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.
info_outline
Episode 285: The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, “Mowgli’s Brothers”
07/15/2025
Episode 285: The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, “Mowgli’s Brothers”
Today on The Literary Life podcast, we begin a new series of episodes on by Rudyard Kipling with our hosts Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks! After sharing their commonplace quotes, each of them talks about their own reading histories with Rudyard Kipling’s work. Thomas gives us some biographical information about Kipling and sets up the literary period in which he wrote. They then begin talking about the structure and form of this book as it is set up as a series of short stories as beast fables. Angelina shares some of the mythic and fairy tale elements she noticed while reading this first story, “Mowgli’s Brothers.” They also discuss some of the challenges we face reading stories written in a different time and place without imposing our current views on all the literature of the period. Check out this year’s Back to School Online Conference, “Educating the Freeborn,” over at to get registered and hear all of this year’s amazing speakers! To view the full show notes for this episode complete with book links, quotes, and today's poem, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/37406250
info_outline
Episode 284: Best of – “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield
07/08/2025
Episode 284: Best of – “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield
This week on The Literary Life, we bring you an episode from deep in the archives in which Cindy and Angelina discussed Katherine Mansfield’s short story “.” After a great chat over their commonplace quotes, Angelina and Cindy dig into this week’s 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. To view the full show notes for this episode, complete with commonplace quotes, book links, and this week's poem, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/37228300
info_outline
Episode 283: Catching Up with Jason Baxter – Dante, Teacher as Translator, Learning to Read Poetry, and Hot Takes
07/01/2025
Episode 283: Catching Up with Jason Baxter – Dante, Teacher as Translator, Learning to Read Poetry, and Hot Takes
This week on The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina and Thomas are once again joined Dr. Jason Baxter, author of Why Literature Still Matters. In this episode, our hosts sit down with Dr. Baxter for a chat about a wide variety of topics, including teaching the old books, reading poetry to understand it, the delight of teaching students at HHL, their hot takes on hot takes, making reading recommendations, and translating Dante, and so much more. We will be back next week with a "best of" episode covering Katherine Mansfield's short story "The Garden Party," and after that we begin a fun new series on The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. To view the full show notes for this episode, please visit our website at .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/37212220
info_outline
Episode 282: Best of - “Harry Potter” Book 1, Ch. 13-End
06/24/2025
Episode 282: Best of - “Harry Potter” Book 1, Ch. 13-End
This week on The Literary Life, Angelina and Thomas wrap up our encore series on J. K. Rowling’s . Angelina and Thomas begin the episode with some thoughts on their Aristotelian approach to literature as seen in this series of episodes. After sharing their commonplace quotes, they dive into their discussion of the last few chapters of the book. Some of the ideas they consider are how the entire plot is a series of symbols, alchemy and the allegory of the soul, and the figure of the “wildman” in the literary tradition. They also go over the characters of the centaurs, the significance of the unicorn, more references to Greek mythology, how Harry exemplifies the “chest” of the well-ordered man, and the great importance of the philosopher’s stone as a Christ symbol. Visit for classes with Angelina, Thomas, and other members of their teaching team. To view the full show notes for this episode, including commonplace quotes, book links, and today's poem, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/37099630
info_outline
Episode 281: “Best of” – “Harry Potter” Book 1, Ch. 8-12
06/17/2025
Episode 281: “Best of” – “Harry Potter” Book 1, Ch. 8-12
