HeyJaredMeaningful Differences
My historical, scifi, fantasy, fiction on the basic themes of "meaningful differences" between men and women, people getting second chances after either terrible experiences or terrible choices, and positive depictions of masculinity.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 3
- Latest publication
- Aug 11, 2026
- Audience
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- Earliest in this view
- Jul 7, 2026
Latest issues
Through the Odyssey (opens the original)
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Once again, I’m reading through a classic for the first time. Still, I think I know more about the story of Odysseus than I did of the Aeneid or the Iliad.Books I-4: Telemachus Steps into ManhoodThe first four books of the Odyssey, often called the Telemachy, focus on Telemachus taking his first steps as a man, at the prodding of the gods.Telemachus asserts himself as the master of the house. Athena and his mother support him; the suitors do not.Poem: Distaff and SpearTelemachus asserts his righ
A Man is Nothing Without the Gods (opens the original)
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The Odyssey TV miniseries from 1997 consists of two movies, each approximately one and a half hours long. Armand Assante stars as Odysseus.Any film version of the Odyssey has to pick and choose what events to keep, which to abridge or drop altogether, and how to present difficult or alien concepts from the ancient world.Meaningful Differences is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.<form class="subscript
Hearth and Helm: Voices from the Epics (opens the original)
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If substack had a method for accepting one-time payments, I would use it. But I didn’t want to set up yet another payment method, as other folks have done with “Buy Me a Coffee.” Think of this book as a way to “Buy Me a Coffee” while getting something from me to hold in your hand.It’s an 88-page collection of the creative work I’ve embedded in over two years of essays inspired by my read-through of the Aeneid, the Iliad, and the Odyssey. Poetry, short fiction, my paraphrases of key sections from
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