Listen to a podcast, please open Podcast Republic app. Available on Google Play Store.
Niveditha Christina
Oct 31, 2021
homeschooling mom from India love the insightful details into each book. it's wonderful to know as a reader I'm not alone
Meg
Jan 23, 2021
I am shamelessly addicted to this podcast! My love of classic literature has been renewed and I have been drawn to read books I might otherwise have overlooked. The hosts do a phenomenal job of explaining and exploring the literary world.
Shanlouise
Oct 4, 2020
Great introduction to classic books and how to read them at an easy pace. The hosts do a good job of making it accessible without sacrificing detail or depth. They also have a helpful facebook discussion group.
Episode | Date |
---|---|
Episode 164: Shakespeare’s “Othello”, Acts 1 & 2
01:38:33
This week on The Literary Life Podcast with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks, we have our second episode covering Shakespeare’s play Othello. Today’s episode is a discussion of Acts 1 and 2. Our hosts talk about the problem of Iago’s antagonism toward Othello, the way in which Shakespeare asks “what if?” to develop new treatments of old stories, the question of Othello’s ethnicity, Shakespeare’s method of building up layers of disorder in the story, the theme of people out of harmony with the community, plus so much more! Register now for our 5th Annual Literary Life Online Conference coming up April 12-15, 2023, Shakespeare: The Bard for All and for All Time. Get all the details and sign up today at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
My Pretty Rose Treeby William Blake A flower was offered to me, Then I went to my pretty rose tree, Books Mentioned:Othello by William Shakespeare The Soul of Wit by G. K. Chesterton, edited by Dale Ahlquist Paradise Lost by John Milton The Meaning of Shakespeare by Harold Goddard The Elizabethan World Picture by E. M. Tillyard 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 21, 2023 |
Episode 163: Introduction to Shakespeare’s “Othello”
01:19:53
On this episode of The Literary Life Podcast with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks, our hosts introduce their new series on Shakespeare’s play Othello. They share some tips and strategies for those new to Shakespeare, both as independent readers and for reading along with children. Angelina also talks more specifically about how to approach reading a Shakespearean tragedy. Finally, our hosts respond to the idea that Shakespeare plays should be watched, not read. Join us back here next week to dive into the discussion of Othello! Register now for our 5th Annual Literary Life Online Conference coming up April 12-15, 2023, Shakespeare: The Bard for All and for All Time. Get all the details and sign up today at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
Iagoby Walter de la Mare A dark lean face, a narrow, slanting eye, Books Mentioned:Othello by William Shakespeare London Sonnets by Humbert Wolfe The Soul of Wit by G. K. Chesterton, edited by Dale Ahlquist Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit Leon Garfield’s Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield Stories from Shakespeare by Marchette Chute Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare by Isaac Asimov The Meaning of Shakespeare by Harold Goddard The Elizabethan World Picture by E. M. Tillyard 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 14, 2023 |
Episode 162: "Ion" – On Socratic Dialogue and Reading Plato
01:33:59
Welcome to this week’s episode of The Literary Life Podcast with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks. This week our hosts share their discussion of Plato’s Ion. This episode serves as an introduction on how to read Plato as well as an opportunity to consider what Socratic dialogue is and is not. Thomas gives some background on Plato as a person as well as his writing of dialogues. Angelina shares her thoughts on why the term “Socratic method” as it is used today is not actually a good teaching technique. In talking about the text of Ion, Thomas explains what a “rhapsode” is and lets us know that this piece of dialogue is supposed to be humorous, rather satirical in nature. Another background topic related to the conversation is the ancient idea of atheism in contrast to our modern definition. To wrap up, Thomas gives a few suggestions for continuing your reading of Plato. Register now for our 5th Annual Literary Life Online Conference coming up April 12-15, 2023, Shakespeare: The Bard for All and for All Time. Get all the details and sign up today at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
The Fall of a Soulby John Addington Symonds I sat unsphering Plato ere I slept: Books Mentioned:Phaedrus by Plato Othello by William Shakespeare Out of a Far Country by Angela Yuan and Christopher Yuan The Soul of Wit by G. K. Chesterton, edited by Dale Ahlquist Pensées by Blaise Pascal Five Dialogues by Plato Selected Myths by Plato 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 07, 2023 |
Episode 161: The Literary Life of Lia Techand
01:37:20
This week on The Literary Life podcast, we bring you another fun Literary Life of…episode. Angelina, Thomas, and Cindy’s guest today is Lia Techand, our first international guest on the podcast. Lia, a German born in Kyrgyzstan, currently serving with her husband as a missionary in Australia, along with their two book-loving children. We start off the interview hearing Lia tell about her young life and how she started loving English literature. She talks about her parents and grandparents’ reading lives and the legacy of loving books that they left for her. She also shares how literary analysis and symbolism teaching in high school and college challenged her enjoyment of literature. Lia tells about how she stopped reading in university because she was too busy but then started reading again once she became a mother. Lia and Angelina share some examples of crazy literary theory that is taught in university programs, and how that confused and discouraged Lia so much. She also tells the story of finding The Literary Life podcast and taking classes with Angelina. They wrap up the conversation with some encouragement for readers looking for the meaning in the stories they read. Join us next time for a discussion of Plato’s Ion, led by Mr. Banks! Register now for our 5th Annual Literary Life Online Conference coming up April 12-15, 2023, Shakespeare: The Bard for All and for All Time. Get all the details and sign up today at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
Still ist de Nachtby Heinrich Heine Still is the night, and the streets are lone, There, too, stands a man, and aloft stares he, Thou double! Thou fetch, with the livid face! Books Mentioned:Brave New World by Aldous Huxley Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Formation of Character by Charlotte Mason (section on Goethe) Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne Cautionary Tales for Children by Hilaire Belloc Struwwelpeter in English Translation by Heinrich Hoffman 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Feb 28, 2023 |
Episode 160: Aristotle’s “Poetics” Part 2
01:11:22
Angelina, Cindy, and Thomas are back on The Literary Life Podcast today with another discussion in our series on Aristotle’s Poetics. Sharing their commonplace quotes leads into the conversation about why reading this work still matters to our understanding of how to read literature. Thomas and Angelina talk about the problem of literary critics who claim Shakespeare violates Aristotle’s “rules” for plays. Cindy’s question as to why we read the ancients is another topic of this conversation. Join us next time when we will have another Literary Life of... guest interview. Then we will be back the next week with a discussion of Plato's Ion.
Thomas will be teaching a webinar on Jean Jacques Rousseau on February 24th. You can learn more and register at houseofhumaneletters.com. Register now for our 5th Annual Literary Life Online Conference coming up in mid-April, Shakespeare: The Bard for All and for All Time. Get all the details and sign up today at houseofhumaneletters.com. Episodes Mentioned Today: The Trojan Women Series Introduction Commonplace Quotes:
Sonnet 23by William Shakespeare As an unperfect actor on the stage 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Feb 21, 2023 |
Episode 159: Aristotle's "Poetics", Part 1
01:48:15
On The Literary Life podcast this week, our hosts continue their series of discussions on Aristotle’s Poetics. Angelina, Cindy, and Thomas share some pertinent commonplace quotations to open the episode, then dive into this week’s text, beginning with Aristotle’s definition of “tragedy.” Thomas expands on the idea of catharsis, and Angelina outlines Aristotle’s necessary elements of a story. Cindy shares her thoughts the distinction between poetry and history. They talk about the form and sequence of a story and why these are so important in Aristotle’s view. In working out the definition of terms, our hosts also correct some common and crucial misconceptions. Thomas will be teaching a webinar on Jean Jacques Rousseau on February 24th. You can learn more and register at houseofhumaneletters.com. Register now for our 5th Annual Literary Life Online Conference coming up in mid-April, Shakespeare: The Bard for All and for All Time. Get all the details and sign up today at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
Selection from “An Essay on Criticism”by Alexander Pope ‘Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill ‘Tis with our judgments as our watches, none Book List:Othello by William Shakespeare Beauty in the Word by Stratford Caldecott Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature by C. S. Lewis The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis by Jason Baxter MacBeth by William Shakespeare The Odyssey by Homer Oedipus Rex by Sophocles Tom Jones by Henry Fielding 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Feb 14, 2023 |
Episode 158: Introduction to Aristotle’s “Poetics”
01:18:37
On this episode of The Literary Life podcast, our hosts Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks open a new series of discussions about Aristotle’s work on story, Poetics. After sharing this week’s commonplace quotes, Thomas gives us some background on Aristotle and his time. Angelina points out the importance of differentiating between Aristotle’s work Rhetoric and Poetics and how they are applied. She and Thomas also talk about the problem of translating the Greek word “mimesis.” They discuss Aristotle’s thoughts on the characters in comedy and tragedy, as well as the complex concept of “arete.” Thomas will be teaching a webinar on Jean Jacques Rousseau on February 24th. You can learn more and register at houseofhumaneletters.com. Register now for our 5th Annual Literary Life Online Conference coming up in mid-April, Shakespeare: The Bard for All and for All Time. Get all the details and sign up today at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
The Dead of Athens at Chalcisby Simonides, trans. by F. L. Lucas We died in the glen of Dirphys. Here by our country’s giving This tomb was heaped above us high on Euripus’ shore. Twas earned, for young we lost the loveliness of living. We took instead upon us the bursting storm of war. Book List:The Meaning of Shakespeare, Vol. 1 by Harold Goddard The Fair Bride by Bruce Marshall On Stories by C. S. Lewis Tom Jones by Henry Fielding Pamela by Samuel Richardson (not recommended) An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Feb 07, 2023 |
Episode 157: The “Best of” Series – The Literary Life of Thomas Banks, Ep. 78
01:35:51
This week on the podcast, we bring you another of our “Best of The Literary Life Podcast” episode replays. On today’s episode we delve into the literary life of the mysterious Mr. Banks. Cindy begins the interview asking Thomas about his family background and the influence of his parents on his own reading life. He shares about many of the books he loved in childhood and how that shaped his tastes in literature. He also talks about how he approached school learning as opposed to his personal reading. Angelina asks Thomas to tell about how he fell in love with poetry and how he ended up going to college even though that was not his original goal. He also shares more about his reading as an adult, as well as his habit of commonplacing quotations. Commonplace Quotes:
Time, Real and Imaginaryby Samuel Taylor Coleridge On the wide level of a mountain’s head, Book List:Wintering by Katherine May The Double Vision by Northrop Frye Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carol Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling Oxford Book of Children’s Verse Praeterita by John Ruskin The Golden Treasury of Myths and Legends The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun by J. R. R. Tolkien Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis The Saga of the Volsungs by Anonymous The Adventures of Tintin by Herge Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott Julius Caesar by Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare The Complete Poems of John Keats Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy Hardy the Novelist by David Cecil Hawthorne’s Short Stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne The James Bond Dossier by Kingsley Amis The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea by Mishima (not recommended) 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff The Double by Fyodor Dostoevsky Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jan 31, 2023 |
Episode 156: The “Best of” Series – Why Read Fairy Tales, Ep. 70
01:31:01
Welcome to another episode in our “Best of The Literary Life Podcast” series. Today on The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina Stanford and Cindy Rollins tackle the topic of fairy stories, discussing the what, why and how of reading them. Angelina shares the distinctive characteristics of fairy stories in contrast to other types of stories, such as myths. They deal with the question of whether fairy tales are “escapist”, the influence of the Grimm brothers scholarly work on interpreting fairy stories, and allowing the story to unveil its deeper truths without forcing meaning onto it. Angelina gives an illustration of how to see the gospel messages in fairy tales by talking us through the story of Sleeping Beauty. She refutes the ideas that fairy tales are about human romance or are misogynistic. She also highlights some of the Enlightenment and Puritan responses to fairy tales that still linger with us today. Cindy and Angelina also discuss some common concerns such as the magical, weird, or scary aspects of fairy tales. Angelina also makes a distinction between folk tales, literary fairy tales, and cautionary tales. Other Literary Life series openers referenced in this episode: Episode 20: An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis Episode 71: Phantastes by George MacDonald Episode 30: The Literary Life of Caitlin Beauchamp Commonplace Quotes:
Ancient Historyby Siegfried Sassoon Adam, a brown old vulture in the rain, Grimly he thought of Abel, soft and fair— Book List:Phantastes by George MacDonald The World’s Last Night by C. S. Lewis An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis “On Three Ways of Writing for Children” by C. S. Lewis Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis The Princess and The Goblin by George MacDonald 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 Angelina Stanford – House of Humane Letters. Find Cindy at MorningTimeforMoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at Cindy Rollins – Writer. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jan 24, 2023 |
Episode 155: The “Best of” Series – The Literary Life of Wendi Capehart, Ep. 69
01:36:26
Today on The Literary Life Podcast, we have another installment in our “Best of The Literary Life Podcast series. This week’s replay is a special chat our hosts Angelina and Cindy had with Wendi Capehart. Wendi passed away in 2022, and this episode is in honor of her memory. Wendi was an adventurous mom of many and lived throughout Asia for many years. She spent the last several years enjoying the life of an at-home librarian, caring for her disabled daughter, and cherishing time with her 15 grandchildren. She also served on the AmblesideOnline Advisory board since its founding. Angelina starts off the conversation asking Wendi about her reading life beginning with her childhood memories of reading. Wendi talks a little about how books helped her survive and heal from the trauma of living in an abusive situation. They also discuss what the difference was for Wendi in leisurely reading and reading for school. Wendi shares some of the reasons she began homeschooling her own children, as well, and how she kept reading voraciously even after she became a mother. Angelina and Wendi talk about the brain and changing your reading habits to digest and enjoy more challenging books. Wendi shares how she built a library while one a military budget and moving frequently. They talked about too many things to cover in this summary, but you can scroll down for the many book titles mentioned in this episode! Commonplace Quotes:
If Only I Were Kingby A. A. Milne I often wish I were a King, If only I were King of Spain, If only I were King of France, I think, if I were King of Greece, If I were King of Norroway, If I were King of Babylon, If I were King of Timbuctoo, If I were King of anything, Book List:The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis by Alan Jacobs Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton The Little Prince by Antione de Saint-Exupéry The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson The Heroes by Charles Kingsley The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham Kim by Rudyard Kipling The Chestry Oak by Kate Seredy The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis The Rescuers by Marjorie Sharp The Borrowers by Mary Norton Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome Ben Hur by Lew Wallace The Bears of Blue River by Charles Major 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at MorningTimeforMoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jan 17, 2023 |
Episode 154: The “Best of” Series – What Is the Literary Life?, Ep. 1
42:38
Welcome to this episode in our “Best of The Literary Life Podcast” series, this time replaying our very first episode! In this inaugural episode, Cindy and Angelina introduce the podcast and what they mean when they talk about having a “literary life.” Each of them share how stories have shaped their personal lives, as well as how they believe stories have the power to shape culture. You can find and listen to the other 3 introductory episodes of The Literary Life mentioned in this replay at the links below- Episode 2: The Interview Episode Episode 3: The Importance of Detective Fiction Episode 4: Gaudy Night, Ch. 1-3 Although the online conference mentioned at the end of this episode has long since come and gone, you can still purchase the replay at HouseofHumaneLetters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
The Truismsby Louis MacNeice His father gave him a box of truisms Then he left home, left the truisms behind him And he walked straight in; it was where he had come from Book List:An Experiment in Criticism by C.S. Lewis The Stone of Victory and Other Tales by Padriac Colum Essay on Man by Alexander Pope For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Joseph Pieper Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jan 10, 2023 |
Episode 153: Our Literary Lives of 2022
01:31:55
On The Literary Life podcast today, our hosts look back on their reading lives over the past year. Angelina, Cindy and Thomas each share a commonplace quote, then they each share a little about how they approach reading in a way that fits with the demands of their busy lives. Each of our hosts talks about their literary surprises, their most outstanding reads of the year, disappointing books they read, and their personal favorite podcast books from 2022. Angelina also reiterates why reading rightly is so important to us all! Don’t forget to join us for the 2023 Reading Challenge! Get your books and Bingo cards ready! Commonplace Quotes:
A Selection from “The Secular Masque”by John Dryden All, all of a piece throughout; Thy chase had a beast in view; Thy wars brought nothing about; Thy lovers were all untrue. 'Tis well an old age is out, And time to begin a new. Book and Link List:Episode 60: Why Read Pagan Myths Episode 124: The Abolition of Man (beginning of series) Fortitude by Hugh Walpole The Killer and the Slain by Hugh Walpole The Old Ladies by Hugh Walpole Cherringham Mystery Series by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey Light Thickens by Ngaio Marsh Henry the Eighth by Beatrice Saunders The Talisman by Sir Walter Scott Hard Times by Charles Dickens Captive Flames by Ronald Knox The Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin The Most Reluctant Convert by David C. Downing The Truth and Beauty by Andrew Klavan The Man Who Knew Too Much by G. K. Chesterton The Rosettis in Wonderland by Dinah Roe Just Passing Through by Winton Porter The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories ed. by Martin Edwards The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories by P. D. James Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley Dorothy L. Sayers by Colin Duriez The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis by Jason Baxter Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh I Live Under a Black Sun by Edith Sitwell The Dwarf by Par Lagerkvist You Are Not Your Own by Alan Noble Dune by Frank Herbert The Twist of the Knife by Anthony Horowitz The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (not recommended) The Witness of the Stars by E. W. Bullinger (not recommended) The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim Dracula by Bram Stoker The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Dec 29, 2022 |
Episode 152: Dracula At the Movies
01:51:25
On The Literary Life podcast this week, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas are joined by Atlee Northmore to talk about film adaptations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Atlee guides us through the timeline of Dracula film adaptations and, together with our hosts, talks about why these have fallen short of the book and how they have distorted people’s view of this story. Head over to the HouseofHumaneLetters.com to get in on their sales through the end of 2022. Check out the sales on past online conferences this Christmas over at MorningTimeforMoms.com. Find Atlee’s list of Movies and Their Literary Roots in pdf form here. You can also view an infographic of his Dracula film adaptation timeline here. Commonplace Quotes:
Hamlet’s Advice to the Playersby William Shakespeare Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to Book List:Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling Beauty in the Word by Stratford Caldecott A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte William Morris: His Work and Influence by Arthur Clutton-Brock Dracula (Ignatius Critical Edition) by Bram Stoker Hamlet by William Shakespeare 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Dec 20, 2022 |
Episode 151: The Literary Life Podcast Reading Challenge 2023
01:42:06
This week on The Literary Life podcast our hosts introduce the 2023 Reading Challenge! Angelina, Cindy and Thomas are excited to share with you about all the categories on this year’s Literary Life Bingo Reading Challenge! You can download your own copy of the challenge here, as well as check out our past reading challenges. Scroll down in the show notes to see a list of the links and books mentioned in this episode. You can use the hashtag #LitLifeBingo on social media so we can all see what everyone is reading in 2023! Don’t forget to shop the House of Humane Letters Christmas Sale now through the end of the year. The Literary Life Back to School online conference recordings are also on sale at Morning Time for Moms right now. Commonplace Quotes:
Thunderstormsby William H. Davies My mind has thunderstorms, That brood for heavy hours: Until they rain me words, My thoughts are drooping flowers And sulking, silent birds. Yet come, dark thunderstorms, And brood your heavy hours; For when you rain me words, My thoughts are dancing flowers And joyful singing birds. Book and Link List:Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie Episode 14: “The Adventures of a Shilling” by Joseph Addison Episode 3: The Importance of Detective Fiction Episode 16: “Why I Write” by George Orwell The Letters of Jane Austen by Jane Austen Abigail Adams: Letters ed. by Edith Gelles The Letters of Dorothy Osborne to William Temple ed. by G. C. Moore Smith Few Eggs and No Oranges by Vere Hodgson Letters to an American Lady by C. S. Lewis Letters of C. S. Lewis by C. S. Lewis Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O’Connor ed. by Sally Fitzgerald Letters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman by Lord Chesterfield The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer The Aeneid by Virgil The Saga of the Volsungs by Anonymous The Vision of Sir Launfal by James Russell Lowell Evangeline by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The Ramayana of Valmiki ed. and trans. by Robert and Sally Goldman The Prelude by William Wordsworth Ballad of the White Horse by G. K. Chesterton The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke Mythos by Stephen Fry The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell Coming Up for Air by George Orwell The Last Days of Socrates by Plato The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis Champagne for the Soul by Mike Mason Edges of His Ways by Amy Carmichael The Footsteps at the Lock by Ronald Knox Queen Victoria by Lytton Strachey Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson Heroes by Stephen Fry Troy by Stephen Fry Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman The Mabinogion trans. by Sioned Davies The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson Cindy’s List of Literature of Honor for Boys (archived webpage) Bleak House by Charles Dickens David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens The Man Who Knew Too Much by G. K. Chesterton The 39 Steps by John Buchan Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis The Truth and the Beauty by Andrew Klavan The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill Howards End is on the Landing by Susan Hill Jacob’s Room is Full of Books by Susan Hill The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis by Jason Baxter 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff Q’s Legacy by Helene Hanff 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Dec 13, 2022 |
Episode 150: “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Ch. 18-End
01:49:21
On The Literary Life podcast this week, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas are back to wrap up their series on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. They open with their commonplace quotes then begin diving into the major plot points and the connections being made. Angelina and Cindy discuss what happens to Mina, especially in relation to the idea of the New Woman versus the Angel in the House. Thomas and Angelina talk about Dracula’s background and his connection with Satan seen more clearly here at the end of the book. They all share thoughts on the Christian images that are increasingly brought out as the story line progresses. Head over to the HouseofHumaneLetters.com so you don’t miss out on their Christmas sale. Kelly Cumbee will also be teaching a course on The Chronicles of Narnia and medieval cosmology in February, and registration is now open. Now is the time to get your copy of Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah in time for celebrating Advent with your family. You can also get a recording of the Advent to Remember webinar at MorningTimeforMoms.com. Commonplace Quotes:
The To-be-forgottenby Thomas Hardy I I heard a small sad sound, And stood awhile among the tombs around: "Wherefore, old friends," said I, "are you distrest, Now, screened from life's unrest?" II —"O not at being here; But that our future second death is near; When, with the living, memory of us numbs, And blank oblivion comes! III "These, our sped ancestry, Lie here embraced by deeper death than we; Nor shape nor thought of theirs can you descry With keenest backward eye. IV "They count as quite forgot; They are as men who have existed not; Theirs is a loss past loss of fitful breath; It is the second death. V "We here, as yet, each day Are blest with dear recall; as yet, can say We hold in some soul loved continuance Of shape and voice and glance. VI "But what has been will be — First memory, then oblivion's swallowing sea; Like men foregone, shall we merge into those Whose story no one knows. VII "For which of us could hope To show in life that world-awakening scope Granted the few whose memory none lets die, But all men magnify? VIII "We were but Fortune's sport; Things true, things lovely, things of good report We neither shunned nor sought ... We see our bourne, And seeing it we mourn." Book List:The Deep Blue Goodbye by John D. MacDonald Tremendous Trifles by G. K. Chesterton The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain The Odd Women by George Gissing Beowulf trans. by Burton Raffel 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Dec 06, 2022 |
Episode 149: “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Ch. 12-17
01:15:16
Our hosts are back on The Literary Life podcast today to continue our series on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. This week we are covering chapters 12-17, and in the introduction to this episode, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas discuss the purpose of the Gothic novel in reorienting us to realize there is more to the world than the physical and empirical. As they cover the plot in these chapters, other ideas shared are the effective blending of modern technology with ancient wisdom in fighting evil, the many mythological and fairy tale elements in this story, the contrast between the true woman and the false woman, the parallels to Paradise Lost, and so much more. Sign up for the mailing list at HouseofHumaneLetters.com so you don’t miss out on the upcoming Christmas sale. Kelly Cumbee will also be teaching a course on The Chronicles of Narnia and medieval cosmology in February, and registration is now open. Now is the time to get your copy of Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah in time for celebrating Advent with your family. You can also get a recording of the Advent to Remember webinar at MorningTimeforMoms.com. Commonplace Quotes:
Sonnet 71by William Shakespeare No longer mourn for me when I am dead Book List:Rod of Iron by Milton Waldman The Gothic Flame by Devendra Varma
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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Nov 22, 2022 |
Episode 148: “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Ch. 8-11
01:03:00
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast today and our series on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. This week Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks cover chapters 8-11 of the book. Angelina explains both the “New Woman” and “Angel in the House” ideas of the Victorian era and makes some observations about Dr. Seward’s interactions with Renfield in contrast to the nuns ministrations to Jonathan Harker. We are also introduced to Dr. Van Helsing in this section of the book as the foil for Dracula, and we quickly learn that he is more than just a medical man. Our hosts discuss Stoker’s own medical knowledge and both the historical and metaphorical context of the blood transfusion procedures in these chapters. Thomas will be offering a webinar on Henry VIII and his times, which you can register for at HouseofHumaneLetters.com. Kelly Cumbee will also be teaching a course on The Chronicles of Narnia and medieval cosmology in February, and registration is now open. Now is the time to get your copy of Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah in time for celebrating Advent with your family. You can also get a recording of the Advent to Remember webinar at MorningTimeforMoms.com. Commonplace Quotes:
What can the world be to him who lives for thought, if there be no supreme and perfect Thought? None but such poor struggles after thought as he finds in himself? Take the eternal Thought from the heart of things, no longer can any beauty be real, no more can shape, motion, aspect of nature, have significance in itself or sympathy with human soul. George MacDonald A Dream Within a Dreamby Edgar Allan Poe Take this kiss upon the brow! I stand amid the roar Book List:Beauty in the Word by Stratford Caldecott The Gifts of Reading by Robert Macfarlane The Gift by Lewis Hyde Imaginary Conversations by Walter Savage Landor A Dish of Orts by George MacDonald 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Nov 15, 2022 |
Episode 147: “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Ch. 3-7
01:21:21
On The Literary Life Podcast this week, our hosts continue with part 2 of their series on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. After sharing their commonplace quotes, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas begin discussing how to properly read Dracula and other books written in this tradition. (Hint: It’s not the Freudian or psychoanalytical approach!) Angelina argues that Bram Stoker was trying, among other things, to reintroduce the traditional forms and metaphors into the modern era. Thomas shares the dark etymology of the name Dracula and how that relates to the image of Satan in this character. Cindy brings up Jonathan’s memory of Mina when he is in his darkest moments and the power of love against evil. Now is the time to get your copy of Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah in time for celebrating Advent with your family. You can also get a recording of the Advent to Remember webinar at MorningTimeforMoms.com. Thomas will be offering a webinar on Henry VIII and his times, which you can register for at HouseofHumaneLetters.com. Kelly Cumbee will also be teaching a course on The Chronicles of Narnia and medieval cosmology in February, and registration is now open. Commonplace Quotes:
A Selection from The Rime of the Ancient Marinerby Samuel Taylor Coleridge Alone, alone, all, all alone, The many men, so beautiful! I looked upon the rotting sea, I looked to heaven, and tried to pray; Book List:A Dish of Orts by George MacDonald The History of England, from the Fall of Wolsey to the Death of Elizabeth by James Anthony Froude The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis Studies in Words by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Nov 08, 2022 |
Episode 146: Introduction to “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Ch. 1 & 2
01:28:04
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina Stanford is joined as always by Thomas Banks and Cindy Rollins for the opening of their series on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Today our hosts focus on the background and historical context for this piece of literature, as well as going over the highlights of the first two chapters. They talk about the question of the role of the monster in literature in modernity versus its historical interpretation. Understanding the form of the Gothic novel and the time period in which this book was written are important aspects of approaching Dracula. Keep listening next week for more about how to read this book. We will be covering chapters 3-7. Get the latest news from House of Humane Letters by signing up for their e-newsletter today! Commonplace Quotes:
Ghostsby Elizabeth Jennings Those houses haunt in which we leave That spread their echoes through a place That we have known; they only come The words we would not speak they use, It is our helplessness they choose Book List:The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayers The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole A Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Wake Not the Dead by Johann Ludwig Tieck Frankenstein by Mary Shelley The Vampyre by John Polidori Varney the Vampire by James Malcolm Rymer Carmilla by Sheridan Lefanu 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Nov 01, 2022 |
Episode 145: The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis: A Conversation with Jason M. Baxter
01:16:19
On The Literary Life Podcast this week, our hosts 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. 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. Be back next week when we will begin digging into Bram Stoker’s Dracula together and learning more about this late Victorian Gothic novel. It’s not what you might think! Get the latest news from House of Humane Letters by signing up for their e-newsletter today! Commonplace Quotes:
Victoryby C. S. Lewis Roland is dead, Cuchulain’s crest is low, The faerie people from our woods are gone, The ancient songs they wither as the grass For these decay: but not for that decays Now in the filth of war, the baresark shout Though often bruised, oft broken by the rod, Book List:Beauty in the Word by Stratford Caldecott An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis The Discarded Image by C. S. Lewis The Art of Living: Four Eighteenth Century Minds by F. L. Lucas Transposition by C. S. Lewis The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis Til We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis The Divine Comedy by Dante The Life of St. Francis of Assisi by St. Bonaventure The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius Confessions by St. Augustine 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Oct 18, 2022 |
Episode 144: “Hard Times” by Charles Dickens, Bk. 3, Ch. 4-End
01:36:29
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life Podcast, our hosts wrap up their series on Hard Times by Charles Dickens. Angelina opens the conversation about the book by highlighting Dickens’ masterful ability to tie up all the loose ends in his stories. They cover not only the major plot points here at the end of the book, but talk about the craft of Dickens and continue to teach us how to read this type of story. We see each character’s full arc and the positive changes that come when people choose repentance versus the fate of those who remain stubbornly on the road to destruction. Join us next time for a special conversation with Jason Baxter, author of The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis. After that, we will be digging into Bram Stoker’s Dracula together and learning more about this late Victorian Gothic novel. It’s not what you might think! Head over to MorningTimeforMoms.com to get signed up for Dawn Duran’s webinar on “A Reasoned Patriotism,” taking place later this week! Get the latest news from House of Humane Letters by signing up for their e-newsletter today! Commonplace Quotes:
Say not the Struggle nought Availethby Arthur Hugh Clough Say not the struggle nought availeth, If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars; For while the tired waves, vainly breaking And not by eastern windows only, Book List:The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis Between Noon and Three by Robert Farrar Capon A Preface to Paradise Lost by C. S. Lewis The Gifts of Reading by Robert MacFarlane North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Oct 11, 2022 |
Episode 143: “Hard Times” by Charles Dickens, Bk. 3, Ch. 1-3
01:35:15
On The Literary Life this week our hosts cover the next section of Hard Times by Charles Dickens. Angelina opens the conversation highlighting the structure of the book and the storytelling devices Dickens uses in this book. Cindy talks about the failure of educational systems in general, and the confrontation between Louisa and her father. Thomas shares a little about Jeremy Bentham and his utilitarian economic theory in relation to Hard Times. One of the main points they discuss in today’s episode is the importance of motherhood and the quiet work that goes on in the family unit. Head over to MorningTimeforMoms.com to get signed up for Dawn Duran’s webinar on “A Reasoned Patriotism.” Commonplace Quotes:
Death and the Ladyby Mary Elizabeth Coleridge TURN in, my lord, she said ; Book List:Holy Living and Dying by Jeremy Taylor The Truth and the Beauty by Andrew Klavan Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Oct 04, 2022 |
Episode 142: “Hard Times” by Charles Dickens, Book 2, Ch. 6-9
01:39:09
Welcome back to The Literary Life this week and the continuation of our series on Hard Times by Charles Dickens. After some autumnal chit-chat, our hosts Angelina, Cindy, and Thomas dive into the plot of the end of Book 2. They open discussing Stephen’s fate and Tom Gradgrind’s destructive, devouring nature. They highlight Mrs. Sparsit and her similarities to a harpy and other imagery surrounding her denoting evil. Some other ideas discussed are good intentions with bad results, the concept of the fallen woman in Victorian times, Louisa’s homecoming and confession, and the failure of a formula in imparting virtue. Head over to MorningTimeforMoms.com to get signed up for Dawn Duran’s webinar on “A Reasoned Patriotism.” Commonplace Quotes:
A Daughter of Eveby Christina Rossetti A fool I was to sleep at noon, My garden-plot I have not kept; Talk what you please of future spring Book List:The World’s Last Night: and Other Essays by C. S. Lewis Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy Esther Waters by George Moore Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell Pictures from Italy by Charles Dickens 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Sep 27, 2022 |
Episode 141: “Hard Times” by Charles Dickens, Book 2, Ch. 1-5
01:11:50
The Literary Life Podcast’s new episode this week continues our series on Hard Times by Charles Dickens. After Angelina ties up a few loose ends from Book 1, Thomas leads us into Book 2 and introduces us to Mr. Harthouse. Cindy highlights the dangers of not allowing children learn self-government as illustrated in the character of Tom Gradgrind. They then look again at Stephen Blackpool and his position as the martyr in the story. Our hosts also discuss Dickens’ focus on demonstrating the problems facing people in his day, not moralizing or trying to present solutions. Head over to MorningTimeforMoms.com to get signed up for Dawn Duran’s webinar on “A Reasoned Patriotism.” You can also get the replay of Angelina’s mini-class on The Taming of the Shrew at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
The Golf Linksby Sarah Norcliffe Cleghorn The golf links lie so near the mill Book List:Formation of Character by Charlotte Mason A Dish of Orts by George MacDonald 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Sep 20, 2022 |
Episode 140: “Hard Times” by Charles Dickens, Book 1, Ch. 11-16
01:21:45
Today on The Literary Life Podcast, our hosts continue their series on Charles Dickens’ Hard Times. Angelina, Cindy and Thomas open the conversation with their commonplace quotes, which all lead into the discussion of Hard Times. They start out highlighting once again the fairytale and allegory aspects of this story, including the setting of Coketown. Together they talk about the two sides of Sissy Jupe’s education, along with the situations and portrayals of the other key characters in this section. A large part of the discussions centers around the ideas of input and output versus sowing and reaping. Purchase the recordings of our 2022 Back to School Conference at MorningTimeforMoms.com. That is also where you can get signed up for Dawn Duran’s webinar on “A Reasoned Patriotism.” You can also get the replay of Angelina’s mini-class on The Taming of the Shrew at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
from “Ode On a Distant Prospect of Clapham Academy”by Thomas Hood Ah me! those old familiar bounds! Ay, that’s the very house! I know There I was birch’d! there I was bred! The summon’d class!—the awful bow!— Book List:Formation of Character by Charlotte Mason The Ink Black Heart (Cormoran Strike Book 6) by Robert Galbraith Victoria: The Queen by Julia Baird 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Sep 13, 2022 |
Episode 139: “Hard Times” by Charles Dickens, Bk. 1, Ch. 1-10
01:48:17
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life, we begin our fall series on Charles Dickens’ Hard Times. Angelina, Cindy and Thomas start out the book chat by covering some of the differences between this book and other novels of his, as well as how to approach Dickens in general. They also discuss misrepresentations of Dickens as a social reformer, the allegorical and fairy tale elements of his works, and what keys to look for as you read through Hard Times. Thomas talks about Utilitarianism in educational reform, and Cindy highlights the ideas of Charlotte Mason in connection with Victorian times. Angelina brings out the references to imagination in these first chapters and the danger of distorting the child’s imagination. Purchase the recordings of our 2022 Back to School Conference at MorningTimeforMoms.com. That is also where you can get signed up for Dawn Duran’s webinar on “A Reasoned Patriotism.” You can also get the replay of Thomas’ webinar on Evelyn Waugh or register for Angelina’s mini-class on The Taming of the Shrew at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
from “Among School Children”by William Butler Yeats Labour is blossoming or dancing where Book List:Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell The Life of Our Lord by Charles Dickens A Child’s History of England by Charles Dickens “Why Should Businessmen Read Great Literature?” by Vigen Guroian “The Fantastic Imagination” by George MacDonald 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Sep 06, 2022 |
Episode 138: In Search of the Austen Adaptation: Sense and Sensibility
01:49:10
Today on The Literary Life Podcast we bring you another fun episode in our “In Search of the Austen Adaptation” series. Hosts Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks are joined by resident film aficionado, Atlee Northmore to discuss film adaptations on Sense and Sensibility. The conversation opens by revisiting the question of what makes a good adaptation of a book when translating it for the screen. They talk about the challenges of showing modern audiences the characters and situations as Jane Austen meant them to be understood. Atlee gives a brief overview of the lesser known film adaptations, as well as a more in depth discussion of the 1995 and 2008 versions. You can access the PDF he created with links to watch here. You are not too late to join in this year’s Back to School Online Conference! Go to MorningTimeforMoms.com to register and get in on the great talks, always live or later! Commonplace Quotes:
Selection from With a Guitar, To Janeby Percy Shelley Ariel to Miranda:-- Take This slave of music, for the sake Of him who is the slave of thee; And teach it all the harmony In which thou canst, and only thou, Make the delighted spirit glow, Till joy denies itself again And, too intense, is turned to pain. For by permission and command Of thine own Prince Ferdinand, Poor Ariel sends this silent token Of more than ever can be spoken; Your guardian spirit, Ariel, who From life to life must still pursue Your happiness,-- for thus alone Can Ariel ever find his own. From Prospero's enchanted cell, As the mighty verses tell, To the throne of Naples he Lit you o'er the trackless sea, Flitting on, your prow before, Like a living meteor. When you die, the silent Moon In her interlunar swoon Is not sadder in her cell Than deserted Ariel. Book List:In Vital Harmony by Karen Glass The Story of Charlotte Mason by Essex Cholmondeley Robert the Bruce by Eric Linklater C. S. Lewis’ Selected Literary Essays edited by Walter Hooper 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Aug 02, 2022 |
Episode 137: Why Pastors Should Read Fiction
01:56:04
This week on The Literary Life podcast with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks, we have a very special episode for you. Our hosts are joined by guests Dan Bunting and Anthony Dodgers, both of whom are pastors, for a discussion on why pastors should read fiction books. Dan is also host of the the Reading the Psalms podcast. Angelina starts off the conversation by asking why these men would prioritize taking literature classes. Anthony shares about his own literary life journey and how rediscovering literature has helped him personally. Dan talks about the book club that he and a couple of his pastor friends have and what kinds of books they read together. They discuss many other deep topics and crucial questions that we hope will be encouraging and thought-provoking to everyone who listens to and shares this episode. Join us for the 2022 Back to School Conference, “Education: Myths and Legends” happening live online this August 1st-6th. Our special guest speakers will be Lynn Bruce and Caitlin Beauchamp, along with our hosts Cindy Rollins, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. Learn more and register today at Morning Time for Moms. Commonplace Quotes:
A Boy in Churchby Robert Graves ‘Gabble-gabble, . . . brethren, . . . gabble-gabble!’ My window frames forest and heather. I hardly hear the tuneful babble, Not knowing nor much caring whether The text is praise or exhortation, Prayer or thanksgiving, or damnation. Outside it blows wetter and wetter, The tossing trees never stay still. I shift my elbows to catch better The full round sweep of heathered hill. The tortured copse bends to and fro In silence like a shadow-show. The parson’s voice runs like a river Over smooth rocks, I like this church: The pews are staid, they never shiver, They never bend or sway or lurch. ‘Prayer,’ says the kind voice, ‘is a chain That draws down Grace from Heaven again.’ I add the hymns up, over and over, Until there’s not the least mistake. Seven-seventy-one. (Look! there’s a plover! It’s gone!) Who’s that Saint by the lake? The red light from his mantle passes Across the broad memorial brasses. It’s pleasant here for dreams and thinking, Lolling and letting reason nod, With ugly serious people linking Sad prayers to a forgiving God . . . . But a dumb blast sets the trees swaying With furious zeal like madmen praying. Put Out More Flags by Evelyn Waugh Asterix Comics by René Goscinny Tin Tin by Herge Giants in the Earth by Ole Rolvaag A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré The New Oxford Book of Christian Verse edited by Donald Davie Waiting on the Word by Malcolm Guite Word in the Wilderness by Malcolm Guite Reflections on the Psalms by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jul 26, 2022 |
Episode 136: Two for ’22 Reading Challenge Check-In
01:41:15
This week on The Literary Life podcast our hosts give an update on their progress with the “Two for ’22” Literary Life Reading Challenge. Angelina, Cindy and Thomas share their commonplace quotes, then begin going over each category and talking about their progress and the various books they have chosen so far. Scroll down in the show notes for all the book titles mentioned and affiliate links to them on Amazon. Download the adult reading challenge PDF here, and the kids’ reading challenge PDF here. The Literary Life Commonplace Books published by Blue Sky Daisies are always available for purchase, as well! Join us for the 2022 Back to School Conference, “Education: Myths and Legends” happening live online this August 1st-6th. Our special guest speakers will be Lynn Bruce and Caitlin Beauchamp, along with our hosts Cindy Rollins, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. Learn more and register today at Morning Time for Moms. Check out Episode 3: The Importance of the Detective Novel. Commonplace Quotes:
The Composerby W. H. Auden All the others translate: the painter sketches A visible world to love or reject; Rummaging into his living, the poet fetches The images out that hurt and connect. From Life to Art by painstaking adaption Relying on us to cover the rift; Only your notes are pure contraption, Only your song is an absolute gift. Pour out your presence, O delight, cascading The falls of the knee and the weirs of the spine, Our climate of silence and doubt invading; You, alone, alone, O imaginary song, Are unable to say an existence is wrong, And pour out your forgiveness like a wine. Book List:The Dwarf by Par Lagerkvist The Well-Tempered Critic by Northrop Frye Formation of Character by Charlotte Mason Anatomy of Criticism by Northrop Frye Lethal White by Robert Galbraith Poet’s Corner by John Lithgow Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott The Wise Woman by George MacDonald The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald Paradise Lost by John Milton The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris Phantastes by George MacDonald Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott Evelina by Fanny Burney The Boys by Ron and Clint Howard The Most Reluctant Convert by David C. Downing Dorothy L. Sayers by Colin Duriez Dracula by Bram Stoker Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell Silas Marner by George Eliot Hard Times by Charles Dickens David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë An Old Man’s Love by Anthony Trollope She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare Timon of Athens by Williams Shakespeare The Trojan Women by Euripedes Antigone by Sophocles The Rehearsal by George Villiers The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis Til We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis by Jason M. Baxter The Oxford Inklings by Colin Duriez Anxious People by Fredrik Backman Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim The Shepherd’s Life by James Rebanks Wintering by Katherine May The Eternal Husband by Fyodor Dostoyevsky The Aeneid by Virgil A Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey The Vision of the Anointed by Thomas Sowell The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards DC Smith Investigation Series by Peter Grainger Nero Wolfe Series by Rex Stout Simon Serrailler Series by Susan Hill The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley The Leavenworth Case by Anna Catherine Green Trent’s Last Case by E. C. Bentley 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jul 19, 2022 |
Episode 135: The Literary Life of Jone Rose
01:29:00
Welcome back to this long awaited return of The Literary Life podcast and a new “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 her reading life looks like now, how narration helps make connections and increase understanding, asking better questions, and so much more! Join us for the 2022 Back to School Conference, “Education: Myths and Legends” happening live online this August 1st-6th. Our special guest speakers will be Lynn Bruce and Caitlin Beauchamp, along with our hosts Cindy Rollins, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. Learn more and register today at Morning Time for Moms. Commonplace Quotes:
from Ode: Intimations of Immortalityby William Wordsworth Though nothing can bring back the hour Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower; We will grieve not, rather find Strength in what remains behind; In the primal sympathy Which having been must ever be; In the soothing thoughts that spring Out of human suffering; In the faith that looks through death, In years that bring the philosophic mind. Book List:Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle What Is Art? by Leo Tolstoy The Story of Charlotte Mason by Essex Cholmondeley Brother Cadfael Series by Ellis Peters The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jul 12, 2022 |
Episode 134: “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame, Part 4
01:14:31
In this week’s episode of The Literary Life, our hosts wrap up their series on The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Angelina, Thomas and Cindy talk about these final chapters of the book, covering some key ideas such as the siren song of the Sea Rat, Toad’s inability to see himself rightly, the echoes of Homer’s Odyssey, examples of bad discussion questions, and what makes this such a lasting book. It’s not too late to join Cindy’s Summer Discipleship group! Head over the MorningTimeforMoms.com to register. Thomas will be teaching an introductory course on Russian Literature in July 2022. Learn more and register at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
Mr. Toad’s Songby Kenneth Grahame The world has held great Heroes, The clever men at Oxford The animals sat in the Ark and cried, The Army all saluted The Queen and her Ladies-in-waiting Book List:Preface to Paradise Lost by C. S. Lewis Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren Seacrow Island by Astrid Lindgren Wild Wood by Jan Needle (not a recommendation) The Golden Age by Kenneth Grahame Pagan Papers by Kenneth Grahame 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jun 07, 2022 |
Episode 133: “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame, Part 3
01:20:39
On The Literary Life podcast this week, our hosts are joined in their discussion of The Wind in the Willows by Kelly Cumbee. Angelina, Cindy, Thomas and Kelly talk about chapters 7-8, focusing special attention on a section of this book that presents a potential problem for some readers. Angelina opens with background on the Enlightenment and Romanticism, the concept of “the Numinous,” and the popularity of the Pan character in Edwardian times. Thomas gives us a classical picture of who Pan was in mythology. Kelly then speaks to the Medieval understanding of the figure of Pan and the pastoral tradition along with their connections with Christ. They also address concerns over neo-paganism in relation to this book. If you want more discussion on mythology in literature, tune in to Episode 60: Why Read Pagan Myths. Cindy’s 2022 Morning Time for Moms Summer Discipleship group is now open for registration. The theme this year is “Laughter and Lament.” Head over to morningtimeformoms.com to find out more and sign up! Thomas will be teaching an introductory course on Russian Literature in July 2022. Learn more about his classes, as well as Kelly Cumbee’s classes, and register at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
To Find Godby Robert Herrick Weigh me the fire; or canst thou find Book List:Dracula by Bram Stoker Formation of Character by Charlotte Mason The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis Letters to Children by C. S. Lewis The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
May 31, 2022 |
Episode 132: “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame, Part 2
01:38:24
Today on The Literary Life podcast, our hosts continue their discussion of The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Angelina, Cindy and Thomas kick off the book discussion by clarifying some confusion over the definition of a picaresque novel. They share some thoughts on the how stories communicate to us in a unique way that cannot easily be expressed in any other way. Other ideas brought up in this episode are the following: the home as a refuge from the world, the centrality of food and drink, friendship with an addict, the problem of trying to use books to teach virtue, and more! Cindy’s 2022 Morning Time for Moms Summer Discipleship group is now open for registration. The theme this year is “Laughter and Lament.” Head over to morningtimeformoms.com to find out more and sign up! Thomas will be teaching a webinar on Napoleon Bonaparte later this month, as well as an introductory course on Russian Literature in July 2022. Learn more and register at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
To Althea, from Prisonby Richard Lovelace When Love with unconfinèd wings When flowing Cups run swiftly round When (like committed linnets) I Stone Walls do not a Prison make, Book List:The Truth and Beauty by Andrew Klavan First Whisper of “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry “On Three Ways of Writing for Children” by C. S. Lewis Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh Children and Books by Mayhill Arbuthnot and Zena Sutherland The Adventure of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens History of Tom Jones by Henry Fielding 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
May 24, 2022 |
Episode 131: “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame, Part 1
01:39:44
Grahame. Angelina, Thomas and Cindy set out to introduce this book in its historical and literary context, as well as address a few of the challenges people may have on their first reading of The Wind in the Willows. They also discuss some other pertinent topics such as Edwardian cultural concerns, the form of this novel, the rebirth images in the opening chapters, and the echoes of this book in other literature.
Cindy’s 2022 Morning Time for Moms Summer Discipleship group is now open for registration. The theme this year is “Laughter and Lament.” Head over to morningtimeformoms.com to find out more and sign up! Thomas will be teaching a webinar on Napoleon Bonaparte later this month, as well as an introductory course on Russian Literature in July 2022. Learn more and register at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
Sonnet to the River Otterby Samuel Taylor Coleridge Dear native brook! wild streamlet of the West! Book List:The Golden Age by Kenneth Grahame Dream Days by Kenneth Grahame The Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit Kim by Rudyard Kipling Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J. M. Barrie Cautionary Tales for Children by Hilaire Belloc A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers Leisure the Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry Kenneth Grahame: A Biography by Peter Green
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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
May 17, 2022 |
Episode 130: "The Enchanted April" Film Adaptations
01:37:23
Our Literary Life podcast hosts are back this week, along with Atlee Northmore, to wrap up their discussion of The Enchanted April with some thoughts on the various film adaptations of this enchanting book. After expanding on their commonplace quotes, Angelina, Cindy, Thomas and Atlee start the film talk with the “dreadful” 1935 RKO version. Then they move on to dig in to how Enchanted April was and brought to the big screen in 1991 and why it worked so well as an adaptation of the novel. Our next book will be The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham, starting May 17th, so be sure to join us for that as well! Cindy’s 2022 Morning Time for Moms Summer Discipleship group is now open for registration. The theme this year is “Laughter and Lament.” Head over to morningtimeformoms.com to find out more and sign up! Thomas will be teaching an introductory course on Russian Literature in July 2022. Learn more and register at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
To Italyby Percy Shelley As the sunrise to the night, As the north wind to the clouds, As the earthquake's fiery flight, Ruining mountain solitudes, Everlasting Italy, Be those hopes and fears on thee. Book List:The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim The Educated Imagination by Northrop Frye The Twilight of American Culture by Morris Berman Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle The History of England by Thomas Macaulay Tea with the Dames documentary Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
May 03, 2022 |
Episode 129: “The Enchanted April” by Elizabeth von Arnim, Ch. 12-22
01:31:35
This week on The Literary Life podcatst, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas continue their discussion of The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim, on chapters 12-22. Angelina and Thomas begin the conversation sharing some thoughts on modern literature and why we don’t hear of modern authors like Elizabeth von Arnim among “the academy.” Cindy tells us what stood out to her most in the second half of the book and the surprising turns von Arnim takes in the storyline. Angelina and Thomas also talk about the types of books they enjoy, and Cindy brings up the longings and fears of the various characters. The metaphors and fairy tale concepts found in this book are, of course, major topics of the conversation. Return next week when we will discuss the film versions of The Enchanted April. Our next book will be The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham, starting in May, so be sure to join us for that as well! Cindy’s 2022 Morning Time for Moms Summer Discipleship group is now open for registration. The theme this year is “Laughter and Lament.” Head over to morningtimeformoms.com to find out more and sign up! Thomas will be teaching an introductory course on Russian Literature in July 2022. Learn more and register at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
Summer Dawnby William Morris Pray but one prayer for me 'twixt thy closed lips, Think but one thought of me up in the stars. The summer night waneth, the morning light slips, Faint and grey 'twixt the leaves of the aspen, Book List:The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim The Ethics of Beauty by Timothy Patitsas The Narnian by Alan Jacobs Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Apr 26, 2022 |
Episode 128: “The Enchanted April” by Elizabeth von Arnim, Ch. 1-11
01:39:28
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks. This week our hosts begin their discussion of The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim, covering chapters 1-11. Thomas gives some interesting biographical information about von Arnim, and Angelina shares some perspective on appreciating the art and the life of artist. Cindy highlights the fact that we see only caricatures of the women in England, and it isn’t until they get to Italy that we begin to see their real selves. Angelina also points out that all the women are on identity quests in this story. Angelina unpacks some of the metaphors in this book and the Dante-esque images, in addition to the key place beauty has in the story.
Commonplace Quotes:
Sonnet 98by William Shakespeare From you have I been absent in the spring, When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim, Hath put a spirit of youth in everything, That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him. Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell Of different flowers in odour and in hue, Could make me any summer’s story tell, Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew: Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white, Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose; They were but sweet, but figures of delight Drawn after you, – you pattern of all those. Yet seem’d it winter still, and, you away, As with your shadow I with these did play. Book List:The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Apr 19, 2022 |
Episode 127: The Literary Life of Kay Pelham
01:45:31
On The Literary Life podcast today, our hosts are bringing you another “Literary Life Of” interview episode. This week’s guest is Kay Pelham, a lifelong reader, veteran homeschooling mother, and accomplished pianist. After sharing their commonplace quotes, Angelina, Cindy and Kay dig into their conversation about the journey of Kay’s reading life. She shares a little about her family of story-tellers and readers, her personal reading versus school studies, and how her reading life changed as a young adult. Kay also talks about how she came to homeschool using Charlotte Mason’s philosophy. The discussion turns to Kay’s self-education journey as an older adult and she gives encouragement for anyone coming to this later in life. You can read Kay’s own thoughts on books and more at KayPelham.com. Join us this spring for our next Literary Life Conference “The Battle Over Children’s Literature” featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian. The live online conference will take place April 7-9, 2022, and you can go to HouseofHumaneLetters.com for more information. Commonplace Quotes:
Mozartby Maurice Baring The sunshine, and the grace of falling rain, Books Mentioned: Creation and Recreation by Northrup Frye If I Were Going: The Alice and Jerry Basic Reader by Mabel O’Donnell My Bookhouse edited by Olive B. Miller Tending the Heart of Virtue by Vigen Guroian The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers The Boys by Ron and Clint Howard 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 29, 2022 |
Episode 126: "The Abolition of Man" by C. S. Lewis, Ch. 3
01:41:31
On today’s episode of The Literary Life, our hosts wrap up their series on The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis. Angelina kicks off today’s conversation about chapter 3 with more exploration and clarification of the concept of “the Tao.” Cindy talks about the importance of respect for the past and how much we have lost by letting go of that. Thomas highlights the fact that so many education theorists were men who never had reared children and the difference that a mother’s experience makes. One of the main themes of this discussion is the state of education and Lewis’ prescient insight into our current cultural climate. Lewis also goes beyond criticizing scientism by laying out his vision for good science. We will be back next week with a “Literary Life of…” interview with a surprise guest. After that we will take a short break for the conference, and return in April with a read along of The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. Join us this spring for our next Literary Life Conference “The Battle Over Children’s Literature” featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian. The live online conference will take place April 7-9, 2022, and you can go to HouseofHumaneLetters.com for more information. Commonplace Quotes:
Who Has Seen the Wind?by Christina Rossetti Who has seen the wind? Neither I nor you: But when the leaves hang trembling, The wind is passing through. Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I: But when the trees bow down their heads, The wind is passing by. Book List:Paradise Lost by John Milton The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 22, 2022 |
Episode 125: “The Abolition of Man” by C. S. Lewis, Ch. 2
01:27:12
On The Literary Life podcast this week, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas continue their series of discussions on The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis. They open the conversation with their commonplace quotes and give us a working definition of debunking. You can also read a fantastic post on debunking from Kelly Cumbee’s blog here. Other topics of this conversation include “the tao,” objective reality, utilitarianism, finding wisdom, and how this book speaks to our current culture. Kelly Cumbee will be teaching a webinar on The Tempest by William Shakespeare this Thursday, March 17, 2022 at 5pm Eastern, so head over to HouseofHumaneLetters.com to register today. Join us this spring for our next Literary Life Conference “The Battle Over Children’s Literature” featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian. The live online conference will take place April 7-9, 2022, and you can go to HouseofHumaneLetters.com for more information. Commonplace Quotes:
Inexpensive Progressby John Betjeman Encase your legs in nylons, Bestride your hills with pylons O age without a soul; Away with gentle willows And all the elmy billows That through your valleys roll. Let's say goodbye to hedges And roads with grassy edges And winding country lanes; Let all things travel faster Where motor car is master Till only Speed remains. Destroy the ancient inn-signs But strew the roads with tin signs 'Keep Left,' 'M4,' 'Keep Out!' Command, instruction, warning, Repetitive adorning The rockeried roundabout; For every raw obscenity Must have its small 'amenity,' Its patch of shaven green, And hoardings look a wonder In banks of floribunda With floodlights in between. Leave no old village standing Which could provide a landing For aeroplanes to roar, But spare such cheap defacements As huts with shattered casements Unlived-in since the war. Let no provincial High Street Which might be your or my street Look as it used to do, But let the chain stores place here Their miles of black glass facia And traffic thunder through. And if there is some scenery, Some unpretentious greenery, Surviving anywhere, It does not need protecting For soon we'll be erecting A Power Station there. When all our roads are lighted By concrete monsters sited Like gallows overhead, Bathed in the yellow vomit Each monster belches from it, We'll know that we are dead. Book List:The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 15, 2022 |
Episode 124: “The Abolition of Man” by C. S. Lewis, Ch. 1
01:46:09
On The Literary Life podcast this week, our hosts begin a much-anticipated series on The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis. Angelina, Thomas, and Cindy share their commonplace quotes to open the discussion, then they give some background on this particular work. They talk about the ideas behind the “new criticism” approach to literature and why it is so problematic. Angelina and Thomas expand on the significance of the concept of the sublime. Cindy shares some thoughts on learning to identify and to produce good writing. Angelina helps us connect Lewis’ points about ordo amoris with our current day dilemmas. Other topics touched on in their conversation are the nature of objective reality, the tripartite soul, the medieval view of Reason, debunking the ideal of honor, and so much more. Join us this spring for our next Literary Life Conference “The Battle Over Children’s Literature” featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian. The live online conference will take place April 7-9, 2022, and you can go to HouseofHumaneLetters.com for more information. Commonplace Quotes:
Duty Surviving Self-Love, The Only Sure Friend Of Declining Life. A Soliloquyby Samuel Taylor Coleridge Unchanged within, to see all changed without, Is a blank lot and hard to bear, no doubt. Yet why at others' Wanings should'st thou fret? Then only might'st thou feel a just regret, Hadst thou withheld thy love or hid thy light In selfish forethought of neglect and slight. O wiselier then, from feeble yearnings freed, While, and on whom, thou may'st--shine on! nor heed Whether the object by reflected light Return thy radiance or absorb it quite: And tho' thou notest from thy safe recess Old Friends burn dim, like lamps in noisome air, Love them for what they are; nor love them less, Because to thee they are not what they were. Book List:The History of England from the Accession of James II by Thomas Macaulay The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis God in the Dock by C. S. Lewis That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 08, 2022 |
Episode 123: In Search of the Austen Adaptation – Emma
01:53:39
Our hosts are back on The Literary Life podcast this week with another fun episode in our series “In Search of the Austen Adaptation.” In this episode, Angelina, Cindy, and Thomas are joined again by Atlee Northmore to discuss the several film versions of Jane Austen’s Emma. To start the conversation, Angelina highlights the challenges of adapting Emma to film. Atlee outlines the major film adaptations of Emma. Then they discuss the ups and downs of the various adaptations, as well as casting, personal favorites and production choices. Join us this spring for our next Literary Life Conference “The Battle Over Children’s Literature” featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian. The live online conference will take place April 7-9, 2022, and you can go to HouseofHumaneLetters.com for more information. Commonplace Quotes:
Selection from “Epistle to a Lady, Of the Characters of Women”by Alexander Pope Say, what can cause such impotence of mind? A Spark too fickle, or a Spouse too kind. Wise wretch! with pleasures too refin’d to please; With too much spirit to be e’er at ease; With too much quickness ever to be taught; With too much thinking to have common thought: You purchase Pain with all that Joy can give, And die of nothing but a rage to live. Book List:Emma by Jane Austen Tending the Heart of Virtue by Vigen Guroian The Educated Imagination by Northrup Frye Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare Preface to Paradise Lost by C. S. Lewis The Common Reader by Virginia Woolf 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Feb 22, 2022 |
Episode 122: The Literary Life of Timilyn Downey
01:32:16
This week on The Literary Life podcast, we are bringing you another Literary Life of interview episode. This week’s guest is Timilyn Downey, and together with hosts Angelina Stanford and Cindy Rollins dig into how Timilyn became a lifelong reader. Timilyn shares about the incredibly literary childhood education that she had without even realizing it at the time. She also tells the story of her trip to London during college, then goes into how she used a literary approach in her teaching career. Timilyn also describes her journey to homeschooling and the role that God’s grace clearly played in where she is now. Join us this spring for our next Literary Life Conference “The Battle Over Children’s Literature” featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian. The live online conference will take place April 7-9, 2022, and you can go to HouseofHumaneLetters.com for more information. Commonplace Quotes:
from “Among School Children”by William Butler Yeats VII Both nuns and mothers worship images, But those the candles light are not as those That animate a mother's reveries, But keep a marble or a bronze repose. And yet they too break hearts—O Presences That passion, piety or affection knows, And that all heavenly glory symbolise— O self-born mockers of man's enterprise; VIII Labour is blossoming or dancing where The body is not bruised to pleasure soul, Nor beauty born out of its own despair, Nor blear-eyed wisdom out of midnight oil. O chestnut tree, great rooted blossomer, Are you the leaf, the blossom or the bole? O body swayed to music, O brightening glance, How can we know the dancer from the dance? Book List:The Rossetti’s in Wonderland by Dinah Roe Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles MacKay Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis Little Britches by Ralph Moody Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery The Arabian Nights by Muhsin Mahdi The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins Morning Time by Cindy Rollins Tending the Heart of Virtue by Vigen Guroian D’Aulaire’s Book of Norse Myths by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Feb 15, 2022 |
Episode 121: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, Acts 4 and 5
01:20:55
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. On February 8th, Angelina will be offering a webinar on Jonathan Swift: Enemy of the Enlightenment. Check it out at HouseofHumaneLetters.com. Join us this spring for our next Literary Life Conference “The Battle Over Children’s Literature” featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian. The live online conference will take place April 7-9, 2022, and you can go to HouseofHumaneLetters.com for more information. Commonplace Quotes:
Earth’s Secretby George Meredith Not solitarily in fields we find Earth's secret open, though one page is there; Her plainest, such as children spell, and share With bird and beast; raised letters for the blind. Not where the troubled passions toss the mind, In turbid cities, can the key be bare. It hangs for those who hither thither fare, Close interthreading nature with our kind. They, hearing History speak, of what men were, And have become, are wise. The gain is great In vision and solidity; it lives. Yet at a thought of life apart from her, Solidity and vision lose their state, For Earth, that gives the milk, the spirit gives. Book List:Fossett’s Memory by Christopher Hollis A Dish of Orts by George MacDonald A Preface to Paradise Lost by C. S. Lewis The Meaning of Shakespeare by Harold Goddard 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Feb 08, 2022 |
Episode 120: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III
01:12:43
Today on The Literary Life podcast, we continue our series on 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. On February 8th, Angelina will be offering a webinar on Jonathan Swift: Enemy of the Enlightenment. Check it out at HouseofHumaneLetters.com. Join us this spring for our next Literary Life Conference “The Battle Over Children’s Literature” featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian. The live online conference will take place April 7-9, 2022, and you can go to HouseofHumaneLetters.com for more information. Commonplace Quotes:
A Dreamby William Blake Once a dream did weave a shade O'er my angel-guarded bed, That an emmet lost its way Where on grass methought I lay. Troubled, wildered, and forlorn, Dark, benighted, travel-worn, Over many a tangle spray, All heart-broke, I heard her say: "Oh my children! do they cry, Do they hear their father sigh? Now they look abroad to see, Now return and weep for me." Pitying, I dropped a tear: But I saw a glow-worm near, Who replied, "What wailing wight Calls the watchman of the night? "I am set to light the ground, While the beetle goes his round: Follow now the beetle's hum; Little wanderer, hie thee home!" Book List:Of Other Worlds by C. S. Lewis The Educated Imagination by Northrop Frye The Elizabethan World Picture by E. M. Tillyard The Meaning of Shakespeare by Harold Goddard The Golden Ass by Apuleius 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Feb 01, 2022 |
Episode 119: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Acts I and II
01:31:38
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast and our 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. In February Angelina will be offering a webinar on Jonathan Swift: Enemy of the Enlightenment. Check it out at HouseofHumaneLetters.com. Join us this spring for our next Literary Life Conference “The Battle Over Children’s Literature” featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian. The live online conference will take place April 7-9, 2022, and you can go to HouseofHumaneLetters.com for more information. Commonplace Quotes:
Advice to Loversby Robert Graves I knew an old man at a Fair Who made it his twice-yearly task To clamber on a cider cask And cry to all the yokels there:-- "Lovers to-day and for all time Preserve the meaning of my rhyme: Love is not kindly nor yet grim But does to you as you to him. "Whistle, and Love will come to you, Hiss, and he fades without a word, Do wrong, and he great wrong will do, Speak, he retells what he has heard. "Then all you lovers have good heed Vex not young Love in word or deed: Love never leaves an unpaid debt, He will not pardon nor forget." The old man's voice was sweet yet loud And this shows what a man was he, He'd scatter apples to the crowd And give great draughts of cider, free. Book List:“Battle of the Books” by Jonathan Swift Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton The Meaning of Shakespeare by Harold Goddard The Elizabethan World Picture by E. M. Tillyard Mansfield Park by Jane Austen 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jan 25, 2022 |
Episode 118: An Intro to Shakespeare and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
01:19:44
Welcome to this new season of The Literary Life podcast! 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. Also, if you would like to join the free live read-along over at HouseofHumaneLetters.com. Join us this spring for our next Literary Life Conference “The Battle Over Children’s Literature” featuring special guest speaker Vigen Guroian. The live online conference will take place April 7-9, 2022, and you can go to HouseofHumaneLetters.com for more information. Commonplace Quotes:
Unwisdomby Siegfried Sassoon To see with different eyes From every day, And find in dream disguise Worlds far away— To walk in childhood's land With trusting looks, And oldly understand Youth's fairy-books— Thus our unwisdom brings Release which hears The bird that sings In groves beyond the years. Book List:“The Practice of Biography” by Harold Nicolson The Modern Century by Northrop Frye An Essay on Shakespeare’s Relation to Tradition by Janet Spens Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb Stage Fright on a Summer Night by Mary Pope Osborne Leon Garfield’s Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield Stories from Shakespeare by Marchette Chute Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare by Isaac Asimov The Meaning of Shakespeare by Harold Goddard The Elizabethan World Picture by E. M. Tillyard Shakespeare’s Problem Plays by E. M. Tillyard Shakespeare’s Early Comedies by E. M. Tillyard Shakespeare’s History Plays by E. M. Tillyard Great Stage of Fools by Peter Leithardt 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jan 18, 2022 |
Episode 117: Our 2021 Literary Life Reading Wrap-up
01:24:48
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life podcast, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas share a wrap up of their year in reading–their favorite books of the year, their most hated books read in 2021, and how they each did with covering the categories of the #LitLife192021 Reading Challenge. They also talk a little about how they will be approaching their reading for next year. Download the Two for ’22 adult reading challenge PDF here, and the kids’ reading challenge PDF here. The Literary Life Commonplace Books published by Blue Sky Daisies are back with new covers for 2022! Also, check out the Christmas sale at HouseofHumaneLetters.com! Coming up on The Literary Life podcast in the new year, we have Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream coming up in January and after that, Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis. Then we will be reading The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim and Charles Dickens’ Hard Times later in the year. Our children’s classic novel this year will be The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Commonplace Quotes:
The Poetry of Shakespeareby George Meredith Picture some Isle smiling green ‘mid the white-foaming ocean; – Book List:Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah by Cindy Rollins The Educated Imagination by Northrup Frye Faith, Hope, and Poetry by Malcolm Guite David’s Crown by Malcolm Guite Savior of the World by Charlotte Mason The Mirror Cracked from Side to Side by Agatha Christie Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy Hiking Through by Paul Stutzman A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson Wintering by Katherine May The Narnian by Alan Jacobs In the Year of Our Lord 1943 by Alan Jacobs Assignment in Brittany by Helen Macinnes Look Back with Love by Dodie Smith The Go-Between by L. P. Hartley The Atonement by Ian McEwan Letters by a Young Contrarian by Christopher Hitchens Ann Veronica by H. G. Wells The Everlasting Man by G. K. Chesterton Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell The Odd Women by George Gissing Excellent Women by Barbara Pym If Walls Could Talk by Lucy Worsley Corsets and Codpieces by Karen Bowman *The Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall (not recommended) *Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics by Stephen Greenblatt (not recommended) MacBeth by William Shakespeare As the Indians Left It by Robert Sparks Walker Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset Lady Susan by Jane Austen Tolkien and the Great War by John Garth A Hobbit, A Wardrobe and A World War by Joseph Laconte Piranesi by Susanna Clarke The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham Mythos by Stephen Fry Nina Balatka by Anthony Trollope Christmas at Thompson Hall by Anthony Trollope 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Dec 14, 2021 |
Episode 116: The “Two for ’22” Literary Life Reading Challenge
01:10:43
“Two for ’22” Literary Life Reading Challenge! This coming year Angelina, Cindy and Thomas are challenging us to read books in 11 categories, but choose 2 books in each category, with a bit of a twist. In today’s episode they briefly go over each category and give a few examples of books would fit into those categories. They also take us through the Kids’ “Two for ’22” Reading Challenge topics. Next time we will be back with a wrap-up episode for our 19 for 2022 Reading Challenge. The Literary Life Commonplace Books published by Blue Sky Daisies are back with new covers for 2022! Coming up on The Literary Life podcast in the new year, we have Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dreamcoming up in January and after that, Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis. Then we will be reading The Enchanted Aprilby Elizabeth von Arnim and Charles Dickens’ Hard Times later in the year. Our children’s classic novel this year will be The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Commonplace Quotes:
There is No Frigate Like a Bookby Emily Dickinson There is no Frigate like a Book Book List:Faith, Hope and Poetry by Malcolm Guite The Allegory of the Faerie Queene by Pauline Parker Hard Times by Charles Dickens Cranford by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell The Splendid Century by W. H. Lewis The Fellowship by Philip and Carol Zaleski Bandersnatch by Diana Pavlac Goyer Tolkein and The Great War by John Garth A Hobbit, a Wardrobe and a Great War by Joseph Loconte The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin Elizabeth and Essex by Lytton Strachey Elizabeth the Great by Elizabeth Jenkins The Daughter of Time by Josephine They Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë J. K. Rowling/Roberth Galbraith A Collection of Essays by George Orwell Essays of G. K. Chesterton by G. K. Chesterton In a Cardboard Belt! by Joseph Epstein The Wonder Book for Boys and Girls by Nathaniel Hawthorne Bill Peet: An Autobiography by Bill Peet Kingfisher Book of Russian Tales by James Mayhew The Cooper Kids Adventure Series by Frank Peretti Harriet the Spy Series by Louise Fitzhugh 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Dec 07, 2021 |
Episode 115: In Search of the Austen Adaptation – Pride and Prejudice
02:11:03
This week on The Literary Life podcast we have a fun episode for you to kick off a fun series of episodes that will come up from time to time, “In Search of the Austen Adaptation.” This week our hosts Angelina, Cindy and Thomas are joined by Atlee Northmore, and together they are debating which film version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is the best. Atlee shares some of the history of the Pride and Prejudice adaptations that were made for TV and film. Angelina highlights different ideas of what makes a good film adaptation of a book. Cindy brings up the importance of the casting, and Angelina talks about why she still feels like no film has gotten Mr. Darcy right. She also talks about the difficulty of embodying the virtues that Jane Austen gives her characters. Our hosts critique each major movies from over the decades, sharing what they like and dislike about each one. Click here to download the PDF Atlee created for all the Pride and Prejudice film adaptations. Commonplace Quotes:
False Though She Beby William Congreve FALSE though she be to me and love, I'll ne'er pursue revenge; For still the charmer I approve, Though I deplore her change. In hours of bliss we oft have met: They could not always last; And though the present I regret, I'm grateful for the past. Book List:The Common Reader by Virginia Woolf 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Nov 30, 2021 |
Episode 114: The Literary Life of Dr. Carolyn Weber
01:26:47
This week on The Literary Life podcast, we are excited to bring you a much anticipated interview with Dr. Carolyn Weber, author of the popular memoir, Surprised by Oxford. She is also currently a professor at New College Franklin. To keep up with Carolyn, visit carolynweber.com or follow her on Facebook. Angelina and Cindy kick off the conversation by asking Carolyn about her childhood and how she came to love reading. They talk about her experience in school education and whether that differed from her personal reading life. Carolyn talks about her love of teaching and her immersive literary education experience at Oxford. She also expands on the way that reading the Bible for the first time opened her eyes to so many more of the truths in the literature she had read. Commonplace Quotes:
Batter my heart, three-person’d Godby John Donne Batter my heart, three-person'd God, for you As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend; That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new. I, like an usurp'd town to another due, Labor to admit you, but oh, to no end; Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend, But is captiv'd, and proves weak or untrue. Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov'd fain, But am betroth'd unto your enemy; Divorce me, untie or break that knot again, Take me to you, imprison me, for I, Except you enthrall me, never shall be free, Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me. Book List:Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber Holy Is the Day by Carolyn Weber The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayers Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv Mousekins books by Edna Miller Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell Paradise Lost by John Milton The Crosswicks Journals by Madeleine L’Engle Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Number the Stars by Lois Lowry The Giver by Lois Lowry The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass by Adrian Plass A Small Cup of Light by Ben Palpant Letters from the Mountain by Ben Palpant Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon Come Away, My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Nov 23, 2021 |
Episode 113: “Mansfield Park” by Jane Austen, Vol. 3, Ch. 9-17
01:35:08
Welcome to the final episode in our series covering Mansfield Park by Jane Austen here on The Literary Life podcast. Angelina, Cindy and Thomas dive right into the book chat today in order to cover as much as possible as they wrap up Fanny Price’s story. Angelina brings out the parallels to Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queene. Cindy talks about how Julia and Maria’s upbringing is instructive for parents. Another topic is how, in a way, the characters continue their roles from “Lover’s Vows” in real life unless they repent. Our hosts also highlight Fanny’s journey toward finding a home throughout this story. Get in on the Western Films and Fiction webinar on November 22nd with Thomas and James Banks! Register here to join in! Also, check out the House of Humane Letters newsletter to get in on the read-a-long of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. To view the schedule for upcoming episodes, see our Upcoming Events page. Also, if you want to join our members-only forum off Facebook, check out our Patreon page to learn more! Commonplace Quotes:
Amoretti Sonnet XXIIby Edmund Spenser This holy season, fit to fast and pray, Men to devotion ought to be inclin'd: Therefore I likewise on so holy day, For my sweet saint some service fit will find. Her temple fair is built within my mind, In which her glorious image placed is, On which my thoughts do day and night attend, Like sacred priests that never think amiss. There I to her as th' author of my bliss, Will build an altar to appease her ire: And on the same my heart will sacrifice, Burning in flames of pure and chaste desire: The which vouchsafe, O goddess, to accept, Amongst thy dearest relics to be kept. Book List:Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah by Cindy Rollins The Risk of Education by Luigi Giussani Beauty for Truth’s Sake by Stratford Caldecott Daylight and Champaign by G. M. Young A Preface to the Faerie Queene by Graham Hough Ourselves by Charlotte Mason Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Nov 16, 2021 |
Episode 112: “Mansfield Park” by Jane Austen, Vol. 3, Ch. 1-8
01:22:45
Welcome back for another installment in our series covering Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. Angelina, Cindy and Thomas share their commonplace quotes which leads them into discussing Fanny’s character in contrast to the heroine of a gothic novel. They talk about what makes a good marriage in the Regency period and Jane Austen’s own personal life, as well as the contrast between the household of Sir Thomas compared to Fanny’s own family home. Get in on the Western Films and Fiction webinar on November 22nd with Thomas and James Banks! Register here to join in! Also, check out the House of Humane Letters newsletter to stay in the know about our upcoming read-a-long of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. To view the schedule for the episodes in this series, see our Upcoming Events page. Also, if you want to join our members-only forum off Facebook, check out our Patreon page to learn more! Commonplace Quotes:
Something Nasty in the Bookshopby Kingsley Amis Between the Gardening and the Cookery Book List:Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah by Cindy Rollins That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis Pamela by Samuel Richardson David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Jane Austen by Peter Leithart 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Nov 09, 2021 |
Episode 111: “Mansfield Park” by Jane Austen, Vol. 2, Ch. 6-13
01:16:07
On The Literary Life Podcast this week, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas are back to discuss the next several chapters of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. They pick back up with the continuation of the Cinderella theme in these chapters, and much of the conversation centers around the Crawfords and their ambitions and schemes. Once again, Fanny is demonstrated to be the embodiment of temperance. Get in on the Western Films and Fiction webinar on November 22nd with Thomas and James Banks! Register here to join in! To view the schedule for the episodes in this series, see our Upcoming Events page. Also, if you want to join our members-only forum off Facebook, check out our Patreon page to learn more! Commonplace Quotes:
Sly Thoughtsby Coventry Patmore “I saw him kiss your cheek!”—“T’is true.” Book List:Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah by Cindy Rollins After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man by Michael Ward That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Nov 02, 2021 |
Episode 110: “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe
01:37:14
On this special Halloween episode of The Literary Life, Angelina (Harriet Vane), Cindy (Professor MacGonagall), and Thomas (Lord Peter Wimsey), talk about Edgar Allan Poe’s tale, “The Masque of the Red Death.” If you are a Patron, you can watch this episode and see our hosts in their costumes as they discuss the story! Angelina begins the chat with a little background on Edgar Allan Poe and his thoughts on the imagination and why he wrote the way he did, as well as connections with Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Thomas points out the connection between this story and Boccaccio’s Decameron. Highlights of the discussion include Poe’s use of medieval motifs, the imagery and symbolism in Poe’s writing, the modern person’s avoidance of considering death, and Poe’s idea of life as a play within a play. Get in on the Western Films and Fiction webinar on November 22nd with Thomas and James Banks! Register here to join in! Next week we will continue our series on Mansfield Park. To view the schedule for the episodes in the series, see our Upcoming Events page. Also, if you want to join our members-only forum off Facebook, check out our Patreon page to learn more! Commonplace Quotes:
Sonnet – To Scienceby Edgar Allan Poe Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art! Source: The Complete Poems and Stories of Edgar Allan Poe (1946) Book List:Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe God in the Dock by C. S. Lewis Maxims and Reflections by François de La Rochefoucauld “The Philosophy of Composition” by Edgar Allan Poe The Murders in the Rue Morge by Edgar Allan Poe The Decameron by Giovanni Boccacio Comus by John Milton The Tempest by William Shakespeare The Castle of Utronto by Horace Walpole Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen Oxford Book of English Verse ed. by Arthur Quiller-Couch Hamlet by William Shakespeare 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Oct 26, 2021 |
Episode 109: “Mansfield Park” by Jane Austen, Vol. 2, Ch. 1-5
01:37:43
On The Literary Life Podcast this week, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas are continuing their series on Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. This is the third episode in the series. They open their discussion talking about the virtue of temperance and how Fanny Price embodies temperance. In looking at the plot and the reaction of various characters to Sir Thomas’ return, they bring out more of Fanny’s virtues in contrast to the vices of other players in this section. Other themes highlighted in this section are the harp as a symbol of harmony, the problem of self-focus, the qualities of nature, and the Cinderella story parallels Austen is playing with. Get in on the Western Films and Fiction webinar on November 22nd with Thomas and James Banks! Register here to join in! To view the schedule for the episodes in this series, see our Upcoming Events page. Also, if you want to join our members-only forum off Facebook, check out our Patreon page to learn more! Commonplace Quotes:
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Timeby Robert Herrick Gather ye rose-buds while ye may, The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, That age is best which is the first, Then be not coy, but use your time, Book List:Lord Clarendon’s History of the Great Rebellion by Edward Hyde Ourselves by Charlotte Mason A Preface to the Faerie Queene by Graham Hough “Tintern Abbey” by William Wordsworth Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Oct 19, 2021 |
Episode 108: “Mansfield Park” by Jane Austen, Vol. 1, Ch. 10-18
01:26:06
Today on The Literary Life, we continue our conversation on Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. Angelina, Cindy and Thomas share their commonplace quotes, then dive into the book chat, beginning with some commentary on Fanny’s education in contrast to that of the Bertram sisters. They also talk about the concepts of restraint, temptation, and boundaries and how we see these ideas play out in the various characters. Angelina points out how Fanny is the fixed moral center throughout this whole section. She also talks about the play within the novel and how Austen’s use of this form reflects Shakespeare. We hope that the discussion opens up new levels of understanding for you as you read this novel along with us! To view the schedule for the episodes in this series, see our Upcoming Events page. Also, if you want to join our members-only forum off Facebook, check out our Patreon page to learn more! Listen to The Literary Life:Commonplace Quotes:
Sonnet 23by William Shakespeare As an unperfect actor on the stage Book List:Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Oct 12, 2021 |
Episode 107: “Mansfield Park” by Jane Austen, Vol. 1, Ch. 1-9
01:28:44
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks. Today our hosts embark on a new series of discussions as we read through Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park together. To view the schedule for the episodes in this series, see our Upcoming Events page. Our hosts open the conversation with their first experience with this book and some thoughts on why people may struggle with Mansfield Park more than any other Austen novel. Angelina highlights the similarities some people note between Austen and Shakespeare and how this book illustrates that point. Thomas responds to criticisms that Fanny is a “prig.” Cindy brings up the importance of place in this book thematically. Other ideas they discuss in this episode are moving from blindness to sight, the importance of triangles in this book, and appearances versus reality. Commonplace Quotes:
Fairy-tale Logicby A. E. Stallings Fairy tales are full of impossible tasks: You have to fight magic with magic. You have to believe As printed in Poetry Magazine, March 2010 Book List:Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Oct 05, 2021 |
Episode 106: “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” Part 2
01:10:31
This week on The Literary Life Podcast, our hosts are continuing their 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 here. 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. Be sure to check out Thomas’ class on The French Revolution and other fall webinars at House of Humane Letters. Don’t forget to check out our sister podcast, The Well Read Poem, as well as Cindy’s new podcast, The New Mason Jar! We will be back here on The Literary Life in two weeks with our first in a series of episodes on Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. Commonplace Quotes:
The Land of Nodby Robert Louis Stevenson From breakfast on through all the day All by myself I have to go, The strangest things are there for me, Try as I like to find the way, Book List:Ourselves by Charlotte Mason The Educated Imagination by Northrup Frye Frankenstein by Mary Shelley The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Paradise Lost by John Milton Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte The Picture of Dorian Gray 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Sep 14, 2021 |
Episode 105: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by R. L. Stevenson, Part 1
01:17:28
Welcome to today’s episode of 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. Join us again next week for the second part of this discussion. The fall schedule for the podcast will be posted soon on our Upcoming Events page for those who 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:
R L Sby A. E. Houseman Home is the sailor, home from sea: ‘Tis evening on the moorland free, Book List:The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell Daylight and Champaign by G. M. Young “Books Which Have Influenced Me” by Robert Louis Stevenson David Balfour by Robert Louis Stevenson Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Silverado Squatters by Robert Louis Stevenson Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes by Robert Louis Stevenson King Solomon’s Mines by H. Ryder Haggard The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Robert Louis Stevenson by G. K. Chesterton God in the Dock by C. S. Lewis Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The Body Snatcher and Other Stories by Robert Louis Stevenson 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Sep 07, 2021 |
Episode 104: Witches, Wizards, and Magic, Oh My!!
