The Literary Life Podcast
Not just book chat! The Literary Life Podcast is an ongoing conversation about the skill and art of reading well and the lost intellectual tradition needed to fully enter into the great works of literature. Experienced teachers Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks (of www.HouseOfHumaneLetters.com) join lifelong reader Cindy Rollins (of www.MorningtimeForMoms.com) for slow reads of classic literature, conversations with book lovers, and an ever-unfolding discussion of how Stories Will Save the World. And check out our sister podcast The Well Read Poem with poet Thomas Banks.
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Episode 333: "The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield - Short Story Summer Remix
06/16/2026
Episode 333: "The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield - Short Story Summer Remix
This week on The Literary Life, we continue our Summer of the Short Story replay series. On today's episode, Cindy and Angelina discussed Katherine Mansfield’s short story “.” They start with how Cindy found this story and the connections she was making to . Angelina gives a brief biographical sketch of Katherine Mansfield and highlights how Mansfield’s own illness and death give us insight into how she deals with death in this story. Angelina walks us through how she looks at the use of figurative language and images, such as the Garden of Eden. They also touch on “The Garden Party” having the same structure of moving toward a moment of epiphany that we saw in “.” Cindy brings up the disconnect between the world of the women at home and the working people outside the home, as well as between the classes in this story. They talk about the importance of Laura’s new hat as a symbol of one type of person she can become. Another image that Angelina and Cindy take a look at is the descent from the garden into darkness. They discuss the parallels from the beginning of the story and the end of the story, as well as Laura’s movement from innocence to experience, from blindness to sight. Keep up to date on the current classes and offerings from both Cindy and Angelina by visiting their websites, and . Also, for the full show notes on this episode, head over to our podcast page at .
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Episode 332: “A Defence of Penny Dreadfuls” by G. K. Chesterton, Short Story Summer Series Remix
06/09/2026
Episode 332: “A Defence of Penny Dreadfuls” by G. K. Chesterton, Short Story Summer Series Remix
On The Literary Life today we continue our re-airing of a series from our “Summer of the Short Story” that originally aired way back in Season 1 of the podcast! This week’s episode features Angelina Stanford and Cindy Rollins discussing G. K. Chesterton’s essay “.” Angelina opens with a brief history of the Victorian era and the more prevalent availability of the novel to the masses. She also gives several examples of the “penny dreadful.” Cindy and Angelina discuss why they agree with Chesterton that people need these simple, even formulaic stories. They remind us that childhood is a time for good books, not a time to worry about reading all the “Great Books.” Another topic that Cindy and Angelina chat about is the importance of developing imagination. They talk about the truth that fiction and story-telling are necessary parts of human culture. Cindy highlights the importance of the heroic adventure stories for boys. Angelina brings out the point that the elite critic is out of touch with the masses who long for stories of good winning over evil. The penny dreadful should not be judged as art, since that was never what it was intended to be. If you want to find replays of the 2019 Back to School online conference referenced in this episode, you can purchase them in Cindy’s shop at . You can also find out about all the current classes and summer events happening at . For the full show notes on this episode, please visit .
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Episode 331: “Araby” by James Joyce – Short Story Summer Series Remix
06/02/2026
Episode 331: “Araby” by James Joyce – Short Story Summer Series Remix
This week on The Literary Life we begin revisiting a series from our “Summer of the Short Story” that originally aired way back in Season 1 of the podcast! Today we return to Episode 11, in which Angelina and Cindy enjoyed a discussion of the short story “Araby” by James Joyce. Delving into “Araby,” Angelina talks about the history and development of the short story form. Cindy gives a little of her own background with reading James Joyce and why she loves his short stories. Angelina and Cindy also discuss the essential “Irishness” of this story and all the tales in The Dubliners. Angelina walks us through the story, highlighting the kinds of questions and things we should look for when reading closely. Themes discussed in this story include: blindness and sight, light and darkness, romanticism, religious devotion, the search for truth, money, courtly love, and the knight’s quest. If you want to find replays of the 2019 Back to School online conference referenced in this episode, you can purchase them in Cindy’s shop at . You can also find out about all the current classes and summer events happening at . Check out the schedule for the podcast’s summer episodes on our . View the complete show notes for this episode at .
