The Dorothy L. Sayers Podcast
by Lindsey Scholl
A podcast about one of the most remarkable writers of the early 20th century. Sayers was one of the first women to receive a degree from Oxford, a popular author of detective fiction, and an all-around writer who aimed to make "elite" ideas accessible to everyday readers. The host, Dr. Lindsey Scholl, is an educator who has her PhD in Roman History and her Master's in Medieval History. Lindsey currently teaches Medieval Humanities (including Augustine, Dante, and Shakespeare) and Latin at Trinity Classical School in Houston.
Episodes
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Sayers and Lewis #2: Screwtape's colleague, Sluckdrib
In this letter, we discuss a curious letter exchange between Dorothy L. Sayers and C.S. Lewis, in which her personal demon write to the Infernal Regions to complain about his patience. Listen to excerpts from this highly entertaining correspondence. And then learn more about how Sayers wrote...
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Sayers and C.S. Lewis #1: Miracles
Learn how Sayers's fiery exchange with an educated atheist may have provoked C.S. Lewis's classic book, Miracles. Referenced materials: Episode #36 of The C.S. Lewis Podcast (n.b. the video mistakenly says Episode #37) The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers, 1937-1943: From Novelist to Playwright.…
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Writing #5: Get Help
You can't always go it alone. Even scholars - especially scholars? - need help. Learn how Sayers both received and rejected help on her writing. You can find a worksheet that helps with word choice at www.sayersguild.com/sayers-podcast-transcripts or click here:...
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Writing #4: To Err is Evil
Simple mistakes are one thing. Not doing your research is another. Judging others wrongly when you haven't done your research is monstrous. In this episode, Sayers introduces us to Monster Error. You can find a worksheet that helps with accuracy at www.sayersguild.com/sayers-podcast-transcripts…
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Writing #3: Dialogue, Dialect, and Diet Coke
Most people enjoy reading dialogue, but this episode tells us some surprising ways to use dialogue in your own writing. Listen and learn about how Sayers used dialogue as description and also in non-fiction. Also, we'll enjoy a bit of dialect and finish up the episode with some Diet Coke. You can...
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Writing #2: Words Misleading and Words Mysterious
Do your words always have to be clear? Sayers tells us when to clarify what we say and when to let it be obscure. We will look at her essay, "Poetry, Language, and Ambiguity," as well as from her letters and novels to see how word choice can elevate even if it doesn't enlighten. You can find a...
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Writing #1: The Stimulating Effects of Concrete
Season 4 is about writing. As one of the most accomplished authors of the early 20th century, Sayers is a good person to teach us how to write. In this episode, we learn the value of concrete - how something solid and tangible can wake us up. On the other hand, abstract words and cliches lull us…
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Peter Wimsey and World-Building
In this short episode, we learn about Lord Peter's pedigree and also hear the voice of his friends through a discussion of two books: The Wimsey Family and The Wimsey Papers. If you're just getting to know Lord Peter, this is a good place to learn just how real he is, fictionally speaking. It's...
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The Seven Deadly Sins, Part 2: An Interview with Dr. Janice Brown
In this episode, we are continuing our conversation with Dr. Brown. We'll be addressing Sayers's essay, "The Other Six Deadly Sins," her play about pride, and also get a recommendation from Dr. Brown about some of Sayers's works that aren't widely published.
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The Seven Deadly Sins: An Interview with Dr. Janice Brown
Have you heard the phrase Seven Deadly Sins but didn't know what they were? Or would you like to read Sayers' novels at a deeper level? Please join me as I interview Dr. Janice Brown, who gives us an intro into the Seven Deadly Sins and how Sayers wrote them into (or out of) of her novels.
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What to Read Next
You'd like to read more Sayers but don't know what to choose? This short episode is for you. We'll talk about her different types of work and give a short description of each, along with some recommendations for which of her Peter Wimsey novels to read - and not to read - first.
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Lewis Carroll
Lindsey and Selah talk about the influence of that great writer of "literary nonsense," a little bit about Carroll's life itself, and a little bit about the power of a well-placed quotation.
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Satire, or Even the Parrot
When Sayers tries her hand at satire, the result is a hilarious and head-scratching little volume entitled Even the Parrot. Lindsey and her guest Selah discuss what Sayers was thinking and along the way, wrestle with the nature of satire itself.
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Sayers International: India
"How Free is the Press?" sounds like a pretty bland title, but it was surprisingly hard to find. And its role in the Dorothy L. Sayers legacy turns out to be critical...for India.
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The Emperor Constantine
In 1951, Sayers wrote a play called The Emperor Constantine. Though it was only performed two times (interrupted by the death of King George VI), it was a hit among "the common man" and the educated. In this episode, Lindsey will talk about what made the play so enjoyable, both for Sayers herself...
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Are Women Human?
Are women human? Or are they women? Yes and yes. But is one category treated as more significant than the other? Join us in working through Sayers' speech, entitled "Are Women Human?" and some of her controversial thoughts regarding that topic.
