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 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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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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.
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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.
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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