Lewis Carroll - Alice in Wonderland with John Shelton

Nadya Williams and guest John Shelton explore Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland on its 160th anniversary. They discuss what makes a book a “classic,” the balance between whimsy and seriousness, Carroll’s satirical brilliance, and the enduring cultural impact of Alice. The conversation highlights themes of logic, absurdity, moral imagination, and the shaping of children’s literature.

Chapters
00:03 – Introduction to Lewis Carroll and Alice’s enduring appeal
03:00 – What makes a literary work a “classic”?
06:16 – Why Alice’s humor still works
07:43 – Iconic phrases and cultural influence
09:19 – Whimsy as serious work
11:42 – The sacredness of delight
13:38 – Influence on later works and pop culture
14:58 – The importance of the written form and illustrations
24:30 – The challenge of adapting Alice to other media
25:08 – Children’s classics and parental reading traditions
27:27 – Violence, absurdity, and what’s “too scary” for kids
31:16 – The rise of children’s literature in Carroll’s time
36:49 – Logic, madness, and education
37:18 – Carroll’s faith and the spiritual dimension of whimsy
39:14 – The purpose of children’s literature
41:20 – Selecting books for children and moral lessons from stories
45:13 – Learning the right use of force and justice
46:34 – Recognizing and mocking true absurdity
50:27 – Subtle moral norms in Alice
52:17 – Books the guest wishes he had written
54:56 – The relational nature of children’s books
57:27 – Stories as moral frameworks for life

Links

John Shelton, "Stories After Virtue: Reading As A Moral Enterprise"

Tara Thieke, "Cats and Sixty Foot Whales: Reflections on Children's Literature"

Lewis Carroll, An Easter Greeting to every child who loves Alice - Alice-in-Wonderland.net