The Ivory Attic

Dec 01 2024 17 ep. 62 mins 3
The Ivory Attic Podcast artwork

A podcast about the wonders, weirdness, (and sometimes woes) of academia. In each episode Professors Kurt Andresen and Ian Isherwood bring in a guest from academia and ask them questions about their passions, quiz them about their subjects, talk about their sartorial predilections, and have them try brand new cocktails based on their academic interests. The Ivory Tower may be crumbling, but we plan making the best of it as we rummage through the Ivory Attic.

  Education  Comedy
RSS feed Share
Copy RSS


Subscribe on Podcast Addict


The Healing Episode

Dec 01 2024 53 mins  
In this episode, we try to recover from some recent unpleasantness. We asked previous guests of the show to read inspirational passages, poems, speeches, make their own comments, and simply give whatever message they thought that we all needed right now. As usual, our guests did not disappoint. We hope you enjoy this collection of calls to action, thoughts on our current political

Butchin'

Oct 31 2024 77 mins  
In this episode, we speak with Amy Tooth Murphy, Senior Lecturer in Oral History at Royal Holloway, University of London. Amy talks to us about her oral history research on butch culture and why, despite the fact that most people can recognize someone who is butch, it still takes academics years to figure out what “butch” means. She also explains why listening is something that

The Essence of the Clown

Sep 30 2024 77 mins  
In this episode, we speak with Professor Christopher Kauffman, Adams Professor in Theatre Arts at Gettysburg College. Chris talks about the serious side of clowning and why nobody should ever try to be funny. He also explains why having a mean French man call you a “double-zero” is a great way to be funnier and explains the new “Muppet-core” fashion movement. Finally, we ma

Total Chaos

Sep 01 2024 66 mins  
In this episode, we speak with Professor of Mathematics at Gettysburg College, Ben Kennedy. Ben talks about why anyone would want to do math, what is interesting about chaos, and why it doesn’t matter if the thing you are discovering is important. He then (for some reason) answers a truly awful set of quiz questions and talks about how he has stopped screaming at colleagues durin

The Graduation Special: It’s Just Putting Clothes on People

May 17 2024 75 mins  
It’s our special Graduation Episode! In this episode, we talk with special guest Juls Buehrer, Gettysburg College’s Costume Designer-in-Residence and Gettysburg College’s Costume Shop Manager and Gettysburg College’s Scenic Artist. Despite doing more work in a day than Ian and I do in a year, Juls managed to carve out a little time to tell us about the amazing history of Ac

Breaking the Iron Cage

Mar 14 2024 58 mins  
In this episode, we talk with Craig Lair, Chairperson and Associate Professor of Sociology at Gettysburg College. We learn how his joy of skateboarding led to his Ph.D. and why the three of us might have Ph.D.’s from Harvard University in the near future. We also consider writing letters to each other without any work and learn why chickens are great economic sociology teachers.

Tweed Camouflage and Lost Barmaids

Feb 04 2024 80 mins  
In this episode, we talk to Kerry Wallach, Chairperson and Associate Professor of German Studies at Gettysburg College. She talked to us about her new book, Traces of a Jewish Artist: The Lost Life and Work of Rahel Szalit, and what it is like to search for things that aren’t there. Kerry also talks about her shared love of tweed a la Walker Slater and makes a pitch for her a new

The New Year’s Cocktails Special!

Dec 28 2023 40 mins  
In this run up to the New Year, Ian invites Kurt to talk about his cocktail book, Ten Cocktails Adults Should Know. We discuss all things cocktails, from which ones are easier, which ones are harder, and which ones you can set on fire. Finally, Kurt makes not one, but two cocktails for Ian to drink to ring in the New Year! So pour yourself something bubbly and join us in the Attic.

The Gratitude Special

Dec 07 2023 59 mins  
It is the holiday season! During this time, we think it is important to talk about what we are thankful for, so we gathered a bunch of our previous guests and asked them to share their thoughts. Strangely, only one of our guests mentioned this great podcast! To wrap it all up, Ian and Kurt talk holiday fashion and Kurt makes Ian try a cocktail that looks and tastes a little too muc

Black Superheroes and Unpronounceable Literary Terms

Oct 31 2023 67 mins  
In this episode, we talk with the inaugural Kermit O. Paxton and Renee A. Paxton Endowed Teaching Chair at Gettysburg College, Dr. McKinley Melton. McKinley talks to us about his research in spirituality among enslaved Africans in America as well as his new project investigating contemporary spoken-word African-American poets. He also explains why Ian’s “flexibility” is a sup