Best Greg Brownderville Podcasts (2025)

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GBD30: My Weird Experience in Wales 45:55

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4M ago45:55

45:55

In this episode, I'm joined by Nicole Morris for a discussion of my recent trip to Wales and the strange and fascinating experience I had there.By Greg Brownderville

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GBD29: Love in Vain 14:25

5M ago14:25

14:25

In this episode I introduce a new series called Let's Talk Lyrics, beginning with "Love in Vain," a great blues song by Robert Johnson. As a native of the Delta region, I have been listening to, and playing, blues songs all my life. This song by Robert Johnson has been a big inspiration to me. In this new series, Let's Talk Lyrics, I discuss songs …

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Could Artificial Intelligence ever steer you wrong? 18:19

6M ago18:19

18:19

SMU Professor Robert Hunt sees the benefits of Artificial Intelligence when it comes to scientific and medical advances. The discovery of new drugs and potentially new and clean energy sources will be expedited because of AI. But Hunt, the author of the new book "All Brain And No Soul — Real Humanity in an AI Age," worries about the cost to humanit…

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SMU Professors Jillson and Wilson grade first 100 days of Trump 47 46:35

7M ago46:35

46:35

SMU Political Science Professors Cal Jillson and Matt Wilson routinely field journalist queries from all over the world. So we thought President Donald Trump's First 100 Days in his second term was an excellent time to pause and reflect upon the Trump 47 Administration to date. This SMU Perspectives Podcast delivers sharp commentary amid the contex…

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GBD28: A Crack in the Pavement 1:18:16

9M ago1:18:16

1:18:16

#ritaguerrero #sergioloo #mexicanpoetry #mexicanrock #mexicocity #cdmx #santasabina In this episode I explore the poignant story of how Mexican rock star Rita Guerrero's life intersected with that of Mexican poet Sergio Loo. Have a look at _Southwest Review_: https://southwestreview.com/ Subscribe to _Southwest Review_ here: https://southwestreview…

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Tracking the rise of U.S. 'Presidential Power' 23:56

11M ago23:56

23:56

After the architects of the U.S. Constitution framed the role of Congress in Article I, they set about to define the executive branch in Article II and a job description for the U.S. President — whom they envisioned to be a cheerleader for Congress. SMU Professor Jeffrey Engel — director of the Center for Presidential History — notes that vision wa…

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GBD27: How I Became a Poet 49:57

1y ago49:57

49:57

In this episode I am interviewed by Robert Ehlert of the SMU Perspectives podcast.By Greg Brownderville

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SMU Poet Greg Brownderville: medium for a multitasking muse 48:45

1y ago48:45

48:45

We waited to release our latest episode of SMU Perspectives Podcast until October because it’s the month of Halloween and pumpkins and things that go bump in the night. Our guest, SMU English Professor/Poet Greg Brownderville, hails from Pumpkin Bend, Ark., where folklore holds court like a poet-in-residence. It wafts through the Mississippi Delta …

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Listening is key to civil conversations — even during a contentious election year. 33:10

1y ago33:10

33:10

In this polarized world it's easy to imagine civility is dead — or at least has one foot in the grave. Dare we try to have an impromptu conversation about presidential politics, religion, guns, abortion or Israel-Gaza, many of us might fall prey to our emotions and the physical hackles rippling through our bodies. But it doesn't have to be that way…

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GBD26: Speaking in Tongues and Cultural Recovery 29:03

1+ y ago29:03

29:03

In this episode I discuss the connection between ecstatic worship practices in twelfth-century Wales and those of twentieth-century Wales. I show how Pentecostal worship in the early twentieth century brought Welsh worshippers closer to their own ancestral language and its rich literary history. Later in the video, I link Welsh and Lebanese Penteco…

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GBD25: Mysterious Welsh Bread 12:21

1+ y ago12:21

12:21

In this episode I offer a new way of interpreting the fascinating and mysterious bread imagery in folktales about marriages between Welsh faery women and mortal men.By Greg Brownderville

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GBD24: Let's Try This Again 12:36

1+ y ago12:36

12:36

A number of people in nineteenth-century Wales claimed faery ancestry. Specifically, they said a woman of the tylwyth teg (the "beautiful family," or Welsh faeries) had married a mortal Welshman, and that they were her descendants. In this episode I point up some parallels between these nineteenth-century oral histories and much earlier Welsh stori…

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GBD23: Experience the 2024 Eclipse Through Poetry 16:46

1+ y ago16:46

16:46

In this episode my poetry students at SMU invite you into the experience of 2024's total eclipse in Dallas, Texas, which occurred last month. The students talk about what it was like to see the eclipse, and then they read poems they wrote only fifteen minutes after totality.By Greg Brownderville

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GBD22: Getting Married to Faeries, Magical Pigs, and Mike Tyson’s Beowulf Moment 31:10

1+ y ago31:10

31:10

In this episode I respond to questions from viewers, discussing (1) the faery blood running in Welsh veins, (2) the magical pigs in The Four Branches of the Mabinogi and the connection between dreams and myths, and (3), just for fun, the upcoming Mike Tyson / Jake Paul fight and how it relates to Beowulf, Toby Keith, and the Spoon River Anthology. …

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GBD21: Welsh Magic 37:37

1+ y ago37:37

37:37

In this episode I discuss the meaning of the magical force of awen in Welsh culture and interpret a few stories about the tylwyth teg (the Welsh faeries).By Greg Brownderville

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GBD20: The Magic of May Day 37:12

1+ y ago37:12

37:12

In this episode I talk with renowned British historian Ronald Hutton about May Eve and May Day. Ronald offers tips as to how we might celebrate this wondrous holiday and weave it into our lives.By Greg Brownderville

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Cumbersome permitting processes will delay clean energy initiatives 10-15 years 28:56

1+ y ago28:56

28:56

The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022 seemed like a green light for long-awaited clean energy initiatives. But as James Coleman — an energy law professor at SMU Dallas points out — then reality set in. The $400 Billion to $1.2 Trillion set aside for our green energy dreams was stalled by cumbersome permitting processes to build …

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GBD19: Celebrating Hen Galan, the "Old New Year," in Wales 53:29

1+ y ago53:29

53:29

In this episode I tell about my recent experience celebrating a West Wales holiday called Hen Galan ("the Old New Year"). The centerpiece of the episode is my conversation with a young man named Carwyn, for whom Hen Galan and the historic pub where it is celebrated are of deep emotional and cultural importance. Bessie Davies, the woman and pub owne…

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SMU Dallas law school clinic rescues women classified as 'criminalized survivors' 24:36

1+ y ago24:36

24:36

One of the tragic ironies that domestic violence victims face is that they sometimes get arrested and even jailed during the very episode wherein they were abused. Case in point is a Texas woman who was date raped, abandoned in the driveway of a DFW home where she was later arrested for DWI and incarcerated. Law students of the Judge Elmo B. Hunter…

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How retail investor 'superpowers' can be sequel to "Dumb Money" film 15:44

2y ago15:44

15:44

SMU Dallas law professor Christina Sautter is an expert on the type of youthful "retail investors" depicted in the hit film, "Dumb Money," a comedic but serious look at what happened during the GameStop stock episode of 2021. The cast (including Pete Davidson, Paul Dano, America Ferrara , Nick Offerman and Seth Rogen) carries out a David vs. Goliat…

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GBD18: A Pumpkin Bend Christmas 45:32

2y ago45:32

45:32

For this special Christmas edition of GBD, I set up in my dad's shop in Pumpkin Bend, Arkansas, and talked with him about what Christmas has meant to him through the different stages of his life.By Greg Brownderville

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GBD17: Working Men, Fighting Men (featuring Johnson, Dylan, Haggard, and Heidegger) 45:05

2y ago45:05

45:05

In this episode I discuss the personalities of professional fighters Alexander Volkanovski and Tyson Fury in connection with three songs by Robert Johnson, Merle Haggard, and Bob Dylan. Purchase Beekeeper Spaceman here: https://shop.bandwear.com/products/be... "Workin’ Man Blues" by Merle Haggard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EwK0... "Workingma…

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GBD16: How to Celebrate Michaelmas, a Forgotten Fall Holiday 26:46

2y ago26:46

26:46

In this episode I describe the forgotten fall holiday called Michaelmas, give my thoughts on its meaning, and offer some ideas about how to celebrate it.By Greg Brownderville

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GBD15: Poems for Autumn 11:06

2y ago11:06

11:06

The scorching triple-digit heat in Texas (where I live) certainly isn't giving anyone a fall feeling, so I'm turning to autumnal poetry to change the emotional weather. In this episode I read and discuss seven poems that convey the enchantment of autumn. I recorded the video for this episode with my phone in a hotel room; forgive the less-than-amaz…

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GBD14: The Bead Spitter 18:04

2+ y ago18:04

18:04

This episode kicks off a special series on poetics, built around the idea of “wordhood.” I discuss a Dakota myth called "The Killing of Bead-Spitter" and why it matters to me.By Greg Brownderville

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GBD13: The Case for Dylan Thomas 41:22

2+ y ago41:22

41:22

On March 12, 2015, I gave this interview and lecture on Welsh poet Dylan Thomas at the Allen Public Library (TX) for its Celtic Month.By Greg Brownderville

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GBD12: Living the Lore (with Ronald Hutton) 26:15

2+ y ago26:15

26:15

In this episode I speak with Professor Ronald Hutton in his office at the University of Bristol, discussing the value of participatory, experiential folklore scholarship: living the lore rather than studying it aloofly. Afterward, by way of example, I tell how my own direct experience of the May this year has deepened my understanding of the holida…

