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 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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Episode 303: Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” Ch. 8-13
11/18/2025
Episode 303: Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” Ch. 8-13
This week on The Literary Life podcast, Angelina, Thomas, and Ella continue discussing by Aldous Huxley. They begin engaging with the text today by talking more about satire and parody as elements in this story. While recapping the major plot points in these chapters, they go deeper into the character of John the Savage, the ways in which this story is like a distorted reflection of The Tempest and Othello, as well as so many other Shakespeare references. Come back again next week for our final episode in this series as we cover the final chapters of Brave New World! Don't forget to check out our show notes page for links to books mentioned, commonplace quotes, and today's poem! .
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Episode 302: Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” Ch. 4-7
11/11/2025
Episode 302: Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” Ch. 4-7
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast and our series on Aldous Huxley’s . Angelina Stanford, Thomas Banks, and Ella Hornstra open the conversation by sharing their commonplace quotes, then jump into the book discussion with some connections between Huxley and Lewis Carroll and how Brave New World is like Alice in Wonderland. Angelina also teaches about the medieval conception of the tripartite soul and how it relates to this story, as well as making some distinctions between literary satire and parody. They talk about more of the pictures of Freudian principles as illustrated in this society, as well as the way in which the characters live like machines. Ella goes into a little introductory information on Shakespeare’s The Tempest and its connections to Brave New World to keep in mind as we continue reading. 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. Also, we are excited to announce the upcoming spring course with Dr. Michael Drout, Viking and Old Norse Culture. Learn more and register at . To view the full show notes for this episode, including book links, quotes and more, please visit .
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Episode 301: Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” Intro and Ch. 1-3
11/04/2025
Episode 301: Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” Intro and Ch. 1-3
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast with Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks! They are joined by Ella Hornstra for the beginning of a new series on Aldous Huxley’s . Thomas and Ella kick off the book discussion with a little biographical background on Huxley and dispel the myth that he belonged to the Bloomsbury Group. Angelina gives some literary history of the period in which Huxley wrote, as well as some thoughts on satire as a response to an age of overwhelming optimism. She also highlights the literary and cultural influences that Huxley satirizes in this novel, including Wells, Ford, and Freud. Visit the to sign up for all the upcoming and past mini-classes and webinars taught by Angelina, Thomas, and their colleagues! 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, including commonplace quotes and today's poem, please visit .
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Best of Series – “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Ch. 18-End
10/28/2025
Best of Series – “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Ch. 18-End
On The Literary Life podcast this week, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas are back to wrap up their series on Bram Stoker’s . They open with their commonplace quotes then begin diving into the major plot points and the connections being made. Angelina and Cindy discuss what happens to Mina, especially in relation to the idea of the New Woman versus the Angel in the House. Thomas and Angelina talk about Dracula’s background and his connection with Satan seen more clearly here at the end of the book. They all share thoughts on the Christian images that are increasingly brought out as the story line progresses. To check out the latest classes and offerings from Angelina, Thomas and their colleagues, you can visit . You can also find out what Cindy is up to over on her website, . Don't forget to head over to to view the full show notes for this episode, including book links, commonplace quotes, and this week's poem.
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Episode 299: Best of Series – “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Ch. 12-17
10/21/2025
Episode 299: Best of Series – “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Ch. 12-17
Our hosts are back on The Literary Life podcast today to continue our series on Bram Stoker’s . This week we are covering chapters 12-17, and in the introduction to this episode, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas discuss the purpose of the Gothic novel in reorienting us to realize there is more to the world than the physical and empirical. As they cover the plot in these chapters, other ideas shared are the effective blending of modern technology with ancient wisdom in fighting evil, the many mythological and fairy tale elements in this story, the contrast between the true woman and the false woman, the parallels to , and so much more. Be sure to check out all that is happening at and in this season so you don’t miss out on all their current offerings! Also, check out the full show notes for this episode on our podcast website at .
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Episode 298: Best of Series – “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Ch. 8-11
10/14/2025
Episode 298: Best of Series – “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Ch. 8-11
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast today and our series on Bram Stoker’s . This week Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks cover chapters 8-11 of the book. Angelina explains both the “New Woman” and “Angel in the House” ideas of the Victorian era and makes some observations about Dr. Seward’s interactions with Renfield in contrast to the nuns ministrations to Jonathan Harker. We are also introduced to Dr. Van Helsing in this section of the book as the foil for Dracula, and we quickly learn that he is more than just a medical man. Our hosts discuss Stoker’s own medical knowledge and both the historical and metaphorical context of the blood transfusion procedures in these chapters. Be sure to check out all that is happening at and in this season so you don’t miss out on all their current offerings! And to view the full show notes for this episode, please visit .
