Past Episodes
Feb. 10, 2025
Wordsworth : Finding Solace in Nature, Battling Inner Turmoil.
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore William Wordsworth: A Biography by Juliet Barker, an in-depth look at Wordsworth’s life, literary career, and struggles with mental health. From his education at C...
Feb. 10, 2025
The Price of Genius: Is Psychopathology the Cost of Greatness?
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Greatness: Who Makes History and Why by Dean Simonton , a groundbreaking study on the psychological traits that define historically significant individuals . Simon...
Feb. 10, 2025
Nietzsche: The Philosopher Who Walked The Edge of Sanity
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Friedrich Nietzsche: A Philosophical Biography by Julian Young, a comprehensive account of Nietzsche’s life, thought, and ultimate descent into madness. From his P...
Feb. 10, 2025
Jim Morrison – The Myth, the Madness, and the Music
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend by Stephen Davis, a biography that delves into the brilliant yet self-destructive mind of The Doors’ iconic frontman. From his tr...
Feb. 9, 2025
"Nature Screaming in My Blood" : The Terror of Insanity and The Scream
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Edvard Munch: Behind The Scream by Sue Prideaux, the first comprehensive biography of the artist in English. While The Scream is one of the most famous paintings i...
Feb. 9, 2025
Sanity, Madness, and Transformation – The Psyche in Romanticism
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Sanity, Madness, Transformation: The Psyche in Romanticism , an analysis of how Blake, Shelley, and Wordsworth confronted and expressed madness, myth, and the unco...
Feb. 9, 2025
The Alchemical Vessel : Transforming Mental Anguish into Creative Gold
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Jung’s Transcendent Function: A Comprehensive Analysis , a deep dive into Carl Jung’s core concept of psychological growth and individuation. The transcendent func...
Feb. 9, 2025
William Blake: Lunatic or Genius? Exploring the Fine Line
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore The Stranger from Paradise: A William Blake Biography by Gerald Eades Bentley Jr. , an in-depth look at the life, art, and mysticism of one of history’s most enigm...
Feb. 9, 2025
Strong Imagination – Madness, Creativity, and the Evolution of Genius
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Strong Imagination: Madness, Creativity, and Human Nature by Daniel Nettle, an investigation into the biological and genetic foundations of psychosis and its conne...
Feb. 9, 2025
The Cracks Where The Light Gets In: Philip K Dick's Trauma and Dissociation
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore The Divine Madness of Philip K. Dick by Kyle Arnold, a biography that examines how paranoia, trauma, and religious visions shaped one of science fiction’s most vis...
Feb. 9, 2025
Logician Kurt Gödel's Journey to the Edge of Reason
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Journey to the Edge of Reason: The Life of Kurt Gödel by Stephen Budiansky, a biography that illuminates the brilliance and fragility of one of the greatest logici...
Feb. 9, 2025
Manic Depression and Creativity – The Highs, Lows, and Genius of the Mind
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Manic Depression and Creativity by Jablow Hershman and Julian Lieb, an in-depth examination of the complex link between manic-depressive illness and creative geniu...
Feb. 9, 2025
Madness and the Romantic Poet – Genius, Mental Illness, and Literary Myth
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Madness and the Romantic Poet , a deep dive into the origins and evolution of the Romantic mad poet archetype. The book traces how mental illness, poetic inspirati...
Feb. 9, 2025
Jack Kerouac : A Man Helpless Before His Own Mind
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore The Voice Is All by Joyce Johnson, a biography that delves into Jack Kerouac’s life, creative evolution, and inner turmoil. We examine how his Franco-American heri...
Feb. 9, 2025
Creativity: The Magic Synthesis – Psychology, Art, and the Creative Mind
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Creativity: The Magic Synthesis by Silvano Arieti, a deep dive into the psychological and sociocultural forces that drive creativity. Arieti examines the cognitive...
Feb. 9, 2025
A Serious Character – Ezra Pound’s Genius, Controversy, and Legacy
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore A Serious Character by Humphrey Carpenter, a biography that examines the brilliance, contradictions, and controversies of Ezra Pound. From his upbringing in Idaho ...
Feb. 9, 2025
Creating Minds – The Psychology of Genius and Innovation
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Creating Minds by Howard Gardner, an in-depth analysis of the creative processes behind some of the greatest minds of the 20th century. Through the lives of Sigmun...
Feb. 9, 2025
The Neurodiversity Edge – How Inclusion Fuels Innovation
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore The Neurodiversity Edge by Maureen Dunne, a compelling argument for why embracing neurodivergent talent is not just ethical—but essential for innovation. Dunne hig...
Feb. 9, 2025
The Power of Different – Neurodiversity, Creativity, and the Mind
In this episode of *The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast*, we explore *The Power of Different* by **Gail Saltz**, a compelling look at the **connection between neurological differences and exceptional abilities**. Saltz examines how...
Feb. 9, 2025
Dancing with Ophelia – Madness, Creativity, and Recovery
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Dancing with Ophelia by Jeanne Ellen Petrolle, a deeply personal and thought-provoking look at mental illness, creativity, and the path to recovery. Petrolle share...
Feb. 9, 2025
The Mystery of Creativity – Myths, Mechanisms, and the Science of Genius
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore The Creative Mind: Myths and Mechanisms by Margaret Boden, a deep dive into the cognitive processes behind creativity. Boden challenges the idea that creative geni...
Feb. 9, 2025
Wittgenstein : Battling Angst and Discovering Logic
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius by Ray Monk, a biography that illuminates the brilliant, troubled, and intensely self-critical mind of Ludwig Wittgenstein. We exa...
Feb. 9, 2025
The Bleeding Canvas : Frida Kahlo's Agonized Poetry
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Frida Kahlo: A Life in Paint and Letters by Hayden Herrera, a biography that captures the passion, suffering, and resilience of one of history’s most iconic artist...
Feb. 8, 2025
Art, Activism, and the Struggles of Lorraine Hansberry
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Looking for Lorraine by Imani Perry, a powerful biography of Lorraine Hansberry, the visionary playwright behind A Raisin in the Sun . Beyond her artistic and poli...