“Hudden and Dudden and Donald O’Neary” is an Irish folktale collected and published by folklorist Joseph Jacobs in his book, Celtic Fairy Tales.

Social Darwinism explained.

Sarah McLachlan is a singer/songwriter who wrote and performs “Adia” (lyrics), in which she expresses a theory of justice and individual responsibility that I refer to in this podcast.

Paolo Freire is a theorist and activist whose ideas include many ways we as individuals and groups can act to create a more just world. His book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, is relevant, especially Chapter Two.

With regard to being our own angels: I find a short passage from the epilogue to John Fletcher’s play, The Honest Man’s Fortune, to be provocative (in a good way):

Man is his own star, and the soul that can

Render an honest and a perfect man

Commands all light, all influence, all fate,

Nothing to him falls early or too late.

Our acts our angels are, or good or ill,

Our fatal shadows that stand by us still.

It is perhaps good to note that “perfect” can also mean “whole,” “complete,” or “fully mature,” and that “fatal” here means “fate-al,” or “determining one’s destiny.”

I first came across this poem in Louisa May Alcott’s book, Rose in Bloom. There, it is cited as a joint work of both Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (both men are contemporaries of Shakespeare). This article explains why.

Joseph Fielding Smith said, “It is contrary to the law of God for the heavens to be opened and messengers to come to do anything for man that man can do for himself. . . . You cannot point to anywhere in the scriptures where a messenger has come from the heavens and bestowed upon man something man could do for himself, but angels have come and told men what to do and sent men to do it.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., comp. Bruce R. McConkie, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–57, 1:196.)

Nicky Epstein wrote Knitting on Top of the World: The Global Guide to Traditions, Techniques and Design.

Michele Rose Orne wrote Inspired to Knit: Creating Exquisite Handknits.

Brenda Dayne writes, produces, and performs an excellent knitting and philosophy podcast (combining knitting and philosophy in one, not one and then the other) called Cast On. She has been selected to participate in the plinth art project in London’s Trafalgar Square in mid-September. Brenda is an American living in Wales, so you Britophiles especially will like hearing about Brenda’s life.

Erin, or Spinnerin, produced and performed a podcast called Faery Knitting until early this year. The episodes are still available – each one starts with a fairy or folk tale in the public domain and then continues with brief (but very enjoyable) critical commentary on the tale, as well as lots of interesting tidbits about Erin’s life as a fiber producer and small farmer in Texas. If you can’t get the last episode to download (as I have been unable to do), you might contact Erin on Ravelry (her ID is Spinnerin) and pester her for it. I plan to do exactly that as soon as I get to the end of the episodes I have.

Both these podcasts are available through iTunes.

The Green Man performed “The Shiny Penny.” This song is included according to a Creative Commons Music Sharing license. You can legally download this whole song yourself and listen to it for free, as well as more of their work.

Cat Jahnke wrote and performed “Tangle” and “Crocodiles.” These songs are included by permission in this podcast and are not licensed for random sharing. You can buy her CD though, which I swear is totally worth it. And maybe get one of those great crocodile T-shirts as well.