Meta Description: Join Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle as they welcome back author Gary D. Schmidt. Discover how the Latin language and Greek mythology shape his new book, The Labors of Hercules Beal, and why fighting a Hydra is a lot like a hospital stay.
Introduction: No More Hatchet Weather
Welcome back to the “vomitorium,” listeners! In Episode 144 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, hosts Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle are gathered on a rainy March afternoon. Dr. Winkle is recovering from a three-week battle with a virus (cough drop and DayQuil regime included), while Dr. Noe is seeking a respite from the challenges of his pastoral calling.
The mood, however, is celebratory because a favorite guest has returned. Gary D. Schmidt, the acclaimed author and former Calvin University professor, joins the show for the first time since Episode 25. Longtime listeners may remember that episode for the infamous “hatchet weather” comment—a reference to Gary hacking ice dams off his roof.
This time, the hatchets are put away, and the focus is on Gary’s transition into “full-time writing” (don’t call it retirement) and his masterful new middle-grade novel, The Labors of Hercules Beal.
Life After Teaching: A New Chapter
Since leaving the classroom, Gary hasn’t slowed down. In fact, he’s writing more than ever. He reveals three disparate projects currently on his desk:
- A “Frog and Toad” style book.
- A ghost story.
- His first adult novel: A fascinating concept involving a dying Vermont town and a high schooler who hacks the Global Positioning System (GPS) to detour traffic through Main Street, revitalizing the local economy.
But the centerpiece of the conversation is his latest published work, which brings the ancient world of Greek mythology and the Latin language tradition crashing into the life of a modern middle schooler.
The Labors of Hercules Beal: Myth Meets Middle School
The Labors of Hercules Beal follows Hercules Beal, a boy navigating the crushing grief of losing his parents in a car accident. To make matters worse, his teacher, Lieutenant Colonel Huffer (a character returning from The Wednesday Wars), assigns him a project: recreate the 12 Labors of Hercules in real life.
Why Hercules?
Dr. Winkle asks the pivotal question: Why this specific myth? Gary explains that unlike Perseus or Jason, Hercules is not a polished hero seeking a prize. He is a broken figure. In the original myths, Hercules undertakes the labors as penance for a terrible act committed in madness (killing his family).
Similarly, Hercules Beal is working through his own misplaced guilt. The myth becomes a lens for processing grief. As Gary notes, the goal of the book is to show the journey from grief to gratitude—a realization that “your gratitude for what you had is larger than your grief for what you’ve lost.”
Adapting the Labors: The Hydra in the Hospital
One of the most compelling parts of the interview is Gary’s explanation of how he adapted the mythical monsters into realistic challenges.
- The Nemean Lion: Becomes a stray cat.
- The Stymphalian Birds: A challenge involving a swamp.
- The Hydra: This was the hardest to adapt. How do you translate a nine-headed regenerating monster? Gary drew from his own experience with heart issues. The “Hydra” became the tangle of 10 different tubes and wires hooked up to him in a hospital bed—a “monster” he desperately wanted to escape.
Balancing the Tragic and the Comic
Dr. Noe praises Gary’s ability to weave humor into a story about profound loss. The book is filled with moments of levity, from the refrain “Oh boy, oh boy” to the quirky community characters.
Gary argues that this mix is essential to human experience. He uses the example of a funeral luncheon: you weep at the grave, but an hour later, you are eating sandwiches and laughing at stories about the deceased. Humans are capable of holding deep grief and genuine joy simultaneously. To write a book that was “unendingly morbid” would be false to life.
“The strangeness of these myths is how often they subtly enact themselves in our lives.” — Colonel Huffer
The Infrared Poet Society
As the interview wraps up, the hosts are interrupted by a strange banging on the bunker doors. It’s the Infrared Poet Society—a group that only reads poetry under specific light spectrums. While Dr. Noe considers applying, they decide to hustle out of the way.
Sponsors
This episode is supported by friends of the Latin language and classical living:
- Ratio Coffee: For a brew that even a stoic can enjoy. The new Ratio 4 is coming—a sleek, affordable machine perfect for the office.
- The Deal: Visit ratiocoffee.com and use code ANCO6S (Smizzling!) for a discount.
- Hackett Publishing: Why pay textbook prices? Get high-quality translations like Stanley Lombardo’s Odyssey for a fraction of the cost.
- The Deal: Visit hackettpublishing.com and use code AN2024 for 20% off and free shipping.
Gustatory Parting Shot
Dr. Noe leaves us with a thought-provoking quote from Edith Nesbitt’s The Magic World:
“There is nothing more luxurious than eating while you read, unless it be reading while you eat. Amabelle did both. They are not the same thing, as you will see if you think the matter over.”
Are they distinct? The hosts decide to leave that philosophical morass for another day.
Valete!
Resources for the Latin Learner
- Latin Per Diem: Want to read the myths in the original Latin language? Join Dr. Noe’s classes on Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata.
- The Moss Method: Go from “Neophyte to Erudite” in Greek with self-paced modules and weekly “Moffice Hours.”
- Visit: latinperdiem.com.
