7) Obsession or love? With Julide Sezer

12) Love does not ask, Mohammed Hamdouni

In today's episode, your host, Melinda Karaca) will speak to doctoral researcher Mohammed Hamdouni. As a PhD Candidate in Ethnomusicology & Anthropology with a rich and diverse background in cultural studies, digital marketing, and strategic communication, Mohammed Hamdouni is deeply committed to exploring the intersections between music, dance traditions, and the anthropological fabric that binds societies. His journey has taken him through various roles – from serving as an influential member of The International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance to contributing as a Graduate Committee Member at The Center for Maghreb Studies, where he delves into the rich cultural tapestry of the Maghrib region. With experience spanning continents, he has cultivated a unique perspective on the digital and cultural landscapes, offering insights into tangible and intangible heritage, cultural narratives, and the anthropology of objects. In this episode, he explores what the path of love entails when it comes to Sufism. What is Sufism? What is love? How is love explored within this field? These are all questions that this podcast episode explores. Thank you, Professor Mohammed Hamdouni, and thank you all for listening.

11) Everything is connected, with Alexander Moseley

In today's episode of the Love & Literature podcast, host Melinda Karaca speaks to Dr. Alexander Moseley. Alexander Moseley is a private tutor, educator, and author of books on philosophy, political philosophy, and educational philosophy; a home educator; and a judo coach. His rich background in various fields, such as ethics, education, politics, and philosophy, has brought valuable insights to the podcast. This episode will explore what all these fields have in common and how they are all connected. Thank you, Dr. Alexander Moseley, and thank you all for listening.

10) Love is not an emotion, with Frank Chouraqui

In today's episode of the Love & Literature podcast, host Melinda Karaca speaks to Professor Chouraqui. Frank Chouraqui is a lecturer at the Institute for Philosophy at Leiden University. His research has a historical side and a systematic side. The historical aspect is focused on the philosophies of Nietzsche and Merleau-Ponty, especially their ontologies of relationality and their connections with ontological accounts of power. The systematic aspect focuses on the analysis of belief and its relation to action, especially in the case of fanatic and dogmatic belief. This episode will explore what love entails, which is not an emotion. Regarding this topic, more examples and explanations will be provided in this episode. Thank you, Professor Chouraqui, and thank you all for listening.

9) Nationalism a form of love? with Stevie Suan

In this episode of the Love & Literature podcast, host Melinda Karaca speaks to Stevie Suan. Stevie Suan is an Associate Professor at Hosei University in the Faculty of Global and Interdisciplinary Studies. He holds a doctorate in Manga Studies from the Graduate School of Manga Studies at Kyoto Seika University, received his M.A. in Asian Studies from the University of Hawai‛i at Mānoa, and his B.A. in Cinema and Cultural Studies from Stony Brook University. Born in Sri Lanka, but raised primarily in New York City, he has spent considerable time living in Japan, as well as extended stays in Taiwan and Indonesia, where he has studied and researched a variety of topics relating to the arts and media, ranging from traditional theatrical performance to contemporary animation. In this episode, he will be discussing what it entails to belong to a nation. What is a nation-state? What is nationalism? Can nationalism be considered a form of love? And many more questions will be explored in this episode.

8) Love is plural, with Yecid Ortega

In this episode of the Love & Literature podcast, host Melinda Karaca speaks to Professor Ortega about what love entails. Professor Ortega is a scholar in Language Education & Applied Linguistics. He bridges theories and practice, teaching future educators how to implement inclusive, culturally responsive, and pluriversal pedagogies. His research is collaborative and embodied, employing ethnographic, participatory, and arts-based methods to explore how communities express cultural and linguistic identities. In this episode, the notion of love got deconstructed. Perhaps trying to find one distinct definition of love is also a form of oppression. It is an oppression of other "diminished" or unheard narratives. Thanks to Professor Ortega, this notion became more apparent. Thank you, Professor Ortega, and thank you all for listening!