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast and our series on J. K. Rowling’s . After sharing some thoughts on detective fiction as it relates to Rowling, our hosts Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks discuss chapters 8-12. Some of the ideas they share are the following: Homeric echos and classical allusions in this book, the identity quest, the significance of characters’ names, the four houses and the bestiary, the three parts of the soul, the Christian influence on Rowling’s stories. Angelina also seeks to teach something about symbolism and structure of literature and art as seen through the Harry Potter books. Visit for updates on classes with Angelina, Thomas, and other members of their teaching team. To view the full show notes for this episode including book links, quotes and today's poem, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/36973630
info_outline
Episode 280: “Best of” – “Harry Potter” Book Ch. 3-7
06/10/2025
Episode 280: “Best of” – “Harry Potter” Book Ch. 3-7
This week we are back with the second part of our remix of Angelina and Thomas’ podcast series on by J. K. Rowling. This week we are covering chapters 3-7. Angelina opens the book discussion with an overview of the literary motifs used by Rowling in the Harry Potter books to help modern readers better understand these kinds of stories. One of the motifs she highlights is the identity quest and how we see Harry on a journey of the soul. She also shares some thoughts on the fairy tale “magic” of these stories in contrast to actual witchcraft as well as the symbolism used to show us that this is a fairy world. Thomas and Angelina talk about the characters we meet in these chapters, including the symbolism of some of their names. Other ideas discussed in this episode include the importance of alchemy, the Gothic literary tradition, the layers of the quest, the rise of the fantasy genre, and so much more! Visit for updates on classes with Angelina, Thomas, and other members of their teaching team. To view the full show notes for this episode, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/36896920
info_outline
Episode 279: “Best of” – “Harry Potter” Book 1, Intro and Ch. 1-2
06/03/2025
Episode 279: “Best of” – “Harry Potter” Book 1, Intro and Ch. 1-2
On today’s episode on The Literary Life podcast, we bring you a special re-mix of our popular series on by J. K. Rowling, with hosts Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks. After sharing a little on their own backgrounds as teachers and their commonplace quotations for the week, Angelina and Thomas open the book discussion with some introductory information on this book and series. They address the controversy surrounding these books in Christian circles. For our previous episode on magic, listen to our Best of Series Angelina sets up this series with some background on children’s publishing in the 1990s, the why there are differences in the British and American editions, the basis for this book in the classic literary tradition, the form and structure of stories. They also share some thoughts on these first couple of chapters. Join us again next week for chapters 3-7! Visit for updates on classes with Angelina, Thomas, and other members of their teaching team. To view the full show notes for this episode, including links to books mentioned, today's commonplace quotes, and poem, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/36826995
info_outline
Episode 278: The Literary Life of Natalia Testa
05/27/2025
Episode 278: The Literary Life of Natalia Testa
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks chat with their student Natalia Testa about her literary life. She is a rising homeschool junior living in Houston, Texas. She enjoys researching obscure manuscripts, classical languages and all things Lord Peter Wimsey. Angelina kicks off the conversation asking about Natalia’s childhood reading memories and how she became interested in ancient history and literature. They also discuss how the research bug bit Natalia, as well as her thoughts about reading books that seem “above” a child’s level. Other topics of conversation is how Natalia found Dorothy Sayers and fell in love with detective novels, how she started taking classes with House of Humane Letters, and how she deals with a reading slump. Please visit to check out all the past and upcoming classes, conferences, and webinars mentioned in this episode. To view the full show notes for this episode, complete with poems, quotes, and book links, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/36652050
info_outline
Episode 277: “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor
05/20/2025
Episode 277: “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor
On today’s episode of The Literary Life podcast, Angelina and Thomas continue their series on Flannery O’Connor with a discussion of her short story “.” After sharing their commonplace quotes, Angelina explains why she chose this particular story to go over on the podcast. She and Thomas then go over the characters in the family and the dynamics at play. Some of the ideas they talk about in this story are the appearance of respectability, the sentimental view of the “Old South,” the medieval and Sophoclean elements in the story, superficial Christianity versus nihilism, and so much more. They wrap up this episode with more thoughts on O’Connor’s use of violence as a means of grace and how her stories can open people’s eyes to their own depravity. If you are interested in learning more about Flannery O’Connor, you can purchase Angelina’s previously recorded class, . Now is the time to sign up for the upcoming summer classes and webinars at . Some of the classes highlighted in this episode are Angelina’s next installment in her series of classes on Harry Potter and Thomas’ class on five famous figures of the Victorian era. To view the full show notes for this episode, including book links, quotes and this week's poem, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/36599980
info_outline
Episode 276: An Introduction to Flannery O’Connor
05/13/2025
Episode 276: An Introduction to Flannery O’Connor
This week on The Literary Life podcast, Angelina and Thomas bring us the first of a two-part series on the oft-requested, oft-misunderstood author, Flannery O’Connor. They begin by sharing their commonplace quotes for this week, which leads into the topic of O’Connor, the controversial mid-century southern American author. Angelina gives us a look at Flannery’s early life and education, then her adult life and writing career. She also talks about southern culture and Christianity, as well as ways in which O’Connor’s work is misunderstood by so many people. Thomas highlights the genre of Southern Gothic literature, and Angelina pushes back on that oversimplification of O’Connor, arguing that she is actually writing in the medieval tradition. Join us back here next week as we discuss O’Connor’s short story, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” Now is the time to sign up for the upcoming summer classes and webinars at . Some of the classes highlighted in this episode are Angelina’s next installment in her series of classes on Harry Potter and Thomas’ class on five famous figures of the Victorian era. To view the full show notes for this episode, including links to books mentioned, as well as commonplace quotes and this week's poem, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/36520225
info_outline
Episode 275: The Literary Life of Angelina Stanford
05/06/2025
Episode 275: The Literary Life of Angelina Stanford
Today on The Literary Life podcast, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks have a much-awaited conversation all about Angelina’s own literary life and education. Thomas gets to ask the tough questions and put Angelina on the spot in this episode! She begins by sharing her childhood love of books and what her favorite books were when she was young. They then discuss the turning point Angelina had when she read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. She also talk about the reason she so disliked literary analysis when it was introduced in high school and continues to speak out against the new criticism to this day. Thomas and Angelina then turn to her experience in higher education and how she ended up studying and teaching literature. She highlights the impact Flannery O’Connor had on her, as well as studying with Burton Raffel. After describing her graduate school experience, Angelina shares how and why she walked away from that path to teach her own children and eventually start a school. Finally, looking at what House of Humane Letters, she talks about the joy and blessing of doing what she loves with people who care about the same books and ideas she does. Please visit to check out all the past and upcoming classes, conferences, and webinars mentioned in this episode. To view the full show notes including links to all the books mentioned, head over to our podcast webpage at .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/36431330
info_outline
Episode 274: The Literary Life of Dr. Anne Phillips
04/29/2025
Episode 274: The Literary Life of Dr. Anne Phillips
This week on The Literary Life Podcast, our hosts Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks are back with a new “Literary Life of…” interview, this time with their teaching colleague at , Dr. Anne Phillips. In addition to her classes at HHL, you can also find Dr. Phillips writing on . Angelina starts off the conversation asking Anne about her reading life growing up and her homeschool experience. She talks about how she came to love the Greek myths and started pursuing Latin. The three of them discuss how having a diet of truly good literature cultivates discernment in reading less valuable books. They also share thoughts on writing as imitation and the great importance of having good ideas over knowing particular forms. Anne also talks about her college and graduate school experiences and the challenges of being in academia in our current culture. They wrap up the conversation with a little look into what Dr. Phillips reading life looks like now as a working, homeschooling mother and wife. To register for Dr. Phillips and Jenn Rogers’ upcoming mini-class, “The Great Divide”, please visit . To view the full show notes for this episode, along with all the books mentioned, please visit our website at .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/36329295
