicy hot take: that most romantic

Episode Outline

• Introduction: Why a selection show, and why start with love
• Definitions of the Four Loves from C.S. Lewis
• Tim’s and Emily’s nominations for Storge (affection)
• Friendship and Philia: Ancient texts to children’s stories
• Nominations for Eros (romantic love) and literary love triangles
• Agape: Self-giving love in theology, poetry, and fiction
• Debates and tie-breakers: Making the final cuts
• Plans for poetry episodes and bonus content
• Teaser for future discussion on art and music

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Lewis’s Framework Shapes the Season: C. S. Lewis’s The Four Loves provides the guiding structure for curating literature around distinct types of love.
• Love of Family and Place: Storge (affection) is often familial or connected to love of place; selecting books for this category was surprisingly challenging.
• The Richness of Companionship: Philia (friendship) led to a rich list—from The Epic of Gilgamesh to Wind in the Willows.
• Beauty and Cost: Eros (romantic) selections ranged from Shakespeare and Austen to Dante and Tolstoy, with a possible poetry special to include Donne, Catullus, and Dante’s Inferno.
• Selfless and Divine Love: Agape (charity) prompted deep reflections on divine love and self-sacrificial relationships, featuring mystics, theologians, and unexpected novels.
• Blended Loves: Overlapping and Porous Categories: The categories are porous: many books express multiple forms of love, showing their complexity and interconnection.
• Wildcards: Unclassifiable but Powerful: The Road by Cormac McCarthy and The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry are suggested as wildcard entries that transcend easy categorization.

Questions & Discussion

• Which literary works have best captured the love of family, friends, romance, or God in your experience? Share a book that moved you deeply in its portrayal of love.
• Are some types of love harder to depict in fiction than others? Consider whether Agape (charity) or Philia (friendship) is harder to write compellingly than Eros (romantic love). 
• What role does self-sacrifice play in true love across the genres discussed? Reflect on examples from this episode like The Road, The Gospel of John, or The Gift of the Magi. 

Suggested Reading

Storge (Affection) 

• Antigone by Sophocles  
• The Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily Wilson
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 
• East of Eden by John Steinbeck 
• Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra
• Poems by Tibullus

Philia (Friendship)

• The Epic of Gilgamesh translated by Sophus Helle 
• Plato’s Symposium translated by Jowett 
• On Friendship by Cicero
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain   
• Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame    
• Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle: Books 8 & 9 
• All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy  
• Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle  
• Old Testament: David and Jonathan 
• The Iliad by Homer translated by Emily Wilson: Achilles and Patroclus 

Eros (Romantic Love)

• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare 
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 
• Phaedrus by Plato 
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 
• Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh 
• The Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Donne by John Donne (especially “Batter My Heart”) 
• The Poems of Catullus by Catullus 
• Dante’s Inferno translated by Anthony Esolen: Canto V, Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta
• The Wife of Bath by Chaucer 
• The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
• The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
• The Aeneid by Virgil: Dido and Aeneas

Agape (Charity) 

• Confessions by St. Augustine translated by Sarah Ruden
• The Gospel of John and 1 John (Bible)
• The Revelation of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich
• The Temple by George Herbert
• Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich 
• Awaiting God by Simone Weil translation by Brad Jersak
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• The Treatise on Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards
• Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 
• Dante's Paradiso translated by Anthony Esolen
• Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry 

In this opening episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh kick off Season 2 on the theme of love by diving into C.S. Lewis’s The Four Loves. They unpack Lewis’s taxonomy—Storge (affection), Philia (friendship), Eros (romantic love), and Agape (charity)—and explore how each form shapes human life and literature. Along the way, they challenge some of Lewis’s distinctions and bring in other thinkers like Joseph Pieper and D.C. Schindler to deepen the conversation. Emily delivers a hot take on Lewis’s framework: that separating natural and divine love might create confusion rather than clarity, especially when desire itself can be a holy path toward God.

