Through The Wind Door

Dramatis Personae - Part 3 (The Cartographer’s Handbook)

We cover a lot in this one for only a little over an hour of content! (plus over 11 minutes of outtakes)

• The stories of Kaufmann, Sadler, and Tudor, and their roles in discussions the technical elements of being a Cartographer.
• The example set by General Curtis
• The stories of Chorley, Considine, Blaine and Oakley, and their connection to a greater theme
• And finally, the stories of Santos and Wilson, and the role of both the Wider world in the Handbook narrative, and how it will play into future books.

We're coming down to the end of our story, but even with only a little left, our final episode will be plenty long.

 

Part 1 of 8 - Bringing Back What Is Stolen - The Avenging Feminine: https://youtu.be/wmR8A1a8shk

Why African American's Loathe Uncle Tom: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93059468

Assume the Position with Robert Wuhl (links encompass the story of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Franklin Pierce):

https://youtu.be/KDGZ1Mltv8w

https://youtu.be/rpvveJcYUeA

 

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Intro is "One Person, Listening Now" by Doctor Turtle of FMA

Outro is "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers

Dramatis Personae - Part 2 (The Cartographer’s Handbook)

New plan. Shorter episodes the next few days, more of them. Make what I have last. Here's the breakdown:

• Katherine and the Story of Weirwood
• The Tragic Fate of James Buckner
• The Breaking of Beauregard, and other soldiers in New Century
• Anticipating Arlington
• and more!

Come join us in our dance.

 

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Intro is "One Person, Listening Now" by Doctor Turtle of FMA

Outro is "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor

Dramatis Personae - Part 1 (The Cartographer’s Handbook)

Having taken our discussion of the Manifesto components of the Cartographer's Handbook to it's conclusion, we next start discussing the individual stories and what we take away from them. Today's discussion includes:

• Detailed discussion of elements of the tales of Maggie Struthers, Henry Jackson, James Gregory and Bo Travis
• the balance between appropriate historical worldbuilding, showing the foolishness of prejudice, and how and if we show empathy for those we don't agree with
• exploring the concept of justice/punishment/atonement
• the significance on the ethnicity of the voices of the Handbook, and whether the Cartographers meant to make contact would be diverse or not

Death of the Euphemism by Innuendo Studios: https://youtu.be/0dBJIkp7qIg

The Thermian Argument by Dan Olson: https://youtu.be/AxV8gAGmbtk

 

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Intro is "One Person, Listening Now" by Doctor Turtle of FMA

Outro is "Changes" by 2Pac Shakur ft. Talent

Manifesto - Part 3 (The Cartographer’s Handbook)

And so end our final thoughts on the structural aspects of the Handbook. Today we discuss:

• The issues of freedom/conformity as proposed by the Handbook, combined with Thomas's desire to have outsides voices contributing
• Thomas Arlington's voice as a narrator/leader vs. that of General Curtis
• Discussions of how the handbook deals with issues of the supernatural, and why the information of the Wind Door was included as text for the in-universe audience

These are not our final thoughts on the Handbook at all, as we have more episodes on the individual vignettes to come and how they speak to the narrative of this world. But we do talk about how the Handbook makes us -the external audience - feel in the wake of everything that has come before, and hints of what will come in the following book.

Following the outro is 10+ minutes of outtakes from the last three episodes.

 

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Intro is "One Person, Listening Now" by Doctor Turtle of FMA

Outro is "Here Comes The Change" by Kesha

Manifesto - Part 2 (The Cartographer’s Handbook)

Where the last episode was prologue, now we start getting to the meat of what the Handbook actually does, for the internal audience and us, the external audience. Topics include:

• The idea of propaganda, and its effect on the displaced peoples of America, and how it might affect the reader.
• Discussion of the supernatural elements of New Century
• Transparency, the good and the bad.
• Do we find the Handbook's arguments compelling, and do we think their intended audience would agree?
• The Historical Accuracy (ugh) of the N-word's presence.
• And finally, the tactical purpose of the Handbook's stories, and if they provide the right incentive.

And that's just this episode. These simple topics on the framework sprawled, and we'll finish up our deconstruction of the Handbook's intent... next week.

 

Spoilers for The Hateful Eight

The Alt-Right Playbook - Always a Bigger Fish by Innuendo Studios: https://youtu.be/agzNANfNlTs

Why is Jesus White, by Muhammed Ali: https://youtu.be/7eXdt1eGgCA

 

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https://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/

Fireside Alliance: https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

 

Intro is "One Person, Listening Now" by Doctor Turtle of FMA

Outro is "Faded (Piano Instrumental)" by Alan Walker

 

Manifesto - Part 1 (The Cartographer’s Handbook)

Welcome to Season 4.

What was originally going to be four episodes delving into the two major components of the first fictional creation of Alexander Shaw has already sprawled, with Manifesto taking up three episodes total, over the course of two Skype sessions. And we'll see how long it takes us to discuss Dramatis Personae when it happens. But just as before, we find ourselves talking for a lot longer than expected about these books, even with a short book comprising a non-traditional narrative.

Before we start discussing where we're going, we start with where we've been. The conversation capping off with a more thorough year in review of Through The Wind Door itself, and how we have evolved since February of 2020. From there we start talking about the influences and context that brought about the structure of the Handbook, and get into an overall synopsis of its constituent parts. And finally from there, discussing the propagandistic components of the Handbook, and why we choose to label it Manifesto.

