Tag Archives: imagination

The Land Where Oz is North of Middle-earth: Reflections of a Speculative Cosmographer (Throwback Thursday)

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

Over the next year, I am introducing an occasional feature I call “Throwback Thursday.” This is where I find a blog post from the past–raiding either my own vault or someone else’s–and throw it back out into the digital world. … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Writing, Fictional Worlds | Tagged C.S. Lewis, children's literature, fantasy, Fictional Universes, Harry Potter, Holly Black, imagination, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, madeleine l engle, Madeleine L'Engle, maps, Middle Earth, Narnia, The Hobbit, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Winnie the Pooh | 19 Comments

Little Rooms of Imagination with Madeleine L’Engle and C.S. Lewis (Friday Feature)

Posted on April 13, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

I tell my students often enough to read the fore-matter in their textbooks. “That’s where the good stuff is,” I argue. “That’s where the author shares his or her vision for writing.” Now, I suspect that students rarely heed my … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, Memorable Quotes, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged A Swiftly Tilting Planet, A Wrinkle in Time, books, C.S. Lewis, children's literature, fairy tales, fantasy, imagination, lion the witch and the wardrobe, literature, Madeleine L'Engle, wardrobe, writing | 21 Comments

Call For Guest Blogs on The Great Divorce

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

On Monday, Nov 10th, we celebrate the 70th anniversary of C.S. Lewis’ novella, The Great Divorce. I rank this among the best of Lewis’ fiction and one of his richest thought experiments. Though not one of his bestsellers, I think … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Blogs, Reflections, Reviews | Tagged C.S. Lewis, Death, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, heaven, hell, Hitler, imagination, myth, Nazism, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, theology, WWII | 34 Comments

Tolkien Post Master List (For Tolkien Reading Day)

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

Since it is Tolkien Reading Day (03/25), here is a great list of Tolkien resources.

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Reflections | Tagged children's literature, fantasy, imagination, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth, myth, The Hobbit | 3 Comments

Art as a Battle, and a Dozen Other Things

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

It is a new image for me, the idea of art as a battle. Writing is not that for me. It is hard, to be sure. Some of my most difficult moments are in the sculpting of images into words. … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged art, imagination, Lily Briscoe, literature, To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf, writing, WWI | 12 Comments

A Quick Detour: On Choosing University Readings

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

I am at that time of year when I am finalizing readings for an upcoming course. I’m thrilled to be offering a new course at Maritime Christian College called, “From Middle Earth to the Garden of Eden: Thoughts on Faith … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links, Reflections | Tagged books, C.S. Lewis, fantasy, imagination, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, Madeleine L'Engle, Teaching, The Hobbit, The Screwtape Letters, theology | 16 Comments

The Forgotten Posts: Blogs that I Liked But Apparently No One Else Did, or An Encouraging Read During a Difficult Writing Period, or, Longest. Title. Ever.

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

I am writing a paper, and it isn’t going well. When writers face a losing battle, we often turn to little supports that we have surrounded ourselves with over the years. I know a writer who googles his name, to … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged books, C.S. Lewis, Conversion, imagination, Narnia, Shel Silverstein, Spirits in Bondage, Stephen King, writing | 4 Comments

Some Reflections on my 3 Day Novel Experience

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

I have just finished my 5th weekend writing for the International 3 Day Novel Contest (3DNC). As usual, I’m absolutely exhausted. Like I’ve been pummeled. I’ve done the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and it has its challenges. But there … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Writing | Tagged 3 Day Novel Contest, Albert Camus, Animal Farm, books, children's literature, epic myth, George R.R. Martin, imagination, literature, NaNoWriMo, novel contest, Stephen King, writing | 20 Comments

Ruffling the Pages of The Hobbit: C.S. Lewis’ Original Review in TLS

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

Besides his own children, in the early days of The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien’s biggest fan was C.S. Lewis. No one really knew what to do with Tolkien’s strange faerie tale just yet, and Tolkien was anxious about its value, but Lewis … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Lewis Biography | Tagged Alice in Wonderland, C.S. Lewis, children's literature, faerie, fantasy, George MacDonald, imagination, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, maps, The Hobbit, The Wind in the Willows, writing | 30 Comments

The Land Where Oz is North of Middle-earth: Reflections of a Speculative Cosmographer

Posted on July 4, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

If I were to print a business card for what I do as a fantasy writer, in the section called “title” I would put, “Speculative Cosmographer.” Fancy title, eh? Well, broken down, it really just means fictional world-builder. When I … Continue reading →