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Episode 330: Where to Start with Ancient Literature with Dr. Anne Phillips
05/26/2026
Episode 330: Where to Start with Ancient Literature with Dr. Anne Phillips
This week on The Literary Life Podcast, our hosts seek to answer your questions about reading ancient literature. Angelina and Thomas and joined by their colleague, Dr. Anne Phillips, and together they cover some of the most frequently asked questions about diving into the ancients, including the following: Which epic should a person start with, and why? How should kids be introduced to the epics? What is a good place to begin reading the Greek dramatists? Where to begin becoming familiar with Greek myth? Where should someone start to dip into ancient history? What if a person wants to read ancient philosophy? Don’t forget to check out everything going on over at to stay up to date on all the upcoming new summer classes and webinars. Also, you can visit to order Dr. Jason Baxter’s newest books, and get on the email list so you don’t miss any publication news! Finally, if you want to view the full show notes for this episode, including links to books and authors mentioned, as well as today's poem and quotes, please visit .
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Episode 329: “On Fairy Stories” Revisited with Jenn Rogers
05/19/2026
Episode 329: “On Fairy Stories” Revisited with Jenn Rogers
On today's episode of The Literary Life, our hosts Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks are joined by Jenn Rogers for a new discussion of "" by J.R.R. Tolkien. After sharing some opening commonplace quotes, Jenn gives us background and context for how "On Fairy Stories" comes to us today. She talks about the conversations being had by Tolkien and other philologists and folklorists that set the stage for this essay. Angelina highlights the idea of the Tree of Tales and its importance to understanding all of literature. Other topics they discuss together include sub-creation, the soup of story, the real versus the ordinary, recovery and escape, plus so much more! Don't forget to check out everything going on over at to stay up to date on all the upcoming new summer classes and webinars, including Heather Goodman's May webinar on Mary Poppins. To view the full show notes for this episode, please visit .
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Episode 328: Best of The Literary Life – “On Fairy Stories” by J.R.R. Tolkien
05/12/2026
Episode 328: Best of The Literary Life – “On Fairy Stories” by J.R.R. Tolkien
This week on The Literary Life, we are re-airing an episode from the archives featuring a discussion of J.R.R. Tolkien’s essay “” between Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks. Angelina sets the stage for this discussion by orienting us to the context for the essay by Tolkien as a critique of what is considered a fairy story. She points out the difference between cautionary tales like those by Charles Perrault and the German folk and fairy tales collected by the Grimm Brothers. Our hosts highlight Tolkien’s definition of true fairy stories, ones that take place in the “perilous realm” and involve a journey element. He critiques Andrew Lang as including many stories as fairy tale that are not truly fairy stories. They also discuss topics from the essay including sub-creation, magic and spells, suspension of disbelief, and children’s responses to fairy stories. Join us again next week for an additional “update” episode on this same essay with Jenn Rogers. Don’t forget to check out everything going on over at to stay up to date on all the upcoming new summer classes and webinars! Cindy also has some exciting things happening at , including registration for her summer discipleship group. For the full show notes for this episode, see our podcast website at .