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Episode 297: Best of Series - Bram Stoker's "Dracula" Ch. 3-7
10/07/2025
Episode 297: Best of Series - Bram Stoker's "Dracula" Ch. 3-7
On The Literary Life Podcast this week, our hosts continue with part 2 of their series on Bram Stoker's . After sharing their commonplace quotes, Angelina, Cindy and Thomas begin discussing how to properly read Dracula and other books written in this tradition. (Hint: It's not the Freudian or psychoanalytical approach!) Angelina argues that Bram Stoker was trying, among other things, to reintroduce the traditional forms and metaphors into the modern era. Thomas shares the dark etymology of the name Dracula and how that relates to the image of Satan in this character. Cindy brings up Jonathan's memory of Mina when he is in his darkest moments and the power of love against evil. For the full show notes on this episode, including book links, quotes, and more, please visit .
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Episode 296: Best of Series – Introduction to “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Ch. 1-2
09/30/2025
Episode 296: Best of Series – Introduction to “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Ch. 1-2
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina Stanford is joined as always by Thomas Banks and Cindy Rollins for the opening of their series on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Today our hosts focus on the background and historical context for this piece of literature, as well as going over the highlights of the first two chapters. They talk about the question of the role of the monster in literature in modernity versus its historical interpretation. Understanding the form of the Gothic novel and the time period in which this book was written are important aspects of approaching Dracula. Keep listening next week for more about how to read this book. We will be covering chapters 3-7. To view the full show notes for this episode, please visit . Get the latest news from by signing up for their e-newsletter today! We are excited to announce 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.
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Episode 295: “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti, Part 2
09/23/2025
Episode 295: “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti, Part 2
Today on The Literary Life podcast Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks continue their two-part series on Christina Rossetti’s narrative poem “.” They begin discussing this poem by connecting it with the larger conversation on art and the literary tradition, pointing out the flaws of modern ways of reading. Angelina emphasizes the importance of understanding this poem, as well as other classic works of fantasy, in terms of the fairy world and how symbolism and allegory work in fairy tales. After these preliminary thoughts, they go into more detail about this poem, including the obvious picture of the Fall, the vampire imagery, other Scriptural allusions, and the false versus the true Eucharist. Join us back here next week for our Dracula series reboot and more examples of how to read well! And for the full show notes for this week's episode, please visit . Visit the to sign up for all the upcoming and past mini-classes and webinars taught by Angelina, Thomas, and their colleagues! We are excited to announce 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.
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Episode 294: “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti, Part 1
09/16/2025
Episode 294: “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti, Part 1
Welcome back to The Literary Life Podcast! This week we begin a brief, two-episode series covering Christina Rossetti's narrative poem "." Our hosts, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks, look at the life and family background of Christina Rossetti, highlighting her devout Christian faith as key to understanding her poetry. Thomas shares the dates for the Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite periods in terms of art and literature. Angelina asks what the form of this poem is as we approach this together, and she and Thomas propose a few connections and preliminary ideas they have about "Goblin Market" before we dive into the full text. Join us next week as they walk through the poem together and further discuss how to read this work as well as so much more! Visit the to sign up for all the upcoming and past mini-classes and webinars taught by Angelina, Thomas, and their colleagues! We are excited to announce 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. And to view the full show notes for this episode, please visit .
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Episode 293: The Literary Tradition
09/09/2025
Episode 293: The Literary Tradition
On today's episode of The Literary Life podcast, our hosts Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks attempt to get us closer to an answer to the question "What is the literary tradition?" After acknowledging the difficulty of approaching this question, Angelina shares an analogy for understanding the literary tradition as differing degrees of ability to see. The first big idea she wants us to consider is that literature is not a closed system but is a coherent, consistent, self-referential world of literature. Thomas and Angelina also discuss the resonances and symbols of the tradition, the problem with works of literature as self-expression, and how the tradition upholds the imagination, plus so much more! Don't forget to check out of full show notes for quotes, today's poem, and links to books and more! Visit .
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Episode 292: The Age of Innocence on Screen
09/01/2025
Episode 292: The Age of Innocence on Screen
On today’s episode of The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina and Thomas are joined by Atlee Northmore to discuss film adaptations of Edith Wharton’s . After sharing their commonplace quotes, Atlee begins outlining the history of screen adaptations of Edith Wharton’s novels, some of which were made during her own lifetime. Angelina and Thomas talk about their high standards for movie adaptations of books and how Scorsese’s film surpassed their expectations. Together they discuss Scorsese’s inspiration for this film, the painstaking detail of each scene in the film, how the editing enhanced the audience’s understanding of the characters’ emotions, and so much more! Also, Atlee’s list of Scorsese’s influences for making The Age of Innocence can be . Tune in again next week to learn more about what we mean when we talk about “the literary tradition”! For full show notes, including links to everything mentioned today, please visit our website at .
