Pig on the Wall

A special guest takes a special quiz: Do you know your Bruce? DJ, musician, and musicologist Les Coole is going to find out. Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty: two artists from the same time period who share similar career arcs and methodologies in the madness of the music industry. Springsteen and Petty achieved the same creative longevity and inventiveness, a rare feat, and taking a look at Bruce'...

Tom Petty managed to stay creative and inventive for four decades. Forty years of quality music. How did he do it?  I will do my best to figure it out.

Tom Petty managed to stay creative and inventive for four decades. Forty years of quality music. How did he do it?  I will do my best to figure it out. Act One of this series examines the origin story of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers-- a narrative that sounds like something out of Joseph Campbell's seminal 1949 book The Hero With a Thousand Faces—  aside from the weed, the Volkswagen bus, the to...

The final scene of the most haunting work of drama ever written. There is no question that Shakespeare stuck the landing. This episode features detailed analysis of scene 5.2 and plenty of context and connections to previous scenes; there are also clips from a wide range of adaptations to bring the text to life (plus plenty of bonus clips). No prior knowledge is required to enjoy this production. ...

In Act Five, Scene One of Hamlet, we confront and meditate upon death—impending, current, and past—but don't worry, there are plenty of jokes.   Thanks to some kindly pirates, Hamlet is back in Denmark and reunited with his ever-loyal college buddy Horatio. They meet in a cemetery, and things get profound, philosophical, and pandemonious. This episode features detailed analysis of scene 5.1 and pl...

Hamlet, Act Four is one thing after another.  A dead body to deal with, Hamlet goes on a diplomatic trip to England, pirates, a soliloquy inspired by Fortinbras, madness, vengeance, some major scheming, and a tragically beautiful, beautifully tragic ending.  This episode features detailed analysis of all this and more, plus there are clips from a wide range of adaptations to bring the text to life...

The second half of Act Three of Hamlet features some of the most profound meta-theatrical writing, direction, and performance in the history of stage and screen.   This episode features detailed analysis of the play within the play, the many roles of Hamlet, King Claudius's confession, and Hamlet's visit to his mother's bedroom. There are clips from a wide range of adaptations to bring the text to...

Hamlet: Act Three, Scene One contains some of the most iconic lines ever written. This episode is a thorough analysis of this celebrated scene, including clips from various performances. This is the scene when the actor playing Hamlet must completely immerse himself in the role. No prior knowledge is required to enjoy this production.  Hopefully, this series will be a valuable resource for those w...

Act Two of Hamlet is full of plots, schemes, and ruses. The characters are laying traps and setting wheels into motion There is also meta-dramatic theatrical trickery and both a literal and a symbolic Trojan Horse. Wild stuff. This episode features detailed analysis of all the various schemes and clips from a wide range of adaptations to bring the text to life. No prior knowledge is required to en...

Hamlet : a ghost story, a revenge play, and so much more. In the second half of Act One, as The Big Lebowski puts it, "New shit has come to light." We will examine all this new information, and there will be clips from a wide range of adaptations to bring the text to life. No prior knowledge is required to enjoy this production.  Hopefully, this series will be a valuable resource for those who wis...

Hamlet: a sprawling, shaggy masterpiece and the ultimate example of collaborative achievement. How did a Norse legend eventually lead to Shakespeare's timeless Elizabethan masterpiece? This episode briefly traces the historical origins of the play before delving into the first half of Act One. Clips from a wide range of adaptations bring the text to life, showcasing the breadth of interpretations...

We stand on the shoulders of giants. Great ideas are the product of many minds, from many times-- which is why attribution is so messy.