Essays On Air

A scene at the Aquarius Festival, Nimbin, 1973. Flickr/Harry Watson Smith, CC BY-SAIn the north-east corner of Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales is a small former dairying and banana farming community. Today, however, that village is unrecognisable. Nimbin is now widely acknowledged as Australia’s counter-cultural capital, a sister city to both Woodstock in New York State and Freetown Christiania in Denmark. Among Nimbin’s tourist attractions today are its Hemp Embassy and the annual Mardi Grass festival in early May, which argues for the legislation of marijuana for personal and medicinal use. The village’s transformation from a rural farming community to its present form can be traced to 1973, when Nimbin became the unlikely host of the Aquarius Festival – a counter-culture arts and music gathering presented by the radical Australian Union of Students. A scene from the Aquarius Festival in Nimbin, 1973.Flickr/harryws20/Harry Watson Smith, CC BY Why is Nimbin the way it is? These social and political origins of the commodified hippie culture on display today in Nimbin have become less apparent to visitors and more recent migrants to the region. Visitors, especially those arriving on bus tours, tend to shop, buy coffee and leave again. To counter this, the Nimbin Tourism Office commissioned me in 2016 to produce an app-based audio walk to promote a deeper engagement for tourists with the town and help answer the question: why is Nimbin the way it is? Here’s a snippet: Local voices on how the 1973 Aquarius Festival changed Nimbin forever. Jeanti St Clair, CC BY2.44 MB (download) The audio walk, an adapted version of which features on today’s episode of Essays On Air, was published onto the GPS-enabled mobile phone app Soundtrails. Soundtrails is owned by The Story Project, an Australian organisation focusing on oral history-based audio walks and they’ve published more than a dozen such walks in regional Australia. A scene from the Aquarius Festival in Nimbin, 1973.Flickr/Harry Watson Smith/harryws20, CC BY Anyone with a smartphone can access it by downloading the app and the Nimbin audio walk and following the route through the village’s streets and parklands. Headphones provide the best experience. The stories I share with you today are excerpts from the Nimbin Soundtrail and are drawn from consultations and interviews with more than 60 Nimbin residents, Aquarius Festival participants and Indigenous elders. Here, I’ve tried to reconnect the past and the present to make clear how Nimbin became the counter-cultural capital that it is. And the caveat is that many of the events in this documentary walk happened more than 40 years ago. I’ve recognised that memories have merged with other retellings that evolved over the years and the definitive truth is perhaps unavailable. Any version of Nimbin’s counter-culture will be an incomplete history. The nine months it took me to gather these stories and make some sense of how they fitted together were rewarding. And while there are some who might dispute the accounts of what happened in these stories, others agree that it’s a fair record of Nimbin contemporary history. The full Nimbin soundtrack can be heard by downloading the Soundtrails app and listening here. And if you are ever in the area, I invite you to take a day out, visit and listen to the stories in town. A crowd at the Nimbin Hotel during the Aquarius Festival, Nimbin, 1973.Flickr/Harry Watson Smith, CC BY New to podcasts? Podcasts are often best enjoyed using a podcast app. All iPhones come with the Apple Podcasts app already installed, or you may want to listen and subscribe on another app such as Pocket Casts (click here to listen to Essays On Air on Pocket Casts). You can also hear us on PlayerFM or any of the apps below. Just pick a service from one of those listed below and click on the icon to find Essays On Air. Additional audio Recording and editing by Jeanti St Clair...

