Past Episodes
March 8, 2025
Anatomy of Melancholy: The book that predicted modernity
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Robert Burton’s The Anatomy of Melancholy , a Renaissance-era deep dive into the causes, symptoms, and cures of melancholy . Drawing from classical philosophy, ast...
March 8, 2025
The Birth of Tragedy: Sanity, Madness, and Greek Culture
In this episode of *The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast*, we dive into **Friedrich Nietzsche’s *The Birth of Tragedy***, exploring how his vision of **Apollonian order and Dionysian chaos** shaped not only Greek tragedy but also Ge...
Feb. 27, 2025
A welcome from the hosts of The Mad Genius Thesis
The podcast hosts reveal something important about themselves and tell listeners what the podcast is all about.
Feb. 26, 2025
"Dark patches": Walt Whitman's struggles with melancholy
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore the life and work of Walt Whitman, drawing from multiple biographies that illuminate his creative journey, personal struggles, and lasting influence. From his humb...
Feb. 26, 2025
Murder, Madness, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore The Surgeon of Crowthorne by Simon Winchester, a fascinating true story about the interplay of brilliance, madness, and obsession in the creation of the Oxford Eng...
Feb. 26, 2025
Basquiat: 'Perishable' - Art as a Response to Grief and Loss
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Eric Fretz’s biography of Jean-Michel Basquiat, tracing his meteoric rise from graffiti artist to global art icon. Basquiat’s work, infused with themes of racism, ...
Feb. 26, 2025
"Get as Much of That Poison Out" : Tupac's Art as Therapy
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur by Michael Eric Dyson, a deep dive into the life, artistry, and lasting influence of Tupac Shakur. More than just...
Feb. 25, 2025
César Vallejo : The Poet Who Predicted His Own Death
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Stephen M. Hart’s literary biography of César Vallejo, one of Latin America’s most profound and enigmatic poets. Vallejo’s poetry was deeply shaped by personal los...
Feb. 25, 2025
Mirrors and Monsters: Jorge Luis Borges's Nightmares
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Borges and Me by Jay Parini, a surreal and deeply personal journey through literature, memory, and self-discovery. This “novelistic memoir” recounts Parini’s unexp...
Feb. 25, 2025
Rabindranath Tagore's Restless Spirit : Versatility and Contradiction
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore the life and legacy of Rabindranath Tagore, as chronicled in the biography by Krishna Dutta and Andrew Robinson. A poet, philosopher, artist, and Nobel laureate, T...
Feb. 25, 2025
"The Drama of Desperation": Depression's Grip on James Agee
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore James Agee: A Life by Laurence Bergreen, a portrait of the brilliant but troubled writer whose work spanned poetry, journalism, film criticism, and screenwriting. ...
Feb. 24, 2025
Rimbaud: Poetry, Trauma, and the Flight from Art
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Rimbaud: The Cost of Genius by Neal Oxenhandler, a deep dive into the life and work of Arthur Rimbaud, the rebellious poet who revolutionized literature before aba...
Feb. 24, 2025
Borstal Boy : The Inner Turmoil of Brendan Behan
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Brendan Behan: Life and Works by Michael O'Sullivan, a deep dive into the life of one of Ireland’s most charismatic and self-destructive literary figures. Behan’s ...
Feb. 24, 2025
Diane Arbus – Photography, Obsession, and the Dark Side of Creativity
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Diane Arbus: A Biography by Patricia Bosworth, a revealing look at the life of one of photography’s most provocative and enigmatic figures. Born into privilege but...
Feb. 24, 2025
Baudelaire’s World – Poetry, Madness, and the Curse of Genius
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Baudelaire’s World by Rosemary Lloyd, a deep dive into the life, art, and tortured mind of Charles Baudelaire. A poet of modernity, exile, and decadence, Baudelair...
Feb. 24, 2025
Numbers and Nerves: The Creative Struggles of Srinivasa Ramanujan
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore The Man Who Knew Infinity by Robert Kanigel, the extraordinary story of Srinivasa Ramanujan, a self-taught mathematical genius whose intuitive brilliance reshaped ...
Feb. 23, 2025
Darkness Visible, William Styron's memoir of major depression
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William Styron, a raw and deeply personal account of the author’s battle with severe depression. Styron takes us through h...
Feb. 22, 2025
Yukio Mishima: Art, Obsession, and Tragic Genius
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore the life, work, and shocking death of Yukio Mishima, one of Japan’s most enigmatic literary figures. From his early influences and literary brilliance to his obses...
Feb. 22, 2025
The Beat Era : "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness."
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore The Beat Generation by Jamie Russell, a critical look at the countercultural movement that redefined American literature and identity. From Kerouac’s spontaneous p...
Feb. 21, 2025
The Age of Melancholy and the Failure of Modern Psychiatry
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore The Age of Melancholy by Blazer, a critical examination of how modern psychiatry has shifted from social to biological explanations of depression. While medication...
Feb. 21, 2025
"The world has used me ill." The Story of Jurassic Mary
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Jurassic Mary: Mary Anning and Primeval Monsters , a fascinating look at the life and legacy of Mary Anning, the groundbreaking 19th-century fossil hunter who chan...
Feb. 21, 2025
Melancholia : The Western Malady
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Melancholia: The Western Malady by Matthew Bell, an in-depth look at how melancholia has shaped Western culture, art, and philosophy from ancient Greece to the 19t...
Feb. 21, 2025
The Sickness Unto Death : Finding Selfhood Through Despair and Creativity
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore the life and philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard, the Danish thinker whose work laid the foundation for existentialism. Known for his deep reflections on faith, despai...
Feb. 21, 2025
The Divided Self : Exploring Duality in Thomas Mann's works
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Thomas Mann: Life as a Work of Art by Hermann Kurzke, a compelling biography that examines the deep connection between Mann’s personal struggles and his literary g...