Clare and Hannah share their experiences practicing martial arts. By share their experiences, we mean they soared with exquisite grace through a grove of bamboo trees, exchanging blows that shook the surrounding wilderness and awakened a long-dormant volcano. Support the showPor Clare Walker & Hannah Kubiak

Clare and Hannah return with another book club, this time covering Joseph Heller's Catch 22, a satirical commentary on corporate malfeasance, nonsense, incompetence and bureaucracy. A classic war novel that coined a phrase still prominent in the modern zeitgeist, Catch 22 left Clare feeling like a dummy and convinced Hannah that she does indeed hav…

In this breakfast chat, Clare shares a truly embarrassing story from a fellow veterinarian. Names and locations have been changed to protect those involved from further shame. This episode may be troubling for more squeamish listeners, as it contains terms like: uterine horn, testicles, castration, cervix, and litter-bearing animals. Also, Hannah a…

In part 2 of our series on the kings and queens of England, Clare and Hannah talk about two kings who embodied the term, "man-child." Henry II spent his entire wedding reception goofing off with his best friend and ignoring everybody else, including his new queen. Richard II surrounded himself with his favorite sycophants, spent a ridiculous amount…

Hannah takes the "reigns" for part 1 in a series about the kings and queens of England. Because royalty in England just cycled through the same three names over and over, today we learn about two kings named Henry: Henry II: the highlights of his reign were murdering his best friend in a cathedral, getting whipped within an inch of his life in the …

Clare shares a song that terrifies both her and the man who wrote it. Hannah's song of choice did not so much rock her world as haunt her every waking moment for two weeks straight. Clare's song: "Cat's in the Cradle." Music, lyrics, and performance by Harry Chapin. In December of 1974 it was the Number 1 song on the Billboard Top 100. The link inc…

Clare and Hannah read Charles Portis' 1968 novel, True Grit, and have not been able to talk normally since. We also analyze two movie adaptations of the book: the 1969 adaptation directed by Henry Hathaway and the 2010 adaptation directed by the Coen Brothers. To get your own copy of this amazing book and/or your own DVD copy of the movies, visit C…

This is a weird one. Not at all what you'd be expecting. The names of locations, individuals, and 4-legged lifeforms have been changed to protect the innocent. If you enjoy funny vet stories, you might enjoy the books of James Herriot, a veterinarian plying his trade in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales of northern England. The stories take place befor…

Clare has been doing some light reading... of Dante's Inferno. The translation Clare's been reading is by Robert Hollander and Jean Hollander. The commentaries are A Beginner's Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy by Jason M. Baxter and Spiritual Direction from Dante: Avoiding the Inferno by Paul Pearson. She's also been referring to the Dorothy Sayers t…

Today we discuss whether The Chronicles of Narnia should be read in chronological order or in order of publication. Clare has strong opinions about this one. Hannah doesn't care either way, but that may change... You already have your own copy of The Chronicles of Narnia, right? Wait...what? You don't?? Let us help you rectify that unacceptable sit…

Clare and Hannah share some more of the songs that rocked their worlds. Turns out they both really love heavy metal. Who knew? Clare's songs: "I See Fire" -- metal version! Performed by Malinda and Violet Orlandi "Clean Up Your Room" by Akira the Don featuring Jordan Peterson "What Faith Can Do" by Kutless Hannah's songs: "A Question" by Bombadil "…

The four temperaments have been around since Hippocrates, who theorized that our human behavior is influenced by the quantities of various fluids present in our bodies. The four temperaments are: Sanguine (blood), Choleric (Yellow bile), Melancholic (black bile), and phlegmatic (phlegm). Clare (a sanguine) and Hannah (a melancholic) plumb the depth…

Clare shares some of her veterinary exploits. WARNING: This episode is gross. If any of the following words or phrases gross you out, you may wish to forgo listening: Poop Vomit Bile Rectum Rectal exam Ringworms Anal gland Wheel of vomit "Head falling off" Moist If you enjoy funny vet stories, you might enjoy the books of James Herriot, a veterinar…

Whether you're writing a book, a movie, or a play, there are three elements you need to think about when creating a character. Clare and Hannah discuss these three things, debate whether James Bond is funny, and discover that they both struggle to say the word "nemesis." Support the showPor Clare Walker & Hannah Kubiak

In this episode, Hannah and Clare continue to talk about Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World," through the lens of one of our favorite "Star Trek" episodes. We also manage to mention "Abolition of Man" again. See if you can spot it! Brave New World by Aldous Huxley includes adult themes. Listener discretion is advised. Support the show…