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GBD11: The Magic of May Day 22:02

2+ y ago22:02

22:02

In this episode I talk about a largely forgotten holiday called the May: May Eve (30 April) and May Day (1 May). I also discuss the mysterious May carols, which were traditionally sung this time of year.By Greg Brownderville

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GBD10: Ronald Hutton 46:50

2+ y ago46:50

46:50

This episode is a conversation with the eminent historian Ronald Hutton. I wanted to talk with him partly because I’m fascinated by obscure British holidays and how they add color, meaning, enchantment, and fun to the calendar, a topic on which Professor Hutton is the world’s leading authority. If you happen to share this interest, I highly recomme…

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GBD9: Rupert Sheldrake (Round 2) 1:09:56

2+ y ago1:09:56

1:09:56

This is my second audio episode featuring the English biologist Rupert Sheldrake, recorded during Christmastime in London. If you watched the short version of this episode (titled “The Logos and the Calendar”) on my YouTube channel, I still recommend listening to this audio episode. The video version is only twenty-three minutes long, whereas this …

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GBD8: The Simples (with Eric Brownderville and Johnny Wink) 1:52:05

2+ y ago1:52:05

1:52:05

In this episode I return to my undergraduate alma mater, Ouachita Baptist University, to sit a spell with Johnny Wink and Eric Brownderville (my brother). This is one of the most joyous conversations I've ever been a part of. —Greg and Eric reminisce about their first experiences as college students (4:56) —Eric runs into his former English profess…

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GBD7: Rupert Sheldrake 48:39

3y ago48:39

48:39

In this episode I pay a visit to the London home of the brilliant English biologist Rupert Sheldrake. Trust me, you don't want to miss this one: Rupert says one profound, fascinating thing after another. Also, he is at times downright hilarious, especially when he’s exposing the fundamentalism of the crotchety materialist Richard Dawkins and others…

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GBD6: Bart Weiss 1:42:29

3y ago1:42:29

1:42:29

In this episode recorded a few days before Christmas, I sit down with filmmaker Bart Weiss to talk about our experimental online project, Fire Bones (www.firebones.org). We also discuss imitation and originality, the relationship between head injuries and dysregulation of sleep, synesthesia and poetry, the art of filmmaking, Robert Frost's ideas ab…

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GBD5: Wordjoy for Life 1:28:26

3y ago1:28:26

1:28:26

This episode’s guest is a magnificent poet named Johnny Wink, author of _Haunting the Winerunner_ and _Seven Ways to Prune a Grapefruit_ . . . (03:04) Johnny meets the great bluesman Fred McDowell, and then something beautiful and unforgettable takes place (09:45) “Errors” as edits (11:17) welcoming, and benefiting from, constructive criticism with…

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GBD4: Thanksgiving edition 12:24

3y ago12:24

12:24

In this episode Greg invites you to join him in Pumpkin Bend, Arkansas, for Thanksgiving and some stories about a beloved Delta dish served this time of year: duck and dressing. Featuring Greg's good friends Rod and Dale. logo design by Julie Savasky at 508 Creative: https://508creative.com music by Beekeeper Spaceman and Eric Brownderville…

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GBD3: Spoetry 34:38

3y ago34:38

34:38

In this episode Preston Hutcherson joins Greg to talk about the poetry of sports broadcasting and sports punditry. (00:35) Preston regales Greg with a bizarre and hilarious piece of audio in which sportscaster Jim Nantz suddenly reinvents himself as a mortician. (09:45) Greg and Preston parse the psychology of stardom and discuss Bono and Tom Brady…

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GBD2: AMA 33:42

3y ago33:42

33:42

In this episode Greg answers his favorite questions from Episode 1: “Greg, why do you like Yeats so much?” (:36) “Greg, why are you obsessed with folklore?” (06:18) “Greg, why are death and eating mythologically linked?” (24:47) ”Greg, have you been working on any new artistic projects, and if so, what are they?” (29:40) Fire Bones: https://www.fir…

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GBD1: Halloween edition 53:44

3y ago53:44

53:44

This special Halloween edition of GBD includes: —two funny stories involving the word “casket" —an explanation of the dumb supper —American boxer Deontay Wilder on death and sweet potatoes —an in-depth discussion of John Keats's “The Eve of St. Agnes” —poetic form / the Spenserian stanza —the tension between the imaginal life and the life of worldl…

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Ep. 0: Welcome to The Greg Brownderville Dimension! 7:23

3y ago7:23

7:23

In this episode, Greg introduces himself and explains what this show is all about—namely, the joy and magic of language. Also in this episode: while Christmas shopping, Greg’s friend Alex sends him an unforgettable text message, and Tim (another friend of Greg’s) says poetry is “the perfect technology” to meet a very specific psychological need tha…