I had never encountered the word 'curry muncher' until I arrived in Australia 10 years ago.ShutterstockOpening Night, Melbourne Comedy Festival 2018. Dilruk Jayasinha’s introductory salvo: This is so exciting. I honestly… Sorry, it’s unbelievable — that I get to do stand-up comedy here at the Palais in Melbourne. Because I… I’m from Sri Lanka! And I used to be an accountant. Yeah. A Sri Lankan accountant!!! So — not just a money cruncher, but a curry-munching money cruncher! Thaaat word … is it back again? For someone who has spent the last 30 years of her life specialising in English literary, postcolonial and cultural studies, I had never encountered it until I arrived in Australia 10 years ago. On today’s episode of Essays On Air, a podcast from The Conversation, I’m reading my essay, titled The politics of curry. Find and subscribe to Essays on Air in Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Read more: When a suburb's turn for gentrification comes ... Additional audio Big Mojo Vadodara by Kevin MacLeod Dilruk Jayasinha’s performance at the Melbourne Comedy Festival 2018 (used under fair dealing) Indian beats by delta9THC #2 Indian dream by zebra 404 Old Man’s Tale by David Szesztay Snow by David Szesztay Sound effects from Orange Free Sounds and Free Sound Today’s episode was recorded and edited by Maggy Liu. Mridula Nath Chakraborty does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Detail from Little Big Woman: Condescension, Debra Keenahan, 2017.Designed and made by Debra Keenahan, Photograph by Robert Brindley., Author provided (No reuse), Author providedFor centuries, women with dwarfism were depicted in art as comic or grotesque fairytale beings. But artists are challenging these portrayals and notions of beauty and physical difference. Essays On Air, a podcast from The Conversation, brings you the best and most beautiful writing from Australian researchers. Today, Western Sydney University researcher Debra Keenahan is reading her essay, titled The female dwarf, disability, and beauty. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Additional audio Snow by David Szesztay Oboe Sonata in C minor “Farewell” by Dee Yan Key Game of Thrones quote from HBO (used under fair dealing) Sound effects from Orange Free Sounds and Free Sound Today’s episode was recorded by Sunanda Creagh and edited by Jerwin De Guzman.

In the 1980s, Australian geographer Maurice Daly exposed the urban planning system as a policy toolkit developers could capitalise on to drive subdivision and speculation – an insight that remains true even today. AAP Image/Lukas CochAustralia’s property market is slowing and many people are contemplating a possible bust. But today’s episode of Essays On Air reminds us that even since colonial days, Australia’s property market has had its ups and downs. Essays On Air, a podcast from The Conversation, brings you the best and most beautiful writing from Australian researchers. Today, University of Sydney urbanism researchers Alistair Sisson and Dallas Rogers narrate a recent essay they wrote for the journal Australian Geographer on boom and bust cycles in major Australian cities. It’s titled Property speculation, global capital, urban planning and financialisation: Sydney Boom, Sydney Bust redux. It was recorded and edited by Dallas Rogers and written with Alistair Sisson and Chris Gibson for the 100th anniversary of the journal Australian Geographer. The audio version features the voices of Roderick Chambers and Kevin Suarez, producers from the community radio station 2SER. The authors would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, upon whose land their research takes place. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Additional audio Strange Dog by Blue Dot Sessions Atlantic State of Mind (A Long Winter) by McGee Gnossienne No3 by Trans Alp Soundscape audio sourced from freesound.org Hip Horns With Drums by (none given) Dallas Rogers recently received funding from The Henry Halloran Trust, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), Urban Growth NSW, Landcom, University of Sydney, Western Sydney University, and Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA). Alistair Sisson receives funding from an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.