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Episode 327: The Power of Story and “Galahad and the Grail” with Malcolm Guite
05/05/2026
Episode 327: The Power of Story and “Galahad and the Grail” with Malcolm Guite
This week on The Literary Life Podcast, we have a special episode in which our hosts Angelina Stanford, Thomas Banks, and Cindy Rollins and joined by poet, priest, scholar, and musician Malcolm Guite. Together they discuss not only Father Guite’s newest book, Grail, but also the underlying ideas of why stories matter and what power they have in our lives. Malcolm Guite shares some thoughts on the value of both metrical poetry and the ballad form, as well as his own composition habits. He retells the Arthurian legend his own mother told him as a child and how this story is a powerful picture of the Gospel. Other topics they explore are how we see gospel echoes in “pre-Christian” stories, what it is like to have people find new layers of meaning in your writing, Join us again next week for an episode from the vault on Tolkien’s “Why Read Fairy Stories,” which will be followed by an additional “update” episode on the same essay with Jenn Rogers. Don’t forget to check out everything going on over at to stay up to date on all the upcoming new summer classes and webinars! Cindy also has some exciting things happening at , including registration for her summer discipleship group. And for the full show notes on this episode, please visit .
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Episode 326: “The Rape of the Lock” by Alexander Pope
04/28/2026
Episode 326: “The Rape of the Lock” by Alexander Pope
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks will discuss Pope’s mock epic poem, “.” They begin the conversation by talking about two types of satire to set us up for an accurate understand of this poem. They also talk about the form of a mock epic poem and a burlesque. This conversation brings out the various allusions to classical heroic epic poems juxtaposed with the frivolous in this story. You can check out all the latest offerings of mini-classes and webinars, including Heather Goodman’s upcoming webinar on P.L. Travers’ , at . For more show notes, please visit .
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Episode 325: Introduction to Alexander Pope and the Neo-Classical Poets
04/21/2026
Episode 325: Introduction to Alexander Pope and the Neo-Classical Poets
Today on The Literary Life podcast, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks share an introduction to the Neo-Classical Poets, including Alexander Pope, and their poetry. First off, they establish a definition of the Neo-classical period both in terms of time and of culture. In addition, Angelina points out some ways in which the coming of the Enlightenment throws off ideals of the Medievals in favor of those of the Greeks and Romans. Another topic they highlight is the popularity of the satire in this period, as well as the prevelance of the printed word. After this general introduction to the period, Thomas shares a biographical sketch of Alexander Pope. Join us back again here next week when we will discuss Pope’s mock epic poem, “.” You can check out all the latest offerings of mini-classes and webinars, including Jenn Roger’s webinar on C. S. Lewis’ The Pilgrim’s Regress, at . For the full show notes for this episode, please visit our podcast website at .
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Episode 324: “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë, Ch. 34-End
04/14/2026
Episode 324: “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë, Ch. 34-End
On The Literary Life Podcast with Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks this week, we will wrap up our discussion of by Charlotte Brontë. After sharing their commonplace quote for this week, Thomas and Angelina jump right into recapping the important plot points of this last section of the book. They start with some contrasts between St. John and Rochester, then they talk about the journey of the soul and the image of marriage. They also consider the parallels of her return to Thornfield and the reversals in these scenes, as well as how Brontë fulfills the various fairy tale endings she set up earlier in the book. You can check out all the latest offerings of mini-classes and webinars, both upcoming and recorded in the past. Find everything at , where you can also sign up for the HHL newsletter to stay in the loop about all the latest happenings! Join us back here next week for an introduction to Alexander Pope and the Neo-classical Poets, followed by an episode on Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock”. In May, we will have a special guest interview of Malcolm Guite all about his new book, . You can check out the full version of our show notes for this episode at .
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Episode 323: “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë, Ch. 27-33
04/07/2026
Episode 323: “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë, Ch. 27-33
This week on The Literary Life Podcast with Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks, we continue our series on Charlotte Brontë's . In today's episode, they talk about the main plot points and follow threads of meaning in chapters 27-33. Some of the ideas they discuss include Romanticism in literature, Rochester's Byronic qualities, pictures of Jane's awakening, the eucatastrophe in this section of the book, parallels to the story of Cupid and Psyche, and more contrasts between fire and ice. You can check out all the latest offerings of mini-classes and webinars, both upcoming and recorded in the past. Find everything at , where you can also sign up for the HHL newsletter to stay in the loop about all the latest happenings! Don't forget to visit for the full show notes for this episode.
