The Inklings Variety Hour: Recent Episodes
The Inklings Variety Hour
Welcome to “The Inklings Variety Hour,” where a handful of amateur enthusiasts read and discuss the works of the Inklings and their friends. We are not experts in Tolkien, Lewis, Williams, or Barfield, but here we are anyway, giving you our opinion on their works. Hey, it’s not like Peter, Susan, Edmund, or Lucy had had much monarchical experience, and by all accounts, their reign was a golden one.
Everyone else is reviewing Nolan's Odyssey. At least I'm doing it the way Alexander Pope would.
THE ARGUMENT.
As Prologue to a Critique of Nolan’s The Odyssey, the Versifier discusses the Problem of Partisanship and its effect on our aesthetic Judgement. He addresses the bleak Tone of the Film and unpoetic Quality of Nolan’s Dialogue while discussing its many Strengths. He then names further Weaknesses, suggests that this is less an Epic than a Greek Tragedy based on Homer, or even perhaps a kind of Northern Saga. He also implies that these very Deviations from Homer might in Time become part of the eternal Matter of Troy. Yet he calls for more Films that give us, not an applicable Message, but a new World, which alone has the power to broaden our Sympathies and make us new People.
If you want to read this review in verse, you can find it on my Substack, which is here: Pipkin's Miscellany. You can subscribe for free.
But how does this connect to the Inklings? Well, Tolkien also used rhyming couplets when he wanted to make a point or two to his friend C.S. Lewis about how myths work. So there's that.
I'll see you all soon for a deep dive into C.S. Lewis' longest work.
By the way, the music throughout is from the soundtrack to The Odyssey, which is very good.
Chris talks with Jonathan Geltner about the best (but still flawed) adaptation of The Hobbit.
Get ready for...your greatest adventure!
Among other things, we discuss:
1:32 — The 1977 NBC broadcast
2:31 — Childhood memories of the cartoon
5:48 — Rankin/Bass as directors
5:58 — Rankin's "no additions" philosophy
6:15 — Top Craft & the Studio Ghibli connection
7:39 — Music & the folk singer-songwriter style
8:11 — Critical reception & Hugo nomination
8:36 — What the adaptation kept vs. omitted
9:00 — Songs as background vs. foreground
12:10 — "Greatest Adventure" as anti-escapist message
20:01 — Fantasy's cultural status in the 1970s
21:59 — The Hobbit's cohesion vs. "episodic" label
25:57 — Bilbo's shifting narrative voice in Mirkwood
27:57 — Mirkwood: the weakest section
32:01 — Omitting Beorn & the Arkenstone's consequences
41:07 — Character designs: what works, what doesn't
46:54 — The Wood Elves' unusual look
51:59 — Star Wars, fantasy, and mainstream credibility
55:29 — Tolkien's "long ago in the quiet of the world"
1:00:53 — Oral storytelling tradition vs. film immersion
1:01:44 — One swap: what would you put back?
1:06:30 — Mental visualization & imaginative experience
To read Jonathan's Substack, click here: https://jonathangeltner.substack.com/
To read my (far less illustrious) Substack, click here: https://pipkinsmiscellany.substack.com/
To buy Jonathan's first book, click here: https://slantbooks.org/books/absolute-music/
To email me, click inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
Friend of the show Connor Salter joins me to talk about his new book, The Other Inklings, a book of interviews with current Inklings scholars about C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, and other figures connected with their circle(s). Among other things, we discuss:
- 3:44 About the book
- 4:39 How the book came to be
- 9:58 Why these scholars & figures?
- 14:28 Tolkien's English Catholicism
- 17:20 George MacDonald & Chesterton as influences
- 21:29 Why so much focus on William Lindsay Gresham?
- 24:59 Gresham, Joy Davidman & Dianetics
- 28:20 Surprising finds: Charles Williams & moral failure
- 30:06 Separating the art from the artist
- 35:47 Most formative scholar: Joe Ricke
- 37:32 Owen Barfield & anthroposophy
- 46:01 Barfield's "evolution of consciousness"
- 48:55 The Victorian Occult Revival
- 53:47 Outro & book plug
- 56:08 Deleted Scenes
In other news--I have a Substack, now, where I talk about a wide variety of things. Feel free to subscribe.
As always, if you like the show, please rate it on iTunes. And feel free to drop me a line anytime at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you.
Chris talks with Jonathan Geltner and Eric Geddes about Owen Barfield's fairy tale, The Silver Trumpet--which has the distinction of being the first fairy tale written by an Inkling.
Among other things, we discuss:
- Introduction (2:46) — The book, its context, and the new illustrated edition
- The Coat of Arms & the Faust Epigraph (10:41) — "Two souls dwell in my breast"
- The Twin Princesses (9:45) — Violetta, Gamboy, and the enchantment of Ms. Thompson
- The Silver Trumpet (21:46) — Prince Courtesy arrives; the trumpet's effect on both sisters
- Gamboy's Plot (34:43) — Revolution, the toad costume, and the death of Queen Violetta
- Prince Peerio & Princess Lily (43:09) — The second generation; falling in love with a portrait
- Overcoming the Toad (48:37) — Ms. Thompson's wisdom; Barfield's Goethean view of nature
- The Resolution (57:08) — Lily kisses the toad; the doppelganger reunited
- Music & Re-enchantment (1:04:49) — The five fiddlers scene
- Romance as a Self-Aware Genre (55:30) — Irony, editorial intrusion, and the storyteller's social occasion
- Why This Book, Why Now? (1:11:28) — The Silver Trumpet as the imaginative complement to Poetic Diction
- Closing Thoughts (1:27:17)
Next: The Other Inklings with Connor Salter!
Chris chats with Liz Zenger, program manager of The Inklings Project, which provides resources for professors, teachers, and other groups developing Inklings-related courses.
Also, by way of update, this just in from Liz herself:
This is currently live for 6-12 teachers! Goes along with your second to last question of the podcast :-)
Call for Proposals
Inklings Project Fellowship for 6-12 Teachers
Applications can be submitted via this link until Aug 1, 2026.
For the first time in its history, the Inklings Project, under the University of Notre Dame's McGrath Institute for Church Life, is opening its fellowship to middle school and high school educators. Previous cohorts have drawn from college and university faculty; this new two-year cohort, beginning in Fall 2026, will be made up of those who educate in grades 6–12. Middle and high school is when many readers first encounter C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien—and where an educator’s love for these authors can ripple outward to students, parents, and an entire school community.
View the Call for Proposals or visit www.inklingsproject.org/apply for more information on the fellowship and application requirements. Applications can be submitted via this link until August 1, 2026.
Among other things, we discuss:
- What The Inklings Project is (~0:53) — Liz explains the initiative: supporting faculty to create Inklings courses, providing grants, and building fellowship through a cohort model.
- The Wade Center at Wheaton College (~4:10) — The in-person annual gathering for fellows, housing original manuscripts, Tolkien's desk, Lewis's wardrobe, etc.
- Diverse faculty backgrounds (~6:30) — How professors from biology, business, public relations, and other non-literary fields are teaching Inklings courses, and why that breadth matters.
- The origin story of the project (~10:20) — Liz traces it from a CS Lewis course she took as a freshman at Brown, to founding a student society, to pitching the idea to Notre Dame's McGrath Institute.
- The challenge of reading loads & expanding to high schools (~17:30) — How professors handle the sheer volume of Inklings material, and the project's potential future cohort for high school and homeschool teachers.
Next Week: At long last, The Silver Trumpet!
Dr. Luke Mills joins me to talk about his article "His Dark Materials," as well as C.S. Lewis' nightmare imagery across his fiction. Among other things, we discuss:
- [2:08] – Welcome & guest introduction: Dr. Luke Mills, Associate Professor of English at Wingate University
- [2:57] – Dr. Mills's article: "His Dark Materials: C.S. Lewis's Nightmares as Inspiration"
- [4:10] – What drew Mills to the topic: Lewis's dreams of lions and the writing of Narnia
- [5:09] – Lewis's diary (All My Road Before Me) and the wolf-and-sheep nightmare (April 27, 1923)
- [6:13] – Reading of the wolf-and-sheep nightmare
- [7:07] – Lewis as an author of both heavenly beauty and horror
- [7:41] – The Unman in Perelandra and Lewis's vivid portrayal of evil
- [8:39] – How common were nightmares for Lewis? Insects, specters, and a lifelong pattern
- [10:29] – Lewis near death: vivid dreams and beautiful visions
- [11:38] – Etymology of "dream" and "nightmare" (Old English roots)
- [12:07] – Did Lewis think his dreams were spiritually significant?
- [12:46] – The Dark Tower and J.W. Dunne's Experiment with Time: precognitive dreams
- [15:21] – Lewis, Tolkien, and their shared interest in time and dreams
- [16:29] – Lewis's belief in precognitive dreams and his complicated relationship with Dunne's theories
- [17:22] – The Dark Tower: the chronoscope and alternate timelines
- [20:01] – Dreams as portals to other realities; Lewis's strong belief in the supernatural
- [22:07] – Lewis's imaginative receptivity; running toward and away from something
- [24:09] – Preface to Paradise Lost, letting the "leash slip," and Lewis's portrayal of evil
- [26:13] – Other nightmare imagery in Lewis: The Last Battle, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength
- [27:31] – Ransom's strange dream in Perelandra; the Unman as absurdist horror
- [30:17] – Lewis and the word "un-man": dreams about his dead father and Perelandra's antagonist
- [32:24] – Lewis's horror of corpses; childhood trauma of seeing his mother's body
- [34:10] – Zombie squirrels and a digression to Grove City College
- [37:11] – Are Lewis's nightmares demonic? Dreams of lions before Narnia
- [38:24] – Lewis, modernism, surrealism, and the via negativa
- [40:21] – Till We Have Faces: modernist technique and divinely sent nightmares
- [43:03] – Aslan as terrifying: the scratch in The Horse and His Boy
- [46:09] – Mark in the Objective Room at N.I.C.E.: nightmarish images turning him toward the good
- [47:12] – Closing thoughts; terror and the uncanny as paths toward the good
- [50:07] – Where to follow Dr. Mills; current research on Lewis's library at UNC (including Lewis's marginalia)
As always, if you want to get in touch, email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
Rate the show if you like it and haven't rated it yet.
Chris talks a bit about his first scholarly book, Monster Relics in Medieval English Literature, and what it has to do with Jimmy Stewart sneaking a Yeti finger past customs.
You can find it here. Be sure to enter the promo code "RELICS20" to get it for $40 rather than $50 before August 20.
A new full episode will appear Tuesday!
Dr. Leslie Baynes returns to the podcast to talk about biblical and literary allusions in (and origins of) The Magician's Nephew! If you haven't already, check out her book, Between Interpretation and Imagination: C.S. Lewis and the Bible.
Among other things, we discuss:
1:37 — Introductions Chris introduces Dr. Leslie Baynes — NT scholar, author on CS Lewis and the Bible.
3:30 — Stars, Singing & Job 38 Discussion of how Aslan's creation song echoes Job 38 ("the morning stars sang together"). Lewis loved this verse even as a teenage atheist.
6:07 — Hebrew Poetic Parallelism Leslie explains Hebrew poetic parallelism and the connection between "stars" and "sons of God" in Job. How this idea — that stars are divine beings — was widespread in the ancient world.
9:09 — Stars as Minor Gods in Narnia & Tolkien Voyage of the Dawn Treader's Ramandu as a retired star; comparison to Tolkien's Ainur singing creation into existence in the Silmarillion.
11:58 — E. Nesbit as a Source for Lewis Lewis openly based the Chronicles on E. Nesbit's children's books. The frame story of The Magician's Nephew (sick mother, absent father, magical adventure, happy resolution) follows Nesbit's formula exactly.
18:04 — The Wood Between the Worlds & Charn These sections feel less biblical; Charn likely drawn from Nesbit's The Amulet (children traveling through time to an ancient Near Eastern setting). The Wood Between the Worlds echoes Lewis's Mere Christianity hallway metaphor.
23:03 — Jadis/White Witch & Lilith Luke Mills found a passage in the medieval kabbalistic Alphabet of Ben Sira linking Lilith to a golden bell — possible indirect influence on Lewis's Witch origin story.
26:08 — Narnia's Creation vs. Genesis Aslan creates stars first — Lewis "correcting" the light-before-sun problem in Genesis 1. Frank and Helen as Adam & Eve; their children marrying nymphs and dryads resolves the "who did Cain marry?" puzzle.
31:22 — The Garden of the Hesperides The western garden in The Magician's Nephew blends the Garden of Eden with the Greek Garden of the Hesperides (Atlas's daughters, golden apples, a guardian dragon/serpent). Lewis changed the apples to silver — possibly echoing Yeats's "silver apples of the moon."
34:45 — Milton's Comus & Watchful Dragons Lewis adored Comus as a teenager. His famous "past watchful dragons" metaphor connects to the guardian dragon of the Hesperides (who keeps people away from the apples), inverting the Eden serpent (who tempts people toward the fruit).
39:48 — Joy, West, and the Last Battle The western garden = "Joy" (sehnsucht) for Lewis. In The Last Battle, the characters run west, then turn east to their final home — fulfilling joy rather than endlessly pursuing it. Same arc as The Pilgrim's Regress.
42:25 — Lewis as a "Magpie" Creator Lewis freely borrowed from everything — Nesbit, Milton, Job, the Hesperides — without apology. Discussion of his view (in Mere Christianity) that true originality comes from surrender to God, not self-invention.
45:43 — Pagan vs. Christian — A False Split Lewis (like Justin Martyr) believed all truth is God's truth. Anything good in "pagan" sources can be integrated into a Christian worldview — rejecting the idea that they must be kept entirely separate.
Jonathan Geltner and Luke Mills rejoin me to finish talking about The Magician's Nephew.
Meanwhile, Narnian troubadour Matt Wheeler joins us to share "Awake, Awake!"--the first of his seven songs from Narnia!
More details to come, but here's a quick summary of what we discuss:
Introduction & Reading 0:00 — Opening dramatic reading from The Magician's Nephew (Digory before Aslan)
Host & Guest Introductions 2:12 — Pipkin introduces Dr. Luke Mills and Jonathan Gelter; Jonathan's MFA program plug and novel update
Story Recap 3:39 — Summary of the book up to the current chapters (Charn, Jadis, Narnia's creation, lamppost origin)
Is Narnia "Fallen"? 6:34 — Discussion of Digory's guilt, the nature of Narnia's corruption, and parallels to Paradise Lost and Eden
Digory's Culpability 10:37 — Was Digory truly at fault? The enchanted bell, Aslan's judgment, and Jonathan's "defense counsel" argument
The Comic Sections: Animals & Uncle Andrew 15:40 — Critiquing Lewis's humor; Barfield's observation about Lewis's "undergraduate" comedy; Tolkien comparisons
The Cabby as First King of Narnia 20:21 — Why a working-class Cockney? Anti-urban sentiment in Lewis, WWI's influence, rural vs. city themes, and comparison to Sam Gamgee
Lewis, Tolkien & Shared Mythological Ideas 26:53 — Overlapping motifs (singing creation, protective trees, the rings); did Lewis borrow from Tolkien?
The Winged Horse & the Garden of Hesperides 27:56 — Aslan's tears scene; the walled garden and its inscription; parallels to Galadriel and the One Ring
Trees in Mythology & Religion 29:14 — Sacred trees across world cultures: Norse, Celtic, Greek, Irish paradise mythology, apples, and forests
Musical Guest: Matt Wheeler 36:19 — Original song inspired by Aslan's creation of Narnia; discussion of the source passage
Jadis Eats the Apple & the White Salt Image 46:05 — Jadis's "white as salt" description; what it conveys about her character and the apple's dark gift
Character of Jadis / The White Witch 53:32 — Her name (French "jadis" = "once upon a time"), Lilith parallels, satanic motivation, and the "dem fine woman" ending
Allegory, Plot Holes & Medieval Parallels 56:49 — Lewis's inconsistent allegory, Dante vs. Bunyan, and how medieval authors simply didn't care about plot consistency
The Ending: Digory's Mother, Uncle Andrew, and Redemption 1:01:27 — The apple healing his mother, Aslan's beatific vision, Uncle Andrew's comic/bittersweet conclusion, and the wardrobe's origin
Platonic Themes & the Wood Between the Worlds 1:06:41 — Aslan's Platonism, the multiverse question, ontological status of the secondary worlds, and the reference to Plato in The Last Battle
Netflix Adaptation Discussion 1:12:53 — Concerns about Greta Gerwig's adaptation; what changes would actually be welcome; Polly & Digory's relationship
Closing Remarks & What's Next 1:18:03 — Wrap-up, acknowledgments, upcoming Silver Trumpet episode
Chris welcomes back friend of the show Eric Geddes to talk about the second part of The Magician's Nephew.
Among other things, we discuss the following:
- Uncle Andrew's adult silliness
- Jadis, Hempress of Colney 'Atch!
- Why the Wood Between the Worlds affects Jadis the way it does
- Digory v. Edmund and Eustace
- Uncle Andrew and Renaissance Magic
- The Cabby's Hymn
- The Songs of Aslan
- Mixing of Mythologies
- Witches v. Hags in Narnia
Enjoy! I'll be back in two weeks to talk about The Magician's Nephew, Part 3, with Jonathan Geltner and Luke Mills!
Happy Sixth Season of The Inklings Variety Hour!
Would you like a present to mark the occasion? One of these fine rings, perhaps?
No, not the green ones. No, I don't care if it's St. Patrick's Day. You. Can't. Have. The. Green. Ones.
But have a yellow ring. No, seriously, go for it. Why are you hesitating?
But that's preposterous. They won't make you disappear. What do you think this is, The Hobbit?
Why does it always come back to rings? I say none of this on today's episode, but perhaps it's that the Inklings knew that rings bind you to someone else. Or something else.
In this case, the Wood Between the Worlds? Or Faerie? Or to your evil and intimidating uncle who is a mad magician-scientist with a furnished room that you don't know about and a dead fairy godmother named Mrs. Lefay?
What's up with the strange parallels in this book, anyway? You've got children in England exploring inside because it's rainy. You've got Uncle Andrew and Jadis making essentially the same speeches. You've also got the wood between the worlds and the crawlspace between houses, as well as the troubling ways in which Digory resembles his uncle--both of whom, by the way, end up technically responsible for sending children to another world when they're old men. But what kind of an old man who sends children into peril will Digory grow up to be? The sort who thinks rules don't apply to him, or the sort who makes endless inside jokes with himself about Plato? Character matters.
To talk about some of these riddles, or at least allude to them as we talk about things that are probably more interesting, I have Dr. Luke Mills. Join us on a whirlwind tour through Edwardian England, tunnels behind houses, Guinea Pig paradises that maybe aren't good for humans, and desolate worlds with very strange women among very strange waxworks that definitely aren't good for humans. (Seriously, though, what are the waxworks?)
This may be your last chance to travel to Charn before Netflix ruins it forever with Pink Floyd or the 1950s or whatever-the-[deplorable word] a Barbie auteur wants to put in there.
Among other things, Luke and Chris talk about the figure of Lilith--and why this account of Jadis' origin may not differ so much from that given in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. We also discuss ways to tell whether or not that special someone in your life may not, in fact, be evil.
Let's dive in! Or wonder, till it drives you mad, what would have followed...etc., etc.
Connor Salter joins me to talk about the first "animated" Hobbit, made by Rembrandt Films in 1966 to allow the studio to hold onto the rights for the film.
Feel free to watch it here before you listen! It is...something.
By the way, I am aware of the fact that the sound is not ideal in this, and I apologize for some of the problems in quality. I am taking steps (as soon as possible) to remedy this.
As always, feel more than free to email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. Thank you for listening, and I'd love to hear from you.
By the way, I have no idea why my software cut off the music at the end, but it seems to have. Hopefully no one was too bothered by that.
Dr. Sørina Higgins joins me to talk about The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and why adults should read it.
If you enjoyed this conversation and would like to take Sørina's course on the same, go here: https://wyrdhoard.com/2025/07/18/come-through-the-wardrobe-with-me/
We get into a lot of really interesting subjects related to Narnia here, and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe in particular. I don't have time to detail them in the show notes this time.
See you in two weeks! There will be far less of a break between seasons this year, as I still have plenty of material to share (and quite a few upcoming conversations). It's just a matter of finding time to edit as the school year begins.
Stay tuned!
Chris invites several guests to talk about the following question in a two-hour roundtable special:
To what extent is Lewis' The Abolition of Man prescient or prophetic?
I really enjoyed this roundtable discussion between:
- Nathan Gilmour
- James LaPeyre
- Joseph Weigel
and
- Jonathan Geltner
I hope you will, too.
We talk a lot about the following subjects:
- What Lewis means by "nature"
- Whether Lewis is, being coy, retreating into simplicity, playing a "forced card trick" or some other manner of knavish chicanery
- Whether Lewis eternalizes historically contingent ideas, such as the Romantic view of the sublime
- Wittgenstein
- McIntyre
- Barfield
- The importance of story
- Whether the difference between moderns and ancients is as great as Lewis assumes
- Whether we should have that appendix out or not
Feel free to shoot me an email if you'd like to add your two cents!
I know, this isn't exactly beach listening, but I sure enjoyed it. We'll be back again in two weeks with lighter fare.
The Inklings are often characterized as mostly sedentary men who wrote about people going off on adventures. Yet for a few of them, the highlight of their year was the chance to go on walking tours throughout England.
It's unlikely, in fact, that they would have been able to describe the adventures of, say, Elwin Ransom, or the three friends in Night Operation if they didn't take these rambles (and write about them!) from time to time.
With me to talk about the Inklings' walking tours are Inklings scholars Sørina Higgins, Don W. King, and (for the first time), Owen A. Barfield, grandson of Owen Barfield.
We cover a lot of ground during this conversation. Topics include:
- What exactly a walking tour is/was
- The walking tours Jack and Warnie took versus those Jack took with the "Cretaceous Perambulators" (Barfield and others)
- Why these excursions tended to be documented a bit better than Inklings' meetings at Magdalen
- Humor and bawdy among the Inklings
- Connection between walking, talking, and working ideas out
- "The Inkling Impulse"
- What different Inklings looked for in a successful walking tour
- Influence of the walking tours in the Inklings' fiction
My thanks to all three of my illustrious guests for joining me. You can find more about them and their work here:
- Sørina Higgins
- Don W. King
- Owen A. Barfield
See you in two weeks' time! As always, please do rate the podcast, and if you have ideas or responses, please do email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
Joseph Weigel from the Men With Chests podcast joins me to talk about NICE Alchemy!
By which I don't mean, "Whoa, that was some really sweet alchemy you were doing just now, dude! NICE!"
But rather, the connection between science and magic as practiced by the National Institute for Co-ordinated Experiments (N.I.C.E.) in C.S. Lewis' final novel in his space trilogy, That Hideous Strength. It's weird stuff. And Merlin's involved, naturally. That guy.
This is part discussion, part interview, because Joseph has recently published an article in Sehnsucht about connections between the N.I.C.E.'s experiments and alchemy. Read it here: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/cslewisjournal/vol18/iss1/11/
Also, be on the lookout for Joseph's forthcoming book, Planet Thulcandra. It hasn't come out as of the publication of this podcast, but it's on its way!
Be sure to check out Men With Chests while you're at it!
There is a lot more to come this season! It seems likely that (because this is only coming out once every two weeks), it will extend well into the Fall.
In the vault, I have:
A roundtable on The Abolition of Man
A conversation about the Walking Tours that members of the Inklings took
A discussion of George MacDonald's Lilith
A series on the OHEL
...and quite a bit more.
Shoot me an email to say hi if you're listening--I appreciate hearing from people who enjoy this podcast! And please do leave a rating and review if you can. It's nice to know when this is actually getting heard by someone!
Ned Bustard and Matt Wheeler join me to discuss J.R.R. Tolkien's great allegory (or is it?) for the creative process, "Leaf by Niggle"!
Enjoy! I am quite excited about this episode.
And check out Ned and Matt's stuff! I will post links! I will! In the meantime, I've given you the spelling of their first and last names, above. Notable works include, but are not restricted to: Every Moment Holy, The Lost Tales of Sir Galahad, The Wonder of It All. You're welcome.
More episode description to come, but it's been another late night editing, and I have small children who wake up early, you monster! Think of them.
Liked the episode? Give us a five-star review. Want to weigh in on the red-hot-button allegory controversy? Shoot me an email: inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
Katie Wray Schon joins us to talk about Pauline Baynes, the subject of her new book, Painting Wonder!
It's been a long-held goal of this podcast to devote at least one episode to Pauline Baynes--who, while not an Inkling, illustrated both the Narnia chronicles and many of Tolkien's short stories--in addition to being one of the best illustrators of the 20th Century.
Luckily, Katie Wray Schon has just written and published a children's picture book about Baynes' life, and she joins me to talk about both her work and Baynes'. We talk about Baynes' life--her childhood in India, her discovery of storybooks at dreary British boarding school, her work for the British Navy in WWII, and her career as an illustrator.
Sadly, many of the non-Narnian books Baynes illustrated or created are now out of print or hard to obtain. They include, but aren't limited to:
I Believe: The Nicene Creed
Noah and the Ark
Questionable Creatures: A Bestiary
Good King Wenceslas
A Dictionary of Chivalry, by Grant Uden
Miracle Plays: Seven Medieval Plays for Modern Players, by Anne Malcolmson
All Things Bright and Beautiful
The Arabian Nights, by Amabel Williams-Ellis
The Snail and the Caterpillar, by Helen Piers
Let There Be Light
It would be a worthy project for someone (perhaps a new small press, or even an old, big one) to begin publishing these books again.
In the meantime, of course, pick up Katie Wray Schon's book!
Thanks for listening, as always! We'll see you again in two weeks!
To drop me a note or an episode suggestion, write inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
To encourage all those (okay, mainly me) who make this podcast possible, leave us (or me) a five-star review on itunes!
We've (okay, I've) got a lot more fantastic episodes coming this season, including:
- Leaf by Niggle with Ned Bustard and Matt Wheeler
- The Abolition of Man: A Roundtable Discussion
- Lilith, by George MacDonald
- The Oxford History of English Literature (O-HEL Yes!) with Katherine Wyma
- That Hideous Strength with Joseph Weigel
- Tolkien's Poetry, with Jonathan Geltner
- Choose-Your-Own-Adventure 80's Narnia Book (That's right), with Matt Wheeler
And quite a bit more, but I am tired of listing things...
Sorry for the extra wait for this one!
Eric Geddes, Jonathan Geltner, and Charlie Carter join me to talk Tolkien's Father Giles of Ham.
Episode description to come!
Many more podcasts on the way this summer!
Leave me a review! It's really the only way I know anyone is listening.
Matt Wheeler rejoins me for our final episode on The Horse and His Boy.
More episode description to come!
Featuring "Wonder of It All" by Matt Wheeler.
If you would like episodes of The Inklings Variety Hour to come out more often, please do consider leaving us a positive review.
Singer-songwriter Matt Wheeler once again joins me to discuss his favorite Narnia book, The Horse and His Boy.
Among other things, we talk about:
- Hermits and the nature of freedom
- Allegory and biblical allusion in Narnia
- Fear as motivation
- Self-pity as incomplete story
- Matt's song, "Worn Thin"
Enjoy, and join us next week for the conclusion of The Horse and His Boy.
Feel free to get in touch with me, as always, at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening!
Finishing the Tolkien Reading Day Marathon: Enjoy "I Sit Beside the Fire and Think."
(From the Old Winyards. Yes, these are reruns.)
But a new episode on The Horse and His Boy comes your way in one week!
Continuing the Tolkien Reading Day Marathon: Enjoy this talk with Jonathan Geltner about how Tolkien saves the future. After we're all dead, of course, but you can't have everything...
(From the Old Winyards. Yes, these are reruns.)
But a new episode on The Horse and His Boy comes your way in one week!
Continuing the Tolkien Reading Day Marathon: Enjoy this conversation about the Shire!
(From the Old Winyards. Yes, these are reruns.)
But a new episode on The Horse and His Boy comes your way in one week!
Continuing the Tolkien Reading Day Marathon: Enjoy my talk with Jonathan Geltner about Tolkien's unfinished poem, "The Fall of Arthur."
(From the Old Winyards. Yes, these are reruns.)
But a new episode on The Horse and His Boy comes your way in one week!
Continuing the Tolkien Reading Day Marathon: Enjoy my interview with Verlyn Flieger about Splintered Light.
(From the Old Winyards. Yes, these are reruns.)
But a new episode on The Horse and His Boy comes your way in one week!
Continuing the Tolkien Reading Day Marathon: Enjoy "Imram."
(From the Old Winyards. Yes, these are reruns.)
But a new episode on The Horse and His Boy comes your way in one week!
Continuing the Tolkien Reading Day Marathon: Enjoy "The Hoard."
(From the Old Winyards. Yes, these are reruns.)
But a new episode on The Horse and His Boy comes your way in one week!
Continuing the Tolkien Reading Day Marathon: Enjoy Smith of Wootton Major, Part 2!
(From the Old Winyards. Yes, these are reruns.)
But a new episode on The Horse and His Boy comes your way in one week!
Continuing the Tolkien Reading Day Marathon of old episodes. Enjoy this first of two on Smith of Wootton Major!
(From the Old Winyards. Yes, these are reruns.)
But a new episode on The Horse and His Boy comes your way in one week!
Dipping into the Old Winyards this Tolkien reading day! Enjoy this conversation from a few years ago about Tolkien adaptations!
Stay tuned...there are about nine more to come today.
The finale of the Till We Have Faces series!
Original episode description:
Welcome to the finale of Till We Have Faces on The Inklings Variety Hour!
Author and speaker Andrew Lazo from Pints with Jack joins Chris and Anika for our final discussion of Till We Have Faces. It was, as always, a delight and an epiphany, Andrew!
Among other things, we discuss:
- The Four Loves
- Williams-esque redemption of Orual and Psyche
- Lewis' poem Reason
- Names in Till We Have Faces
- What in the world is Ungit?
- Orual's last word (hint: it's probably not "arrrgghhh")
- Joy's role in helping to write (and inspire) TWHF
Many, many thanks to Logan Huggins for producing this episode!
If you'd like to join one of our conversations, odds are, we'd love to have you! We'd also love to hear from you, so feel free to email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
Next time: Hold on to your electric torches! Season Two of The Inklings Variety Hour begins with Prince Caspian!
Musician Matt Wheeler joins me to talk about Chapters 7-8 of The Horse and His Boy, specifically Shasta among the tombs (ghouls ahoy), and Aravis' adventures. At the end of the hour, he's kind enough to share an original waltzy song about Aravis, inspired by a COVID toilet paper run. (Seriously, it's a great song--if you listen to nothing else, listen to it.)
Before that, we talk about the following:
- The right way (or lack thereof) to pronounce Shasta and Aravis (and Aslan)
- Ghouls, ghouls, ghouls
- Cats and tombs
- Lewis' characterization of Lasarleen and Aravis
- The Tisroc (may he live forever)
- Freedom
- Calormene view of Narnian history
- Lapsed Bear!
- And after the song, Chris throws a little bit of shade at English pronunciation of foreign words to make himself feel better about the fact that he's been mispronouncing Aslan all his life.
For more of Matt's music, click here.
See you in two weeks, when Matt Wheeler will rejoin us to talk about the journey across the desert!
It's Season Five of The Inklings Variety Hour, episode one, and you know what that means! Time to return to the enchanting land of--
--record scratch--
--Calormen?
That's right, Ed Said. We're kicking off this season the right way, with a little trip to an unprepossessing fisherman's hut and the down-on-his-luck literary ancestor of both a refreshing soft drink and Taran the Assistant Pig-keeper.
I'm only talking 'bout Shasta. Can you dig?
You know who else is talking about Shasta? I mean, besides Bree the talking horse (no not that one) who abducts him?
Why, it's Jonathan Geltner, renowned author of Absolute Music, and Joseph Weigel, host of Men with Chests and also an author! Together, we discuss the following subjects:
- Calormene culture and Narnian culture
- Literary analogues (or lack thereof) of The Horse and His Boy
- Formal language and formulaic language
- The wider world in which Narnia exists
- Proverbs (Calormene and Narnian)
- How Tashbaan is awesome
- Freedom
Books we bring up:
- The Thousand and One Nights
- Travels in Arabia Deserta
- David Eddings' Belgariad Series
- Huck Finn
- The Prince and the Pauper
- The Worm Ouroboros
- The Faerie Queene
Copyrighted Music:
- Original BBC Narnia Theme
- Mr. Ed theme (not Ed Said)
As always, please leave a generous review if you want higher quality or quantity podcasts! This is a labor of love, and I'm currently only able to get something out once every two weeks. See you in two weeks' time, as musician Matt Wheeler joins me to talk (and sing) about his favorite Narnia book.
Sorry for the late upload, once again! I've been preparing for the new season!
The first episode of Season 5, covering The Horse and His Boy, will be coming out in a few days! See you then, and in the meantime, enjoy some more travels in Glome!
Apologies (again) for the late Saturday upload. Here's Part 7 of our Till We Have Faces series. Enjoy!
Stay tuned for the first brand new episode of Season 5. We'll start with The Horse and His Boy on March 4 and update with a new episode every two weeks.
Original description:
If you like this podcast, please give us a review in iTunes! Also, we'd love to hear from you! Email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
This week, Chris and Anika discuss Chapters 12 and 13 of Till We Have Faces. Subjects for discussion include:
- Santeria and the First Amendment (and also, of course, "Santeria" by Sublime)
- How Orual-the-author is being changed while telling us about Orual-the-character's refusal to change
- Possessive love and our tendency to be ruined by strong loves
- The "ferly" in Middle English literature
- Is Bardia's fear of the gods practical fear for his safety or fear of the numinous?
- Orual withholds key evidence!
- The Fox's theology and soul-houses
- How true divine nature is foolishness to the Greek and a stumbling block for the Glomian
- At the end: Various proposals for an '80s fantasy movie based on Till We Have Faces. (Someone please make a poster of this idea.)
Special thanks to my brother Jason Pipkin for the incredible '80s-style synth track used at the end! Apologies if I overuse it, but I really liked it. Other music sampled includes:
- "Our Father" in Aramaic
- "The Hurrian Hymn" as played by Michael Levy
- "Santeria," by Sublime
- "Princes of the Universe," by Queen
- "Quantum Leap" theme by Mike Post
In two weeks, we meet the God of the Mountain! Talk about numinous and sublime!
Apologies for the late upload!
A new season of The Inklings Variety Hour is coming on Tuesdays in March, starting with The Horse and His Boy.
In the meantime, enjoy this old episode, with one of our first guest-stars, Andrew Lazo, talking about his favorite Lewis book, Till We Have Faces!
Original Description:
This week, we're talking with Andrew Lazo, author, speaker, and noted Till We Have Faces and C.S. Lewis scholar. You can find additional information about Andrew's projects, current and future, at mythoflove.net. We would like to thank David Bates at Pints with Jack for connecting us with Andrew! In this episode, Anika, Chris and Andrew discuss some classical and medieval influences on Till We Have Faces, as well as concepts like mortal shame and the way physical and spiritual attitudes alter perception in Lewis' work. In some ways, this is also a broader view of Till We Have Faces itself, thanks to Andrew's expertise. Stay tuned for bonus material at the end, where we hear from Andrew about the circumstances of Lewis' writing of Till We Have Faces. Enjoy the conversation! We certainly did.
Some references in this episode:
A Naked Tree, by Joy Davidman
Becoming Mrs. Lewis
Over the Rhine (band)
Weeping Bay, by Joy Davidman
"After Ten Years," from Of Other Worlds by C.S. Lewis
Pearl, by the Gawain-poet (Tolkien's translation here) (Original text here)
If you're enjoying The Inklings Variety Hour, drop us a line to tell us so! You can email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. Also! Please find us on iTunes and give us a rating if you like us. Additionally, if you'd ever like to guest star and talk with us about these works (whether you are a scholar or not), we'd love to have you. If you're listening to this podcast, you are already a kindred spirit, and we would enjoy meeting you. Just saying.
A new season of The Inklings Variety Hour is coming your way in March! In the meantime, here's another rerun. Old description:
This week, we are still hiking up the enchanting mountain that is Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold, hearts dancing all the while. And why should they not, as we discuss such topics as:
- Fighting and work as a potential antidote for depression
- Resurrection as a potential antidote for depression
- How King Trom is a bro
- Refusal of joy and its effect on perception
- Would-be eucatastrophe
- Landscape, symbolism, and the sticky wicket of literalized metaphor
- Potential lawsuits Psyche could bring against Redival
Recommendations include:
- cslewisdoodle
- Hunting the Unicorn: A Critical Biography of Ruth Pitter
We'd love to hear from you if you're enjoying the podcast! We'd also love to have you on the show if you'd like to join us sometime (and don't mind reading a few chapters of Till We Have Faces first)! Our email is InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
Next time we will have Till We Have Faces scholar Andrew Lazo on to discuss Chapters 10, 11, and 12! It will be worth the wait!
From the vaults! More of C.S. Lewis' underrated final novel!
Original description:
In which Anika and Chris reveal the fairly shallow reason we had for doing Till We Have Faces this year and accidentally endorse human sacrifice.
Mostly, we talk about Chapter 7, in which Orual and Psyche say goodbye, and Chapter 8, in which Orual decides to journey to the mountain and recover Psyche's body. At issue are whether or not selfish love is still love and whether sacrifice (especially human sacrifice) is effective.
Other highlights:
Ash Wednesday Anecdotes
Anika reads Lewis' poem, "As the Ruin Falls"
Till We Have Faces as a text that changes its narrator
Finally, inspired by WandaVision, the hosts ask whether Till We Have Faces would make a good sitcom--and what kind of sitcom it would be?
Have your own thoughts? Email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Music credits:
- The "Our Father" in Aramaic
- The Hurrian Hymn
- "Aase's Death," by Edvard Grieg
- "The Toy Parade," by Dave Kahn, Melvyn Leonard and Mort Greene
- "Everywhere You Look," by Jesse Frederick
- "With a Little Help From My Friends," by Joe Cocker
Till We Have Faces, Part 2!
Here are the original shownotes:
In the spirit of Groundhog's Day, Chris and Anika dig into Chapters 3-4 of Lewis' Till We Have Faces, which retells the Cupid and Psyche myth.
We discuss, among other things:
- The apparent popularity of J.G. Frazer in Glome
- "Foxy Redival's Flirtations"
- Whether we're the worst at what we care about most (and other cheering thoughts)
- Soup and Religion (and other metaphors)
- Narrative asides about weeping in Lewis
- Our ideas for movie adaptations of TWHF
Music:
The Hurrian Hymn
"Our Father" in Aramaic
They say that behind every groundhog is a Shadowbrute requiring human sacrifice. May the good town officials of Punxsutawney fail to see it this year. For all our sakes.
As always, please give us ratings on iTunes if you enjoy this! It means a lot to us and helps others find the podcast! Also--feel free to send us your thoughts at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com
Thank you for joining us!
Next time (in two weeks), we will be joined by special guest and Inklings scholar Sorina Higgins!
Sorry about the late upload! Enjoy!
From the original episode description:
Welcome back to The Inklings Variety Hour! It's a new year, and Ungit has only just hatched out of her egg-house (or something), but already, your intrepid hosts are tackling C.S. Lewis' novel, Till We Have Faces (1956)--widely considered the best novel he ever wrote. Chris, Anika, and Meagan discuss this retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth as only the Inklings Variety Hour can--with lots of digressions, reading of passages, and laughter.
If you're enjoying this podcast, we're glad to have you along for the ride, and we'd love to know you! Drop us a line at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. Ratings on the iTunes store would be most welcome also.
Music for this episode includes:
The Hurrian Hymn
The "Our Father" in Aramaic
"Sick Muse" by Metric
Happy New Year!
Kora Burton rejoins Chris to discuss Tolkien's last fairy (or is it faerie?) story, "Smith of Wootton Major" (1967).
Smith of Wootton Major is a short story, a parable about the nature of what Tolkien called “fayery” or “Faerie,” an evocative fairy tale in its own right, as well as a melancholy meditation on the loss of artistic capacity. Though told simply enough for children to understand its plot, Tolkien called it “an old man’s book.”
Thanks as always to Logan Huggins for producing this episode!
If you have any questions or would like to contact us, please do so at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
From the Old Winyards: It's Time for the Feast of Good Children (to which not many are invited).
___________________________________
Kora Burton joins Chris to discuss Tolkien's last fairy (or is it faerie?) story, "Smith of Wootton Major."
Smith of Wootton Major (1967) is Tolkien’s last work of fiction and was begun as part of an Introduction to an edition of George MacDonald’s The Golden Key–an edition that was never published. Tolkien began by writing a kind of parable about a stupid baker making a cake for children that inadvertently had something faerian in it. But when he found this illustration was taking on a life of its own, he discarded the introduction entirely and worked on the story–which he realized was in part a critique of the things he did not like about George MacDonald, among other Victorians (still, I find it owes a real debt to The Golden Key and Phantastes, as much as it does to anything medieval). Smith of Wootton Major is a short story, a parable about the nature of what Tolkien called “fayery” or “Faerie,” an evocative fairy tale in its own right, as well as a melancholy meditation on the loss of artistic capacity. Though told simply enough for children to understand its plot, Tolkien called it “an old man’s book.”
One of my favorite history of English podcasts, just in case you want more philology or historical linguistics: https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/
Thanks as always to Logan Huggins for producing this episode!
If you have any questions or would like to contact us, please do so at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Next week: We enter Faerie with Smith!
For the first time, all three parts of last year's Christmas play are edited together. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas.
Previous description:
At last! Here is the first part of a (Zoom) table reading of my "play" (loosely defined), "An Inklings Christmas Carol."
Two more (longer) parts are to come! Gee, it's a good thing Christmas begins on December 25, or I'd be out of time. Twelve Tide, etc., etc.!
Special thanks to Anika Smith, Sørina Higgins, and Joe Hoffman for reading this episode. Thanks in general to Sørina's Author's Circle, which you can find out more about (and even join) here.
Hope you enjoy it--keep in mind this is a first draft, none of us are professional actors, and I'm not making a cent off this episode! As with any holiday movie or play, if you keep your expectations low, you'll have a pretty good time!
Feel free to send me feedback at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. And please rate the show if you like it!
Enjoy this gently used Christmas gift from Ghost of Inklings Variety Hours Past!
It's an Inklings Variety Hour Jovial Christmas Extravaganza! Featuring:
A Discussion of J.R.R. Tolkien's Letters from Father Christmas!
Chris Pipkin and his children, Davey and Virginia!
Anika Smith! (First half of show)
Meagan Logsdon! (Second half of show)
A cringeworthy impersonation of an old British person by Chris Pipkin!
Bits of music by Steeleye Span and Maddy Prior (The Boar's Head Carol), and Martin Romberg (A Elbereth Gilthoniel), (as well as Virginia Pipkin).
Pipkins' Christmas site promoted: 12tide.com
Thanks for listening to us this year! As always, if you enjoy this podcast, recommend it to a friend and give us a review on iTunes. And please do feel more than free to drop us a line at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Merry Christmas.
Chris is joined by Angela Teal and Marena Bleech of In the Burrow Books to discuss Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows!
More episode description to come! In the meantime, enjoy!
Original Description:
O.G. Host Anika Smith rejoins the podcast to interview Chris and his beautiful and omnicompetent wife, Glencora, about their new Christmas resource book, Twelve Tide.
Part of what we're trying to do with this book is make Christmas less a single-morning present binge preceded by anxiety and followed by anticlimax--and more a season of twelve days of giving, feasting, and learning to celebrate better.
Want an idea of what's in the book? Check out our website, 12tide.com.
We are all Niatirbians now (and Lewis was dismayed by godless Christmas cards). We want to reconcile sacred and "secular" aspects of Christmas and equip people with some old ways to celebrate this season.
Music from this episode includes:
- George Winston's "The Holly and the Ivy"
- Bing Crosby's "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"
- Loreena McKennitt's "The Holly and the Ivy"
- Choir of Christchurch's "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
- Loreena McKennitt's "Gloucestershire Wassail"
- The Chieftains' "Boar's Head Carol"
- Maddy Prior's "Coventry Carol"
- Medieval Baebes' "Adam Lay Ybounden"
- Maddy Prior's "Wassail!"
Also, if you're interested in the Twelve Tide Spotify list Anika suggested on the show, here it is.
Stay tuned...I'm done with grading and I'm turning my attention to an Inklings Christmas Carol. Won't be easy to finish in time, but I'll do my level best. If you are interested in reading a part for it, feel free to email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
God bless and keep you this Advent Season. See you at Christmas!
Author Jonathan Geltner and newcomer James Lapeyre join Chris to discuss the question that has doubtless kept all of us awake in the pre-dawn hours:
Who was more of a Romantic: C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien?
Yes, the stakes have never been higher.
We also talk generally about how the Inklings' view of their own roles overlapped with (and were influenced by) those of the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Romantics. To what extent were the Inklings the real Romantics of their own age?
I really enjoyed this conversation. Thanks to both James and Jonathan for coming on the show.
Apologies to all of you for the poor sound quality of my microphone. Also, a little more than halfway through, the Internet goes out--apologies for that, though we do find our footing pretty quickly thereafter.
Many, many thanks to James for fixing the sound so that I'm actually intelligible here. Check out his substack at otterhat.substack.com/. Check out Jonathan's at jonathangeltner.substack.com/
I appreciate everyone's patience for this episode! Circumstances have conspired so that I have less time to edit since the semester ended, but I'll keep grinding these out occasionally if you all keep listening! I'll also try to keep putting out the old episodes Saturdays.
Also! As always, my wife and I have a Christmas site and a Christmas book. If you're looking for ways to celebrate Advent and Christmas that both engage with the storehouse of tradition available to us--while allowing you and your family to forge your own Christmas traditions, you might find them helpful! The basic premise is that rather than having one day of Christmas (so much pressure!), we spread gift-giving out over the traditional twelve days of Christmas and pair it with reflection and other activities. It's really worked wonderfully for our family.
As always, email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com if you have thoughts! And give us a five-star rating on iTunes (why not, it's Christmas) if you like what you hear.
Also, I am planning to record on The Horse and His Boy this month (to be released at the beginning of Season 5 in March). If you'd like to join us to talk about it, just let me know!
Apologies for the audio quality on this one! It's the very first podcast Anika and I recorded, along with my wife, Glencora! It dates from 2018, when audio was much rougher. I'm sure you remember. Cleaned up what I could. Minimal swearing, too.
I thought I'd post it in preparation for the C.S. Lewis Reading Day livestream. You can find it here: C. S. Lewis Reading Day 2024 - Pints With Jack
Join me (and a few other Lewis podcast hosts) on the Pints with Jack C.S. Lewis Reading Day Livestream.
You can find it here: C. S. Lewis Reading Day 2024 - Pints With Jack
Thanks, as always, to Pints with Jack, for their generosity and initiative!
Sorry for the late Saturday upload! Another classic in the War in Heaven series.
Welcome back! In this final episode covering Charles Williams' spiritual thriller, War in Heaven, we discuss the conclusion of the book! What does Charles Williams have in common with J.K. Rowling? Is Gregory the Satanist the secret protagonist of this book? And finally, what do you do if a priest falls down dead in the middle of mass, but it was a really pleasant service otherwise? Stay tuned next time for a bonus episode, after which we will be talking about J.R.R. Tolkien's "On Fairy Stories." If the Inklings squaring off against Aleister Crowley tickles your fancy, please do go pick up a copy of Heaven's War by Micah Harris with art by Michael Gaydos!
From the past! Original description:
This is part four of our five-part discussion of War in Heaven, Charles' Williams' modern take on the Holy Graal Quest. In the chapters we discuss this week, Gregory Persimmons drives Barbara Rackstraw insane using "the ointment," in order to obtain both the Graal and Barbara and Lionel's son, Adrian. The guardians of the Graal willingly trade the Graal for Barbara's sanity, only to have her cured by an unexpected visitor...who is somehow the Graal himself. It's not who you think. In this episode, Satanism meets pessimism, devotion to relics meets humanism, and everybody meets Prester John. 9/22: Happy Hobbit Day! We're talking about Charles Williams, but we do mention the hobbits (with reference to homeliness and attachment to objects) in a few places. Works referenced: War in Heaven, by Charles Williams; "Hermeticism and the Metaphysics of Goodness in the Novels of Charles Williams," by Scott McLaren (Mythlore); The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend, by Alan Lupack; Music: "Venus," by Gustav Holst "Lohengrin," by Richard Wagner "Princes of the Universe" by Queen. (Here's the intro that I parody. Note: Inklings Variety Hour does not formally endorse the USA show "Highlander"--based on the movie of the same name--even if it was awesome.) _Thank you_ to those of you who have left reviews and ratings on iTunes and elsewhere! Please don't hesitate to drop us a line if you'd like--we'd love to know who you are and what you're interested in hearing us cover in the future! Our email is InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
If you already listened to this, my apologies!
I think my releasing it the afternoon before Halloween (rather than the week before) meant that it wasn't on many people's radar.
I'm quite proud of it (and worked hard on it), so I'm re-releasing. I know it's not Halloween anymore, but, hey--it's also not Christmas, and you don't see that deterring most businesses from playing Bing Crosby.
Another classic from the vaults.
Original description:
This week, we're covering Part III of Charles Williams' supernatural thriller, War in Heaven, in which the good guys (The Archdeacon, Kenneth Mornington, and the Duke) steal the Graal back from Gregory Persimmons, who desires to use it for his own dark purposes. They then must pray to prevent the Graal from being magically disintegrated from a long distance by Manasseh and Dmitri, two more advanced members of Gregory's shady organization. We'll also witness a friendship blossoming between all three of our protagonists, talk about how holy and unholy detachment can help make for a very exciting plot, throw a little shade at King Henry VIII, discuss pagan interpretations of the Graal, and speculate about how P.G. Wodehouse may have been the secret ingredient in Gregory's eventual redemption. This conversation went well over an hour--if you simply can't get enough of Charles Williams, you're in for a treat. And hang around (if you'd like) for some bonus material at the very end--should be worth a laugh or two. I mean, we laugh, anyway. Music from Lohengrin by Wagner, Mercury by Holst, Venus by Holst, and, of course, "Take the Land," by Don Potter. We reference William Blake's poem, "And did those feet in ancient time," which speculates on the very strange legend that the boy Jesus may have been taken to England by Joseph of Arimathea at some point--presumably a pre-Graal excursion for Joseph (I don't think even Blake believed this, though). "And did those feet" was set to music by Sir Hubert Parry as "Jerusalem," an anthem/hymn that helped revive the drooping nationalism of British troops during World War I and remains popular to this day. If you haven't read any of P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster series, we encourage you to drop everything and do so as soon as possible. Finally, this podcast will probably be more fun for you if you read along with us. Feel free to pick up a copy of Charles Williams' War in Heaven*! If you're enjoying these episodes and have constructive feedback, we'd love to hear from you! Our email is InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. Feel free also to leave us a review on iTunes if you want to see more of this sort of thing.
Cryptids in Narnia!
Parody of the excellent Camp Monsters podcast.
Happy Halloween!
inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
Another dip back into the old vaults for the second episode covering War in Heaven. Original shownotes:
We begin this second part of our series on War in Heaven with the Archdeacon's words to the Holy Graal (yes, that's how it's spelled). We end as a Georgia thunderstorm knocks out the Internet. In between, we discuss Chapters 4-8 of Charles Williams' supernatural thriller.
You can find War in Heaven here. It is pretty inexpensive to buy on Kindle ($0.99 the last I checked).
Other than the usual Lohengrin/Jazz mash-up, the music used is from Uranus, one of the pieces in Gustav Holst's Planets suite.
The poetry excerpt at the end is from "On the Circuit," by W.H. Auden (read by the author).
Stay tuned for Part 3 next week!
If you're enjoying these episodes and have constructive feedback, we'd love to hear from you! Our email is InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. Feel free also to leave us a review on iTunes if you want to see more of this sort of thing.
J.D. Peabody joins Chris once again, this time to talk about the third and (for now) final installment of his Inkwell Chronicles series: Operation Bungaree.
Here's the link to the book from JD's page.
We've still got a lot of episodes for Season 4. Thanks for the very kind five-star reviews! At the moment, it's all I can do to juggle my teaching load and editing/releasing twice a month, but please do keep the ratings and reviews coming, and as always, email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com with any responses, requests, or ideas.
Next time: The Inklings and Romanticism!
Here's another Saturday rerun. Original shownotes here:
This is the first of a series of conversations on Charles Williams' 1930 novel, War in Heaven, in which the Holy Graal (yes, that's how it's spelled here) is discovered in a tiny church in the English countryside. Hijinks and shenanigans ensue, along with a heavy dose of black magic, car chases, and ecumenism. You'll also find out whether the hosts would prefer to read a book called Christianity and the League of Nations or Foxy Flossie's Flirtations.
We'll be covering the first three chapters of War in Heaven, which you can purchase here if you want to read along.
Most of our conversation this episode will be about Charles Williams' life, interest in the occult, and influence. A few works mentioned include:
- The Third Inkling, by Grevel Lindop
- The Oxford Inklings, by Colin Duriez
- The Fellowship, by Philip and Carol Zaleski
- Hell, by Dorothy Sayers
- Taliessin Through Logres and The Region of the Summer Stars, by Charles Williams
- The Figure of Beatrice, by Charles Williams
To read the first letters Lewis and Williams wrote to each other, go here!
Stay tuned for Part 2! If you're enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving us a review, as it is the best way to ensure the podcast will continue. Also, feel free to drop us a line at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
An old favorite:
This week, we follow up on our discussion of Tolkien's "On Fairy Stories" by applying some of his ideas to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. We're trying to assess whether (despite Tolkien's low view of it), Lewis' children's tale actually works as a Tolkienian "Fairy Story." Works mentioned include:
- On Fairy Stories
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
- The Black Bull of Norroway
- Preface to Paradise Lost (when discussing Primary v. Secondary Epic)
Chris also promotes the blog he and his wife do--12tide.com--that includes resources to help people celebrate a twelve-day Christmas Season.
If you enjoy this podcast, please recommend it to a friend and give us a review on iTunes. And please do feel more than free to drop us a line at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Jonathan Geltner and Søri Higgins join Chris to discuss Arthurian Torso--a collection of Charles Williams' Arthuriana (his poems and a non-fiction book) edited by C.S. Lewis. We'll be discussing and reading a few favorite poems and marveling at what Williams managed to achieve. Stick around for some broad-brush critical history of Arthurian myth in general and speculation as to whether the fantasy genre has killed it. (Way to go, Tolkien!)
You can read Jonathan's stuff at Romance and Apocalypse | Jonathan Geltner | Substack and check out his debut novel here.
You can read more of Søri's stuff here, and here, and some of her books here.
Also, if you want Williams' poetry and the Torso is a bit too pricey, she's edited those too, here.
Many thanks for the kind reviews of the podcast! Please keep them coming!
And as always, feel free to reach out to me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you.
Another episode from the vaults. Here's the original episode description:
Join Anika, Meagan, and Chris for the second half of our discussion of J.R.R. Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Stories." Among other things, we talk about the nature of originality, the way that stories re-enchant and recover reality for us, the nature of true escapism and modernity, the Gift of Illuvatar and whether anyone actually wants to live forever--probably--also, whether Tolkien really did believe in fairies, the idea of consolation, how joy is more poignant than grief, the parts of the Lord of the Rings that make us cry, fairy stories, myth, and the Gospel, how the temporal and material helps us recover the eternal--and, of course, Frodo of the Nine Fingers and His Ring of Doom! So strap on your steel shoes and prepare to climb the glassy hill of robust conversation with us. You can find this essay in a number of places, but this is a pretty nice edition. Next time, we'll be applying some of the ideas from "On Fairy Stories" to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, in order to determine, once and for all, whether it is a fairy story, and whether Tolkien is departing from his own standards in disliking it. It's full circle time! If you enjoy this podcast, recommend it to a friend and give us a review on iTunes. And please do feel more than free to drop us a line at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
It's been too long since we've done podcasts on Tolkien.
I thought I'd record a fairly off-the-cuff episode on Hobbit birthdays in light of Bilbo's and Frodo's shared birthday, September 22.
I'm reading part of Tolkien's Letter 214, which is in response to A.C. Nunn (and never sent), who points out the discrepancy between Gollum expecting a birthday present and Hobbits giving presents on their birthdays.
The letter is much longer than this (and, quite characteristically, apparently not sent).
If you want to read more of Tolkien's response, as well as his letters in general, grab a copy of Tolkien's Collected Letters.
Blast from the Icy past!
Original shownotes:
The third and final installment of our conversation on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe enters some interesting territory as Chris, Anika, and Meagan explore Lewis's (inadvertent?) use of Aslan-as-Trickster imagery, proper Narnian politics, and kangaroos. Also witness the precise moment in which the trio realizes that Lewis may have ruined their childhoods.
Works referenced include:
- A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis
- The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
Outro poetry sample: "On the Circuit" by W. H. Auden
Email the show! InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com
Don W. King joins Chris to talk about Ruth Pitter's Perelandra Spenserian Stanzas!
More episode description to come!
Another nostalgic Saturday rerun episode!
Original shownotes:
Return to Narnia for the second part of our (three-part) discussion on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Find out the intrepid trio's thoughts on such questions as:
- Why shouldn't we be too hard on Edmund?
- How exactly does Father Christmas fit into this story, anyway?
- Why is it so important to remember to wipe your sword?
Works referenced include:
- Planet Narnia by Michael Ward
- Boxen by C. S. Lewis
As always, the outro poetry sample is from W. H. Auden's "On the Circuit".
Write to us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com!
Søri Higgins joins me to discuss her new class on short stories, opening tomorrow. Along the way, we discuss other things as well, which I don't have time to mention here. But you'll like it. I promise.
Find out more about Sori's class here: ONLINE CLASS: The Architecture of a Short Story | The Oddest Inkling (wordpress.com)
Thought I'd rerun some of these old episodes on Saturdays. Enjoy!
Original shownotes:
Chris, Anika, and Meagan introduce themselves and the podcast before promptly stepping through that magical wardrobe in the first (yes, first) of C. S. Lewis's Narnia chronicles. Why are robins trustworthy? Was Lewis wrong about his preferred reading order for the Narnia books? Will the hosts be able to overcome initial podcast jitters?
Works discussed include:
- The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
- The Company They Keep, by Diana Pavlac Glyer
- The Cambridge Companion to C.S. Lewis
- “On the Circuit,” by W.H. Auden
This is the first podcast any of us have done, so if you want to see more of this sort of thing, we’d love five-star reviews with suggestions for improvement! Or feel free to email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. Tune in next week for Part 2 of our discussion of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. And bring your coats. It’s not stealing.
Well, the glass coffin spaceship is sitting there in front of him, giving him that look, but Chris isn't ready to leave Perelandra just yet.
In this episode, he ropes Christiana Hale, author of Deeper Heaven: A Reader's Guide to C.S. Lewis' Ransom Trilogy, into coming on the show to discuss contemplation, enjoyment, poetry, literary allusions, myth, and the figure of Ransom as Martial prophet.
Her book is as interesting and edifying as it is clear and accessible--but don't take my word for it. (And by that I mean, get it for yourself.)
In two weeks, the Perelandra extravaganza continues as Chris welcomes Don W. King back on the show to discuss the cycle of Spenserian poems Ruth Pitter wrote about Perelandra.
Again, I can only really afford to put these out every two weeks. This might change if I pick up a larger audience, so please do recommend the show to your friends and leave five-star reviews, for (Deep) Heaven's sake.
See you all next time, and as always, feel free to email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
Thanks to all who have left reviews and feedback! Due to a very busy schedule (with school starting, etc.), I can no longer afford to edit/publish this podcast more than twice a month.
This may change if we pick up more listeners, so keep the positive reviews coming and share with your friends!
Charlie Carter (Thinklings Podcast) and Joseph Weigel (Men with Chests Podcast) join Chris to talk about the conclusion of Perelandra! Among other things, they discuss:
- The "three tracks" of a Lewis novel
- Culmination in Dante's Paradiso and the influence of the Divine Comedy
- Tor, Ransom, and Christ
- The Green Knight and "The Anthropological Approach"
- Flora and fauna
- Why it's a coffin
- Venus as a place where God brings non-dying people
- Venus as Third Heaven
- The Two Witnesses
- Changing Room Montage of the Gods
- Gender and Spirits
- Seven Genders
- The Truth of Myth
- Two Ways of Looking at Myth
- Repetition of Stories
Besides the usual Descript audio, I've included Faure's In Paradisum Requiem
Next time (in two weeks), we'll continue talking about Perelandra with scholar Christiana Hale, whose Deeper Heaven I highly recommend.
Thanks, as always, for listening, and please do drop me a line at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
Thanks to all who have left reviews and feedback! Due to a very busy schedule, I can no longer afford to edit/publish this podcast more than twice a month.
This may change if we pick up more listeners, so keep the positive reviews coming and share with your friends!
Joseph Weigel, of the Men with Chests podcast, joins Chris to talk about the fight between Ransom and the Un-man in Perelandra.
Maybe it's all the gimmicky '80s fight songs we feature in this episode, but Chris is feeling rather combative this podcast. He questions many of Lewis' premises in this portion, sending the two down a number of theological dark alleys.
Among other things, we talk about:
- The realistic awkwardness of this fight
- Would it have been morally acceptable to kick the Un-man in the unmentionables? What about to shoot him?
- Is it morally (or theologically) lawful to take the course Ransom does, even in a hypothetical setting? Would it really have been gnostic to refuse to finish off a man who was begging for his life?
- Why wouldn't the Un-man have had superior strength like the demoniac in Acts? And why not exorcise him?
- Does it help us to hate the Devil? Is that the same thing as hating evil? And if we're meant to hate something, what does that say about our own origins?
- Realizing that humans aren't central to creation versus "The Empirical Bogey"
- Dante's damned and the false appeal to pity
- "The Rind" and John Askins; is the possibility that everything is meaningless harder to refute than Weston's original philosophy?
- Awe at the numinous, fear of tigers, loathing of bugs, and hatred of devils
- The disquieting idea that perhaps the Prelude to Act III of Wagner's Lohengrin would have made a better soundtrack than the many 80's anthems we feature here, including:
- "Eye of the Tiger," by Survivor
- "Gonna Fly Now," by Bill Conti
- "I Have Decided," by Don Potter
- "The Final Countdown," by Europe
- "Tonight," from West Side Story
- "You're the Best Around," by Joe Esposito
Apologies for the extra week it took to edit this episode! If you'd like these to come out more frequently, please do leave a review and recommend the podcast to your friends. At this point, I can't justify publishing every week, but if I build up listenership, this will become more feasible.
Until then, look for this podcast to come out every two weeks for the foreseeable future! We have plenty more podcasts in store for you.
If you like this podcast, please give it a five-star review on iTunes and share it with your friends.
If you have questions, comments, or advice, email Chris at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
If you want, feel free to follow us on Instagram: @inklingsvarietyhour
Charlie Carter from the Thinklings podcast and Joseph Weigel from Men with Chests rejoin Chris to talk about Perelandra, Chapters 8-11 (or thereabouts).
Among other things, we discuss
- The nature of deception
- The division between dark and light in Perelandra
- The ever-present Center
- Diabolical psychology (or lack thereof)
- The rind and the core
- How Perelandra's vivid beauty reinforces the stakes of the dialogue
- Where, exactly, did Weston get his pack...it looks suspiciously like Ransom's, Precious, yes it does....
- How did Lewis interpret Genesis 1? (we don't really have enough time to discuss this fully, but we take a stab at it)
Next week: The fight.
Charlie Carter from the Thinklings Podcast, and Joseph Weigel, from Men With Chests, join me to talk about Chapters 4-8 of Perelandra.
We do a lot of reading on this episode--we certainly enjoyed ourselves, anyway! Enjoy the conversations between Ransom and the Green Lady, as well as Ransom and Weston (shudder).
Among other things, we discuss:
- The human desire to have things over again, and whether it is truly the root of all evil
- How someone who is sinless could be tempted to sin
- The ambition of Lewis' portrayal of the Lady
- The precariousness of the Lady's sinlessness
- The Force
- Spiritual sins
- Mer-people, myth, and evolution
See you all next time!
Email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com, rate the podcast on Apple Music, follow us on instagram (@inklingsvarietyhour), and share us with other people who like the Inklings
I hope you enjoy this, the first of a few (I think about five) episodes on Perelandra, commonly considered the best of Lewis' Ransom Trilogy books.