The battle for the Franklin River runs far deeper than simply providing the backdrop for a political tug-of-war.PETER DOMBROVSKIS/ LIZ DOMBROVSKIS/AAPOn 1 July 1983, in a dramatic four-three decision, the High Court of Australia ruled to stop the damming of the Franklin River. It ended a long campaign that helped bring down two state premiers and a prime minister, as well as overseeing the rise of a new figure on the political landscape – the future founder of the Greens, Bob Brown. But the battle for the Franklin River runs far deeper than simply providing the backdrop for a political tug-of-war. In today’s episode of Essays on Air - the audio version of The Conversation’s Friday essay series - writer and historian Billy Griffiths reads his essay on how archaeology helped save the Franklin River. Its rich history and significance to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community made the proposed dam a controversy that captivated the nation. Today’s episode was recorded and edited by Sybilla Gross. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Additional Audio Snow by David Szesztay Cave Drips by everythingsounds Climbing gear by Benboncan Cave footsteps by Timbre Cave River by jpdeglet69 Pottery sounds by Tumbleweed3288 Loud River by FractalStudios Panting by Drkvixn91 Fire crackling by daenerys Rain by acclivity Howling Wind by DBlover Newspaper by deleted_user_1116756 Parliament sounds by AusQuestionTime Protest by dnlburnett Rally clap by mw_1984 Correction: An earlier version of this story featured the wrong picture as its lead image. The error was made in the production process. The Conversation apologises for the mistake, and thanks readers who brought it to our attention. Billy Griffiths does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Ben Quilty, Life vest, Lesbos. 2016, oil on polyester, 60 x 50cmAustralian War Memorial Before the early 19th century, war was commonly depicted as a heroic venture, while death was both noble and surprisingly bloodless. Then came Goya with his collection of etchings called Disasters of War to show the full horror of what Napoleon inflicted on Spain, during the Peninsular War from 1808 to 1814. The art showed, for the first time, the suffering of individuals in the face of military power. On today’s episode of Essays on Air - the audio version of The Conversation’s Friday essay series - Conversation intern Sybilla Gross is reading my essay on the transformational power of art in our collective social conscience. Through countless wars and humanitarian crises, art has always depicted the crimes of our times. Putting aside whether or not art can actually change the world, there is always an important message it conveys - should we choose to listen. Maybe, that is all we can ask of it. Today’s episode was recorded and edited by Sybilla Gross. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Additional Audio I Am a Man Who Will Fight for your Honor by Chris Zabriskie Unfoldment, Revealment, Evolution, Exposition, Integration, Arson by Chris Zabriskie Hibernation by Sergey Cheremisinov The Answer by British Council (film) Arctic Shooting Training by qubodup Explosion by Omar Alvadaro Moans and Screams by qubodup Chaos and Screams (2013) by Iwan Gabovitch Modern Day War by Omar Alvarado Last Post by Benboncan link text Life in the 30s - McGraw Hill Films Small clap by kellieskitchen Crowd waiting Menin Gate 2016 by Stitlown Gasp 4 by jayfrosting Cicadas/wind by dobride Riots (Leipzig) by pillonoise Screaming Crowd by magician5 Waves crashing by Ali_6868 Female sobbing by Idalize Burning Air by sergeeo Human Flow (Trailer) - Amazon Studios, Participant Media and AC Films Street noise by smellor123 Sitar and Tabla Duo by Bruce Miller Joanna Mendelssohn has received funding from the Australian Research Council for Design and Art of Australia on Line and for a Linkage Project on exhibitions of Australian art.

