Marinai, profeti e balene

Vinicio Capossela hosted a podcast on Rai Radio Three in April 2011, just before the release of Marinai, profeti e balene. During the podcast, he discussed a few topics connected with the record with professors and other people. 

1st episode: Ulysses's shadow. Opening song: «Il grande Leviatano». The topic is Ulysses' shadow and professor Pietro Boitani was invited to join the conversation as he wrote a book about it.

2nd episode: the cyclope. Opening song: «Vinocolo», with a Greek sentence spoken by the Greek musician Psarantonis. The topic is the cyclope. The conversation is joined by the poet Vincenzo Costantino "Cinaski".

3rd episode: the deception of waiting. Opening song: «Un bel dì vedremo», from «Madame Butterfly». The conversation is joined by professor Anna Lombardi, scholar of Kepler. 

4th episode: Nostos. Opening song: «Nostos». The topic is nostalgy. The conversation is about the writer Borges, who wrote about the relationship between Ulysses and Achab. Eventually the writer Matteo Codignola joins Capossela.

5th episode: Bible rock. Opening song: «La nave sta arrivando», Italian version of Bob Dylan's «When the ship comes in», translated by Capossela. The main theme is musical adaptation from lyrics coming from the Bible; Job is introduced, Sergio Quinzio explains it and eventually Capossela's song «Job» is played. 

6th episode: the abyss' circus. Opening song: «Polpo d'amor». The topic is submarine creatures of all kinds. The song «Pryntyl» is played too, followed by Jacopo Leone's considerations. 

7th episode: Lord Jim, one of us. After a short reading of Joseph Conrad's novel «Lord Jim», the omonymous song by Capossela is played. The theme is the defence of one's own weaknesses. The conversation is joined again by Matteo Codignola, member of Conrad Society. 

8th episode: sea workers. Opening song: «Whale fish song», taken from the ending of «Il grande Leviatano». Matteo Codignola talks about the working conditinons in whalery. The episode ends with the song «Billy Budd».

9th episode: the whale's freak show. Opening song: «Goliath». The conversation is joined by Claudia Losi, an artist who worked with cloth whales, and Matteo Codignola, who was asked about the relationship between the whale and the showbiz. Eventually, the song «La bianchezza della balena» is played. 

10th episode: the sirens. The references to the sirens are many, from Aurelio Privitera, who wrote «Il ritorno del guerriero», to Tim and Jeff Buckley, and also Capossela's first novel, «Non si muore tutte le mattine». The episode ends with the live performance of the song «Le sirene».