WINNOW: A Couple’s Close Reading of the Iliad and Odyssey

We have decided to post Owen's Odyssey audiobooks of the Butler translation here to our podcast feed. These audiobooks are also available on YouTube with text on-screen. We hope that this makes the Odyssey journey easier to follow for our audio-only listeners. Enjoy! Thank you to Project Gutenberg for the full text of the Samuel Butler (1900) translation.  Narrated by Owen Gemmer.

Our journey into the Odyssey begins! Join us as we discuss the opening lines of the Odyssey with our special guest Kyle Prue. We talk about the meaning of "polytropos", concerns about Nolan's adaptation, and give advice to first time readers of the Odyssey. Listen to Book 1 of the Odyssey to be prepared for next week's episode on YouTube . Watch this episode on YouTube . Check out Kyle's show RABB...

If you're planning on joining us for our slow read of the Odyssey, you might be wondering what translation you should choose. No fear! We are here to give you some solid options and strong guidance. If you're wondering what we read when we're not reading the Iliad or the Odyssey, check out our bonus podcast on Patreon . Stay tuned for the Odyssey Book 1 audiobook coming soon! Thank you to Nat Cope...

Join us as we discuss the final book of the Iliad. Fun fact: Achilles doesn't die in this one! Why does the story end like this? And how are Achilles and Priam able to come to a sort of understanding? We reflect back on the Iliad as a whole, and Bella makes the case that anyone can read the Iliad. If you're wondering what we read when we're not reading the Iliad or the Odyssey, check out our new b...

Welcome to the Funeral Games! In honor of Patroclus, Achilles holds many contests for various prizes. The boys are so back. Join us as we discuss these contests and the significance of the prizes. Because in this book, everyone gets a participation trophy from Achilles himself. Listen to Book 24 of the Iliad to be prepared for next week's episode on YouTube . Watch this episode on YouTube . Thank...

Drum roll please! The duel that you've all been waiting for is finally happening. It's Achilles vs Hector. Does the final duel live up to the hype? Or does it fall short in some way? Listen to Book 23 of the Iliad to be prepared for next week's episode YouTube . Watch this episode on YouTube . Thank you to Nat Copeland for our theme song. Edited by Isabella Gemmer

In this episode of WINNOW we discuss Achilles vs the River. His rage knows no bounds; he literally fights nature itself. How far will Achilles go to get revenge for the death of Patroclus? Listen to Book 22 of the Iliad to be prepared for next week's episode on YouTube . Watch this episode on YouTube . Thank you to Nat Copeland for our theme song. Edited by Isabella Gemmer

In this episode of WINNOW we discuss the Theory of the Bicameral Mind and how it potentially applies to the characters of the Iliad. It may explain why these greek warriors act without thinking and blame everything on the gods. And Owen surprises Bella with some really insightful Greek that adds a lot of color to the text. Watch this episode on YouTube . Listen to Book 21 of the Iliad to be prepar...

Welcome to a special bonus episode of WINNOW. We reread the second book in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, The Sea of Monsters, in anticipation of the new season dropping today. The Sea of Monsters is particularly special to us because it is one giant nod to the greek mythology in Homer's Odyssey. And we also just wanted to take a stroll down nostalgia lane. Join us as we map out the...

In this episode of WINNOW we discuss Book 19 of the Iliad. There's one more thing to do before Achilles charges into battle. Odysseus suggests the men eat, so they have enough energy to continue to fight. Achilles claims that he isn't hungry, but goes along with it. There are some half-hearted apologies and *jump scare* the horses talk. Listen to Book 20 of the Iliad to be prepared for next week's...

Book 18 of the Iliad is where we see Achilles's reaction to Patroclus's death. Achilles's reaction is intense and full of grief, but we think that there's more going on here. In this episode we do some investigating into the original Greek text to see what specific words Achilles is using to describe his relationship with Patroclus. Were they friends? Were they comrades? Were they roommates? Watch...

Welcome back to WINNOW. This week we are covering Book 17 of Homer's Iliad. We're not quite to the rage of Achilles yet. First the Greeks and Trojans must fight over Patroclus's dead body. Even once Hector has stripped off Achilles's armor, his body still carries great significance. But why is his body so important? Watch this episode on YouTube . Listen to Book 18 of the Iliad to be prepared for...

