The Votive Podcast

Haley interviews Kaitlyn Facista, the founder of Tea with Tolkien (an online reading community) and the author of Into the Heart of Middle-earth. This episode discusses the wonderful works of J.R.R.Tolkien, his Catholic faith, and the Catholic theme of hope in The Lord of the Rings. It also explores the importance of feeding our souls with good books after becoming parents and modeling a healthy d...

Haley interviews Paul J. Pastor, a poet, writer, and editor who lives with his family in the Pacific Northwest. He recently released a beautiful collection of poems called The Locust Years from Wiseblood Books. This episode discusses poetry that's rooted in images of the natural world and the gift of the natural world for a child's imagination. It also considers how to introduce children to poetry...

Haley interviews Vigen Guroian, the author of Tending the Heart of Virtue. This episode discusses the Christian themes in one particular popular fairy tale: The Grimm Brother's story of Snow White. Dr. Guroian unpacks this classic story and explores the Christian influence of the Brothers Grimm. Learn more about the children's literature available from  Word on Fire Votive . Stay up-to-date with t...

Haley interviews Grace Fitzpatrick, an icon writer and a storyteller. Her collection of fairytales, The Stag with the Crystal Horns and Other Tales , is forthcoming from Ignatius Press. Grace is wife to fellow writer Danny Fitzpatrick and mom to four beautiful kids. In this episode Haley and Grace discuss fairy tales: what they are, why we're drawn to them, and why they are still worth sharing and...

Haley interviews Randy Boyagoda, a writer, critic, and scholar. He teaches English at the University of Toronto and is the author of Dante's Indiana , Original Prin , and Beggar's Feast . They talk about the importance of taking young people seriously as readers and as thinkers. They also discuss the genre of YA literature and Randy's new YA novel titled Little Sanctuary . This episode considers t...

Haley interviews Anthony D'Ambrosio, a film producer, writer, and director as well as the founder of Sherwood Fellows. This episode discusses his film Triumph of the Heart about the martyrdom of St. Maximilian Kolbe. Haley and Anthony explore the powerful medium of film and how it can shape the imagination. And they consider the importance of letting stories of heroic suffering (like Kolbe's) shap...

Haley interviews Laura Kelly Fanucci, an award-winning author of several books including Everyday Sacrament and Grieving Together . Her work has been featured all over the place including the Hallow App, NPR, and The Kelly Clarkson Show. She runs two best-selling Substacks: The Holy Labor and The Compassion Brigade and she lives in Minnesota with her husband and her five sons. She also has a new b...

Haley interviewes Nell O'Leary, Institute Consultant for the Word on Fire Institute and mom of five living in St. Paul. This episode explores developing a home library and what kind of books to stock in it. Nell and Haley talk about raising readers, helping children develop their moral imagination and learn to strengthen the muscle of critical thinking as they encounter new media, and building a b...

Haley interviews Dr. Grace Hamman. Dr. Hamman is a writer and independent scholar of late medieval poetry and contemplative writing. She is the author of Ask of Old Paths and J esus through Medieval Eyes and she hosts a podcast called Old Books with Grace which celebrates the beauty and joy found in reading the literature and theology of the past. She lives near Denver, Colorado with her husband a...

Haley interviews Gracie Jagla. Gracie is a wife, mom of 4, and an award-winning Catholic children's author. She hosts the Catholic storytime podcast Cuddle Up and she's written several books including Jesus and the Miracle of the Mass and The Night the Saints Saved Christmas . Her books have a focus on the faith and are often Heaven-centric which is what we're discussing today as we look forward t...

Haley interviews Emily Stimpson Chapman. Emily is mom to three toddlers, the voice behind popular Substack Through a Glass Darkly and co-host of The Visitation Sessions Podcast. She is a household name in the Catholic writing world, co-authoring books with Scott Hahn and writing for both children and adults. In this episode we're talking about her brand new project with Word on Fire Votive: The St...

Haley interviews Shemaiah Gonzalez, a Catholic writer, wife, and mom to two teenage boys living in Seattle. In this episode they discuss the delight of sharing good literature with our children and practical ways to cultivate a reading life in the home. They also explore Shemaiah's latest book Undaunted Joy , the strange coexistence of joy and suffering, and the revolutionary defiance it takes to...