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Episode 291: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, Ch. 22-End
08/26/2025
Episode 291: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, Ch. 22-End
This week on The Literary Life Podcast we wrap up the book discussion portion of our series on Edith Wharton’s . Today, Angelina and Thomas begin with chapter 22, going through the significant scenes all the way to the end of the book. They talk about the ways in which this book is an elegy, as well as the continued glimpses of “the family” as the main character. They also discuss the ways in which May shows herself to be more cunning that she pretends in contrast to Ellen’s lack of pretense. Other topics of discussion are America’s relationship with foreign influence, Archer’s desire to live in an illusion, and the recurring theme of “Faust.” They conclude with some thoughts on this book as a parable of American culture. Join us next week for an episode on the film adaptation of this book with our film guru, Atlee Northmore. Visit the to sign up for all the upcoming and past mini-classes and webinars, especially “” taught by Dr. Michael Drout. To view the full show notes for this week's episode, please visit .
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Episode 290: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, Ch. 9-21
08/19/2025
Episode 290: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, Ch. 9-21
Welcome to The Literary Life Podcast and our series covering by Edith Wharton. Angelina and Thomas open with their commonplace quotes, then begin discussing the events and characters of this section of the book. Some of the ideas they build on this week are the challenges to social conventions, the many references to the goddess Diana and May’s “boyishness”, examples of the pretense of society, and the language of flowers. In addition, Thomas shares his feelings about the character of Newland Archer, and Angelina points out the recurring themes of love triangles throughout these chapters. Join us next week when we finish up the last chapters of this book, then come back after that for an episode on the film adaptation of this book with our film guru, Atlee Northmore. Visit the to sign up for all the upcoming and past mini-classes and webinars taught by Angelina, Thomas, and their colleagues! Be sure to visit to view the full show notes for this episode, complete with quotes, book lists, and today's poem.
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Episode 289: “The Age of Innocence” by Edith Wharton, Ch. 1-8
08/12/2025
Episode 289: “The Age of Innocence” by Edith Wharton, Ch. 1-8
Welcome to The Literary Life Podcast and a new series featuring the book . Our hosts, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks introduce us to American Gilded Age author, Edith Wharton, the "First Lady of American Letters." They also share their own experiences with reading Wharton's stories, novels, and letters, as well as some background on the time period and cultural context in which she was writing. In discussing the first several chapters of this book, Angelina and Thomas point out small details and subtleties that Wharton uses to give us hints about the characters and situations she presents. Visit the to sign up for all the upcoming and past mini-classes and webinars taught by Angelina, Thomas, and their colleagues! To view the full show notes for this episode, including book links, commonplace quotes, and today's poem, please visit .
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Episode 288: Literary Milestones
08/05/2025
Episode 288: Literary Milestones
On today’s episode of The Literary Life podcast, Angelina and Thomas will be talking about the milestones of a reader’s literary life. This episode developed in response to the many questions they’ve received over the years about challenges people face throughout their reading lives. They begin by thinking back to childhood and recalling the first time they each chose a book for themselves and fell in love with the story, as well as the feeling of getting their first library cards as children. Thomas asks Angelina when was the first time she found herself arguing with a book, and he answers the same question himself. Other milestones they discuss are changing your mind about a book on a re-read, learning to see past the imperfections of a book to see the underlying truth, distinguishing the work of art from your subjective reading experience, as well as separating the life of the author from the work of literature. They also answer other common concerns such as “Help! I dislike all the characters in this book!” Be sure to come back next week as we open our next series on Edith Wharton’s in which we will be covering chapters 1-8. Visit the to sign up for all the upcoming and past mini-classes and webinars taught by Angelina, Thomas, and their colleagues! To view the full show notes for this episode, please visit .
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Episode 287: The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, “Tiger, Tiger”
07/29/2025
Episode 287: The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, “Tiger, Tiger”
On today’s episode of The Literary Life podcast, Angelina, Cindy, and Thomas wrap up their discussion of by Rudyard Kipling with the final Mowgli story–“Tiger, Tiger.” Before beginning to talk about the story, the chat a little about Kipling’s other works and his place in literary history and what sort of writer he was. In this section, Angelina points out the parallels to the first story, as well as the mythic qualities of the whole tale. Together they cover the various ideas in this section, including the ideas of belonging, freedom and boundaries, and heroism. Join is next week for an episode on “Literary Milestones” in the life of a reader. After that we will begin a new series on Edith Wharton’s . Over at House of Humane Letters, a new webinar is now available for registration. It is taught by Heather Goodman and is titled “.” Also, 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, please visit .
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Episode 286: The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, “Kaa’s Hunting”
07/22/2025
Episode 286: The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, “Kaa’s Hunting”
On The Literary Life podcast this week, Angelina, Cindy, and Thomas continue their discussion of by Rudyard Kipling. After sharing their commonplace quotes for this week, they begin talking about “Kaa’s Hunting.” Angelina asks Cindy about the age range for this book, which is recommended on students. They talk about Mowgli’s upbringing and training in the law of jungle, in contrast to the monkeys who are lawless. Other highlights of this conversation are the Edenic ability of Mowgli to speak to the animals, the complex role of the serpent in folklore, and the resurrection imagery in this story. 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! For the full show notes for this episode, please visit our website at .
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