Canonball
In this podcast we discuss the European literary canon and the history, culture, philosophy, art, and science that surrounds it.
Episodes
This is a talk I gave at a bookstore in Western Maryland in October 2025 discussing the world in which Mary Shelley was living when she wrote Frankenstein.
Pick up my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website: https://www.vollrathpublishing.com
At 3:36 I reversed the names of the Islands of St. Helena and Elba; Napoleon was of course first imprisoned on Elba, then St. Helena.
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "The Spirit Of The Laws," which was written by Montesquieu and published in 1748.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
VollrathPublishing.com
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Fathers And Sons," which was written by Ivan Turgenev and published in 1862.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
VollrathPublishing.com
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "We," which was written by Yevgeny Zamyatin and first published in 1924.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
VollrathPublishing.com
In this episode of Canonball we continue discussing "The New Science," which was written by Giambattista Vico and first published in 1725, before being republished in a revised edition in 1730, and a final edition in 1744. See also Part I for more on Vico.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
VollrathPublishing.com
In this episode of Canonball we begin discussing "The New Science," which was written by Giambattista Vico and first published in 1725, before being republished in a revised edition in 1730, and a final edition in 1744. See also Part II for more on Vico.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
VollrathPublishing.com
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "The Devil's Dictionary," which was written by Ambrose Bierce and first published as a book in 1906 before being republished in 1911.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
VollrathPublishing.com
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "The Last Man," which was written by Mary Shelley and published in 1826.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
VollrathPublishing.com
This is a short story I wrote. I hope you enjoy it.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
VollrathPublishing.com
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Statesman," which is one of the dialogues of Plato, who lived in the fifth and fourth centuries BC.
The cover art for this episode is Plato as depicted in a portion of the oil painting The Death of Socrates, which French painter Jacques-Louis David completed in 1787.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Sophist," which is one of the dialogues of Plato, who lived in the fifth and fourth centuries BC.
The cover art for this episode is Plato as depicted in a portion of the oil painting The Death of Socrates, which French painter Jacques-Louis David completed in 1787.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
...
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Theaetetus," which is one of the dialogues of Plato, who lived in the fifth and fourth centuries BC.
The cover art for this episode is Plato as depicted in a portion of the oil painting The Death of Socrates, which French painter Jacques-Louis David completed in 1787.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Cratylus," which is one of the dialogues of Plato, who lived in the fifth and fourth centuries BC.
The cover art for this episode is Plato as depicted in a portion of the oil painting The Death of Socrates, which French painter Jacques-Louis David completed in 1787.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Phaedo," which is one of the dialogues of Plato, who lived in the fifth and fourth centuries BC.
The cover art for this episode is Plato as depicted in a portion of the oil painting The Death of Socrates, which French painter Jacques-Louis David completed in 1787.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
V...
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Crito," which is one of the dialogues of Plato, who lived in the fifth and fourth centuries BC.
The cover art for this episode is Plato as depicted in a portion of the oil painting The Death of Socrates, which French painter Jacques-Louis David completed in 1787.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
Vo...
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Apology," which is one of the dialogues of Plato, who lived in the fifth and fourth centuries BC.
The cover art for this episode is Plato as depicted in a portion of the oil painting The Death of Socrates, which French painter Jacques-Louis David completed in 1787.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
...
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Euthyphro," which is one of the dialogues of Plato, who lived in the fifth and fourth centuries BC.
The cover art for this episode is Plato as depicted in a portion of the oil painting The Death of Socrates, which French painter Jacques-Louis David completed in 1787.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "Growth Of The Soil," which was written by Knut Hamsun and published in 1917.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
VollrathPublishing.com
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "The Beautiful And Damned," which was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and published in 1922.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
VollrathPublishing.com
In this episode of Canonball we discuss "The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote Of La Mancha," which was written by Miguel De Cervantes and originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615.
A correction: Edith Grossman's translation is 940 pages.
Get a copy of my edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at my website:
VollrathPublishing.com
Popular Podcasts
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!