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Episode 322: "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, Ch. 20-26
03/31/2026
Episode 322: "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, Ch. 20-26
Welcome back to The Literary Life Podcast and our series on Charlotte Brontë’s . This week Angelina and Thomas discuss chapters 20-26, especially looking at the character of Bertha and the symbolism of “the woman in the attic.” They talk more about the medieval idea of the well-ordered person in contrast to the person ruled by the passions, as well as how Bertha is a mirror for Jane’s inner turmoil. Angelina highlights more ways in which we see glimpses of the stories of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella in this section, as well as a hint at Sleeping Beauty. Other ideas Thomas and Angelina bring out are the story of Griselda, Jane’s journey of the soul, images of the Garden of Eden, and so much more! You can check out all the latest offerings of mini-classes and webinars, both upcoming and recorded in the past. Find everything at , where you can also sign up for the HHL newsletter to stay in the loop about all the latest happenings! You can pre-order Jason Baxter’s new book in its revised and expanded 2nd edition now! Also, if you missed it, in which he shares more personal thoughts on how this book came to be. And to view the full show notes for this episode, head over to .
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Episode 321: “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë, Ch. 13-19
03/24/2026
Episode 321: “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë, Ch. 13-19
On The Literary Life Podcast this week, Angelina and Thomas cover chapters 13-19 of Charlotte Brontë’s . Today’s episode includes more discussion of the important symbols and images in these chapters. Angelina highlights the stories of Bluebeard, Beauty and the Beast, and Cupid and Psyche and their connections to this book. She and Thomas also talk about the trope of the “reformed rake” and how it relates to Brontë is setting up that possibility here. In these chapters we see more fire images, as well as several things that point to this story as a journey of the soul for both Jane and Mr. Rochester. You can check out all the latest offerings of mini-classes and webinars, both upcoming and recorded in the past. Find everything at , where you can also sign up for the HHL newsletter to stay in the loop about all the latest happenings! Don't forget to visit for the full show notes for this episode!
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Episode 320: “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë, Ch. 6-12
03/17/2026
Episode 320: “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë, Ch. 6-12
On today’s episode of The Literary Life Podcast with Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks, we continue our series on by Charlotte Brontë. Before jumping into chapters 6-12, Angelina and Thomas re-cap chapter 5 so that they can keep the entire Lowood School storyline together. They discuss the character of Helen and how she mirrors Jane, as well as the images of fire and ice throughout this book. In looking at the character of Miss Temple, they also highlight her as the picture of a well-ordered person. When Jane arrives at Thornfield, we find more fairy tale and Gothic novel elements, specifically the reference to the story of Bluebeard. Finally, when Mr. Rochester is introduced, Angelina shares some thoughts on the medieval understanding of the soul and the passions. Registration is now open for all year-long classes at The House of Human Letters! You can also check out all the latest offerings of mini-classes and webinars, both upcoming and recorded in the past. Find everything at . Please visit our podcast website for the full show notes on this episode: .
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Episode 319: “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte, Intro and Ch. 1-5
03/10/2026
Episode 319: “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte, Intro and Ch. 1-5
Welcome to The Literary Life Podcast with Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. This week we begin our much-anticipated series on by Charlotte Brontë! After sharing their commonplace quotes, Angelina and Thomas set the stage for this book by covering some of Charlotte Brontë’s personal and literary background. Angelina points out some symbolic things that we will be looking for in this book, as well as the important fact that it is a journey story. They also discuss the history and characteristics of the Gothic novel. In discussing the first five chapters of Jane Eyre, Angelina again highlights repeated scenes that will show Jane’s spiritual development throughout the story, while Thomas makes some comparisons of this book to other stories such as Mansfield Park and Pamela. You can check out all the latest offerings of mini-classes and webinars, both upcoming and recorded in the past, at . to find the episodes we published covering Anne Brontë’s book Agnes Grey. You can also listen to our series on . For the full show notes on this episode, including book links, today's poem, and commonplace quotes, please visit .
