“The Givenness of Things”: Marilynne Robinson’s Wide-Ranging Collection of Essays

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

One of my absolute favourite blogs to follow is “On Art and Aesthetics”. Tulika curates gorgeous posts featuring mainstream and eyebrow-raising artists from across the world and throughout history. I am so far from an art critic that I cannot speak critically to the work she features, but I love every single post. This one, today’s Friday Feature post, is something I actually can talk about.
Marilynne Robinson is one of the leading essayists, storytellers, and Christian public intellectuals in America today. Her collection of essays, The Givenness of Things, makes the links of Christian thought, literary criticism, and a historically-based cultural critique that is absolutely essential today. I hope you hunt down Robinson’s work and enjoy this beautiful blog.

About Brenton Dickieson

“A Pilgrim in Narnia” is a blog project in reading and talking about the work of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, the Inklings, L.M. Montgomery, and the worlds they created. As a "Faith, Fantasy, and Fiction" blog, we cover topics like children’s literature, myths and mythology, fantasy, science fiction, speculative fiction, poetry, theology, cultural criticism, art and writing. This blog includes my thoughts as I read through my favourite writings and reflect on my own life and culture. In this sense, I am a Pilgrim in Narnia--or Middle Earth, or Fairyland, or Avonlea. I am often peeking inside of wardrobes, looking for magic bricks in urban alleys, or rooting through yard sale boxes for old rings. If something here captures your imagination, leave a comment, “like” a post, share with your friends, or sign up to receive Narnian Pilgrim posts in your email box. Brenton Dickieson (PhD, Chester) is a father, husband, friend, university lecturer, and freelance writer from Prince Edward Island, Canada. You can follow him: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com Twitter (X) @BrentonDana Instagram @bdickieson Facebook @aPilgrimInNarnia
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15 Responses to “The Givenness of Things”: Marilynne Robinson’s Wide-Ranging Collection of Essays

  1. Tulika B. says:
    March 31, 2017 at 8:14 pm

    Thanks for the re-blog, Brenton! 🙂

    Reply
  2. L.A. Smith says:
    April 2, 2017 at 6:54 pm

    Oh, marvellous! Gilead is one of my all-time favourite books. So spectacularly beautiful, haunting, and faith-filled in all the best ways. I tried to read Homecoming, I was disappointed in it but I want to try it again, and as well read the other books in the series. I’ve read some of Robinson’s non-fiction, too, and find it bracing. I admire her a great deal and will certainly have a look at this latest collection. She is amazing.

    Reply
    • Brenton Dickieson says:
      April 11, 2017 at 9:01 am

      I am going to read the Gilead books through, so Home is next for me. Do you mean “Home” or “Housekeeping”? The latter is a strange book!
      Her essays are bracing–especially the ones that critique our soft culture lacking education.

      Reply

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