01:18:33
Welcome to this week’s episode of The Literary Life Podcast! Today our hosts Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks tackle the tough questions so many people ask about reading stories dealing with magic. First off, Angelina affirms the need to discernment and the desire to steer clear of that which would be a stumbling block for our children. Cindy shares a little about her own concern when her children were very young. Then they set the groundwork by defining some terms and considering the kinds of questions we need to ask, beginning with Scripture and the church fathers. Be sure to listen to the end when Angelina, Cindy and Thomas suggest some criteria for evaluating magic elements in books before handing them to their students. Come back next week when we will explore Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. 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:
The Queen Mab Speechby William Shakespeare O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you. Book List:Memoirs of My Life by Edward Gibbon Faith, Hope, and Poetry by Malcolm Guite Wings and the Child by Edith Nesbit 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Aug 31, 2021 |
Episode 103: “The Rocking Horse Winner” by D. H. Lawrence
01:13:52
We are back this week on The Literary Life with the final another episode in our 2021 Summer Short Story series, a discussion of D. H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking Horse Winner.” After sharing their commonplace quotes, Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks begin the literary chat with some background information on the writer D. H. Lawrence. Cindy talks about her reaction to this story and the running thread of bitterness underlying throughout. Angelina highlights the significance of the cultural climate of the 1920s in this story. As the story unfolds, we see magical and fairy tale elements, as well as some significant symbols, including the rocking horse. Come back next week for an important episode on magic in literature and how to approach books with magical elements. Following that, we will explore Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. 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:
The Wooden Horse of Mythby Oscar Williams The wooden horse of myth stands on the air arching a traitorous neck on roofed mankind: the clocks are eyeballs round with mock despair hunting in sanguine skylines of the mind: and cherub faces fluttering in position, dolls tethered by the nerves behind the curtain and soldiers draped about the foiled ignition portend an end momentously uncertain. Meanwhile the white-haired meadows of the sea sing in the fixtures of the music box: the crowning glory of the verb to be marches its fields of fire among the rocks-- while tides of flowers topple from the blood and horseless hills affirm their mountainhood. Book List:Studies in Classic American Literature by D. H. Lawrence The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence (not recommended) Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Aug 24, 2021 |
Episode 102: The Literary Life of Atlee Northmore
01:20:25
On The Literary Life podcast this week, Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks are chatting with their indispensable assistant, Atlee Northmore, about his literary life. Atlee shares what it was like for him growing up in a family that supported reading and kept books around at all time. He talks about his school years and both his positive and negative memories of reading for school. Talking about college, Atlee tells about wanting to be a film maker and his experience studying writing screen plays. He shares how college and life circumstances temporarily dampened his love for story, but taking classes with Angelina and listening to the podcast has brought it all back. Also, if you are listening to this episode on the day it drops, you are not too late to sign up and join our 2021 Back to School online conference with special guest James Daniels! Get all the info and register at morningtimeformoms.com! On August 5th, Cindy Rollins’ New Mason Jar podcast will be officially launching, so head over to thenewmasonjar.com to learn more and subscribe! Commonplace Quotes:
Inventoryby Dorothy Parker Four be the things I am wiser to know: Four be the things I’d been better without: Three be the things I shall never attain: Three be the things I shall have till I die: Book List:Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene The Way of Ignorance by Wendell Berry A Series of Unfortunate Events Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson Notting Hill by Richard Curtis How to Read the Bible at Literature by Leland Ryken Dune by Frank Herbert Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Aug 03, 2021 |
Episode 101: “Reunion” by Fred Uhlman
01:43:34
Welcome back to this week’s episode of The Literary Life and our discussion of Fred Uhlman’s novella “Reunion.” After they finished sharing their commonplace quotes, Cindy shares how she came across this novella and why she wanted to discuss it on the podcast. Thomas talks about the historical backdrop of the book as well as a little biographical info about the Uhlman. Angelina points out how much this story drove home the point of how assimilated the Jewish people were into European society and culture. They talk about the friendship between Hans and Konradin and their common taste in great literature. Other topics discussed were the unreality of what was happening in Germany, personal loyalty versus political loyalty, the dilemma of understanding pre-World War II Germany, and the power of a faithful life. Join us back here next week for an episode on The Literary Life of Atlee Northmore! We are excited to announce our third annual Literary Life Back to School Online Conference! This year’s theme is Awakening: The Pursuit of True Education, and our featured guest speaker is James Daniels. The conference will take place on August 4-7, 2021, and you can learn more and register at morningtimeformoms.com. Cindy also has some exciting announcements, including the debut of the new expanded edition of her book Morning Time: A Liturgy of Love, is now available! AND she is starting a new Charlotte Mason podcast called The New Mason Jar, set to begin airing on August 5, 2021! Commonplace Quotes:
Sonnet 104by William Shakespeare To me, fair friend, you never can be old, Book List:Reunion by Fred Uhlman Ourselves by Charlotte Mason Possession by A. S. Byatt The Children’s Book by A. S. Byatt Paris, 1919 by Margaret MacMillan Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke (not recommended) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jul 27, 2021 |
Celebrating Episode 100: Live Q&A with Patrons
01:34:40
Today’s episode of The Literary Life podcast is in celebration of our 100th episode! Our host held a LIVE Q&A session in the Patreon group, fielding questions from patrons and social media followers alike. Questions range from topics such as what has surprised them about their reading lives this year, to what writing projects they have going on behind the scenes, to literary landmarks and so much more! Thank you to all our listeners and supporters for making this journey possible and for just listening every week. We appreciate each and every one of you! Join us again next week for our discussion of Frank Uhlman’s short story “Reunion.” We are excited to announce our third annual Literary Life Back to School Online Conference! This year’s theme is Awakening: The Pursuit of True Education, and our featured guest speaker is James Daniels. The conference will take place on August 4-7, 2021, and you can learn more and register at morningtimeformoms.com. Cindy also has some exciting announcements, including the debut of the new expanded edition of her book Morning Time: A Liturgy of Love, is now available! AND she is starting a new Charlotte Mason podcast called The New Mason Jar, set to begin airing on August 5, 2021! Listen to The Literary Life:Commonplace Quotes:
Imaginationby John Davidson There is a dish to hold the sea, Its flame can mingle north and south; Imagination, new and strange Book List:God in the Dock by C. S. Lewis Live Not By Lies by Rod Dreher Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Religio Medici and Urne-Buriall by Sir Thomas Browne The American Way of Death by Jessica Mitford To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom Trusting God by Jerry Bridges Between Walden and the Whirlwind by Jean Fleming The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes by Ken Meyers King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jul 20, 2021 |
Episode 99: “The Machine Stops” by E. M. Forster
01:22:20
This week on The Literary Life, we bring you another episode in our 2021 Summer Short Story series. This week 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. On July 15, 2021, we will be celebrating our 100th episode hosting a LIVE Q&A episode in our Patreon group, and you can ask questions in our Facebook group with hashtag #litlife100. The recording will air on July 20th. We are excited to announce our third annual Literary Life Back to School Online Conference! This year’s theme is Awakening: The Pursuit of True Education, and our featured guest speaker is James Daniels. The conference will take place on August 4-7, 2021, and you can learn more and register at morningtimeformoms.com. Cindy also has some exciting announcements, including the debut of the new expanded edition of her book Morning Time: A Liturgy of Love, is now available! AND she is starting a new Charlotte Mason podcast called The New Mason Jar, set to begin airing on August 5, 2021! Listen to The Literary Life:
Commonplace Quotes:
from “The Hollow Men”by T. S. Eliot This is the dead land The eyes are not here 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 Orwell 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jul 13, 2021 |
Episode 98: “How Much Land Does a Man Need” by Leo Tolstoy
01:29:17
This week on The Literary Life, we bring you our first Summer Short Story episode covering “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” by Leo Tolstoy. To start off the discussion of this short story, Thomas gives us some background to help answer Angelina’s question about why this story seems so very different from other Tolstoy works. Angelina shares how to approach this story like a parable. Cindy brings up the question of the difference between ambition and vocation in terms of contentment. On July 15, 2021, we will be celebrating our 100th episode hosting a LIVE Q&A episode in our Patreon group, and you can ask questions in our Facebook group with hashtag #litlife100. The recording will air on July 20th. We are excited to announce our third annual Literary Life Back to School Online Conference! This year’s theme is Awakening: The Pursuit of True Education, and our featured guest speaker is James Daniels. The conference will take place on August 4-7, 2021, and you can learn more and register at morningtimeformoms.com. Cindy also has some exciting announcements, including the debut of the new expanded edition of her book Morning Time: A Liturgy of Love, which will be available in early July. AND she is starting a new Charlotte Mason podcast called The New Mason Jar, set to drop on August 5, 2021! Listen to The Literary Life:Commonplace Quotes:
Earth’s Eternityby John Clare Man, Earth’s poor shadow! talks of Earth’s decay: Book List:Ourselves by Charlotte Mason Book of Virtues ed. by William Bennett Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jul 06, 2021 |
Season 3, Episode 97: Antigone by Sophocles, Part 2
01:37:27
Welcome back to the Literary Life Podcast and our series on Sophocles’ Greek drama Antigone. Thomas starts out the conversation setting up the background circumstances for this play. He talks about the different roles the main characters play in relation to each other. Angelina and Cindy share some parallels they see between Sophoclean and Shakespearean characters and dialogue. They look closely at Creon’s flaws and his interaction with his son, as well as his ultimate downfall. Be sure to come back next week for our first Summer Short Story episode on “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” by Leo Tolstoy. We are excited to announce our third annual Literary Life Back to School Online Conference! This year’s title is Awakening: The Pursuit of True Education, and our featured guest speaker is James Daniels. The conference will take place on August 4-7, 2021, and you can learn more and register at morningtimeformoms.com. We also will be celebrating our 100th episode hosting a LIVE Q&A episode in our Patreon group, and you can ask questions in our facebook group with hashtag #litlife100. Commonplace Quotes:
A Dirgeby Christina Rossetti Why were you born when the snow was falling? Why did you die when the lambs were cropping? Book List:The Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus The Three Theban Plays by Sophocles 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jun 29, 2021 |
Episode 96: Introduction to Antigone
01:11:22
Welcome to the first episode in our series on Sophocles’ Greek drama Antigone. After sharing a little about their background with this play, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas talk about the overall structure and the conventions of Greek Drama and Greek Tragedy. Thomas also gives an overview of the type of characters to expect in Greek Tragedy, and he highlights the ways in which Sophocles changed Greek Drama. Angelina explains the ideas of unity of time, unity of place, and unity of plot as presented by Aristotle. Thomas also summarizes the myth on which this play is based, talks about Creon’s character, and expands on some of the tensions present in Antigone. Commonplace Quotes:
A Scot to Jeanne D’Arcby Andrew Lang DARK Lily without blame, Once only didst thou see, Book List:Ideas Freely Sown by Anne White The Thirteen Travellers by Hugh Walpole The Sea Tower by Hugh Walpole A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis The Oresteia by Aeschylus The Three Theban Plays by Sophocles Mythology by Edith Hamilton The Poetics by Aristotle Trojan Women by Euripides The Bacchae by Euripides 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jun 22, 2021 |
Episode 95: An Introduction to Edmund Spenser with Kelly Cumbee
01:23:19
This week, your Literary Life podcast hosts, Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks are happy to be joined by Kelly Cumbee to talk about Edmund Spenser. They begin the conversation with Kelly giving a little biographical information on Spenser. Kelly shares how she came to read The Faerie Queene with her own children and for her education, then fell in love with it herself. Angelina talks about Spenser's style of writing and his vision for creating a medieval feel in his work. Kelly gives us a brief synopsis of the general outline of The Faerie Queene and the virtues that are the focus of each book. Some other topics they discuss are the courtly love tradition, the harmony between the court and the country, the journey of the soul pictured in the quest stories, and the levels of reading that may be applied to The Faerie Queene. Cindy is hosting a new summer discipleship course for moms this year, so head over to morningtimeformoms.com for more info and to sign up! Thomas and Angelina also have some great summer classes coming up, and you can check those out at houseofhumaneletters.com. You can find Kelly Cumbee on her blog at Landscape Plotted and Pieced. Commonplace Quotes:
Amoretti LXXV: One Day I Wrote her Nameby Edmund Spenser One day I wrote her name upon the strand, Book List:The Shepheard’s Calendar by Edmund Spenser St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges and Trina Schart Hyman Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves by Edmund Spenser and Roy Maynard The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser, ed. by A. C. Hamilton The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser, Penguin edition Orlando Furioso by Lodovico Ariosto The Aeneid by Virgil The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis The Allegory of Love by C. S. Lewis The Last Romantics by Graham Hough A Book of Emblems by Andrea Alciati Stories from The Faerie Queene by Jenny Lang Stories from The Faerie Queene by Mary Macleod Hackett Classics Faerie Queene Collection Amoretti by Edmund Spenser 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
May 25, 2021 |
Episode 94: “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, Part 3
01:35:13
On The Literary Life podcast today, our hosts wrap up their series on Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Angelina, Cindy and Thomas open the discussion with some commentary on the wickedness in the heart of every human and the cost of courage to stand against the crowd. They examine Beatty’s character and why he might have wanted to die. Angelina brings up the way in which Montag’s courage convicts Faber of his own cowardice. They also talk about the detrimental effects of pleasure-seeking being the driving goal of people’s existence. Other topics of discussion include the images of death and rebirth, the importance of remembrance, and having humility instead of hubris. Cindy is hosting a new summer discipleship course for moms this year, so head over to morningtimeformoms.com for more info and to sign up! Thomas and Angelina also have some great summer classes coming up, and you can check those out at houseofhumaneletters.com. Previous episodes you may want to check out if you are new The Literary Life: An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis (Episodes 20-23) and “Are Women Human” by Dorothy L. Sayers (Episode 9). Commonplace Quotes:
from “Four Quartets”by T. S. Elliot The dove descending breaks the air Who then devised the torment? Love. Book List:Selected Literary Essays by C. S. Lewis An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis 1984 by George Orwell Animal Farm by George Orwell A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess Lord of the Flies by William Golding 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
May 18, 2021 |
Episode 93: “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, Part 2
01:29:01
This week on The Literary Life podcast, our hosts continue with the second part of their series on Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. After sharing their commonplace quotes, Angelina, Thomas, and Cindy dive into the topics at hand, including but not limited to the following: Clarisse’s role as a Beatrice character, the gift of inspiration versus the gift of interpretation in art, living in an age of distraction, the passing down of cultural memory, and leisure as the basis of education. Cindy is hosting a new summer discipleship course for moms this year, so head over to morningtimeformoms.com for more info and to sign up! Thomas and Angelina also have some great summer classes coming up, and you can check those out at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
Dover Beachby Matthew Arnold The sea is calm tonight. Sophocles long ago The Sea of Faith Ah, love, let us be true Book List:Cavalier and Puritan by J. D. Mackie The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner The Divine Comedy by Dante Leisure: the Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper Range by David Epstein 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
May 11, 2021 |
Episode 92: "Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, Part 1
01:39:04
Welcome to another episode of The Literary Life podcast with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks! This week our hosts open a new series on Ray Bradbury’s well-known novel Fahrenheit 451. They talk about the form of the dystopian novel and why it is such a popular form in the modern world. Angelina shares some background on the form, as well as some of the foremost authors and books in this genre. Then they dive into the text, starting with the images of the hearth and the salamander. Looking at the world Bradbury has created, they take note of some of the major ideas and discuss any similarities to our current culture seen in these first several chapters. Cindy is hosting a new summer discipleship course for moms this year, so head over to morningtimeformoms.com for more info and to sign up! Thomas and Angelina also have some great summer classes coming up, and you can check those out at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
from “The Burning of the Leaves”by Laurence Binyon Now is the time for the burning of the leaves. The last hollyhock’s fallen tower is dust; Now is the time for stripping the spirit bare, Book List:A Dish or Orts by George MacDonald Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman Stardust by Neil Gaiman The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman 1984 by George Orwell Animal Farm by George Orwell Brave New World by Aldous Huxley That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis Utopia by Thomas More Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift Frankenstein by Mary Shelley The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson “The Machine Stops” by E. M. Forster The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
May 04, 2021 |
Episode 91: "The Death of Ivan Ilyich," Part 2
01:51:49
This week on The Literary Life podcast, our hosts continue their discussion of The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy. After sharing some commentary on their commonplace quotes for the week, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas talk about the things that stood out to them as they read the second half of The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Some of the ideas they share are the following: the commonality of being ordinary, the responses people have to terminal illness, the one person who gives Ilyich comfort, and the humiliation of death. Angelina highlights the Orthodox metaphors and Christian imagery that are so prevalent in the end of this story. Cindy is hosting a new summer discipleship course for moms this year, so head over to morningtimeformoms.com for more info and to sign up! Thomas and Angelina also have some great summer classes coming up, and you can check those out at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
O Child Beside the Waterfallby George Barker O Child beside the Waterfall O Child beside the Waterfall O Child beside the Waterfall Book List:The Life of Samuel Johnson by Boswell School Education by Charlotte Mason The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Apr 27, 2021 |
Episode 90: “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” Part 1
01:28:48
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks delve into part one of a two-part discussion of Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Our hosts kick things off talking about their background with Russian literature, and Thomas gives some biographical information on Tolstoy. They also talk about the concept of the “holy fool.” Some ideas discussed in this episode include the characters’ responses to death, the mask of respectability, and the problem of discontent. Cindy is hosting a new summer discipleship course for moms this year, so head over to morningtimeformoms.com for more info and to sign up! Thomas and Angelina also have some great summer classes coming up, and you can check those out at houseofhumaneletters.com. Commonplace Quotes:
Growing Oldby Matthew Arnold What is it to grow old? Is it to feel our strength— Yes, this, and more; but not ’Tis not to see the world It is to spend long days It is to suffer this, It is—last stage of all— Book List:The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy Resolves: Divine, Political, and Moral by Owen Feltham War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev Papa Panov’s Special Day by Mig Holder The Giagantic Turnip by Aleksei Tolstoy Koshka’s Tales: Stories from Russia by James Mayhew The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley How Much Land Does a Man Need and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Apr 20, 2021 |
Episode 89: The Literary Life of Adrienne Freas
01:25:23
On The Literary Life podcast this week, hosts Cindy Rollins and Angelina Stanford interview their friend and veteran homeschool mother of 4, Adrienne Freas. Adrienne is now the Classical Education Advisor for the K-12 Curriculum and Professional Development Project at University of Dallas Classical Education Master’s Degree program at the University of Dallas, and she is active in consulting and advocating for Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy. Adrienne was a featured speaker in the 2019 Back to School Conference, available for replay at morningtimeformoms.com. Adrienne describes her young life and how the fine arts were the highlight of her childhood and her early struggles to learn to read. She shares how high school literature teachers and reading the classics whet her appetite for even more great literature. She talks about the difference it makes to have a teacher who is enthusiastic and believes the students can step up to the challenge. Cindy, Angelina and Adrienne all share their love for Charlotte Mason and her philosophy of giving children a wide and generous curriculum. Commonplace Quotes:
After Reading “Antony and Cleopatra”by Robert Louis Stevenson As when the hunt by holt and field The sea’s roar fills us aching full Who talks to me of reason now? Book List:The Ethics of Beauty by Timothy Patitsas The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff Macbeth by William Shakespeare Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams The Turn of the Screw by Henry James The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis Consider This: Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition by Karen Glass A History of the English-Speaking People by Winston Churchill Paradise Lost by John Milton The Divine Comedy by Dante Algieri The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie Perceval by Chretien de Troyes Til We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan Lenten Lands by Douglas Gresham The Betrothed: I Promesi Sposi by Alessandro Manzoni The Consolation of Philosophy by Ancius Beothius Range by David Epstien Waverly by Sir Walter Scott Reorienting Rhetoric by John D. O’Banion Unbinding Prometheus by Donald Cowan Heidi by Johanna Spyri The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fischer The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens The Once and Future King by T. H. White Men of Iron by Howard Pyle Links Mentioned: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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Apr 13, 2021 |
Episode 88: How to Read Don Quixote
01:26:19
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks are joined by James Banks to discuss the value of reading Don Quixote and how to approach the book. They talk about translations and how to choose a translation of this particular work. James shares how he first read Miguel de Cervantes’ classic work and gives a little contextual background on him as an author. He also argues that Don Quixote is a romance in the tradition of Spenser and is more of a satire of modernity than of chivalry. Other ideas discussed are the comic duo, the Spanish Renaissance literature, the travel novel, and how to dive into reading Don Quixote. It’s not too late to register for our next Literary Life Online Conference, happening April 7-10, 2021 with special guest speaker Wes Callihan. Head over to HouseofHumaneLetters.com to sign up today! Listen to previous episodes with James Banks by going to The Literary Life podcast Episode 32 and Episode 33. Commonplace Quotes:
Clerihewby G. K. Chesterton The people of Spain think Cervantes Book List:Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra The Discarded Image by C. S. Lewis Lord of the Flies by William Golding Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain Monsignor Quixote by Graham Greene History of Tom Jones by Henry Fielding The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens The Shadow of Cervantes by Wyndham Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Apr 06, 2021 |
Episode 87: The Literary Life of Wes Callihan
01:37:37
This week on The Literary Life podcast, our hosts chat with Wes Callihan, founder of Schola Tutorials and primary instructor in the Old Western Culture series by Roman Roads Media. Thomas starts off our interview today asking Wes what he remembers about stories and reading as a young person. Wes shares how he came to be a teacher and how his literary life developed as he became an adult. Angelina asks Wes about his approach to challenging literature when he started out reading the great books. He shares the joy of reading aloud, even to yourself, rather than silently whenever possible. Wes also talks about how learning languages enhanced his reading as well. Find the Youtube video of Wes’ personal library here. Don’t forget to head over to HouseofHumaneLetters.com to find out all about the exciting line-up for our next Literary Life Online Conference, happening April 7-10, 2021 for which Wes Callihan will be our keynote speaker. Commonplace Quotes:
On Shakespeare. 1630by John Milton What needs my Shakespeare for his honoured bones, Book List:The Spiritual Meadow by John Moschos The Man Born to Be King by Dorothy Sayers Beauty in the Word by Stratford Caldecott The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George Papillon by Henri Charriere Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana Sailing the Inside Passage by Robb Keystone The Travels of Sir John Mandeville by John Mandeville The Discarded Image by C. S. Lewis Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis The Name of the Rose by Umberto Ecco The Land of Darkness by Ibn Fadlan The Travels of Ibn Battuta by Ibn Battuta Monologium by St. Anselm Cur Deus Homo by St. Anselm The Aeneid by Virgil The Iliad by Homer, trans. by Alexander Pope Pacific and Other Stories by Mark Helprin The Novels of Charles Williams The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis Taliessin through Logres, The Region of the Summer Stars by Charles Williams 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 16, 2021 |
Episode 86: “Silas Marner” by George Eliot, Ch. 16-End
01:36:22
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks wrap up their discussion of George Eliot’s Silas Marner. In this episode, Angelina reveals her light bulb moment connecting this story with Shakespeare’s play, The Winter’s Tale. Thomas talks about the changes in Silas as he has integrated back into the community through his love for Eppie. Cindy points out the characteristics we see in Nancy as a woman who has been through suffering and come out more gracious on the other side. Don’t forget to head over to HouseofHumaneLetters.com to find out all about the exciting line-up for our next Literary Life Online Conference, happening April 7-10, 2021 with special guest speaker Wes Callihan. Commonplace Quotes:
A Prayer in Springby Robert Frost Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today; Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white, Book List:Two Cheers for Democracy by E. M. Forster Brave New World by Aldous Huxley Middlemarch by George Eliot The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot The Man Born to Be King by Dorothy Sayers Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell The Tempest by William Shakespeare To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 09, 2021 |
Episode 85: "Silas Marner" by George Eliot, Ch. 10-15
01:45:10
Welcome to this episode of The Literary Life Podcast, in which our hosts discuss George Eliot's book Silas Marner, chapters 10-15. Thomas kicks off the discussion by highlighting the character of Dolly Winthrop. Angelina talks about Silas Marner opening himself to grace in these chapters. She also points out the way that Eliot uses Godfrey's character to point out our own potential lack of moral courage. Cindy points out the problem of addiction for Molly in causing her to neglect her own baby. Angelina also talks about the Rumpelstiltskin parallels and other fairy tale elements in the book thus far. Don’t forget to head over to HouseofHumaneLetters.com to find out all about the exciting line-up for our next Literary Life Online Conference, happening April 7-10, 2021 with special guest speaker Wes Callihan. Commonplace Quotes:
On My First Daughterby Ben Johnson Here lies, to each her parents’ Ruth, Book List:The Year of Our Lord, 1943 by Alan Jacobs The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell Complete Maxims and Thoughts by Nicolas Chamfort Howard’s End by E. M. Forster The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot The History of the Devil by Daniel Defoe Sir Roger de Coverley by Joseph Addison Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray Middlemarch by George Eliot The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 02, 2021 |
Episode 84: “Silas Marner” by George Eliot, Ch. 4-9
01:28:33
On today’s episode of The Literary Life podcast, Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks continue their discussion of George Eliot’s Silas Marner, covering chapters 4-9. They talk about the problems facing the Cass family and their tense relationships, examine George Eliot’s treatment of Silas Marner’s victim-hood, reflect on the changing times of the Victorian period, and Thomas breaks out his “Cheers” accent. Don’t forget to check out Angelina and Thomas’ upcoming classes at HouseofHumaneLetters.com and Cindy’s Discipleship for Moms on Patreon. Commonplace Quotes:
Cradlesongby William Blake Sleep, sleep, beauty bright, Sweet babe, in thy face As thy softest limbs I feel O the cunning wiles that creep Book List:The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers Criticism by Desmond MacCarthy Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry The Aeneid by Virgil Emma by Jane Austen
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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Feb 23, 2021 |
Episode 83: "Silas Marner" by George Eliot, Ch. 1-3
01:20:24
This week on The Literary Life podcast, Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks dig into George Eliot’s Silas Marner. Today’s discussion gives us an introduction to George Eliot and covers the first three chapters of the book. Thomas shares a little historical context for the setting of Silas Marner and how that affects the interpretation of this book. Angelina points out the ways in which Eliot uses some fairy tale and otherworldly elements to explore moral ideas. Don’t forget to check out Angelina and Thomas’ upcoming classes at HouseofHumaneLetters.com and Cindy’s Discipleship for Moms on Patreon. Commonplace Quotes:
Adlestropby Edward Thomas Yes. I remember Adlestrop— The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat. And willows, willow-herb, and grass, And for that minute a blackbird sang Book List:Towers in the Mist by Elizabeth Goudge The Dean’s Watch by Elizabeth Goudge Adam Bede by George Eliot The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot Middlemarch by George Eliot Romola by George Eliot Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Selected Essays, Poems and Other Writings by George Eliot Silly Novels by Lady Novelists by George Eliot Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Feb 16, 2021 |
Episode 82: The Literary Life of Charlotte Mason
01:35:55
This week on The Literary Life podcast, we are excited to bring some special guests in to speak to the literary life of the educator Charlotte Mason. Along with Angelina, Thomas and Cindy, we also have Donna-Jean Breckenridge and Karen Glass of the AmblesideOnline Advisory. They start off by sharing some biographical information about who Charlotte Mason was and her background. Karen also talks about how and why Mason developed her practices and philosophy and her educational foundation, the PNEU. Donna-Jean mentions the interesting ephemera belonging to Charlotte Mason housed at the Armitt Museum in Ambleside. Finally, the talk turns to how widely Miss Mason read and how important books were to her throughout her whole life. Join us next week for the beginning episode of our series on George Eliot's Silas Marner, covering chapters 1-3. Before you go, don’t forget that registration is opening soon at The House of Humane Letters for the spring. You can also check out Cindy’s Discipleship Group for Moms on Patreon.com. Commonplace Quotes:
The Village Schoolmasterby Oliver Goldsmith Beside yon straggling fence that skirts the way, Book List:In Vital Harmony by Karen Glass Know and Tell by Karen Glass Consider This by Karen Glass Literature and Western Man by J. B. Priestley Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason The Golden Thread by Norman McLeod Scientific Dialogues by Jeremiah Joyce Jacob Behmen by Alexander Whyte The Hidden Life of the Soul by Jean Nicolas Grou Anne of Geierstein: Maiden of the Mist by Sir Walter Scott The Savior of the World by Charlotte Mason Formation of Character by Charlotte Mason The History of Pendennis by William Thackeray The Egoist by George Meredith Hard Times by Charles Dickens David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Bleak House by Charles Dickens Joan and Peter by H. G. Wells Adam Bede by George Eliot Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy Areopagitica by John Milton 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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
|
Feb 09, 2021 |
Episode 81: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
01:33:47
Today’s book discussion on The Literary Life podcast centers around the book 84, Charing Cross Road. Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks share their first experiences reading this book of letters between Helene Hanff and Frank Doel. Cindy talks about her deep identification with Helene the first time she read 84, Charing Cross Road and how much she dreamed of going to England. Angelina and Thomas talk about the characteristics of Helene as a reader and as a person seeking self-education. Come back again next week for a special guest episode look at the literary life of Charlotte Mason! After that, we dig into George Eliot’s Silas Marner. Commonplace Quotes:
Reading in Wartimeby Edwin Muir Boswell by my bed, Book List:84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff The Harp of Burma by Michio Takeyama Holy Living by Jeremy Taylor The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff The Narnian by Alan Jacobs The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell A Modest Proposal by Jonathon Swift Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathon Swift Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The Dubliners by James Joyce The Works of Lord Byron: Letters and Journals by Lord Byron Selected Letters by Jane Austen Few Eggs and No Oranges by Vere Hodgson 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Feb 02, 2021 |
Episode 80: Why Read Old Books
01:28:26
Today on The Literary Life Podcast, 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. Don’t forget to check out our brand new podcast, which has its very own feed, The Well Read Poem. The House of Humane Letters spring classes are opening for registration, so head over there to check out what is coming up! Commonplace Quotes:
To Walter de la Mareby T. S. Elliot The children who explored the brook and found For here the water buffalo may rove, And shadowy lemurs glide from tree to tree – And when the lamps are lit and curtains drawn Or when the lawn When the familiar is suddenly strange When cats are maddened in the moonlight dance, When the nocturnal traveller can arouse By whom, and by what means, was this designed? By you; by those deceptive cadences By the delicate, invisible web you wove – Book List:The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis The Giver by Lois Lowry The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jan 26, 2021 |
Episode 79: Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
01:39:41
This week on The Literary Life podcast, our hosts explore the popular Agatha Christie mystery novel, Death on the Nile. This discussion will contain spoilers, so if you haven’t read or listened to the book yet, stop this episode! But before we get to the book chat, we want to announce that our brand new The Well Read Poem podcast is now live! Also, head over to HouseofHumaneLetters.com to check out the Winter Webinar Series and Kelly Cumbee’s class on King Lear. Angelina, Cindy and Thomas begin the book discussion with a comparison of the authors known as the “Queens of Crime.” They also talk about the form of detective novels and how Christie in particular plays with the form to keep readers on their toes. Thomas notes the similarities between Death on the Nile with Henry James’ novel The Wings of the Dove. In addition to covering the plot of the story, our hosts walk us through the ways in which Christie writes in order to keep us guessing. If you haven’t heard it before, please go and listen to Episode 3: The Importance of the Detective Novel. Commonplace Quotes:
When We First Metby Robert Bridges When first we met, we did not guess Book List:Beasts and Super-Beasts by Saki (H. H. Munro) The Toys of Peace by Saki The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayers Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers The Wings of the Dove by Henry James Leave It to Psmith by P. G. Wodehouse 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jan 19, 2021 |
Episode 78: The Literary Life of Thomas Banks
01:38:57
This week on The Literary Life podcast, we are excited to delve into the literary life of the mysterious Mr. Banks! But before we get started, we do want to let you know that we have posted the reading schedule for January-March, and you can view it on our Upcoming Events page. Also, Blue Sky Daisies Publishing is running a fun contest for kids involving our new Commonplace Books, so you will want to head over to their website and check that out! Finally, be looking out for The Well Read Poem podcast coming to a podcast app near you on January 18, 2021! Cindy begins the interview asking Thomas about his family background and the influence of his parents on his own reading life. He shares about many of the books he loved in childhood and how that shaped his tastes in literature. He also talks about how he approached school learning as opposed to his personal reading. Angelina asks Thomas to tell about how he fell in love with poetry and how he ended up going to college even though that was not his original goal. He also shares more about his reading as an adult, as well as his habit of commonplacing quotations. Commonplace Quotes:
Time, Real and Imaginaryby Samuel Taylor Coleridge On the wide level of a mountain’s head, Book List:Wintering by Katherine May The Double Vision by Northrup Frye Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carol Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling Oxford Book of Children’s Verse Praeterita by John Ruskin The Golden Treasury of Myths and Legends The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun by J. R. R. Tolkien Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis The Saga of the Volsungs by Anonymous The Adventures of Tintin by Herge Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott Julius Caesar by Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare The Complete Poems of John Keats Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy Hardy the Novelist by David Cecil The James Bond Dossier by Kingsley Amis The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea by Mishima 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff The Double by Fyodor Dostoevsky Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jan 12, 2021 |
Episode 77: Our Literary Lives of 2020
01:35:06
This week on The Literary Life podcast, we are bringing you our year end review of our own reading lives. Angelina kicks off the conversation by asking Thomas and Cindy how they would describe their reading lives this year. They talk about their favorites and highlights in books this year, as well as a few books that fell flat for them in 2020. They share about some authors they had not read before that they enjoyed this year. Finally, they tell us how they did with their own 20 for 2020 Reading Challenge lists. Don’t forget to check out the upcoming reading challenge for next year, the Literary Life 19 Books for 2021 challenge! If you missed it, you will want to go back and listen to the previous episode full of ideas for each challenge category. Also, there is still time to order Literary Life Commonplace Books before the new year and begin recording your plans, progress, and favorite quotations! Commonplace Quotes:
Ring Out, Wild Bellsby Alfred Lord Tennyson Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, Book List:(Amazon affiliate links) Urn Burial by Thomas Browne Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington Honest, Simple Souls: An Advent Meditation with Charlotte Mason by Anne White Black Wings Has My Angel by Elliott Chaze Cover Her Face by P. D. James Towards Zero by Agatha Christie Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie Range by David Epstein The Company They Keep by Diana Pavlac Glyer Poet’s Corner ed. by John Lithgow The Year of Our Lord 1943 by Alan Jacobs The Narnian by Alan Jacobs Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol The Stricken Deer by Lord David Cecil Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff Stephen Fry’s Greek Myths series The Centre of Hilarity by Michael Mason The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery Tenebrae by Geoffrey Hill The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Circe by Madeline Miller William Morris by Alfred Noyes The Devil Takes a Holiday by Alfred Noyes The Towers of Trebizond by Rose Macaulay Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amos The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima Saving the Appearances by Owen Barfield David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Four Quartets by T. S. Elliot Good Things Out of Nazareth by Flannery O’Connor Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Dec 22, 2020 |
Episode 76: The Literary Life 19 Books in 2021 Reading Challenge
01:30:05
Today on the podcast, your hosts Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks take a deep dive into the Literary Life 19 Books for 2021 challenge! This episode is full of ideas and book suggestions to help inspire your #LitLife192021 reading, so be sure to scroll down in your podcast app to view the comprehensive book link list! They not only give reasons behind each category and suggests for the adult reading challenge, but many titles for the kids’ version of the challenge, as well! Also, don’t forget that our Literary Life Commonplace Books are now available to order via Amazon! These high quality journals are perfect for recording what you are reading, as well as all your favorite quotes, and we have both adult and children’s versions. Our publisher, Blue Sky Daisies, is providing us with a fun giveaway, so head over to their Facebook page, our Facebook group, or our Instagram to find the social media image to share and find all the details! Cindy’s List of Literature of Honor for Boys Cindy’s List of Books for Fortitude linked at The Redeemed Reader Commonplace Quotes:
Christ’s Nativityby Henry Vaughan Awake, glad heart! get up and sing! Awake, awake! hark how th’ wood rings; I would I were some bird, or star, I would I had in my best part Sweet Jesu! will then. Let no more Book List:The Simple Art of Murder by Raymond Chandler A Dish of Orts by George MacDonald The Great Tudors ed. by Katharine Garvin The Oxford Book of English Verse ed. by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch The Classic Hundred Poems ed. by William Harmon The Top 500 Poems ed. by William Harmon Letters to An American Lady by C. S. Lewis Selected Letters of Jane Austen ed. by Vivien Jones Lord Chesterfield’s Letters ed. by David Roberts The Habit of Being by Flannery O’Connor The Iliad by Homer The Odyssey by Homer D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire Mythology by Edith Hamilton Metamorphoses by Ovid Heroes by Stephen Fry Mythos by Stephen Fry From Dawn to Decadence by Jacques Barzun The Educated Imagination by Northrup Frye Silas Marner by George Eliot The Warden by Anthony Trollope Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Hard Times by Charles Dickens Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Leaf by Niggle by J. R. R. Tolkien The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad The Shooting Party by Anton Chekov Kristen Lavrensdatter Trilogy by Sigrid Undset The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell Milton by Rose Macaulay Chaucer by G. K. Chesterton Churchill by Paul Johnson Napoleon by Paul Johnson The Enchanted Places by Christopher Milne The Narnian by Alan Jacobs Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn The Awakening by Kate Chopin My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok The Chosen by Chaim Potok The Natural by Bernard Malamud The Brothers K by David James Duncan Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman The Imitation of Christ by Thomas Á Kempis Journey into Fear by Eric Ambler Doomsday Book by Connie Willis Characters of Shakespeare’s Plays by William Hazlitt The Lays of Ancient Rome by Thomas Macaulay Imaginary Conversations by Walter Savage Landor Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson How the Heather Looks by Joan Bodger The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz Travels with a Donkey by Robert Louis Stevenson The Lawless Roads by Graham Greene The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell What I Saw in America by G. K. Chesterton The History of the Second Boer War by Winston Churchill The Heroes by Charles Kingsley A Wonder Book by Nathaniel Hawthorne Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne The Children of Odin Padraic Colum Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling Men of Iron by Howard Pyle The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson Betsy-Tacy Treasury by Maud Hart Lovelace All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee American Tall Tales by Adrian Stoutenberg Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff The Children’s Homer by Padraic Colum The Golden Fleece by Padraic Colum The Tale of Troy by Roger Lancelyn Green Tales from the Odyssey by Mary Pope Osborne Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfield The Adventures of Tin-tin by Hergé The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green King Arthur Trilogy by Rosemary Sutcliff Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by E. Nesbit Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Dec 15, 2020 |
Episode 75: Phantastes, Ch. 20-End
01:19:31
This week on The Literary Life podcast, we wrap up our series on George MacDonald’s Phantastes. Today Angelina, Cindy and Thomas discuss chapters 20-25. Thomas opens the conversations giving his impressions of the ending of this fantasy. Angelina talks more about the symbolism of death and rebirth, as well as the themes of the quest, the shadow self, and the presence of more dual images. Cindy shares some of her thoughts on this reading as well as the moment she first read the ending passages of this book. Don’t forget to check out the upcoming reading challenge for next year, the Literary Life 19 Books for 2021 challenge! We will be back next time with an episode full of ideas and book suggestions to help inspire your #LitLife192021 reading. Also, we are pleased to be bringing you Literary Life Commonplace Books, perfect for recording what you are reading, as well as all your favorite quotes. Commonplace Quotes:
Josephby G. K. Chesterton If the stars fell; night’s nameless dreams O long light hands and curled brown hair, Yes, in the one wise foolish hour But once the blood’s wild wedding o’er, Book List:Two Worlds for Memory by Alfred Noyes The Meaning of Shakespeare by Harold Goddard The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Til We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis A Dish of Orts by George MacDonald The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller
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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Dec 08, 2020 |
Episode 74: Phantastes, Ch. 15-19
01:27:27
This week on The Literary Life podcast, our series on George MacDonald’s Phantastes continues. Today Angelina and Cindy discuss chapters 15-19. But before they get started, they announce the upcoming reading challenge for next year, the Literary Life 19 Books for 2021 challenge! Also, we are pleased to be bringing you Literary Life Commonplace Books, perfect for recording what you are reading, as well as all your favorite quotes. Angelina and Cindy open the book discussion with the idea of the “other world” structure in fantasy writing, as well as how influential MacDonald was on writers who came after him. They also go in depth with the concept of the Holy Spirit as the originator of creative thought in conjunction with MacDonald’s thoughts on the imagination. Angelina gets excited about the metaphorical descent into Hades in this section of the book. She and Cindy talk about the importance of the hope of redemption, the platonic ideal versus reality, and learning to let go instead of grasp at things. They also return to the idea of true education being noble unrest introduced in last week’s episode. Don’t forget to check out the Advent and Christmas resources our hosts have ready for your holiday season. As mentioned before, Cindy’s new edition of Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah is available now, and it is not to late to start if you purchase the Kindle version. Check our CindyRollins.net for more information. Also, Thomas and Angelina have a sale going on for an Advent Bundle of their popular webinars, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and The Poetry of Advent. Additionally, Kelly Cumbee will be teaching a webinar series called “Seeking the Discarded Image: Nature.” Commonplace Quotes:
Nightingalesby Robert Bridges Beautiful must be the mountains whence ye come, Nay, barren are those mountains and spent the streams: Alone, aloud in the raptured ear of men Book List:WThe Celtic Way of Prayer by Esther De Waal At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood by George MacDonald A Dish of Orts by George MacDonald The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers Parents and Children by Charlotte Mason Adam Bede by George Eliot 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Dec 01, 2020 |
Episode 73: Phantastes, Ch. 10-14
01:31:32
This week on The Literary Life podcast, our hosts Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks continue their series on George MacDonald’s Phantastes, covering chapters 10-14. Angelina and Thomas open the book chat talking about disorientation and how MacDonald is using the mirror images to help us enter into Anados’ feelings. Some of the topics covered in these chapters are disenchantment and demystifying the world, the child of mysterious origin, seeing and not seeing, romanticism and the dark imagination. Don’t forget to check out the Advent and Christmas resources our hosts have ready for your holiday season. As mentioned before, Cindy’s new edition of Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah is available now, and you can access the replay of her special live event if you visit her website. Check our CindyRollins.net for more information. Also, Thomas and Angelina have a sale going on for an Advent Bundle of their popular webinars, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and The Poetry of Advent. Additionally, Kelly Cumbee will be teaching a webinar series called “Seeking the Discarded Image: Nature.” Commonplace Quotes:
The Palm and the Pineby Heinrich Heine Beneath an Indian palm a girl Beside a northern pine a boy Cool grows the sick and feverish calm, As soon shall nature interlace Book List:(Amazon affiliate links) William Morris by Alfred Noyes The Well at the World’s End by William Morris The Celtic Way of Prayer by Esther De Waal The Imagination: Its Functions and Its Culture by George MacDonald William Morris Textiles Coloring Book Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy Descent Into Hell by Charles Williams The Four Men by Hilaire Belloc Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carol The Arabian Nights translated by Sir Richard Burton The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne Frankenstein by Mary Shelley The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare
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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Nov 24, 2020 |
Episode 72: Phantastes, Ch. 5-9
01:19:19
Welcome back to The Literary Life Podcast and the second episode of our series on George MacDonald's Phantastes, covering chapters 5-9. Angelina and Thomas kick off the book chat sharing some thoughts on the Duessa-type character in this section. Cindy mentions the connection she made to James Russell Lowell's poem, "The Vision of Sir Launfal." They go on to discuss the parallels between this section and the Pygmalion myth. Other mythological references abound throughout the story, as we will see. Our hosts go deep exploring the themes of deception, the fall, doppelgangers and spiritual death in these chapters. Don’t forget to check out the Advent and Christmas resources our hosts have ready for your holiday season. As mentioned before, Cindy’s new edition of Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah is available now, and she has a live celebration even happening on November 19, 2020. Check our CindyRollins.net for more information. Also, Thomas and Angelina have a sale going on for an Advent Bundle of their popular webinars, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and The Poetry of Advent. Additionally, Kelly Cumbee will be teaching a webinar series called “Seeking the Discarded Image: Nature.” Be back next week when we will cover chapters 10-14. Remember to join the discussion in our Literary Life Discussion Group. Commonplace Quotes:
When I have Fears That I May Cease to Beby John Keats When I have fears that I may cease to be Book List:(Amazon affiliate links) Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv Notebooks on Renaissance Literature by Northrup Frye The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carol Undine by Friedrich de la Motte Fouquée Faust (Parts One and Two) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Nov 17, 2020 |
Episode 71: Phantastes, Ch. 1-4
01:32:16
Welcome back to The Literary Life Podcast and the beginning of our series on George MacDonald’s Phantastes. Before our hosts, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas begin the book chat, though, we wanted to let you know about some Advent and Christmas resources ready for the upcoming holiday season. As mentioned before, Cindy’s new edition of Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah is available now. Also, Thomas and Angelina have a sale going on for an Advent Bundle of their popular webinars, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and The Poetry of Advent. Cindy shares a little about her past reading of many of MacDonald’s books and the effect they had on her. Angelina and Cindy also give some pertinent biographical information about MacDonald and put him in his Victorian context. Angelina brings out the connections between Spenser’s The Faerie Queene and MacDonald’s Phantastes, including the questing element. In answer to Cindy’s question about the German word “Maerchen”, Thomas shares some ideas about what sorts of stories are included in that term. In this discussion, Angelina points out all the big themes of fairy tales and stories in general that we see right away in this story. Cindy highlights the role of the grandmother in this and other MacDonald stories. In light of the Faerie Queene connections, Thomas wonders if there will be a true woman and a false woman in this story. Angelina and Cindy go on to explore so many more of the ideas and themes presented in these chapters. Be back next week for chapters 5-9. Commonplace Quotes:
Maerchenby Walter de la Mare Soundless the moth-flit, crisp the death-watch tick; Mouse frisked and scampered, leapt, gnawed, squeaked; O wondrous robe enstarred, in night dyed deep: Book List:Amazon affiliate links are used in this content. The Princess and The Goblin by George MacDonald Lilith by George MacDonald Hallelujah by Cindy Rollins The Christmas Stories and Poems of George MacDonald by George MacDonald The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer George MacDonald by C. S. Lewis The Diary of an Old Soul by George MacDonald At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald Til We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis A Dish of Orts by George MacDonald Hard Times by Charles Dickens Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert Adam Bede by George Eliot The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis The Purple Island by Phineas Fletcher 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Nov 10, 2020 |
Episode 70: Why Read Fairy Tales?
01:28:57
Today on The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina Stanford and Cindy Rollins tackle the topic of fairy stories, discussing the what, why and how of reading them. Angelina shares the distinctive characteristics of fairy stories in contrast to other types of stories, such as myths. They deal with the question of whether fairy tales are “escapist”, the influence of the Grimm brothers scholarly work on interpreting fairy stories, and allowing the story to unveil its deeper truths without forcing meaning onto it. Angelina gives an illustration of how to see the gospel messages in fairy tales by talking us through the story of Sleeping Beauty. She refutes the ideas that fairy tales are about human romance or are misogynistic. She also highlights some of the Enlightenment and Puritan responses to fairy tales that still linger with us today. Cindy and Angelina also discuss some common concerns such as the magical, weird, or scary aspects of fairy tales. Angelina also makes a distinction between folk tales, literary fairy tales, and cautionary tales. Be sure to be back next week for the beginning of our series on George MacDonald’s Phantastes. Commonplace Quotes:
Ancient Historyby Siegfried Sassoon Adam, a brown old vulture in the rain, Grimly he thought of Abel, soft and fair— Book List:(Amazon affiliate links) The World’s Last Night by C. S. Lewis An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis “On Three Ways of Writing for Children” by C. S. Lewis The Princess and The Goblin by George MacDonald 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Nov 03, 2020 |
Episode 69: The Literary Life of Wendi Capehart
01:35:09
Today on The Literary Life Podcast, our hosts Angelina and Cindy chat with Cindy’s longtime friend and, according to her, the “smartest woman on the internet,” Wendi Capehart. Wendi is an adventurous mom of many and has lived throughout Asia. Now she lives the life of an at home librarian caring for her disabled daughter and spending time with her 15 grandchildren. She also serves on the AmblesideOnline Advisory board. Angelina starts off the conversation asking Wendi about her reading life beginning with her childhood memories of reading. Wendi talks a little about how books helped her survive and heal from the trauma of living in an abusive situation. They also discuss what the difference was for Wendi in leisurely reading and reading for school. Wendi shares some of the reasons she began homeschooling her own children, as well, and how she kept reading voraciously even after she became a mother. Angelina and Wendi talk about the brain and changing your reading habits to digest and enjoy more challenging books. Wendi shares how she built a library while one a military budget and moving frequently. They talked about too many things to mention in this summary, but you can scroll down for the many book titles mentioned in this episode! Commonplace Quotes:
If Only I Were Kingby A. A. Milne I often wish I were a King, If only I were King of Spain, If only I were King of France, I think, if I were King of Greece, If I were King of Norroway, If I were King of Babylon, If I were King of Timbuctoo, If I were King of anything, Book List:The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis by Alan Jacobs Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton The Little Prince by Antione de Saint-Exupéry The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson The Heroes by Charles Kingsley The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham Kim by Rudyard Kipling The Chestry Oak by Kate Seredy The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis The Rescuers by Marjorie Sharp The Borrowers by Mary Norton Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome Ben Hur by Lew Wallace The Bears of Blue River by Charles Major 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Oct 20, 2020 |
Episode 68: Til We Have Faces, Pt. 2, Ch. 1-4
01:38:34
This week on The Literary Life Podcast we have our final installment of the series on C. S. Lewis’ masterpiece Til We Have Faces. This week, our hosts finish up with Part 2, Chapters 1-4. Opening the conversation, Angelina shares some of her feelings on just having finished the book. She points out the importance of understanding the Cupid and Psyche myth. Cindy brings up the concept of a “sin-eater” in relation to Orual’s taking on of Psyche’s trials. They talk about the ways in which Orual begins to see more clearly and remember things differently at this point in the story. The theme of selfish love versus self-sacrificing love comes full circle as the book closes. Orual’s symbolic death and rebirth are key topics, and the allusions to Christ and the Gospel throughout this story are truly exciting. Join us next week for a special interview with Wendi Capehart on her literary life! Listen to The Literary Life:Commonplace Quotes:
from “Autumn Journal”by Louis Macneice In a week I return to work, lecturing, coaching, Book List:(Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) Hallelujah by Cindy Rollins Giving Up the Ghost: A Memoire by Hilary Mantel The Dyer’s Hand by W. H. Auden The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis by Alan Jacobs Descent into Hell by Charles Williams The Private Memoires and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Oct 13, 2020 |
Episode 67: Til We Have Faces, Ch. 16-21
01:17:56
Welcome back to The Literary Life Podcast! This week, our hosts are covering chapters 16-21 of C. S. Lewis’ masterpiece Til We Have Faces. Also, to celebrate Cindy’s re-release of her book Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah, she is doing a social media giveaway over the next four weeks. To enter to win a copy, post about the book release with hashtag #hallelujahadvent. They begin the conversation about Til We Have Faces with an examination of Lewis’ personal journey and its similarity to Orual’s own in this story. This opens up a discussion of education, Lewis’s schooling, and Charlotte Mason’s philosophy. Angelina then goes on to talk about the three types of veils worn by Orual, and Cindy and Thomas explore the idea of veils and their role in relationship and power. Orual’s friendships with Bardia and the Fox further highlight her continued blindness to her own disordered affections. Join us next week for the last installment in our series on Til We Have Faces. The following episode will be a special interview with Wendi Capehart on her literary life! Commonplace Quotes:
Moonlightby Walter de la Mare The far moon maketh lovers wise Book List:(Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) Hallelujah by Cindy Rollins Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin Giving Up the Ghost: A Memoire by Hilary Mantel The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis by Alan Jacobs A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Oct 06, 2020 |
Episode 66: Til We Have Faces, Ch. 12-15
01:15:44
Today on The Literary Life, our hosts discuss chapters 12-15 of C. S. Lewis' masterpiece Til We Have Faces. Don't forget that Thomas will be teaching a mini-class series on Shakespeare's Roman Plays in October. You can find out more and register at HouseofHumaneLetters.com. We are giving away one spot in the class to someone who shares about the class publicly on social media and tag it #houseofhumaneletters. The winner will be announced on October 2, 2020 on the House of Humane Letters Facebook page! Angelina opens the discussions with the point that Lewis changes the story of Psyche throughout the book, especially in this section. Cindy shares how the last couple of chapters in this week's reading made her feel and the tension of wanting to choose sides. In these scenes, we see again the theme of disordered loves and the rift in the relationship between Orual and Psyche, as well as Orual's descent further into self-deception. Be back next time when we cover chapters 16-21. Commonplace Quotes:
The Laws of God, The Laws of Manby A. E. Houseman The laws of God, the laws of man, Book List:(Amazon affiliate links) Giving Up the Ghost: A Memoire by Hilary Mantel Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel A Preface to Paradise Lost by C. S. Lewis Paradise Lost by John Milton God in the Dock by C. S. Lewis The Three Theban Plays by Sophocles 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Sep 29, 2020 |
Episode 65: Til We Have Faces, Ch. 8-11
01:21:46
This week on The Literary Life, we continue our series on C. S. Lewis’ masterpiece Til We Have Faces, and our hosts discuss chapters 8-11 today. Before we get started, we want you to know there is still time to sign up for Cindy’s Morning Time Q&A on September 23. Register at CindyRollins.net today! Also, Thomas will be teaching a mini-class series on Shakespeare’s Roman Plays in October, and you can find out more and register at HouseofHumaneLetters.com. Angelina starts off the conversation asking for everyone’s impressions of this section of reading, and Thomas and Cindy bring up the melancholy nature of much of this story. Themes discussed in this episode include: seeing and not seeing, reason’s response to faith, the dream motif, the similarities with the story of Iphigenia, baptism and crossing the river, and the ways relationships change over time. Another topic our hosts highlight is the tension between mysticism and rationalism and the truth that transcends the inadequacy of these. Listen to The Literary Life:Commonplace Quotes:
Requiescatby Matthew Arnold Strew on her roses, roses, Her mirth the world required; Her life was turning, turning, Her cabin’d, ample spirit, Book List:(Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns & Fairies by Robert Kirk St. Francis of Assisi by G. K. Chesterton The Educated Imagination by Northrup Frye The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Sep 22, 2020 |
Episode 64: Til We Have Faces, Ch. 6-7
01:08:29
Today on The Literary Life Podcast our hosts Angelina, Cindy and Thomas discuss chapters 6-7 of C. S. Lewis’ mythical retelling Til We Have Faces. Before we get started, we want you to know about Cindy’s Morning Time Q&A on September 23. Register at CindyRollins.net. They open the discussion this week talking about Lewis’ writings on love and jealousy. Angelina points out similarities to this story and other classical myths and even Spenser’s Faerie Queene. They also talk about Orual’s desires as opposed to Psyche’s expectations. Cindy mentioned Peter Kreeft’s talk on Til We Have Faces a couple of times. Here is the link to that audio for those who are interested in listening to that. Commonplace Quotes:
A Woman Homer Sungby William Butler Yeats If any man drew near Book List:Affiliate links are used in this content. In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden Christian Behavior by C. S. Lewis The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis Oedipus Rex by Sophocles The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Sep 15, 2020 |
Episode 63: Til We Have Faces, Ch. 3-5
01:17:47
Welcome back to our series on C. S. Lewis’ mythical retelling Til We Have Faces here on The Literary Life Podcast. Today Angelina, Cindy and Thomas discuss chapters 3-5. Angelina opens the book chat with an exploration of the tensions that are becoming evident in this first part of the book. Cindy talks about the character of the Fox and our changing perspective on him as the story develops. Thomas highlights the priest and the ways that we as moderns struggle with the religion presented here. Another topic expounded upon is the relationship between the sisters and the affects jealousy as the story progresses. Angelina also brings up the idea of terrifying holiness as presented in these chapters. Our hosts share their thoughts on the tension between the elevation of logic and reason and the devaluation of superstition and mystery. (Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) Commonplace Quotes:
Selection from “Ode to Psyche”by John Keats Yes, I will be thy priest, and build a fane Book List:Refractions by Makoto Fujimura The Hundred Riddles of Symphosius by Symphosius At Wolfe’s Door: The Nero Wolfe Novels of Rex Stout by J. Kenneth Van Dover Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis Reason and Imagination in C. S. Lewis by Peter Schakel The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Sep 08, 2020 |
Episode 62: The Literary Friendship of Dorothy and Jack with Gina Dalfonzo
01:02:47
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life, our hosts Angelina, Thomas and Cindy have a special guest on the podcast. Gina Dalfonzo is an author whose work has been featured in First Things, The Atlantic, Christianity Today, The Weekly Standard, National Review, The Gospel Coalition, and more! Gina has written a new book called Dorothy and Jack: The Transforming Friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers and C. S. Lewis which is the topic of discussion on today’s episode. Angelina opens the conversation asking Gina to share how she came to write this book exploring the relationship between Lewis and Sayers. (Affiliate links are used in this content.) Other topics explored in this episode are the following: the influence of Oxford in Dorothy Sayers’ life and work, how Dorothy and Jack finally met one another, Lewis’ personal distaste for detective novels, and his praise for Sayers’ other work. They also talk at length about how Sayers and Lewis support each other in pushing the boundaries of their literary careers. Find Gina Dalfonzo:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ginadalfonzo.author Twitter: https://twitter.com/ginadalfonzo Commonplace Quotes:
They Told Me Heraclitusby William Johnson Cory They told me, Heraclitus, they told me you were dead, Book List:Dorothy and Jack by Gina Dalfonzo The Gospel in Dickens by Gina Dalfonzo The Way Up is Down by Marlena Graves Writing for the Masses by Christine A. Colón The Towers of Trebizond by Rose Macaulay Are Women Human by Dorothy Sayers Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers Phantastes by George MacDonald Letters to an American Lady by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Sep 01, 2020 |
Episode 61: Til We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis, Ch. 1-2
01:12:30
Today on The Literary Life Podcast, we begin our new series on C. S. Lewis’ masterpiece, Til We Have Faces. (Affiliate links are used in this content.) This week, Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks cover the first two chapters and share their observations as they reread this oftentimes challenging book. To help us gain a framework for this novel, Thomas summarizes the myth of Cupid and Psyche, the first telling of which is found in The Golden Ass by Apuleius. Angelina shares about some similarities in this myth with several familiar fairy tales. Cindy points out how Lewis changes some key pieces of the story to make it less mythical and more tethered to historical time and place. In opening the first chapter, Angelina tells her theory about this being a story about a character finding her identity as she looks back on her life. Our hosts talk about the strange nature of the paganism in Glome and also the interesting role of The Fox. They point out many of the classical Greek references that we need to pay attention to as we read this story. Tune in next week for a special interview episode with the author of Dorothy and Jack, Gina Dalfonzo. Following that, we will be back with chapters 3-5 of Till We Have Faces. Commonplace Quotes:
Songby John Donne Go and catch a falling star, If thou be’st born to strange sights, If thou find’st one, let me know, 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Aug 25, 2020 |
Episode 60: Why Read Pagan Myths
01:20:09
Today on The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina Stanford and Cindy Rollins are having a conversation about why everyone ought to read myths. Angelina begins by explaining what a myth is in terms of literary genre. She talks about the characteristics that run through myths, such as explanations of origins and natural phenomena, common characters, and a universe that hangs together. Cindy poses a question about why we have come to interpret the word myth to mean something untrue since the time of the Enlightenment. Angelina helps parents feel more confident about their children’s ability to know the difference between reality and fantasy. Cindy talks about how knowing mythology is a key to understanding other stories and literature. Unfolding a portion of church history, Angelina explains how early Christians wrestled with pagan stories and Old Testament stories at the same time. When we go looking only for morality tales in the Bible, Cindy points out, then we miss the main idea. Getting a bit more practical, Angelina gives some examples of the role of pre-Christian storytellers who pointed to the Truth. Be sure to be back next week for the beginning of our series on Til We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis, in which we will be covering chapters 1 and 2. (Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) Commonplace Quotes:
from “Mythopoeia”by J. R. R. Tolkien The heart of Man is not compound of lies, Book List:A Dish of Orts by George MacDonald “Myth Became Fact” by C. S. Lewis The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis Wings and the Child by Edith Nesbit Paradise Lost by John Milton The Aeneid by Virgil The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri 50 Famous Stories by James Baldwin English Literature for Boys and Girls by H. E. Marshall D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths Tanglewood Tales and A Wonder Book by Nathaniel Hawthorn Til We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Aug 18, 2020 |
Episode 59: "Leaf by Niggle" by J. R. R. Tolkien, Part 2
01:23:41
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks continue their discussion of J. R. R. Tolkien’s short story “Leaf by Niggle“. If you missed the Back to School 2020 Conference when it was live, you can still purchase access to the recordings at CindyRollins.net. Angelina opens the book chat highlighting Tolkien’s mirroring of Dante’s Divine Comedy with Niggle’s journey, and our hosts move through a recap of the story. The questions we should be asking as we read are whether this story deals with the recovery of our vision and whether it ends with a eucatastrophe. Cindy brings out more of the autobiographical nature of this story for Tolkien. Angelina tosses around the idea that Parish and Niggle may be doubles and be a picture of Tolkien’s two selves. Thomas talks about what Niggle has to do in the “purgatory” section of the story. They also talk about the themes of art and the artist, sub-creation, and redemption. Come back next week to hear a discussion about why we ought to read myths. Commonplace Quotes:
On the Death of Dr. Robert Levetby Samuel Johnson Condemned to Hope’s delusive mine, Well tried through many a varying year, Yet still he fills Affection’s eye, When fainting Nature called for aid, In Misery’s darkest cavern known, No summons mocked by chill delay, His virtues walked their narrow round, The busy day, the peaceful night, Then with no throbbing fiery pain, Book List:(Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) Rudyard Kipling by Hilton Brown A Dish of Orts by George MacDonald Catch-22 by Joseph Heller When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis Paradise Lost by John Milton Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R. Tolkien 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Aug 11, 2020 |
Episode 58: "Leaf by Niggle" by J. R. R. Tolkien, Part 1
01:11:01
Welcome to another episode of The Literary Life with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks. Both this week and next, our hosts will be discussing J. R. R. Tolkien's short story "Leaf by Niggle". When this episode goes live, Cindy, Angelina and Thomas will be in the thick of the second annual Back to School Online Conference, happening August 3-8, 2020. It's not too late to register at CindyRollins.net for access both this week and later on! Angelina sets the stage with a little historical background on Tolkien’s writing of this story as well as some thoughts on allegory and how to read a fairy tale. She talks about this story as an exploration of the struggle of the ideals and demands of art against the demands of practical life and the question of whether or not art is useful. Cindy shares her ideas about the importance of the Inklings for Tolkien to get his work out into the world. Angelina shares about the type of journey on which the main character, Niggle, is called to go on in this story. As you read, we encourage you to look for how Tolkien harmonizes the different tensions within the story. Commonplace Quotes:
Miltonby Edward Muir Milton, his face set fair for Paradise, Book List:Formation of Character by Charlotte Mason When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis Planet Narnia by Michael Ward The Company They Keep by Diana Pavlac Glyer Smith of Wooten Major by J. R. R. Tolkien Farmer Giles of Ham by J. R. R. Tolkien Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R. Tolkien A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte Spirits in Bondage by C. S. Lewis Enemies of Promise by Cyril Connolly 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Aug 04, 2020 |
Episode 57: On Fairy Stories by J. R. R. Tolkien
01:37:59
Today on The Literary Life podcast, we will be discussing J. R. R. Tolkien’s essay “On Fairy Stories“. Tune in again over the next two weeks as we continue the conversation with Tolkien’s short story “Leaf by Niggle“. Cindy, Angelina and Thomas are also excited to announce the second annual Back to School Online Conference, happening August 3-8, 2020. Register today at CindyRollins.net for access both live and later. Angelina sets the stage for this discussion by orienting us to the context for the essay by Tolkien as a critique of what is considered a fairy story. She points out the difference between cautionary tales like those by Charles Perrault and the German folk and fairy tales collected by the Grimm Brothers. Our hosts highlight Tolkien’s definition of true fairy stories, ones that take place in the “perilous realm” and involve a journey element. He critiques Andrew Lang as including many stories as fairy tale that are not truly fairy stories. They also discuss topics from the essay including sub-creation, magic and spells, suspension of disbelief, and children’s responses to fairy stories. Commonplace Quotes:
Into My Heart an Air That Killsby A. E. Houseman Into my heart an air that kills That is the land of lost content, Book List:(Amazon affiliate links) When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning Culture Care by Makoto Fujimura Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum David Copperfield by Charles Dickens The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare Bandersnatch by Diana Pavlac Glyer The Company They Keep by Diana Pavlac Glyer Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis Til We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis Phantastes by George MacDonald 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jul 28, 2020 |
Episode 56: The Literary Life of Emily Raible
01:32:52
Today on The Literary Life Podcast, our hosts Angelina and Cindy chat with Emily Raible. First, though, they announce our #20for2020LitLife reading challenge giveaway winners! If you were one of our winners, please email Cindy at Rollinsfamily11(at)gmail(dot)com to give her your contact information and get your prize! Also, coming up August 3-7, 2020, we will be having our second annual Back to School Online Conference. This year’s featured speaker will be Karen Glass. Register at CindyRollins.net to get access live or later! Our guest today is Lit Life “superfan” Emily Raible. 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. 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. Stay tuned next week when we will be discussing Tolkein’s essay “On Fairy Stories“, followed by a conversation about his short story “Leaf by Niggle” for the next two weeks. Listen to The Literary Life:Commonplace Quotes:
Armies in the Fireby Robert Louis Stevenson The lamps now glitter down the street; Now in the falling of the gloom Armies march by tower and spire Then once again the glow returns; Blinking embers, tell me true Book List:(Amazon affiliate links) Tremendous Trifles by G. K. Chesterton Culture Care by Makoto Fujimura Rascal by Sterling North Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Poppy Ott by Leo Edwards Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare The Once and Future King by T. H. White The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkein The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Mansfield Park by Jane Austen Howards End by E. M. Forster The Divine Comedy by Dante (trans. by Dorothy Sayers) Illiad and Odyssey by Homer The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf Why Should Businessmen Read Great Literature? by Vigen Guroian The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy Are Women Human? by Dorothy Sayers Confessions by Augustine Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Babe the Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jul 21, 2020 |
Episode 55: 20 for 2020 Reading Challenge Check-In
01:30:11
Welcome to our 20 for 2020 Reading Challenge Check-In episode! Before we dig into the content, Angelina announces Thomas’ next webinar coming up this summer, “The Fable: From Aesop to Brer Rabbit.” Sign up at HouseofHumaneLetters.com to find out when registration opens! After a brief discussion on the merits of reading fiction, our hosts begin listing what they have read in each category of the 20 for 2020 Reading Challenge so far. This episode is brimming over with book references, so be sure to scroll down to the book list any titles you might have missed! Enter our 20 for 2020 Reading Challenge giveaway! Take a photo of your reading stack or your printed list with titles you are reading and post it to Instagram or Facebook with the tag #20for2020LitLife. We will announce our winners on the next episode of the podcast! We can’t wait to see what you are reading for the challenge! Commonplace Quotes:
I Remember, I Rememberby Thomas Hood I remember, I remember, I remember, I remember, I remember, I remember, I remember, I remember, Book List:Amazon affiliate links are used in this content. A London Child of the Seventies by M. V. Hughes Centuries of Meditations by Thomas Traherne The Mother Tongue by George Lyman Kittredge The Darkest Hour (film) The Winter’s Tale by Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona by Shakespeare The Comedy of Errors by Shakespeare Titus Andronicus by Shakespeare The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare MacBeth by Shakespeare A Question of Proof by Nicholas Blake Simon Serraille Mystery Series by Susan Hill Ian Rutledge Mystery Series by Charles Todd The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill Howards End is on the Landing by Susan Hill The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie Black Wings Has My Angel by Elliot Chaze The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher Koshka’s Tales: Stories from Russia by James Mayhew Plainsong by Kent Haruf Munich by Robert Harris Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett Taras Bulba by Nicolai Gogol This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers Plain Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling The Collected Stories of Caroline Gordon Penhally by Caroline Gordon The Life You Save May Be Your Own by Paul Elie Jeremy Taylor by Hugh Williamson Holy Living and Dying by Jeremy Taylor Swinburne by Harold Nicolson Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon The Terrible Speed of Mercy by Jonathan Rogers The Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers The Path of Loneliness by Elisabeth Elliot Reflections on the Psalms by C. S. Lewis Anatomy of Criticism by Northrup Frye Bandersnatch by Diana Pavlac Glyer The Company They Keep by Diana Pavlac Glyer The Personal Heresy by C. S. Lewis and E. M. Tillyard The Elizabethan World Picture by E. M. Tillyard The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Ibn Fadlan and The Land of Darkness by Ibn Fadlan The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima An Anthology of Invective and Abuse by Hugh Kingsmill Penmarric by Susan Howatch The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) The Faerie Queen by Edmund Spencer The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde The Clouds by Aristophanes Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury Mystery and Manners by Flannery O’Connor Love in the Void by Simone Weil The Fine Art of Reading by David Cecil Abigail by Magda Szabo The Towers of Trebizond by Rose Macaula The Turmoil (Growth Trilogy #1) by Booth Tarkington The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington Middlemarch by George Eliot Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge To Bless The Space Between Us by John O’Donohue The Word in the Wilderness by Malcolm Guite Tenebrea by Geoffrey Hill Along Came a Spider by James Patterson Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Stories of Anton Chekhov by Anton Chekhov The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jun 30, 2020 |
Episode 54: Our Favorite Poems
01:22:09
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. 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. Next week our hosts will be checking in with their 20 for 2020 Reading Challenge progress, and we hope you will share your progress on Instagram and Facebook, too. Hint: there will be giveaways! Affiliate links are used in this content. Commonplace Quotes:
Reading in War Timeby Edwin Muir Boswell by my bed, Book List:A Little Manual for Knowing by Esther Lightcap Meek The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare Songs of Innocence and of Experience by William Blake The Book of Virtues by William Bennett Cautionary Tales for Children by Hilaire Belloc When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne Now We are Six by A. A. Milne Emma by Jane Austen Immortal Poems of the English Language ed. by Oscar Williams Motherland by Sally Thomas 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jun 23, 2020 |
Episode 53: The Trojan Women, Part 2
01:27:14
Welcome to the second part of our discussion of Euripides’ The Trojan Women here on The Literary Life podcast. This week Angelina, Cindy and Thomas really get into the meat of the play. If you missed last week’s introduction episode, you will want to go back and listen to that first to set the stage, so to speak. Cindy and Angelina talk about how much emotion is evoked by Euripides’ portrayal of these women and their situation. Thomas brings in some of the surrounding myths that connect to the characters in this play, as well. Angelina and Cindy highlight the characteristics of Hecuba and Andromache amidst such trying circumstances. In discussing Helen’s role in the play, Cindy mentions a short story C. S. Lewis wrote about Helen of Troy called “After Ten Years.” It can be found in The Dark Tower: and Other Stories and Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories. Our hosts share their emotional responses to the utter heartbreak of the mothers on top of the demise of Troy itself. (Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) Commonplace Quotes:
All the World’s a Stageby William Shakespeare All the world’s a stage, Book List:The Trojan Women by Euripides Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason The Terrible Speed of Mercy by Jonathan Rogers As You Like It by William Shakespeare Agamemnon by Aeschylus Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripedes The Illiad by Home The Aeneid by Virgil The Trojan Women (film) starring Katharine Hepburn The Dark Tower: and Other Stories by C. S. Lewis Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jun 16, 2020 |
Episode 52: Intro to Greek Drama and The Trojan Women
01:28:06
Welcome to the first episode in our series on Greek drama and The Trojan Women by Euripides. Classicist Thomas Banks will be leading the discussion with Angelina Stanford and Cindy Rollins asking questions and adding their own thoughts along the way. If you enjoy these podcasts, you can also check out the HouseofHumaneLetters.com for the summer intensive on Classical Greek Drama. Thomas begins with some background on the development on Greek drama in history. He also explains the role of the chorus in typical Greek plays in contrast to how Euripides uses it in this play. He then gives us a little biographical information on Euripides and places him, along with the other Greek dramatists, in the context of history. He also talks about the questions of theodicy that come up in The Trojan Women and other of Euripides’ works. Thomas points out some resources to give readers background on Greek mythology and characters you will see in these plays. He continues with a brief overview of the Trojan War. Our host wrap up with some thoughts on the prologue of The Trojan Women. Commonplace Quotes:
The Wife of Flandersby G. K. Chesterton Low and brown barns, thatched and repatched and tattered, You, staring at your sword to find it brittle, Must I for more than carnage call you claimant, What is the price of that red spark that caught me How should I pay for one poor graven steeple Unhappy, can I give you back your honour? Not any more in vengeance or in pardon Book List:(Amazon affiliate links) Trojan Women by Euripides The Go-Between by L. P. Hartley Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry The Three Theban Plays by Sophocles The Oresteia by Aeschylus The Bacchae by Euripides Mythology by Edith Hamilton 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jun 09, 2020 |
Episode 51: Discussing Simone Weil's Essay on Education
01:47:37
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life podcast, our hosts have a converation about Simone Weil’s essay “Reflections on the Right Use of School Studies with a View to the Love of God“. Angelina Stanford opens this discussion talking about stories as a lens to see other perspectives, rather than our own. Thomas Banks gives some biographical information on Simone Weil. Cindy Rollins highlights the connections she made from this essay to Charlotte Mason and Stratford Caldecott, especially in regards to attention and remembrance. They talk about the problems of being counter-cultural in education, pride versus humility as an end of education, and training of the will. Cindy and Angelina emphasize the importance of the work of education over “making the grade.” Thomas reads a quote from Weil on keeping periods of focused work brief, and Cindy expounds on how this concept was also very important to Charlotte Mason. Angelina talks about her own conviction in reading Weil’s words about learning from those subjects which do not come easily for us. The conversation wraps up with our hosts talking about waiting on God instead of trying to force results, in all areas of our lives. Until next time, check out our Upcoming Events page to view our summer schedule and see what we will be reading together next! Don’t forget to check out the summer courses and webinars that Angelina and Thomas have coming up over at HouseofHumaneLetters.com! Commonplace Quotes:
Peaceby Henry Vaughn My Soul, there is a country Book List:(Affiliate links are used in this content.) C. S. Lewis: Images of His World by Douglas R. Gilbert and Clyde Kilby Tending the Heart of Virtue by Vigen Guroian Phantastes by George MacDonald Beauty in the Word by Stratford Caldecott Range by David Epstein Love in the Void by Simone Weil Trojan Women by Euripedes 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Jun 02, 2020 |
Episode 50: The Great Divorce, Ch. 11-14
01:30:41
This week on The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas wrap up their discussion of C. S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce with the final chapters 11-14. Before starting their talk about the book, Cindy shares about her upcoming Summer Discipleship Program, Morning Time for Moms. Angelina and Thomas also have some exciting summer courses coming up on Classical Greek Drama and Flannery O’Connor. Also, this Thursday, May 21, 2020, Thomas is giving a webinar on George Orwell. Cindy and Angelina talk about the dangers of familial love becoming the end-all-be-all, as well as Lewis’ exploration of Dante’s idea of sin. They go in depth with this exploration of sin as a distortion of something that might naturally seem good and the way Lewis pairs people to demonstrate that in these chapters. Angelina talks about the medieval view of ordered man versus the disordered man and how that relates to the man with the horse. They wrap up with the importance of stories in depicting truth in a veiled way, instead of only theological argument and discourse, in helping us live out our faith in a properly ordered way. Until next time, check out our Upcoming Events page to view our summer schedule and see what we will be reading together next! Commonplace Quotes:
There is a Pleasure in the Pathless Woodsby Lord Byron There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, Book List:Amazon affiliate links are used in this content. A London Child of the Seventies by M. V. Hughes Cautionary Tales for Children by Hilaire Belloc An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley The Good Companions by J. B. Priestley Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry Paradise Lost by John Milton A Preface to Paradise Lost by C. S. Lewis The Allegory of Love by C. S. Lewis A Woman of the Pharisees by François Mauriac Perelandra by C. S. Lewis That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
May 19, 2020 |
Episode 49: The Great Divorce, Ch. 7-10
01:30:29
On The Literary Life podcast today, our hosts Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks discuss chapters 7-10 of C. S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce. Angelina points out the way in which Lewis uses the “newcomer” character to explain the world he has created. They discuss the various personalities Lewis presents who choose not to take the journey to heaven, sharing how these sketches often hit a little too close to home. They also talk about the influence of George MacDonald on Lewis and his role in this story. Thomas helps us make some connections with Lewis and Virgil, as well as explaining some of the references made by MacDonald’s character. Cindy points out how our loves can be entryways into either heaven or hell. Join us again next week as we finish up our discussion of The Great Divorce together! (Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) Commonplace Quotes:
To The Skylarkby William Wordsworth Ethereal minstrel! pilgrim of the sky! Leave to the nightingale her shady wood; Book List:Letters to an American Lady by C. S. Lewis Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh Pro Archia Poeta by Cicero Farmer Giles of Ham by J. R. R. Tolkien The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis Psychomachia by Prudentius Holy Living and Dying by Jeremy Taylor Satires of Circumstance by Thomas Hardy 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
May 12, 2020 |
Episode 48: The Great Divorce, Ch. 2-6
01:21:04
On The Literary Life podcast today, our hosts Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks discuss chapters 2-6 of C. S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce. Angelina reminds us as we begin this exploration of Lewis’ narrative not to read too much theology into the details of this dreamlike world he creates. Cindy points out the similarities between these chapters and his descriptions at the end of The Last Battle. Thomas highlights the passage on Napoleon from chapter 2, showing what Lewis envisioned hell to be like. Angelina, Cindy and Thomas talks about the description of the land near heaven, the various characters’ responses, as well as the weight of the actual environment and Lewis’ picture of those who people it. (Affiliate links are used in this content.) Commonplace Quotes:
The Stricken Deerby William Cowper I was a stricken deer, that left the herd Book List:Unhitching from the Crazy Train by Julie Sparkman Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis The Personal Heresy by C. S. Lewis and E. M. Tillyard East of Eden by John Steinbeck The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis Tramp for the Lord by Corrie Ten Boom Paradise Lost by John Milton The Brook Kerith by George Moore 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
May 05, 2020 |
Episode 47: The Great Divorce, Preface & Ch. 1
01:23:55
On The Literary Life podcast today, Cindy Rollins, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks begin their series on The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis. Today you are going to get a crash-course in Medievalism through Lewis’ story, and we hope you will enjoy this book as much as our hosts do. Angelina kicks off the discussion even while sharing her commonplace quote, sharing some information about the epigraph and front matter. She gives us some historical context, both for where this books comes in Lewis’ own timeline, as well as some ideas of the journey of the soul and medieval dream literature. Thomas gives some background on Prudentius and his allegorical work The Psychomachia. Angelina goes into some comparisons between The Great Divorce and Dante’s Divine Comedy. Thomas talks about Nathanial Hawthorne’s short story The Celestial Railroad as a satire of Pilgrim’s Progress. Also, if you haven’t read and listened to E. M. Forster’s Celestial Omnibus, see Episode 17. As they get into discussing the Preface, Thomas give us some information on William Blake. We will be back next week with a discussion on Chapters 2-6. Listen to The Literary Life:Commonplace Quotes:
MCMXIVby Philip Larkin Those long uneven lines And the shut shops, the bleached And the countryside not caring: Never such innocence, Book List:Amazon affiliate links are used in this content. The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald The Personal Heresy by C. S. Lewis and E. M. Tillyard The Aeneid by Virgil The Divine Comedy by Dante Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan The Holy War by John Bunyan Ourselves by Charlotte Mason A Preface to Paradise Lost by C. S. Lewis The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake Paradise Lost by John Milton Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis Thanks to Our Sponsor:This episode is brought to you by New College Franklin. We want to encourage you to check out their 2020 Spring Preview Days happening online via Zoom conferencing. 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Apr 28, 2020 |
Episode 46: "The Importance of Being Earnest" Act 3
01:22:30
On today’s episode of The Literary Life podcast, our fearless hosts discuss Oscar Wilde’s unraveling of the tangle of plot points in Act 3 of The Importance of Being Earnest. Cindy Rollins talks about her reaction to Act 3 and how it gets resolved. Thomas Banks observes how Wilde sets up the conflict with the possibility to become a tragedy like Oedipus Rex instead of a comedy. Angelina Stanford talks about the theme of the identity quest, tokens of identity and foundlings in literature. The conversation, as in previous episodes, centers around the way Wilde pokes fun at Victorian ideals and cliches. Commonplace Quotes:
Easter Wingsby George Herbert Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store, Book List:Beauty in the Word by Stratford Caldecott Oedipus Rex by Sophocles The White Company by Arthur Conan Doyle Brigadier Gerard by Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Nigel by Arthur Conan Doyle Howards End by E. M. Forster Bleak House by Charles Dickens A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis Thanks to Our Sponsor:This episode is brought to you by New College Franklin. We want to encourage you to check out their 2020 Spring Preview Days happening online via Zoom conferencing. 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Apr 21, 2020 |
Episode 45: "The Importance of Being Earnest" Act 2
01:24:31
On today’s episode of The Literary Life podcast, Cindy, Thomas and Angelina cover Act 2 of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Angelina is excited to share her research on the connection between the work of Oscar Wilde and P. G. Wodehouse. Cindy brings up Booth Tarkington’s Penrod books as another example of witty, humorous literature. Thomas points out the importance of cultural lens for appreciating humor in art. They also talk about all the puns that Wilde gives his characters in this play. Angelina discusses the reformed rake motif in Victorian literature and how Wilde plays with this theme. Thomas gives a little background on the mentions of lending libraries and the three-volume novel. Cindy talks about the parallels between the Victorians’ high view of earnestness and our modern valuation of transparency. Angelina contrasts Oscar Wilde and his contemporary Thomas Hardy in the way that Wilde handles heavy topics with a light touch. They all agree that Wilde has an almost Shakespearean plot in complexity and manages to pull it all together at the end. Listen to The Literary Life:Commonplace Quotes:
Ye Meaner Beautiesby Sir Henry Wotton Ye meaner beauties of the night, Ye curious chanters of the wood, Ye violets that first appear, So, when my mistress shall be seen Book List:(Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) Letters to an American Lady by C. S. Lewis The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewi Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens Pamela by Samuel Richardson Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Tom Jones by Henry Fielding The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Psmith, Journalist by P. G. Wodehouse 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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
|
Apr 14, 2020 |
Episode 44: "The Importance of Being Earnest" Act 1
01:27:02
This week on The Literary Life podcast, our hosts dive into Act 1 of Oscar Wilde’s satirical play The Importance of Being Earnest. Angelina, Cindy and Thomas share their commonplace quotes, which leads into a conversation on education before they begin talking about the play. Thomas talks about the name of the play as well as the name “Ernest” in context of this time period. Angelina highlights her excitement of noticing the connection between Wilde’s humor and P. G. Wodehouse. Angelina talks about the changing roles of social classes in the late Victorian age and how that comes into this story. Our hosts go through this first act and discuss the social conventions at which Wilde is poking fun. Commonplace Quotes:
Kew Gardensby D. M. Black (in memory of Ian Armstrong Black, d. 1971) Distinguished scientist, to whom I greatly defer ‘The leaves are green in summer because of chlorophyll Book List:Amazon affiliate links are used in this content. The Lays of Ancient Rome by Thomas Macaulay The Modern Painters, Vol. 3 by John Ruskin Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis “A Few Maxims for the Instruction of the Over-Educated” by Oscar Wilde Hard Times by Charles Dickens The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton The Allegory of Love by C. S. Lewis 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Apr 07, 2020 |
Episode 43: The Literary World of Oscar Wilde
01:18:59
On today's episode of The Literary Life, our hosts, Cindy Rollins, Thomas Banks and Angelina Stanford introduce us to Oscar Wilde and our next literary selection, his satirical play The Importance of Being Earnest. They begin with a discussion on the purpose of art and literature in depicting truth without preaching it at us, making so many connections along the way. Thomas gives us a biographical sketch of Oscar Wilde, both his life and work. Angelina expands on the emphasis on respectability in Victorian society. Cindy talks about her first experience with reading Oscar Wilde and the accessibility of his plays. Commonplace Quotes:
E Tenebris (Out of the Shadows)by Oscar Wilde Come down, O Christ, and help me! reach thy hand, Book List:Amazon affiliate links are used in this content. Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John Little Pilgrim’s Progress by Helen Taylor The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe Marius the Epicurean by Walter Pater The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde Esther Waters by George Moore Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy David Copperfield by Charles Dickens 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 31, 2020 |
TLLepisode42 mixdown
01:17:59
In light of the recent changes to all our lives, The Literary Life crew is breaking from the previously announced schedule to discuss the importance of stories in times of crisis. But first, we want you to know about a special gift from Cindy Rollins. You can download a PDF copy of her Handbook of Morning Time for free by visiting her shop here. You can also purchase the replays of the Re-Enchanting the World online conference at HouseofHumaneLetters.com. Angelina talks about the impulse of humanity to turn to stories during time of upheaval and plague. Cindy points out the need we have for an ordered universe, and that this is one of the things good books provide. Together with Thomas, they discuss how important it is to find stories that reassure us that there is order and redemption to come. They also give some recommendations for personal reading as well as family read-alouds for these challenging times. Finally, our hosts give us an update with how they are doing with their own 20 for 2020 Reading Challenge lists. If you would like more bonus content, especially our new monthly live chats called “All Fellows Eve”, become a Patreon supporter of The Literary Life! Listen to The Literary Life:Commonplace Quotes:
Sonnet 6by William Shakespeare Tir’d with all these, for restful death I cry, Book List:Amazon affiliate links are used in this content. The Company They Keep by Diana Pavlock Glyer Tolkien: Man and Myth by Joseph Pierce The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tokien Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis The Kingfisher book of Tales from Russia by James Mayhew Little Pilgrim’s Progress by Helen Taylor Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John The Discarded Image by C. S. Lewis Few Eggs and No Oranges by Vera Hodgson Cider for Rosie by Laurie Lee Plainsong by Kent Haruf Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 24, 2020 |
Episode 41: The Art of Writing, Part 2
01:05:05
Welcome back to The Literary Life Podcast and our discussion of the Art of Writing! If you missed last week’s discussion, you can go back and catch up here. We start off today with Angelina Stanford asking Karen Glass about the principles of good writing. Karen talks a bit about William Zinsser and his ideas about writing and education. Our hosts give some practical encouragement to the average homeschool parent listening to this conversation. Cindy highlights the value of waiting to teach specific skills until students are old enough to process them. Angelina, Cindy and Karen talk about narration in the Charlotte Mason education, its benefits and its challenges. They emphasize the importance of guiding children to think well instead of just learning mechanical skills devoid of context. Angelina brings up the sensitive topic of assessing and grading writing. Karen leaves us with a challenge to narrate this podcast discussion in writing in order to apply what you've learned! Loving In Truthby Sir Philip Sydney Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show, Book List:Writing to Learn by William Zinsser 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 17, 2020 |
Episode 40: The Art of Writing, Part 1
01:16:55
This week on The Literary Life podcast, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas sit down with Karen Glass for a conversation centering on the topic of writing. They discuss the problem of trying to teach writing in a formulaic way. They also talk about the challenge of helping students learn to think well in order to write well. Karen highlights narration as a tool to teach thinking well in the form of oral composition. Cindy digs into the idea of imitation as an integral part of the learning process. Angelina and Karen both emphasize the importance of addressing skill and form on an individual basis, depending on what your student needs to improve. Tune in again next week for Part 2 of this great conversation! Listen to The Literary Life:Commonplace Quotes:
Follow Your Saintby Thomas Campion Follow your saint, follow with accents sweet; All that I sung still to her praise did tend, Book List:Amazon Affiliate links are used in this content. Manual of Composition and Rhetoric edited by Gardiner, Kittredge and Arnold Home Education by Charlotte Mason Know and Tell by Karen Glass On Writing Well by William Zinsser Writing to Learn by William Zinsser Range by David Epstein 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 https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! 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 |
Mar 10, 2020 |
Episode 39: The Literary Life of Karen Glass
01:49:58
On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Angelina and Cindy interview Karen Glass. Karen is part of the Advisory of AmblesideOnline. She has four children, ages 13 to 27, who have been homeschooled using Charlotte Mason’s methods from beginning to end. She has been studying and writing about Charlotte Mason and Classical Education for over twenty years, and has written Consider This to share the most important things she has discovered about the connection between them. We are giving away a copy of her newest book, In Vital Harmony, to 2 lucky listeners who share about this podcast episode on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #invitalharmony. After sharing their commonplace quotes, our hosts dive into this conversation with Karen about how she |