Believe To See

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.

Jason Brubaker joins the table to discuss his journey from Dreamworks animator to indie comic artist. He also shares his latest collaboration with Cave Pictures Publishing, and the importance of community in his creative process. Photo: Jason Brubaker/Cave Pictures

With the new film getting Oscar buzz, a couple Little Women fans join the table. Anselm author Emmy Houk and Lauren Capps explain what makes Little Women so special, and why the latest film was such a success.

Producer Jennifer England joins the table to talk about her work with the long-running radio drama, Adventures in Odyssey. Later, Matt's brother joins the table for some Odyssey super-fan Q&A.

Live at the Anselm Christmas Party, Matt asks whether CS Lewis should have added Father Christmas to "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." He soon gets interrupted by a couple extra-special guests. Photo by Lancia Smith

Does the true crime genre exploit people's pain, or does it share important stories? It turns out, the answer is complicated. And Anselm writer Sarah Pottenger is here to help.