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Episode 318: How to Read Shakespeare
03/03/2026
Episode 318: How to Read Shakespeare
Today on The Literary Life podcast, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks are here to offer some helpful ideas for reading Shakespeare plays and how to approach the Bard. They start off sharing their own stories of first being exposed to Shakespeare. Next, Thomas and Angelina address the idea that Shakespeare is too high-brow for the ordinary reader. Angelina also gives her hot take on whether you should watch or read a Shakespeare play first. She also tells some stories about reading the Bard with her children and students. Some other helpful topics they cover are the different types of plays and their forms, the cosmology behind the plays, and potential problems with some modern interpretations of Shakespearean drama. Please visit our website to view the full show notes for this episode with links to previous episodes we have done on Shakespeare, as well as the books mentioned as resources in this discussion: . Join us back again here next week when we begin our series covering by Charlotte Brontë! You can check out all the latest offerings of mini-classes and webinars, both upcoming and recorded in the past, at .
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Episode 317: “Best of” – The Literary Life of Charlotte Mason
02/24/2026
Episode 317: “Best of” – The Literary Life of Charlotte Mason
This week on The Literary Life podcast, we are excited to bring back a special episode from the vault: The Literary Life of Charlotte Mason! Along with Angelina, Thomas, and Cindy, we also have Donna-Jean Breckenridge and Karen Glass of the . They start the conversation by sharing who Charlotte Mason was and what her background was. Karen also talks about how and why Mason developed her practices and philosophy and her educational foundation, the PNEU. Donna-Jean mentions the interesting ephemera belonging to Charlotte Mason housed at the Armitt Museum in Ambleside. Finally, the talk turns to how widely Miss Mason read and how important books were to her throughout her whole life. You can check out all the latest offerings of mini-classes and webinars, both upcoming and recorded in the past, at . Registration is also opening on a rolling basis for over the next several weeks, so pop over there now to see what is coming up! Find the full show notes for this episode at for all the book links, poem, and commonplace quotes!
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Episode 316: “Don Juan” by Moliere, Acts 2-5
02/17/2026
Episode 316: “Don Juan” by Moliere, Acts 2-5
On The Literary Life podcast this week, Angelina and Thomas are back with this second episode on the play by Moliere. After sharing their commonplace quotes for this week, Thomas kicks off the discussion of the play with a definition of the farce and how it applies to this play. They share more notable passages of Don Juan as they highlight related literature and stories from across Europe, the archetypes and stock characters represented by Sganarelle, and the value of the comedic form. They also talk about other works that were influenced by this play. Don't forget to check out the complete show notes for this episode at
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Episode 315: "Don Juan" by Moliere, Introduction and Act 1
02/10/2026
Episode 315: "Don Juan" by Moliere, Introduction and Act 1
Today on The Literary Life podcast, Angelina and Thomas begin a new series discussing Moliere's farcical play . They open the discussion with some background on Moliere's plays in general, as well as other drama of this time period, then the origins of the story of Don Juan itself. After this introduction, Thomas and Angelina read some of the play and discuss some of the key characters and ideas presented in the opening acts. If you missed this year's annual Literary Life Online Conference, "The Letter Killeth, but the Spirit Quickeneth: Reading Like a Human", you can still purchase the recordings at . Don't forget that you can find the full show notes for this episode at .