The Loch Ness Monster and other folk tales might not be pure fiction, but actually based on memories of events our ancestors once observed.ShutterstockSo you think the Loch Ness Monster never existed? Think again. The science of “geomythology” is breathing new life into such stories. The Loch Ness Monster and other folk tales might not be pure fiction, but actually based on memories of events our ancestors once observed. On today’s episode of Essays On Air, the audio version of The Conversation’s Friday essay series, I’m reading my essay on the geographical truths behind some of humankind’s most mysterious myths. Traditional stories about age-old events might actually reveal clues about the geological history of the Pacific. Through research of ancient oral knowledge, we have opened up opportunities for understanding the minds of our ancestors, more than we ever thought possible. Today’s episode was recorded by Michael Lund and edited by Sybilla Gross. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Additional Audio Snow by David Szesztay Scenery by Kai Engel Brand New World by Kai Engel August (Summer Nights) by Kai Engel Lake waves by Benconcan Rumble by Unfa Cinematic deep rumble by Mmasonghi Low rumble by Tec studios ‘Monster’ rumble by Ecfike Chanting (scary) by theartisticfellow Thunder by Justkiddink Single wave breaks by Dobroide Explosion by tommccann Hawaii volcanoes by e__ Fiji Island Singing by Joseph Galea College campus ambience by Relebogile Fiji Coup Latest: Journalists by AP Archive Fiji: Ethnic Indians Flee the Unrest by AP Archive Boots marching by stib Military sounds by qubodup Pages turning by zamazan Pottery sounds by Tumbleweed3288 Didgeridoo by sandyrb Native American style flute in A by Wood_Flutes Hissing gas by Taberius Library by artemis_ch Celtic tin whistle by luis_audp Patrick D. Nunn receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research, Région Pays de la Loire (France), the University of the Sunshine Coast, and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Why did this woman, so devoted to her political cause and to her vision of a united France, chose to be burnt at the stake at the age of 19 instead of acquiescing to her judges’ directives?shutterstock.comOne need not be a parent of a young child, as I am, to be conscious of the full-blown resurgence of the superhero in contemporary popular culture. But there is more to a hero than courage and strength. On today’s episode of Essays On Air, the audio version of The Conversation’s Friday essay series, I’m reading my essay on Joan of Arc, our one true superhero. She’s been depicted as a national heroine and a nationalist symbol (and also, to my and many a leftists’ dismay, a popular mascot by French ultra-nationalists), a rebellious heretic and a goodly saint. A feminist role model and a belligerent military leader, an innocent mystic and a tortured victim. However one may choose to view her, there can be no denying that she is, and will continue to be, one of the most singular and significant exemplars of our troubled species. Forget Wonder Woman and Batman – Jeanne d’Arc may be our one and only true superhero. Today’s episode was edited by Sybilla Gross. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Additional Audio Snow by David Szesztay Choral Music by dobroide Outdoor farming sounds by klankbeeld Superhero flash by oscaraudiogeek I am Batman! And you are Dust! - Warner Brothers Fantasy Orchestra by bigmanjoe Horse Battle Sounds by Joao_de_Dues Four Voices Whispering by geoneo0 Female battle cries by 11linda Book shop interior by mzui Pages turning by Zamazan Ofelia’s Dream by Bensound Battle Horn 1 by kirmm Victory Cry by chripei Rainy Day by Dee Yan-Key Piano Movement by Bensound Jeanne d’Arc by Gaumont Ali Alizadeh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Eva Blue/Flickr, Southern Cross Austereo, CC BY-SASecond wave feminists protested against women’s magazines and beauty pageants. Today, however, beauty and fashion editors such as Elaine Welteroth (recently of Teen Vogue) are some of the most high profile voices of a resurgent feminist movement. On my most Pollyannaish days, I want to cheer online publications that mix politics with fashion and beauty for the way they are mainstreaming feminism. On closer inspection, though, this lashing together of feminist politics with a women’s magazine sensibility has produced some odd results. In today’s episode of Essays On Air - the audio version of The Conversation’s Friday essay series - I’m reading an edited version of my recent essay, The personal is now commercial – popular feminism online. With the #metoo movement bringing feminism right to the centre of mainstream debate, it’s time to take a closer at how popular feminism plays out online. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Today’s episode was edited by Jenni Henderson. Additional audio Snow by David Szesztay Walter’s Wonderland by Matt Oakley Ms. America, Up Against the Wall by Maisonpop93 Elaine Welteroth (teen vogue editor) on The Real Daytime Australia: Thousands march for equal rights in Melbourne on Women’s Day by Ruptly Ask Mia - Anxiety by MamaMia Women’s March on Washington: Full Rally by The New York Times 80s Interlude by Fanas Tomb Raider (club mix) by Music For Your Plants Kath Kenny does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Marchers at the 1978 Mardi Gras parade. Sally Colechin/The Pride History Group, Author providedOn a cold Saturday night in Sydney on June 24, 1978, a number of gay men, lesbians and transgender people marched into the pages of Australian social history. I was one of them. On today’s episode of Essays On Air, the audio version of The Conversation’s Friday essay series, Conversation editor Lucinda Beaman is reading my essay on the Sydney Mardi Gras march of 1978. On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, it’s worth revisiting the events of that night and reflecting on the remarkable lesson that, for oppressed minorities, there comes a time when enough is enough. Much has been achieved, but it would be a major mistake to relax and assume that history is progressively improving. Join us as we read to you here at Essays On Air, a podcast from The Conversation. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Today’s episode was edited by Sybilla Gross. Additional audio Snow by David Szesztay Tom Robinson, Glad to be gay. Mavis Staples, We shall not be moved Podington Bear, Memory Wind, from Free Music Archive David Szesztay, Flash, from Free Music Archive David Szesztay, Looking Back, from Free Music Archive Mark Gillespie is affiliated with The '78ers

