It takes us a while to get there, but it’s worth the journey! In this episode of Classical Et Cetera, Tanya, Martin, and Paul share what they’re reading, answer a listener question about audiobooks, and (eventually) get around to the main topic of the liberal art

Here, they explore the liberal arts through the lens of Sister Miriam Joseph’s The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric. This classic work provides a clear look at the foundations of classical education. We hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation!

Read the sample from Sister Miriam Joseph's book that we use for this episode: https://www.memoriapress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-Trivium-The-Liberal-Arts-of-Logic-Grammar-and-Rhetoric-Chapter-1-Sample.pdf?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=192

Read with Paul & Tanya! The Hound of the Baskervilles Set: https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/literature-and-poetry/eighth/hound-baskervilles-set/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=192

Find us online! https://www.memoriapress.com/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=192

More to A Midsummer Night. A Midsummer Night's Dream Set: https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/literature-and-poetry/ninth/a-midsummer-nights-dream-set/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=192

About Memoria Press: https://www.memoriapress.com/about/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=192

What We're Reading from This Episode:

The Hound of the Baskervilles—Arthur Conan Doyle (Paul)

Sun and Steel—Yukio Mishima (Paul)

Mythology—Edith Hamilton (Martin)

Plutarch: Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans—Plutarch and Arthur Hugh Clough (Martin)

The Killing Stones—Ann Cleeves (Tanya)

The Two Gentlemen of Verona—William Shakespeare (Tanya)

Truth Matters—Robert P. George & Cornel West (Tanya) 00:00 Introduction 00:42 What We're Reading 12:18 Listener Question: Do You Count Audiobooks as Reading? 22:10 Topic: Introduction to "The Trivium"—Sister Miriam Joseph

What’s behind the decline of American democracy—and can education fix it? In this episode of Classical Et Cetera the team discusses why the health of our republic depends not necessarily on politicians, but on teachers, parents, and the formation of virtuous citizens.

Modern society often treats the decline of democracy as a political problem, but classical educators know it’s an educational one. A free people can only remain free when they know how to govern themselves—and that begins in classrooms, not in Congress.

Join us as we explore how classical education cultivates wisdom, virtue, and self-government, and why rebuilding the soul of the nation starts with the minds of the young.

Read Mitchell Holley's article "A Democratic Education" right here! https://www.memoriapress.com/articles/a-democratic-education?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=191

You can read Anne of Green Gables too! LEARN MORE https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/literature-and-poetry/sixth/anne-of-green-gables-set/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=191

Be ready for Mitchell to finish Third Form Greek! LEARN MORE https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/greek/first-form-greek-complete-set/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=191

"It is funny how mortals picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.” READ NOW https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/educational-resources/the-screwtape-letters/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=191

Check out our Classical Core Curriculum! LEARN MORE https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=191

Famous Men of Rome videos now available! BUY NOW https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/classical-studies/famous-men-rome/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=191

What We're Reading from This Episode:

Various Greek Authors (Mitchell)

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion—Beth Brower (Tanya)

The Screwtape Letters—C.S. Lewis (Tanya)

Truth Matters—Robert P. George & Cornel West (Tanya)

A Midsummer Night's Dream—William Shakespeare (Tanya)

The Idiot—Fyodor Dostoevsky (Martin)

Paideia: The Ideals of Greek Culture: Volume III—Werner Jaeger (Martin)

What does poetry offer that prose cannot? In this week’s Classical Et Cetera, we explore how verse builds literacy, memory, and a love of language. Discover how rhythm, structure, and beauty shape the mind and soul, and why poetry remains essential for both personal enrichment and classical education.

*What We're Reading* from This Episode:

Gerard Manley Hopkins Poetry (Kathy)

_Notes from Underground_—Fyodor Dostoevsky (Kathy)

_Anne of Green Gables_—L.M. Montgomery (Tanya)

_The Two Gentlemen of Verona_—William Shakespeare (Tanya)

_Truth Matters_—Robert P. George & Cornel West (Tanya)

_The Idiot_—Fyodor Dostoevsky (Martin)

_The Glass Bead Game_—Hermann Hesse (Martin)

Why does writing things down matter? In this episode of Classical Et Cetera, we dive into journaling, commonplace books, and note-taking tips within a classical education. From how to properly journal in an academic setting to how to use a journal for personal and self growth, we discuss the benefits of good handwriting, the value of writing by hand vs typing, and why keeping a commonplace book—or "Vade Mecum"—helps students and adults remember and reflect.

We share practical advice on academic journal writing, how to mark a book, and how classical educators guide students from simple note-taking in the early grades to more independent habits in high school. Plus, we touch on classical preschool readiness activities and how parents can instill a love of books, build fine motor skills, and nurture reading habits from the very beginning.

