Start the Week - In Praise of Passion

We are drawn to wildness and disorder, argues historian Bettany Hughes. She tells Andrew Marr about the attraction of Bacchus, the god of wine and fertility, and the subject of a new BBC Four documentary. Bacchus (also known as Dionysus) has been a symbol of excess ever since Roman maidens fled to the woods and drank wine in his name. Hughes follows the Bacchic cult through history, and argues that chaos has been as important to civilisation as reason and restraint.

The wood - scene of so many Bacchic revelries - comes to life in nature writer John Lewis-Stempel's new account, The Wood: The Life and Times of Cockshutt Wood. Through poetry, folklore and his own observations he asks what it is that draws us to magical spaces.

Today we revel in feelings of joy and wonder, but feelings themselves are a surprisingly modern invention, says cultural historian Rachel Hewitt. She looks back at the 1790s, the decade when men and women of learning first began to take emotions seriously. Hewitt explains how an Enlightenment interest in reason led us to explore our own chaotic moods.

There are Bacchic scenes in the music of Debussy, as biographer Stephen Walsh shows in a new study of the French composer. Away from his piano Debussy had to battle professional vendettas, but in pieces such as Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Debussy created a world of rich woodland scenes and musical intoxication.

Producer: Hannah Sander.

The NewsWorthy - “Fake Memos”, Tinder v. Bumble & Powerball Jackpot – Monday, March 19th, 2018

All the news you need to know for Monday, March 19th, 2018!

Today, we're talking about what President Trump calls 'fake memos' and why Facebook is under fire again. 

Plus: glow-in-the-dark cancer cells, 3D printed homes and the dating apps taking it to court.

All that and much more in less than 10 minutes!

Award-winning broadcast journalist and former TV news reporter Erica Mandy breaks it all down for you. 

For links to all the stories referenced in today's episode, visit https://www.theNewsWorthy.com and click Episodes.

Serious Inquiries Only - SIO129: Atheists (and Lawyers..) In Foxholes

Today I'm joined by Victoria Gettman and Geoffrey Blackwell! Vicki has a military background and currently serves as Texas State Director at American Atheists, as well as Executive Director for South Texas Atheists for Reason. Geoffrey is a staff attorney for American Atheists. Being an atheist in the military, Vicki has seen her share of Christian privilege and likely unconstitutional behavior. One such incident launched her into activism! Working with American Atheists, Geoff receives reports of possible church state separation issues and seeks solutions through legal action if necessary. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com  

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - All The President’s Lawyers

This week Dahlia Lithwick calls on white-collar-crime specialist Jennifer Taub to follow the money in the Mueller investigation. She also speaks with  Bob Bauer, a former White House counsel under President Barack Obama, about the relationship between presidents and their lawyers, and between this president and his lawyers. Bauer discusses when professional duty can stray into enabling, a question facing Trump’s personal and institutional lawyers as cases involving the president accumulate.

Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Join the discussion of this episode on Facebook. Our email is amicus@slate.com.

Podcast production by Sara Burningham.

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The Gist - The Year Groove Went Mainstream

On The Gist, “meddling” is too weak a word to describe what Russia did during in the U.S. election.

In the interview, Chris Molanphy walks us through the No. 1 hits of 1969, the year flower power and psychedelic pop went fully mainstream. Chris is the host of Slate’s Hit Parade

In the Spiel, our Congress members represent way too many constituents—700,000 on average—to stay in touch with their needs.

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