The Lamppost in the Woods

In this episode, we are joined by friend of the podcast, Rev. Steven McDaniel to discuss one of Shakespeare's prolific works, The Merchant of Venice. Class is in session as we explore its comedic themes, historic reception, and what it means to modern readers today. To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ or Head to https://www.thelamp...

In this episode, the team examines the story of King David's life from from I & II Samuel and I Kings. Join us as we explore the many literary themes that inspired the modern stories we know and love. From shepherd boy to regal ruler, the story of David has something for every type of reader. To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/...

In this episode, the team explores the historical fiction piece Silence by Shūsaku Endō. Join us as we look at its spiritual significance, impact, and how it elevates ideas of suffering, faith, and silence. To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ or Head to https://www.thelamppostinthewoods.com/ Thanks for listening to the Lamppost in the...

In this episode, the team explores stories of non-western cultures that has peaked our interests over the years. While we have generally covered western literature, being familiar to us, we wanted to highlight some cultures' stories and story-telling styles to better expand our own literary experiences as well as our audiences. Join us as we scratch the surface of popular stories from Africa,...

In this episode, the team breaks down the best, worst, and the most surprising reads of 2025. Listen along to find out what books to avoid reading for yourself as well as some books that are just too good to pass up! To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ or Head to https://www.thelamppostinthewoods.com/ Thanks for listening to the Lamppo...

Welcome back listeners to our first episode of 2026. In our search to discover the greatest stories ever told, we keep coming back to the question: what makes a story great? In this episode, the team approaches that question from the angle of Harold Bloom's “the Western Canon,” the idea that there exists a canonical list of books that underpin the literary enterprise of the Western World. To g...

In this episode the team explores one of the most well-known stories of the Christmas season, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by E.T.A. Hoffman. A work perhaps best known for its ballet performances, this story had transcended mediums and imaginations for over a hundred years, during a season of joy, whimsy, and the magical. Merry Christmas dear listeners, we cannot wait to show you what 2026 h...

In this episode the team does the impossible, agreeing on a Top Ten list ranking the best books of all time (that we've read). Join us as we debate the merit of some of the greatest stories ever told, and feel free to share some of your favorites with us on social media! To get connected with us, check us out on instagram:https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ or Head to https://www.the...

In this episode, the team contemplates the nature of beauty, vanity, and the curse of eternal youth as presented by Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. A surprisingly deep novel portrayed by a host of shallow characters, this novel shocked many with its departure from morality and its unkind portrayal of England's performative elites. Perhaps, like Dorian's portrait, this book of...

In this month's episode, the team looks at two animalistic tales: E. B. White's Charlotte's Web and George Orwell's Animal Farm . While seemingly similar on the the surface these two books produced very different themes and and views of their animal-centric worlds. Join us as we explore how animals can help to subvert the expectations of the reader to deliver powerful statements ab...

In this episode the team interviews Dr. Tony Perrello, Professor of Renaissance Literature at CSU (California State University Stanislaus), regarding his love of literature; primarily, Shakespeare's Hamlet. Join us as we explore the many themes of this Shakespearean classic, the historical context, and its greater impact on poetry and literature today. To get connected with us, check us out on...

In this episode, the team analyzes one of the most prolific novels of 20th-century American living, John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. This exceptional work of Americana became a staple for its exploration of the Great Depression, the struggle for survival, and the importance of family. Join us as we talk about The Grapes of Wrath's influences, impact, and if this truly is one of the gr...

In this episode, the team explores the magical world of Harry Potter. Join us as we discuss our experiences with this literary universe, its cultural impact, and its seemingly neverending reach across this enchanted world. To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ or Head to https://www.thelamppostinthewoods.com/ Thanks for listening to the...

In this episode the team discusses morality in literature. So often, our literary heroes are forced to make decisions that threaten to betray their heroic status, ultimately humanizing them. In this episode we will discuss Murder on the Orient Express, The Light Between Oceans, the Road, and Dune. Join us as we try to navigate the churning waters of ambiguity together! To get connected with us, ch...

In this episode, the team takes on a story (and book) that is as old as time, John Milton's Paradise Lost. On the heels of our villains episode, we try to wade through this larger than life cast of characters, creation, and the fall of mankind. To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ or Head to https://www.thelamppostinthewoods.com/ Th...

In this episode, we explore the age old question: What makes a villain? Join us as we explore the dark side of the equation, discuss why villains are important, and talk about our favorites in the pantheon of the sly, dastardly, and the downright evil. To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ or Head to https://www.thelamppostinthewoods.com...

In this episode, the team breaks down the best, worst, and the most surprising reads of 2024. Listen along to find out what books to avoid reading for yourself as well as some books that are just too good to pass up! To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ or Head to https://www.thelamppostinthewoods.com/ Thanks for listening to the Lamppo...

Listeners, welcome to Season 5 of the Lamppost in the Woods. In this episode, the team takes a look at all the books we've ever discussed on the podcast as we draft our favorite selections from the Lamppost Library. To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/⁠⁠ or Head to ⁠⁠https://www.thelamppostinthewoods.com/⁠⁠ Thanks for listening to...

Merry Christmas to all of our wonderful listeners! We hope that during this holiday season, you would take this podcast with you wherever you may be going. In this episode, the team discusses the Christmas classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. So whether your heart is two-sizes too small or full of Christmas cheer, come along with us as we explore the whimsical world of Whoville. To...

In this episode, the team discusses the New York Times best-seller The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. We grabbed this book off of airport shelves to talk about just why this novel is so popular with readers around the world. Dealing with themes of life, death, and the something in between, this book explores a multiverse of lives and possibilities. To get connected with us, check us out on instagr...

In this episode, the team gets stuck with another one ofEvan's stranger reads, Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? on Halloween of all nights. A foundation piece of science fiction, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? envisioned a future of flying cars, rampant capitalism, and androids that look just like you and me. Join us as we discuss themes of empathy, the value of life...

This week we are joined by a very special guest and fried of the show Pastor Steven McDaniel to discuss the next book of the Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis. Pastor McDaniel takes us all back to school as we talk about Lewis's evolution as a writer, the origins of Narnia, and where the Lamppost in the woods came from in the first place. To get connected with us,...

This week the team looks at a staple of many our high school english courses, The Odyssey. Join us as we dissect this instant and ancient classic through all the good, and all the bad. Does this epic still rank as one of our favorite books or has it fallen to the bottom of our piles? To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ or Head to https...

In this episode the team talks modern fairytales with The Princess Bride and The Tale of Despereaux. How do these modern stories measure up the classics, do they have a placein our reading, and what might the next generation of fairytales look like to an ever-changing world? To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ or Head to https://www.th...

In this episode, the team looks at a variety of tales from Arthurian legend, if King Arthur existed, and what these stories might be based on. In this episode we discuss Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (translated by Jesse Weston), The Story of Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle, and The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck. To get...