7 January 2022 – Fate, Hope, and the Dark Side of Enchantment:
The Complicated History of Nightmare Alley
The close of 2021 saw the release of Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimed new film, “Nightmare Alley”, starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Willem Dafoe, and Toni Colette.
An acknowledged master of dark fantasy, del Toro won Academy Awards previously for “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006) and “The Shape of Water” (2017).
Of particular interest to Inkling aficionados and scholars is the fact that the film is an adaptation of the 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham. Yes, that Bill Gresham, the first husband of Joy Davidman, the enigmatic poet and prose writer who found her way into an unlikely and tender late-in-life marriage with C.S. Lewis. After Joy’s death, Gresham once visited his two sons and Lewis at the Kilns. Previously, Gresham had written a fascinating introduction for the American publication of Charles Williams’s novel, The Greater Trumps.
Following the recent “Nightmare Alley Series” on “A Pilgrim in Narnia”, Brenton Dickieson joins the Inkling Folk Fellowship and host Joe Ricke for a conversation with two students of and writers about popular culture (especially film and fantasy), John Stanifer and Connor Salter. Both John and Connor are IFF regulars and both are steeped in Inkling lore and scholarship. The conversation will range from Gresham’s original novel to recent and classic film adaptations to the complicated relationship among Bill Gresham, Joy Davidman, and C.S. Lewis. For a view of the articles, you can read from John Stanifer here and from G. Connor Salter here.
Brenton Dickieson is a frequent contributor to IFF, as well as being the Pilgrim who produces the monumental achievement that is “A Pilgrim in Narnia”. We make sure you know how to read more about that. We may be joined by those who might usually be more interested in del Toro or Tarot Cards or Cate Blanchett than C. S. Lewis. This will be Brenton, Connor, John, and the Inkling Folk Fellowship for a closer look at the complicated history of Nightmare Alley.
Brenton Dickieson is a Canadian researcher in literature and theology. He teaches at Signum University, among other places, and curates the blog www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com. Among other things he does, he works diligently to feature and promote the next generation of Inkling scholarship and Inkling-inspired artists.
G. Connor Salter is an American journalist, writer, and editor with hundreds of articles to his credit, including literary critical research on C.S. Lewis and the Inklings. Connor gave an Inkling Folk Fellowship presentation on the Inklings and English Gothic Horror films in October 2021.
John Stanifer is a librarian and English tutor by day and a crime-fighting vigilante by night. An avid fan conference attendee, John holds an M.A. in English from Morehead State University and has published a book on faith and pop culture, Virtuous Worlds: The Video Gamer’s Guide to Spiritual Truth (2011).
This event marks the second time that Connor and John have co-presented: In 2018, they spoke about H.P. Lovecraft and the Inklings in a “Lewis Tea” event (the forerunner of the Inkling Folk Fellowship) hosted by Joe Ricke at Taylor University’s Lewis Center.
14 January 2022 – Three of the Four Loves:
An Inkling Folk Fellowship Field Trip to New York
The Inkling Folk Fellowship makes an excursion to the Big Apple to participate in “The Four Loves (Friendship, Eros, and Charity)”,
a moderated discussion with David Kornegay.
21 January 2022 – Screwtape: The Movie
Starring Glubdrip Snitchquill!
Sitting in the New York Public Library last week, waiting to look at the manuscript of The Screwtape Letters (the one that Lewis gave to Sister Penelope for safe-keeping during the War), Joe Ricke spent some time reading in another collection about some Hollywood big-wigs and their plans to turn Screwtape into a movie.
No, this was not about the claims we heard back in the early days of the Walden Media Narnia films about this happening. This was actually in the 1940s. It was pretty interesting. The rights were optioned twice by two different companies and, unrelated to that, two different writers, both big names at the time, were working on scripts. James Cagney is his choice for the role, not actually considered for it (as far as is known). Feel free to browse pictures of Hollywood actors in the 1940s trying to figure out who you would cast. Just remember, he would have to use a British accent because – well, for the same reason that that they use British accents to play diabolical Nazis and other villains.
The Inkling Folk gather again to hear the facts, such as they are. More importantly, well maybe more entertainingly, we talk about the issues/problems that might face such a project then or now. Of course, we may argue about who should play old Uncle Screwtape, unless you think that the film will be best if we just see a demonic hand writing letters for two hours.
28 January 2022 – Art, Imagination, and the Molly Z Effect
Molly Zakrajsek, or just Molly Z as the Inkling Folk know her, brought herself and some of her fine art to the June 2016 Lewis & Friends Colloquium at Taylor University. She came again in 2018 and she was in a crowded room excitedly taking in the great ideas and images that were flying around during one of the sessions. She also has been involved in some of the Rabbit Room conferences and meetings, so she has strong Inkling Roots. Lately, she has been a regular with the Inkling Folk Fellowship since we switched to Zoom back in the beginning of that which will not be named. Yeah, I guess she likes this kind of stuff.
