The Crane Bag Podcast

Myths and stories from around the world brought alive and singing into the here and now by storyteller, musician and poet Jay leeming.

A Reading of the Odyssey, Book One 12/29/2025

A Reading of the Odyssey, Book One Poet and Storyteller Jay Leeming reads and comments on book one of Homer's Odyssey. Note: Unusually for this podcast this is not a storytelling performance but a reading, for those who wish to dive a little deeper into the Homeric version of this story which has inspired my own. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/39411065

On the Road in Greece and Cyprus 12/16/2025

On the Road in Greece and Cyprus Notes from poet and storyteller Jay Leeming during his two-month storytelling journey through Greece and Cyprus in 2025. /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/39313175

Diarmuid and the Princess From Beneath the Sea 12/09/2025

Diarmuid and the Princess From Beneath the Sea A story from the Irish epic of Finn MacCool (Fionn MacCumhail) brought to life by performance storyteller Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/36801595

Rilke: "Sometimes a Man Stands Up During Supper" 11/25/2025

Rilke: "Sometimes a Man Stands Up During Supper" An exploration of the poem "Sometimes a man stands up during supper" by Rainer Maria Rilke. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/35409560

Iliad Deep Dive 11/13/2025

Iliad Deep Dive A deep dive into the craft of storytelling with performance storyteller Jay Leeming, exploring the creation of the opening scenes of his version of the Iliad. /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/39011045

Episode #122: Draupadi, the Princess Born From a Fire 10/29/2025

Episode #122: Draupadi, the Princess Born From a Fire A princess born from a fire; a journey to speak with gods at the top of the world; a small boy who remains miraculously alive in an apocalyptic wasteland. These are three stories from the great epic of India known as the Mahabharata, brought to life through words and music by performance storyteller Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/36426105

Thank You 10/29/2025

Thank You www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/38630555

Ezra Pound: Canto One 10/14/2025

Ezra Pound: Canto One Storyteller and poet Jay Leeming explores canto one of "The Cantos" by the American poet Ezra Pound. Sequoia trees, blood for ghosts, and the dance of Aphrodite amid a shimmer of gold. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/36835355

If You Want to Find Out Who You Are 10/13/2025

If You Want to Find Out Who You Are "If you want to find out who you are, cut off your head and enter the forest." A story out of French alchemy, told and explored by storyteller Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/38564790

The Iliad Part Ten: The Burning of the Ships 09/30/2025

The Iliad Part Ten: The Burning of the Ships It's desperate times for the Greek soldiers as Hector leads his warriors against them, determined to burn their ships and maroon them on the Trojan shore. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/38319625

The Iliad, Part Nine: I Will Fight No More 09/21/2025

The Iliad, Part Nine: I Will Fight No More With Achilles out of the fighting the Trojans drive the Greeks back to the beach, where they all are faced with hard choices as the story of Troy continues. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/38293920

Gary Snyder: "Mid-August at Sourdough Mountain Lookout" 09/02/2025

Gary Snyder: "Mid-August at Sourdough Mountain Lookout" An exploration of the American poet Gary Snyder's poem "Mid-August at Sourdough Mountain Lookout" by poet and storyteller Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/35397745

The Iliad, Part Eight: The Wrath of Achilles 08/15/2025

The Iliad, Part Eight: The Wrath of Achilles What moonlit god comes down to punish the Greeks with his arrows? What stray dog is the first unlikely victim of Agamemnon's wrath, and what the heck is that boat full of onions and cabbages doing in this story? The story of the Iliad continues, as brought to life by performance storyteller Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/37839530

Pablo Neruda: "The Art of Poetry" 08/12/2025

Pablo Neruda: "The Art of Poetry" An exploration of Pablo Neruda's poem "The Art of Poetry" by poet, storyteller, and musician Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/35793720

Robert Frost: "Directive" 07/29/2025

Robert Frost: "Directive" An exploration of Robert Frost's poem "Directive" by poet, storyteller, and musician Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/35713545

Oisin in the Land of Tir Na Nog 07/22/2025

Oisin in the Land of Tir Na Nog The epic of the Irish hero Finn MacCool (Fionn MacCumhail) comes to a close in this story brought to life by performance storyteller Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/36801615