Haley interviews Colleen Pressprich, an author of books for both kids and grown-ups including her new release Real Moms of Real Saints. Colleen is a former missionary and Montessori teacher and currently stays busy homeschooling her children. In this episode, they discuss the spiritual journeys and often very messy lives of the mothers of Catholic saints. Colleen has a lot of wisdom to share after...

Haley interviews Leah Libresco Sargeant, a writer and speaker whose work covers religion, culture, statistics, and family policy. Leah is a Catholic convert and the author of Building the Benedict Option and Arriving at Amen . She runs a popular substack community Other Feminisms.. In this episode they discuss her new book, The Dignity of Dependence , and exploring how parents should model love an...

Haley interviews Kate Capato, a professional painter of Catholic Sacred Art, inspirational speaker, and dance choreographer. In this episode they explore what led to a Catholic culture that deprioritized beauty and how and why this landscape is changing. They also discuss Kate's artistic journey, her mission to share beauty, and how to form children with a love for the beautiful. Learn more about...

Haley interviews Elizabeth Nava, a school librarian in Dallas, TX, advocate for Catholic education, and mom of two voracious young readers. In this episode they discuss cultivating the reading life of young people, hacks for getting the most out of our public libraries, what kind of books to offer children, and what trends Elizabeth sees in children's literature today. Learn more about the childre...

Haley interviews Millie Florence, author of the brand new middle grade fantasy novel Beyond Mulberry Glen. Millie lives in Illinois and published her first book at age thirteen! In this episode we're discussing her new title, the education and environment that prepared her for becoming such a young author, and the call to write books that lead young readers to hope. Learn more about the children's...

Haley interviews Katie Wray Schon, an author, illustrator, and mother of three living in Texas. In this episode they discuss Katie's artistic journey, the life and work of Pauline Baynes, the wonderful titles Pauline famously illustrated including The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings , and the picture book biography of Pauline titled Painting Wonder that Katie is publishing with Waxw...

Haley interviews Rose John Sheffler, the author of Past Watchful Dragons , a brand new book of fairy tales releasing from Word on Fire Votive on March 31st. Rose is a Catholic writer living in Kentucky with her philosopher husband and three children. In this episode they discuss the draw of fairy tales and how a world of fantasy helps us to see through the veil of familiarity that can hold us back...

Haley interviews Katy Carl, the Editor of Word on Fire Luminor, a new literary imprint. Katy is also the author of multiple books including As Earth Without Water, the editor emeritus of Dappled Things magazine, and writer in residence at the University of St. Thomas--Houston. This episode discusses the part that literature plays in helping our children navigate the waters of life and what attitud...

Haley interviews Thomas Salerno, an educator, author, freelance essayist, and podcaster from Long Island, New York. With a bachelor's degree in anthropology and background in the fossil labs of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, he turned to writing during the pandemic in 2020. This episode discusses Thomas's debut children's book The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones which just re...

Haley interviews A.M. Juster, poet, translator, and author. For many years he lived a double life as an undercover poet while working in senior roles in the federal government and biotech industry. His work has appeared in Poetry , The Paris Review , and The Hudson Review . And next fall W.W. Norton will release his translation of Petrarch's Canzoniere . This episode discusses Juster's surprising...

Haley interviews Chris Lewis, a Catholic illustrator and owner of BARITUS, a Catholic illustration studio with a huge Instagram following. Chris's work honors the rich artistic legacy of the Catholic Church and has a unique modern style that resonates with the faithful today. In this episode, Chris shares about his conversion to Catholicism, his artistic vision, the beauty of creating images of th...

Haley interviews Dr. Sarah Jane Murray, an award-winning Professor of Great Texts & Creative Writing at Baylor University, an EMMY®-nominated filmmaker, and the translator (with Dr. Matthieu Boyd) of the medieval French Moralized Ovid. With a background in medieval texts, Dr. Murray is interested in all kinds of storytelling: books, films, and even virtual reality. In today's episode Haley and Dr....

Haley interviews John Hendrix, a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. He is the Kenneth E. Hudson Professor of Art and Chair of the MFA in Illustration and Visual Culture program at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. His books include The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler, Drawing Is Magic , and The Mythmake...