Category Archives: Original Research

When Screwtape Haunts in Eden: A Lecture on C.S. Lewis’ Fantasy Writings by Dr. Brenton Dickieson

Posted on January 21, 2020 by

In this lecture that I prepared for The King’s College in New York City, I talk about my research into C.S. Lewis’ world-building project. In particular, given manuscript evidence that links The Screwtape Letters with the Space Trilogy, I spend … Continue reading →

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2019: A Year of Reading: The Nerd Bit, with Charts

Posted on January 1, 2020 by

“With such wishes for the New Year as still seem possible” ~ C.S. Lewis to his father from the WWI trenches in France “Except at my job—where the machine seems to run on much as usual—I loathe the slightest effort. … Continue reading →

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“A Sense of the Season”: C.S. Lewis’ Birthday Pivot and the Cambridge Inaugural Address

Posted on November 28, 2019 by

In the autumn of 1954 at the age of 56, C.S. Lewis was at the height of his academic career. After nearly two decades of research and writing English Literature in the Sixteenth Century, Excluding Drama, this magnum opus intensified … Continue reading →

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Harold Bloom and “The Western Canon”: A Note on His Death

Posted on October 18, 2019 by

I received news this week that Harold Bloom has died. Bloom (1930-2019) was an avid reader, a rapid writer, and a penetrating critic whose essays and books on literature are breathtaking in scope and exemplary in their attention to the … Continue reading →

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A Bibliography on C.S. Lewis and Gender (Secondary Sources)

Posted on September 17, 2019 by

Gender in C.S. Lewis Bibliography by Brenton Dickieson* Adey, Lionel.  “How Far Did Lewis Change Over Time?” The Canadian C.S. Lewis Journal 93.1 (1998): 5–13. See also his C.S. Lewis: Writer, Dreamer, and Mentor. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998. Barkman, … Continue reading →

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I Passed my Viva!

Posted on September 2, 2019 by

I am very pleased to announce that I have successfully defended my PhD at the University of Chester! The viva voce was strong, with critical feedback and some verbal sparring. Overall, though, it was a great experience, with some levity … Continue reading →

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Thoughts on the Eve of my PhD Viva  

Posted on August 29, 2019 by

As I announced at the end of May, I have completed my PhD thesis at the University of Chester and I have been awaiting my defence date. The viva voce, or just Viva, is this terrifying affair where two scholars … Continue reading →

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