Nakedly Examined Music is a podcast about making music: Why do we do it? Why do we do it the way we do it? Mark Linsenmayer interviews songwriters and composers famous and otherwise about specific recordings, which are presented in full on the podcast. 
Ivan started as a teen guitarist in the early '70s touring with The Foundations and then in 1977 was a founding member of Richard Hell and the Voidoids. After an album with them (and a recording with The Clash), he fronted The Outsets through the early '80s and then toured with Shriekback, briefly co-led a group called Lovelies, toured and recorded with Matthew Sweet, was in a Continue Reading …
Philosophy vs. Improv #50: Pro Tips w/ Marla Cáceres
Marla is an improviser from the Whirled News Tonight iO Theater show. We talk about obeying proper forms of behavior and drawing improv inspiration from outside sources. Plus, a thruple blind date and BBQ chain of custody. And introducing a new character, Lil' Confucius. Image from here. Follow Marla @MarlaCaceres and @marlacaceres. Hear more PvI. Support the Continue Reading …
Ep. 313: Mozi’s Political Ethics (Part Two)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus a supporter-exclusive part three. Continuing from part one on the central Mohist text, with guest Tzuchien Tho. Sponsors: Check out the Continuing the Conversation web series by St. John's College at sjc.edu. Check out the Hermitix podcast at hermitix.net. Get your streaming or in-person ticket to our April 15 Continue Reading …
Ep. 313: Mozi’s Political Ethics (Part Three for Supporters)
Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth reconvene for a second session to pull specific quotes out of the Mozi. We discuss his arguments against fatalism and Confucianism, his three criteria for evaluating arguments (origin, validity, and consequences), his support for meritocracy ("honoring the worthy") and identifying with your superiors, and the Will of Heaven chapter. Listen to parts Continue Reading …
Ep. 313: Mozi’s Political Ethics (Part One)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content including including a new Nightcap discussion relevant to this episode about tributes to the dead. On the central Mohist text, collecting the teachings of Mozi (aka Mo Tzu), from the Chinese Warring States period around 430 B.C.E., with guest Tzuchien Tho joining Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth. The Continue Reading …
Ep. 313: Mozi’s Political Ethics (Part Two for Supporters)
Continuing from part one on the central Mohist text, with guest Tzuchien Tho. Was Mozi really only concerned with material well-being? Is the lack of this well-being why people act badly? We talk more about Mozi's arguments against elaborate funerals and music (and art in general). Plus, we look at Mozi's words against war and whether his defense of some past wars makes Continue Reading …
Ep. 313: Mozi’s Political Ethics (Part One for Supporters)
On the central Mohist text, collecting the teachings of Mozi (aka Mo Tzu), from the Chinese Warring States period around 430 B.C.E., with guest Tzuchien Tho joining Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth. The full book is very long, so we used the portions translated by Burton Watson in his Mo Tzu: Basic Writings (1963). Tzuchien was previously on our Confucius (aka Kongzi) episode, and Continue Reading …
(sub)Text: Mortal Pretensions in John Donne’s “Death Be Not Proud” (Holy Sonnet 10)
A recusant Catholic turned Protestant, a rake turned priest, a scholar, lawyer, politician, soldier, secretary, sermonizer, and of course, a poet— John Donne’s biography contains so many scuttled identities and discrete lives, perhaps its no wonder that his great subjects were mortality and death. His Holy Sonnets, likely composed between 1609 and 1610, and published Continue Reading …
PEL Eulogies Nightcap Late March 2023
Mark, Seth, and Dylan talk about what makes for a fitting tribute for those departed and mourning customs (which we've been thinking about in light of our Mozi and Mengzi episodes). We then talk about how and whether Daoism has made a practical difference in our lives. Watch the trailer for Griefwalker that Seth refers to. Pick up Eva Brann's new book, Pursuits of Continue Reading …
Philosophy vs. Improv #49: Ferrets in Uniform with Cole Nasrallah
Mark and Bill talk transcendental idealism and Schopenhauer with Cole, who teaches philosophy at the College of Southern Nevada. How does the idea that everything is ideas actually affect behavior? What if you think that reality is a swirling mass of chaos? What are you gonna do then? Huh? Also, the least effective confidential informant! Hear Mark talk about Schopenhauer on Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #146: Black Panther Films and Comics