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Episode 314: "Best of" - Our Favorite Poems
02/03/2026
Episode 314: "Best of" - Our Favorite Poems
On this "Best of The Literary Life" episode from the vault, our hosts discuss their favorite poems and poets. Cindy starts off by sharing the early influences on her developing a love of poetry. Thomas also shares about his mother reading poetry to him as a child and the poetry that made an impression on him as a child. Angelina talks about coming to poetry later in life and how she finally came to love it through learning about the metaphysical poets. Cindy and Thomas talk about the powerful effect of reading and reciting poetry in meter. Thomas also brings up the potential of hymn texts as beautiful, high-ranking poetry. From classic to modern, they share many poems and passages from their most beloved poetry, making this a soothing, lyrical episode. If you want to learn more, check out Thomas' webinar in addition to the . For the full show notes for this episode, please visit .
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Episode 313: The Tower and the Ruin with Dr. Michael Drout
01/27/2026
Episode 313: The Tower and the Ruin with Dr. Michael Drout
On The Literary Life Podcast this week, Angelina and Thomas are pleased to have special guest Dr. Michael Drout joining them to discuss his book . Together they talk about the background for writing this book and who Drout intended his audience to be. They also share thoughts on the current academic trends and the state of the humanities and literary studies in higher education. Other topics they cover include high modernism, literary criticism, realism and fantasy, and critical reviews of Tolkien’s work. Don’t forget to share this episode with the hashtag #LitLifeTolkien on Facebook or Instagram to be entered to win a copy of The Tower and the Ruin! There is still time to join a few more live sessions of this year’s , happening January 23-30, 2026, “The Letter Killeth, but the Spirit Quickeneth: Reading Like a Human”. Our speakers will be Dr. Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, Dr. Anne Phillips, and, of course, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. As always, these sessions are also recorded, so you can purchase lifetime access and view the past videos anytime! Finally, you can also still sign up for and get the recordings for the opening classes you may have missed. For the full show notes for this episode, please visit .
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Episode 312: "Best of" - Fairy Tales and Children's Literature with Dr. Vigen Guroian
01/20/2026
Episode 312: "Best of" - Fairy Tales and Children's Literature with Dr. Vigen Guroian
Welcome to an another great episode from the archives of The Literary Life podcast! This week we bring you an interview our hosts had with special guest Dr. Vigen Guroian, retired professor of Religious Studies and Orthodox Christianity at the University of Virginia and author of twelve book and numerous scholarly articles. Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks discuss with Dr. Guroian the new edition of his book, . They start out talking about how the first edition of this book came about, which leads into a discussion about the current approach to fairy tales and children’s stories in both academia and the publishing industry. Other topics of conversation include the problem with reducing stories down to a moral, story as mystery, the place of fairy tales in classical education, and the Biblical literacy of the authors of fairy tales. Dr. Guroian also shares his thoughts on people like John Ruskin and Rudyard Kipling. Finally, he shares some suggestions on finding good editions of fairy tale collections. There is still time to register for this year’s upcoming annual , happening January 23-30, 2026, “The Letter Killeth, but the Spirit Quickeneth: Reading Like a Human”. Our speakers will be Dr. Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, Dr. Anne Phillips, and, of course, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. To view the full show notes, including book links, visit .
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Episode 311: “Falling Inward” with Dr. Jason Baxter
01/13/2026
Episode 311: “Falling Inward” with Dr. Jason Baxter
This week on The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina and Thomas are joined by their friend and colleague Dr. Jason Baxter to talk about his newest book coming soon from , Falling Inward. After sharing their commonplace quotes, Angelina asks Jason why he wanted to update and republish this work that he originally wrote several years ago. They discuss what is different about the idea of falling inward versus navel gazing, the role of the teacher in approaching literature in a humane way, why we should seek a pre-modern cosmology, what kinds of topics Jason explored in this book, and so much more! There is still time to register for this year’s upcoming annual , happening January 23-30, 2026, “The Letter Killeth, but the Spirit Quickeneth: Reading Like a Human”. Our speakers will be Dr. Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, Dr. Anne Phillips, and, of course, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. You can view the full show notes for this episode at .
