I'm delighted that Doug Jackson discovered The Company They Keep and took time to review it in his blog: http://awineskininthesmoke.blogspot.com/ Jackson summarizes the book this way: "Diana Glyer's The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community argues, in the face of almost unanimous scholarly opinion, that the members [...]
In my senior seminar class, students study the creative process, then create an artifact to help them to remember how they want to live their lives. One of my students designed a poster, and this is what it said: Promises I Swear To Keep To My Creative Self 1) I promise that I will do something creative [...]
When do you know that you are --really-- a writer? When you see a picture of your book on Amazon? When you win a writing award? When you actually hold your first published article in your actual hand? When you get your first fan letter? When wikipedia decides that you are "notable" When you read a glowing review of your book? When [...]
In my lecture this weekend, I'll talk about Tolkien's poem "The Tale of Tinuviel." Here is a link to a recording of Tolkien reading that incomparable poem. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhDgJwcJcVk&feature=related "The leaves were long, the grass was green, The hemlock-umbels tall and fair, And in the glade a light was seen Of stars in shadow shimmering. Tinuviel was [...]
I teach a required general studies course called Introduction to Literature. It's a standard course at most universities. When I teach it, we spend the first seven weeks looking at poetry. I have a step-by-step method of analysis that I teach them: I take all the usual stuff like metaphor and rhythm patterns and onomatopoetic [...]
From the news page of The Marion E. Wade Center Talk by Dr. Diana Glyer at the Wade Center: "C.S. Lewis’s Fingerprints on the Map of Middle-earth” Wednesday, October 20, 4:00 p.m. Diana Pavlac Glyer, Ph.D. will present a talk based on her investigation of collaboration among the Inklings at the Marion E. Wade Center. The lecture, [...]
Sometimes "inspiring creative connections" is nothing more than sharing the way that something very small and particular can light up your day. Here ya go: Blog: Jeri's Organizing & Decluttering News Post: The Little Things: Colorful Staples Link: http://jdorganizer.blogspot.com/2010/09/little-things-colorful-staples.html
My church asked me to write and record a short video giving some thoughts on Genesis One. Here is the text of my talk: Genesis 1 for Glenkirk Church August 2010 When I look at the first few chapters of Genesis, I like to pretend that I am Steven Spielberg, I like to think about how I [...]
This November, Jim Miller and I will be working together to present a series of talks about C. S. Lewis and Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Save the dates: 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, and 11/23. Details will follow.
At the recent Mythcon in Dallas, I gave a talk called "Doing What the Inklings Did: Practical Advice for Writing Groups." I talked about different kinds of writing groups (critique groups, mentoring groups, network groups, fellowship groups, prayer groups) that can be of benefit to creative people, and I talked about the nuts and bolts [...]