Monthly Archives: December 2016

“Tolkien Transactions” at the Tolkien Society (Friday Feature)

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

Resources for Tolkienites are legion these days, but key among them is the Tolkien Society. Besides a Tolkien biography, there is also an event page with CFPs and conference announcements, as well as publications like Mallorn and Amon Hen. Membership gives a … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, News & Links | Tagged J.R.R. Tolkien | 8 Comments

2016: A Year of Reading

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

This time last year I had a sense of the kind of season that 2016 would be, but I did not know the how deeply the experiences of bereavement, family responsibility, and overwork would impact me. While my work has … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged academic, An Experiment in Criticism, C.S. Lewis, feminism, George MacDonald, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, On Fairy-Stories, PhD Research, Ransom Trilogy, Reading, The Quest of Bleheris, William Morris | 15 Comments

2016: My Year in Books: The Infographic

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

The house elves at Goodreads have produced a little infographic to capture my year in book reading. I love data, and I love when clever people create clever algorithms to capture trends in visual form. I’ll post my full, super … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged An Experiment in Criticism, C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Inklings, Reading, The Quest of Bleheris, William Morris | 12 Comments

“The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

There are few of them left: the kind of used bookstore with old, over-stuffed wooden shelves, literate staff, and stacks of volumes crowding the aisles. This is the kind of used bookstore that plays the Canadian Broadcasting Company in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes | Tagged Christmas, O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi, Used Bookstores, writing | 7 Comments

Christmas With J.R.R. Tolkien: The Father Christmas Letters

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

What a find! At a yard sale a good friend scored a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Father Christmas Letters and she was good enough to give it to me. Published by his daughter-in-law in 1976 on the 3rd anniversary of Tolkien’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Letters, Memorable Quotes | Tagged art, art of letter writing, children's literature, Christmas, Christopher Tolkien, fantasy, Father Christmas, J.R.R. Tolkien, letters, literature, Lord of the Rings, myth, Santa Claus, writing | 23 Comments

Regent College’s Inklings Related Lectures on Sale (Friday Feature)

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

A lecture series is a great way to discover a new area, to deepen knowledge in our areas of concentration, or to reboot a reading project. Over a season of painting houses I used iTunesU and some other lecture resources … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, Reviews | Tagged Alister McGrath, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, Crystal Downing, J.R.R. Tolkien, lectures, Michael Ward, Ralph Wood, Regent College | 2 Comments

“Spiritual Formation in the Life of C. S. Lewis” by Dr. Lyle Dorsett

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

When I first met Marjorie Lamp Mead, I described the kind of work I was doing. Immediately she mentioned Lyle Dorsett. Marjorie has been associate director of the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College since 1977, but you might … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged Austin Farrar, Brothers and Friends, C.S. Lewis, Christian spirituality, Inklings, Letters to Children, Lyle Dorsett, Marion E. Wade Center, Marjorie Lamp Mead, spiritual theology, Wheaton College | 10 Comments

Losing the Safety of the Real in That Hideous Strength

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

Though at times hauntingly realistic, scattered throughout C.S. Lewis’ space trilogy are moments where reality slides away from us. In the midst of the mundane—a walk at night, a conversation in a parlor, a sleepy, sunny afternoon on a hillside, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Original Research | Tagged allegory, C.S. Lewis, dystopia, fantasy, Fictional Universes, George MacDonald, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lin Carter, literature, mimesis, Phantastes, Ransom Trilogy, Science Fiction, William Morris | 35 Comments

OK Go and Multimedia Artistry (Friday Feature)

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

While I don’t tend to follow the actual Grammy awards, I do look for the nominations. This year’s list convinces me that I am increasingly incapable of saying I have any meaningful connection to pop music. Still, there are jewels … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged art, filmography, Grammy Award, music, music video, OK Go, video, videography | 2 Comments

New Approaches to Academic Writing: An Unusual Marking Note for a Good Student

Posted on December 8, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

I am at that time of year when the marking pile on my desk is higher than my laptop screen. Like a fool, each year, I go into the marking expecting great things. So far, I have never had a … Continue reading →