info_outline
Episode 273: Best of Series- “The Enchanted April” by Elizabeth von Arnim, Ch. 12-22
04/22/2025
Episode 273: Best of Series- “The Enchanted April” by Elizabeth von Arnim, Ch. 12-22
This week on The Literary Life podcast, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas continue their discussion of by Elizabeth von Arnim, on chapters 12-22. Angelina and Thomas begin the conversation sharing some thoughts on modern literature and why we don’t hear of modern authors like Elizabeth von Arnim among “the academy.” Cindy tells us what stood out to her most in the second half of the book and the surprising turns von Arnim takes in the storyline. Angelina and Thomas also talk about the types of books they enjoy, and Cindy brings up the longings and fears of the various characters. The metaphors and fairy tale concepts found in this book are, of course, major topics of the conversation. Don’t forget to sign up for this year’s Literary Life Online Conference coming April 23-26, 2025! Register today for “Living Language: Why Words Matter” at for full live or later access. To view the full show notes for this episode, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/36222275
info_outline
Episode 272: Best of Series – “The Enchanted April” by Elizabeth von Arnim, Ch. 1-11
04/15/2025
Episode 272: Best of Series – “The Enchanted April” by Elizabeth von Arnim, Ch. 1-11
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks. This week we are bringing you another episode from the vault, this time part one of our series on by Elizabeth von Arnim. Thomas gives some interesting biographical information about von Arnim, and Angelina shares some perspective on appreciating the art and the life of artist. Cindy highlights the fact that we see only caricatures of the women in England, and it isn’t until they get to Italy that we begin to see their real selves. Angelina also points out that all the women are on identity quests in this story. Angelina unpacks some of the metaphors in this book and the Dante-esque images, in addition to the key place beauty has in the story. Don’t forget to sign up for this year’s Literary Life Online Conference coming up later this month! Register today for “Living Language: Why Words Matter” at for full live or later access. To view the full show notes for this episode, please visit our website at .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/36022470
info_outline
Episode 271: The Literary Life of Peter Hitchens
04/08/2025
Episode 271: The Literary Life of Peter Hitchens
On The Literary Life Podcast today we bring you a special “Literary Life of…” episode featuring author and journalist Peter Hitchens. After sharing their commonplace quotes, Angelina and Thomas dive into the interview with Mr. Hitchens, first asking about his memories of books and reading in his childhood. In this wide-ranging conversation, our hosts and Mr. Hitchens discuss such topics as the George Orwell’s lesser known works, the Spanish Civil War and the Balkan Wars, oft overlooked 20th Century authors, ghost stories, losing our literary tradition, and so much more! The seventh annual Literary Life Online Conference is coming up April 23-26, 2025! Please visit to sign up for that as well as all the other upcoming webinars of this year. Be sure to visit to view the full show notes for this episode, including links to all the books mentioned in this conversation.
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/35999295
info_outline
Episode 270: “Best of” Series – “How Much Land Does a Man Need” by Leo Tolstoy
04/01/2025
Episode 270: “Best of” Series – “How Much Land Does a Man Need” by Leo Tolstoy
This week on The Literary Life, we bring you a gem from the archives. In this episode hosts Angelina Stanford, Thomas Banks, and Cindy Rollins discuss . To start off the discussion of this short story, Thomas gives us some background to help answer Angelina’s question about why this story seems so very different from other Tolstoy works. Angelina shares how to approach this story like a parable. Cindy brings up the question of the difference between ambition and vocation in terms of contentment. The Literary Life Online Conference “Living Language: Why Words Matter” is coming up this month, so now is the time to register for lifetime access. Head over the to sign up today! Don't forget to visit our website at for the full show notes for this episode.