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Purgatory
This completes our three-part series on the afterlife via Sayers, via Dante. Listen to this episode to hear a positive view of Purgatory--even if you don't believe in it yourself--and how we can apply it even now, to our own lives. Also, learn something how some 13th century Florentine siblings…
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Hell
What is Hell? It's a place, yes. But it's also an attitude. It's when we call something evil when it's actually good. Hell's not just a place where people are tortured. It's a place of hostility toward the whole world and all that is good in it. Take a few minutes and learn more about what…
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Heaven
Everyone knows Heaven that to describe Heaven as simply a cloud and a harp is childish. But what is it, exactly? Sayers tries to answer that question -- or at least, help us understand how Dante answered that question. In her 1948 lecture, "The Meaning of Heaven and Hell," she gives everyone...
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A Few Ways to Think About the Trinity
Trinities are all around us, according to Sayers's masterpiece, The Mind of the Maker. In this episode, we'll discuss how Sayers shows us that the Trinity isn't a foreign idea, and it's not abracadabra (as Thomas Jefferson says). Rather, the relationship of God the Father, God the Son, and God…
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Dorothy and Jack: An Interview with Gina Dalfonzo, Part 2
In part 2 of this interview, we get Gina's thoughts on how, or if, we should separate a writer's work from his personal life, as well as her insights on how C.S. Lewis respected women and best practices for our own research. And of course, we learn more about the relationship of Sayers and Lewis...
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Dorothy and Jack: An Interview with Gina Dalfonzo, Part 1
Dorothy and Jack is a biography of friendship. Most of us have heard of C.S. Lewis' group of friends called The Inklings, but Lewis enjoyed other significant friendships, including a respectful and jovial connection with Dorothy L. Sayers. In this interview with author Gina Dalfonzo, we hear her...
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On Asking Bad Questions
There are no bad questions, are there? Yes, there probably are. Sayers, Chesterton, and Lewis all have something to say about asking questions that shouldn't be asked. In this episode, we draw from Sayers' Mind of the Maker, Chesterton's "Why I am a Catholic," and Lewis' A Grief Observed in order...
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More Sayers for More People
Maybe you don't care about Sayers or don't like her writing. But the truth is that she has more to offer us than her books. Her life had qualities we can admire, as well as challenges we might share: we've all had to leave early to cook dinner, though only a few of us have ever kept a pig for...
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Dorothy and Dante
Once you've successfully written murder mysteries, lay theology, radio dramas, and stage dramas, what else is left? Why not try your hand at re-interpreting a treasured western classic? This is what Sayers did toward the end of her life: she fell in love with Dante's Divine Comedy, and her...
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Charles Williams and Coinherence, Part 2
In this episode, we read a striking scene from Sayers's play, The Just Vengeance. We learn more about how to share each other's burdens, at least according to Sayers and Charles Williams. And we wonder "What is the advantage of willful suffering?"
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A Man Called Charles Williams, A Thing Called Coinherence, Part 1
Sayers had a friend named Charles Williams, who had a theory called Coinherence. This man and his idea figured largely in her later work. In this episode, we learn a bit about Williams and a lot about what Coinherence is, how it works, and, truth be told, how it can help us in our hour of need.…
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The Lost Tools of Learning
"For the sole true end of education is simply this: to teach men how to learn for themselves; and whatever instruction fails to do this is effort spent in vain." -DLS, "Lost Tools of Learning." This episode offers an introduction to Sayers's sometimes strong, sometimes whimsical, sometimes…
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Creed or Chaos? Part 2
Sayers once proclaimed, "I have nothing to give you but the Creeds." What did she mean by that? Using her essay, "Creed or Chaos?," we will discuss what the creeds are--particularly the Nicene and Athanasian Creed--and how Sayers approached them. Not surprisingly, she felt strongly about them.…
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Creed or Chaos? Part 1
What are the creeds of the Church? And what have they got to do with Sayers? Or rather, what has she to do with them? In this episode, we discuss her famous article, "Creed or Chaos?" and learn a little church history along the way.
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Why Work?
Why do we have jobs? What would it be like if we loved what we produced more than the money that we earn? In this episode, Sayers suggests that to work for money is actually detrimental to society and to the dignity of humans. What if we could change the world so that we don't serve money, but we...
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Sayers on Trash (Also, Why the 'L'?)
"The Other Six Deadly Sins" and "Why Work?" are two lectures-turned-essays in which Sayers talks about trash, or rubbish. She connects the problem of rusting piles of tin cans to two problems in man's nature: gluttony and avarice. In doing so, she not only gives us a good lesson, but also teaches...
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Advice on Writing
We discuss some of the things that made Sayers such a likable writer. We then encounter some of Sayers's own writing advice, which is helpful for casual or professional writers. Plus there's a story about a hat, and another about a cat .
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Avoiding "Bible Talk"
The BBC has asked Sayers to write a radio drama on the life of Christ, but the project ignites some drama of its own. It also gives Sayers an opportunity to give her two cents on "Bible Talk."
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The Letters, or an argument with Lewis
Exchange between Sayers and C.S. Lewis on artistic integrity and the duty of the artist.
About this show
A podcast about one of the most remarkable writers of the early 20th century. Sayers was one of the first women to receive a degree from Oxford, a popular author of detective fiction, and an all-around writer who aimed to make "elite" ideas accessible to everyday readers. The host, Dr. Lindsey Scholl, is an educator who has her PhD in Roman History and her Master's in Medieval History. Lindsey currently teaches Medieval Humanities (including Augustine, Dante, and Shakespeare) and Latin at Trinity Classical School in Houston.
Hosted by
Lindsey Scholl