In this episode, Clare and Hannah come off the reservation and step into a Brave New World where people are made in bottles, Henry Ford is God, and the police are armed with water-pistols. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley includes adult themes. Listener discretion is advised. Please enjoy this hilarious video from The Onion about how Disney grows c…

Don't be fooled by the title. We're still talking about Shakespeare. This time Hannah and Clare talk about the elements of tragedy and comedy, why the Lancasters had to look good in the histories, and what kind of play The Tempest is anyway. Support the showPor Clare Walker & Hannah Kubiak

Hannah finally uses her drama degree! In this episode, our mother-daughter duo discuss Shakespeare, its challenges, its beauty, and its relevance to us today. This week's installment of "Splanchnics Math:" According to Clare (3:50), Shakespeare was born in 1864 and died in 1616 at the age of 52. This is, of course, incorrect. He lived to be 248 and…

Spanning 18 centuries, Walter M. Miller's "A Canticle for Leibowitz" follows a Catholic monastery's attempts to preserve knowledge through several apocalypses. In this episode, Clare and Hannah talk about very serious topics like the cyclical nature of history, mankind's self-destructive nature, buzzards, and a random shark. We also mention C.S. Le…

Clare and Hannah share some of their favorite songs and explain why music is an essential part of character development. We manage to quote both Plato and Michael Jackson. Hannah's picks: I'm a Funny Dame (Eartha Kitt): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3l1K13naLM Blue Healer (Birdtalker): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL4AP-n091M Simple Man (Jaso…

In this episode, Clare and Hannah continue to geek out about robots, but to be honest we spend more time discussing humans. Typical humans, always talking about ourselves. We talk about the nature of beauty, being stewards of the earth, and something called an a priori cognitive structure. I feel smarter already. Check out the episode show notes fo…

"The humans, who can think, are so afraid of those who cannot think..." In this episode, the first half of a two-part discussion, Clare and Hannah chat about the progress of robotics over the years, laying the groundwork for the second part, where we get super-duper philosophical and stuff. Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and pe…

In our second episode about Lord of the Flies, things go hog wild. Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker. Special thanks to The Twilight and Donald Kozinski from AnimeRevProductions. Support the showPor Clare Walker & Hannah Kubiak

Clare and Hannah discuss William Golding's classic 1954 novel, Lord of the Flies. Like all civilized people, they pass the pig mug, and things get philosophical. Click the link above to pick up your own copy of this exciting page-turner! It's an “affiliate” link to our Bookshop.org page. When you click through and purchase, the price of the item is…

Clare (Gen X) and Hannah (Millennial) talk about how different generations were shaped by technology, historical events, and in Clare's case, a whole lot of geopolitical mayhem. Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker. Support the showPor Clare Walker & Hannah Kubiak

Clare and Hannah watch Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film adaptation of Dune and immediately sit down to talk about it. We're both big fans of Duke Leto, and Hannah keeps wanting to talk about the Gom Jabbar for some reason. Dune by Frank Herbert We provide these resources to help you find and enjoy the things we talked about on this episode! Note that s…

Clare and Hannah continue to dive down the rabbit hole and talk about Richard Adam's beloved 1972 adventure novel Watership Down. In Part 2 of this discussion, we talk about the qualities of a great leader: trusting your followers, offering peace to hostile neighbors, and saving the lives of random mice. Splanchnics is a labor of love for your moth…

Clare and Hannah talk about Clare's favorite childhood book: Watership Down! Spoiler alert: this book has nothing to do with sinking nautical vessels. We talked briefly about Watership Down in Season 1, Episode 3 ("Hobbits and Rabbits and Gnomes...oh my!" -- an episode about our favorite childhood books). But on today's episode, we dive "down the r…

Clare and Hannah may look exactly the same, but they're a lot different under the surface. One of them is introverted, and the other is extroverted. I wonder if you can guess which is which? The Temperament God Gave You by Art and Laraine Bennett. Not a personality test, but a way of discovering your temperament, which predicts the way you respond …

Clare and Hannah talk about the Plague, amputations, and blood spurting everywhere. Just your typical breakfast table conversation. Follow us, on Instagram if you wish: @splanchnics_podcast Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker. Support the showPor Clare Walker & Hannah Kubiak

Clare and Hannah had so much to say about the Martian Chronicles, we decided to record another episode about it. We talk almost exclusively about Hannah's favorite story in the book, and we manage to sneak a C.S. Lewis reference in there, too. This one gets pretty existential (which it usually does if you let Hannah talk for too long). Intro and ou…

This episode, Clare and Hannah leave the planet in our discussion of Ray Bradbury's Science Fiction classic, The Martian Chronicles. To purchase your own copy of this excellent book, take the nearest interplanetary transport to our Bookshop.org store and go to the "Splanchnics Book Club" section. You'll get a nice discount, you'll support independe…

Clare and Hannah talk about the positive effects of handcrafts: sewing, gardening, cooking, and building your own home! "Every tool invented by mankind is an extension of man's hand or mind." (CTW) The books we mentioned in this podcast: A Handmade Life: In Search of Simplicity by William S. Coperthwaite Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall, illustrated by B…

We've both been reading Tolkien recently! It's a different experience every time, so we decided to share what stood out to us. Hannah dissects the theme of power and corruption throughout the legendarium, from Feanor to Frodo. Clare shares her favorite passages from the Lord of the Rings about how beauty brings healing to the hardened heart. Intro …

Clare and Hannah talk about the importance of art and creativity in our world. Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker. Support the showPor Clare Walker & Hannah Kubiak

My dear chap, it is never a bad time to talk about Dorian Gray. He was made to be worshipped. He's a minor minor gentleman, you know. Join Clare and Hannah for their first book club episode of Season 2. Join us as we discuss Oscar Wilde, Aestheticism, Hedonism, and other vocabulary words that will make you sound really really smart! Intro and outro…

Clare and Hannah continue their epic journey through their 21 favorite movies. That's 21 for each of them, so according to their math skills, that's 57 movies... or thereabouts. Our movies include such famous lines as, "Do, or do not. There is no try," "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti," and "Waffles! She's frozen with fear!"…

In this first episode of our second season, we return from our holiday break to geek out about our top 21 favorite movies. We chose that number for no particular reason, obviously. We won't give away any of the movie titles, but here are some hints: a llama in a diner, Grabthar's Hammer, and the man who cried, "RIIIICK!" Intro and outro music (“Spl…

Clare and Hannah review some classic anime like Akira and Princess Mononoke, try to say "my hovercraft is full of eels" in Japanese and, as an all-powerful wizard once did, ask, "what's the point of living if I can't be beautiful?" We are certainly not experts on the subject of anime, but as always, we talk about it with great enthusiasm! Intro and…

Clare and Hannah talk about the horror genre, its influence on society, and why the genre that is often disregarded as "trash" and "pulp" is actually really important to our development as human beings. We also discuss dualism, the possibility of a haunted ball pit, and finally promote the book that Clare wrote! Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics …

Clare and Hannah take a look at some of their favorite poetry and try to analyze it together. Very wholesome. We feel smarter already. Some of the poets featured include E.E. Cummings, Dylan Thomas, and Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of the Vogon Galactic Constructor Fleet. Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walke…

Hey, thanks for the shoutout, Loth Wolf Pack! Here's a shoutout for your shoutout: The Loth Wolf Pack is a group of content creators in the Chicago area who geek out about Star Wars Destiny on their YouTube channel. Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker. Support the show…

Clare and Hannah visit Brideshead Revisited, our book club book for July and August. You'll laugh, you'll cry. We won't go so far as to say it'll change your life, but you'll think about it a little bit afterward. Warning: This episode contains excessive amounts of ridiculous British accents. Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and …

In a little sidebar during Episode 20, Clare and Hannah talk about how delightful it is to have kids who play hide-and-seek in grocery stores. Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker. Support the showPor Clare Walker & Hannah Kubiak

Clare and Hannah geek out about Star Trek: The Original Series. We reveal Mr. Spock's side hustle as an auto mechanic, discover that space hippies have had way more of an impact on our lives than we realize, and that anything can become an android if you spin it fast enough. Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare…

Three generations sit down at the microphone this week. We are joined by special guest Annie Walker-Bright, Clare's mother and Hannah's "Nanny," as we call her. We talk about what it's like to be British in America, which seems to be mostly having your order misunderstood in restaurants. Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and perfo…

Clare and Hannah tackle another fiction genre: the suspense thriller! Clare also educates Hannah on the difference between popular fiction and literary fiction. Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker. Support the showPor Clare Walker & Hannah Kubiak

Clare and Hannah gush about Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451", its relevance today, and how important it is to pass on what we have learned to future generations. "Pass on what you have learned. Strength. Mastery. But weakness, folly, failure also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is." -Yoda Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics …

Clare and Hannah share their Top Five lists for the sci-fi genre. This could be your reading list for the year. Hannah's List: I, Robot by Isaac Asimov Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick Brave New World by Aldous Huxley Never Let Me Go by Kasuo Ishiguro Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card Bonus extras: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbur…

Clare and Hannah talk about dragon lore across civilizations. Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker. Support the showPor Clare Walker & Hannah Kubiak