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/35915590
info_outline
Episode 269: "An Experiment in Criticism" Revisited
03/25/2025
Episode 269: "An Experiment in Criticism" Revisited
Welcome back to The Literary Life Podcast this week! Today we are bringing you a brand new episode on in which Angelina and Thomas revisit the ideas in this book and answer some listener questions from over the years! Angelina opens the discussion with a little background on the first series of episodes, then begins to unravel the two main areas of confusion about this book. First, she and Thomas talk about the idea that we are supposed to "receive" literature as opposed to "using" literature. Angelina seeks an answer the question, "What is a literary experience?" They also tackle the problem of the purpose of this book, since many people think it is Lewis' guide on how to read literature. Finally, they discuss how to have a literary experience and where Lewis addresses how to read well. The seventh annual Literary Life Online Conference is coming up April 23-26, 2025! Please visit to sign up for that as well as all the other upcoming webinars of this year. To view the full show notes for this episode, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/35828380
info_outline
Episode 268: “Best of” Series: An Experiment in Criticism, Ch. 10-Epilogue
03/18/2025
Episode 268: “Best of” Series: An Experiment in Criticism, Ch. 10-Epilogue
On today’s “Best of” episode of The Literary Life, Angelina and Cindy are once again joined by Thomas Banks. They discuss the last two chapters and the epilogue of . The first topic of conversation is Lewis’ comments on poetry, including the un-literary reading of poetry and the importance of the sound of poetry. Angelina highlights Lewis’ take on reading “bad books,” and Cindy points out his warning against de-bunking. Thomas gives us some history on the reference to F. R. Leavis and his literary criticism. Angelina dives into her favorite part of this section, all about what makes good literary criticism. She recaps Lewis’ own list of the types of literary commentators and historians who have helped him in his own reading. Angelina and Thomas both mention some of their favorite resources, including George Lyman Kittredge, Northrup Frye, J. W. MacKail and Dorothy Sayers. Another important point is to look for resources that point back to the text, not outside of the text. Cindy and Angelina clear up some confusion about marginalia and what types of notes can help or hinder us in our reading. Finally, in discussing the epilogue, our hosts reiterate the purpose of reading as widening our souls and freeing ourselves to experience another person’s perspective. Cindy asks if we will read with hubris, or humility? That makes all the difference. Join us right here again next week for a brand new episode on An Experiment in Criticism in which Angelina and Thomas will revisit the book and answer some listener questions from over the years! The seventh annual Literary Life Online Conference is coming very soon! Please visit to sign up for that as well as all the other upcoming webinars of 2025! To view the full show notes for this episode, please visit our website at .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/35708010
info_outline
Episode 267: “Best of” Series – An Experiment in Criticism, Ch. 8-9
03/11/2025
Episode 267: “Best of” Series – An Experiment in Criticism, Ch. 8-9
This week’s episode is a continuation of Cindy Rollins and Angelina Stanford’s discussion of An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis. They start with an exploration of the difference between loving a book and evaluating a book as a work of art, followed by an explanation of Lewis’ idea that works of art do not teach us. Angelina goes in depth about why it is not our job as readers to find the “nugget of truth” in a book. Cindy brings up Lewis’ point about “using” literature as an academic tool, versus “receiving” literature as a work of art. In covering chapter 9, Angelina and Cindy dig into the dangers of rushing to express an opinion about what we read, rather than getting ourselves out of the way when approaching a book. Cindy points to the many similarities between what Lewis says in these chapters and what Charlotte Mason says about true education. The seventh annual Literary Life Online Conference is coming very soon! Please visit to sign up for that as well as all the other upcoming webinars of 2025! To view the full show notes for this episode, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/35569860
info_outline
Episode 266: “Best of” Series – An Experiment in Criticism, Ch. 5-7
03/04/2025
Episode 266: “Best of” Series – An Experiment in Criticism, Ch. 5-7
Angelina and Cindy open today’s discussion of C. S. Lewis’ with a recap of the terms that Lewis defines in chapters 5-7, starting with myth. They talk about what it means to have an “extra-literary” experience and how to cultivate the proper attitude of a good reader. Next Cindy and Angelina dig into the definition and benefits of literary fantasy versus the dangers of morbid fantasy. They talk about our deep need for stories of “the other” and have experiences with people and places that are not the same as our own. Another big topic of conversation is the idea of literature being escapist, particularly fantasy and fairy stories. Angelina and Cindy talk about several things related to this idea: belief and disbelief, fiction versus nonfiction, and the wonder of childhood. Cindy brings up Lewis’ comments on the comic and what relation that has to the current popularity of the graphic novel. Angelina also explains why we shouldn’t be looking to directly relate to a character in a novel in order to get something out of the book. To view the full show notes for this episode, including quotes, poetry, and book links, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/35496270
info_outline
Episode 265: “Best of” Series – An Experiment in Criticism, Ch. 1-4
02/25/2025
Episode 265: “Best of” Series – An Experiment in Criticism, Ch. 1-4
This week on The Literary Life Podcast, we bring you the first installment of our series reprising C. S. Lewis’ . Join us over the next few weeks as we replay the original discussions of this book hosted by Angelina Stanford and Cindy Rollins. Then come back for a new episode at the end of the series in which Angelina and Thomas Banks will add some further thoughts and clarity in reply to questions listeners have had over the years. The seventh annual Literary Life Online Conference is now open for registration. Please visit to sign up for that as well as all the other upcoming webinars of 2025! Angelina and Cindy discuss Lewis’ approach to literature and the point of this book being a critique more of readers than of books. Some main ideas they bring out of the first chapter are the importance of rereading, the fact that real readers will carve out time for books, how books have the power to change us, and the way readers can’t help but talk about books. Cindy highlights the connection between Lewis critique of the literati and Mr. Bons in “The Celestial Omnibus.” Angelina talks about the challenge of keeping the love of literature for those whose profession it is to teach it, especially in the modern American university culture. Our hosts discuss the idea of reading to improve oneself as opposed to submitting to the experience of reading a challenging book. Angelina makes the point that it is about motive and whether or not you are trying to control the outcome. The benefits are the byproducts. From chapter 3, Angelina and Cindy contemplate how we approach art and the need to get ourselves out of the way so that we can enter the work of art. Finally, they cover the five characteristics of the unliterary reader according to Lewis. For the full show notes of this episode, including links to books mentioned, please visit our website at .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/35385430
info_outline
Episode 264: "Much Ado About Nothing" On-Screen Adaptations
02/18/2025
Episode 264: "Much Ado About Nothing" On-Screen Adaptations
This week on The Literary Life podcast we are back with a fun episode all about film adaptations of Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare! Angelina and Thomas are joined by Atlee Northmore for today's discussion, and you are in for quite a ride! Atlee begins the conversation with a general history of Shakespeare works on film, and the second half of the episode covers the two main film adaptations of Much Ado About Nothing. Whether talking about this play or the many others which have been made into movies, our hosts share thoughts on what makes a great adaptation work well and what interpretational choices make for a complete flop. To view the complete show notes for this episode, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/35298490
info_outline
Episode 263: “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare, Acts 4 & 5
02/11/2025
Episode 263: “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare, Acts 4 & 5
This week on The Literary Life podcast, Angelina and Thomas are back to wrap up their discussion of Shakespeare’s . Today, after some introductory talk about literary criticism, our hosts cover the last two acts of this play, highlighting how Shakespeare deals with the five act structure. Once again, we see the problem of things being not as they appear in act 4, as well as the ways in which this play is highly allegorical. Other topics they touch on in this episode are: the move from order to disorder and back to order, ultra-romantic versus anti-romantic, pious deception versus malevolent deceptions, and the restoration of the community. Be sure to listen all the way to the end to hear more of Angelina’s thoughts on why interpreting Shakespeare well is so important! To view the full show notes for this episode, please visit . The seventh annual Literary Life Online Conference is open for registration! Please visit to sign up for that as well as all the other upcoming webinars of 2025!
