Tag Archives: Albert Camus

Sharp Novel Minds and Pithy First Lines, with Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers, Geo. MacDonald, G.K. Chesterton, Ray Bradbury, N.K. Jemisin, Nalo Hopkinson, Margaret Atwood and more!

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Brenton Dickieson

Sacrificial Fire for Fickle Gods (2023) by Brenton Dickieson O! to speak life-words of fire In a fashion sweet and plain: For pith-like wit, ink-painted flight, A Titan’s theft of flame. Lo! in conjuring these trickster lords, Who rule not … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Writing, Memorable Quotes, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Simone de Beauvoir and the Keyspring of the Lord of the Rings

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

If I were to pick a public intellectual least likely to have influenced J.R.R. Tolkien, Simone de Beauvoir may not be the first person I would think of. There’s a good chance, though, that she would make the shortlist. French … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Memorable Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 57 Comments

How I Stumbled into C.S. Lewis (“On Pretending to be in a PhD” pt. 1)

Posted on August 5, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

In my 400th blog post I noted that In 2011 I began pretending I was in a PhD. It is doubtless an odd thing to say, though it has been normal for me for so long I didn’t even think … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 31 Comments

On Embracing my Inner Nerd, Or Erasing the Division between Head and Heart

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

The phrase, “doing your devotions,” still gives me the shivers. Early in my spiritual journey, my well-meaning leaders tried to instill a little religion in me. I was the Christian equivalent of Huckleberry Finn when it came to disciplines that … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Age of Ultron: Mythic Mess or the Absurd Man?

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

Joss Whedon is a smart filmmaker. Buffy was genius, and The Avengers was an intelligent, funny, moving, high-action, hyper-effects superhero movie—a package I wasn’t sure was possible. I like how Whedon delves into big stories with what many will assume … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Reviews, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments