BiblioFiles: A CenterForLit Podcast about Great Books, Great Ideas, and the Great Conversation

You’ve heard of Rodgers and Hammerstein. You’ve heard of Bernstein and Sondheim. But have you heard of Forrester and Andrews?!In this episode the CenterForLit crew is joined by Adam’s good friend Scott Forrester to talk about Missy’s favorite stage play: Creator. Creator is one of many musicals on which Adam and Scott have collaborated since their heyday in the theater department at Hillsdale College. It is an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein that explores what might have happened if Victor Frankenstein had given in to the Creature’s request for a bride.Adam and Scott discuss the joys of artistic collaboration in a way that may inspire your young artists to enjoy their own dramaturgical interests no matter how large their audience!Be sure to stay tuned until the end to listen to one of the musical numbers from Creator: “There’s a Charm on the Woods.”CenterForLit’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

CenterForLit Director Adam Andrews explains what you can expect from the CenterForLit Podcast Network going forward. In summary:* The BiblioFiles archives and previous How to Eat an Elephant seasons will be available to paid Substack subscribers.* Our free podcast will feature a slight change of format, focusing on roundtable discussions with the CenterForLit crew on wide ranging topics of literary relevance.* Paid subscribers will have full access to all future topical seasons - including our upcoming season on AI.* A huge thank you to everyone who has faithfully listened to and supported our shows over the last decade. We are so grateful to you for making our conversations possible!CenterForLit’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

For our season finale we’re reflecting on how far we’ve come since Medea. We offer our final thoughts on the difference between written literature and dramatic performance, identify trends in theater history, and take a little time to be silly before we call it quits. In this episode each member of the CenterForLit crew takes turns casting one of the plays we’ve discussed. Then we imagine hypothetical conversations between two characters we’ve met this season. Finally we reveal favorite plays that we didn’t get a chance to discuss in anticipation of talking about them in our bonus episodes for paid Substack subscribers!⁠⁠⁠Buy the books we're discussing this season and support BiblioFiles!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CenterForLit’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

Aaron Andrews is returning to the show today to talk about Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot with the rest of the crew. We debate whether or not there is any room for hope in this strange play, and wonder about the nature of its humor and sparse structure. Do you see any continuity between absurdism and Greek drama? Has anything about the way we think about theatre today stayed the same? What’s changed? Let us know what you think in the comments!Learn about CenterForLit's brand new Referral Program.⁠⁠⁠Buy the books we're discussing this season and support BiblioFiles!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CenterForLit’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

Today we're wading deep into the fog of Modernism with a discussion of Eugene O'Neill's A Long Day's Journey Into Night (1956). Ian and Megan sit down in this episode to talk about the difference between self-consciously textual plays and novels, the modernist view of the purpose of art, and the value of reading depressing entries in the Great Conversation.Learn about CenterForLit's brand new Referral Program.⁠⁠⁠Buy the books we're discussing this season and support BiblioFiles!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow our Substack and join the conversation.⁠⁠⁠ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

Today we're tackling the movement toward Realism in the theater with a discussion of Henrik Ibsen's 1891 stage play, Hedda Gabler. This one caused a stir among the CenterForLit crew members, which instigated a big, juicy conversation about Ibsen's purpose in portraying such an unlikable character in Hedda. ⁠Learn more about CenterForLit's Online Academy. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy the books we're discussing this season and support BiblioFiles!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow our Substack and join the conversation.⁠⁠ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This week Ian and Emily are talking about what happened to the theater after Shakespeare. They follow the trends of comedy and tragedy, Renaissance and Reformation, Enlightenment and Puritanism. Then, as an illustration of the period's offerings, they look at Joseph Addison's influential tragedy, Cato. Learn more about CenterForLit's Online Academy. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy the books we're discussing this season and support BiblioFiles!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow our Substack and join the conversation.⁠ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

In our last episode, we discussed the concerns about theatre raised by the Reformation. Today we're looking at The Tempest as Shakespeare's answer to the question about the good of performance art. We talk about why Shakespeare has had such a lasting influence, not only on theatre, but on the English language as a whole, and we examine the "metatheater" of The Tempest for clues about what the Bard hoped he was accomplishing with his own work.Learn more about CenterForLit's Online Academy. ⁠⁠Buy the books we're discussing this season and support BiblioFiles!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow our Substack and join the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

The CenterForLit crew attempts a huge historical leap in this episode as we try to bridge the gap between Greek drama and the Reformation. We talk about the sacred and ritual aspects of theatre before its secularization, and then use that context to make sense of why the Reformers had such a violet response to the art form. Learn more about CenterForLit's Online Academy. Buy the books we're discussing this season and support BiblioFiles!⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow our Substack and join the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

