Wednesday Blog by Seán Thomas Kane

Last week, the 7th of May 2024, marked the 200th anniversary of the premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. Today then, I want to talk with you about the hope which runs through that Ode to Joy.

This past weekend, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art debuted a new retrospective exhibit on the life and work of Franco-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle. One of her great initiatives was to express rebellious joy in her art, especially later in her career.

---

Over the last week, I've been thinking about how much I still use cash, and what that says about my lifestyle as a whole.

Guests:

Alex Brisson, New York City

Elizabeth Duke, Kansas City, MO

George Vial, County Donegal, Ireland

---

Over the last week, I've been thinking about the standards we define to cast a model of normality, or in an older term normalcy. This week then, I try to answer the question of what even is normal?

---

This Monday, North America experienced its second total solar eclipse in the last decade.

---

This week, after going down the rabbit hole of the Chicago Manual of Style's monthly Q&A newsletter, I thought I'd talk a bit about grammar.

---

Last week, I returned to Chicago, this time on a business trip to attend a conference, and on the way took time to slow things down and enjoy the lived experience.

---

This week, to begin Season 4 of the Wednesday Blog podcast, I want to talk about what it means to exist. I know, small topic for a Wednesday.

---

This week, to round out Season 3 of the Wednesday Blog podcast, a few words about my love for museums.

---

This week, I want to talk a bit about how the period I study resonates in our everyday lives through the foods we eat.

---

Today, one week after this city's great triumph and great tragedy, I've decided to reflect on the week now passed.

---

In a week of great triumph for my city and impactful announcements, some words on civic pride.

---

This week some words on time management.

---

I've long wondered about what kind of leader I want to be. This week a coalescing of those ponderings.

---

As we end the coldest month of the year and I think ahead, I want to share with you my thoughts on the joy of travel.

---

This week I want to talk about how we can recognize the existence of unknown things.

---

This week, how technology enhances and supplements human nature.

---

This week, a discussion of copyright expiration and what that means for this publication.

---

As we end 2023, I want to discuss doubt, one of the great drivers of my faith.

---

Today it's my birthday. So, some words about milestones.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, a reflection on the rising Sun.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, some words about St. Nick.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, how we enhance our vision with innovation.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, recognizing the sixtieth anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, my perspective on the last century and a half as a time of tremendous change.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, I argue that we should stick to Standard Time

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, some words about a trip just completed.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, I extol the virtues of listening to our bedfellows in nature.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, looking back to a Renaissance philosopher to try and make sense of the present.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, I have a bone to pick with the weather.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, why our conversations about ecology and culture are grounded in loss.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, a look back 200 years to another time of great political change in the United States.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, I try to remember a story for this week that I came up with on Saturday while lost in a parking garage.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, how we present ourselves to the world around us and in the mirror to our own reflections.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, recollections of this past holiday weekend's activities at the Kansas City Irish Fest and beyond.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, some thoughts on what it means to be a man in 2023 inspired by Greta Gerwig's new film Barbie. Yes, there are a handful of mild spoilers.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, how I've learned to deal with stage-fright and in some cases overcome it.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, I've decided to write about some of the advice I'm thinking about as I prepare to teach an entirely new age range in this new school year.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, how the pandemic made permanent somethings that were once reserved for fieldwork.

---

This week on the Wednesday Blog, I want to air a pet peeve of mine about stories taken out of context.

---

This Monday, I went to see the new Christopher Nolan film about the life and work of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the leader of the team that invented the atomic bomb.

------

This week, adding onto last week's release about my work as a translator, I'm discussing my view on how language ought to be personalized.

---

This week, I talk about my experiences as a translator.

---

This week, the Wednesday Blog is coming out a day early in honor of our Independence Day.

---

This week, a consideration of how memories survive as stories.

---

This week, in honor of Bloomsday, how reading Joyce helped prepare me for my doctorate.

---

This week I'm discussing what the word "classical" means to me in musical as well as historical and political terms.

---

Concerns have been raised lately over the risk that the increasing artificial intelligence of our computers poses to humanity. I think the risk truly lies in who teaches these computers and what they are taught.

---

Season 2 Finale: This week, the conclusion of "Ghosts in the Wind" as Dr. Olivia Stephens and her team make a groundbreaking discovery on Mars.

---