It's late, so I won't say much here, except:
- Joseph Weigel, of the Men with Chests podcast is my guest. He's great, and his podcast is well worth checking out.
- Share, rate, and follow this podcast if you like what you hear. Instagram is @inklingsvarietyhour. Email is inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
That's all for now! I may be back next week, but it may be in two weeks. Summer has been unexpectedly busy. Charlie Carter will be joining Joseph and me for Part 2 of Perelandra!
Charlie Carter from the Thinklings podcast talks with Chris about the rest of Owen Barfield's dystopian novella, Night Operation.
More description to come.
Do check out Harry Lee Poe's The Making of C.S. Lewis and Diana Glyer's The Company They Keep and Bandersnatch.
Next time: Perelandra.
An unpublished imitation of Gerard Manley Hopkins' style about the "On Earth as it is" part of the "Our Father."
Charles Williams makes an astute theological point, promotes G.M. Hopkins, and benefits from imitating his style.
Win-win-win.
Can somebody say "Exchange"?
Some helpful sources for this one:
The Third Inkling
The Oddest Inkling
Barfield at last!
I talk with Charlie Carter from the Thinklings podcast about Owen Barfield's ideas and the way they play out in the first part of Barfield's dystopian novella, "Night Operation."
We'll conclude the conversation next week!
More shownotes to come, but it's late!
This is long and late, but I wanted to do part of Tolkien's translation of Sir Orfeo, followed by a few ideas, followed by an awkward reading of the original Middle English. Forgive my poor audio (working out of office), as well as my poor reading of Middle English. When I do it well, it is very difficult for modern English speakers to understand, which isn't ideal for a podcast. I tried to split the difference, with the likely result that I did it well enough to still be difficult to follow, but poorly enough to be widely panned by people who read Middle English.
Sir Orfeo warns, among other things, of the dangers of falling asleep under a grafted tree at noon. You're only tempting fate (and fairies) when you do things like that. Come on.
Here's the Tolkien translation still in existence that I was able to find. Most of Tolkien's Sir Gawain translations also include Sir Orfeo.
As always, feel free to email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
If there's one scholar whose work captures the spirit of what this podcast tries to do, it's Diana Glyer, author of The Company They Keep, Bandersnatch, and The Major and the Missionary. She joins Chris to talk about what we can learn from the Inklings' approach to writing in community.
This was a rich discussion, and I hope you get a lot from it. Diana and I discuss the following:
- Creativity, community, and writing groups
- Paper-reading groups in Oxford
- Typical Inklings meetings
- Resonators
- Types of critique
- Criticism versus dismissiveness
- Did Hugo Dyson end the Inklings?
- The perilous journeys of the one manuscript of the Lord of the Rings
- Christopher Tolkien, Mordor, WWI, and WWII
- Exclusivity and the Inklings
- Charles Williams' bracing effect on the Inklings
- Williams' influence on Tolkien?
- Lewis, Tolkien, and "Numinor"
- Tolkien's increasing crankiness
- Just what is influence?
Feel free to check out Diana's website at dianaglyer.com to see what she's currently up to!
If you enjoyed this podcast, let us know by doing the following:
- Giving us a five-star review on iTunes so that other people can find us more easily
- Emailing us (inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com)
- If you have Instagram, follow us @inklingsvarietyhour
Next week: Charlie Carter from the Thinklings podcast joins me to talk Owen Barfield and his dystopian novella, Night Operation!
Finally! Some Barfield!
[Music: George Winston's "Lullaby," from Summer]
Friend of the show and Inklings scholar Sørina Higgins joins Chris for a brief but substantive discussion about the Inklings as creative writers.
This is a shorter episode, as I didn't have much time to edit (on vacation with family).
Among other things, we discuss:
- Sørina's writing consultancy service, which you can find here
- The Inklings and Atmosphere (or "Donegality")
- The relationship between poetry and prose
- Clarity, poetry, and mysticism
- The Oxbridge tutor system as ideal for helping students write well
If you liked what you heard this week, there are a few things you can do:
- Check out wyrdhoard.com.
- Give us a five-star review on iTunes.
- Shoot us an email at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
- Follow us on instagram: @inklingsvarietyhour
Next time: Diana Glyer joins to talk with me a bit more about the Inklings as writers in community!
One of my new favorite poems by Lewis. For some reason, he's really good at writing about planets as well as myth...hmm...
You can find it in Poems. Not sure where else.
Part two of our "all the right books"/summer reading series.
As always, please do give us a five-star review on iTunes if you like this podcast.
J.D. Peabody joins Chris once again to talk about the state of Christian middle-grade publishing. You can find his article/interview for Christianity Today on the same subject here. It is well worth reading.
Among other things, we discuss:
- Current changes to traditionally published Middle Grade fiction
- How those changes apply to Christian Middle Grade fiction
- What would The Chronicles of Narnia and The Hobbit have to change to be published today?
- Redacting books
- "On the Reading of Old Books," by C.S. Lewis
- The rise of independent publishing/self-publishing
- Helping your child develop good judgment
- Book recommendations
- Advice for modern Christian Middle Grade authors
- Monty Python, of course (or maybe just John Cleese?)
Feel free to follow us @inklingsvarietyhour for more summer reading recommendations (both for grown-ups and children).
Email me anytime at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
Next week: I'm still deciding, but there's a lot of great stuff to choose from. You'll like it, I promise!
Music is "Fragrant Fields," by George Winston, from Summer
Chris has G. Connor Salter back on the show to discuss Tom Bombadil in Rings of Power, as well as Tom Bombadil more generally.
See you Tuesday!
J.R.R. Tolkien was a pretty good nonsense poet.
You can find this poem in the chapter "At the Sign of the Prancing Pony" in The Fellowship of the Ring, as well as in Tales from the Perilous Realm. It was originally printed on its own in The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.
Enjoy!
When a character in Narnia has "read all the wrong books," you know they're in for a difficult time. But spending time in Narnia does a lot to compensate for a bad literary diet.
What, though, about our kids, who all live well after the Narnian apocalypse and need good books to thrive in our world?
What are "the right books," and how do we get our children to read them? Heck, how do we find them for ourselves, for that matter?
Chris' guests this week are Angela Teal and Marena Bleech, who, with their powers combined, form In The Burrow Books. You can follow them on Instagram for more recommendations: @intheburrowbooks.
You can also find Angela Teal's (a.k.a. J. Reese Bradley's) books, the Brumbletide series (which my eight-year-old is currently enjoying), here.
Among other things, we discuss:
- Why Christians should go to the library
- Ideological conformity among "top five" publishers
- Motivating kids and competing with screens
- "On Fairy Stories," by J.R.R. Tolkien
- "On Three Ways of Writing for Children," by C.S. Lewis
- Why you should judge books by their illustrations
Among other things, we recommend:
- Harry Potter
- Inkheart
- The Wrinkle in Time series
- Anything by Roald Dahl, who was a mean old cuss
- The Borrowers
- Grimm's Fairy Tales
- The Wind in the Willows (illustrated by Arthur Rackham)
- Anne of Green Gables
- The Secret Garden
- Peter and Wendy
- Brambly Hedge
- Beatrix Potter
- Beverly Cleary's Ramona books
- The Indian in the Cupboard
- The Magic Treehouse series
Picture books:
- The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
- The Naming and I Believe:The Nicene Creed illustrated by Pauline Baynes
- Beatrix Potter's books (but avoid the new fake stuff not drawn by her as you would avoid Mr. MacGregor's garden--sold under her name, too!).
- Astrid Sheckels' Hector Fox series
- Mr. Bliss, by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf
Post-show recommendations from Marena:
- Amy Grimes does some of the most beautiful work. I highly recommend her book(s) and giving her a follow.
- I adore these Enid Blyton picture books. They're great for early readers.
- I think one of my favorite picture books (which of course, I didn't mention) is The Cottage At the End of the Lane which is worth having if you can get it.
- Like I said, Brambly Hedge is the best!
- Astrid Sheckels was one I mentioned that's a great current author/illustrator.
- Of course, A Book of Narnians is wonderful.
- This is such a beautiful book of poetry. (And anything by Tasha Tudor is worth having)
- I'm also a big Winnie-the-Pooh fan, and any book with Ernest Shepherd illustrations.
Post-show recommendations from Chris:
- My friend J.D. Peabody’s middle grade book series, The Inkwell Chronicles is a lot of fun (“The Inklings” is a secret society of authors far larger and older than the Oxford group with Lewis and Tolkien). He also wrote an article on middle grade books for Christianity Today that I’m going to release a podcast about soon.
- I didn’t talk about the Prydain Chronicles or the Earthsea books as great fantasy books that aren’t necessarily Christian, but they were absolutely vital (though I didn’t get into Earthsea until college)
- I have a Pauline Baynes (out of print) book that is a beautiful illustration of the Nicene Creed.
- Spells of Enchantment (collection of stories), edited by Jack Zipes
- Tales before Tolkien (collection of stories), edited by Douglas Anderson
- My wife Glencora’s children’s book and my far less successful one, where we tried to create engaging (if not very professional) illustrations for good poems
- Our book about Christmas, Twelve Tide, which has lots of literature excerpts and has done a bit better.
- The Never Ending Story (the book!) by Michael Ende
- The Half Magic series, by Edward Eager
- Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit
- The Book of Wonder, by Lord Dunsany
Movies and TV Series:
- The Secret World of Arrietty (there are actually better Miyazaki films (such as the most recent one), though, and they are all absolutely gorgeous. He’s not afraid to be still.
- I have to mention two of the hand-drawn Irish films influenced by Miyazaki, The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea.
- Best of all (and most American), the series Over the Garden Wall, which is funny, beautiful, moral, and creepy. Here’s the first episode (though the rest you have to buy—worth it!)
But what about new children's books and middle-grade fiction?
Next time: Middle-grade author J.D. Peabody weighs in. Check out his article on the subject in Christianity Today.
Music: "Living in the Country," from Summer, by George Winston
Email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram @inklingsvarietyhour
Poetry Thursday will be back next week! Today, we have our normal show, which was displaced by the Pop-Up Pop Rings of Power Teaser Reaction Tuesday.
Here's an article Connor wrote for "A Pilgrim in Narnia" that compares the themes of Nightmare Alley with those of Lewis' work.
Connor Salter joins Chris to discuss Bill Gresham, Joy's first husband, and the movie Nightmare Alley, based on Gresham's bestselling book.
Among other things, we discuss
- The plot of the film
- Possible meanings of the film
- Noir films and the search for God
- Community among carnival performers
- Bill Gresham's life (and death)
- Bill's and Joy's involvement with Dianetics
A few other works that get mentioned include:
- Monster Midway
- The Greater Trumps
And you can find Connor's stuff here, as well as at Fellowship & Fairydust.
- Please do the following if you like this show:
- Follow us on Instagram @inklingsvarietyhour
- Give the show a five-star review on iTunes
- Email us to say hi! inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
Next week: What are "the right books" Eustace didn't read, and how can your kids find them in an increasingly bizarre middle grade marketplace? Ideas for kids' summer reading in the spirit of the Inklings.
The teaser for season two of the "Rings of Power" has Chris in an unusually curmudgeonly mood, doubting whether there is indeed a reason for this season.
Luckily, he is visited today by three spirits who know more about the show and the lore behind it than he does.
Can Sørina Higgins, Connor Salter, and Jordan Key cause him to believe in Tolkien adaptations again? Or will he drag them down with him into the cynical abyss, full of zombie swordfish and indistinct symbiote goo? (I mean, can a crossover with the MCU be far away--it's clearly Venom.)
We talk about:
-
How Tolkienian is the trailer?
-
What each image in the trailer might be.
-
What would they have to announce about the new season to make us excited (or at least less grumpy) about it?
Apologies for doing almost no editing on this one! It needed to be churned out fast to be even the tiniest bit relevant.
Drop us a line at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com and feel free to share your thoughts about the series.
Notice: We'll have the normal IVH episode (about Nightmare Alley) on Thursday, in place of the poem--this week. In future weeks, we'll return to the Hour-Tuesday/Poetry-Thursday format.
By the way, here's where the conversation between Sørina Higgins and Jordan Key about Season One will become available.
Sorry for the late upload!
This is a fairly rambly meditation on C.S. Lewis' "The Future of Forestry." Also, intellectual and political history painted with a very, very broad brush. Edgy! (Or maybe just careless.)
The views expressed here (which are solely Chris's and might be wrong as many of them were formulated while writing), please do write in at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com! I'd love to hear from you! If anyone would like a longer episode with many contrasting views of Lewis' and Tolkien's conservative conservationism, let me know--that could be a lot of fun.
Next week--come visit Nightmare Alley with me and Connor Salter!
Thanks again to Sørina Higgins for her readings!
- If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave us a six-star review! Failing that, you can always leave a five-star one.
- Also, I'd love to hear from you! inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
- Also, I'm on Instagram: @inklingsvarietyhour
Chris is joined by actor Jason Will to discuss Charles Williams' nativity play, The House by the Stable, recently staged by the Acacia Theater Company with Grab and Grace.
Together, they weigh the following questions (among others):
- How can modern theater companies make up for the fact that audiences are not familiar with verse plays?
- What is the context of this play?
- Who was Ruth Spalding?
- Why did Williams' choose to combine medieval allegorical and medieval Bible ("mystery") plays, and what does that have to do with Man, Pride, Hell, Gabriel, and the Holy Family?
- How should one read verse drama?
- Could this be Williams' clearest piece of fiction?
- Also, is there tobacco in heaven?
Episode links:
- The House by the Stable
- Grab and Grace
- Acacia Theater Company
- What Prominent Charles Williams Scholars Are Saying
- Also, see the Oddest Inkling Blog entry
- What Critics Are Saying
Next week: We're talking with Connor Salter about Nightmare Alley by Joy Davidman's ex, Bill Gresham! At long last, a connection between the Inklings and film noir! And it's a really good film noir, too (and yes, I know that Gresham didn't direct the movie but wrote the book that inspired the movie--don't be such a geek).
Comin' at you from "The Ring Goes South," in The Fellowship of the Ring. Enjoy, and sorry about the poor audio quality!
This week, Chris is joined by Eric Geddes, longtime friend of the show, to talk about George MacDonald's bizarre-yet-beautiful fairy story, "The Golden Key."
Feel free to read it first, or listen to it on Librivox: Part 1, Part 2
We talk about the following:
- George MacDonald's life
- The "plot" (or lack thereof--hang in there!) of "The Golden Key"
- Parallels with C.S. Lewis' work (especially The Problem of Pain)
- Tolkien's reaction and general crotchetiness in old age
- Other works like "The Golden Key"
- I probably bring up Miyazaki a bit too much
Recommended books and films:
- Tales Before Tolkien (ed. by Douglas Anderson)
- Spells of Enchantment (ed. by Jack Zipes)
- Peter and Wendy, by J.M Barrie
- The Problem of Pain, by C.S. Lewis
- Smith of Wootton Major, by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Boy and the Heron and Howl's Moving Castle (films) by Hayao Miyazaki
- The Song of Bernadette movie that Tolkien liked when he seemed to like very little else--starring (among others) a young Vincent Price!
If you enjoy The Inklings Variety Hour, please leave us a five-star review on Apple Music or iTunes. Thanks very much to those who have, including (most recently) Virginicus, who says, "It’s amazing how many different things the Inklings can be connected to. Chris follows them all over the map. I like the new Thursday poetry readings best." Thanks, Virginicus! Very much obliged!
As always, feel free to drop us a line to let us know what you like and what you would like to see more of: inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
We're also on Instagram now @inklingsvarietyhour
Next week: The House by the Stable, by Charles Williams
Lewis' poem in memory of Charles Williams.
Quotations come from The Making of C.S. Lewis, by Harry Lee Poe, and Collected Letters, vol. 2, edited by Walter Hooper.
Thanks again to Sørina Higgins for her excellent reading!
We have a lot more new episodes waiting for you, including a trip to the borders of Faerie with George MacDonald, a Night Operation with Owen Barfield, and a House by the Stable with Charles Williams! And a lot more.
But here's the thing...all of those episodes need to be edited by yours truly. And it's the last week of the semester, and I have a lot of grading (and parenting) to do, so, it's time to treat yourself to a rerun.
Luckily, it's a good one!
Enjoy this old episode about adapting Tolkien! We'll be back next week!
Old description:
Jonathan Geltner and Eric Geddes join Chris to talk about their favorite adaptations of Tolkien's Legendarium in this fairly self-indulgent and digressive conversation. Join us!
Do you have a favorite (or least favorite) Tolkien adaptation? Email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com and tell us about it.
This poetry Thursday, we're taking on "Surprised by Joy," the sonnet by William Wordsworth that gave Lewis' 1955 memoir its title. But beyond a title, does the poem have any connection to Lewis' ideas about joy, grief, and love?
Probably, yes.
Thanks again to Sørina Higgins for selecting and reading this week's (and last week's) poem!
Here's the poem, by the way: Surprised by Joy by William Wordsworth | Poetry Foundation
And here's Ben Jonson's "On My First Son," which is a real tear-jerker: On my First Son by Ben Jonson | Poetry Foundation
If you enjoy Poetry Thursdays, be sure to let us know at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
As always, if you enjoy this program, please leave us a five-star review on iTunes.
Dr. Katherine Wyma joins Chris to talk about how Lewis' writing reflects his experiences in World War I. In particular, she suggests that his writing about World War II may be a form of narrative therapy that helped him cope with psychological wounds from the previous war.
Katherine mentions a few books listeners might want to check out:
The Maisie Dobbs mystery series
A Morning After War, by K.J. Gilchrist
C.S. Lewis and the BBC, by Justin Phillips
If you want to drop us a line, or join us for an episode (we're recording on Perelandra just now), email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Enjoy this short, early poem by Charles Williams!
Many thanks to Sørina Higgins for reading (as well as her counsel and help with this podcast generally).
Find Williams' poem and her commentary (from ten years ago, nearly exactly) here: On Meeting Shakespeare | The Oddest Inkling (wordpress.com)
Next week: Tolkien and Lewis and the World Wars!
If you're enjoying The Inklings Variety Hour, then...
please...
leave us a review with five stars
on iTunes or Apple Music, or whatever.
Yes, we're talking to you through these shownotes,
and it's all very eerie
and annoying.
ahem
Middle-grade author J.D. Peabody rejoins Chris to talk about The Inkwell Chronicles: Race to Krakatoa, the second book in his Inkwell Chronicles series.
You may want to read the book before listening--or feel free to listen to get an idea of how another author draws on the work of the Inklings to create his own excellent middle-grade fiction. It's pretty inspiring.
Stick around post "credits" to hear Mr. Peabody talk with Chris' 10-year-old son.
Here, by the way, is Jeff's secret Inkwell Chronicles invisible ink page. Worth looking through.
Apologies for the late posting! Life has been a perfect storm of grading, kids getting sick, meetings, etc.
Also--we're on Instagram now. Follow us @inklingsvarietyhour and feel free to respond there.
As always, email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
This week, we've got another by Tolkien. You can find it in Tales from the Perilous Realm, which collects The Adventures of Tom Bombadil in which it was originally published.
Again, the idea for this format comes from "The Daily Poem," so check it out if you haven't already done so.
See you Tuesday!
The finale of our series on The Silver Chair! We have a lot of great stuff to say, but I have a ten-month-old with an ear infection and it is the last month of the semester, so I will have to write a summary later! This is also not as scrupulously edited as other episodes are--so savor the authenticity!
My guests are Eric Geddes, Jonathan Geltner (whose blogs you should find and whose books you should buy), and Joseph Weigel (whose podcast you should listen to). My wife Glencora also makes a brief appearance.
You can now find us on Instagram @inklingsvarietyhour. We'd love to hear from you.
Next week, we'll be talking to J.D. Peabody about his middle-grade fantasy, The Inkwell Chronicles: Race to Krakatoa. Feel free to look it up and give it a read before then or wait until you hear the episode.
As always, email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com, and please leave a five-star review on iTunes if you're enjoying the podcast.
Was Auden an Inkling?
No. No, he wasn't.
But have we played him reading a stanza of this poem (in which he mentions Williams and Tolkien) every week we've published an episode?
Yes. Yes, we have.
So here's the whole thing in full, for the sake of sweet context.
Again, I am absolutely stealing the pattern of Poetry Thursdays from the wonderful Daily Poem podcast by Goldberry Studios. Listen to it and be enlightened, if you like this sort of thing.
Next time: We wrap up our Silver Chair discussion!
If you're enjoying The Inklings Variety Hour and want to support the show without paying us a dime, please consider leaving us a review on iTunes.
Feel free to follow us on Instagram: @inklingsvarietyhour
And shoot us an email to tell us that our work this week has not been in vain: inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
This week, Chris is joined by a panoply of first-time and returning guests, such as Eric Geddes, Jonathan Geltner, Joseph Weigel, and Glencora Pipkin, to talk about The Silver Chair, Chapters 7-9. Hopefully you'll find our many digressions refreshing and stimulating--not irritating and uncomfortable, like so many irregular trenches carved into a hill.
Among other things, we discuss:
- Whether we're more afraid of heights or depths (we'd love to hear from you on this question).
- Chris feels vindicated that Lewis had trouble finding a name for this book.
- The V-structure (see Planet Narnia) of The Silver Chair
- The Faerie Queene and the fringes of England and Narnia
- Sources, and Eric's hypothesis about "Narnia and the North"
- Education and The Silver Chair
- Loss of Agency Resulting from Comfort
- The Nature of Dreams
- The Children's Cascading Epiphanies!
- Humor and Tension in Harfang
- "It's a Cookbook!"
- "It's only cannibalism if your meal was hnau."
- Education as instilling virtue
Here's a link to Jonathan Weigel's podcast, "Men with Chests": Men with Chests on Apple Podcasts
Here's a link to Jonathan Geltner's substack, blog, and books.
This Thursday: A poem! By one of the Inklings, probably! You'll know when I do!
Next week: Finale of The Silver Chair!
If you're enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving us a review on itunes. If you're not, you probably have better things to do with your time than to bother with reviews!
As always, feel free to email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com!
Welcome back to Poetry Thursday.
Here's something from the planet Mercury for you all!
Also, the show now has an Instagram--follow us @inklingsvarietyhour
Feel free to let me know if there are poems by Inklings you'd really like to hear.
We'll be back Tuesday with more of The Silver Chair!
In the meantime, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Happy Easter to you! Cristos Anviat!
If you enjoy this podcast, please rate us on iTunes and leave a positive review.
If you'd like to reach out to us or suggest ideas for an episode, email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Also, we have an Instagram account now. Follow us at inklingsvarietyhour.
Chris resumes his conversation with Jonathan Geltner and Eric Geddes about the first half of Lewis' fourth Narnia book, The Silver Chair.
Among other things, we discuss:
- A bit more of Chapter 4, "Parliament of Owls."
- Rilian's Predicament: Oedipal or just Literary?
- Puddleglum: Origins
- Fred Paxford
- John Studley's Bad Translation of Hippolytus (16th Century, OHEL)
- Geographical
- Literary American "Indian Guides"
- English dourness, Thorin and Company, and Dickens
- Rock Giants at Play in The Silver Chair and The Hobbit
- Jill and Eustace: Pilgrims or T-r-r-r-r-avelers?
- The Ever-r-r-r-Glamorous Art of R-Trilling
- Parallels with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Other Romances, such as:
- Lanval, by Marie de France
- Sir Orfeo (based on Orpheus but with Fairies--here's Tolkien's translation)
- Post-script: Arthurian Torso
Thanks to Jonathan Geltner and Eric Geddes for a great conversation. Follow Jonathan's work at his blog and his substack, and buy his book.
This Week's Poetry Thursday: C.S. Lewis' "The Birth of Language."
Next Tuesday: Joined by Joseph Weigel from the Men with Chests podcast, we'll discuss civilized giants! And maybe we'll even get to the Underworld. Stay tuned!
Coming this Season:
Perelandra, more podcast crossovers (Thinklings, Men with Chests), Arthurian Torso, "The Golden Key," Inkwell Chronicles: Race to Krakatoa, Lewis and Tolkien and a whole lot more.
Welcome again to the new "Poetry Thursday" feature of The Inklings Variety Hour.
This week, we're reading a poem by Ruth Pitter, someone who was not an Inkling but knew C.S. Lewis and a few of the other Inklings. I had Don W. King on the show to talk about her, and you can find that interview here.
You can find the poem I read here, by the way.
And here's a book of Pitter's poetry.
I hope you enjoy--if you do, please leave a five-star review on iTunes so that others will be more likely to find the show.
Also, please feel free to write me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com if you have ideas for poems you would like to hear read on the show.
The idea for the format of Poetry Thursday is ripped pretty shamelessly from The Daily Poem, which is a great podcast.
If you're enjoying The Inklings Variety Hour, please leave us a five-star review on . We'd also love to hear from you--email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
Chris' wife, Glencora, joins him to talk about chapters 3 and 4 of The Silver Chair. Among other things, we discuss:
- The Signs and Sudden Quizzes
- Muppet Silver Chair (not really a thing, but it should be)
- The Many Types of Narnians
- Knowledge, Experience, Recognition
- Meditation in a Toolshed
- The Nature of Wisdom?
- Chaucer's Parliament of Fowls and other ancient/medieval works referenced in Chapter 4...also Keats.
- Fetching green caps that say "Oui"
Hopefully you'll enjoy this episode, which is slightly more lighthearted and relaxed than usual. Also, happy birthday to Glencora!
If not, I'll be back with Eric and Jonathan next week to talk about Puddleglum!
Next:
- Poetry Thursday: "The Sparrow's Skull," by Ruth Pitter
This Season:
Shows on their way include:
- Interview with J.D. Peabody about The Inkwell Chronicles: Race to Krakatoa
- C.S. Lewis and World War I
- Interview with Connor Salter about Bill Gresham
- George MacDonald's "The Golden Key"
- Owen Barfield
- Perelandra
- Arthurian Torso
- And quite a bit more. Stay tuned and let me know what else you'd like to see.
Apologies for any sound problems on this one! We were in the same room, and I am not a professional sound guy.
We're trying a new thing this season--each Thursday, I plan to release a brief recording of a poem by one of the Inklings.
This is more or less directly inspired by the excellent podcast, The Daily Poem by Goldberry Studios, so check it out and subscribe if you want more of this sort of thing.
The poem this week is "Imram," by J.R.R. Tolkien.
You can find a text of the poem here.
You can find it reprinted in Sauron Defeated in the History of Middle Earth Series.
Do you have a favorite poem by one of the Inklings (or someone associated with them in some way) that you'd like to hear read on the podcast? Feel free to shoot me an email if so, at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
As always, give us a five-star rating if you want to encourage us to keep doing what we do.
See you Tuesday for The Silver Chair, Part 2!
Please leave a five-star review of this podcast if you enjoy it.
We'd also love to hear from you--feel free to send us an email at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
Welcome to Season Four!
Chris is joined by Eric Geddes and author Jonathan Geltner to discuss Chapters 1 and 2 of the fourth book in the Narniad (is that what we're calling that now?), The Silver Chair.
Among other things, we discuss:
- How we're all graduates of Experiment House now
- The school Experiment House was maybe sort of kind of based on
- The real means of getting into Narnia this time (is it the door or Aslan's breath?)
- Aslan's Country as Eden/The Terrestrial Paradise, and Pole and Scrubb's very literal Fall
- The role of the four signs and memory
- Knowledge, experience, and recognition
- The name of the book
- Silverchair (who were, as it turns out, fans of Narnia)
Things we didn't discuss but I'd planned to:
- The Door in the Wall, a beautiful fairy-story by H.G. Wells
Next:
- I'll be releasing brief recordings of poetry by the Inklings each Thursday. This coming Thursday, it'll be "Imram," by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Next Week:
- My wife Glencora and I will discuss Chapters 3 and 4 of The Silver Chair. Never fear--we will get to Puddleglum the following week!
This Season:
Shows on their way include:
- Interview with J.D. Peabody about The Inkwell Chronicles: Race to Krakatoa
- C.S. Lewis and World War I
- Interview with Connor Salter about Bill Gresham (Joy's ex) and his most important novel-turned-movie, Nightmare Alley
- George MacDonald's "The Golden Key"
- At last: Owen Barfield!
- Arthurian Torso
- Perelandra
- And quite a bit more. Stay tuned, and feel free to let me know what else you'd like to see.
The last (weirdest) part of Chris' "An Inklings Christmas Carol."
Oh, didn't realize it was still Christmas, did you? Well, it is, but it's getting close to Epiphany, time of magi and revelations.
Happy Twelfth Night!
Thanks again to Sørina Higgins and her talented authors' circle, of which I am a part. Feel free to join us.
Write me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com if there are specific things you'd like to see in Season 4 of The Inklings Variety Hour!
I plan to kick things off with a discussion about The Silver Chair. I'd like this discussion to be with a group of enthusiasts rather than scholars, per se. So please email me if you'd like to join in.
Enjoy, and have a Merry Christmas!
Part 3 will post in a week or so (which is, by the way, still Christmastide).
Thanks to Joe Hoffman, Ed Powell, and Sørina Higgins for their talents and help.
Apologies for the occasionally poor audio quality. We did the best we could!
Email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. If you like the show, I'd love to hear from you.
At last! Here is the first part of a (Zoom) table reading of my "play" (loosely defined), "An Inklings Christmas Carol."
Two more (longer) parts are to come! Gee, it's a good thing Christmas begins on December 25, or I'd be out of time. Twelve Tide, etc., etc.!
Special thanks to Anika Smith, Sørina Higgins, and Joe Hoffman for reading this episode. Thanks in general to Sørina's Author's Circle, which you can find out more about (and even join) here.
Hope you enjoy it--keep in mind this is a first draft, none of us are professional actors, and I'm not making a cent off this episode! As with any holiday movie or play, if you keep your expectations low, you'll have a pretty good time!
Feel free to send me feedback at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. And please rate the show if you like it!
O.G. Host Anika Smith rejoins the podcast to interview Chris and his beautiful and omnicompetent wife, Glencora, about their new Christmas resource book, Twelve Tide.
Part of what we're trying to do with this book is make Christmas less a single-morning present binge preceded by anxiety and followed by anticlimax--and more a season of twelve days of giving, feasting, and learning to celebrate better.
Want an idea of what's in the book? Check out our website, 12tide.com.
We are all Niatirbians now (and Lewis was dismayed by godless Christmas cards). We want to reconcile sacred and "secular" aspects of Christmas and equip people with some old ways to celebrate this season.
Music from this episode includes:
- George Winston's "The Holly and the Ivy"
- Bing Crosby's "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"
- Loreena McKennitt's "The Holly and the Ivy"
- Choir of Christchurch's "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
- Loreena McKennitt's "Gloucestershire Wassail"
- The Chieftains' "Boar's Head Carol"
- Maddy Prior's "Coventry Carol"
- Medieval Baebes' "Adam Lay Ybounden"
- Maddy Prior's "Wassail!"
Also, if you're interested in the Twelve Tide Spotify list Anika suggested on the show, here it is.
Stay tuned...I'm done with grading and I'm turning my attention to an Inklings Christmas Carol. Won't be easy to finish in time, but I'll do my level best. If you are interested in reading a part for it, feel free to email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
God bless and keep you this Advent Season. See you at Christmas!
Happy November 29, or as it's newly-known in Jack-conscious circles, C.S. Lewis Reading Day!
Join William O'Flaherty and Chris as we play Schroeder to C.S. Lewis' Beethoven in a "Crossover Extravaganza" that is sure to have you schlepping down to your local library to crack open some of our favorite works by Lewis!
(Ah! Still fresh! And intoxicating!)
William and Chris will both be attending a Livestream event today (11/29/23) marking this first annual C.S. Lewis Reading Day. Feel free to come along, at 7:00 EST. You should be able to find it on the Pints with Jack Youtube Channel or Facebook Page.
In the meantime, read some C.S. Lewis. (I assume that's what one does on a C.S. Lewis Reading Day when one isn't creating and listening to podcasts.) If you're not sure where to start, listen to a bit of the present episode to get some ideas.
We had the first (and longer) part of this conversation on William's fine podcast, "All About Jack." It's already up, so check it out if you want to know about some of the works by Lewis that have influenced Chris the most. You can also find it on William's Youtube channel.
You can find the essays and books William discusses here:
The Screwtape Letters (Annotated)
The Weight of Glory
The Four Loves
The Business of Heaven
Additionally, here is William's Amazon page, where you can buy his books on C.S. Lewis, The Misquotable Lewis and C.S. Lewis Goes To Hell.
And you can find Twelve Tide, the Christmas Resource book by Chris and Glencora Pipkin on Amazon as well. More on that next week!
Finally, Chris is creating a Christmas Special starring the Inklings. If you have any interest in reading the part of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Warnie Lewis, or Edith Tolkien, please contact him at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
Just a quick announcement about some bonus content coming your way in the next few weeks:
If you want to hear the first part of my conversation with William O'Flaherty, check out his podcast, All About Jack. The second part will arrive on C.S. Lewis Reading Day, right here on The Inklings Variety Hour.
If you want to watch the Livestream conversation between myself and a whole bunch of other C.S. Lewis podcast hosts, go to the Pints with Jack Youtube Channel at 7:00 PM EST on Wednesday, November 29.
If you'd like to check out the book I've written with my wife (Twelve Tide), here it is. We'll be talking with original cohost Anika about it next week.
If you would like to be a part of the Christmas special I'm working on for later in December (or would like to suggest ideas for Season Four), email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you for any reason, really.
In this special edition of The Inklings Variety Hour, Sørina Higgins joins me to discuss an exciting discovery she made while perusing Charles Williams' manuscripts at the Marion E. Wade Center.
Come to hear about the new Charles Williams poetry and manuscripts; stay to hear a brief discussion about whether Williams should be "canceled."
Follow Sørina's work at https://theoddestinkling.wordpress.com/, and feel free to support her work at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina.
And let me know your thoughts! Email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
The Inklings Variety Hour will be back in March (or so) for a fourth season! In the meantime, enjoy occasional bonus episodes like this. Next up, we'll be having a crossover episode with William O'Flaherty's "All About Jack" podcast for the new, official C.S. Lewis Reading Day (November 29).
I'll also be promoting a Christmas book my wife and I have written. We'll see you then!
Verlyn Flieger rejoins me to talk about her first important work--and really the first very important work on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion--Splintered Light: Logos and Language in Tolkien's World.
I was really excited to have this conversation, as I read this book just under two decades ago and it not only introduced me to Barfield's ideas, but also made The Silmarillion far more interesting and meaningful to me than it had been.
So, enjoy, and thanks so much to Verlyn for coming on the show again. It's been such an honor and a treat to be able to talk with her.
I'm about out of podcasts! With the semester starting up, this may well be the final podcast of the season--but I intend to return for Season 4, probably sometime in March. You'll probably have a few scattered podcasts from me before then, so watch this space!
I've pretty much run out of regular co-contributors, and I worry that the nature of this podcast suffers if it's mostly interviews with published experts (fun as those are), book promotions, or me just talking on my own. This should be primarily friends talking about good books (and many, many thanks to all the friends who have joined me here)!
If any listeners would like to join me to discuss a book (say, The Silver Chair or The Man Who Was Thursday, or something else), just say the word. I'd love to have you chime in for an episode or two at the very least.
As always, email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com or give the podcast a rating on iTunes.
Thanks for listening!
Sorry for the late post! Sorry also that this is mostly (but not entirely) old material. Despite that, it took a long, long time to edit!
I wasn't happy with the way the audio turned out in Part 2 of Voyage of the Dawn Treader earlier this season, so this is my attempt to rectify that! It should be much easier to hear us talk--with a lot less deafening music and waves. Also, if you have a long drive ahead of you, stick us on--we'll cover all of Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
You can listen to Part 1 (with David Bates and Eric Geddes), Part 2 (with Eric Geddes), as well as all new bonus material featuring the three Pipkin kids, whose patience I test with attempts at Socratic seminar on VODT--as well as attempts to get them to sit still. I'd say they give about as well as they get.
The material with my kids is pretty heavily edited. You're welcome.
As always, email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
Thanks again to David Bates and Eric Geddes, and thanks to Logan Huggins for mixing the first episode.
Next time: Tolkien scholar Verlyn Flieger joins me to at last talk about Owen Barfield--and his influence on Tolkien. We'll discuss her landmark study, Splintered Light.
Chris speaks with Dr. Sørina Higgins about her developing short story collection, Shall These Bones Breathe?
We also talk a bit about writing and the creative process.
If you'd like to read Sørina's stories--and even help shape them--just go to www.buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina
For more on her scholarly work, check out her blog, The Oddest Inkling.
If you enjoy The Inklings Variety Hour, please do leave us a review or send me note at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you.
Next week: I'm not entirely sure. Hey, it's like you're in a real Inklings meeting, where anything might happen. Perhaps Charles Williams or his ghost will show up--or a big ham from America. Or maybe we'll finally talk about ancient semantic unity and/or "more $%#@ing elves." Man, now I'm intrigued--as well as anxious to live up to all this hype. Stay tuned!
Just a quick ad for a story I've published in Flash Fiction Magazine. You can find it here.
Enjoy! If you like it and want to support a collection of similar stories I'm developing, just go here.
Sophie Burkhardt joins me to talk about the nature of Tolkien's Shire and its role in his work.
(No long episode description this time--I am on vacation. Enjoy, though!)
If you have additional thoughts about the Shire, or ideas about other places we should explore, drop us a line at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you. I think it would be half worth it to do a second episode somewhere down the line on the Shire, as there is so much else to talk about. Let me know your thoughts.
Give us a rating on iTunes if you can spare a minute. A kind review would mean a great deal to us.
Sophie's podcast, Beneath the Willow Tree, can be found here.
Next time, we'll be talking about Sørina Higgins' developing short story collection, Shall These Bones Breathe? Check it out and support her work here.
Jonathan Geltner joins the show once again to discuss his essay, "The New Transcendentalism."
We ask, and attempt to answer the question: "What would Western society look like if it was rebuilt only around the works of Tolkien?"
We're not sure ourselves, but there would probably be a lot more smoking.
Spoilers: We don't ever quite answer this question, but we do speculate about it quite a bit, covering topics from "How 'true' did Tolkien think his own legendarium was?" to "Is Tolkien's secondary world self-contained enough that no context is necessary to appreciate it?"
If you have more concrete ideas about what a Tolkien-based culture would look like, we'd love to hear them. Email the podcast at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
Check out Jonathan's stuff here, here, and here.
Next time: Sophie Burkhardt joins me to talk about the Shire!
Jonathan Geltner joins Chris to talk about J.R.R. Tolkien's unfinished King Arthur poem, The Fall of Arthur.
Sorry for the late posting! More episode description to come!
Sorry for the late post--it just didn't sit right to publish an episode on the most iconic British monarch during my country's Independence Day celebration. Also, there were hot dogs.
If you like this podcast, please give us a five-star rating on iTunes. We'd also love to hear from you, so please reach out--inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com!
Friend of the show Eric Geddes returns to talk about Lewis' friend and student, Roger Lancelyn Green, who was best known for the many children's books he wrote about myths and legends, many of which remain standard.
After briefly discussing Green's friendship with Lewis, we talk about Green's King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, which Lewis called "better than Malory," before adding, "well, not really, but you know what I mean."
High praise indeed!
Topics for this episode include:
- Roger Lancelyn Green's biography, highlighting his friendship with Lewis; some of his best-known works.
- Lewis' Discarded Image, dedicated to Green
- Tolkien's annoyance with Narnia, revisited
- Diana Glyer's The Company They Keep
- The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, ed. by Walter Hooper
- Sir Thomas Malory versus Roger Lancelyn Green...
- ...versus Dave Pilkey (or, Pipkin's unhinged "get-off-my-lawn" rant about kids' books these days)
- The two swords of Arthur
- Monty Python, of course
- Odds Bodkin's Perceval
- Chretien de Troyes versus Roger Lancelyn Green
- The Holy Grail
- Galahad versus Perceval
- When the holy and the fairy converge
- Is it a foregone conclusion that Camelot (and all civilizations) would fail--and is it one that a Christian is obliged to make?
Apologies for my own rambling and my very poor not-quite-Middle English! There will be more on King Arthur (as written by Tolkien) very soon. Thanks for listening!
Also--are there other Inklings or topics you would like to hear us discuss? Let us know!
If you're enjoying the show, please do rate us on iTunes! Also, we'd love to hear from you at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
Hal Poe joins the show to discuss his comprehensive and very readable three-volume C.S. Lewis biography, Becoming C.S. Lewis, which you can find here. He talks about how he became interested in C.S. Lewis, the process of writing the biography, and a few of the assumptions about C.S. Lewis he's disproven.
Among other things, we discuss:
- The importance of Lewis' childhood in forming his tastes
- The Janie Moore affair (or lack thereof?)
- Biography versus memoir
- Lewis' love of allegory and his Allegory of Love
- Lewis' likely influence on Tolkien's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings
- Barfield: The Inkling Who Wasn't
- Some objections to the Planet Narnia thesis
- C.S. Lewis as Mrs. Moore's house elf
- Lewis' writing speed
- Apologetics after Lewis
We hope you enjoy it! Thanks again to Hal Poe for taking the time to discuss this with us--and thanks to Andrew Lazo for introducing us!
Chris interviews Don W. King about Ruth Pitter, a superb and often-overlooked poet who was friends with Lewis and many of the other Inklings.
Don also shares some of his exclusive recording of Pitter reading her poetry. Definitely worth hearing!
If you're enjoying The Inklings Variety Hour, we have no way of knowing it unless you email us (inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com) or leave us a rating (and review) on iTunes. If we're a part of your life, we'd love to have you be a part of ours as well--let us know what you're enjoying, and what you'd like to see more of.
I'd write more, but I have a newborn--welcome Arthur Edmund Pipkin, who has the most Inkling-y name of all my children.
As a kind of epilogue to Out of the Silent Planet, Chris talks with Jordan Duncan from Lesser-Known Lewis about C.S. Lewis' 1958 essay, "Religion and Rocketry," also published as "Will We Lose God in Outer Space?" You can find it collected in The World's Last Night and Other Essays.
This is a wide-ranging conversation (we get a lot of mileage out of a comparatively short essay), and we cover everything from the question of aliens, to government conspiracies, to apologetics, to Richard Dawkins, Elon Musk, James Cameron (and of course, Sir Fred B. Hoyle), to Lewis' idea of animals and humans "becoming" something higher and what that has to do with rational souls, to (oddly enough) the Monkey King from The Journey to the West, as well as The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Story of Your Life (Arrival).
Come for the self-indulgent semi-conspiratorial ramblings, and stay for Chris actually disagreeing with C.S. Lewis about something, as well as for the following hypothetical questions, as posed by Lewis and by us:
- If aliens existed would this invalidate the Christian faith?
- If aliens existed would this actually prove the existence of God?
- If aliens existed, should Western democracies opt out of the new space race that would result?
- Should we avoid colonizing other planets (for instance, Mars), even if they are uninhabited?
- Is adventure bad (the result of the Fall) or is it how God designed us? And isn't making contact with aliens another adventure?
- Speaking of good intentions potentially having disastrous consequences: Is C.S. Lewis indirectly responsible for James Cameron's Avatar?
If you like this podcast, please rate it on iTunes. Please also consider dropping us a line at Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Also, I highly recommend Jordan's podcast, Lesser-Known Lewis. This will be the first of a few collaborations.
Next time, I'll be talking with Sørina Higgins about her book of short stories, Shall These Bones Breathe?
Renowned Beowulf and Tolkien scholar Michael Drout joins me to talk about the two projects he is publishing through Signum University Press--How to Learn How to Think: What the Liberal Arts Are Good For, Anyway and The Beowulf Project.
While not explicitly about Lewis or Tolkien, these subjects we cover this episode were near and dear to the heart of Lewis and Tolkien, as well as other members of the Inklings--many of whom were scholars.
Find out more about Exploring Beowulf here:
Exploring Beowulf
And find out about other books being published through Signum here:
https://press.signumuniversity.org/
I am also joined by friend of the show, Sørina Higgins, Editor-in-Chief of Signum University Press.
Next week: We'll be talking about C.S. Lewis' essay, "Religion and Rocketry," as well as Sørina's book, Shall These Bones Breathe?
Music for this episode is by The Medieval Jazz Quartet.
We should be back on Thursday to bring you an interview with Michael Drout. But until then, enjoy Tolkien's "Mythopoeia," read by Anika Smith in Season One!
We'll have a conversation with Jordan Duncan on "Religion and Rocketry" pretty soon as well, but I wasn't able to complete it quite in time for Tuesday this week.
Here's the old description for "Mythopoeia":
This week, we have J.R.R. Tolkien's "Mythopoeia," read by Anika Smith!
You can find the text of the poem online if you want to read along, or you can buy this lovely book.
Music in the background is Lohengrin, by Richard Wagner.
Next week, we'll be back to discuss Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Stories," in which a part of "Mythopoeia" is quoted.
If you're enjoying these podcasts, please share with a friend or drop us a line to tell us so (InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com). Constructive feedback and suggestions for future episodes are welcome. We'd also very much appreciate reviews in iTunes, if you can spare the time.
Tolkien scholar Verlyn Flieger joins Chris to talk about her new book, A Waiter Made of Glass, a collection of short stories and poems recently published by Quickbeam Books, an imprint of Signum University Press. Topics covered include myth, grief, and the creative writing process.
Go here to learn more about Signum University Press.
We'll be back next week to talk with scholar Michael Drout about his forthcoming book on the liberal arts and ongoing Beowulf Project!
I also plan to release a conversation between myself and Jordan Duncan, from the Lesser-Known Lewis podcast, about Lewis' essay, "Religion and Rocketry"--but it is possible that this will be delayed!
If you're enjoying this podcast, please drop me a line to let me know! Also, do feel free to jump on our new substack to discuss episodes (I am, admittedly, still figuring out how to post new podcasts there, but the old ones are up). You can find it here.
And, as always, feel free to email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
If you're enjoying The Inklings Variety Hour, please consider giving us a review on Apple Podcasts. We'd also love to hear from you, so feel free to shoot us an email at Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. Additionally, we now have a Substack, so if you have thoughts on any of these episodes, we'd love to discuss them with you!
The Inklings Variety Hour is pleased to welcome Dr. David C. Downing for our final episode discussing Out of the Silent Planet. David wrote the first serious scholarly book on C.S. Lewis' "Ransom Trilogy," Planets in Peril and he is the co-director, with his wife, Crystal, of the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College. Check out their fine podcast, if you haven't already.
Among other things we discuss:
- How David became interested in C.S. Lewis and the genesis of Planets in Peril
- Why Lewis is like an EGOT-er
- Tolkien and Lewis, their influence on each other, and their different approaches to fantasy
- Lewis and Mysticism
- Into the Region of Awe, Looking for the King, and C.S. Lewis on Writing (And Writers)
- J.B.S. Haldane and Lewis
- Controversy as Muse
- Clear Writing
- Lewis' personal aesthetic experiences as basis for fiction
I hope you enjoy! Thanks again to Dr. Downing for joining me.
On Thursday, join us again as I interview another heavy hitter, renowned Tolkien scholar Verlyn Flieger, as part of a continued series of interviews with authors publishing through Signum University Press. I will be talking with Verlyn about her new book of stories and poetry, A Waiter Made of Glass, which is now available wherever books are sold.
Kay Ben-Avraham joins me to talk about her new (and still emerging) book, The Flower of the Cedar, which is about a dryad's journey to find her hearts in the time before human history.
If you would like to find out more, to support Kay, or to help her shape this book, go to https://kaybenavraham.com/.
Kay is the first of several writers for Signum University Press that I'll be interviewing this summer. Signum is unusual in that each of their authors has a "author's circle" for whom they write and revise. Go here to learn more.
Next week, I'll be talking with David C. Downing about Out of the Silent Planet, as well as Verlyn Flieger about her new book, also with Signum UP. Stay tuned!
If you're enjoying this podcast, please drop me a line to let me know! Also, do feel free to jump on our new substack to discuss episodes (I am, admittedly, still figuring out how to post new podcasts there, but the old ones are up). You can find it here.
And, as always, feel free to email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
We have a Substack page at inklingsvarietyhour.substack.com. Head there if you have comments to make about this or any episode! It may be desolate at first (I've not bothered to invite anyone as of this posting) but make a comment and subscribe--it shouldn't be too long before you hear back from someone else who wants to talk about Out of the Silent Planet.
Also, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts!
And do feel more than free to drop us a line at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
Sophie Burkhardt joins the show today to discuss the final third of C.S. Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet. Among other things, we discuss:
- Why it doesn't snow in Malacandra
- The many ways in which humans are humbled in this book
- Renaissance, Scholastic and...Einsteinian ideas about angels' bodies
- Lewis and Resurrection Bodies
- Three types of humans and three types of Malacandrians
- Were the birds hnau?
- Organization of labor (or if you like, organisation of labour) on Malacandra
- H.G. Wells' The First Men In the Moon and The Door in the Wall
- J.B.S. Haldane's (actually pretty well-informed) critique of the Ransom Trilogy
- Are the Malacandrians living in a communist utopia?
- The inherent absurdity and dignity of all creatures
- Goofy questions include:
- Are you a sorn, a pfiffltriggi, or a hross? Take our personality quiz and find out! (Not really)
- Prompt: Rewrite a myth or Bible story, but set it against the backdrop of Lewis' cosmology.
Next Tuesday, I'll be talking to Dr. David C. Downing, who wrote the first seriously scholarly work on Lewis' Ransom Trilogy (which is quite readable).
Thanks to Sophie for joining me! Please check out her podcast, Beneath the Willow Tree!
In a few days, join us for a bonus episode, where I will interview Kay Ben-Avraham, who has written (and is writing) a book about dryads called The Flower of the Cedar. This is the first of a few interviews I'll be having with authors publishing through Signum University Press.
If you're enjoying this podcast, please rate it on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts!
Also, we'd love to hear from you! Email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
Chris, Sophie, and Logan discuss Chapters 9-14 of Our of the Silent Planet, by C.S. Lewis!
More description to come!
If you enjoy this podcast, please rate it on iTunes, or wherever in the world you get your podcasts! Please feel free to drop me a line at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you.
David Bates, Logan Huggins, and Sophia Burkhardt join Chris to talk about Out of the Silent Planet! This was recorded quite some time ago--shortly after the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but I wanted to space out my Lewis episodes (so to speak).
Longer episode description (with links) to come, because I am tired!
Next week: Out of the Silent Planet, Part 2 (of 3).
Want even more Out of the Silent Planet? David's podcast, Pints With Jack, is covering the book in detail this year! Check it out!
This is a Wagner-iffic episode, partly due to the fact that Malacandra is (as Dr. David C. Downing once pointed out) a fairly "Northern" world. So that's why I'm doing that.
Also, when this was recorded, Logan Huggins was indeed my producer, but he has since had to jump ship--so if anything (sound effects, music) is sloppy, that is wholly my fault!
Feeling nostalgic while running through the grading gauntlet, Chris dips back into what was probably the most widely-listened-to episode of the Inklings Variety Hour: the first of many, many, many episodes on Till We Have Faces.
If you like it and want to hear the rest, just go back to Season 1 and binge away! It's good stuff.
Next week, once my grades are in, we will be blasting off to Heaven with a new, 3- or 4-part series on C.S. Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet.
In the meantime, here are the notes for the original Till We Have Faces episode:
Welcome back to The Inklings Variety Hour! It's a new year, and Ungit has only just hatched out of her egg-house (or something), but already, your intrepid hosts are tackling C.S. Lewis' novel, Till We Have Faces (1956)--widely considered the best novel he ever wrote. Chris, Anika, and Meagan discuss this retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth as only the Inklings Variety Hour can--with lots of digressions, reading of passages, and laughter.
If you're enjoying this podcast, we're glad to have you along for the ride, and we'd love to know you! Drop us a line at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. Ratings on the iTunes store would be most welcome also.
Music for this episode includes:
The Hurrian Hymn
The "Our Father" in Aramaic
"Sick Muse" by Metric
The Internet, like Sauron, just keeps on giving.
Kora Burton and Jonathan Geltner join Chris to talk about one of its strangest and most recent Tolkien-related gifts, Khraniteli, a made-for-television movie that aired in the final days of the USSR (1991) and was released by a kind soul onto YouTube 30 years later (2021).
This article in Variety gets mentioned, and it's worth reading, at least compared to all of the other articles that have come out about this (ones that don't feature actual reporting).
I'd love to hear from you if you're enjoying the podcast! Email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
Next time: We'll either feature an interview, or begin our Out of the Silent Planet episodes. It may be two weeks before we get there, as I'm still grading final papers and exams, but I'll try to throw something from the vault your way next week. Upcoming interviews feature Harry Lee Poe, David C. Downing, and many others.
Editing and releasing a podcast once a week is difficult. Editing a releasing a podcast once a week while grading end-of-term papers is...more difficult.
So...enjoy this 2020 vintage from the vaults, where Chris, Anika, and Meagan weigh in on the (now-semi-)perennial question: Is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe a "Fairy Story" (as defined by Tolkien). Their answer...will shock you.
Probably.
I don't really remember what it was, if I'm being honest.
Anyway, enjoy this rough cut of Season 1 wackiness, and stay tuned--we've got lots of new interviews and episodes coming your way...it's just a matter of me finding time to edit them!
The next non-aged episode will be on The Soviet Lord of the Rings, Khraniteli. Be afraid. And maybe mildly impressed?
Feel free to email us at Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Jonathan Geltner and Eric Geddes join Chris to talk about their favorite adaptations of Tolkien's Legendarium in this fairly self-indulgent and digressive conversation. Join us!
More description to come! Sorry to publish this late!
Do you have a favorite (or least favorite) Tolkien adaptation? Email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com and tell us about it.
Next time: A full episode on the "Soviet Lord of the Rings"!
J.D. Peabody has written a middle-grade novel that features the Inklings!
We're accordingly interviewing him on The Inklings Variety Hour!
Our conversation is about his book, The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet, which you can buy here.
And here is the secret, "invisible" page that shows how the details in his plot are connected to real people in places in England.
Among other things, J.D. and I talk about:
- the premise for his story (magical Ink that is the source of all creativity)
- the historical basis of his story
- turning a few of the Inklings into characters (Jack, Dot, and Ronald)
- invisible pigeons whom J.M. Barrie definitely didn't write about
- Everett (J.D.'s main character) as anti-Potter
- J.D.'s own creative journey...and path to getting his book published
- the correct pronunciation of Rouen
- J.D.'s influences
- creativity as inherently good
Thanks again to J.D. for joining me!
If you liked this show, or others, or if you have ideas, please write us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com to say hi.
Next week, Eric Geddes and Jonathan Geltner rejoin me as we begin talking about the wacky world of Tolkien adaptations!
This week, the Inklings Variety Hour (that is, Chris) talks to Dr. Sørina Higgins about the life and thought of "the Oddest Inkling," Charles Williams.
Among other things, we discuss:
- Taliessin Through Logres
- Williams' upbringing and education
- World War I
- Coinherence and Exchange
- Williams and Love
- Williams and Tolkien
- Williams and Gynecomorphical Geography
- Williams and Magic
- Sørina's book of stories at Signum University Press
The reading at the top is slightly glitchy due to Zoom issues--I tried to edit it to make it sound as smooth as possible. Hope you enjoy the episode. And check out all of Sørina's awesome projects--listed at "The Oddest Inkling." Also, check out her podcast, promoting unity and dialogue within the church: 1619 and 1776.
As always, if you like what you're hearing, please reach out to us at Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com and let us know! We'd love to meet you. Please also leave us a review.
Next time, join us for some middle-grade fiction that features The Inklings (or "Jack," "Ronald," and "Dot," anyway) as characters! It's time for The Inkwell Chronicles with author J.D. Peabody!
The second of a two-part conversation with author Jonathan Geltner--about his highly-acclaimed debut novel, Absolute Music--a literary novel about fantasy and faith, among other things.
Among other things, we discuss:
- Mythologizing or reenchanting Cincinnati and Pittsburgh
- The Inklings, of course
- Music
- Art, order, and chaos
- D&D Campaigns in the Middle of a Realist Novel
- Humphrey Carpenter's The Inklings
- If the Inklings were a D&D Party...
If you'd like a copy of Absolute Music, go here.
If you'd like to see Jonathan Geltner's author page at Slant, go here.
If you'd like to follow his Substack, go here.
Finally, please do email us at Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com and leave us a review on iTunes.
Next week: Back to the actual Inklings! Sorina Higgins rejoins us for a Charles Williams Q&A!
Many thanks to Logan Huggins for producing this episode! Listeners, this is the last episode I have that Logan has edited, and I'd like to thank him for all of his hard, excellent, unpaid work on this podcast!
If this automatically downloaded and says it is 1 hour 30 minutes long, it is the wrong version of the episode. Delete the episode and redownload.
Sorry for the inconvenience! (Or, if you're a hardcore fan, you're welcome for the exclusive, behind-the-scenes raw podcast.)
Initially, an unedited version of this episode was uploaded. The newer version is a lot more fun to listen to.
Inklings Variety Hour welcomes author Jonathan Geltner to the show to discuss The Neverending Story!
Yes, The Neverending Story is a 1979 children's novel by Michael Ende, who was never an Inkling, and it was made famous by the 1984 movie which Ende disavowed. We get it.
But we really, really love synth.
In all seriousness, Inklings fans should read this underrated book, as it has much to say about the virtues and perils of imagination and other worlds.
Among other things discussed:
- The Catholic Imagination Conference
- 1980s Fantasy Films
- The Second Half of The Neverending Story and the dangers of fantasy
- The evolution of the term "fantasy"
- Carl Conrad Coreander and Chesterton's/Dickens' "MOOR EEFFOC"
- Possible military implications of Falkor coming to Vancouver
- Fantasy as part of reality, rather than an escape from it
- "Fantastica: It just sounds better in German"
- Geography and Landscape in Fantasy
Tomorrow, we will post a bonus episode discussing Jonathan's own highly acclaimed debut novel, Absolute Music. Both conversations are part of a larger discussion about fairy stories, fantasy, and imagination.
This episode masterfully produced by Logan Huggins. There are a few more sonic treasures like this sprinkled throughout the season--enjoy them! Chris continues to try to grapple with the basics of editing for future episodes--but that, as they say, is another story, and will be told another time.
Episode description to come! It's late!
(Sorry about some of the audio quality! I'm learning!--Chris)
As Season Three of the Inklings Variety Hour begins, worlds collide!
David Bates, of Pints with Jack fame, is hoisted aboard our primitive, deckchairless podcast, as we set sail for sweeter waters!
Why, you can almost feel the sea air! Bracing!
Also joining up with us, we have Eric Geddes from the snowy wastes of Phoenix--whom you might remember from our Christmas episode!
Enjoy part 1 of our two-part coverage of Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Among other topics, we discuss:
- Whether (and why) this is where Narnia really takes shape
- That amazing first line--and Harold and Alberta's special underwear
- How to repel germs and insects--Lewis brothers style!
- Voyage of the Dawn Treader as satire-turned-adventure tale
- The Miseducation of Eustace Clarence Scrubb
- The genre and structure of this satire-turned-adventure tale-turned-immram
- The superiority of the low-budget BBC adaptation of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
- Eustace's diary and grade-grubbing
- Slavery, moral fads, "progress" in an egg, bureaucracies, and "efficient" committees--versus pomp and ceremony
- Eustace as Edmund dialed up to 11
- The endragoning of Eustace and fiends in human shape
- Sir Gowther
- How we would create a Star Trek-style adaptation of Voyage of the Dawn Treader...in space (er, Heaven). Eat your heart out, Gene Roddenberry and Michael Ward!
Next week: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, part 2!
Special thanks to Logan Huggins for amazing work editing/producing this episode! Enjoy it while you can, folks--he won't be able to edit the next episode, which means Chris will try his hand!
If you like The Inklings Variety Hour, please leave us a good review on iTunes or elsewhere! Also, please do write in--a big thank you to those who have! We'd love to meet you! (Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com).
I'm also always looking for new cohosts or others who would like to contribute to this project, either through editing or social media. It's been a bit like the ship of Theseus, but if you'd like to hop aboard for a few episodes, I'd love to have you!
After The Voyage of the Dawn Treader part 2, we'll be talking with J.D. Peabody, the author of the new middle-grade book series, The Inkwell Chronicles--which expands our idea of "the Inklings" and stars "Ronald, Jack, and Dot" as supporting characters. Feel free to start reading now!
Season 3 is coming! Enjoy this hastily-assembled trailer by Chris.
Join us Tuesday for the first of a two-parter on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
And yes, we willbe covering The Never Ending Story for an episode this season--even though it's not by any Inklings--because it is a wonderful and often-overlooked book. We'll also be covering a few very recent novels that have something to do with the Inklings. It's how we roll here at the Variety Hour.
Excited? Concerned? "Delirious with joy"? Write us and say so: Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Apologies to David of Pints with Jack for our general cheekiness. Some soundbites are just too good not to use in a trailer.
Enjoy an off-season holiday bonus episode! Merry Christmas! Season 3 is coming in February, but in the meantime, please feel free to email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
For this bonus episode, Chris is joined by Logan, Kora, and Eric to talk about Christmas and the Inklings.
We'll talk a bit about Christmas memories and rituals that involve the Inklings. We'll delve into holiday poetry, fiction, and satire by Williams, Tolkien, and Lewis. And finally, we'll try our hand at creating an Inklings-related Hallmark-style Christmas movie, ending with a trailer put together by none other than Logan Huggins.
Works discussed include:
- "Christmas," by Charles Williams
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
- Smith of Wootton Major, by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Letters from Father Christmas, by J.R.R. Tolkien
- “Xmas and Christmas: A Lost Chapter from Herodotus,” by C.S. Lewis
Topics discussed include:
- Coming to Inklings Variety Hour Season 3
- What makes a Christmas movie a Christmas movie?
- Who best embodies the spirit of Christmas in Lord of the Rings?
- Lewis' reverential rejuvenation of flat secular characters (such as Father Christmas); nature of solemnity
- Two (reconcilable? irreconcilable?) aspects of Christmas
- Barbie in the Nutcracker and "Faerie"
- Yuletide in Middle Earth
Thanks as always to Logan Huggins for making me sound a lot less awkward than I would in real life! And for adding the great music! And for maintaining the Youtube Channel! (Note: At the end of the show, I thank "both Kora and Eric," because Logan had to step off slightly early.)
If you want to find a new way to celebrate Christmas as a season rather than a day-long binge, please check out the site Chris does with his wife, Glencora: www.12tide.com
And as always, please do not hesitate to email us at Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com with ideas for what you'd like to see in Season 3!
Merry Christmas!
The previous version of this audio file left out the final seven minutes of the episode. Those responsible have been sacked. Hopefully this re-upload will fix all.
Happy Labor Day!
This episode goes out to all you miners toiling away for the Princess' King-Papa, who is so benevolent that no unions are needed. Also, to all you goblins--may your heads be as tough as your feet are tender. Excelsior!
It's taken us more time than we thought it would, but here, as promised, is the final episode covering George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin. Please do leave us a review on iTunes or some other podcast service if you haven't already--this is how other people find out about the podcast.
Logan and Chris sound off on the last third (or so) of George MacDonald's most famous children's book. Among other things, we discuss what heroism should look like for Christians (following our great-great-grandmother's thread), and what to do when others don't see the same reality as you (hint: don't stamp their feet). We also come up with inventions that could save us during the next goblin invasion. It's coming, folks.
There were a few audio problems when Chris read, so a few of the readings from the book are instead from the late, great Andy Minter's fantastic Librivox recording, which--I'm sure I don't need to tell you--is in the public domain. There were a few technical difficulties, and we didn't have time to re-record the episode, though we've finessed some things, so I think you'll enjoy it.
We have a lot of great stuff coming in Season 3, which we'll kick off with The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. We have lots of plans, but be sure to let us know what else you'd like to see at Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you again in a few months!
Between now and then, feel free to check out our Youtube channel, where we currently have episodes (with excellently goofy graphics assembled by Logan Huggins) and will have a few other goodies as we continue to develop it.
Thanks again to Logan for editing/producing this episode! Chris added the Andy Minter bits, as well as the "Goblin Town" song by Rankin Bass at the end, so if that sounds rough to anyone, it's my fault, not his.
Until next season, see you in Goblin Town. I'll be the guy spitting rhymes and wearing uncomfortable shoes.
Please do rate and share this podcast if you like it--it's the best way to help other people find it. We'd love to hear from you--email us at Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
We also have a new Youtube channel, so please do subscribe--we'll be publishing clips and extras there pretty soon. Thanks to Logan for his work on it!
Chris, Anika, and Meagan, the original Inklings Variety Hour crew, reunite to talk about Season 4 of Stranger Things, Kate Bush and the power of music, parallels between Stranger Things and the Inklings' work, the show's (possibly exaggerated?) portrayal of the "Satanic Panic," John Hughes, popular kids, and eighties movies, nerds and experts, D&D, Harry Potter, Pentecostals, Jack Chick and Charles Williams, and whether Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's most quoted line might not help everyone be a little bit saner.
Thanks to Logan Huggins for producing this episode--and doing it with style and panache!
Thanks also to author David L. Carter, a friend of the show, who was listening to "Running Up That Hill" before it was popular.
Next week: Stay tuned for the last episode of Season 2, as we finish talking about The Princess and the Goblin. Seriously--it has been recorded and is coming.
Breaking News: We have a Youtube channel now. It has full podcasts and clips, but probably not many videos of us actually recording. It's worth checking out.
If you enjoy this podcast and want other Inklings fans to find it, please do leave us a review on iTunes or favorite us on Overcast or other podcast services.
We'll wrap up our discussion of The Princess and the Goblin in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime, enjoy this interview with medieval scholar Jason M. Baxter about his new book, The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis: How Great Books Shaped a Great Mind.
This book, more than any I've read before, helped me see Lewis' work (fiction as well as non-fiction) as one great overarching, coherent project to make the past accessible to the present, not only intellectually, but imaginatively and emotionally. I highly recommend it.
If you like this book, I also recommend Dr. Baxter's book on Dante, which is a very useful guide. I've read it a few times.
As always, many thanks to our producer, Logan Huggins, for spinning sonic straw into gold. If you missed our previous episode on The Princess and the Goblin, do yourself a favor and listen. We're quite proud of it.
Also as always, if you have questions or want to get in touch with us, email us at Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Anika Smith and Logan Huggins join Chris to discuss the second part of The Princess and the Goblin. There are profound spiritual moments, as well as pop culture Easter eggs galore. Enjoy.
More detailed description to come!
Also--because Chris is going to a conference in England and Logan is moving house, we will have a brief hiatus for the next two weeks or so. Do not fear--we will be back with the conclusion of The Princess and the Goblin.
Thanks as always to Logan for editing the episode!
And please feel free to email us at Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com or to leave a review if you'd like to give us feedback. We'd love to hear from you.
Chris has Kora Burton on the show to talk about goblins, and the word "goblin" as it was used leading up to the writing of George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin. What exactly was a goblin, and how was it differentiated (if at all) from other mischievous little creatures (such as elves, pukka, etc.)? Were George MacDonald and Christina Rossetti responsible for the bad rap goblins have gotten since--in Tolkien and elsewhere?
We reference this book a great deal: British Goblins, by Wirt Sikes.
At the top, I read from Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti, which predated The Princess and the Goblin.
Come back next week for Part II of The Princess and the Goblin, featuring producer Logan Huggins and podcast cofounder Anika Smith!
Thanks as always to Logan for producing this episode!
If you want to weigh in on this episode (or any other), email us at Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
This is the first episode of our summer coverage of The Princess and the Goblin, by George MacDonald. While MacDonald was not a member of the Inklings, this novel-length fairy tale was tremendously influential on both Lewis and Tolkien.
Our special guests/hosts this week are (besides Chris) Sophie Burkhardt and Fr. Bill Stanford!
Among other things, we'll discuss:
- George MacDonald's life and influence
- The vaguely political origin of MacDonald's goblins
- How to keep goblins away
- The nature of Irene's great-great Grandmother:
- Is she like Aslan, or like a saint?
- Her potential creepiness
- The scandal of her particularity
- Biblical parallels
- Her age (and Bill's excellent theory)
- Balancing fanciful details with allegory
- Literature and the fulfillment of hopes
- Poetry
- The vaguely political plans of MacDonald's goblins
- Modern goblins in pop culture
Here are some Librivox readings of The Princess and the Goblin (I can't decide whose is better):
Lizzie Driver's Reading
Andy Minter's Reading
Thanks as usual to Logan Huggins for editing this episode!
Here is Sophie's podcast, Beneath the Willow Tree.
As always, if you want to contact us, write to Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.
Stay tuned next week for a deep-diving digression on the term "goblin," with lots of discussion of etymology and folklore! It may be our nerdiest episode yet! And in two weeks, we'll continue making our way through The Princess and the Goblin.
I know we promised The Princess and the Goblin last podcast. It's coming. It is.
For now, in its place, I talk a little bit about the podcast itself and read (and solicit) some great listener mail.
Then, I dip into the Old Winyards of the podcast (2018?) and find the original pilot episode, on friendship, starring Anika and Glencora (my wife). Apologies for the audio quality--but no apologies for the quality of discussion.
Send questions and feedback (as well as offers to cohost!) to Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com, and please do rate us on Apple Podcasts, if you're able.
Thanks, as always, for listening!
This week, I interview William O'Flaherty, author of The Misquotable C.S. Lewis and creator of much other C.S. Lewis content, which you can find here: Amazon.com: William O'Flaherty: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
The Essential C.S. Lewis: William O’Flaherty – Essential C.S. Lewis (essentialcslewis.com)
Here is William's podcast, All About Jack, as well as his Youtube channel, Knowing and Understanding C.S. Lewis.
William and I talk about common misquotations of C.S. Lewis that have appeared on the Internet and speculate about the human tendency to misattribute sayings to important figures.
Enjoy, and thanks as usual to Logan Huggins for producing!
As always, if you have questions or would like to join us on the show, email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com
Stay tuned--next week, we'll discuss The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald!
This final episode on Charles Williams' "spiritual thriller," Descent Into Hell, takes the form of an interview with modernist scholar Sørina Higgins.
We talk about specific aspects of the final two chapters of Descent Into Hell, but in the context of a larger conversation about Charles Williams himself. Among other questions, we'll discuss:
- How was Williams perceived by not only the other Inklings, but by famous poets in his own day?
- What similarities does Williams' work have with that of other Inklings?
- What was The Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, and why is it important to Williams' life and work?
- What was going on in Williams' own personal life that may have influenced the darker ending of Descent Into Hell?
- How can Chris make further goofy connections between this subject matter, Back to the Future, and The Simpsons?
- Why does Williams' appeal endure, despite his obscurity and (somewhat) checkered biography?
Check out more of Sørina Higgins' work, including her books, here: https://sorinahiggins.wordpress.com/
Here is her CFP (Call for Papers) for the book she is editing.
I will update these notes to include her new podcast once it is available.
Thanks, as always, to Logan Huggins for producing this episode!
If you have any questions or suggestions, feel more than free to email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening!
This is a new, short segment I want to try called "Tolkien in Ten." The idea is to give a short, simplified, ten-minute summary of an important figure in Tolkien's extensive mythology--meant to be accessible to those who have not read The Silmarillion, etc. Feel free to leave any feedback at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
This week, we're looking at Eärendil, who is one of the most important figures in Tolkien's myth.
We'll be back next week with our concluding episode of Charles Williams' Descent Into Hell.
Sorina Higgins and Sophie Burkhardt join Chris to discuss Chapters 8-10 of Charles Williams' Descent Into Hell.
Episode Description to Come!
Chris, Logan, and Sophie discuss Charles Williams' novel Descent Into Hell, chapters 6-7.
Among other things, we discuss
- The Unusual Structure of Descent and Why it Defies Summary
- Prayer for the Dead
- Distinctions between Charles Williams secondary world and those of Tolkien/Lewis'
- Influence of Williams' ideas on Lewis (and maybe Tolkien)
- That famous "Weight of Glory" quote
- Enchanted, Invisible Worlds: Williams' Unseen World versus Faerie
- Isolation and Community as Hell and Heaven
- Heaven in the Fresco at Voroneț
- Echoes of Chapter 7 in Lewis' The Great Divorce
- Heaven as fact and Hell as self-deception
- The personality (or lack thereof) of the dead man; his supposed lack of moral agency
- What to do if you ever see a ghost
- The dead man's groan, the earthquake, and the harrowing of hell
- All good actions as extensions of God's goodness
- Dopplegangers in the movies
Thanks to Logan Huggins for producing this episode!
Sophie, Anika, and Sorina join Chris to discuss Chapters 5-6 of Descent Into Hell--possibly Charles Williams' most profound novel. You can find the new audiobook by Apocryphile press here.
Please leave us a good review on iTunes if you like this podcast!
We discuss:
Chapter 5: Return to Eden
- Wentworth's continued damnation and the interconnectedness of characters
- Rejecting joy and ignoring facts
- Williams' Romantic Theology and the Way of Affirmation of Images
- The nature of Lilith, in Hebrew myth, in George MacDonald, in pop culture, and in Charles Williams
- Rejection of beggars, lovers, and inconvenience as the path to hell
Chapter 6: The Doctrine of Substituted Love
- Does it work?
- Some theological objections
- Why is a contract necessary?
- Chasing down your shadow...
Thanks as always to Logan Huggins for producing!
If you have any questions or would like to contact us, just email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
Sophie, Meagan, David, and Sorina join us for Descent Into Hell--possibly Charles Williams' most profound novel. You can find the new audiobook by Apocryphile press here.
We discuss:
Quest of Hell
- The apparent plotlessness of Descent
- Wentworth's rejection of community
- How the novel is like a play
- Modernist drama
- C.S. Lewis' disastrous dinner with T.S. Eliot and Williams
Vision of Death
- Struther's Martyrdom
- The Right and Wrong way to recite poetry
- The Four Virtues of Poetry
- The Mountain of Abnegnos, meeting yourself, Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, visualization techniques, and other occultic contexts for this chapter (thanks, Sorina!)
- Knowing yourself and knowing love
- Final Question: Adapting Descent Into Hell
Here, by the way, is the Perelandra opera.
Thanks as always to Logan Huggins for producing!
If you have any questions or would like to contact us, just email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
It's time again for that novel-est of novelists, Charles Williams!
Feel free to read Descent Into Hell here (there's a new audiobook by the way.)
Meagan, Chris, Sophie Burkhardt, and David L. Carter discuss Charles Williams' Descent Into Hell, Chapters 1-2!
They discuss...
Chapter 1: The Magus Zoroaster
(In which Pauline Anstruther, who has a bit part in that new Peter Stanhope play Battle Hill is putting on, meets her own image walking toward her on the way home.)
- Diana Pavlac Glyer's The Company They Keep
- Williams' plays including Judgement at Chelmsford, and T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral.
- "A Terrible Good": Can goodness be terrible?
- Plays and plot cohesion
- Pastorals and Woodland Tree Spirits
Chapter 2: Via Mortis
(In which a nameless construction worker, some time ago, killed himself to get back at the world, only to find that he still exists, and maybe wanders unsteadily toward redemption.)
- Mostly plot summary here
- Potential purposeless of an immortal existence (Queen song from Highlander reprise)
That's it for now!
Check out Sophie Burkhardt's podcast here: Beneath the Willow Tree on Apple Podcasts
Check out David L. Carter's work here: Amazon.com: David L. Carter: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
Thanks, as always, to Logan Huggins for making us sound better than we normally would! I wish I had him around to edit what I say in real time.
Next week: Sorina Higgins joins us to discuss Chapters 3-4!
Kora Burton rejoins Chris to discuss Tolkien's last fairy (or is it faerie?) story, "Smith of Wootton Major" (1967).
Smith of Wootton Major is a short story, a parable about the nature of what Tolkien called “fayery” or “Faerie,” an evocative fairy tale in its own right, as well as a melancholy meditation on the loss of artistic capacity. Though told simply enough for children to understand its plot, Tolkien called it “an old man’s book.”
Thanks as always to Logan Huggins for producing this episode!
If you have any questions or would like to contact us, please do so at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Next week: Sophie, Meagan, David, and Sorina join us for Descent Into Hell--possibly Charles Williams' most profound novel. Feel free to start reading or listening now.
Kora Burton joins Chris to discuss Tolkien's last fairy (or is it faerie?) story, "Smith of Wootton Major."
Smith of Wootton Major (1967) is Tolkien’s last work of fiction and was begun as part of an Introduction to an edition of George MacDonald’s The Golden Key–an edition that was never published. Tolkien began by writing a kind of parable about a stupid baker making a cake for children that inadvertently had something faerian in it. But when he found this illustration was taking on a life of its own, he discarded the introduction entirely and worked on the story–which he realized was in part a critique of the things he did not like about George MacDonald, among other Victorians (still, I find it owes a real debt to The Golden Key and Phantastes, as much as it does to anything medieval). Smith of Wootton Major is a short story, a parable about the nature of what Tolkien called “fayery” or “Faerie,” an evocative fairy tale in its own right, as well as a melancholy meditation on the loss of artistic capacity. Though told simply enough for children to understand its plot, Tolkien called it “an old man’s book.”
One of my favorite history of English podcasts, just in case you want more philology or historical linguistics: https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/
Thanks as always to Logan Huggins for producing this episode!
If you have any questions or would like to contact us, please do so at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Next week: We enter Faerie with Smith!
As he discusses the third part of Prince Caspian, the second book in the Chronicles of Narnia, Chris is joined once more by three special guests:
- Logan Huggins, our producer (who did yet another amazing job with this episode)
- Mez Blume, author of Churchill's S.O.C.K.s and several other excellent books
- Sophie Burkhardt, from the podcast Beneath the Willow Tree
Among other things discussed:
- Caspian's advisors versus Miraz's advisors
- Honour (with a "u")
- Nikabrik, "talking plainly," and ends-justifies-means logic
- Fan Fiction Assignment: Caspian the Werewolf King
- Are badgers patient?
- How to challenge someone to a duel with style, Mr. Smith (hint: spell "abhominable" with an "h")
- "Would a coward have this?"
- The weak shaming the strong and Caspian's army versus Miraz's army
- Does Aslan hate infrastructure?
- Rivers, gods, and The Dry Salvages
- Miss Prizzle and the Magic School Bacchus
- Re-enchanting a modern setting within Narnia
- Childlike faith, waiting for the romp, and walking through the door
To hear Sophie Burkhardt's podcast (which has lots of MacDonald and Chesterton), go here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beneath-the-willow-tree/id1574579754
To check out Mez Blume's books, go here: https://mezblume.com/
If you want to email us, we'd love to hear from you. Write to Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com
Stay tuned! Next week, we'll be discussing Tolkien's last fairy story, "Smith of Wooton Major"!
(I am releasing this episode again, just in case your podcatcher is being stubborn and refuses to yield the raw episode I inadvertently uploaded this morning--Chris)
As he discusses the second part of Prince Caspian the second book in the Chronicles of Narnia, Chris is joined by three special guests:
- Logan Huggins, our producer (who did yet another amazing job with this episode)
- Mez Blume, author of Churchill's S.O.C.K.s and several other excellent books
- Sophie Burkhardt, from the podcast Beneath the Willow Tree
(Apologies to our listeners--and Logan--for uploading the unedited version at first this morning! That is entirely my fault, and I promise you will enjoy this one more--Chris)
Join us as we discuss Lewis' occasionally awkward but profound Narnian novel. Among other things, we talk about:
- What stars and trees have in common
- Becoming a beast and George MacDonald's The Princess and Curdie
- Re-enchantment of (and human rule over) nature
- Aslan's Socratic rebukes
- Aslan's breath as the "ruach" that moves the trees
- Growing up without "growing up"
- Lewis on chivalry
- Play as the possible redemption of Susan
- Aslan and the gods
- Tolkien and Lewis as Lego Masters and Narnia as a grafted world
As always, if you have questions and contributions, feel free to email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
For the view that the Bacchic "romp" is a response to Tolkien, see Joe R. Christopher, "J.R.R. Tolkien: Narnian Exile," in Mythlore 55(Autumn 1988), pp. 41-42.
To hear Sophie Burkhardt's podcast (which has lots of MacDonald and Chesterton), go here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beneath-the-willow-tree/id1574579754
To check out Mez Blume's books, go here: https://mezblume.com/
Stay tuned next week for our final Prince Caspian podcast!
Chris awkwardly announces that if you want the best possible experience of our Prince CaspianPart II episode, please re-download! You can do this by deleting the current Part II of Prince Caspian and then downloading it again.
I accidentally uploaded the unedited (1:18 minute) file. This has been rectified, and all responsible parties (besides myself) sacked. You'll want to re-download the file so that it is a trim 58-minute file. Another way you'll know if it's the edited version is if there are crickets singing at the beginning.
Sorry about this! I hope you enjoy it--I think it's one of our best yet.
As he discusses the second part of Prince Caspian the second book in the Chronicles of Narnia, Chris is joined by three special guests:
- Logan Huggins, our producer (who did yet another amazing job with this episode)
- Mez Blume, author of Churchill's S.O.C.K.s and several other excellent books
- Sophie Burkhardt, from the podcast Beneath the Willow Tree
(Apologies to our listeners--and Logan--for uploading the unedited version at first this morning! That is entirely my fault, and I promise you will enjoy this one more--Chris)
Join us as we discuss Lewis' occasionally awkward but profound Narnian novel. Among other things, we talk about:
- What stars and trees have in common
- Becoming a beast and George MacDonald's The Princess and Curdie
- Re-enchantment of (and human rule over) nature
- Aslan's Socratic rebukes
- Aslan's breath as the "ruach" that moves the trees
- Growing up without "growing up"
- Lewis on chivalry
- Play as the possible redemption of Susan
- Aslan and the gods
- Tolkien and Lewis as Lego Masters and Narnia as a grafted world
As always, if you have questions and contributions, feel free to email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
For the view that the Bacchic "romp" is a response to Tolkien, see Joe R. Christopher, "J.R.R. Tolkien: Narnian Exile," in Mythlore 55(Autumn 1988), pp. 41-42.
To hear Sophie Burkhardt's podcast (which has lots of MacDonald and Chesterton), go here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beneath-the-willow-tree/id1574579754
To check out Mez Blume's books, go here: https://mezblume.com/
Stay tuned next week for our final Prince Caspian podcast!
Season Two begins with a long-awaited return to Narnia!
Logan Huggins (who also edited and produced this episode) joins Chris to talk about the first few chapters of Prince Caspian. Among other things, we discuss:
- Searching for "Old Narnia" in a meandering sequel
- The awkwardness of being a former grown-up
- How did Trumpkin, Nikabrik, and Trufflehunter become roommates?
- Why the book is still better than the movie
- Why Prince Caspian should be read second--after The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
- Prince Caspian as a Narnian "Book of Acts"
- Garfield Minus Garfield
- The number of characters and nature of community
- Entering frame tales in Narnia
(I apologize for my very poor attempt at a British accent in the readings, but it would have been far more distracting to hear the children's dialogue in an unapologetically American accent. By Jove.)
As always, feel free to email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com with questions, suggestions, or comments.
Next time: Prince Caspian Part 2!
Welcome to the finale of Till We Have Faces on The Inklings Variety Hour!
Author and speaker Andrew Lazo from Pints with Jack joins Chris and Anika for our final discussion of Till We Have Faces. It was, as always, a delight and an epiphany, Andrew!
Among other things, we discuss:
- The Four Loves
- Williams-esque redemption of Orual and Psyche
- Lewis' poem Reason
- Names in Till We Have Faces
- What in the world is Ungit?
- Orual's last word (hint: it's probably not "arrrgghhh")
- Joy's role in helping to write (and inspire) TWHF
Many, many thanks to Logan Huggins for producing this episode!
If you'd like to join one of our conversations, odds are, we'd love to have you! We'd also love to hear from you, so feel free to email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
Next time: Hold on to your electric torches! Season Two of The Inklings Variety Hour begins with Prince Caspian!
We're back!
This is a long-overdue, if abbreviated, first part of a two-part conclusion to Till We Have Faces.
We're a little less Ent-ish about our discussion than we normally are, and we manage to get through four whole chapters in one episode. Hasty much?
Even so, we find things to linger on as Orual herself speeds through some of the highlights of her rule in Glome, beginning with her duel against Argan and ending with an explanation for why she is writing this book in the first place.
Have feedback? Fanfic? A deep desire to be part of the show? Tell us all about it by writing to InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. We'd love to meet you, and I will eventually reply. I promise.
High thanks and praise to Logan Huggins for producing this episode!
We'll be back next week to end our discussion of Till We Have Faces with friend of the show Andrew Lazo (who pops in at the end of this episode)! Stay tuned!
Not quite in time for his death-day (or even the anniversary of his death-day), here is a reading of four poems by C.S. Lewis.
We at the Inklings Variety Hour hope to be back soon. In the meantime, enjoy this reading of "Our Daily Bread," "Cliche Came Out of its Cage," "Science-fiction Cradlesong," and "Here The Whole World," all by C.S. Lewis.
Happy C.S. Lewis Day! Feel free to drop us a line at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
We hope to be back soon!
If you're enjoying The Inklings Variety Hour, please give us a rating on iTunes. We'd also love to hear from you about what you'd like to see on the show. Email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
This week, we welcome Meagan Logsdon back to discuss C.S. Lewis' final novel, Till We Have Faces, Chapters 16 and 17. Among other topics, we cover:
- Orual's veil and vulnerability
- Did Orual sacrifice Psyche just a bit more than King Trom?
- Orual as Lewis' most well-drawn character (contrasted with others)
- Arnom: Fresh-faced young priest or radical assassin?
- Is Trunia more like Erroll Flynn or Wile E. Coyote?
- "Queening It": Vocation as fulfillment or distraction?
- How would we design a mini-Glome at Epcot?
- Transplanted Appendix: Some small talk about cicadas, birds, and other horrors (originally at the top of the show) has been moved to the end.
Next week, we'll be talking about the "Prologue" of Charles Williams' Taliessin Through Logres. Then, in two weeks' time, we'll be discussing Till We Have Faces Chapters 18-19. It's duel time!
This special bonus episode commemorating Charles Williams' passing features the triumphant return of Meagan Logsdon (whose birthday coincides with her hero's death-day--can somebody say "substitution"?).
We are also joined by my wife, Glencora, as we discuss "Taliessin on the Death of Virgil," published as part of Williams' poetry cycle, Taliessin Through Logres, a reworking of the Arthurian myth in Williams' inimitable and complex modern poetic style. The episode features two readings of the poem--one at the beginning and one at the end. (I borrowed this practice from the podcast The Daily Poem, which is well worth checking out.)
As we do our best to unravel the meaning of this poem, we make reference to the ideas of both Andrew Stirling MacDonald and friend of the show, Sorina Higgins.
If you enjoyed this, be sure to let us know. We may do poetry more often in the weeks to come.
If you're enjoying these podcasts, feel free to drop us a line and let us know at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. We'd appreciate a review on iTunes as well, as this will help others find out about us!
This week, Chris and Anika discuss Chapters 14 and 15 of Till We Have Faces, where we find ourselves face-to-face with the God of the Mountain. Topics include:
- Mountains v. Sea
- Psyche's childlikeness and Orual's childishness
- Does Psyche sin or not?
- The nature of the God of the Mountain
- How gods can change the past
- Foolish question of the week: What if Narnia and Glome merged?
Music for this week:
"Our Father" in Aramaic
"The Hurrian Hymn," played by Michael Levy
"Kater Street Rag" by Bennie Moten
Stay tuned! Saturday, we have a special episode to commemorate Charles Williams' death!
If you like this podcast, please give us a review in iTunes! Also, we'd love to hear from you! Email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
This week, Chris and Anika discuss Chapters 12 and 13 of Till We Have Faces. Subjects for discussion include:
- Santeria and the First Amendment (and also, of course, "Santeria" by Sublime)
- How Orual-the-author is being changed while telling us about Orual-the-character's refusal to change
- Possessive love and our tendency to be ruined by strong loves
- The "ferly" in Middle English literature
- Is Bardia's fear of the gods practical fear for his safety or fear of the numinous?
- Orual withholds key evidence!
- The Fox's theology and soul-houses
- How true divine nature is foolishness to the Greek and a stumbling block for the Glomian
- At the end: Various proposals for an '80s fantasy movie based on Till We Have Faces. (Someone please make a poster of this idea.)
Special thanks to my brother Jason Pipkin for the incredible '80s-style synth track used at the end! Apologies if I overuse it, but I really liked it. Other music sampled includes:
- "Our Father" in Aramaic
- "The Hurrian Hymn" as played by Michael Levy
- "Santeria," by Sublime
- "Princes of the Universe," by Queen
- "Quantum Leap" theme by Mike Post
In two weeks, we meet the God of the Mountain! Talk about numinous and sublime!
This week, we're talking with Andrew Lazo, author, speaker, and noted Till We Have Faces and C.S. Lewis scholar. You can find additional information about Andrew's projects, current and future, at mythoflove.net. We would like to thank David Bates at Pints with Jack for connecting us with Andrew! In this episode, Anika, Chris and Andrew discuss some classical and medieval influences on Till We Have Faces, as well as concepts like mortal shame and the way physical and spiritual attitudes alter perception in Lewis' work. In some ways, this is also a broader view of Till We Have Faces itself, thanks to Andrew's expertise. Stay tuned for bonus material at the end, where we hear from Andrew about the circumstances of Lewis' writing of Till We Have Faces. Enjoy the conversation! We certainly did.
Some references in this episode:
A Naked Tree, by Joy Davidman
Becoming Mrs. Lewis
Over the Rhine (band)
Weeping Bay, by Joy Davidman
"After Ten Years," from Of Other Worlds by C.S. Lewis
Pearl, by the Gawain-poet (Tolkien's translation here) (Original text here)
If you're enjoying The Inklings Variety Hour, drop us a line to tell us so! You can email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. Also! Please find us on iTunes and give us a rating if you like us. Additionally, if you'd ever like to guest star and talk with us about these works (whether you are a scholar or not), we'd love to have you. If you're listening to this podcast, you are already a kindred spirit, and we would enjoy meeting you. Just saying.
The Inklings Variety Hour is back! Apologies for the extra-long wait this time!
This week, we are still hiking up the enchanting mountain that is Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold, hearts dancing all the while. And why should they not, as we discuss such topics as:
- Fighting and work as a potential antidote for depression
- Resurrection as a potential antidote for depression
- How King Trom is a bro
- Refusal of joy and its effect on perception
- Would-be eucatastrophe
- Landscape, symbolism, and the sticky wicket of literalized metaphor
- Potential lawsuits Psyche could bring against Redival
Recommendations include:
- cslewisdoodle
- Hunting the Unicorn: A Critical Biography of Ruth Pitter
We'd love to hear from you if you're enjoying the podcast! We'd also love to have you on the show if you'd like to join us sometime (and don't mind reading a few chapters of Till We Have Faces first)! Our email is InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
Next time we will have Till We Have Faces scholar Andrew Lazo on to discuss Chapters 10, 11, and 12! It will be worth the wait!
In which Anika and Chris reveal the fairly shallow reason we had for doing Till We Have Faces this year and accidentally endorse human sacrifice.
Mostly, we talk about Chapter 7, in which Orual and Psyche say goodbye, and Chapter 8, in which Orual decides to journey to the mountain and recover Psyche's body. At issue are whether or not selfish love is still love and whether sacrifice (especially human sacrifice) is effective.
Other highlights:
Ash Wednesday Anecdotes
Anika reads Lewis' poem, "As the Ruin Falls"
Till We Have Faces as a text that changes its narrator
Finally, inspired by WandaVision, the hosts ask whether Till We Have Faces would make a good sitcom--and what kind of sitcom it would be?
Have your own thoughts? Email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Music credits:
- The "Our Father" in Aramaic
- The Hurrian Hymn
- "Aase's Death," by Edvard Grieg
- "The Toy Parade," by Dave Kahn, Melvyn Leonard and Mort Greene
- "Everywhere You Look," by Jesse Frederick
- "With a Little Help From My Friends," by Joe Cocker
We will see you in two weeks for Chapters 9 and 10!
With special guest star and Inklings scholar, Sørina Higgins!
Our conversation about Till We Have Faces, C.S. Lewis' final novel, continues, with a veritable musical extravaganza at the end (really, we talk about music from the '70s, 80's, and 90's that would fit Till We Have Faces--not niche at all. At all.)
We'll be back in two weeks. Meanwhile, consider this an invitation to be on our podcast, no Inklings expertise required; if you'd like to talk with us, we want you to join us for a show/conversation. Email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
Many thanks to Sørina (who has a lot of Inklings expertise) for joining us! We plan to have her on again in the near future to talk about Charles Williams' Poetry, or perhaps even The Inklings and King Arthur. Texmoot, which we promoted in the previous episode, has already passed, but feel free to get in touch about attending next year's session!
Some things mentioned on this episode:
J.G. Frazer's The Golden Bough, of course.
Elizabeth I's Speech to the Troops at Tilbury and the Kate Beaton adaptation.
"Christian Apologetics," the essay where Lewis makes his religion/soup comparison (collected in God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics).
Music Mentioned/Sampled in this Episode:
The "Our Father" in Aramaic
The Hurrian Hymn
In God's Country versus Zoo Station, both by U2
"She Came On," by Super Deluxe
Chopin's Raindrop Prelude
"She's a Mystery to Me," by Roy Orbison
Binnorie/Twa Sisters Folk-song, as interpreted by: Custer LaRue, Loreena McKennitt, Jerry Garcia
"Tainted Love," by SoftCell
"No Rain," by Blind Melon
Mainly, of course, we talk about Chapters 5 and 6 of Till We Have Faces. Enjoy, and we'll be back in two weeks!
[Something went wrong with the previous file and only half the interview was working--hopefully this new file corrects things--apologies!]
This week, we are thrilled to present our very first interview with author Gina Dalfonzo! Buy her book, Dorothy and Jack: The Transforming Friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers and C.S. Lewis. It's a very readable and insightful exploration of the deep and frequently overlooked friendship between two great Christian writers.
Next week, we'll have more Till We Have Faces, and guest-starring will be Inklings scholar Sorina Higgins! Before that happens, you are cordially invited to join her and many other Inklings scholars and fans online at Texmoot this Saturday.
Until next week!
In the spirit of Groundhog's Day, Chris and Anika dig into Chapters 3-4 of Lewis' Till We Have Faces, which retells the Cupid and Psyche myth.
We discuss, among other things:
- The apparent popularity of J.G. Frazer in Glome
- "Foxy Redival's Flirtations"
- Whether we're the worst at what we care about most (and other cheering thoughts)
- Soup and Religion (and other metaphors)
- Narrative asides about weeping in Lewis
- Our ideas for movie adaptations of TWHF
Music:
The Hurrian Hymn
"Our Father" in Aramaic
They say that behind every groundhog is a Shadowbrute requiring human sacrifice. May the good town officials of Punxsutawney fail to see it this year. For all our sakes.
As always, please give us ratings on iTunes if you enjoy this! It means a lot to us and helps others find the podcast! Also--feel free to send us your thoughts at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com
Thank you for joining us!
Next time (in two weeks), we will be joined by special guest and Inklings scholar Sorina Higgins!
Welcome back to The Inklings Variety Hour! It's a new year, and Ungit has only just hatched out of her egg-house (or something), but already, your intrepid hosts are tackling C.S. Lewis' novel, Till We Have Faces (1956)--widely considered the best novel he ever wrote. Chris, Anika, and Meagan discuss this retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth as only the Inklings Variety Hour can--with lots of digressions, reading of passages, and laughter.
If you're enjoying this podcast, we're glad to have you along for the ride, and we'd love to know you! Drop us a line at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. Ratings on the iTunes store would be most welcome also.
Music for this episode includes:
The Hurrian Hymn
The "Our Father" in Aramaic
"Sick Muse" by Metric
It's an Inklings Variety Hour Jovial Christmas Extravaganza! Featuring:
A Discussion of J.R.R. Tolkien's Letters from Father Christmas!
Chris Pipkin and his children, Davey and Virginia!
Anika Smith! (First half of show)
Meagan Logsdon! (Second half of show)
A cringeworthy impersonation of an old British person by Chris Pipkin!
Bits of music by Steeleye Span and Maddy Prior (The Boar's Head Carol), and Martin Romberg (A Elbereth Gilthoniel), (as well as Virginia Pipkin).
Pipkins' Christmas site promoted: 12tide.com
Thanks for listening to us this year! As always, if you enjoy this podcast, recommend it to a friend and give us a review on iTunes. And please do feel more than free to drop us a line at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Merry Christmas.
Coming up in 2021: Till We Have Faces
This week, we follow up on our discussion of Tolkien's "On Fairy Stories" by applying some of his ideas to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. We're trying to assess whether (despite Tolkien's low view of it), Lewis' children's tale actually works as a Tolkienian "Fairy Story." Works mentioned include:
- On Fairy Stories
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
- The Black Bull of Norroway
- Preface to Paradise Lost (when discussing Primary v. Secondary Epic)
Chris also promotes the blog he and his wife do--12tide.com--that includes resources to help people celebrate a twelve-day Christmas Season.
If you enjoy this podcast, please recommend it to a friend and give us a review on iTunes. And please do feel more than free to drop us a line at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Join Anika, Meagan, and Chris for the second half of our discussion of J.R.R. Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Stories." Among other things, we talk about the nature of originality, the way that stories re-enchant and recover reality for us, the nature of true escapism and modernity, the Gift of Illuvatar and whether anyone actually wants to live forever--probably--also, whether Tolkien really did believe in fairies, the idea of consolation, how joy is more poignant than grief, the parts of the Lord of the Rings that make us cry, fairy stories, myth, and the Gospel, how the temporal and material helps us recover the eternal--and, of course, Frodo of the Nine Fingers and His Ring of Doom! So strap on your steel shoes and prepare to climb the glassy hill of robust conversation with us.
You can find this essay in a number of places, but this is a pretty nice edition.
Next time, we'll be applying some of the ideas from "On Fairy Stories" to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, in order to determine, once and for all, whether it is a fairy story, and whether Tolkien is departing from his own standards in disliking it. It's full circle time! If you enjoy this podcast, recommend it to a friend and give us a review on iTunes. And please do feel more than free to drop us a line at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Happy "Commemoration of C.S. Lewis Day." Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Here's a quick reading from Walter Hooper's Introduction to "The Weight of Glory and Other Essays," which describes the last three months of Lewis' life.
Stay tuned for more podcasts very soon.
"By the tobacco-tinted teeth of Tolkien! It's the walrus of the OED, and he wants revenge on those who once defined him!"
We're waxing philosophical about a philologist's fairy-wondering wander-work this week! Longer episode description to come, when I'm not deliriously tired!
In the meantime, enjoy the podcast! Read "On Fairy Stories," if you have it under your pillow or otherwise near at hand. And have a eucatastrophe or two while you're at it. They're like catastrophes, only good. Sort of the red licorice of Greek literary terms.
Anyhow...
This week, we have J.R.R. Tolkien's "Mythopoeia," read by Anika Smith!
You can find the text of the poem online if you want to read along, or you can buy this lovely book.
Music in the background is Lohengrin, by Richard Wagner.
Next week, we'll be back to discuss Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Stories," in which a part of "Mythopoeia" is quoted.
If you're enjoying these podcasts, please share with a friend or drop us a line to tell us so (InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com). Constructive feedback and suggestions for future episodes are welcome. We'd also very much appreciate reviews in iTunes, if you can spare the time. See you next week.
Welcome back! In this final episode covering Charles Williams' spiritual thriller, War in Heaven, we discuss the conclusion of the book! What does Charles Williams have in common with J.K. Rowling? Is Gregory the Satanist the secret protagonist of this book? And finally, what do you do if a priest falls down dead in the middle of mass, but it was a really pleasant service otherwise? Stay tuned next time for a bonus episode, after which we will be talking about J.R.R. Tolkien's "On Fairy Stories."
If the Inklings squaring off against Aleister Crowley tickles your fancy, please do go pick up a copy of Heaven's War by Micah Harris with art by Michael Gaydos!
This is part four of our five-part discussion of War in Heaven, Charles' Williams' modern take on the Holy Graal Quest. In the chapters we discuss this week, Gregory Persimmons drives Barbara Rackstraw insane using "the ointment," in order to obtain both the Graal and Barbara and Lionel's son, Adrian. The guardians of the Graal willingly trade the Graal for Barbara's sanity, only to have her cured by an unexpected visitor...who is somehow the Graal himself. It's not who you think. In this episode, Satanism meets pessimism, devotion to relics meets humanism, and everybody meets Prester John.
9/22: Happy Hobbit Day! We're talking about Charles Williams, but we do mention the hobbits (with reference to homeliness and attachment to objects) in a few places.
Works referenced:
War in Heaven, by Charles Williams;
"Hermeticism and the Metaphysics of Goodness in the Novels of Charles Williams," by Scott McLaren (Mythlore);
The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend, by Alan Lupack;
Music:
"Venus," by Gustav Holst
"Lohengrin," by Richard Wagner
"Princes of the Universe" by Queen.
(Here's the intro that I parody. Note: Inklings Variety Hour does not formally endorse the USA show "Highlander"--based on the movie of the same name--even if it was awesome.)
_Thank you_ to those of you who have left reviews and ratings on iTunes and elsewhere! Please don't hesitate to drop us a line if you'd like--we'd love to know who you are and what you're interested in hearing us cover in the future! Our email is InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
This week, we're covering Part III of Charles Williams' supernatural thriller, War in Heaven, in which the good guys (The Archdeacon, Kenneth Mornington, and the Duke) steal the Graal back from Gregory Persimmons, who desires to use it for his own dark purposes. They then must pray to prevent the Graal from being magically disintegrated from a long distance by Manasseh and Dmitri, two more advanced members of Gregory's shady organization. We'll also witness a friendship blossoming between all three of our protagonists, talk about how holy and unholy detachment can help make for a very exciting* plot, throw a little shade at King Henry VIII, discuss pagan interpretations of the Graal, and speculate about how P.G. Wodehouse may have been the secret ingredient in Gregory's eventual redemption. This conversation went well over an hour--if you simply can't get enough of Charles Williams, you're in for a treat. And hang around (if you'd like) for some bonus material at the very end--should be worth a laugh or two. I mean, we laugh, anyway.
Music from Lohengrin by Wagner, Mercury by Holst, Venus by Holst, and, of course, "Take the Land," by Don Potter.
We reference William Blake's poem, "And did those feet in ancient time," which speculates on the very strange legend that the boy Jesus may have been taken to England by Joseph of Arimathea at some point--presumably a pre-Graal excursion for Joseph (I don't think even Blake believed this, though). "And did those feet" was set to music by Sir Hubert Parry as "Jerusalem," an anthem/hymn that helped revive the drooping nationalism of British troops during World War I and remains popular to this day.
If you haven't read any of P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster series, we encourage you to drop everything and do so as soon as possible.
Finally, this podcast will probably be more fun for you if you read along with us. Feel free to pick up a copy of Charles Williams' War in Heaven!
If you're enjoying these episodes and have constructive feedback, we'd love to hear from you! Our email is InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. Feel free also to leave us a review on iTunes if you want to see more of this sort of thing.
We begin this second part of our series on War in Heaven with the Archdeacon's words to the Holy Graal (yes, that's how it's spelled). We end as a Georgia thunderstorm knocks out the Internet. In between, we discuss Chapters 4-8 of Charles Williams' supernatural thriller.
You can find War in Heaven here. It is pretty inexpensive to buy on Kindle ($0.99 the last I checked).
Other than the usual Lohengrin/Jazz mash-up, the music used is from Uranus, one of the pieces in Gustav Holst's Planets suite.
The poetry excerpt at the end is from "On the Circuit," by W.H. Auden (read by the author).
Stay tuned for Part 3 next week!
If you're enjoying these episodes and have constructive feedback, we'd love to hear from you! Our email is InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. Feel free also to leave us a review on iTunes if you want to see more of this sort of thing.
This is the first of a series of conversations on Charles Williams' 1930 novel, War in Heaven, in which the Holy Graal (yes, that's how it's spelled here) is discovered in a tiny church in the English countryside. Hijinks and shenanigans ensue, along with a heavy dose of black magic, car chases, and ecumenism. You'll also find out whether the hosts would prefer to read a book called Christianity and the League of Nations or Foxy Flossie's Flirtations.
We'll be covering the first three chapters of War in Heaven, which you can purchase here if you want to read along.
Most of our conversation this episode will be about Charles Williams' life, interest in the occult, and influence. A few works mentioned include:
- The Third Inkling, by Grevel Lindop
- The Oxford Inklings, by Colin Duriez
- The Fellowship, by Philip and Carol Zaleski
- Hell, by Dorothy Sayers
- Taliessin Through Logres and The Region of the Summer Stars, by Charles Williams
- The Figure of Beatrice, by Charles Williams
To read the first letters Lewis and Williams wrote to each other, go here!
Stay tuned for Part 2! If you're enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving us a review, as it is the best way to ensure the podcast will continue. Also, feel free to drop us a line at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.
We're taking this week off, but here's a quick reading of Longfellow's "Tegner's Drapa," a poem that acquainted the nine-year-old C.S. Lewis with an early sense of the sublime longing he called "Joy," and began to instill a love of what he called "Northernness." A few ramblings-on about the poem and the myth of "Balder the Beautiful" are included at no extra cost. Join us next week as we begin discussing Charles Williams' War in Heaven!
The background music, by the way, is Wagner's "Lohengrin"!
Literature mentioned includes:
- Surprised by Joy
- "Tegner's Drapa" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Frithjof's Saga, (adapted) by Esaias Tegner
- Vafthruthnismal, a poem collected in the Elder Edda
- War in Heaven, by Charles Williams (read along with us--the Kindle version is $0.99!
The third and final installment of our conversation on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe enters some interesting territory as Chris, Anika, and Meagan explore Lewis's (inadvertent?) use of Aslan-as-Trickster imagery, proper Narnian politics, and kangaroos. Also witness the precise moment in which the trio realizes that Lewis may have ruined their childhoods.
Works referenced include:
- A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis
- The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
Outro poetry sample: "On the Circuit" by W. H. Auden
Email the show! InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com
Return to Narnia for the second part of our (three-part) discussion on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Find out the intrepid trio's thoughts on such questions as:
- Why shouldn't we be too hard on Edmund?
- How exactly does Father Christmas fit into this story, anyway?
- Why is it so important to remember to wipe your sword?
Works referenced include:
- Planet Narnia by Michael Ward
- Boxen by C. S. Lewis
As always, the outro poetry sample is from W. H. Auden's "On the Circuit".
Write to us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com!
Chris, Anika, and Meagan introduce themselves and the podcast before promptly stepping through that magical wardrobe in the first (yes, first) of C. S. Lewis's Narnia chronicles. Why are robins trustworthy? Was Lewis wrong about his preferred reading order for the Narnia books? Will the hosts be able to overcome initial podcast jitters?
Works discussed include:
- The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
- The Company They Keep, by Diana Pavlac Glyer
- The Cambridge Companion to C.S. Lewis
- “On the Circuit,” by W.H. Auden
This is the first podcast any of us have done, so if you want to see more of this sort of thing, we’d love five-star reviews with suggestions for improvement! Or feel free to email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. Tune in next week for Part 2 of our discussion of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. And bring your coats. It’s not stealing.