In truth, Molly already knew that she loved reading and loved art but she discovered that she loved sharing ideas with groups of creative types that come together, dream, write, create, and influence each other and the world around them.
Her favorite Inklings’ works are Till We Have Faces by CS Lewis, Leaf by Niggle by JRR Tolkien, and Phantastes by George MacDonald. Her work is also influenced by many visual artists, including Joan Miro, Keith Haring, Alexander Girard, and Contemporary Artists Beatriz Milhazes, Elizabeth Murray and Yayoi Kusama, to name just a few.
Molly shares her visual work, connecting images with words as a way of interpreting her own work as an abstract painter and public artist. She will explain how Phantastes has become a continuous reference and a defining source for much of the artwork she creates. More than that, she will try to pass on her vision of making art in way that recreates and stimulates public spaces to reflect the beauty at the heart we believe is at the heart of the universe. If you like reading as much as we do, you should now settle in and read Molly’s bio and her artistic statement. They are quite lovely.
Biographical sketch
Molly Z. is a Professional Artist with a passion for designing spaces and experiences that inspire creativity and connection. She consults with designers, architects, planners, government, and cultural institutions to create large-scale public art installations. In every endeavor she seeks to awaken the creativity in others, to achieve aesthetic excellence and to restore public spaces by bringing people and communities together through artistic experiences.
Initially trained as a graphic designer and digital illustrator, she began her career contracting with agencies and designers. In 2009, she illustrated the Polar Play Zone Exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium and experienced the transformative power of art in a shared community space. Creating and collaborating with the Aquarium gave her work a sense of permanence and deeper purpose – to fill public spaces with thoughtful, energetic, lasting works of art.
Over the years her artwork has become a significant part of Chicago’s artistic tapestry, permanently installed at the Shedd Aquarium and on Michigan Avenue at the Starbucks Roastery. She has partnered with CTA, Metra, neighborhood organizations, corporate and private businesses, educational, and religious institutions to revitalize interior and exterior public areas. Her professional experience also includes a variety of designing, advising, brainstorming, presenting, collaborating, curating, hiring skilled teams, working with students and volunteers, developing community workshops and installing large works of art in unique and varied places.
As an educator, leader, and consultant, she engages with people in a way that ignites curiosity and purpose through the art making process. She guides others to explore their world and implement their ideas. Understanding the process of creative development, collaboration and meeting deadlines in a professional manner, she enjoys working diligently to create opportunities that inspire a sense of respect, delight and ownership within communities.
Artist statement
Exploring rhythms and patterns of human experience through the art process, my work offers viewers the chance to become aware of unity as an organic, living whole. I often use biomorphic forms, naturally occurring patterns and shapes reminiscent of living organisms as a means of creating dialogues that spark transformation. I have always been interested in heightened visual experiences where vibrant colors interact with meticulously, embellished worlds.
The intent of the ideologies and experimentations of the Pattern and Decoration Movement of the 1970’s was to widen the art field by incorporating visuals that were traditionally labeled feminine, domestic, decorative, pattern, or primitive. Most of these artistic traditions are connected to mythical stories and spiritual meanings, enriching the culture and objects of every day life. I am inspired by the universal imagery that connects us to people and places of the past and present. Used throughout history, patterns are the most social and global of all art forms. I intentionally combine symbolic, abstract, organic, and geometric patterns to create an inclusive, multicultural, harmonious effect.
I long to see beauty reflected in our everyday lives. I make art to bring out the creativity in others, so they may find an expression or a voice that brings hope or inspiration to their circumstance and relationships. Life can be full of conflicts and fears. I create to remind others of the power of art and beauty over hardship and struggle. My colorful agglomerations are a visual echo of the adversity and optimism in the human experience. Intentionally choosing imagery that speaks of growth, transformation and vitality in life, the finished compositions combine nature symbology with elaborate line work, layers, textures, patterns and colors. My hope is to share a brief moment of awe and joy with those who experience the work, causing them to smile. I believe this is one of the most powerful responses to creativity and enhances our daily lives beyond measure.
