The Inklings Variety Hour

Prince Caspian (Part 1: Creeks and Constellations!)

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!

Till We Have Faces Finale (Book 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!

Till We Have Faces - Chapters 18-21

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!

Four Lewis Poems

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! 

Till We Have Faces - Chapters 16-17

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!

"Taliessin on the Death of Virgil" on the death-day of Charles Williams

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.

Till We Have Faces - Chapters 14-15

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!

Till We Have Faces - Chapters 12-13

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!  

Till We Have Faces - Chapters 10-11 with Andrew Lazo

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.  

 

Till We Have Faces - Chapters 9-10

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!