Emily Dickinson: "I heard a fly buzz when I died" 07/15/2025

Emily Dickinson: "I heard a fly buzz when I died" An exploration of Emily Dickinson's poem "I heard a fly buzz when I died" by poet, storyteller and musician Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/35713060

James Wright: "Goodbye to the Poetry of Calcium" 07/08/2025

James Wright: "Goodbye to the Poetry of Calcium" An exploration of James Wright's poem "Goodbye to the Poetry of Calcium" by poet, storyteller, and musician Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/35713005

The Iliad Part Seven: the Greeks Arrive at Troy 06/24/2025

The Iliad Part Seven: the Greeks Arrive at Troy When the Greek army arrives at Troy they encounter Cygnus, the indestructible man, and wrestle with the prophecy of Calchas which says that the first man to step ashore will be the first to die. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/37115480

Rumi: "The Diver's Clothes Lying Empty" 06/10/2025

Rumi: "The Diver's Clothes Lying Empty" An exploration of the poem "The Diver's Clothes Lying Empty" by Jalal al-Din Rumi, as translated by Coleman Barks. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/35712960

The Iliad, Part Six: Achilles Among the Dancing Girls 05/27/2025

The Iliad, Part Six: Achilles Among the Dancing Girls Before you go to war, it's probably best to spend a year living as a dancing girl on the island of Skyros. That's the wisdom which this beautiful story brings to us, just in time for us to put on our own dancing shoes and sing our way into the deepening wilderness of this epic brought to life by performance storyteller Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/36554155

Just Another Day Getting Struck by Lightning with Frank O'Hara 05/13/2025

Just Another Day Getting Struck by Lightning with Frank O'Hara An exploration of the poems "To the Harbormaster" and "The Day Lady Died" by Frank O'Hara. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/35441775

The Iliad Part Five: The Horse Sacrifice 04/29/2025

The Iliad Part Five: The Horse Sacrifice When I got to the whispering forest and the dark I thought of the sacrifice of the horse, and how it bound us to the god of the sea and the way the horse's nostrils flared and later by the fire the branches devoured by flame seemed wrinkled ancestors confessing their bright crimes to the rain. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/36092375

Steve Scafidi Interview: "What if Faulkner is Wrong and We Do Not Endure or Prevail" 04/15/2025

Steve Scafidi Interview: "What if Faulkner is Wrong and We Do Not Endure or Prevail" An interview with the poet Steve Scafidi, who reads his poem "What if Faulkner is Wrong and We Do Not Endure or Prevail" and discusses laughter, oblivion, religion, high school, and poetry with host Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/36010555

The Iliad, Part Four: Zeus' Wild Daughter 04/02/2025

The Iliad, Part Four: Zeus' Wild Daughter Achilles is born and narrowly misses his change at immortality; meanwhile a storm drives prince Paris across the sea and to the palace of a particularly wild and beautiful queen. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/35873740

Sharon Olds: "California Swimming Pool" 03/18/2025

Sharon Olds: "California Swimming Pool" An exploration of the poem "California Swimming Pool," by Sharon Olds. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/35708615

Joel Christensen: Stories as Living Beings 03/06/2025

Joel Christensen: Stories as Living Beings An interview with Professor Joel Christensen about Homeric Epic and the possibility of regarding stories as living beings. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/35409690

Pablo Neruda: "Ode to My Socks" 02/24/2025

Pablo Neruda: "Ode to My Socks" The odes of Pablo Neruda explored by poet and storyteller Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/35368125

The Iliad Part Three: Paris, the Sea-Dragon, and the Prophecies of Cassandra 02/18/2025

The Iliad Part Three: Paris, the Sea-Dragon, and the Prophecies of Cassandra The epic of the Iliad brought to life by performance storyteller Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/34829340

The Iliad Part Two: The Judgement of Paris 01/28/2025

The Iliad Part Two: The Judgement of Paris The epic of the Iliad, brought to life by performance storyteller Jay Leeming. www.JayLeeming.com /episode/index/show/cranebag/id/34829300

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