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Episode 310: "Best of" - What to Do When The Literary Life Feels Overwhelming (Ep. 231)
01/06/2026
Episode 310: "Best of" - What to Do When The Literary Life Feels Overwhelming (Ep. 231)
On this week's "Best of The Literary Life Podcast" episode, host Angelina Stanford is joined by friends and fellow readers Cindy Rollins, Emily Raible, and Jone Rose to discuss how to deal with overwhelm with your literary life. Angelina opens the conversation with the acknowledgment that everyone has moments when they feel overwhelmed by the amount of things to read and to know. Jone talks about how she tries to avoid comparing herself and her reading life to that of others. Emily shares her eye-opening understanding after starting out discouraged about being "behind" in her self-education journey. Cindy talks about how she has seen the Enemy twist something that is a good gift and made it into a negative. Other encouraging and helpful ideas they discuss are the following: motivation of making connections, how to work up to more challenging books, protecting your brain and attention span, learning to enjoy the feast, and continuing the literary life for the long haul. Don’t forget to check out this coming year’s annual , happening January 23-30, 2026, “The Letter Killeth, but the Spirit Quickeneth: Reading Like a Human”. Our speakers will be Dr. Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, Dr. Anne Phillips, and, of course, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. Finally, you can also such as Dr. Michael Drought’s “Viking and Old Norse Culture.” For full show notes, including quotes, book links, and this week's poem text, please visit .
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Episode 309: Our Literary Lives of 2025
12/30/2025
Episode 309: Our Literary Lives of 2025
For this final episode of the 2025 season on The Literary Life Podcast, we bring you a special year-end conversation with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks all about their year in reading. Thomas talks about how most of his reading was tied to classes he taught. Cindy and Angelina talk about the reasons they didn’t read as many books as they usually do in a year. They share some of their favorite non-fiction reads of the year, books that surprised them, and fiction highlights. In the course of the conversation, our hosts also make several points about reading in the literary tradition and avoiding public judgment of other people’s choices in books. The House of Humane Letters Christmas sale is still on! Head over to to peruse the discounted webinars and mini-classes on sale, already discounted, no coupon code needed. Don’t forget to check out this coming year’s annual , happening January 23-30, 2026, “The Letter Killeth, but the Spirit Quickeneth: Reading Like a Human”. Our speakers will be Dr. Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, Dr. Anne Phillips, and, of course, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. Finally, you can also like “Abiding in the Fields: Spenser, Milton, and the Pastoral Poetic Tradition” taught by Dr. Anne Phillips, or Dr. Michael Drought’s “Viking and Old Norse Culture.” To check out the full show notes for this episode, including all the books referenced, please visit .
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Episode 308: Preview of The Literary Life Season 8
12/23/2025
Episode 308: Preview of The Literary Life Season 8
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life, Thomas and Angelina bring you a preview of the books we will discuss on the upcoming season of the podcast. First, Angelina explains their approach to the podcast as they approach this next year, then she and Thomas share what literary topics and book discussions you can be looking forward to in 2026. In addition, if you are looking for a reading challenge created by our Friends and Fellows for 2026, you can find it on when you join for free! The House of Humane Letters Christmas sale is live now! Head over to to peruse the discounted webinars and mini-classes on sale, already discounted, no coupon code needed. Don’t forget to check out this coming year’s annual , happening January 23-30, 2026, “The Letter Killeth, but the Spirit Quickeneth: Reading Like a Human”. Our speakers will be Dr. Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, Dr. Anne Phillips, and, of course, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. To view the full show notes for this episode, please visit .