Episode Outline

• Opening quote and overview of the new season on love
• The limitations of English vocabulary for expressing different kinds of love
• Introduction to C.S. Lewis’s taxonomy: storge, philia, eros, and agape
• Storge (affection): love rooted in familiarity, the everyday, and the home
• Philia (friendship): the bond of shared interest and mutual enjoyment
• Eros (romantic love): desire, ecstasy, and the longing that draws one out of oneself
• Agape (charity): selfless, divine love that affirms the other’s being
• Lewis’s distinction between natural and supernatural loves
• Emily critiques Lewis’s separation of the loves as overly rigid
• D.C. Schindler’s definition of love as mutual indwelling and unity
• Joseph Pieper on eros as a desire for integration and redemption
• The importance of affirming the other’s existence in true love
• Loving without self-interest, as illustrated by parental devotion
• Wrap-up and a preview of next week’s book selection

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Lewis’s Fourfold Taxonomy of Love: C.S. Lewis’s The Four Loves provides a helpful framework for differentiating between various forms of love: storge (affection), philia (friendship), eros (romantic love), and agape (charity), each with unique expressions and pitfalls.
• Storge as the Ground of Daily Love: This love includes the affection we have for family, routine pleasures, and homeland. Lewis sees it as the most foundational form of love, often taken for granted yet deeply stabilizing.
• Philia as the Least Jealous Love: Lewis elevates friendship as the noblest love, free from possessiveness and characterized by mutual delight in shared interests and visions. Friends “walk side by side, looking outward.”
• Eros as the Desire that Can Become Divine: Though Lewis warns of eros’s dangers—its potential to become possessive—Emily argues that eros, rightly ordered, reflects the ecstasy and hunger that can ultimately point us to divine union.
• Agape as Divine Overflow: Agape is selfless, gift-love—giving for the good of the other. Lewis emphasizes that it flows from God’s plenteousness, not lack, and thus becomes a model for human love at its highest.
• Critique of Lewis’s Categories: Emily questions Lewis’s binary between natural and supernatural loves. Drawing on Pieper and Schindler, she suggests that all love—rightly ordered—is already a participation in the divine.

Questions & Discussion

• How does C. S. Lewis’s taxonomy clarify or complicate our understanding of love? Consider whether the separation into four categories helps us discern different experiences—or whether, as Emily suggests, it risks oversimplifying their unity.
• What is your experience with friendship as described by Lewis? Share a time when you found Lewis’s quote, “What? You too?” to be true. 
• Is desire (eros) inherently dangerous, or can it be holy? Reflect on whether your own experiences of longing or romantic love have ever opened a door to deeper spiritual truths.
• What does it mean to love someone without self-interest? Consider how genuine love, as seen in parenting, caregiving, or mentorship, involves seeking the well-being of another person without expecting anything in return.
• Does the vocabulary of love in English impoverish our expression of it? Explore how having one word for love in English contrasts with languages like Greek or Spanish. 
• Should we understand all love—natural and divine—as part of a continuum? Debate Emily’s hot take: Are love’s forms so intertwined that strict categories risk misunderstanding how human beings actually love?

Suggested Reading

• The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis   
• Love and the Postmodern Predicament: Rediscovering the Real in Beauty, Goodness, and Truth by D. C. Schindler
• Faith, Hope, Love by Josef Pieper

In this final episode of Hot Takes on the Classics’ season on war, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh reflect on the biggest lessons they’ve learned from reading and discussing some of history’s greatest war literature. From the moral cost of battle to the intoxicating nature of the battlefield, they break down key themes that have emerged across texts like The Iliad, War and Peace, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Killer Angels, Mein Kampf, and The Art of War. Tim also shares his final hot take of the season—how the male drive for hierarchy fuels both war and its aftermath.

Show Guide

00:00 Opening Remarks and Podcast Review Request

02:00 War as a Moral Harm: The Psychological Toll on Soldiers

07:10 Propaganda and Modern Warfare: The Power of Messaging in War

12:45 The Leader’s Role: How a Single Commander Can Change a Battle

18:09 The Importance of Ending a War Quickly: Why Prolonged Battles Are the Worst Wars

24:30 The Battlefield as an Intoxicating Experience: The Clarity and Unity of War

30:50 The Shift in Warfare: Why Modern Wars Lost Their Heroic Narrative

38:20 Tim’s Hot Take: The Male Drive for Hierarchy and War’s Inescapable Cycle

45:30 Closing Reflections and Next Season Preview on Love

Key Topics & Takeaways

• War as a Moral Harm: Every soldier carries the burden of battle long after it ends. Texts like All Quiet on the Western Front depict the lasting psychological toll of combat.
• Propaganda Shapes Public Perception and War Outcomes: From Mein Kampf to modern conflicts, propaganda plays a crucial role in rallying nations and justifying war.
• The Role of Great Leaders in Battle: Figures like Caesar in The Gallic Wars, Napoleon, and Joshua Chamberlain in The Killer Angels demonstrate how one leader’s decisions can shift the course of history.
• The Importance of Ending War Quickly: The Art of War and The Iliad emphasize that prolonged wars benefit no one and often lead to unnecessary suffering.
• The Intoxication of the Battlefield: The heightened clarity, unity, and adrenaline of combat make war a uniquely immersive human experience, as seen in War and Peace and The Iliad.
• Modern Warfare’s Shift from Heroic Battles to Mechanized Slaughter: All Quiet on the Western Front and The Killer Angels highlight how advances in technology have removed the human element from combat, making war more impersonal and destructive.
• Tim’s Hot Take: The Male Hierarchy Drive as a Key Force in War: Many wars—ancient and modern—are fueled by male ambition, competition, and the need to restore honor, as illustrated in Plutarch’s Lives, Mein Kampf, and The Iliad.

Questions & Discussion

• How does war change those who fight in it?
  Examine the psychological and moral harm of battle across different time periods.
• Is propaganda always wrong, or is it necessary in modern war?
  Discuss whether shaping public opinion is an unavoidable reality of war.
• Why do great leaders shift the tide of battle?
  Explore historical examples from Julius Caesar to General Kutuzov in War and Peace.
• Why is the battlefield such an intoxicating experience?
  Reflect on how war can bring a clarity and unity that few other experiences provide.
• Does modern technology make war less heroic?
  Consider how the shift from swords to machine guns changed the way we perceive war.
• Is the male drive for hierarchy an inescapable part of war?
  Analyze Tim’s hot take on whether war is inevitable due to human nature.

Suggested Reading

• The Iliad by Homer
• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
• All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
• The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
• Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (scholarly annotated editions recommended)
• The Art of War by Sun Tzu

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh explore how war shaped modern music and art, breaking traditional forms and redefining artistic expression. They dive into Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Picasso’s Guernica, Otto Dix’s War Triptych, and more, unpacking how these revolutionary works capture the chaos, destruction, and emotional weight of the 20th century. Emily also shares a compelling hot take on why modern artists rejected beauty—seeing it as a deception—and how that shift reshaped the way we understand art today.

Show Guide

00:00 Opening Remarks and Podcast Review Request

02:10 The 20th Century: A Century of Explosion and Death

06:15 Modern Art as a Rejection of Traditional Forms

09:24 Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring: The Music That Started a Riot

18:09 The Primal and the Brutal: How Stravinsky and Freud Influenced Modernism

24:30 Otto Dix’s War Triptych: Turning the Crucifixion into a Battlefield

30:50 Picasso’s Guernica: The Most Powerful Anti-War Painting Ever Created

38:20 Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries: The Soundtrack of War and Nazi Ideology

45:30 Górecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs: A Lament for War’s Aftermath