In a Jason-like heroic struggle, Ian wrestles his wife and his mother in a conversation about Euripides' Medea. We talk about the function of this play in its historical context, argue about how much sympathy the main characters deserve, and marvel at the playwright's avant-garde perspective on Athenian society. Learn more about our membership program, the Pelican Society.Buy the books we're discussing this season and support BiblioFiles!⁠⁠Follow our Substack and join the conversation! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to a new season of BiblioFiles! In this first episode, the CenterForLit crew introduces our theatrical theme and discusses the similarities and differences between reading a work of prose and reading a play. We talk about the challenge of interpreting such a dialogue-heavy art form, as well as the competing interpretations involved in staging a play. We also reveal our own histories with the theater and lament missed opportunities to live in the limelight.Learn more about Teaching the Classics. Buy the books we're discussing this season and support BiblioFiles!Follow our Substack and join the conversation! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

Emily joins Ian in this episode to talk about our first author who writes solely in the YA genre: John Green. They discuss what makes his work so different from others we’ve covered this season and what that means for parents and readers who want to benefit from his rich, literary voice. Referenced Works:You can support the CenterForLit Podcast Network by making a purchase through our affiliate programs! Turtles All the Way Down Longing for an Absent God: Faith and Doubt in Great American Fiction by Nick Ripatrazone Vlog Brothers Crash Courses “Has this artist ever seen a baby?” Heavyweight #37: John Green The Anthropocene Reviewed Looking for Alaska The Fault in our Stars Paper Towns  An Abundance of Katherines A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles Please ⁠join the Facebook group⁠ and ⁠subscribe to our Substack Newsletter⁠!We love hearing your questions and comments! You can contact us by emailing [email protected], or visit our website www.centerforlit.com to find even more ways to participate in the Great Conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Megan joins Ian to talk about the magic of Jeanne Birdsall’s Penderwicks series. They discuss what it is about this series that appeals so well to audiences of all ages and what that can teach us about good writing for young readers.Referenced Works:You can support the CenterForLit Podcast Network by making a purchase through our affiliate programs! The Penderwicks Boxed Set The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy The Penderwicks on Gardam Street The Penderwicks at Point Mouette The Penderwicks in Spring The Penderwicks at Last Harry Potter Boxed Set Tuck Everlasting by Natalie BabbittPlease ⁠join the Facebook group⁠ and ⁠subscribe to our Substack Newsletter⁠!We love hearing your questions and comments! You can contact us by emailing [email protected], or visit our website www.centerforlit.com to find even more ways to participate in the Great Conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

What can CenterForLit’s favorite children’s author teach us about the difference between juvenile and YA fiction? Adam and Missy sit down with Ian in this episode to talk about what makes the work of Gary D. Schmidt so special. Referenced Works:You can support the CenterForLit Podcast Network by making a purchase through our affiliate programs! BiblioFiles Episode #19: An Interview with Author Gary D. Schmidt Orbiting Jupiter Okay for Now The Labors of Hercules Beal Straw Into Gold Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy The Wednesday Wars Just Like That A Long Road on a Short Day by Elizabeth Stickney and Gary D. Schmidt Pay Attention, Carter JonesPlease ⁠join the Facebook group⁠ and ⁠subscribe to our Substack Newsletter⁠!We love hearing your questions and comments! You can contact us by emailing [email protected], or visit our website www.centerforlit.com to find even more ways to participate in the Great Conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

Adam compares notes on the 1974 and 2013 adaptations of The Great Gatsby. Then the CenterForLit crew considers whether or not a director has a responsibility to stay faithful to the text, and the extent to which a classic story can be effectively updated for contemporary audiences. Learn more about CenterForLit’s Online Academy.Join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/333790777396633Shop BiblioFiles: www.centerforlit.com/the-bibliofiles-shopWe love hearing your questions and comments! You can contact us by emailing [email protected], or you can visit our website www.centerforlit.com to find even more ways to participate in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

BiblioFiles is back! In the first episode of our new season, the CenterForLit crew sits down to wrap their heads around what makes a good film adaptation. What distinguishes the mediums of film and literature? And what does a movie version need to do to appease the angry mob of book lovers? Join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/333790777396633Shop BiblioFiles: www.centerforlit.com/the-bibliofiles-shopWe love hearing your questions and comments! You can contact us by emailing [email protected], or you can visit our website www.centerforlit.com to find even more ways to participate in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

Ian and Emily tease the upcoming season of BiblioFiles, set to begin airing on Friday August 26th. We’ll be talking all about the process of adapting books for the big screen: the good, the bad, and the ugly.Shop BiblioFiles: www.centerforlit.com/the-bibliofiles-shopWe love hearing your questions and comments! You can contact us by emailing [email protected], or you can visit our website www.centerforlit.com to find even more ways to participate in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

In the second episode of our series on “The Great Questions,” we ask the natural follow-up question to “Is there a god?” If there is a god, what is he like? We talk about humanity’s obsession with this question and where it comes from, discuss literature’s particular relationship to contemplating the nature of God, and look to examples old and new to see how artists have wrestled with the question through the ages. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

We’re opening our season on “The Great Questions” by asking the most important question of them all: “Is there a god?” In this episode, the CenterForLit crew talks about why this question is important, even if someone already believes they have the answer. Then they look to works of art, new and old, to see how culture wrestles with the problem now, and how we have wrestled with it in the past. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe