In this episode I am interviewed by Robert Ehlert of the SMU Perspectives podcast.Af Greg Brownderville

In this episode I discuss the connection between ecstatic worship practices in twelfth-century Wales and those of twentieth-century Wales. I show how Pentecostal worship in the early twentieth century brought Welsh worshippers closer to their own ancestral language and its rich literary history. Later in the video, I link Welsh and Lebanese Penteco…

In this episode I offer a new way of interpreting the fascinating and mysterious bread imagery in folktales about marriages between Welsh faery women and mortal men.Af Greg Brownderville

A number of people in nineteenth-century Wales claimed faery ancestry. Specifically, they said a woman of the tylwyth teg (the "beautiful family," or Welsh faeries) had married a mortal Welshman, and that they were her descendants. In this episode I point up some parallels between these nineteenth-century oral histories and much earlier Welsh stori…

In this episode my poetry students at SMU invite you into the experience of 2024's total eclipse in Dallas, Texas, which occurred last month. The students talk about what it was like to see the eclipse, and then they read poems they wrote only fifteen minutes after totality.Af Greg Brownderville

In this episode I respond to questions from viewers, discussing (1) the faery blood running in Welsh veins, (2) the magical pigs in The Four Branches of the Mabinogi and the connection between dreams and myths, and (3), just for fun, the upcoming Mike Tyson / Jake Paul fight and how it relates to Beowulf, Toby Keith, and the Spoon River Anthology. …

In this episode I discuss the meaning of the magical force of awen in Welsh culture and interpret a few stories about the tylwyth teg (the Welsh faeries).Af Greg Brownderville

In this episode I talk with renowned British historian Ronald Hutton about May Eve and May Day. Ronald offers tips as to how we might celebrate this wondrous holiday and weave it into our lives.Af Greg Brownderville

In this episode I tell about my recent experience celebrating a West Wales holiday called Hen Galan ("the Old New Year"). The centerpiece of the episode is my conversation with a young man named Carwyn, for whom Hen Galan and the historic pub where it is celebrated are of deep emotional and cultural importance. Bessie Davies, the woman and pub owne…

For this special Christmas edition of GBD, I set up in my dad's shop in Pumpkin Bend, Arkansas, and talked with him about what Christmas has meant to him through the different stages of his life.Af Greg Brownderville

In this episode I discuss the personalities of professional fighters Alexander Volkanovski and Tyson Fury in connection with three songs by Robert Johnson, Merle Haggard, and Bob Dylan. Purchase Beekeeper Spaceman here: https://shop.bandwear.com/products/be... "Workin’ Man Blues" by Merle Haggard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EwK0... "Workingma…

In this episode I describe the forgotten fall holiday called Michaelmas, give my thoughts on its meaning, and offer some ideas about how to celebrate it.Af Greg Brownderville

The scorching triple-digit heat in Texas (where I live) certainly isn't giving anyone a fall feeling, so I'm turning to autumnal poetry to change the emotional weather. In this episode I read and discuss seven poems that convey the enchantment of autumn. I recorded the video for this episode with my phone in a hotel room; forgive the less-than-amaz…

This episode kicks off a special series on poetics, built around the idea of “wordhood.” I discuss a Dakota myth called "The Killing of Bead-Spitter" and why it matters to me.Af Greg Brownderville

On March 12, 2015, I gave this interview and lecture on Welsh poet Dylan Thomas at the Allen Public Library (TX) for its Celtic Month.Af Greg Brownderville

In this episode I speak with Professor Ronald Hutton in his office at the University of Bristol, discussing the value of participatory, experiential folklore scholarship: living the lore rather than studying it aloofly. Afterward, by way of example, I tell how my own direct experience of the May this year has deepened my understanding of the holida…

In this episode I talk about a largely forgotten holiday called the May: May Eve (30 April) and May Day (1 May). I also discuss the mysterious May carols, which were traditionally sung this time of year.Af Greg Brownderville

This episode is a conversation with the eminent historian Ronald Hutton. I wanted to talk with him partly because I’m fascinated by obscure British holidays and how they add color, meaning, enchantment, and fun to the calendar, a topic on which Professor Hutton is the world’s leading authority. If you happen to share this interest, I highly recomme…

This is my second audio episode featuring the English biologist Rupert Sheldrake, recorded during Christmastime in London. If you watched the short version of this episode (titled “The Logos and the Calendar”) on my YouTube channel, I still recommend listening to this audio episode. The video version is only twenty-three minutes long, whereas this …

In this episode I return to my undergraduate alma mater, Ouachita Baptist University, to sit a spell with Johnny Wink and Eric Brownderville (my brother). This is one of the most joyous conversations I've ever been a part of. —Greg and Eric reminisce about their first experiences as college students (4:56) —Eric runs into his former English profess…

In this episode I pay a visit to the London home of the brilliant English biologist Rupert Sheldrake. Trust me, you don't want to miss this one: Rupert says one profound, fascinating thing after another. Also, he is at times downright hilarious, especially when he’s exposing the fundamentalism of the crotchety materialist Richard Dawkins and others…

In this episode recorded a few days before Christmas, I sit down with filmmaker Bart Weiss to talk about our experimental online project, Fire Bones (www.firebones.org). We also discuss imitation and originality, the relationship between head injuries and dysregulation of sleep, synesthesia and poetry, the art of filmmaking, Robert Frost's ideas ab…

This episode’s guest is a magnificent poet named Johnny Wink, author of _Haunting the Winerunner_ and _Seven Ways to Prune a Grapefruit_ . . . (03:04) Johnny meets the great bluesman Fred McDowell, and then something beautiful and unforgettable takes place (09:45) “Errors” as edits (11:17) welcoming, and benefiting from, constructive criticism with…

In this episode Greg invites you to join him in Pumpkin Bend, Arkansas, for Thanksgiving and some stories about a beloved Delta dish served this time of year: duck and dressing. Featuring Greg's good friends Rod and Dale. logo design by Julie Savasky at 508 Creative: https://508creative.com music by Beekeeper Spaceman and Eric Brownderville…

In this episode Preston Hutcherson joins Greg to talk about the poetry of sports broadcasting and sports punditry. (00:35) Preston regales Greg with a bizarre and hilarious piece of audio in which sportscaster Jim Nantz suddenly reinvents himself as a mortician. (09:45) Greg and Preston parse the psychology of stardom and discuss Bono and Tom Brady…

In this episode Greg answers his favorite questions from Episode 1: “Greg, why do you like Yeats so much?” (:36) “Greg, why are you obsessed with folklore?” (06:18) “Greg, why are death and eating mythologically linked?” (24:47) ”Greg, have you been working on any new artistic projects, and if so, what are they?” (29:40) Fire Bones: https://www.fir…

This special Halloween edition of GBD includes: —two funny stories involving the word “casket" —an explanation of the dumb supper —American boxer Deontay Wilder on death and sweet potatoes —an in-depth discussion of John Keats's “The Eve of St. Agnes” —poetic form / the Spenserian stanza —the tension between the imaginal life and the life of worldl…

In this episode, Greg introduces himself and explains what this show is all about—namely, the joy and magic of language. Also in this episode: while Christmas shopping, Greg’s friend Alex sends him an unforgettable text message, and Tim (another friend of Greg’s) says poetry is “the perfect technology” to meet a very specific psychological need tha…