“Candles behind the Wall”: Remembering Barbara J. Elliott
It was with great sadness that I learned of the recent passing of Dr. Barbara J. Elliott. Though I only met her […]
Better than It Ever Was: Fiction and the Redemption of the World
I’ve heard many people remark recently that they “just couldn’t get into the ‘Little House’ books.” By this, they mean that the […]
Madeleine L’Engle’s Legacy as Mother, Lover, and Writer
A meaty article in the New Yorker is a treat: often contrarian, in-depth, unexpected. I’m still a bit mystified by this one […]
Why Orion Taraban is Wrong
I received a droll email from a confused internet user convinced that I was married to Orion Taraban. Perish the thought! Would […]
Madeleine L’Engle’s “Meet the Austins,” a Story about Family Life
Madeleine L’Engle is, without a doubt, a giantess of middle grade fiction. “A Wrinkle in Time” holds a place of beloved esteem […]
“Whatever you do, may you carry on all day…”
I remain an ardent fan of Super Great Kids’ Stories. Bringing the timeless art of storytelling to the podcasting genre, the weekly […]
Will There Be Books in Heaven?
I had a wonderful time writing this article for the Stella Maris Center about how to find good books. The short answer […]
Stuck in the Winter Blahs? Try Elizabeth Von Arnim’s “The Enchanted April”
“… Why, it would really be being unselfish to go away and be happy for a little, because we would come back […]
A Must-Watch Film: “La Sapienza”
I love a heavy-handed foreign film: subtitles and hitting you over the head with repeated and unrelenting imagery. When a friend recommended […]
Looking for Cheap Thrills? Try Sentence Diagramming
I was fortunate to have a few teachers old enough to remember sentence diagramming, and I got a taste of it in […]