50:15 Emily’s Hot Take: Why Modern Artists Rejected Beauty

55:30 Closing Remarks and Next Episode Preview

Key Topics & Takeaways

• The Destruction of Form: The 20th century saw a rebellion against artistic traditions—music, painting, and literature all broke away from structure to embrace chaos and fragmentation.
• Stravinsky’s Musical Bombshell: The Rite of Spring shattered expectations with its dissonance and erratic rhythms, symbolizing the coming destruction of World War I.
• Otto Dix and the Horrors of Trench Warfare: His War Triptych reimagined religious art, placing the crucifixion of Christ alongside the dead and mutilated soldiers of World War I.
• Picasso’s Protest Against Fascism: Guernica remains one of the most haunting depictions of war’s brutality, a visual scream against Hitler’s atrocities.
• Wagner’s Influence on Nazi Germany: Hitler adored Wagner’s operas, particularly Ride of the Valkyries, for their heroic and militaristic themes.
• Finding Beauty in Tragedy: Górecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs offers a return to form and a meditation on grief, closing the season on war with a mother’s lament.

Questions & Discussion

• How does The Rite of Spring symbolize the collapse of traditional artistic forms?
  Discuss Stravinsky’s use of polyrhythms and dissonance as a musical revolution.
• What makes Otto Dix’s War Triptych so powerful?
  Examine how Dix used religious imagery to highlight the devastation of World War I.
• Why was Guernica considered so dangerous by Hitler?
  Explore how Picasso’s work became an international symbol of anti-fascist resistance.
• How did Wagner’s music become intertwined with Nazi ideology?
  Analyze Hitler’s obsession with Wagner and the role of music in political propaganda.
• Is there still a place for beauty in modern art?
  Consider Emily’s hot take on why 20th-century artists rejected beauty and whether it can be reclaimed.

Suggested Reading

• The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky
• War Triptych by Otto Dix
• Guernica by Pablo Picasso
• Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner
• Symphony of Sorrowful Songs by Henryk Górecki

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh tackle one of the most infamous books ever written: Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Though poorly written and filled with contradictions, this book remains essential for understanding the ideological roots of Nazi Germany. Emily and Tim examine Hitler’s obsession with racial purity, his hatred of democracy, and his belief in war as the highest expression of human civilization. They also explore how Mein Kampf foreshadowed the Holocaust and the expansionist policies of Nazi Germany. Emily delivers a scorching hot take on why Mein Kampf should still be required reading—and how failing to study it allows history to repeat itself.

Show Guide

00:00 Opening Remarks and the Problem with Infamous Books

03:16 Why Mein Kampf is Among the Most Dangerous Books Ever Written

07:40 Who Was Hitler Before He Became the Führer?

12:10 Hitler’s Time in Vienna: Failure, Resentment, and Radicalization

18:09 The Austro-Hungarian Empire: The “Chaos” That Shaped Hitler’s Worldview

24:30 The Aftermath of World War I and the Rise of Nazi Ideology

29:50 Hitler’s Hatred: The Jews, Democracy, and Parliamentary Rule

35:20 The Role of Propaganda: Hitler’s Mastery of Manipulation

42:00 The Blueprint for War: Why Mein Kampf Revealed Everything

50:15 Emily’s Hot Take: Mein Kampf Should Be Required Reading

55:30 Closing Remarks and Next Episode Preview

Key Topics & Takeaways

• The Power of Propaganda: Hitler openly states that effective propaganda does not seek truth but manipulates the masses through emotion and repetition.
• War as the Ultimate Ideal: Hitler viewed war as the highest expression of civilization, rejecting peace as weakness.
• The Roots of Genocide: Mein Kampf makes clear that Hitler believed certain groups—especially Jews—had no right to exist and must be eradicated.
• The Dangers of Ideology: Hitler’s thinking is not philosophical but purely ideological, rejecting complexity in favor of extreme black-and-white thinking.
• Why Mein Kampf Is Not Just an Historical Artifact: Many dismiss the book as the rantings of a madman, but its influence continues to be felt today in political rhetoric, propaganda tactics, and extremist movements.

