The Inklings Variety Hour

The Princess and the Goblin Part 3 (Season 2 Finale)

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.

Running Up That Hill (Stranger Th[Inkl]ings Bonus Pop Culture Pod)

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.

The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis: A Conversation with Jason M. Baxter

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.

The Princess and the Goblin, by George MacDonald, Part 2

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.

And what is a Goblin?

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.

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald, Part 1

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.

The Inklings On Friendship

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!

The Misquotable C.S. Lewis: An Interview with William O’Flaherty

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!

 

Charles Williams and the end of _Descent Into Hell_: An Interview with Dr. Sørina Higgins

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.

Here is the page for her new podcast!

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!

Tolkien in Ten: Eärendil

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.