4 February 2022 – Lines to Read before We Sleep:
Stopping for Poetry on a Snowy Evening
Sometimes, no doubt, it is just human to curse the darkness – or the cold, as the case may be. And most of us right about now, February 2022, are in the midst of a world turned to ice. Truth be told, this is offensive to our blood and bones. But, as human creatures, gifted with minds and imaginations, we have more to say than cursings about such things. For we are not in complete bondage to our blood and bones. We might, even, with the Psalmist and that wandering Italian saint named Frank, remember (or imagine) our kinship with the “snow and mist, [the] stormy winds that obey His word” (Psalm 148). And like another fellow creature, Robert Frost, we might acknowledge that, even on the darkest, coldest evenings of the year, there is something “lovely, dark and deep” about the whole damn (oops) thing. The Creator’s wintry mix “selving itself” as it should and must and will.
Join the Inkling Folk Fellowship in the usual time zone (HNET – Harsh New England Time) for a brief meditation on ice and snow, followed by readings from poetry and prose (and song? interpretive dance? painting?) in honor (if not always celebration) of same.
We are “Stopping for Poetry on a Snowy Evening” with stories of how terrible the weather is where you are as well. Humans have an interesting hankering for such miserable tales.
11 February 2022 – A complete reading of The Screwtape Letters
first published February 9, 1942
18 February 2022 – What the . . . ? Screwtape Pop-up Mini-Conference 2022
In the previous session, the Inkling Folk Fellowship celebrated the 80th anniversary of the first book publication (February 9, 1942) of C. S. Lewis’s first real blockbuster, The Screwtape Letters. We did so by a three-hour reading of the entire book, one letter/chapter per reader. Most of us survived.
However, not more than twenty minutes into that marathon, it became obvious that the richness, profundity, and (sometimes) perplexing nature of C. S. Lewis’s 1942 masterpiece needed more than a read-aloud (although we wouldn’t have traded that experience for a ride on the #73 to the St. Pancras/British Library stop). Too many ideas, conversations, questions were flying back and forth in our minds and in the chat to just leave them suspended in the Zoomosphere.
So. We abruptly switched our upcoming schedule (see the bottom of the page for that) and asked for proposals for five-minute response papers from various perspectives. This session was the presentation of those papers.
25 February 2022 – Reentering Eden:
A Conversation with Author Colleen Warren
Is Eden lost? Author Colleen Warren, in her new book “Reentering Eden,” says yes and no. Of course, much has been lost but nature, as Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote in “God’s Grandeur,” is “never spent” for “there lives the dearest freshness deep down things.” In other words, nature may not be the Eden that was, but it is still charged with the presence and creative wisdom of its Creator. And we, as human beings, may still know, taste, and experience something of that presence through practices of stillness, silence, and solitude.
Of course, the practice of meditation in nature has never disappeared from our world. But Warren wants to present the evidence that it is a deeply important and valid Christian spiritual practice, as well as giving us some helps along the way to both understanding and entering in to it.
The Inkling Folk Fellowship enjoys a conversation with professor, writer, runner, wanderer, ponderer, and friend, Colleen Warren.
Bret Lott writes that “this beautifully ruminative book seeks to reclaim God’s inherent primacy regarding the meditation in and on nature. Colleen Warren writes gracefully of the need for quiet wonder at creation, and why the deepest peace we can find when considering the natural world is to do so through the lens of the Creator of it all.”
Philosopher James Spiegel suggests that “readers will come away inspired to more mindfully experience the ways that God speaks to us in nature—a much needed antidote to our technologically toxic culture.”
Dr. Colleen Warren, Professor of English at Taylor University, received her PhD in American Literature from the University Florida, has been selected for three National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminars, serves as Vice-President of The Flannery O’Connor Society, editor of “The Flannery O’Connor Newsletter,” and has graded more AP English essays than should be allowed in one lifetime.
Her interest in nature and literature was reflected in her 2011 book, Annie Dillard and the Word Made Flesh: An Incarnational Theory of Language.
In addition to literary criticism, she writes extensively about nature, spending as much time as possible in her Thoreauvian cabin on her seventeen acres and blogging (once in awhile) at 1womanwandering@wordpress.com. She has been married to her husband, Jim, for forty years and is the mother of four grown children.
4 March 2022 – Where Now the Horse and the Rider? Elegiac Inklings
“Where now the horse and the rider?” So goes the opening line of Tolkien’s haunting poem, already ancient in the present tense of The Two Towers. Tolkien scholars know that it is almost a direct quotation/translation of a line from a very famous Anglo-Saxon (Old-English) poem known now as “The Wanderer.”
“Hwær cwom mearg? Hwær cwom mago?” (“Where has gone the horse? Where has gone the warrior?”).
“The Wanderer” and many other lyric poems like it, as well as many other cultural artifacts of Anglo-Saxon culture, including the elegiac/epic masterpiece Beowulf, have long been labeled “elegies” or at least “elegiac” in tone. What does that mean? And how did such works influence creative medievalists like J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis? That is the question we intend to chew on at this meeting of the Inkling Folk Fellowship.