Questions & Discussion

• How does Mein Kampf reveal Hitler’s ability to manipulate the masses?
  Discuss his approach to propaganda and how it shaped Nazi Germany’s rise to power.
• What does Hitler’s obsession with racial purity tell us about his worldview?
  Examine how he blends social Darwinism with pseudo-scientific racial theories to justify his ideology.
• How does Mein Kampf reflect Hitler’s personal failures?
  Consider how his rejection from art school, time in Vienna, and experience in World War I shaped his resentments.
• What role did the Treaty of Versailles play in Hitler’s rise?
  Analyze how Germany’s post-war humiliation gave him a platform to spread his nationalist ideas.
• Should Mein Kampf still be read today?
  Debate Emily’s hot take on why ignoring this book allows dangerous ideologies to persist.

Suggested Reading

• Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (scholarly annotated editions recommended)
• The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh explore All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque’s searing anti-war novel that captures the brutal reality of World War I through the eyes of a young German soldier. They discuss how Remarque’s own experience as a soldier shaped his portrayal of trench warfare, the disillusionment of soldiers, and the alienation of the so-called “Lost Generation.” Emily also delivers a hot take on why this book was one of the most dangerous threats to Nazi ideology—and why its message remains as urgent today as ever.

Show Guide

00:00 Opening Remarks and Podcast Review Request

01:40 Why World War I Was a Turning Point in Modern Warfare

07:10 Erich Maria Remarque: A Soldier-Turned-Author and His Controversial Book

12:45 Paul Bäumer and His Band of Brothers: The Emotional Core of the Story

18:09 Life in the Trenches: Fear, Rats, and the Slow March to Death

23:30 The Meaning of Boots: A Chilling Symbol of a Soldier’s Disposable Life

29:50 The Horror of Modern Warfare: Gas Attacks, Artillery, and Machine Guns

35:20 Alienation and Home Leave: Paul’s Return to a Life He No Longer Understands

40:00 The Death of Comrades: How War Steals Everything

45:30 Emily’s Hot Take: Why the Nazis Had to Burn this Book

50:15 Closing Remarks and Next Episode Preview

Key Topics & Takeaways

• 
  The End of Romanticism in War: All Quiet on the Western Front dismantles the idea of war as glorious, instead exposing it as senseless slaughter.
• Life in the Trenches: Remarque’s firsthand experience captures the terror of daily existence on the front—starvation, bombardments, and the dehumanization of soldiers.
• The Meaning of Boots: A soldier’s death is immediately followed by his comrades taking his boots, symbolizing how little an individual life matters in war.
• The Lie of Patriotism: Paul and his fellow soldiers grow disillusioned with the nationalistic rhetoric that led them into a war they no longer understand.
• Why the Nazis Hated This Book: Remarque’s portrayal of war directly contradicted Nazi propaganda about German heroism, leading to its censorship and public book burnings.

Questions & Discussion

• How does Remarque use Paul Bäumer to explore the psychological effects of war?
  Discuss how Paul’s narration reflects his transformation from an idealistic youth to a detached survivor.
• Why is trench warfare so central to All Quiet on the Western Front?
  Analyze how Remarque captures the physical and psychological toll of life in the trenches.
• What does the novel say about the relationship between soldiers and authority figures?
  Examine how figures like Kantorek and Himmelstoss represent misguided patriotism and military hierarchy.
• How does Paul’s home leave reveal the divide between soldiers and civilians?
  Consider why Paul feels more alienated at home than on the battlefield.
• Why did the Nazis fear this book?
  Explore Emily’s hot take on how All Quiet on the Western Front challenged Nazi propaganda about war and national identity.

Suggested Reading

• All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
• Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain (for a British perspective on World War I)