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
The Odyssey
Homer’s Odyssey is vast, essential, and deeply human—and that’s exactly why this episode was so hard to write. How do you capture three thousand years of longing, shipwrecks, monsters, and homecoming in something short, meaningful, and hopeful? Here we try. We revisit The Iliad’s rage and set it beside The Odyssey’s fidelity; we trace real-world straits and mythic hazards; we sit with Penelope’s courage and Odysseus’s stubborn hope; and we ask what this poem still asks of us: to endure, to choose love over drift, and to find our way home.
Along the way, we connect Homer to the voices we’ve explored across the show—Emerson’s self-reliance, Shakespeare’s tragic wisdom, and modern reflections that keep these ancient truths alive. And yes—Doctor Who steps in here too, because the story of Odysseus has always felt like the perfect playground for the Doctor, weaving myth and memory together in ways only that universe can.
This was one of the hardest episodes to finish because of what The Odyssey means to me personally, what it means to the world, and what it means to literature as a whole. If even one listener picks up the poem and hears its heartbeat, that’s a win. Good journey.