We meet this week when it is 9 p.m. at Exeter Cathedral, where the Exeter Book resides (containing “The Wanderer” and many other “elegiac” Anglo-Saxon poems). What time that will be in Rohan, I cannot say.
We read some Tolkien and some Lewis. We read from some Anglo-Saxon works, both in Old English and in translation, and we spend an hour or two exploring the roots of these two deeply rooted authors. Along the way, we consider how the “elegiac” sense of exile, isolation, and world-sorrow somehow fits with religious (or philosophical) ideas of hope, faith, and consolation. And spend at least a little time thinking about contemporary version of “the elegiac” mode and what that might mean about the deep roots of this particular mode of being, thinking, and feeling.
Abby Palmisano shows off her Old-English reading chops, so this alone is worth the price of admission (it’s free) just for that. We encourage scorecards to keep track of how many times Boethius is mentioned in our time together.
If you are not interested yet, we must add that Tolkienish words like middle-earth, theoden, nighthelm (think “dernhelm”), mathom, and edoras also appear in “The Wanderer.”
11 March 2022 – Pageant Fever and All That:
The Lighter Side of British Fancy-dress “History”
For half of the 20th century, “pageant fever” gripped Britain. These were not beauty pageants or Christmas pageants but historical pageants that saw thousands of performers take center stage – well, usually an outdoor arena.
An estimated 10,000 pageants (!!) were performed in the 20th century, with amateurs and professionals alike joining in the pageant craze. Among these were Charles Williams, G. K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, T. S. Eliot, Virginia Woolf, E. M. Forster, Hugh Walpole, Nancy Mitford, Noel Coward, and P. G. Wodehouse.
Fortunately for the Inkling Folk Fellowship, our friend, Dr. (still floating after recently getting that title!) Parker Gordon, has worked feverishly (sorry) to become an expert on pageants – both as a scholar and a practitioner. And he is our guest this this week. You can and should join us too.
Some of the pageant writers were earnest in their pageant participation; others saw pageants as ready-made material for satire. The presentation this Friday will provide an overall background to the English pageants and then provide sharper focus on the ways pageants set themselves up for some really proper British spoofing.
Parker will explore not only why the pageants became so popular, but especially why they become such a popular subject for satiric comic treatment.
Unless your appetite for comic pageants is monstrous, we present all you can digest in one session of papier-mâché dragons, Viking hats, witch hunts, Lady Godiva, and the quintessential muddy cloak of Sir Walter Raleigh. If you want to “study up” before class, you might want to read G. K. Chesterton’s account of performing in the 1909 English Church Pageant, a piece as exaggerated and droll as one might expect for GKC. Advance reading NOT required but certainly encouraged for a good laugh. (Follow the link here.
The Inkling Folk Fellowship and Dr. (tired of it yet?) Parker Gordon provide enlightenment, expert insight, and everything from knowing smirks to half-stifled guffaws and even convulsive cachinnations as we consider how the British twentieth-century turn towards historical pageants turned again towards pageants poking fun at pageants.
Confused yet? Don’t be.
18 March 2022 – Fling Spring:
Poetry and Prose in Praise of the Vernal Equinox (aka “the particular tilt”)
To quote Chaucer, “when the tilt of the earth’s rotational axis reaches a particular position then the little birdies make little birdy songs and the little flowers look pretty.” A rough translation. That “particular” tilt will occur this Sunday, but the Inkling Folk Fellowship, as is our wont, will meet on Friday. We will be, for once, ahead of the curve.
Father Hopkins wrote that “Nothing is so beautiful as Spring.” That may or may not be true, but “Nothing brings out the poets more than Spring” is a truth universally acknowledged. Housman, Hopkins, Herbert, Hughes, the other Hughes, and heck, I mean Hecht, that’s just the Haches.
Your part in the chorus is to bring a poem, a prose piece, a song, an interpretive dance (could you bring a faun that afternoon?), or what have you in honor of the coming of spring, which insists on visiting our cold, hard, and, at the moment, warlike planet whether we deserve her or not.
We have volunteers to read. And if an individual doesn’t, he comes and gives a listen. It’s always like pulling teeth to get people to volunteer, but we support our pals at the Inkling Folk Fellowship by stepping right up and doing so.
We need some Spring, folks. Who knows, we may even end up singing hey nonny nonny before we are done. We may even remember how to smile. Or breathe.
Alright? There are SO MANY GOOD THINGS to read.
After all, even the racing lambs too have fair their fling (Hopkins). And if they can fling, well so can we.