Join the conversation and discover why journaling and note-taking remain timeless tools for learning and growth!

*What We're Reading* from This Episode:

_Anne of Green Gables_—L.M. Montgomery (Tanya)

_The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion_—Beth Brower (Tanya)

_Persuasion_—Jane Austen (Tanya)

_Boone: A Biography_—Robert Morgan (Paul)

_The Big Sleep_—Raymond Chandler (Martin)

In this special mailbag episode of Classical et Cetera, we are answering questions straight from our listeners! From classical education and the history of philosophy to standardized testing and watching movies, nothing is off limits. Join the rapid fire and ask us more questions by emailing us at podcast@memoriapress.com.

Thanks for your question, Patricio! The book Martin mentioned is The Seven Liberal Arts: A Study in Medieval Culture by Paul Abelson.

Other materials we talked about today:

Anne of Green Gables https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/literature-and-poetry/sixth/anne-of-green-gables-set/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=188

Famous Men & Classical Studies https://www.memoriapress.com/classical-studies/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=188

First Form Greek https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/greek/first-form-greek-complete-set/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=188

00:00 Introduction 01:40 What We're Reading 06:18 Ask Us Anything! Classical Et Cetera Mailbag

What We're Reading from This Episode:

The Idiot—Fyodor Dostoevsky (Martin)

The Glass Bead Game (Magister Ludi) —Hermann Hesse (Martin)

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion —Beth Brower (Tanya)

Anne of Green Gables —L.M. Montgomery (Tanya & Paul)

Why do students in classical education memorize all 70 stanzas of Thomas Babington Macaulay’s Horatius at the Bridge? In this episode of Classical Et Cetera, we explore one of the most demanding—and most rewarding—academic challenges that we give our students: the recitation of Horatius. We trace the story of Horatius and its place in Roman legend, consider why Winston Churchill himself memorized the poem, and explain how this tradition became the "Winston Churchill Award" for our students today. Along the way, we reflect on how memory work builds courage, confidence, and leadership, shaping students to take on challenges far beyond the classroom. This conversation also looks at why classical Christian education prizes memorization as “mental furniture,” especially in an age of Google and smartphones when it is tempting to outsource our minds. From ancient Roman heroism to modern homeschool recitations, Horatius at the Bridge shows why memory work remains central to classical education and why it continues to inspire both students and families. Purchase our Horatius at the Bridge Set today! https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/classical-studies/horatius-bridge/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=187

Read the article from former Assistant Secretary of State, Robert B. Charles: https://www.memoriapress.com/articles/horatius-bridge-0/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=187

What We're Reading from This Episode:

The Idiot—Fyodor Dostoevsky (Martin)

Men Against the Sea—Charles Bernard Nordhoff (Martin)

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion—Beth Brower (Tanya)

Education of a Wandering Man—Louis L'Amour (Paul)

Around the World in Eighty Days—Marian Leighton (Paul)

The Human Factor—Graham Greene (Paul)

What does it mean to teach history truthfully? In this episode of _Classical Et Cetera_ , we tackle how to teach Christopher Columbus facts with honesty, from elementary school to teaching history in middle school and high school. We discuss the hard truths of American slavery, the Holocaust, and more, while still cultivating gratitude for the US. Drawing on models like the Frederick Douglass 4th of July speech, we share practical ways to guide students through the dark parts of history so they see both the good and the bad—growing in wisdom, empathy, and conviction.

*What We're Reading* from This Episode:

_Education of a Wandering Man_—Louis L'Amour (Paul)

_The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion_—Beth Brower (Tanya)

_On the Consolation of Philosophy_—Boethius (Dustin)

On this week's Classical Et Cetera, Memoria Press takes on one of our most common questions in classical Christian education: Why should Christians study paganism at all?

We explore how to approach pagan philosophy, literature, and Greek mythology in the classroom, and why these texts still matter for students learning within the tradition of Christianity. From Plato and Aristotle to Paul at the Areopagus, we consider how pagan authors asked the right questions—and how the Bible is where we ultimately get the answers.

Whether you’re a homeschool parent, a teacher, or simply curious about classical education, this conversation will help you see how pagan works can be taught with discernment, why they remain part of a Memoria Press curriculum, and how to read them in light of the truth of Christianity.

Read "Why Should Christians Read the Pagan Classics" from our founder, Cheryl Lowe: https://www.memoriapress.com/articles/why-should-christians-read-pagan-classics/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=185

*What We're Reading* from This Episode:

_The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion_—Beth Brower (Tanya)

_The Human Factor_—Graham Greene (Paul)

_Around the World in Eighty Days_—Jules Verne (Paul)

_The Idiot_—Fyodor Dostoevsky (Martin)