In July 2017, new research was published that pushed the opening chapters of Australian history back to 65,000 years ago. Marcella Cheng/The Conversation, CC BY-NC-NDIn July 2017, new research was published that pushed the opening chapters of Australian history back to 65,000 years ago. It is the latest development in a time revolution that has gripped the nation over the past half century. In today’s episode of Essays On Air - the audio version of our Friday essay series - we’re reading you Billy Griffiths, Lynette Russell and Richard “Bert” Roberts’ essay When did Australia’s human history begin? This essay seeks to move beyond the view of ancient Australia as a timeless and traditional foundation story to explore the ways in which scientists and humanists are engaging with the deep past. Find Essays On Air in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Additional audio Snow by David Szesztay Tourism Australia advertisement Didgeridoo by Jimmie P Rodgers I am Australian by The Seekers This episode was edited by Jenni Henderson. Illustration by Marcella Cheng.

Fairy tales are extremely moral in their demarcation between good and evil, right and wrong. Marcella Cheng/The Conversation NY-BD-CC, CC BY-SAOriginally for adults, many fairy tales can be brutal, violent, sexual and laden with taboo. When the earliest recorded versions were made by collectors such as the Brothers Grimm, the adult content was maintained. But as time progressed, the tales became diluted, child-friendly and more benign. Adults consciously and unconsciously continue to tell them today, despite advances in logic, science and technology. It’s as if there is something ingrained in us – something we cannot suppress – that compels us to interpret the world around us through the lens of such tales. That’s what we’re exploring on the latest episode of Essays On Air, the audio version of our Friday essay series. Today, Marguerite Johnson, Professor of Classics at the University of Newcastle, is reading her essay Why grown-ups still need fairy tales. Join us as we read to you here at Essays On Air, a podcast from The Conversation. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Additional audio Snow by David Szesztay Mourning Song by Kevin MacLeod Jack and the Beanstalk by UB Iwerks Cinderella (1950), produced by Walt Disney Candle in the Wind/Goodbye England’s Rose by Elton John P. I. Tchaikovsky: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, performed by Kevin MacLeod from Free Music Archive. This episode was recorded by Eddie O'Reilly and edited by Jenni Henderson. Illustration by Marcella Cheng.

From the initial avalanche of mail triggered by Germaine Greer's book The Female Eunuch grew a collection of 50 years of letters, emails, faxes, telegrams and newsletters.Marcella Cheng/The Conversation NY-BD-CC, CC BY-SAFrom the initial avalanche of mail triggered by Germaine Greer’s book The Female Eunuch grew a collection of 50 years of letters, emails, faxes, telegrams and newsletters from academics, schoolchildren, radicals and housewives all over the world. They’re now stored in 120 grey, acid-free boxes at the University of Melbourne Archives. Lachlan Glanville, assistant archivist of the Germaine Greer Archive at the University of Melbourne has pored over these letters. In the latest episode of Essays On Air, the audio version of our Friday essay series, Glanville says the collection offers a powerful, often amusing, sometimes perplexing glimpse into the lives of the people affected by her work, as well as the many faces of Greer herself – academic, feminist, provocateur, confidant. Today, Conversation editor Lucinda Beaman reads Glanville’s fascinating essay, Reading Germaine Greer’s mail. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Additional audio Snow by David Szesztay Dreaming in the Non-Dream by Chris Forsyth and the Solar Motel Band Germaine Greer interview (1999) TV Heaven 1971 - Germaine Greer - The Female Eunuch This episode was edited by Jenni Henderson. Illustration by Marcella Cheng.

The much heralded 'death of the book' has nothing to do with the death of reading or writing. It is about a radical transformation in reading practices.Marcella Cheng/NY-CC-BD, CC BY-NC-NDIn the age of the globalisation of everything – and the privatisation of everything else - libraries can and must change. In fact, it’s already underway, as new technologies take books and libraries to places that are, as yet, unimaginable. That’s what we’re unpacking today on Essays On Air, where we bring you fascinating long form essays in audio form. Today, Camilla Nelson, Associate Professor of Writing at the University of Notre Dame, reads her essay, titled Why libraries can and must change. Nelson takes us from the ancient Library of Alexandria to the New York Public Library and explores the problems that arise when books are excluded, destroyed, censored and forgotten. And, indeed, when libraries are decimated. Join us as we read to you here at Essays On Air, a podcast from The Conversation. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Additional audio Snow by David Szesztay Big chain by daveincamas Traffic noise in the street by jcgd2 Automatic door by Kyodon Kids Birthday Party Crowd by jakobthiesen Cardboard burning by Rare Mess Recordings Plunger-pop by Quistard environment 1st floor by mariiao2 Moderate waves on the edge of a river by Duophonic breaking objects by deleted_user_3667256 Vacuum cleaner, by InspectorJ Morning docks by nathanaellentz Tearing paper by ScreamStudio Shhh Sounds by AryaNotStark Best Bernard Black Moments, Black Books by Channel 4 Ye Olde Green Inn by MAT64 Robo Hobo by The Freeharmonic Orchestra This episode was edited by Jenni Henderson. Illustration by Marcella Cheng.