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Episode 307: “Best of” – Our Year in Reading, Ep. 31
12/16/2025
Episode 307: “Best of” – Our Year in Reading, Ep. 31
This week on The Literary Life podcast, we are dipping back into the archives to bring you a delightful conversation from 2019 in which our Literary Life podcast hosts chatted all about their past year in books, as well as what they hoped to read in the coming year. Cindy, Angelina and Thomas began by sharing some commonplace quotes from books they read in 2019. They discussed their strategies for planning their reading goals and how they curate their “to be read” lists. Each of our hosts also shared some highlights from their year in books. Angelina then introduced . She talked about how to approach this reading challenge. Then our hosts talked a little about each category in the challenge and gave some of their possible book picks for the challenge. Cindy mentioned a . She also has a list of “.” Happening now–the House of Humane Letters Christmas sale! Head over to to peruse the discounted webinars and mini-classes on sale, already discounted, no coupon code needed. Don’t forget to check out this coming year’s annual , happening January 23-30, 2026, “The Letter Killeth, but the Spirit Quickeneth: Reading Like a Human”. Our speakers will be Dr. Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, Dr. Anne Phillips, and, of course, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. For the full show notes for this episode, including book links, quotes, and today's poem, please visit our website at .
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Episode 306: “Best of” – What Is the Literary Life?
12/09/2025
Episode 306: “Best of” – What Is the Literary Life?
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast and one of our “best of” episodes from the vault! Due to the busyness of the holiday season, we thought this would be the perfect time to bring you a replay from our archives instead of starting a brand new book discussion series. This week, we re-air the inaugural episode of The Literary Life, in which Cindy and Angelina introduce the podcast and what they mean when they talk about having a “literary life.” Each of them share how stories have shaped their personal lives, as well as how they believe stories have the power to shape culture. You can find and listen to the other 3 introductory episodes of The Literary Life mentioned in this replay at the links below- Happening now–the House of Humane Letters Christmas sale! Head over to to peruse the discounted webinars and mini-classes on sale, already discounted, no coupon code needed. Don’t forget to check out this coming year’s annual , happening January 23-30, 2026, “The Letter Killeth, but the Spirit Quickeneth: Reading Like a Human”. Our speakers will be Dr. Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, Dr. Anne Phillips, and, of course, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. Finally, you can also like “Abiding in the Fields: Spenser, Milton, and the Pastoral Poetic Tradition” taught by Dr. Anne Phillips, or Dr. Michael Drought’s “Viking and Old Norse Culture.” For the full show notes of this episode, including quotes, book links, and this week's poem, please visit .
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Episode 305: Books on Screen – Our Favorite Film Adaptations
12/02/2025
Episode 305: Books on Screen – Our Favorite Film Adaptations
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life podcast, Angelina Stanford, Thomas Banks, and Atlee Northmore talk about their favorite film adaptations of books they like and why they think these are worthy adaptations. Genres of movies they discuss include adaptations of classic books, kids and family films, film noir favorites, beloved directors, and so much more. They also share some “hot takes” on movies they liked better than the books, and vice versa. We hope this lighthearted, chatty episode will be a little treat for your listening enjoyment during this holiday season. Join us back here again next week for the beginning of our new series on Moliere’s . Happening now–the House of Humane Letters Christmas sale! Head over to to peruse the discounted webinars and mini-classes on sale, already discounted, no coupon code needed. Don’t forget to check out this coming year’s annual , happening January 23-30, 2026, “The Letter Killeth, but the Spirit Quickeneth: Reading Like a Human”. Our speakers will be Dr. Jason Baxter, Jenn Rogers, Dr. Anne Phillips, and, of course, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. For the full show notes of this episode, please visit .
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Episode 304: Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" Ch. 14-End
11/25/2025
Episode 304: Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" Ch. 14-End
Today on The Literary Life podcast, Angelina, Thomas, and Ella cover the final chapters of by Aldous Huxley. They begin the conversation considering the ending of the story and mistakes readers may make in thinking it is a despairing ending. Angelina asks the question "how does Huxley tell us to interpret the ending?" They also dig deeper into the rest of the last few chapters, including more instances of parody, religion and self-denial, and so much symbolism! Be sure to head over to our website at to check out all the links and additional information in the show notes for today's episode.
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