SPLANCHNICS: The Society for the Preservation of Literature, the Arts, Numinosity, Culture, Humor, Nerdiness, Inspiration, Creativity & Storytelling

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 ate spaghetti throughout this recor

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 of his country's m

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 same cathedral, and givin

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 includes a br

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 Clare's Bookshop.org stor

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 before World War 2, in the days whe

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 terza rima

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 situation right now: head ov

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 KutlessHannah's songs:"A Question" by

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 depths of the human psyche in their dis