Decameron 2020: Survival through Stories

Thinkery & Verse

Thinkery & Verse present "DECAMERON 2020: Survival through Stories," a reading and discussion of Bocaccio’s Decameron as it relates to contemporary pandemic experiences. To reawaken the full sense of Boccaccio’s framing device, our podcast will offer, for the first time in English, Boccaccio's Decameron recorded with eleven different actors (as opposed to a single reader). Guest artists include Karen Alvarado, Erin Bogert, Ashley Bufkin, Celine Dirkes, Diana Guizado, Bob Jones, JM Meyer, Brady Marchand (Sound Engineer), Abishek Nair, Regan Sims, Reagan Tankersly, and Ania Upstill. Podcast intro: Karen Alvarado. Editing and Sound Design by Brady Marchand. Copy editing by Bob Jones, Ania Upstill, Karen Alvarado, and J.M. Meyer. Project manager: Celine Dirkes. Graphic design: Hannah Lang.

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16. Imagining a more just post-pandemic world, Part 2

Decameron 2020: Survival through Stories

08/31/20 • 48 min

Welcome back to Decameron 2020: Survival through Stories. In the second part of our segment on Black Lives Matter, we will continue our conversation with the artists James Edward Becton, Ashley Bufkin, and Justin Withers. Johnny Meyer will begin the conversation with a very brief chronology of the Black Lives Matter movement, especially as it has been experienced in the year 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Then our team will discuss what they want to see happen in order for us to witness a more just post-pandemic society. The guests mention several resources in the course of the conversation. These include James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time, The Autobiography of Malcom X, United NY, The Black Consortium, 8cantwait.org, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, Black Lives Matter.
Boccaccio's The Decameron was translation by John Florio. Podcast intro: Karen Alvarado. Editing and Sound Design by Brady Marchand, additional ediing from JM Meyer. Copy editing by Bob Jones, Ania Upstill, Karen Alvarado, and J.M. Meyer. Project manager: Celine Dirkes. Graphic design: Hannah Lang.
Music and SFX:
Steven Maertens, Spanish Guitar Loop from https://freesound.org/people/stevenmaertens/sounds/449846/

15. Imagining a more Just Post-Pandemic World through Black Lives Matter, Part 1

Decameron 2020: Survival through Stories

08/29/20 • 77 min

In the next two bonus episodes, we are taking a step back from Boccaccio’s stories in order to bring more focus to the stories going on around us. Boccaccio’s ten young story-tellers are, in part, using narrative to elevate their minds above the plague that ravaged their home. They seek to point out the injustices and hypocrisies of their own time. 2020 is, of course, very different from 1348. We are not in medieval Italy. We live in a complicated, pluralistic, deeply damaged and deeply inspirational continent-wide democracy. So for this episode we are exploring the civil rights protests that have been going on around the country. We’ll be speaking with artists James Edward Becton, Ashley Bufkin, and Justin Withers.
We asks each of our guests four key questions:
1. How did the pandemic change what you were doing? What activities were stopped?

2. Black Lives Matter, ‘ramped up’ in April, May, June. What was your experience of that?

3. What was the hypocrisy or wrong thing about the pre-pandemic world?

4. What has to happen to make the post-pandemic world better?
The guests mention several resources in the course of the conversation. These include James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time, The Autobiography of Malcom X, United NY, The Black Consortium, 8cantwait.org, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, Black Lives Matter.
Boccaccio's The Decameron was translation by John Florio. Podcast intro: Karen Alvarado. Editing and Sound Design by Brady Marchand, additional ediing from JM Meyer. Copy editing by Bob Jones, Ania Upstill, Karen Alvarado, and J.M. Meyer. Project manager: Celine Dirkes. Graphic design: Hannah Lang.
Music and SFX:
Steven Maertens, Spanish Guitar Loop from https://freesound.org/people/stevenmaertens/sounds/449846/

14. Discussion with Bob Jones, Ashley Bufkin, Erin Bogert, and Karen Alvarado

Decameron 2020: Survival through Stories

08/24/20 • 57 min

We've reached the third and final discussion episode for the last three stories in Day 1 of Bocaccio's Decameron. In this episode you will hear from actors Ashley Bufkin, Erin Bogert, myself Karen Alvarado as well as Bob Jones serving as host for our discussion. Enjoy!
Translation by John Florio. Podcast intro: Karen Alvarado. Editing and Sound Design by Brady Marchand. Copy editing by Bob Jones, Ania Upstill, Karen Alvarado, and J.M. Meyer. Project manager: Celine Dirkes. Graphic design: Hannah Lang.
Music and SFX:
http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_01

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_02

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_03

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_04

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_05

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_06

http://aux.incompetech.com/royalty-free/Brandenburg%20No4-1%20BWV1049.mp3

13. Pampinea tells a story wherein we learn why honest love agrees with people of all ages. (Day 1, Story 10)

Decameron 2020: Survival through Stories

08/22/20 • 11 min

In the 10th and final story of the first day, Pampinea tells the story of a young beautiful Widow who intends to shame an older yet dignified doctor.

This story was narrated by Karen Alvarado.

Translation by John Florio. Podcast intro: Karen Alvarado. Editing and Sound Design by Brady Marchand. Copy editing by Bob Jones, Ania Upstill, Karen Alvarado, and J.M. Meyer. Project manager: Celine Dirkes. Graphic design: Hannah Lang.
Music and SFX:
http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_01

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_02

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_03

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_04

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_05

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_06

http://aux.incompetech.com/royalty-free/Brandenburg%20No4-1%20BWV1049.mp3

12. Eliza tells a story about an aggrieved woman who uses wit to put a foolish king in his place (Day 1, Story 9)

Decameron 2020: Survival through Stories

08/22/20 • 4 min

In the 9th story of the first day Eliza tells the tale of how a courageous Gentlewomen changed the King of France from a meek coward to a just ruler.

This story was narrated by Erin Bogert.

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_02

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_03

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_04

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_05

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_06

http://aux.incompetech.com/royalty-free/Brandenburg%20No4-1%20BWV1049.mp3

11. Lauretta plainly declares that a covetous man is not worthy of any honor or respect. (Day 1, Story 8)

Decameron 2020: Survival through Stories

08/22/20 • 9 min

In the 8th story of the first day Loretta tells the story of a well-regarded court entertainer who, with a few clever words, checked the avarice of stingy rich man.

This story was narrated by Ashley Bufkin.

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_02

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_03

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_04

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_05

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_06

http://aux.incompetech.com/royalty-free/Brandenburg%20No4-1%20BWV1049.mp3

10. Two monks, too many hens, a flood of soup, and four loaves of bread (Discussion of Day 1, Stories 4 through 7)

Decameron 2020: Survival through Stories

08/08/20 • 32 min

We've reached the second discussion episode. Here we will pause our recitation of Bocaccio's Decameron in order to hear from our storytellers. Bob Jones serves as today's host, and we will also hear from actors Regan Sims, Johnny Meyer, Diana Guizado and Reagan Tankersly, the readers of the previous four episodes.

9. Philostratus tells the story of a troubadour whose wit aids his remuneration (Day 1, Story 7)

Decameron 2020: Survival through Stories

08/08/20 • 15 min

The seventh story of the first day: Philostratus tells the story of a poor troubadour who uses a parable to reveal the ways in which the casual hubris of the rich can hurt the less fortunate.

This story was narrated by Reagan Tankersley.
Translation by John Florio. Podcast intro: Karen Alvarado. Editing and Sound Design by Brady Marchand. Copy editing by Bob Jones, Ania Upstill, Karen Alvarado, and J.M. Meyer. Project manager: Celine Dirkes. Graphic design: Hannah Lang.
Music and SFX:
http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_01

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_02

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_03

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_04

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_05

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_06

http://aux.incompetech.com/royalty-free/Brandenburg%20No4-1%20BWV1049.mp3

8. Emilia tells the story of a naive merchant who stumbles into the path of the inquisition (Day 1, Story 6)

Decameron 2020: Survival through Stories

08/08/20 • 11 min

In the 6th story of the first day, Emilia tells the story of a wealthy yet simple man who foolishly stumbles into the notice of the dangerous and powerful religious inquisition. As a consequence, a greedy inquisitor begins leeching the man's money, but the merchant uses just a few simple words from the Gospel to reveal the hypocrisy in the clergy.

This story was narrated by Diana Guizado.

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_02

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_03

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_04

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_05

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_06

http://aux.incompetech.com/royalty-free/Brandenburg%20No4-1%20BWV1049.mp3

7. Fiametta tells us that there were too many hens for the one-eyed king (Day 1, Story 5)

Decameron 2020: Survival through Stories

08/08/20 • 10 min

In the 5th story of the first day Fiametta tells the story of a very beautiful (and very married) noblewoman who uses wit, cunning, and roasted hens to rebuff the not-so-subtle advances from the one-eyed King of France.

This story was narrated by Regan Sims.

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_02

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_03

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_04

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_05

http://hebb.mit.edu/FreeMusic/jsbach_bwv996_06

http://aux.incompetech.com/royalty-free/Brandenburg%20No4-1%20BWV1049.mp3

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