Believe to See

Matt continues forcing Mandy and Christina, championship bracket-style, to decide which famous artists most represent the values of the artists' guild. Part 2 of a three-part series.

In Part 1 of a three-part series, Matt forces Mandy and Christina, championship bracket-style, to decide which famous artists most represent the values of the artists' guild. They also coin a new word: "Anselm-y."

Fostering a healthy imagination in kids is a worthy goal--but what are the obstacles in today's society actively making that difficult, and what do we do about them? In this episode, we discuss several arguments in Anthony Esolen's satirical book "10 Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child" and ask the question, "How can we give kids a world where creatively engaging their environment is the...

It's Valentine's Day, so of course we want to talk about the best and worst love stories of all time! Join the hosts as we delve into what qualities make for a good love story annnnnd what qualities produce a bad one. Pulling from sources such as Shakespeare's famous sonnets and modern cinematic rom-coms, we explore it all. And there might be something about a little Scarlet Pimpernel flower menti...

Where Are the "Good Christian" Characters? Too often, the broader culture portrays Christians as narrow-minded hypocrites. We can all imagine plenty of explanations for this. But that leads to a more fundamental question. Why is it so hard to create a character who is both: (1) well-developed and compelling, and (2) a sincere Christian? On this roundtable, the hosts discuss why it's so difficult t...

From paintings to novels, titles can guide expectations of viewers and readers, for good or for ill. And for some artists, coming up with a title can be as challenging as making the art itself. Join the hosts at the roundtable as they talk about titles — and "untitles" and subtitles and more — and see how you handle Mandy's genre quiz!

Ever feel like there was a band, tv show, or book that you were "supposed" to hate? Like hating it was required to prove you're cool and sophisticated? When Matt was in college, that band was Nickelback. And he's wondered why ever since… Why do we do things like this? Is this a good impulse, or something we should fight against? On this roundtable, the hosts explore the art that's cool to hate.

It never fails. Whenever someone on the internet complains that an animated film is bad, someone else on the internet replies: "It's a kids' cartoon. Who cares?"   On this roundtable, the hosts discuss whether we should expect children's animation to be serious art. They do this primarily by analyzing some of their favorite animated films.

Artists need solitude to create (or "conjure"), but we need one another too. Mandy and Matt and Christina discuss finding a balance between these seemingly contradictory needs.

Author SD Smith has previously joined the Anselm pub table to talk about his classic Green Ember series (an Anselm Society staple), and the Jack Zulu series that he's writing along with his son. Now, SD Smith returns to the table to discuss his new book, The Found Boys. It's a middle grade story that touches on a lot of complex issues—racial tension, forgiveness, reconciliation, and more. It's als...

Matt, Mandy, and Christina gather together to debrief about our recent podcast with guest Lancia E. Smith on the power of naming . There may be more than a little talk about best and worst fantasy football names and houseplants christened after famous authors, but what can we say? Names matter. And when you sit down to talk about it? You may be startled to discover how much the power of names - (...

Another holiday season is upon us, bringing with it the potential for wonder—or for stress, consumerism, and detachment. Amanda Luedeke and Hannah Oplinger have created a new devotional that walks us from Thanksgiving through the new year, engaging all six of our senses (yes! There are six!). Join Mandy as she talks with Amanda about how we might "reclaim the holidays for [our] heart's formation a...

Christina didn't celebrate Halloween growing up. But every October, her children parade around the neighborhood trick-or-treating in their favorite super-hero costumes with their buddies, school-mates, and neighbor-friends. So what changed? Christina dives deep into the history and significance of Halloween. Is it an "evil" holiday? Are we "inviting darkness" or participating in "devil worship" by...

Matt's debut middle-grade fantasy novel, Red Rex, is here! Join Mandy and Christina as they talk with Matt about the dream, the process, the plot, the characters, the illustrations — and the footnotes.

Calvin and Hobbes may be the greatest comic strip ever. But there's a problem. Its creator, Bill Watterson, quit after only ten years. At age 38. Did Watterson squander his incredible talent? Matt thinks so. Mandy and Christina aren't so sure. Together, they discuss whether artists have a responsibility to share their talent with others.    

Taylor Swift is the most popular musician since the Beatles. And Matt doesn't understand. Don't get him wrong—he doesn't dislike Taylor Swift. He's just not the target audience. What he needs is a thoughtful fan to show him the ways of the Swifties. Matt has found that fan in his cousin, Alyssa. She explains the appeal of Taylor Swift as a musician, and the power of Taylor Swift as a storyteller....

We all have young storytellers in our lives. Maybe it's a first-grade nephew drawing comic books in crayon. Maybe it's a teenage granddaughter writing her first short story. How can we best encourage them? Millie Florence is here to help. The 21-year-old author is about to publish her third novel. She gives insight on fostering a love of stories with the kids in our lives. Learn more about Millie'...

In this conversation, Cultivating founder Lancia Smith joins Christina and Evangeline to discuss the power of naming and its impact on our identity and relationships. They explore how naming can be an act of love and reclamation, allowing us to see and be seen. They also discuss the importance of naming our fears and how it can take away their power. They emphasize the need for humility, listening...

Matt and Mandy interview fellow Anselm Guild member Jacoby Elliott, who is a musician, writer, and visual artist. Jacoby talks about his desire to make beautiful things and how a longing for beauty helped point him back to God.

Mandy interviews poet, playwright, and critic Jane Scharl to discuss poetry. Learn more about Jane at https://jcscharl.com/

Matt, who has never been able to get into Frank Hebert's classic science fiction Novel Dune or the films adaptations, brings Brian Brown and Peter Houk to the digital pub table to convince him of the merit of  Dune.

Matt interviews Jody Collins about poetry, and why people should like poetry and it shouldn't be so hard to do so. Find Jody at  https://jodyleecollins.com/ and writing on Substack at  https://jodycollins.substack.com/

Matt interviews short-story author KC Ireton, discussing KC's work and journey as an author.

Mandy, Matt, and Christina discuss impressions made on them as children by different forms of art, why they made an impression on them, and how it impacts them to today.

Christina, Mandy, and Matt discuss the question, "How do we love other people with our art?"