Episode 165 | Past, Present & Fiction | Little Women (2019), American Literature & History

Who could have imagined the impact that a simple story of domestic struggles and joys would have on the world? After more than seven film adaptations, numerous televisions adaptations, and countless versions for the stage, a new generation got its Little Women in 2019 with Greta Gerwig’s bold interpretation of the March Sisters’ story. In this episode, we’ll discuss the legacy of Little Women and how this latest film version honors the life of author Louise May Alcott while infusing the story with a contemporary urgency. Issues of gender expression, feminism, and economic independence run through the lives of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as they come of age during the American Civil War. The film also asks a question: does writing confer importance or reflect it? We examine this question from the lens of fiction storytelling, but also from the lens of history to discover Little Women’s place in both spheres.

Further reading/listening:

Why Don’t More Boys Read Little Women? By Anne Boyd Rioux for Literary Hub

The Director’s Cut: Little Women with Greta Gerwig and Rian Johnson

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Episode 164: Will-o-the-Wisp | Pixar's Brave (2012), Fairy Tales & Feminism

If you could change your fate, would you? Step back with us into the misty Scottish Highlands through Pixar’s 2012 fairy tale Brave. Pixar’s first woman-led feature may look like a traditional fairy tale at first, but through clever meditations on destiny, free will, and community, it rings with truths that are incredibly modern. How do we restore women’s voices in patriarchal systems? How do we balance our desire to create our own destiny with our responsibilities to family and community? In this episode, we’ll explore how Brave embraces and evolves fairy tale traditions, incorporates new takes on medieval history and world folklore, and infuses Merida and Elinor’s feminist journey with magic and grace.

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Episode 163: Spartan Spirit | 300 (2006), Greek History & Mythology

Spartans! What is your profession? As we continue exploring historical fiction, this week’s episode is a deep dive into Zack Snyder’s 2006 adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300. Based on the historical Battle of Thermopylae, in which 300 Spartan soldiers laid down their lives against a massive force of the Persian army, 300 is in some ways a surprisingly accurate—and often problematic—presentation of the distant past. We’ll discuss what really (probably, maybe) happened at the Hot Gates according to the original historian himself, Herodotus, the powerful discourse it created around Western and Eastern Civilization, and how the modern adaptations of this event take those divides to a new level. We’ll never know everything there is to know about the Spartans, but thanks to the histories we have, and the myths they created, we certainly know who they believed they were.

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Donate to the Milwaukee Freedom Fund to help protestors in Kenosha. Or donate directly to the family of Jacob Blake.

If you’re not part of a high-risk population and want to do your part to help ensure a free and fair US election, consider applying to become a poll worker. Learn more at www.powerthepolls.org.

After the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, educate yourself about colorectal cancer, and get screened if you’re at risk.

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Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

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(BONUS) The Wheel of Ka: Salem's Lot

All things, even the Beams, serve the Tower. Did you think this podcast would be any different? Derek and Steve have started the Wheel of Ka over, in a way. This bonus episode has your Ka-Tet returned, this time reading the wonderful Stephen King novel, Salem’s Lot. After Derek and Steve completed The Dark Tower read through, we recognized that our journey through King’s writings has only begun. While both of your hosts love The Dark Tower, there is and will be, so much more to King’s story world still worth uncovering.

How does Salem’s Lot relate to the Dark Tower? What themes of evil, its nature, its causes, its consequences, is King playing with in the book? What happens when America’s small town, with its veneer of friendly civility gets punctured by a dark house on hill and the strange nocturnal residents?

All this and more in this episode of Wheel of Ka.

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Donate to the Milwaukee Freedom Fund to help protestors in Kenosha. Or donate directly to the family of Jacob Blake.

If you’re not part of a high-risk population and want to do your part to help ensure a free and fair US election, consider applying to become a poll worker. Learn more at www.powerthepolls.org.

After the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, educate yourself about colorectal cancer, and get screened if you’re at risk.

