Genius & Ink 🖌

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit armenikus.substack.com “The immortality the Greeks understood was of other people remembering you and telling your stories — as we are still doing with Odysseus.” — Emily Katz Anhalt Hello friends, Some of you decided to reward my work by becoming paid subscribers, so while this episode is available for everyone to watch for free, there...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit armenikus.substack.com Hello friends, I recorded this podcast in March 2025. So, about a year ago! I don’t know why this recording stayed in the vault for such a long time, but here we go. It is free for everyone to listen to, but paid subscribers will get the full transcript, summary and a reading list below the paywall. I hope you wil...

Beauty awakens the soul to act. ~ From The Divine Comedy Hello friends, I am so excited to announce this read-along that I have been working since mid-2024 (or one could say for 8 years since 2017!). Treat this post as a personal invitation and a welcome-pack with all the sources that you will need to join this exciting journey. (If this email appears truncated, click here to read the full piece o...

Hello friends, This article explores one of the most haunting paintings I have ever seen, and perhaps the most significant piece I have ever written. The story behind Géricault’s ‘The Raft of Medusa’ left me sleepless for many nights ever since I wrote about it. I write to preserve the greatest stories I encounter— in books, films, paintings, or sculptures. I revisit my pieces to refine my writing...

In this episode we explore three thought provoking ideas. First, we delve into Boris Pasternak’s quiet stand against Stalin—a testament to poetry’s power against oppression. Then, a single line from philosopher Mircea Eliade reminds us that to truly grow, one must embrace life’s darker transformations. Lastly, Roberto Calasso warns of creativity’s erosion in our automated age, urging a return to g...

Hello friends, In this episode, we explore a wonderful book called The Library: A Fragile History written by Arthur der Weduwen and Andrew Pettegree. In one of the chapters, they mention a powerful brewers’ lobby that tried to stop the expansion of public libraries in England. (This is back in the 19th century) Why would companies that make money on selling beer be against books? 💭 Interesting li...

Our minds often resemble a disordered library. We might be well-read, but not be able to use knowledge when we need it. In this episode we explore a short passage from Schopenhauer’s essay ‘On Thinking for Yourself’. The passage: As the biggest library if it is in disorder is not as useful as a small but well-arranged one, so you may accumulate a vast amount of knowledge but it will be of far less...

In this episode, we're delving into a rare book by Leo Tolstoy, written during his darkest times. Tolstoy, a Christian mystic, delves into the relationship between religion, science, and the human spirit. * Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/armenikus * My Newsletter 📚 - 👉 http://eepurl.com/he7YKD * Instagram 📷 - 👉 https://www.instagram.com/ar menikus * Podcast 🎤- 👉 https://artidote.uk/ * You...

Attention is "the rarest and purest form of generosity." The act of giving oneself-turning away from one's own self and turning toward the world, making a place for others by placing one's own self in a subordinate position- is true attention. Dear listeners, This episode is an unusual one. It’s the audio version of my article on the French philosopher Simone Weil, who had a revolutionary perspect...

The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne had an enormous influence on every thinker who came after he died in 1592. Voltaire, Rousseau, Nietzsche, Camus, and Hannah Arendt are only a few names who quoted Montaigne as their influence. Montaigne is also known as the inventor of Essay as a genre. Unfortunately, our modern schools and universities often miss the original purpose of this genre. Essay...

Hello friends! Over the past 15 years I’ve documented every book that I’ve ever read in my journal or commonplace book. The result is that as of June 2023, I’ve about 30 Moleskine notebooks full of ideas, quotes and passages written by some of the greatest minds that ever lived. From the mind-blowing ideas of Nietzsche and the beautiful language of Vladimir Nabokov’s stories to the sublime labyrin...