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350 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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Episode 251: Why Literature Still Matters with Dr. Jason Baxter
19 november 2024 · 1 uur 13 min
This week on The Literary Life Podcast we are pleased to bring you a conversation hosts Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks had with Dr. Jason Baxter, author of the new book Why Literature Matters from Cassiodorus Press. You can find out more about Dr. Baxter and his other books at JasonMBaxter.com. Together they discuss how this book came about and the importance of knowing who your audience is. They share some hopes for this book to reach those who don't understand why literature is still worthwhile in our current culture. Angelina brings up the challenges of reading in this fast-paced, consumeristic age. Jason uses metaphors of gardening and learning a piece of music to think about reading and understanding as a process requiring time and perseverance. Lees meer
Please visit our website for complete show notes including commonplace quotes, book links, and this week's poem at https://theliterary.life/251/.
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Episode 250: "Best of" Series Replay - "The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis" with Dr. Jason Baxter
12 november 2024 · 1 uur 16 min
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast! Due to a scheduling conflict, this week we are re-airing a previous episode with Dr. Jason Baxter, author of the new book Why Literature Matters from Cassiodorus Press. Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks sit down for a special conversation with Jason Baxter. Jason is a speaker, writer, and college professor who writes primarily on medieval thought and is especially interested in Lewis' ideas. You can find out more about him and his books at JasonMBaxter.com. Lees meer
Our hosts and Jason discuss a wide range of ideas, including the values of literature, the sacramental view of reality, why it is important to understand medieval thought, the "problem" of paganism in Lewis' writings, and how to approach reading ancient and medieval literature.
To see all the books and get the full show notes for today's episode, visit our website for the complete show notes here: https://www.theliterary.life/250/.
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Episode 249: "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by S. T. Coleridge, Part 2
5 november 2024 · 1 uur 28 min
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast and the wrap up of our series on Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Today Angelina and Thomas cover the second half of the poem, beginning with some more discussion about the Romantic poets and what they were trying to do through their work. They talk at some length about the importance of imagination and fantasy in response to the focus on realism and science. After this, Thomas reads aloud some of the most important passages in this section of the poem. Angelina brings up the importance of understanding Deism in relation to Romanticism. Lees meer
To see all the books and get the full show notes for today's episode, visit our website for the complete show notes here: https://www.theliterary.life/249/.
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Episode 248: "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by S. T. Coleridge, Part 1
29 oktober 2024 · 1 uur 9 min
On today's episode of The Literary Life, Angelina and Thomas discuss the first half of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner. They review some of the ideas covered last week, particularly Romanticism and the harkening back to the medieval tradition in contrast to the Neo-Classicism that preceded this period. Thomas sets up the plot with an explanation of the "frame tale," then reads several of the opening stanzas, pausing frequently for commentary and discussion with Angelina. They talk about the symbolism of the albatross, plus so much more! Lees meer
To see all the books and get the full show notes for today's episode, visit our website for the complete show notes here: https://www.theliterary.life/248/.
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Episode 247: Introduction to "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
22 oktober 2024 · 1 uur 1 min
On The Literary Life podcast this week, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks begin their newest series, this time discussing Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner. First, Thomas and Angelina speak to the question of different editions of this poem, then they dive into the background on Coleridge, William Wordsworth, and the lyrical ballads. They discuss the artistic and cultural moment in which Coleridge is writing, particularly the Romantic period in literature. Angelina talks about the Romantics and why they used so much medieval language and used allegory so heavily. She shares some examples of the writers in this vein seeking to rediscover and return to ancient tradition and stories. Thomas also considers Coleridge as a poet and a person. Finally, they give some helpful information and tips for those approaching this text for the first time. Lees meer
To see all the books and get the full show notes for today's episode, visit our website for the complete show notes here: https://www.theliterary.life/247/.
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Episode 246: "Best of" Series – "Are Women Human" by Dorothy L. Sayers, Ep. 9
15 oktober 2024 · 1 uur 6 min
Today's episode of The Literary Life podcast is one in our "Best of The Literary Life" series. This week's remix is a conversation from 2019 between Angelina Stanford and Cindy Rollins in which they discuss Dorothy L. Sayers' essay "Are Women Human?" They explore the ideas that Sayers wrestles with in the essay, including: the Victorian view of women, the significance of the industrial revolution, the human need for meaningful occupation, and the early feminist movement and women's suffrage. Lees meer
Angelina and Cindy also discuss the history of women's work inside and outside of the home and how they have been impacted by industry and our production-consumption culture. They take a fascinating look at the effects of the Enlightenment on women in the modern western world, as well as the problem of over-generalization and categorizing people according to classes. Finally, Cindy and Angelina highlight the importance of asking yourself the question: "Who am I supposed to be as a mother and a woman?"
To see all the books and links mentioned in today's episode, visit our website for the complete show notes here: https://www.theliterary.life/246/.
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Episode 245: "Murder Must Advertise" by Dorothy Sayers, Ch. 17-End
8 oktober 2024 · 1 uur 16 min
Today on The Literary Life podcast, hosts Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks wrap up their series on Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers. To begin the conversation, Thomas shares his reaction on finishing this book. Angelina then dives into her discoveries of Alice in Wonderland references throughout all of Sayers' detective books. They talk about how the cricket game relates to the whole story arc, review the descent and parody imagery ideas from last episode, and look at Lord Peter's arrest and its significance in the form of the romance. More topics they cover in these final chapters include the ascent imagery, Tallboy's confession, the act of justice in the detective novel, and how the ending of this book is actually quite fitting. We hope you have enjoyed this series and will be picking up more Sayers novels soon! Lees meer
To see all the books and links mentioned in today's episode, visit our website for the complete show notes here: https://theliterary.life/245/.
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Episode 244: "Murder Must Advertise" by Dorothy Sayers, Ch. 12-16
1 oktober 2024 · 1 uur 6 min
Today's episode of The Literary Life podcast picks up our series on Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers with a discussion of chapters 12-16. After sharing their commonplace quotes, Angelina and Thomas begin by talking about whether Sayers is "too accomplished" to be writing detective stories and the decline and resurgence of the genre. Angelina makes more connections between the medieval romance and Murder Must Advertise, as well as the images that parallel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland scenes and the purpose they serve. They also talk about the many masks of Lord Peter, the "hellish hunt", the ad world and the drug world, and so much more. Lees meer
To see all the books and links mentioned in today's episode, visit our website for the complete show notes here: https://theliterary.life/244/.
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Episode 243: "Murder Must Advertise" by Dorothy Sayers, Ch. 6-11
24 september 2024 · 1 uur 14 min
1On The Literary Life podcast this week, we continue our series on Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers, covering chapters 6-11. Angelina and Thomas begin the discussion talking about authors and their own thoughts on their best books versus those which readers seem to like best. Angelina shares some of the things she has learned about the drug trade in the early 20th century and in relation to this story. Thomas points out some of the allusions and references to other literature in these chapters. Angelina also expands on Lord Peter's disguises and the role of the harlequin in the literary tradition. For an entertaining side note, Thomas reads some bad reviews of Sayers' novels. Lees meer
To see all the books and links mentioned in today's episode, visit our website for the complete show notes here: https://theliterary.life/243/.
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Episode 242: "Murder Must Advertise" by Dorothy L. Sayers, Intro and Ch. 1-5
17 september 2024 · 1 uur 26 min
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast and the beginning of our series on Dorothy L. Sayers' classic detective novel, Murder Must Advertise. Beginning with the Golden Age of the detective novel and the backdrop of World War I, Angelina and Thomas give some historical background to provide a setting for this novel. Angelina also shares some biographical information about Dorothy Sayers and her literary education and advertising work. As they dig into the opening chapters of this novel, our hosts talk about Lord Peter Wimsey, his name and character. They also talk at some length about the "Bright Young Things" circle and their place in society during the post-WWI era. Lees meer
To see all the books and links mentioned in today's episode, visit our website for the complete show notes here: https://theliterary.life/242/.
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Episode 241: Why Read Dante with Jason Baxter
10 september 2024 · 1 uur 26 min
On this week's episode of The Literary Life podcast, we are excited to bring you a new conversation with hosts Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks and their guest Dr. Jason Baxter. They open the discussion with some thoughts on why Dante has had renewed popularity in recent days. Jason talks about the big questions that poets seek to answer, and what some of the obstacles modern readers might have when approaching Dante for the first time. Thomas asks whether Dante had a precedent for making himself a character in his own epic. Angelina brings up the question of what it means that The Divine Comedy is poetry rather than some other genre. Other topics they discuss are Dante's cosmology, his psychological precision, how to approach The Divine Comedy for the first time, and Jason's own translation work. Lees meer
To see all the books and links mentioned in today's episode, visit our website for the complete show notes here: https://theliterary.life/241/.
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Episode 240: "Best of" Series - The Importance of Detective Fiction, Ep. 3
3 september 2024 · 1 uur 2 min
Today on The Literary Life Podcast, we bring you another episode from the vault, this time to prepare you for our upcoming discussion of Dorothy L. Sayers' detective novel Murder Must Advertise. In this conversation, Angelina and Cindy talk all things related to the detective novel. Why do we love detective fiction so much? What are the qualities of a good detective novel? What is the history of detective fiction, and how did World War I bring about the Golden Age of the genre? Angelina and Cindy answer all these questions and more. Be sure to visit the shownotes page for this episode for links to all the books and authors mentioned in this episode here -->> https://theliterary.life/240/. Lees meer
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Episode 239: "Best of" Series – The Literary Life of Jone Rose, Ep. 135
27 augustus 2024 · 1 uur 29 min
Welcome to another remix episode of The Literary Life podcast with this popular "Literary Life of…" interview episode with Angelina, Cindy and their guest Jone Rose. Jone is a "super-fan" of the podcast and is a homeschool mom living in North Carolina. Today Angelina starts off the interview asking about Jone's childhood reading life and school experience. Jone shares how her own adult literary education didn't start until after she had been homeschooling her own children for several years. In addition to discussing the redemption of Jone's own education, they talk about what Jone's reading life looks like now, how narration helps make connections and increase understanding, asking better questions, and so much more! Lees meer
To get see all the books and links mentioned in this episode, please view the full show notes on our website at https://www.theliterary.life/239.
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Episode 238: Why Read Biographies
20 augustus 2024 · 1 uur 9 min
Welcome back to The Literary Life Podcast with Angelina Stanford, Thomas Banks, and Cindy Rollins. Thomas starts the conversation with some general thoughts on the biography as a branch of literature and as an art form. He also mentions some types of biography he does not care to read at all. Cindy brings up the tension between white-washing historical figures and dragging out every piece of their dirty laundry in biographical treatments. Angelina poses a question about the place of biographies in children's education. Lees meer
To get a list of all the books mentioned and any other links mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.theliterary.life/238/.
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Episode 237: "Best of" Series – "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" Pt. 2, Ep. 106
13 augustus 2024 · 1 uur 11 min
This week on The Literary Life Podcast, we continue our remix of a past discussion of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. If you missed last week's episode, you will want to go back and catch Part 1. Angelina kicks of the book chat with a look at the format of the story and how it keeps us in suspense. Thomas brings up the idea of forbidden knowledge found in this book and the similarities between it and Frankenstein. Some other topics covered in this episode include the dangers of dehumanizing victims of crime, the nature of sin and addiction, the Renaissance idea of the well-ordered man, and the mythic qualities of this story. Lees meer
For a complete booklists and links to everything mentioned in this episode, including ways to connect with our hosts, please visit https://theliterary.life/237.
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Episode 236: "Best of" Series – The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by R. L. Stevenson, Part 1 (Ep. 105)
6 augustus 2024 · 1 uur 18 min
Welcome to today's episode and another "Best of" remix on The Literary Life Podcast! Today our hosts Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks explore Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. After their commonplace quote discussion, each cohost shares some personal thoughts on Robert Louis Stevenson. Be aware that this episode will contain some spoilers, though we will not spoil the full ending. Thomas shares some biographical information about R. L. Stevenson. Angelina points out the mythic quality of this story and the enduring cultural references inspired by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. She and Thomas also discuss some of the differences between early and late Victorian writers. They also begin digging into the first section of the book. Lees meer
Join us again next week for the second part of this discussion. Check out our Upcoming Events page for if want to know what we will be reading and talking about on the podcast next!
Don't forget to check out our sister podcast, The Well Read Poem, as well as Cindy's new podcast, The New Mason Jar!
Commonplace Quotes:
I would rather (said he) have the rod to be the general terrour to all, to make them learn, than tell a child, if you do thus, or thus, you will be more esteemed than your brothers or sisters. The rod produces an effect which terminates in itself. A child is afraid of being whipped, and gets his task, and there's an end on't; whereas, by exciting emulation and comparisons of superiority, you lay the foundation of lasting mischief; you make brothers and sisters hate each other.
Samuel Johnson, as quoted by James Boswell
Do not talk about Shakespeare's mistakes: they are probably your own.
G. M. Young
The most influential books, and the truest in their influence, are works of fiction. They do not pin the reader to a dogma, which he must afterwards discover to be inexact; they do not teach him a lesson, which he must afterwards unlearn… They disengage us from ourselves, they co…
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Episode 235: "Harry Potter" Book 1, Ch. 13-End
30 juli 2024 · 2 uur 1 min
This week on The Literary Life, Angelina and Thomas wrap up their series on J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter: Book 1. Angelina and Thomas begin the episode with some thoughts on their Aristotelian approach to literature as seen in this series of episodes. After sharing their commonplace quotes, they dive into their discussion of the last few chapters of the book. Some of the ideas they consider are how the entire plot is a series of symbols, alchemy and the allegory of the soul, and the figure of the "wildman" in the literary tradition. They also go over the characters of the centaurs, the significance of the unicorn, more references to Greek mythology, how Harry exemplifies the "chest" of the well-ordered man, and the great importance of the philosopher's stone as a Christ symbol. Lees meer
Visit HouseofHumaneLetters.com for classes with Angelina, Thomas, and other members of their teaching team.
Commonplace Quotes:
There is a sort of wild fairy interest in these tales which makes me think them fully better adapted to awaken and soften the heart of childhood that the "good boy" stories which have been in later years composed for them. In the latter case their minds are, as it were, put into the stocks…and the moral always consists in good conduct being crowned with temporal success. The truth is, I would not give one tear shed over Little Red Riding Hood for all the benefit to be derived from a hundred histories of Jimmy Goodchild.
Sir Walter Scott, from a letter to a friend
"I believe in God, not magic." In fact, Rowling initially was afraid that if people were aware of her Christian faith, she would give away too much of what's coming in the series. "It I talk too freely about that," she told a Canadian reporter, "I think the intelligent reader–whether ten [years old] or sixty–will be able to guess what is coming in the books."
Michael Nelson, quoting J. K. Rowling, from "Fantasia: The Gospel According to C. S. Lewis"
A Selection from "The Inferno", Canto XII
By Dante…
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Episode 234: "Harry Potter" Book 1, Ch. 8-12
23 juli 2024 · 1 uur 50 min
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast and our series on J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter: Book 1. After sharing some thoughts on detective fiction as it relates to Rowling, our hosts Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks discuss chapters 8-12. Some of the ideas they share are the following: Homeric echos and classical allusions in this book, the identity quest, the significance of characters' names, the four houses and the bestiary, the three parts of the soul, the Christian influence on Rowling's stories. Angelina also seeks to teach something about symbolism and structure of literature and art as seen through the Harry Potter books. Lees meer
Visit HouseofHumaneLetters.com for updates on classes with Angelina, Thomas, and other members of their teaching team.
Previous episodes mentioned in this podcast:
The Importance of the Detective Novel (Episode 3/174)
Series on Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers (Episodes 4-8)
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (Episode 79)
Commonplace Quotes:
The wise man combines the pleasures of the senses and the pleasures of the spirit in such a way as to increase the satisfaction he gets from both.
W. Somerset Maugham, from The Narrow Corner
For it is through symbols that man finds his way out of his particular situation and "opens himself" to the general and the Universal. Symbols awaken individual experience and transmute it into a spiritual act, into metaphysical comprehension of the world.
Mircea Eliade, from The Sacred and the Profane
The Fairies
By William Allingham
Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren't go a-hunting
For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
And white owl's feather!Down along the rocky shore
Some make their home,
They live on crispy pancakes
Of yellow tide-foam;
Some in the reeds
Of the black mountain lake,
With frogs for their watch-dogs,
All night awake.High on the hill-top
The old King sits;
He is now so old and gray
He's nigh lost his wits.
With… -
Episode 233: "Harry Potter" Book 1, Ch. 3-7
16 juli 2024 · 1 uur 35 min
On today's episode of The Literary Life podcast, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks continue their series on Harry Potter: Book 1 by J. K. Rowling. This week we are covering chapters 3-7. Angelina opens the book discussion with an overview of the literary motifs used by Rowling in the Harry Potter books to help modern readers better understand these kinds of stories. One of the motifs she highlights is the identity quest and how we see Harry on a journey of the soul. She also shares some thoughts on the fairy tale "magic" of these stories in contrast to actual witchcraft as well as the symbolism used to show us that this is a fairy world. Lees meer
Thomas and Angelina talk about the characters we meet in these chapters, including the symbolism of some of their names. Other ideas discussed in this episode include the importance of alchemy, the Gothic literary tradition, the layers of the quest, the rise of the fantasy genre, and so much more!
Visit HouseofHumaneLetters.com for updates on classes with Angelina, Thomas, and other members of their teaching team.
The Literary Life series on Bram Stoker's Dracula
Commonplace Quotes:
It is very often a man's digressions that reveal his true character and interests.
T. R. Glover, from Springs of Hellas
I am not suggesting that all works of literature are much the same work or fit into the same general scheme. I am providing a kind of resonance for literary experience, a third dimension, so to speak, in which the work we are experiencing draws strength and power from everything else we have read and may still read. And, second, the strength and power do not stop with the work out there, but enter into us.
Northrop Frye
Walking Away
By Cecil Day-Lewis
It is eighteen years ago, almost to the day –
A sunny day with leaves just turning,
The touch-lines new-ruled – since I watched you play
Your first game of football, then, like a satellite
Wrenched from its orbit, go drifting awayBehind a scatter of boys. I can see
You walki… -
Episode 232: "Harry Potter" Book 1, Introduction and Ch. 1-2
9 juli 2024 · 1 uur 31 min
On today's episode on The Literary Life podcast, we begin our much-anticipated series on Harry Potter: Book 1 by J. K. Rowling, with hosts Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. After sharing a little on their own backgrounds as teachers and their commonplace quotations for the week, Angelina and Thomas open the book discussion with some introductory information on this book and series. They address the controversy surrounding these books in Christian circles. For our previous episode on magic, listen to our Best of Series Episode 168: Wizards, Witches and Magic, Oh My! Lees meer
Angelina sets up this series with some background on children's publishing in the 1990s, the why there are differences in the British and American editions, the basis for this book in the classic literary tradition, the form and structure of stories. They also share some thoughts on these first couple of chapters. Join us again next week for chapters 3-7!
Visit HouseofHumaneLetters.com for updates on classes with Angelina, Thomas, and other members of their teaching team.
Commonplace Quotes:
To what extent people draw their ideas from fiction is disputable. Personally, I believe that most people are influenced far more than they would care to admit by novels, serial stories, films, and so forth, and that from this point of view, the worst books are often the most important.
George Orwell, in "Boys' Weeklies"
Do you think I am trying to weave a spell? Perhaps I am, but remember your fairy tales. Spells are used for breaking enchantments as well as inducing them, and you and I have need of the strongest spell that can be found to wake us from the evil enchantment of worldliness that has been laid upon us for nearly a hundred years.
C. S. Lewis, from "The Weight of Glory"
A Selection from "A School Song"
By Rudyard Kipling
'Let us now praise famous men' -
Men of little showing -
For their work continueth,
And their work continueth,
Broad and deep continueth,
Greater than their knowing!And we a…
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Episode 231: What to Do When The Literary Life Feels Overwhelming
2 juli 2024 · 1 uur 38 min
This week on The Literary Life podcast Angelina Stanford is joined by friends and fellow readers Cindy Rollins, Emily Raible, and Jone Rose to discuss how to deal with overwhelm with your literary life. Angelina opens the conversation with the acknowledgment that everyone has moments when they feel overwhelmed by the amount of things to read and to know. Jone talks about how she tries to avoid comparing herself and her reading life to that of others. Cindy talks about how she has seen the Enemy twist something that is a good gift and made it into a negative. Lees meer
Other encouraging and helpful ideas they discuss are the following: motivation of making connections, how to work up to more challenging books, protecting your brain and attention span, learning to enjoy the feast, and continuing the literary life for the long haul.
Find out more about Cindy's summer Narration Bootcamps over at MorningTimeforMoms.com. Look for more information about the summer classes over HouseofHumaneLetters.com, too!
Commonplace Quotes:
Now you must remember, whenever you have to deal with him, that Analysis, like fire, is a very good servant but a very bad master, for having got his freedom only of late years or so he is, like young men when they come suddenly to be their own masters, apt to be conceited and to fancy that he knows everything when he really knows nothing and can never know anything but only knows about things, which is a different matter. Emily shares her eye-opening understanding after starting out discouraged about being "behind" in her self-education journey.
Charles Kingsley
Words can come to the ear like blowing wind and neither stop nor remain, just passing by like fleeting time, if hearts and minds aren't awake, aren't ready and willing to receive them. Only the heart can take them in and hold them and keep them.
Chrétrien de Troyes, trans. by Burton Raffel, from Yvain, The Knight of the Lion
I have my doubts about all this real value in mountaineering, of get…
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Episode 230: "Best of" Series – "Why I Write" by George Orwell, Ep. 16
25 juni 2024 · 1 uur 20 min
For this week's "Best of The Literary Life" series episode, we revisit a conversation about George Orwell's essay "Why I Write." Angelina and Cindy kick off the discussion about how much they each identify with Orwell's description of his childhood. In his story of learning to write, we see many aspects of a good education, even his inclination to imitate other authors. An important point Angelina brings up is Orwell's own struggle against the calling he felt to write, in contrast to having an ambition to do so. Angelina brings up a related story about musician Gregory Alan Isakov, and Cindy reiterates the idea of why we need leisure in order to find our vocation. Lees meer
Cindy and Angelina also bring out some of the qualities Orwell possessed that make a good writer. Maturity as a human being and as a master of a craft are crucial to certain forms of writing, as Orwell points out about his own work. Other topics of conversation include truth-telling in writing, the motives for writing according to Orwell, and the growing process of writers.
If you want to find replays of the 2019 Back to School online conference referenced in this episode, you can purchase them in Cindy's shop at MorningTimeforMoms.com. For replays of the How to Love Poetry webinar with Thomas, you can find those at HouseofHumaneLetters.com.
Check out the schedule for the podcast's summer episodes on our Upcoming Events page.
Commonplace Quotes:
Never had she seen it so clearly as on this evening — what destiny had demanded of her and what it had given her in return with her seven sons. Over and over again joy had quickened the beat of her heart; fear on their behalf had rent it in two. They were her children, these big sons with their lean, bony, boy's bodies, just as they had been when they were small and so plump that they barely hurt themselves when they tumbled down on their way between the bench and her knee. They were hers, just as they had been back when she lifted them out of the cradle to h…
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Episode 229: "Best of" Series, "Araby" by James Joyce, Ep. 11
18 juni 2024 · 1 uur 36 min
This week on The Literary Life we return to the podcast vault for a re-airing of Episode 11, in which Cindy Rollins and Angelina Stanford enjoy a discussion of the short story "Araby" by James Joyce. Lees meer
Delving into "Araby," Angelina talks about the history and development of the short story form. Cindy gives a little of her own background with reading James Joyce and why she loves his short stories. Angelina and Cindy also discuss the essential "Irishness" of this story and all the tales in The Dubliners. Angelina walks us through the story, highlighting the kinds of questions and things we should look for when reading closely. Themes discussed in this story include: blindness and sight, light and darkness, romanticism, religious devotion, the search for truth, money, courtly love, and the knight's quest.
If you want to find replays of the 2019 Back to School online conference referenced in this episode, you can purchase them in Cindy's shop at MorningTimeforMoms.com.
Check out the schedule for the podcast's summer episodes on our Upcoming Events page.
Commonplace Quotes:
Whoever wants to become a Christian must first become a poet.
St. Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia
A ritual for letting a son or daughter go free, handing them over under the protection of God, is not something that we naturally include as part of growing up today in the West. Yet we are here reminded of one of the most important steps of all of the transitions in life, moving from the confines of the family into freedom and maturity.
Esther de Waal
Huxley Hall
by John Betjemen
In the Garden City Cafe‚ with its murals on the wall
Before a talk on "Sex and Civics" I meditated on the Fall.Deep depression settled on me under that electric glare
While outside the lightsome poplars flanked the rose-beds in the square.While outside the carefree children sported in the summer haze
And released their inhibitions in a hundred different ways.She who eats her greasy crumpets snugly in the inglenook
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Episode 228: "Best of" Series, "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant, Ep. 15
11 juni 2024 · 1 uur 25 min
This week on The Literary Life, we are dipping back into the archives for one of our "Best of" series of episodes. In this week's remix from Season 1, Angelina Stanford and Cindy Rollins discuss Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace." Before getting into the short story discussion, Cindy and Angelina chat about what a "commonplace book" is and how they each go about recording quotes and thoughts, including the QuoteBlock app. Lees meer
First off, Angelina gives us a little background on the author Guy de Maupassant and some information on French naturalism. Then she digs into her thoughts on how this story is a fairy tale in reverse and what that might mean in context. Cindy points out the perfection of de Maupassant's writing and his economy of style. They also bring up some of the formal elements of the story, particularly the key role the reversal takes in the plot. The main themes they find in "The Necklace" touch on common human struggles with ambition, discontentment, loss, suffering and gratitude.
If you want to find replays of the 2019 Back to School online conference referenced in this episode, you can purchase them in Cindy's shop at MorningTimeforMoms.com.
Check out the schedule for the podcast's summer episodes on our Upcoming Events page.
Check out the brand new publishing wing of House of Humane Letters, Cassiodorus Press! You can sign up for that class or any of the HHL Summer Classes here. Sign up for the newsletter at HouseofHumaneLetters.comto stay in the know about all the exciting new things we have coming up!
Commonplace Quotes:
If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star, you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.
Terry Pratchett, from Wee Free Men
"A vocation is a gift," said Dame Ursula. "If it has been truly given to you, you will find the strength."
Rumer Godden, from In This House of Brede
On First Looking Into Chapman's Homer
by John…
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Episode 227: "Agnes Grey" by Anne Bronte, Ch. 19-25
4 juni 2024 · 1 uur 32 min
On The Literary Life Podcast this week, Angelina and Thomas wrap up their series on Anne Brontë's Agnes Grey. In this final episode on this beautiful Victorian novel, our hosts begin with their commonplace quotes which lead into the book discussion and the Victorian ideas about the supernatural. They talk about the major plot points here at the end of this book, contrasting the way Jane Austen dealt with these sorts of stories in contrast with Anne Brontë's treatment of Agnes Grey. Some highlights of the conversation include thoughts on the world of education, the rebirth and reversal scene, and the question of how this story rates in terms of art versus didacticism. Lees meer
Check out the schedule for the podcast's summer episodes on our Upcoming Events page.
Check out the brand new publishing wing of House of Humane Letters, Cassiodorus Press! You can sign up for that class or any of the HHL Summer Classes here. Sign up for the newsletter at HouseofHumaneLetters.comto stay in the know about all the exciting new things we have coming up!
Commonplace Quotes:
Praise is a cripple; blame has wings to fly.
La louange est sans pieds et le blame a des ailes.
Victor Hugo
The idea of the supernatural was perhaps at as low an ebb as it had ever been–certainly much lower than it is now. But in spite of this, and in spite of a certain ethical cheeriness that was almost de rigueur–the strange fact remains that the only sort of supernaturalism the Victorians allowed to their imaginations was a sad supernaturalism. They might have ghost stories, but not saints' stories. They could triple with the curse or unpardoning prophecy of a witch, but not with the pardon of a priest. They seem to have held (I believe erroneously) that the supernatural was safest when it came from below. When we think (for example) of the uncountable riches of religious art, imagery, ritual and popular legend that has clustered round Christmas through all the Christian ages, it is a truly extraordinary thing…
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Episode 226: "Agnes Grey" by Anne Brontë, Ch. 12-18
28 mei 2024 · 1 uur 32 min
Welcome back to The Literary Life Podcast and the continuation of our series on Anne Brontë's Agnes Grey. Angelina and Thomas open with their commonplace quotes which lead into the book discussion. Angelina kicks it off with a comparison between the work of the Brontës and Jane Austen's writing which will continue throughout the conversation. Thomas and Angelina also look at the expectations of Victorians for courtship and marriage, the ways Anne Brontë weaves this tale as a variation on other themes, the true woman versus the false woman, and more! Lees meer
Check out the schedule for the podcast's summer episodes on our Upcoming Events page.
In August, Angelina Stanford will guide us through the world of Harry Potter as she shows us its literary influences and its roots in the literary tradition. You can sign up for that class or any of the HHL Summer Classes here. Sign up for the newsletter at HouseofHumaneLetters.com to stay in the know about all the exciting new things we have coming up!
Commonplace Quotes:
The ideal of education is that we should learn all that it concerns us to know, in order that thereby we may become all that it concerns us to be. In other words, the aim of education is the knowledge not of facts but of values. Values are facts apprehended in their relation to each other, and to ourselves. The wise man is he who knows the relative value of things.
William Ralph Inge, from The Church in the World
But while Emily Brontë was as unsociable as a storm at midnight, and while Charlotte Brontë was at best like that warmer and more domestic thing, a house on fire–they do connect themselves with the calm of George Eliot, as the forerunners of many later developments of the feminine advance. Many forerunners (if it comes to that) would have felt rather ill if they had seen the things they foreman. This notion of a hazy anticipation of after history has been absurdly overdone: as when men connect Chaucer with the Reformation; which is like connecting Home…
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Episode 225: "Agnes Grey" by Anne Brontë, Ch. 6-11
21 mei 2024 · 1 uur 29 min
On this week's episode of The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina and Thomas continue their series of discussions on Anne Brontë's novel Agnes Grey. They open the conversation about this novel with some thoughts on the differences between Agnes Grey and Jane Eyre and Anne and Charlotte Brontë. Angelina poses the question as to whether this novel crosses the line into didacticism or if it stays within the purpose of the story and the art. Lees meer
In discussing the education of Agnes' charges in these chapters, Angelina has a chance to expand upon the upbringing of Victorian young women. She and Thomas discuss the position of the curate and Agnes' spiritual seriousness, as well as the characters of Weston and Hatfield as foils for each other. Thomas closes out the conversation with a question as to whether Agnes Grey is as memorable a character as Jane Eyre or Catherine Earnshaw and why that is.
Check out the schedule for the podcast's summer episodes on our Upcoming Events page.
In July, Dr. Jason Baxter will be teaching a class titled "Dostoyevsky's Icon: Brothers Karamazov, The Christian Past, and The Modern World", and you can sign up for that or any of the HHL Summer Classes here. Sign up for the newsletter at HouseofHumaneLetters.com to stay in the know about all the exciting new things we have coming up!
Commonplace Quotes:
In wit, as nature, what affects our hearts/ Is not the exactness of peculiar parts;/ 'Tis not a lip, or eye, we beauty call,/ But the joint force and full result of all.
Alexander Pope, from "An Essay on Criticism"
In any case, it is Charlotte Brontë who enters Victorian literature. The shortest way of stating her strong contribution is, I think, this: that she reached the highest romance through the lowest realism. She did not set out with Amadis of Gaul in a forest or with Mr. Pickwick in a comic club. She set out with herself, with her own dingy clothes and accidental ugliness, and flat, coarse, provincial household; and forcibly fused all su…
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Episode 224: "Agnes Grey" by Anne Brontë, Introduction and Ch. 1-5
14 mei 2024 · 1 uur 36 min
Today on The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks begin a new book discussion series covering Anne Brontë's Victorian novel Agnes Grey. This week they are giving an introduction to the social and literary climate in which Anne was writing, as well as discussing chapters 1-5 of the book. Lees meer
Thomas shares a little information on Utilitarianism, and Angelina talks about how this affected the literature of the Victorian period. She also points out that the Brontës were writing in the medieval literary tradition rather than the didactic or realistic style, and as such we should look for symbols and metaphors in their journey of the soul. Thomas and Angelina explore the background of the Brontë sisters, discuss the position of the governess in this time period, and compare Agnes Grey to other governess novels.
Diving into the first five chapters of this book, Angelina and Thomas look at the life of young Agnes Grey and at her family. In treating the characters in the early chapters, they talk about Agnes Grey's first forays into the life of the governess, the horrid children in her care, their irresponsible parents, and more.
Check out the schedule for the podcast's summer episodes on our Upcoming Events page. If you haven't heard about Cindy Rollins' upcoming Summer Discipleship series, you can learn more about that over at MorningTimeforMoms.com.
In June Mr. Banks will be teaching a 5-day class on St. Augustine, and in July Dr. Jason Baxter will be teaching a class on Dostoevsky. Also, don't miss the launch the HHL publishing wing, Cassiodorus Press! Sign up for the newsletter at HouseofHumaneLetters.com to stay in the know about all the exciting new things we have coming up!
Commonplace Quotes:
Truth is the trial of itself,/ And needs no other touch.
Ben Jonson
The previous literary life of this country had left vigorous many old forces in the Victorian time, as in our time. Roman Britain and Mediæval England are still not only alive but live…
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Episode 223: "Best of" The Literary Life – "The Machine Stops" by E. M. Forster, Ep. 99
7 mei 2024 · 1 uur 24 min
This week on The Literary Life, we bring you another episode in our "Best of" series with a throwback to one of our 2021 Summer of the Short Story shows. In this episode, Angelina, Cindy, and Thomas talk about E. M. Forster's short story "The Machine Stops." If you are interested in more E. M. Forster chat, you can go listen to our hosts discuss "The Celestial Omnibus" in Episode 17. Angelina points out how this story made her think of Dante. Thomas and Cindy share their personal reactions to reading "The Machine Stops." They marvel at how prescient Forster was to imagine a world that comes so close to our current reality. They also discuss how to stay human in an increasingly de-humanizing world. Lees meer
Past events mentioned in this episode replay:
Back to School 2021 Conference: Awakening
Cindy's new edition of Morning Time: A Liturgy of Love
Cindy's Charlotte Mason podcast The New Mason Jar
Commonplace Quotes:
Imagination, in its earthbound quest,
Seeks in the infinite its finite rest.
Walter de la Mare (from "Books")
from "The Hollow Men"
by T. S. Eliot
This is the dead land
This is cactus land
Here the stone images
Are raised, here they receive
The supplication of a dead man's hand
Under the twinkle of a fading star.Is it like this
In death's other kingdom
Waking alone
At the hour when we are
Trembling with tenderness
Lips that would kiss
Form prayers to broken stone.The eyes are not here
There are no eyes here
In this valley of dying stars
In this hollow valley
This broken jaw of our lost kingdomsIn this last of meeting places
We grope together
And avoid speech
Gathered on this beach of the tumid riverSightless, unless
The eyes reappear
As the perpetual star
Multifoliate rose
Of death's twilight kingdom
The hope only
Of empty men.Book List:
Two Stories and a Memory by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
Howards End by E. M. Forster
The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Worm Ouroboros by E. R. Eddison
1984 by George O…
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Episode 222: "Tartuffe" by Moliere, Acts 3 - 5
30 april 2024 · 1 uur 23 min
On today's episode of The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina and Thomas wrap up their series on the satirical comedy Tartuffe by Jean-Baptiste Moliere. If you want to listen in to the read along of this play, you can view replays on the readings on the House of Humane Letters YouTube channel. Angelina and Thomas start off the conversation on the play reviewing the idea of enchantment and the classical structural elements of this play as suggested by Aristotle. We finally meet Tartuffe himself, and Angelina and Thomas both cringe and laugh at his over-the-top antics. Lees meer
Check out the schedule for the podcast's summer episodes on our Upcoming Events page.
In June Mr. Banks will be teaching a 5-day class on St. Augustine, and in July Dr. Jason Baxter will be teaching a class on Dostoevsky. Angelina will also be teaching a class on Harry Potter in August! Also, don't miss the launch the HHL publishing wing, Cassiodorus Press! Sign up for the newsletter at HouseofHumaneLetters.comto stay in the know about all the exciting new things we have coming up!
Commonplace Quotes:
Moliere…reached perfection through a strange apprenticeship of vagabondage following an excellent middle-class birth among the tradesmen of Paris, imprisoned for debt, tramping the roads with the strolling players, starting his own small theater and failing, meeting men of every kind…In that knowledge he became a master.
Hilaire Belloc, from Monarchy: A Study of Louis XIV
A man is angry at a libel because it is false but at a satire because it is true.
G. K. Chesterton
Fools are my theme. Let satire be my song.
Lord Byron
The Burial of Moliere
By Andrew Lang
"Dark and amusing he is, this handsome gallant, Of chamois-polished charm, Athlete and dancer of uncommon talent— Is there cause for alarm In his smooth demeanor, the proud tilt of his chin, This cavaliere servente, this Harlequin? "Gentle and kindly this other, ardent but shy, With an intelligence Who would not glory to be guided by— And woul…
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Episode 221: "Tartuffe" by Moliere, Introduction and Acts 1 & 2
23 april 2024 · 1 uur 18 min
This week on The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks delve into a new literary series as we read the comedic play Tartuffe by Jean-Baptiste Moliere. If you want to listen in to the read along of this play, you can view replays on the readings on the House of Humane Letters YouTube channel. Thomas begins the conversation on this play by setting up the cultural and literary context in which Moliere was working, as well as some more biographical background on the author and actor himself. Angelina points out some differences between satire and didacticism. She and Thomas also talk about the influence of Roman comedy in Moliere's playwriting. Lees meer
Angelina introduces Act 1 with a question of how Moliere shows the audience what to think of Tartuffe before the character himself ever comes on stage. Thomas talks a little about the characters we first meet, and Angelina highlights the references to enchantments as they read through key portions of these opening scenes. Join us again next week when we will finish up this entertaining play!
If you weren't able to join us for the sixth annual Literary Life Online Conference, "Dispelling the Myth of Modernity: A Recovery of the Medieval Imagination", you can still purchase the recordings and find out what you missed! Also, don't miss the launch the HHL publishing wing, Cassiodorus Press! Sign up for the newsletter at HouseofHumaneLetters.com to stay in the know about all the exciting new things we have coming up!
Commonplace Quotes:
He had the comic vision of himself as well as of the rest of humanity. He might mock the vices of the world, but he could also mock himself for hating the world, in the spirit of a superior person, on account of its vices.
Robert Lynn, from his essay "Moliere" in Books and Authors
We think old books are strange; but we are the aliens.
Dr. Jason Baxter
The Burial of Moliere
By Andrew Lang
Dead–he is dead! The rouge has left a trace
On that thin cheek where shone, perchance… -
Episode 220: Fairy Tales and Children's Literature with Dr. Vigen Guroian
16 april 2024 · 1 uur 26 min
Welcome to a new episode of The Literary Life podcast and an interview with special guest Dr. Vigen Guroian, retired professor of Religious Studies and Orthodox Christianity at the University of Virginia and author of twelve book and numerous scholarly articles. Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks discuss with Dr. Guroian the new edition of his book, Tending the Heart of Virtue. They start out talking about how the first edition of this book came about, which leads into a discussion about the current approach to fairy tales and children's stories in both academia and the publishing industry. Lees meer
Other topics of conversation include the problem with reducing stories down to a moral, story as mystery, the place of fairy tales in classical education, and the Biblical literacy of the authors of fairy tales. Dr. Guroian also shares his thoughts on people like John Ruskin and Rudyard Kipling. Finally, he shares some suggestions on finding good editions of fairy tale collections. (Scroll down for links to his book recommendations.)
Commonplace Quotes:
It seems to me appropriate, almost inevitable, that when that great Imagination which in the beginning, for Its own delight and for the delight of men and angels and (in their proper mode) of beasts, had invented and formed the whole world of Nature, submitted to express Itself in human speech, that speech should sometimes be poetry. For poetry too is a little incarnation, giving body to what had been before invisible and inaudible.
C. S. Lewis, from Reflections on the Psalms
Reason is the natural organ of truth, but imagination is the organ of meaning.
C. S. Lewis
Inertia has served them so well that they did not know how to relinquish it.
E. M. Forster, from Pharos and Pharillon
"Happy children," say I, "who could blunder into the very heart of the will of God concerning them, and do the thing at once that the Lord taught them, using the common sense which God had given and the fairy tale nourished!" The Lord of the pr…
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Episode 219: "Best of" Series – Why Read Old Books, Ep. 80
9 april 2024 · 1 uur 28 min
Today on The Literary Life Podcast, we bring you another episode in our "Best of" series in which Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks discuss the importance of reading old books. They begin the conversation by addressing head on the idea that old books are irrelevant. They touch on the fact that when we use the phrase "old books" we mean not just any piece of literature from the past, but those which have stood the test of time. Lees meer
It's not too late to join us for the sixth annual Literary Life Online Conference, "Dispelling the Myth of Modernity: A Recovery of the Medieval Imagination" happening this week! During the live or later series of webinars, we will seek to dis-spell the Myth of Modernity and gain eyes to see and ears to hear Reality as it truly is. Speakers include Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, and Kelly Cumbee, in addition to Angelina and Thomas.
Commonplace Quotes:
So, when his Folly opens
The unnecessary hells,
A Servant when He Reigneth
Throws the blame on some one else.Rudyard Kipling
I am informed by philologists that the "rise to power" of these two words, "problem" and "solution" as the dominating terms of public debate, is an affair of the last two centuries, and especially of the nineteenth, having synchronised, so they say, with a parallel "rise to power" of the word "happiness"—for reasons which doubtless exist and would be interesting to discover. Like "happiness", our two terms "problem" and "solution" are not to be found in the Bible—a point which gives to that wonderful literature a singular charm and cogency. . . . On the whole, the influence of these words is malign, and becomes increasingly so. They have deluded poor men with Messianic expectations . . . which are fatal to steadfast persistence in good workmanship and to well-doing in general. . . . Let the valiant citizen never be ashamed to confess that he has no "solution of the social problem" to offer to his fellow-men. Let him offer them rather the service of his s…
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Episode 218: "Best of" Series – Our Favorite Poems, Ep. 54
2 april 2024 · 1 uur 22 min
This week on The Literary Life, our hosts talk about their favorite poems and poets. Cindy starts off by sharing the early influences on her developing a love of poetry. Thomas also shares about his mother reading poetry to him as a child and the poetry that made an impression on him as a child. Angelina talks about coming to poetry later in life and how she finally came to love it through learning about the metaphysical poets. Lees meer
Cindy and Thomas talk about the powerful effect of reading and reciting poetry in meter. Thomas also brings up the potential of hymn texts as beautiful, high-ranking poetry. From classic to modern, they share many poems and passages from their most beloved poetry, making this a soothing, lyrical episode. If you want to learn more, check out Thomas' webinar How to Love Poetry.
We hope you will join us for the sixth annual Literary Life Online Conference, "Dispelling the Myth of Modernity: A Recovery of the Medieval Imagination." You can visit the HHL Facebook page or Instagram to find the post to share and enter our giveaway for a $20 discount code! During the live or later series of webinars, we will seek to dis-spell the Myth of Modernity and gain eyes to see and ears to hear Reality as it truly is. Speakers include Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, and Kelly Cumbee, in addition to Angelina and Thomas.
Commonplace Quotes:
The knowledge-as-information vision is actually defective and damaging. It distorts reality and humanness, and it gets in the way of good knowing.
Esther Lightcap Meek
Perhaps it would be a good idea for public statues to be made with disposable heads that can be changed with popular fashion. But even better would surely be to make statues without any heads at all, representing simply the "idea" of a good politician.
Auberon Waugh
When you can assume that your audience holds the same beliefs you do, you can relax a little and use more normal means of talking to it; when you have to assume that it does not, then you have t…
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Episode 217: "Best of" Series – The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis: A Conversation with Jason M. Baxter, Ep. 145
26 maart 2024 · 1 uur 16 min
In anticipation of our upcoming sixth annual Literary Life Online Conference, "Dispelling the Myth of Modernity: A Recovery of the Medieval Imagination," this week we are re-airing a previous episode with Jason Baxter, our conference's special keynote speaker. Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks sit down for a special conversation with Jason Baxter, author of The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis. Jason is a speaker, writer, and college professor who writes primarily on medieval thought and is especially interested in Lewis' ideas. You can find out more about him and his books at JasonMBaxter.com. Lees meer
Our hosts and Jason discuss a wide range of ideas, including the values of literature, the sacramental view of reality, why it is important to understand medieval thought, the "problem" of paganism in Lewis' writings, and how to approach reading ancient and medieval literature.
Commonplace Quotes:
My part has been merely that of Walter Scott's Old Mortality, who busied himself in clearing the moss, and bringing back to light the words, on the gravestones of the dead who seemed to him to have served humanity. This needs to be done and redone, generation after generation, in a world where there persists always a strong tendency to read newer writers, not because they are better, but because they are newer. The moss grows fast, and ceaselessly.
F. L. Lucas
It is the memory of time that makes us old; remembering eternity makes us young again.
Statford Caldecott
It is my settled conviction that in order to read old Western literature aright, you must suspend most of the responses and unlearn most of the habits you have acquired in reading modern literature.
C. S. Lewis, from "De Descriptione Temporum"
What then is the good of–what is even the defense for–occupying our hearts with stories of what never happened and entering vicariously into feeling which we should try to avoid in our own person?…The nearest I have yet got to an answer is that we seek an enlar…
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Episode 216: E. M. Forster's "Howards End" On Screen
19 maart 2024 · 1 uur 38 min
Today on The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks are joined by Atlee Northmore to explore the various screen adaptations based on Howards End by E. M. Forster. They begin the discussion with the question of what is the good of translating one art form, in this case a book, into another art form, such as a screen play. They talk about the beauty of the Merchant Ivory film adaptation, while critiquing the casting and chemistry of the cast, sharing their favorite and least favorite scenes. In contrast, they praise the BBC-Starz series for its excellent adaptation, although it missed some important things that the 1992 film did include. Atlee also highlights some of the ways in which the screen adaptations serve as subtle visual cues for ideas from the story. In the end, Angelina, Thomas, and Atlee share thoughts on enjoying a film as a stand-alone work of art versus judging it as an adaptation of a novel. Lees meer
There are still spots open in many of the classes at House of Humane Letters, so if you or your student are interested in taking something, head over to houseofhumaneletters.com to register today!
We hope you will join us for the sixth annual Literary Life Online Conference, "Dispelling the Myth of Modernity: A Recovery of the Medieval Imagination." You can visit the HHL Facebook page or Instagram to find the post to share and enter our giveaway for a $20 discount code! During the live or later series of webinars, we will seek to dis-spell the Myth of Modernity and gain eyes to see and ears to hear Reality as it truly is. Speakers include Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, and Kelly Cumbee, in addition to Angelina and Thomas.
Commonplace Quotes:
Every poet, in his kind, is bit by him that comes behind.
Jonathan Swift, from "Critics"
Narrative prose, especially the novel, has taken, in modern societies, the place occupied by the recitation of myths and fairy tales in traditional and popular societies. Furthermore, the 'mythic' structure of certain …
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Episode 215: E. M. Forster's "Howards End", Ch. 35-End
12 maart 2024 · 1 uur 35 min
Welcome to The Literary Life Podcast and the final episode in our our series on Howards End by E. M. Forster. Today Angelina and Thomas seek to sum up the book and wrap up their thoughts on the way Forster weaves this story. The open with some comments on the almost allegorical nature of Howards End, then talk about the words "only connect" and their meaning in the context of the book. They discuss the problem of Helen and Leonard's relationship and the romance of pity. Other topics of the conversation are the crisis point between Mr. Wilcox and Margaret, the contrast between Charles and Tibby, the fate of Leonard Bast, and the future of Howards End. Lees meer
We hope you will join us for the sixth annual Literary Life Online Conference, "Dispelling the Myth of Modernity: A Recovery of the Medieval Imagination." During the live or later series of webinars, we will seek to dis-spell the Myth of Modernity and gain eyes to see and ears to hear Reality as it truly is. Speakers include Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, and Kelly Cumbee, in addition to Angelina and Thomas.
Commonplace Quotes:
Life without dragons would be tame indeed.
Desmond MacCarthy, "The Poetry of Chesterton"
Howards End is a novel of extraordinary ambition and wide scope. Written in prose with the texture of restrained poetry, it is consummately controlled and sure of purpose. It is Forster's most complexly orchestrated work to its date, and it smoothly manipulates imagery and symbolism, plot and character, into an organic whole. In so doing, it gracefully integrates social comedy, metaphysical explorations, and political concerns. Howards End tests Forster's liberal humanism, finds it wanting, and proposes a marriage of liberal values to conservative tradition. Without destroying the practical contributions of progressivism, it forcefully attacks the mindless materialism that yields rootlessness and spiritual poverty.
Claude J. Summers, from E. M. Forster
Finis
By Marjorie Pickthall
Give me a few more hour…
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Episode 214: E. M. Forster's "Howards End," Ch. 26-34
5 maart 2024 · 1 uur 29 min
Welcome back to The Literary Life Podcast and our series discussing Howards End by E. M. Forster. This week Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks cover chapters 26-34. Together they continue to talk about the ideas Forster is presenting in the book as seen in this section, including Howards End as a character, the echoes of Wind in the Willows (thanks to Jen Rogers!), Helen's idealism, Margaret and Henry's conflict, the idea of rootedness, and more. Lees meer
On March 7, 2024 you can join Thomas and his brother James live for a webinar on King Alfred the Great. Register today at houseofhumaneletters.com. The webinar recording will also be available for lifetime access after that date.
We hope you will join us for the sixth annual Literary Life Online Conference, "Dispelling the Myth of Modernity: A Recovery of the Medieval Imagination." During the live or later series of webinars, we will seek to dis-spell the Myth of Modernity and gain eyes to see and ears to hear Reality as it truly is. Speakers include Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, and Kelly Cumbee, in addition to Angelina and Thomas.
If you want to get the special literary themed teas created by our Patron Erin Miller, go to adagiotea.com to check them out!
Commonplace Quotes:
Everything has been said already; but since nobody was listening, we shall have to begin all over again.
Toutes choses sont dites déjà; mais comme personne n'écoute, il faut toujours recommencer.
Andre Gide, from "Narcissus"
It is under these "present conditions" of materialism, urbanization, and cosmopolitanism that Howards End poses the question, "Who shall inherit England?" This question is given a lyrical resonance shortly after Margaret tells Helen of her intention to marry Henry. The two women, visiting Aunt Julie at Swanage, gaze across Poole Harbor and watch the tide return. "England was alive, throbbing through all her estuaries, crying for joy through the mouths of all her gulls, and the north wind, with contrary motion, blew stronger a…
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Episode 213: E. M. Forster's "Howards End," Ch. 17-25
27 februari 2024 · 1 uur 21 min
On The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina and Thomas continue our series on Howards End by E. M. Forster with a discussion of chapters 17-25. In opening the conversation on this chapter, they consider the various houses and ask the question of what role Howards End plays in this whole story. They also delve into the seemingly unlikely romance between Margaret and Mr. Wilcox and the complexity of their personalities, as well as the reactions of their family members. Other ideas they share are about the seen and the unseen, connections versus transactions, and more! Keep listening next week as we cover chapters 26-34. Lees meer
On March 7, 2024 you can join Thomas and his brother James live for a webinar on King Alfred the Great. Register today at houseofhumaneletters.com. The webinar recording will also be available for lifetime access after that date.
We hope you will join us for the sixth annual Literary Life Online Conference, "Dispelling the Myth of Modernity: A Recovery of the Medieval Imagination." During the live or later series of webinars, we will seek to dis-spell the Myth of Modernity and gain eyes to see and ears to hear Reality as it truly is. Speakers include Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, and Kelly Cumbee, in addition to Angelina and Thomas.
Commonplace Quotes:
Sapiens est qui novit tacere.
Wise is he who knows when to keep silence.
St. Ambrose, from De Oficibus Ministrorum (On the Duties of the Clergy)
But "Only connect" was the exact phrase I had been leading up to, and it has been precious to me ever since I read Howards End, of which it is the epigraph. Perhaps, indeed, it is the theme of all Forster's writing, the attempt to link a passionate skepticism with the desire for meaning, to find the human key to the inhuman world about us, to connect the individual with the community, the known with the unknown, to relate the past to the present, and both to the future.
P. L. Travers, from "Only Connect"
To My Dear and Loving Husband
By Anne Bradstreet
If ev…
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Episode 212: E. M. Forster's "Howards End", Ch. 8-16
20 februari 2024 · 1 uur 31 min
Welcome to The Literary Life Podcast and our second episode in our series on E. M. Forster's book Howards End. This week, Angelina and Thomas cover chapters 8-16, continuing their discussion of the book and the overarching concept of "Story" along the way. In talking about different plot points and characters, Angelina and Thomas make some comparisons between the two couples presented in these chapters and share some thoughts on the friendship between Margaret and Mrs. Wilcox. Angelina points out that Forster is doing some medieval things in this story, as we will see as we go on further. They also bring out more of the significance and symbolism of Howards End the place in the story. Lees meer
If you want to check out our previous episodes on two of E. M. Forster's short stories, you can find those here:
Episode 17: "The Celestial Omnibus"
Episode 99: "The Machine Stops"
We hope you will join us for the sixth annual Literary Life Online Conference, "Dispelling the Myth of Modernity: A Recovery of the Medieval Imagination." During the live or later series of webinars, we will seek to dis-spell the Myth of Modernity and gain eyes to see and ears to hear Reality as it truly is. Speakers include Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, and Kelly Cumbee, in addition to Angelina and Thomas.