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Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

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Episode 162: The World Was Wide Enough | Hamilton, American History & Theatre

Who lives, who dies, who tells your story… The question of “who tells your story” echoes throughout the Broadway sensation Hamilton: An American Musical, a blockbuster portrayal of a forgotten figure in American history. This week on the Midnight Myth, we dive deep into Lin-Manuel Miranda’s powerful piece of theatrical Americana in a surprise second investigation into the roles and responsibilities of historical fiction. We’ll go back to the big daddy of historical dramas, William Shakespeare, to learn how history plays have shaped national sentiment and historical perception. Then we’ll discuss the historical imperatives Hamilton confronts us with. What does the play ask us to do? What relationship to history does it cultivate? Does it handle American history with the delicacy it deserves—where does it triumph and where does it fall short? Hamilton is deeply important to us as art lovers and content creators, so we hope to do it justice in our conversation—or that you’ll view us with indulgence.

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Donate to the Milwaukee Freedom Fund to help protestors in Kenosha. Or donate directly to the family of Jacob Blake.

If you’re not part of a high-risk population and want to do your part to help ensure a free and fair US election, consider applying to become a poll worker. Learn more at www.powerthepolls.org.

After the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, educate yourself about colorectal cancer, and get screened if you’re at risk.

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Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

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Episode 161: FREEDOM! | Braveheart, Historical Fiction & Political Philosophy

They may take our lives, but they can never take… our podcast! This week on the Midnight Myth, come with us to a distant land and a distant past, when a cruel pagan ruled England, and a kilt-wearing, face-painted band of untrained rebels beat back those tyrannical invaders. A time when princesses traveled to enemy territory to negotiate with war leaders, only to fall in love with a larger-than-life national hero… Wait a second. That doesn’t sound right. Yes, friends, we’re tackling the 1995 megahit of historical fiction, Braveheart. Spoiler alert: it’s not history. But if it’s not history, what value does it bring? We’ll explore some of the political realities of England and Scotland in the Middle Ages, the epic “source” material of the Mel Gibson flick, and the reflections Braveheart inspires regarding historiography.

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If you’re not part of a high-risk population and want to do your part to help ensure a free and fair US election, consider applying to become a poll worker. Learn more at www.powerthepolls.org.

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Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes!

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Episode 160: You're Gonna Need a Bigger Podcast | Jaws (1975), Mythological Monsters & Public Health

What threatening shadows lie within the deep? For millennia, mankind has wrestled with the mysteries and perils of our oceans. With 80% of the world’s oceans still uncharted, it’s easy to understand why we tell stories about monsters lurking beneath the surface. Today, we’re discussing the ultimate modern realization of those fears—Stephen Spielberg’s 1975 classic Jaws. We’ll look back to the ancient world and the mythological sea monsters we once believed plagued our waters. How far have we really come from the people who imagined the Kraken, sea serpents, and six-headed man-eaters? Plus, we’ll cover the Great White in the room—why Jaws comparisons have surfaced in conversations about the coronavirus, public health, and policy debate.

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If you’re not part of a high-rick population and want to do your part to help ensure a free and fair US election, consider applying to become a poll worker. Learn more at www.powerthepolls.org.

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Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes!

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Episode 159: Science Fiction/Quintuple Feature | Sci-Fi, History & Philosophy

After five weeks of discussing iconic science fiction films and television—2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Rick & Morty Season 4—we’re back with a no-holds-barred discussion of the connecting themes and striking variation within the genre. Starting with a (very) brief history of sci-fi, from its ancient roots to its flourishing in the 19th and 20th Centuries, we try to arrive at a satisfying definition of the science fiction genre that celebrates its rich and diverse output. We’ll discuss how sci-fi properties frequently serve as apt social or political commentary, the changing landscape of literary voices within the genre, and the contentious distinction between sci-fi as pulp and sci-fi as “serious literature.”

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Find out if your state offers free COVID-19 tests and get tested through Project Baseline. Thank you for wearing a mask and protecting the health and safety of your community.

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The Midnight Myth stands with Black Lives Matter and those protesting social injustice across our country. Please join us in supporting those who will not stay silent.

Open your wallet if you are able. Consider supporting the NAACP’s Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Reclaim the Block, your local Black Lives Matter Chapter or Bail Fund. Or directly support the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, or Tony McDade. Seek out and support Black-owned businesses in your area.

Looking to get educated about systemic racism, police violence, and white privilege? Find book, film, and podcast recommendations at bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES.

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Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

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