Believe To See

Ever get frustrated by all the great books that the publishing industry ignores? Are you an author whose book is too Christian for standard publishers, but not Christian enough for Christian publishers? Bandersnatch Books is here to help. The founders of this new publishing house join the table to share their vision for finding and publishing overlooked books.   Photo by Sam Churchill

Yeah, Christmas Day is over. But don’t worry—we’re still in the middle of the 12 days of Christmas. That means it’s the perfect time for Matt, Mandy, and Evangeline to debate which film adaptation of A Christmas Carol is the best. Image from The Avocado

Why does The Mandalorian work so much better than the newest Star Wars movies? Michael Morea from the Reel Perspective podcast joins the table to explain. The table also discusses the influence of Western and Samurai films on The Mandalorian series. Photo by Francois Duhamel /Lucasfilm Ltd.

Ever wonder why some children's books are disposable, while others feel like lifelong friends? So has Ben Keiser. He's made a special study of children's books from the early 1900s. He joins the table to discuss how children's literature has changed over the decades, and why the classic works have endured. Photo by Juan Antonio Segal

Ever wonder why there are so many books about the Amish? Author Elizabeth Byler Younts joins the table to help explain. She writes literary and historical fiction books that feature Amish people, but aren't "Amish Fiction." She also grew up in an Amish family, and shares her insights on the people behind the genre. Photo by Ann Barker

Pastor Spencer Sweeting has an English degree and a love of literature. He joins the table to discuss the ways that literature informs his work as a pastor, and how the arts should help shape the Church's ministry. Photo by Benjamin White

Author S.D. Smith joins the table to share the story behind his Green Ember series. He explains his path to becoming a writer, his original idea for the series, and a day in the life now that the Green Ember has found its audience. On a partially-related note, he and Matt also discuss whether the T-rex had feathers...

Ever try to read an epic poem, but didn't know where to start? Anselm poet Jane Scharl is here to help. She explains the history and form of epic poetry, and points us to the best places to start reading. Check out Jane's own (fantastic) poetry at jcscharl.com. Painting: Odysseus and Nausicaa, by Christoph Amberger (c. 1505-1561/2)

Our fourth annual draft extravaganza! Evangeline, Matt, and Mandy take turns drafting the most interesting pub tables in the world. And this year, there's a twist... Photo by Kotomi

Who are exvangelicals, and what happens when they write short stories? Anselm author Elizabeth Childs joins the table to explain. Photo by Dennis Sparks

Poetry used to be for everyone. Now, it's largely a boring academic subject. How did this happen, and how can we give people back their poetry? Sarah and Clinton Collister are a husband and wife team of poets, scholars, and teachers of poetry. They also host the podcast, "Poetry for the People." They join the table to discuss how we can bring poetry back as something for everybody. Photo by Felix E. Guerrero

Matt's two brothers join him at the table to discuss their shared passion: monster documentaries. Can TV shows that try (and fail) to find Bigfoot and Nessie teach us anything valuable? Can they have artistic merit? The Mellema brothers are on the case. Photo by Roger Patterson

Ever notice CS Lewis quotations online that seem...less than real? Author William O'Flaherty joins the table to help. His book, "The Misquotable CS Lewis," analyzes the internet's favorite fake Lewis quotations. He explains why we love quoting CS Lewis, why we misquote him, and the importance of keeping quotations accurate. Photo by William Murphy

Without any current sports, the table talks about the summer's biggest sports documentary: The Last Dance. Even if you don't care for sports ball, the epic tale of Air Jordan has a lot to teach us about narrative and modern myth-making. Photo by Ed Wagner Jr., Chicago Tribune

Let's face it: the Romantics often get a bad rap from us Anselm types. Anselm authors Evangeline Denmark and Ashlee Cowles join the table to set the record straight, and to discuss the many lessons artists can learn from the Romantics. Painting by Thomas Jones, The Bard, 1774

To help us all stay sane on the eleventy-first day of quarantine, co-hosts Mandy Houk and Evangeline Denmark join Matt for everybody's favorite quarantine past-time: answering random questions about the arts.   Also, Sorry about the delay in posting! I blame the quarantine...

Are video games a mindless waste of time, or a vehicle for art and community? Gamer and Anselm writer Caleb Eatough joins the table to talk about the beauty of gaming.   Also, if you want to hear more of Caleb's thoughts on gaming, keep a lookout for his upcoming podcast, the Citrate Gaming Podcast.   Photo by Mark Bonica

Musicians Terri Moon and Greg Brown discuss Johann Sebastian Bach: both as a musical genius, and as a man centered in his faith and community. NOTE: We recorded this episode several weeks ago, before the coronavirus restrictions were in place.

Ever worry you're too weird to fit in with your family, friends, or church? So have we. Matt and Mandy are joined at the table by Anselm artists Megan McCluskey and Gianna Soderstrom to talk about the struggles and benefits of being an artistic weirdo.

Ever worry you're too normal to be a real artist? So have we. Matt and Mandy are joined at the table by Anselm artists Megan McCluskey and Gianna Soderstrom to talk about the struggles and benefits of being a normal person in the arts.