The Cartographer's Handbook is a blueprint and foundation for everything that came after, and pairs well as a prologue to the novel we will continue Season 4 with, Arlington. It's been talked about more than any other novel in the New Century oeuvre, but I hope over the course of the next month, we'll be able to come up with incisive thoughts and fresh takes on it, with the weight and context of the now twelve books that followed.

And so, let us begin.

 

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Intro is "One Person, Listening Now" by Doctor Turtle of FMA

Outro is "How Far We've Come" by Matchbox 20

The One (Tiger’s Eye)

"I wish I were like a rock

       sturdy and strong, enduring

       polished smooth by the forces that beat against me

       a safe resting place for storm tossed souls.

Sometimes, I am."

-Rev. Polly Guild, "Meditations from Star Island"

It's not easy to make yourself vulnerable. But inspired by Alex and Sharon, this is where my journey took me, following the path of three souls in Rama. Decent people that I found reflections of in myself.

I hope sharing my story means something to you as well.

 

Content Warning: Depression, Suicidal Ideation

Spoiler Warning: Episodes 1 and 21 of Season One of Star Trek :Deep Space Nine, Memento

 

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Intro is "Crucify" by Tori Amos

Outro is a reading of the poem "Meditations on Star Island" by the Rev. Polly Guild (backed by an instrumental of Enya's "On Your Shore")

The Three (Tiger’s Eye)

"Nearly all the best Hero's Journey's are journey's within, absolutely right. It's a self examination even if it's not conscious." - Alex Shaw

So. We talked a lot about the story, deconstructing events and elements and thoughts galore. And it's up to every audience member on their own to decide what holds weight and what doesn't. What every piece means to them. But now we're going to take one last look at what it means to us.

By us, I include myself, Toby, and finally Maureen Foley herself, the voice of Hrao. Taking one last look, covering old ground and new. The journeys of three individuals tracing back along the path as we figure out why in the world we talked this much about one single story.

Maureen will eventually get to talk more about her experience. But for now, I give you the thoughts she recorded years back after the release of the Tiger's Eye audiodrama, along with a few topics of our own.

 

Opening includes clip from "The Hero's Journey" on the School of Movies Podcast:

https://www.podbean.com/site/EpisodeDownload/PB6AF304F5SE5

 

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Intro is "Home" by Vince Staples

Outro is "What Hrao Means to Maureen" by Maureen Foley (edited by Alex Shaw)

The Wise Man and the Fool - Part 5 (Tiger’s Eye)

"Stories mean a lot to everyone. As Sharon and Alex and thier guests got into in the Hero's Journey podcast, they are how we make sense of the world. Is Tiger's Eye more powerful to some because it follows that monomyth path closer than others? Does it feel more primal, closer to the ancient mythologies that came before? Is that why I end up responding to it like I did? I don't know."

Part 5 to a very long episode. We finally tie it all together.

We visit the symbolism of Hakka at his lowest place. We see the final stage of the journey and journeys of all three of our protagonists, how they contribute and reflect on each other. We take a closer look at the Hero's Journey and how it contributes to the context and framing.  We talk about the importance of tools in storytelling, that you need more than one for a properly nuanced story, but that the oldest tools still have power when used right. All of it leading into how these storytelling tools will also become prominent when we use them on ourselves in the final episode of Tiger's Eye. Where Toby and I use it to talk about our own journeys as audience and and as people.

 

Suzanne Vega - Undertow: https://youtu.be/IiSFTA_qwaQ

 

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Intro is "The Legend of El Dorado" by Derek and Brandon Feitcher

Midroll music: Suzanne Vega - Undertow (guitar instrumental): https://youtu.be/a_ik3i0U1VI

Outro is "Brave" by Sara Bareillies

 

The Wise Man and the Fool - Part 4 (Tiger’s Eye)

"...this is not the first time that we will see someone react harshly to what they percieve as a calamitous threat. Someone far more sympathetic, someone that has lots of evidence to hand as to how things could turn out if not addressed. In the case of Hakka, the situation is framed very differently, and his story comes back to us now at the end to give us context to make us sympathetic to his journey. For those of you that haven't read the other books of New Century, you'll have to imagine what it's like on the other foot. When we have a clear protagonist having these kinds of conflicts with other protagonists. Indeed, you already got a little taste of it back in Secret Rooms. Where Annie encouraged Abigail towards empathy in regards to other humans, and Frank had to talk James down when the doctor claimed that they might not be treating the *wendigo* with empathy. So keep all of that in the back of your mind when we move on to Arlington and other future books."

Part 4 of our analysis of the final chapters of Tiger's Eye, and what it has to say about Hakka's journey.

We stop talking about Yesterday and start discussing Today. Seeing Durga tribe  from Haka's perspective, discuss what Hakka might be like as a teacher and his understanding of his student. We dig deep on how Hakka feels about everything, how his anger and desperation grows as the events unfold, and his interaction with The Silent One as one firetalker encounters another, and they test each other. 

We come close to the end, of Hakka's journey as well as Hrao's and Miguel's, to be resolved... next time.

 

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Intro is "The Legend of El Dorado" by Derek and Brandon Feitcher

Outro is "I Will Not Bow" by Breaking Benjamin