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/35206990
info_outline
Episode 262: “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare, Acts 2 & 3
02/04/2025
Episode 262: “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare, Acts 2 & 3
Welcome back to our series on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing here on The Literary Life Podcast. Our hosts, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks, open the episode with some thoughts on disguises and appearance versus reality in Shakespeare. They talk about how the eavesdropping in this play works together with the things not being as they seem. Angelina shares some clarifying ideas on discussing characters and their function in the story without pulling them out of the story and psychoanalyzing them. Other topics they discuss in this episode are: the importance of the song lyrics in this play, Dogberry and his companions, Claudio’s instability, and the shape of comedy. Join us next week for the final two acts of Much Ado About Nothing. To see the full show notes for this episode, including links to resources mentioned this week, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/35118795
info_outline
Episode 261: “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare, Acts 1 & 2
01/28/2025
Episode 261: “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare, Acts 1 & 2
Welcome back to The Literary Life Podcast and our series on by William Shakespeare. This week Angelina and Thomas are discussing Acts 1 and 2 and will try to do that by talking about the story as a whole, not simply focussing on the characters. They talk about the roles of the anti-romantic and the ultra-romantic couples, as well as the place of poetic verse and plain verse in the dialogue of the play. Other topics they cover are the trickery for good and ill, the influence of the planets in Medieval and Renaissance thought, and the cosmology of music and dance in Elizabethan times. To view the full show notes for this episode, including quotes and links to books and other resources, please visit
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/35008180
info_outline
Episode 260: Introduction to William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”
01/21/2025
Episode 260: Introduction to William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”
Welcome to The Literary Life Podcast and our first book series of 2025, covering Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Our hosts, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks begin by sharing their commonplace quotes, then lead into a little biographical background on William Shakespeare and the way in which he wrote his plays. They also talk a little about Elizabethan period drama as a whole, as well as how Shakespeare bucked the standards of form for the time period. Some other topics they cover are how Shakespeare was received in his time, how later literary periods saw his influence decrease and increase, and Elizabethan cosmology and the setting of the Globe Theatre. To view the full show notes for this episode, including links to all the books mentioned, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/34905755
info_outline
Episode 259: "Best of" Series - The Literary Life of Thomas Banks (Ep. 78)
01/14/2025
Episode 259: "Best of" Series - The Literary Life of Thomas Banks (Ep. 78)
On The Literary Life Podcast this week, due to unforeseen interruptions to the recording schedule, we are bringing you another episode from the vault. We hope you will enjoy this replay of The Literary Life of Thomas Banks! Cindy begins the interview asking Thomas about his family background and the influence of his parents on his own reading life. He shares about many of the books he loved in childhood and how that shaped his tastes in literature. He also talks about how he approached school learning as opposed to his personal reading. Angelina asks Thomas to tell about how he fell in love with poetry and how he ended up going to college even though that was not his original goal. He also shares more about his reading as an adult, as well as his habit of keeping commonplace quotations. To view the full show notes for this episode, complete with links to all the books mentioned, please visit our website .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/34813770
info_outline
Episode 258: "Best of" Series - Our Literary Lives of 2022
01/07/2025
Episode 258: "Best of" Series - Our Literary Lives of 2022
On The Literary Life podcast today, we bring you another episode from our podcast archive in which our hosts look back on their reading lives of 2022. Angelina, Cindy and Thomas each share a commonplace quote, then they each share a little about how they approach reading in a way that fits with the demands of their busy lives. Each of our hosts talks about their literary surprises, their most outstanding reads of the year, disappointing books they read, and their personal favorite podcast books from 2022. Angelina also reiterates why reading rightly is so important to us all! To view the complete show notes for this episode, including links to books mentioned, please visit .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/34709500
info_outline
Episode 257: "Best of" Series -- Our Literary Lives of 2021
12/31/2024
Episode 257: "Best of" Series -- Our Literary Lives of 2021
On this week's episode of The Literary Life podcast, we bring you an episode from our vault in which Angelina, Cindy and Thomas share a wrap up of their 2021 year in reading--their favorite books of the year, their most hated books read, and how they each did with covering the categories of the #LitLife192021 Reading Challenge. They also talk a little about how they will be approaching their reading for next year. For complete show notes including links to all the books mentioned in this episode, please visit our website at .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/34563000
info_outline
Episode 256: Our Literary Lives of 2024
12/24/2024
Episode 256: Our Literary Lives of 2024
Welcome to our year end wrap-up episode here on The Literary Life podcast! Today Angelina and Thomas are rejoined by Cindy Rollins to chat about all the books they’ve been reading throughout 2024. They start out sharing some overall thoughts about what each of their year in reading looked like, then share some highlights from this year in books. They also share some of their least favorite reads of the year, including a few books they wanted to throw across the room. They also talk about the ways they are trying to slow down and disconnect from the digital world in different ways. For all the books and links mentioned, including commonplace quotes and poetry, please view the full show notes for this episode on our website at .
/episode/index/show/theliterarylife/id/34526255