34 Circe Salon -- The Parallax

Chapter 13, whereupon Odysseus finally reaches the shores of his beloved home, Ithaca, but not without his Phaeacian helpers incurring the wrath of Poseidon. 

One of the most colorful passages in the entire work, in chapter 12, Odysseus recounts his encounters with the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis and the cattle of Helios! 

Odysseus journeys to Hades, the underworld, where he learns his fate and the fate of those he loves. 

It's a podcast crossover! Join in as we share an episode from our sister podcast, "Make Matriarchy Great Again." (If you haven't subscribed, please do.  You'll love it.) Madeline Miller's beautiful and lyrical novel, "Circe," Is one part mythology, one part biography and one part half-remembered dream.  It is a work that explores Greek myth from the perspective of a female character-- and does so...

Odysseus.  Circe.  She's our Matron (34 Circe, right?).  Whose side do you think we're on? ;-)

Odysseus relays the story of the cyclops.  Need we say more?

Let the games begin! Join us as we discuss chapter 8 of the Odyssey wherein King Alcinous present athletic games in honor of their royal guest, Odysseus.  Dr. Gary Stickel believes this could represent the origin of the Olympics.  Join Sean Marlon Newcombe as he discusses this fun and potentially groundbreaking chapter with Dr. Stickel. 

Looks like we skipped a chapter in our odyssey with The Odyssey! Join us as we discuss chapter 5 of The Odyssey wherein the Gods gather in council to discuss the fate of Odysseus.  Don't miss this one!

By day, Odysseus enters the Palace of King Alcinous under the protective mist of Athena. By nightfall, he is offered that hand of the princess in marriage.  Join Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dr. Gary Stickel as they discuss the journey of Odysseus. 

It's Hollywood Time again!  Join us as we review the 1997 TV miniseries, "The Odyssey."  Produced by Hallmark Entertainment and Francis Ford Coppola, the series was highly anticipated.  Was it worth the wait?  Tune in and find out...

Odysseus has washed up on shore after a violent storm caused by Poseidon.  He lays safe in a wooded field.  After a long night of deep, much-needed sleep, he awakens to find beautiful maidens playing in the clearing in front of him.  His clothes in tatters, he emerges naked to ask their help.  All but one flees in fear.  Only Princess Nausicaa stays.  She offers the stranger help and guides him to...

Telemachus learns information that gives him hope that his father Odysseus may still be alive.  Meanwhile, back at the palace, his mother's suitors plan his demise. 

With the hoards of suitors overrunning the ancestral palace, Telemachus sets off in search of his father Odysseys as the goddess Athena, in disguise, guides his way.  At the city-state of Pylos, they join the sacrifice to Poseidon and seek the next step in the journey to finding Odysseus.

And so begins the journey-- Chapter One of The Odyssey.  Odysseus has been gone for the ten long years of the Trojan War and now must lead his comrades home to Ithaca.  Meanwhile his beloved wife Penelope is besieged by unruly suitors who have overrun her palace as they boorishly seek her hand in marriage. It is there where our story begins...

We return to the world of cinema to review the 1954 film "Ulysses."  Starring Golden Age icons Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn, "Ulysses" is a product of 1950s Italian cinema.  Does the film do the epic justice?  Does it hold up to today's film standards?  Tune in and find out. Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dr. Gary Stickel discuss. 

Join us for the story that gave birth to the adventure tale! It is a story of a man of many twists and turns who braved mountain and sea, gods and monsters all to find his way to home and those he loved.  It is "The Odyssey"!  A tale whose very name has come to describe a journey of wonder, struggle and adventure. Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dr. Gary Stickel set sail alongside Homer to share this epi...

The return and rebirth of an exciting series on the 34 Circe Salon Parallax Channel-- Parallax Sports!  In this series we'll drill down deep in the world of sports to examine the trends and changes that are affecting the athletic landscape.  In our current episode we ask the question: Are Sports Irrelevant Now?  Has the advent of video games, social media and even Covid caused sports to take a bac...

Join us as Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dr. Gary Stickel review the masterwork that we've explored for the last few weeks: The lliad. The Foundational work of Western European literature, The Iliad has influenced writers and artists for three millennia and its reach can be found in everything from Virgil's Aeneid to Hollywood blockbusters. 

A legendary queen renown for a brilliance, charisma and seductiveness that affected the course of three ancient empires . A legendary movie renown for an opulence, financial excess and smoldering romance that altered Hollywood.  An irresistible combination? A majestic masterpiece? Not so much. Join Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dr. Gary Stickel as they discuss the cinematic conflagration "Cleopatra" (1...

We may gaze across 3000 years of glory and glamour, across endless waves of fallen warriors crashing, endless tangles of lovers' bodies twisting, visions of cities lost, empires of dust-- yet still through the vast and sundry visions of the millennia, our eyes cannot help but be drawn to the tragedy of Troy's end.  So here we are, gentle listener.  It has come to this: the fall of Troy.  Join Sean...

With Hector slain, Achilles now mourns the death of Patroclus with a series of athletic competitions-- the funeral games.  Shortly, the attack on Troy will take place in earnest.  Till then, eat, drink and be merry...

The final confrontation.  Achilles.  Hector.  Fate decreed the outcome.  The will of the Gods be done.  With Hector's death would die the hopes of all Troy.  The end is near...

The goddesses and gods choose sides and come to blows!  It's chapter 21 and the end is near!  Achilles is unleashed and takes on the Trojans while above in Olympus, the divine beings seek to influence the action with a conflict of their own.  Join Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dr. Gary Stickel as they discuss the Iliad's furious sprint to its conclusion.

Chapter 20-- when all will start to come to its fruition as decreed by Goddesses and Gods. In this chapter, the Olympians choose sides and Achilles and Hector finally square off.  It's the beginning of the end...

Join Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dr. Gary Stickel as they discuss the 2014 film "Hercules" starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. One of the most famous Ancient heroes of all time, Hercules has captivated the world for generations.  Does the 2014 film capture the essence of the excitement, mystery and adventure of the myth? Listen in and find out!