Ongoing controversy around wild horses in Australia encompasses debate about their impact and their cultural meaning, argues Michael Adams. Marcella Cheng/The Conversation NY-BD-CC, CC BY-NC-NDWhile Australia debates how to reduce our wild horse numbers, other countries are working to re-establish wild horse herds in Europe and Asia. Could Australia’s attempts to “manage” brumbies be an act of hubris? That’s the question asked in the latest episode of Essays On Air, where we read to you the best essays penned by Australian researchers. Today’s moving and deeply personal essay, titled The cultural meanings of wild horses, is by Michael Adams, a geographer and writer who researches human-nature relationships. He explores how cultures across the world have represented and related to horses and asks whether attempts to manage wild horse populations mean we need to rethink the concept of “wildness”. Join us as we read to you here at Essays On Air, a podcast from The Conversation. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Additional audio A.B. (Banjo) Paterson The Man from Snowy River Poem Stranger Eight - Ambient Acoustic Vonora - Cuckoo & The Nightingale Duet Oymaldonado - Movie Score Classical Theme - Sad Moody Strings Funky Films - Walking Through Leaves Captain Vince - Helicopter Distant Los Angeles Canukfa - Crowd at the fence during a race Inspector J - Stream, Water, C. Steph 64 - Cows’ Bells Cosmician - Meadow, fly, horse, crickets Vincentmalstaf - Horses Dobroide - 20070918. Galloping Horse Inchadney - Distant motorcycle from a forest Trianglex - Emotional Piano Kubuzz - Horse’s whinny GoodListener - Horse Snort 2 Trollarch - Nature/Rain/Animals Snow by David Szesztay Banjo Patterson’s The Man from Snow River television theme song This episode was edited by Sarah Matthews. Illustration by Marcella Cheng.

A central convention of Greek mythological narratives called katabasis, the hero’s journey to the underworld or land of the dead. Marcella Cheng/The Conversation NY-BD-CCA central convention of Greek mythological narratives is katabasis, the hero’s journey to the underworld or land of the dead – and it’s a theme modern directors return to again and again. That’s what we’re exploring today on our first episode of Essays On Air, a new podcast from The Conversation. It’s the audio version of our Friday essays, where we bring you the best and most beautiful writing from Australian researchers. In this episode, Paul Salmond, Honorary Associate in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University, reads his essay Journeys to the underworld – Greek myth, film and American anxiety. Here, he explains how films like Chinatown, The Silence of the Lambs and Apocalypse Now evoke narratives played out in Homer’s Iliad, the story of Theseus and the minotaur and other classic Greek tales. Join us as we read to you here at Essays On Air, a new podcast from The Conversation. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Additional music and audio Cinematic Music - Eerie - David Szesztay Above Us - David Szestzay Looking Back - David Szesztay Chinatown - My sister, my daughter Chinatown - Evelyn’s last stand McCarthyism in America The Searchers - John Wayne’s Brutal Moment Apocalypse Now - Because it’s judgement that defeats us Fool Boy Media - 80s vibe McMartin Preschool: Anatomy of a Panic | Retro Report - The New York Times The Sopranos - Best Moments and Quotes (season 2) Berkeley Pro-Trump Rally in Chaos Trump: Russia investigation is a witch hunt - CNN Hell or High Water - I’ve been poor my whole life Sicario - Official Trailer Wind River - Official US Trailer Sicario - A Land of Wolves Wind River - Cory’s Daughter Captain America: Civil War - Airport Battle Scene Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Best Buffy Moments Hero of the Winds - Ominous Ambience Valentin Sosnitskiy - Acoustic Guitar Country This episode was edited by Sarah Matthews, and Paul Salmond’s reading was recorded by Eliza Berlage.

Our first episode is from Paul Salmond, an expert on the Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University, reading his essay 'Journeys to the underworld – Greek myth, film and American anxiety'. Wes Mountain CC-BY-ND, CC BYThe Conversation is launching a new podcast, Essays On Air. It’s the audio version of our Friday essays, where we bring you the best and most beautiful writing from Australian researchers. In each 10 to 15 minute episode, we’ll read aloud fascinating, meticulously researched essays penned by academics who are experts in their fields. These authors bring real knowledge, depth and love to the topics they unpack – and they write beautifully. Our first episode is from Paul Salmond, Honorary Associate in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University, reading his essay Journeys to the underworld – Greek myth, film and American anxiety. We’ll also be hearing a moving and deeply personal essay from Michael Adams, Associate Professor of Human Geography at the University of Wollongong, on the cultural meanings of horses. Join us as we read to you here at Essays On Air, a new podcast from The Conversation. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Additional music Theme music: Snow by David Szesztay, Free Music Archive Ambient Acoustic guitar by Stranger Eight, Freesound.org Additional audio McCarthyism in America (Youtube video) Cosmician - Meadow, fly, horse, crickets Paul Salmond’s audio track and Sunanda Creagh’s reading of Michael Adams’ essay on horses were both edited by Sarah Matthews.