Back our regularly scheduled programming! Today's episode covers Book 16 of Homer's Iliad. This is the book where Patroclus meets his tragic end. Why does Achilles let Patroclus wear his armor into battle? What inspires Patroclus to go beast mode? And what twist of fate is his undoing? We dive into all of it here on the WINNOW podcast. Listen to Book 17 of the Iliad to be prepared for next week's...

Welcome to the second part of our bonus Frankenstein extravaganza. In this episode of WINNOW we discuss Guillermo del Toro's new movie adaptation of Frankenstein. We wanted to love it... but so many substantial changes were made to Mary Shelley's original novel that we're not ever sure we can call this Frankenstein. If you're looking for a free audiobook of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, checkout t...

Welcome to this special bonus episode of WINNOW where we break down everything you could possibly need to know about Frankenstein before watching the new movie directed by Guillermo del Toro. If you're looking for a free audiobook of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, checkout this audiobook narrated by Owen on YouTube. Thank you to Nat Copeland for our theme song.

In this week’s episode we cover Book 15 of Homer’s Iliad. This is a make-it-or-break-it moment in the Trojan War. Either the Trojans burn the Greek's ships or the Greeks rally enough to push back the Trojans. And Zeus has total control to enact his PLAN. The rest of the gods are sitting on the sidelines. It's about to go down... Listen to Book 16 of the Iliad to be prepared for the next episode on...

In this week’s episode we cover Book 14 of Homer’s Iliad. This book focuses mainly on ox-eyed Hera, enacting her plan to seduce Zeus and distract him from the war. With Zeus distracted from the war, maybe the Greeks will have an opportunity to beat the Trojans back from their ships. We discuss the significance of Hera's actions and how love is portrayed in the Iliad. Listen to Book 15 of the Iliad...

In this week’s episode we cover Book 13 of Homer’s Iliad. We refer to this book as the battle of the red shirts because there's a lot of fighting between the expendable characters. The guys who, if this was Star Trek, would be wearing red shirts. There's also a lot of talk of courage as Poseidon rallies the Greek troops against the Trojans. And don't forget about Menelaus! Listen to Book 14 of the...

In this week’s episode we cover Book 12 of Homer’s Iliad. This book starts and ends with the breaking of the wall that the Greeks erected to barricade themselves and their ships. We see that in the future, when this war is over, the gods themselves will break down the wall. But for now Hector is the Trojan warrior that breaks through the gates into the Greek camp. He throws a boulder. It's an epic...

In this week’s episode we cover Book 11 of Homer’s Iliad. This book contains A LOT of Homeric similes. So we thought that we’d take a moment to talk about what an epic simile is and why they’re so great. This one’s about language! To cover this book we break down three of our favorite similes, plus an awesome taunt from Diomedes. Paris gets insulted again. And Nestor tells Patroclus a long story....

This week’s episode is all about book 10 of the Iliad, espionage by night. It’s still night, and both the Greeks and the Trojans decide to send spies. The Greeks send Diomedes and Odysseus. The Trojans send Dolon, a herald who doesn’t stand chance. This is the first book where we get to see what kind of man Odysseus is in the war. His actions are kinda shocking. What is he willing to do? How far i...

This week's episode is all about Book 9 of the Iliad, the embassy to Achilles. Basically, the Trojan War is not going well for the Greeks. And they’re getting desperate. Odysseus, Phoenix, and Ajax are sent to try to persuade Achilles to rejoin the fight. They each present different arguments. In many ways this book is similar to a Platonic dialogue. Will Achilles be swayed? And what the heck is P...

This week's episode is all about Book 8 of the Iliad, where we get serious about trying to understand the greek gods. Are they really fickle? Can we unlock the hidden meaning behind their seemingly random actions? Bella proposes that we look at this through a symbolic lens, a Jonathan Pageau perspective, to dig deeper. Plus, Zeus finally gets involved in the action. He whips out his golden scales...

This week's episode is all about Book 7 of the Iliad, where we break down another duel where no one dies. It's Hector vs. Ajax, but it ends in a draw. Why do they agree to halt the duel? In many ways this book is all about resetting the stage. The sun goes down and the dead are collected. Plus, Bella proposes the tile conspiracy theory. Did Ajax really get chosen at random? Listen to Book 8 of the...

Join us, Owen and Isabella Gemmer, as we dive deep into the Iliad and Odyssey one book at a time. This week's episode is all about Book 6 of the Iliad, where we talk about the brutality of war. And we try to answer the age-old question: why can't we be guest-friends? Do these guys really have to fight one another? Plus, we argue over our differing opinions on Hector. Are his actions heroic or cowa...