Perhaps alone in the Marvel Universe, Black Panther is taken seriously as a political statement, both in the content of its stories and in how the films are produced. Wakanda purports to present an alternate historical condition of Africa had it not been colonized. Mark, Lawrence Ware, Anthony LeBlanc, and Viola Burlew discuss the comics and films, getting into the political Continue Reading …
Ep. 312: The Dao De Jing on Virtue (Part Two)
Subscribe to get both parts of this episode ad free. Concluding our discussion of the Daodejing with guest Theo Brooks. This continues directly from part one, but you should really start with ep. 311. Sections covered in this part of the discussion include: Next episode: We're reading another figure from the Chinese Warring States period: Mozi, specifically the Continue Reading …
Philosophy vs. Improv #48: Debates in the Orthaganon
Mark and Bill act out a couple of scenes of a person trying to convince a stubborn person of something. But there's a twist in the characterization! Also, before you were born, the world did not exist. Part of this came out of some comments in The Partially Examined Life's second Wittgenstein On Certainty episode and anticipates our upcoming treatment of Daoism. Mark Continue Reading …
NEM#191: Chris Slusarenko and John Moen As (And Before) Eyelids
Chris and John were friends since the '80s in the Portland music scene, playing separately in several bands (sometimes as front men, sometimes not). By the '00s, John was drumming for bands like the Decembrists, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, and Elliot Smith, while Chris was doing a stint on bass for Guided by Voices and running a record shop. They recorded together as Boston Continue Reading …
Ep. 312: The Dao De Jing on Virtue (Part One)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content including including a new Nightcap discussion about philosophy as self-help. Our second full discussion on the Daodejing by Laozi. What actions and attitudes characterize the Daoist sage? Featuring Mark, Wes, Dylan, Seth, and Theo Brooks. Listen to ep. 311 first. In this part of the Continue Reading …
Ep. 312: The Dao De Jing on Virtue (Part Two for Supporters)
Concluding our discussion of the Daodejing with guest Theo Brooks. This continues directly from part one, but you should really start with ep. 311. Sections covered in this part of the discussion include: Next episode: We're reading another figure from the Chinese Warring States period: Mozi, specifically the Basic Writings selected and translated by Burton Watson. Continue Reading …
Ep. 312: The Dao De Jing on Virtue (Part One for Supporters)
Our second full discussion on the Daodejing by Laozi. What actions and attitudes characterize the Daoist sage? Featuring Mark, Wes, Dylan, Seth, and Theo Brooks. Listen to ep. 311 first. In this part of the discussion we cover these chapters: Image by Charles Valsechi. Editing by Tyler Hislop. Continues with part two. Continue Reading …
PEL Self-Help Nightcap Early March 2023
Recorded 2/10/23 between our two Daodejing discussions, the full foursome reflects on the interpretive challenges of that text and then consider the activity of reading philosophy and Daoism in particular as self-help. This issue should not of course be confused with the question, "Is studying philosophy beneficial for your live?" but sure enough, we pretty much slide into Continue Reading …
PEL Mini-Nightcap and Announcements: Meet Theo!
Who is this Theodore Brooks that has graced our presence on ep. 311 and who we liked enough to ask back for ep. 312? Note that Karyn Lai that Theo mentions is the prof. who's working with Peter Adamson on his History of Philosophy in China series. Watch her talk about the I Ching (Book of Changes), which though not in itself a work of philosophy is a foundational source for Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #145: Growing Up Sitcommed
Mark, Sarahlyn, Lawrence, and guest Landen Celano from the Grunt Work podcast (all about Home Improvement) talk about talk about our ambivalence toward the three-camera, laugh-tracked half-hour comedies that filled our childhoods in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Why did some of these stand the test of time? Are some shows well suited for hate-watching or background watching? Why Continue Reading …