This March you can join Thomas and his brother James back for a webinar on King Alfred the Great. You can sign up at houseofhumaneletters.com.
Commonplace Quotes:
[The Greeks] were children with the intellects of men.
R. W. Livingstone, from The Greek Genius and Its Meaning to Us
It is astonishing how little attention critics have paid to Story considered in itself. Granted the story, the style in which it should be told, the order in which it should be disposed, and (above all) the delineation of the characters, have been abundantly discussed. But the Story itself, the series of imagined events, is nearly always passed over in silence, or else treated exclusively as affording opportunities for the…
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Episode 211: E. M. Forster's "Howards End", Introduction and Ch. 1-7
13 februari 2024 · 1 uur 24 min
Welcome to a new series on The Literary Life Podcast with Angelina Stanford and husband Thomas Banks. This week they begin talking about E. M. Forster's book Howards End, giving some introductory information about Forster and also cover the first seven chapters of the book. Thomas shares some background on the Bloomsbury Group authors in contrast to their Victorian predecessors. Angelina highlights the literary tradition of naming books after houses and invites us to consider the importance of place in this story as we go forward. Lees meer
We hope you will join us for the sixth annual Literary Life Online Conference, "Dispelling the Myth of Modernity: A Recovery of the Medieval Imagination." During the live or later series of webinars, we will seek to dis-spell the Myth of Modernity and gain eyes to see and ears to hear Reality as it truly is. Speakers include Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, and Kelly Cumbee, in addition to Angelina and Thomas.
Also, The House of Humane Letters is expanding to include more classes, and pre-registration for returning students and registration for new students opens soon. Sign up for their email list to find out when you can sign up at houseofhumaneletters.com.
Commonplace Quotes:
We are not concerned with the very poor. They are unthinkable, and only to be approached by the statistician or the poet.
E. M. Forster, Howards End
Howards End is Mr. Forster's first fully adult book. It is richly packed with meanings; it has a mellow brilliance, a kind of shot beauty of texture; it runs like a bright, slowish, flickering river, in which different kinds of exciting fish swim and dart among mysterious reedy leptons and are observed and described by a highly interested, humane, sympathetic, often compassionate, and usually ironic commentator. The effect is of uncommon beauty and charm; the fusion of humor, perception, social comedy, witty realism, and soaring moral idealism, weaves a rare captivating, almost hypnotic spell; and many people think it …
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Episode 210: Reading "Beyond Mere Motherhood" with Cindy Rollins
6 februari 2024 · 1 uur 11 min
Today on The Literary Life, Angelina and Thomas sit down with Cindy to chat about her new book Beyond Mere Motherhood: Moms Are People, Too. First Cindy shares some of what she has going on this year, and Angelina officially introduces the 2024 Literary Life Online Conference, "Dispelling the Myth of Modernity: A Recovery of the Medieval Imagination." Lees meer
Cindy shares how this book came to be and what the process was for developing the ideas she wanted to put into words. Angelina and Thomas bring up different aspects of the book that stood out to them as important messages for mothers. Cindy talks about her approach to encouraging moms toward tackling life-long learning without the overwhelm and anxiety.
Commonplace Quotes:
"Bairns are a queer kind of blessing sometimes," remarked the mother.
George MacDonald, from Salted with Fire
One of the disadvantages of setting up a man as a god, is that his lapses from rectitude may be quoted by his worshippers in justification of their own.
Bernard Allen, from Augustus Caesar
May the gods give you everything that your heart longs for. May they grant you a husband and a house and sweet agreement in all things, for nothing is better than this, more steadfast than when two people, man and his wife, keep a harmonious household, a thing that brings much distress to the people who hate them, and pleasure to their well-wishers, and for them the best reputation.
Homer, from The Odyssey
To My Mother
by Christina Rossetti
To-day's your natal day,
Sweet flowers I bring;
Mother, accept, I pray,
My offering.And may you happy live,
And long us bless;
Receiving as you give
Great happiness.Book List:
My Early Life by Winston Churchill
Possession by A. S. Byatt
Howards End by E. M. Forster
Support The Literary Life:
Become a patron of The Literary Life podcast as part of the "Friends and Fellows Community" on Patreon, and get some amazing bonus content! Thanks for your support!
Connect with Us:
You can find Angelina and Th…
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Episode 209: "Best of" Series – The Literary Life of Emily Raible, Ep. 56
30 januari 2024 · 1 uur 32 min
Welcome to another episode in our "Best of The Literary Life" podcast series. Today on The Literary Life Podcast, our hosts Angelina and Cindy chat with "superfan" Emily Raible about her own literary life. Emily is a homeschool mom, an avid reader, birdwatcher, baker and probably Angelina's most loyal student. In telling the story of her reading life, Emily talks about her childhood and how she was not a reader as a young person. She shares how she finally started getting interested in reading through Janette Oke and Hardy Boys books. Then she tells about borrowing books from a local family's home library and starting to fall in love with true classics. Lees meer
After getting married to an avid reader, Emily started going through her husband's own library during her long hours at home alone. Even after she became of lover of reading, Emily still didn't define herself as a real reader. Emily shares her journey to becoming a homeschooling parent, how she learned about Charlotte Mason and classical education, and her first time meeting Angelina and Cindy. They continue the conversation expanding on the feast of ideas, what it means to be a "reader," and how we learn and enter into the literary world throughout our lives.
If you are listening to this on the day it drops, there is still time to grab a spot for Thomas Banks and Anne Phillips' webinar on Herodotus taking place today January 30, 2024. Head over to HouseofHumaneLetters.com/webinars where you can sign up! Of course, you can also purchase the recordings to tune in after the webinar is released.
If you missed the 2020 Back to School Conference with Karen Glass, you can still purchase the recording at MorningTimeforMoms.com.
Also, our Sixth Annual Literary Life Online Conference is coming up in April 2024. The theme is "Dispelling the Myth of Modernity" with keynote speaker Jason Baxter. You can learn more and register now at HouseofHumaneLetters.com.
Commonplace Quotes:
But the object of my school is to show how …
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Episode 208: "Best of" Series – A Midsummer Night's Dream, Acts IV & V, Ep. 121
23 januari 2024 · 1 uur 23 min
On The Literary Life podcast this week, we will wrap up our series on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Our hosts, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas walk through the last two acts of the play, sharing their thoughts on the structure and ideas presented here. Angelina talks about why she thinks Shakespeare resolves the different conflicts the way he does. They discuss the importance of the play within the play, the fairy tale atmosphere, and the unreality of time and space. Cindy and Angelina both bring up plot points that feel slightly problematic to them. Angelina highlights the theme of harmonizing discord and bringing order from disorder. Lees meer
To sign up for Thomas Banks and Anne Phillips' webinar on Herodotus taking place January 30, 2024, head over to HouseofHumaneLetters.com/webinars.
Find Angelina's webinar "Jonathan Swift: Enemy of the Enlightenment" at HouseofHumaneLetters.com.
Even though the spring 2022 Literary Life Conference "The Battle Over Children's Literature" featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian is over, you can still purchase the recordings at HouseofHumaneLetters.com.
Commonplace Quotes:
Revolutionaries always hang their best friends.
Christopher Hollis
It is easy to forget that the man who writes a good love sonnet needs not only be enamored of a woman, but also to be enamored of the sonnet.
C. S. Lewis
For the end of imagination is harmony. A right imagination, being the reflex of the creation, will fall in with the divine order of things as the highest form of its own operation; "will tune its instrument here at the door" to the divine harmonies within; will be content alone with growth towards the divine idea, which includes all that is beautiful in the imperfect imagination of men; will know that every deviation from that growth is downward; and will therefore send the man forth from its loftiest representations to do the commonest duty of the most wearisome calling in a hearty and hopeful spirit. This is the work of the right…
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Episode 207: "Best of" Series – A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III, Ep. 120
16 januari 2024 · 1 uur 15 min
Today on The Literary Life podcast, we continue our "Best of" series discussing Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with coverage of Act 3. Angelina talks about the pacing of this act and the importance of the characters' madcap, lunatic behavior. She also highlight's Shakespeare's wrestling with the relationship between the imagination and art and reality. Thomas highlights the structure of the play as reflecting a dreamlike state. Cindy shares some of her thoughts on being concerned about making sure our children know what is real and pretend. Lees meer
To sign up for Thomas Banks and Anne Phillips' webinar on Herodotus taking place January 30, 2024, head over to HouseofHumaneLetters.com/webinars.
Find Angelina's webinar "Jonathan Swift: Enemy of the Enlightenment" at HouseofHumaneLetters.com.
Even though the spring 2022 Literary Life Conference "The Battle Over Children's Literature" featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian is over, you can still purchase the recordings at HouseofHumaneLetters.com.
Commonplace Quotes:
The most insipid, ridiculous play that I ever saw in my life.
Samuel Pepys, describing "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in his diary
Or the lovely one about the Bishop of Exeter, who was giving the prizes at a girls' school. They did a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the poor man stood up afterwards and made a speech and said [piping voice]: 'I was very interested in your delightful performance, and among other things I was very interested in seeing for the first time in my life a female Bottom.'
C. S. Lewis in a conversation with Kingsley Amis and Brian Aldiss
Still, if Homer's Achilles isn't the real Achilles, he isn't unreal either. Unrealities don't seem so full of life after three thousand years as Homer's Achilles does. This is the kind of problem we have to tackle next–the fact that what we meet in literature is neither real nor unreal. We have two words, imaginary, meaning unreal, and imaginative, meaning what the writer pr…
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Episode 206: "Best of" Series – A Midsummer Night's Dream, Acts I & II, Ep. 119
9 januari 2024 · 1 uur 34 min
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast and our "Best of" re-air of the series on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. After kicking off the episode with their commonplace quotes, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas start digging into the play itself. Thomas brings up the importance of the timing of this story being midsummer. Angelina gives a little background into the names and characters in this play as well as some of the major ideas we can be looking for in the story. Lees meer
To sign up for Thomas Banks and Anne Phillips' webinar on Herodotus taking place January 30, 2024, head over to HouseofHumaneLetters.com/webinars.
Find Angelina's webinar "Jonathan Swift: Enemy of the Enlightenment" at HouseofHumaneLetters.com.
Even though the spring 2022 Literary Life Conference "The Battle Over Children's Literature" featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian is over, you can still purchase the recordings at HouseofHumaneLetters.com.
Commonplace Quotes:
Cousin Swift, you will never be a poet.
John Dryden, in a letter to Jonathan Swift
It would be difficult indeed to define wherein lay the peculiar truth of the phrase "merrie England", though some conception of it is quite necessary to the comprehension of A Midsummer Night's Dream. In some cases at least, it may be said to lie in this, that the English of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, unlike the England of today, could conceive of the idea of a merry supernaturalism.
G. K. Chesterton
And yet, there are people who say that Shakespeare always means, "just what he says." He thinks that to find over and under meanings in Shakespeare's plays is to take unwarranted liberties with them, is like a man who holds the word "spring" must refer only to a particular period of the year, and could not possibly mean birth, or youth or hope. He is a man who has never associated anything with anything else. He is a man without metaphors, and such a man is no man at all, let alone a poet.
Harold Goddard
Advice to Lovers
by Rober…
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Episode 205: The "Best of" Series – Intro to Shakespeare and "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Ep. 118
2 januari 2024 · 1 uur 22 min
Welcome to this new season of The Literary Life podcast! During the month of January 2024, we will be re-airing our series of episodes on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Lees meer
This week we bring you an introduction both to William Shakespeare and his play A Midsummer Night's Dream. Hosts Angelina, Cindy and Thomas seek to give new Shakespeare readers a place from which to jump into his work and more experienced readers eyes to see more layers in his stories. Cindy begins with some perspective on how to start cultivating a love for Shakespeare. Angelina shares her "hot take" on whether you should read the play or watch the play. They suggest some books for further digging into Shakespeare's works, and Angelina gives an overview of the format of his comedies. Thomas goes into some detail about Roman comedy.
Next week we will be back with a discussion of Acts I and II of the play.
Even though the spring 2022 Literary Life Conference "The Battle Over Children's Literature" featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian is over, you can still purchase the recordings at HouseofHumaneLetters.com.
To sign up for Thomas Banks and Anne Phillips' webinar on Herodotus on January 30, 2024, head over to HouseofHumaneLetters.com/webinars.
Commonplace Quotes:
If certain tendencies within our civilization were to proceed unchecked, they would rapidly take us towards a society which, like that of a prison, would be both completely introverted and completely without privacy. The last stand of privacy has always been, traditionally, the inner mind….It is quite possible, however, for communications media, especially the newer electronic ones, to break down the associative structures of the inner mind and replace them by the prefabricated structures of the media . A society entirely controlled by their slogans and exhortations would be introverted because nobody would be saying anything: there would only be echo, and Echo was the mistress of Narcissus….the triumph of communicati…
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Episode 204: A Preview of The Literary Life Season 6
26 december 2023 · 30 min
On The Literary Life today, Angelina and Thomas preview the upcoming season of the podcast and what books you can expect them to cover in 2024. We have some short books and exciting new series coming up in the new year, and you can scroll down for Amazon affiliate links to all the books planned. Lees meer
The House of Humane Letters is currently having their Christmas sale until December 31, 2023. Everything is now 20% OFF, so hop on over and get the classes at their best prices now. In addition, you can still sign up for Atlee Northmore's webinar "A Medieval Romance in a Galaxy Far, Far Away: How to Read Star Wars."
If you missed it, go back to last month's episode to get all the information about our 2024 Reading Challenge, Book of Centuries.
Books Mentioned:
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
Howards End by E. M. Forster
Tartuffe by Jean-Baptiste Moliere, trans. by Donald M. Frame
Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
Harry Potter, Book 1 by J. K. Rowling
Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers
Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde
Support The Literary Life:
Become a patron of The Literary Life podcast as part of the "Friends and Fellows Community" on Patreon, and get some amazing bonus content! Thanks for your support!
Connect with Us:
You can find Angelina and Thomas at HouseofHumaneLetters.com, on Instagram @angelinastanford, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/
Follow The Literary Life on Instagram, and jump into our private Facebook group, The Literary Life Discussion Group, and let's get the book talk going! http://bit.ly/literarylifeFB
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Episode 203: Our Literary Lives of 2023
19 december 2023 · 1 uur 27 min
On The Literary Life today, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas recap their reading from the past year. They first share some general thoughts on their year of reading and what sorts of books they completed. Other questions they discuss are on what books surprised them, what "low brow" books they read, and more! Come back next week for a preview of all the books we will be covering in the podcast in 2024. Stay tuned to the end of the episode for an important announcement! Lees meer
Cindy is currewntly offering at 20% OFF discount throughout the holidays. Use coupon code "advent2023" on MorningTimeforMoms.com/shop until January 2024.
The House of Humane Letters is currently having their Christmas sale until December 31, 2023. Everything pre-recorded is now 20% OFF, so hop on over and get the classes at their best prices now. You can now also sign up for Atlee Northmore's webinar "A Medieval Romance in a Galaxy Far, Far Away: How to Read Star Wars."
If you missed it, go back to last month's episode to get all the information about our 2024 Reading Challenge, Book of Centuries.
Commonplace Quotes:
Life was a hiding place that played me false.
Lascelles Abercrombie, from "Epitaph"
But if man's attention is repaid so handsomely, his inattention costs him dearly. Every time he diagrams something instead of looking at it, every time he regards not what a thing is but what it can be made to mean to him, every time he substitutes a conceit for a fact, he gets grease all over the kitchen of the world. Reality slips away from him, and he is left with nothing but the oldest monstrosity in the world–an idol.
Robert Farrar Capon, from The Supper of the Lamb
Some writers confuse authenticity, which they ought always to aim at, with originality, which they should never bother about. There is a certain kind of person who is so dominated by the desire to be loved for himself alone that he has constantly to test those around him by tiresome behavior; what he says and does must be admired, not …
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Episode 202: The Literary Life of Jenn Rogers
12 december 2023 · 1 uur 46 min
This week's episode of The Literary Life we bring you a special interview with Jenn Rogers! Angelina Stanford and Cindy Rollins talk with Jenn about her own literary life and how she learned the things she is now passing on to others through The House of Humane Letters. Jenn shares how languages and literature were a part of her life from a young age as a child of missionaries in the Dominican Republic and homeschooled in a Charlotte Mason style. She also shares how surprising challenges ended up opening a door for her family to use AmblesideOnline and other resources, using their imaginations and creativity in getting a great education. Lees meer
The House of Humane Letters is currently having their Christmas sale until December 31, 2023. Everything is now 20% OFF, so hop on over and get the classes at their best prices now. In addition to the sale, you can also sign up for Atlee Northmore's webinar "A Medieval Romance in a Galaxy Far, Far Away: How to Read Star Wars."
Cindy is also offering at 20% OFF discount throughout the holidays. Use coupon code "advent2023" on MorningTimeforMoms.com/shop until January 2024.
Commonplace Quotes:
But if literature teaches us anything at all, it is this, that we have an eternal element free from care and fear which can survey the things in life we call evil with serenity, that is, not without appreciating their quality but without any disturbance of our spiritual equilibrium. Not in the same way, but in some such way, we shall all doubtless survey our own story when we know it, and a great deal more of the Whole Story.
J. R. R. Tolkien, from The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien
This final argument is an indication of how monastic writers like Ælfric sought to understand the cycle of the seasons. They wanted to read and interpret the natural world, to learn to recognize the meaning God had planted in it. They saw time and seasons, from the very first day of the world, as carefully arranged by God with method and purpose, so they believed…