Hope is Kindled
A podcast devoted to the way stories shape us, sharpen us, and sometimes… save us.
Hope is Kindled is a literary podcast that explores classic and powerful works of literature through the lens of self-discovery, moral reflection, and enduring hope. Each episode delves into a single book, essay, or story, examining its themes, characters, and psychological depth, and connects it to timeless questions about the human condition.
What makes the podcast unique is its blend of literary criticism and warmth. It uses biographical, psychological, and historical criticism, along with personal reflection and cultural commentary—including references to Doctor Who, The Muppets, and classic film.
Please let us know what you think of our episodes, if you have any ideas for future episodes or to share your experiences looking searching for hope in the literary world.
Hope is Kindled
Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass
In this episode of Hope is Kindled, we turn to Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass—one of the most groundbreaking, soul-stirring works of American literature. Yet when I recently asked a high school senior about Whitman, he had no idea who Whitman even was. And when I typed Leaves of Grass into Google, Whitman wasn’t even the first result. How unbelievable—and heartbreaking—that such a towering voice, once celebrated as the very heartbeat of democracy and individuality, is fading from our cultural memory.
This episode is a call to awaken. We cannot allow literature, wisdom, and hope to disappear from our collective consciousness. As Merlin said in The Once and Future King, “The best thing for being sad… is to learn something.” We must commit to learning, to reading, to seeking out these voices for ourselves. Whitman’s poetry still sings of freedom, of reinvention, of finding beauty in every blade of grass and every human soul.
Join us as we rediscover Whitman’s vision of life and hope—timeless words that deserve to be heard, remembered, and lived. Let this be your invitation: look forward, read deeply, and let Leaves of Grass reignite the fire of wonder and discovery in your own life.
