Episode 33: John Wilson & Tamara Murphy

Joel takes over the podcast for an episode focused on writing book reviews! He is joined by repeat podcast guest John Wilson and first-time guest Tamara Hill Murphy for a discussion of the form of the book review, the tensions involved in writing reviews, and of course what they are currently reading.John Wilson was the founding editor of Books & Culture (1995–2016). He is Contributing Editor for the Englewood Review of Books. He frequently writes a column every other week for First Things, and his reviews and essays have appeared in a wide variety of publications, including The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, Christianity Today, Commonweal, The Christian Century, Triangle, National Review, The American Conservative, Weekly Standard, and The Boston Globe. He was the editor of five volumes in the Best Christian Writing series. He and his wife, Wendy, live in Wheaton, Illinois, where they are members of Faith Evangelical Covenant Church.Tamara Hill Murphy lives with her husband Brian, an Anglican priest, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Her writing has appeared in Plough, Think Christian, and The Englewood Review of Books. She is a Spiritual Director and Selah fellow with Leadership Transformations and is currently learning how to parent her four adult children. Find her at www.tamarahillmurphy.comBooks & Writing Mentioned in this Episode:If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) "The Freedom of the Book Review" by David Kern (Forma Journal)"Book Tour: A Leap Into the World of Another Mind" by Phil Christman (Plough)Talk to Me: A Novel by T.C. BoyleReading for the Common Good: How Books Help Our Churches and Neighborhoods Flourish by C. Christopher SmithAbout Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks by David RooneyA Clearing in the Distance: Frederick Law Olmsted and America in the 19th Century by by Witold RybczynskiAt The Still Point: A Literary Guide to Prayer in Ordinary Time by Sarah ArthurHalf the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women by Carolyn Custis JamesHum if You Don't Know the Words by Bianca MaraisNaming Neoliberalism: Exposing the Spirit of Our Age by Rodney ClappThe Martian by Andy WeirProject Hail Mary by Andy Weir