The Lamppost in the Woods

In this episode, the team dives into the exciting world of the dragon slayer theme that we see across literature, legends, and pop culture. To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ Thanks for listening to the Lamppost in the Woods - Season 2 Episode 4.

For our second spotlight episode, we’ve chosen another popular classic: J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Join us as we follow Bilbo Baggins along his journey, debate his motives, scrutinize his supporting cast, and, ultimately, tell you why this little “children’s book” is one of the greatest stories ever told. This episode discusses elements of Joseph Campbell's The Hero's Journey and seeks to unders...

In this episode we review our personal reading lists from 2021 to give you as many classics to read this year as possible. This episode includes references to All the Light We Cannot See, Endless Night, Out of the Silent Planet, Ben-Hur, Dune, The Outsiders, News of the World, Once Upon a Wardrobe, We Were the Lucky Ones, as well as a number of other books. We hope that this extensive list of our...

All our lives we’ve been told to “read the classics!” But why should we read the classics? Even more importantly, why are some books considered classics and others not? Today, we answer the question: "what makes a classic a classic?" To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ Thanks for listening to the Lamppost in the Woods - Season 2 Episod...

In the season 1 finale we take a look at the power of experience and the spiritual parallels that we see between the character of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Apostle Paul. To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ Thanks for listening to the Lamppost in the Woods - Episode 10.

In this episode we take a look at the not-so-kind portrayal of fathers in literature using Faulkner’s " Absalom, Absalom!" as well as the story of David and Absalom from the Bible. This episode includes references to Treasure Island, The Lion King, and Peter Pan. To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamppostinthewoods/ Thanks for listening to the Lamppost...

In this episode we take a look at how mentors operate as a literary device that move the story along past a midpoint, and how mentors and teachers alike hold the skills and information needed for proper character development, and progression, represented in an interesting way. This episode's primary influence comes from Joseph Campbell's The Hero With A Thousand Faces and includes references to th...

For our first Book Club episode, we dive into the C.S. Lewis's 1956 classic, Till We Have Faces, a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. Till We Have Faces serves as Lewis's attempt to legitimize the actions of the myth's key characters while allowing himself a space in which to explore the deeper motivations and development of the characters he loved.  This episode includes references t...

This episode we turn to the historical time period of World War II and the literature it spawned. Join with us as we discuss the events surrounding the war that informed a generation of writers and take the time to reflect on two classic novels: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Joseph Heller’s infamous Catch-22 . This episode includes references to The Lion, the Witch and the...

What about the “little guys” in every story that do small things, but have a big impact? Today, we look at some those unsung literary heroes. This episode includes references to The Lord of the Rings, The Count of Monte Cristo, MIddlemarch, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and the story of Andrew the Apostle.  To get connected with us, check us out on instagram: https://www....

So many stories start with a suffering hero who, at the end of his/her journey, is rewarded with your typical, fairytale happy ending. Why do we gravitate to these stories so much? Are they realistic? More importantly, what can we learn from them? We discuss the classic tale of Cinderella and the story of Joseph to find out. This episode includes references to a number of versions of the Cinderell...

Sometimes the simplest stories are the most important. In our effort to survey the greatest stories ever told, we turn to the simplest and earliest stories: fables, parables, fairy tales, and beyond. These genres highlight two important aspects of great stories: 1) the interconnectedness of story and 2) how stories teach. This episode includes references to various fairy tales, The Little Red Hen,...

In our first full episode, we wanted to cover a book that is very special to each of us; a book that represents our podcast, and one that we all love. What better book to start out with than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, the book that gave us our podcast name? Come with us as we dig into this perennial classic, tell you all why we love it, and why it’s important to your spiri...

In this episode we introduce listeners to the purpose, background, and members of the podcast. Together we set out to answer why fiction is important to each of us as well as discuss how it connected us in such a way that we just had to start a podcast about it.  This episode includes references to mythological stories, Aesop's Fables, and the Parables of Jesus. To get connected with us, chec...

Welcome to The Lamppost in the Woods , the podcast that shines a light on the significance of the greatest stories ever told. From fairy tales to literary classics to the parables of Jesus, these stories have influenced the lives of countless people and still do. Here at The Lamppost in the Woods , we journey through the great books, dramas, poems, and stories to find what they have to say for our...