Tag Archives: Lemony Snicket

The Words C.S. Lewis Made Up: Jollification, Uglification, and the Miserific Vision

Posted on November 1, 2017 by

We all know C.S. Lewis as the Narnian, but behind the children’s work was his experience as a teacher of English literature, a writer about the history of literary movements, and a tinker in other forms of fiction. In that tinkering, … Continue reading →

Posted in Studies in Words | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Wormwood Reborn? A Screwtapian Look at The Gates by John Connolly (A Little Hallowe’en Demonic Lit)

Posted on October 31, 2017 by

One of the great perks as a university teacher is that I am constantly in conversation with students about good books. While this occasionally gets me into conversations about Twilight (which I did read, but only with great commitment to my … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

The Haunting Death: Lewis, Buechner, and Me on the Loss of my Parents

Posted on February 22, 2016 by

On Friday, February 12th, I watched my mother finally succumb to cancer. She was only 61. In her death she taught me a great deal about how to live. You can read a brief story of her life here. I am now … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

I Need Help With “I,” Or Thoughts on Literary Segregation and the 1st Person Narrative

Posted on June 18, 2014 by

This post is part of an ongoing series Called Writing Wednesdays. I would love your comments below! It’s hard to know where some prejudices develop. My bias against bad drivers—something we Prince Edward Islanders specialize in—came to me slowly. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in On Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 42 Comments

Great First Lines

Posted on September 25, 2013 by

Anyone who writes knows how hard we work on the first line. It’s not that we are trying to live up to all the great first lines. It doesn’t matter how many best of times-worst of times stories we write, … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

The Personal Heresy and the Growth of a Person

Posted on July 29, 2013 by

One of the books that cut C.S. Lewis’ critical teeth is The Personal Heresy: A Controversy. The book is a debate with Cambridge professor Dr. E.M.W. Tillyard over questions about the role of the poet in how the reader appreciates … Continue reading →

Posted in Lewis Biography, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

A Read-Aloud Post for World Read Aloud Day: Reading the Hobbit

Posted on March 6, 2013 by

March 6th is World Read Aloud Day! I wrote a read-aloud post last fall for the Hobbit Read-Along, a merry fellowship of nine writers.  When I began the blog project, I didn’t account for the fact that I would be reading … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Blogs, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments