The tension in many a good story centers on a hero's struggle, as opposition mounts, to remember his identity or to recall her mission. Succumbing to Sirens and Circes is perilous and treasure greater than victory awaits the unwavering. In Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, for instance, Meg Murry's mission is to rescue her … Continue reading The Tao or the Wow: How Ancient Texts Rehumanize the Heart
One year ago for the very first time, I planned my year's reading instead of simply keeping a reading list as I went along. Inspired by How to Make a Yearly Reading List as a Grown-Up, my first step was to root through my shelves and scan my Audible and Kindle libraries for books I already … Continue reading Five Standouts from a Reading Year
It's been described as "heady, extraordinary." It's where I first heard about Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter and P.D. James' The Children of Men. I discovered Alan Jacobs had written a biography of C.S. Lewis by listening, added it to my wishlist and gratefully received The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis for Christmas that year. It's also … Continue reading The Mars Hill Audio Journal: Where All Things Considered Meets God
While immersed in Rod Dreher's much-discussed The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation a few weeks ago, a children's book startled me with a hopeful connection. My son's kids had come to visit and I'd turned to reading nature books with them, but as we read and baked and played and … Continue reading Don’t Fear the Forge: In Which The Benedict Option Mingles with a Rock Book and a Yeats Poem
