Holly Ordway is Cardinal Francis George Fellow of Faith and Culture of the Word on Fire Institute. Her new book, the first from the new Word on Fire Academic imprint, is Tolkien’s Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages. It’s an important work, that genuinely breaks new ground in Tolkien studies. Holly was kind enough to chat about the book and about J.R.R. Tolkien, certainly a favorite of mine, and I suspect, yours, too.

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Holly Ordway website | Twitter

Tolkien's Modern Reading at Word On Fire (with videos)

Cultural Debris on Twitter

Front Porch Republic Archives

My guest this episode is Elisabeth Deane, a talented artist living and working in London with her husband Jethro Buck, also an artist.

On a trip to India, Elisabeth was exposed to traditional Indian miniature painting, which led her to her life’s work. She pursued studies at the Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts in London. She talks about life as an artist and also her time and training at the Prince’s School, which was established by the Prince of Wales to reinvigorate traditional arts and crafts techniques through both conceptual and practical instruction. Elisabeth has taken her training in traditional techniques and applied them in imaginative and contemporary ways.

Elisabeth Deane website | Instagram | Grosvenor Gallery 

Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts

Sanju Soni Instagram | Facebook

Ajay and Vinita Sharma website | Royal Society

Samantha Buckley website | Instagram | Prince's School

Farkhondeh Ahmadzadeh website | Instagram

Vaishali Prazmari website | Instagram | Prince's School

Olivia Fraser website | Grosvenor Gallery | Instagram

Jethro Buck website | Instagram | Crane Kalman Gallery

John Singer Sargent (Princeton University Press)

Front Porch Republic Archives

J. Mark Bertrand is the author of the Roland March mystery trilogy and the purveyor of the aforementioned Bible Design Blog. But Mark has seemingly been lying low the past few years, and in this podcast you’ll find out why.

We explore what Mark has been up to, whether we’ll see any more books from his pen, and the inspiration he found at a coroner’s convention. The discussion drifts into what is Christian fiction and what is "good" Christian fiction. Plus, we talk Bibles including the impact of Bible Design Blog and the revolution of Bible publishing over the past 15 years. We touch on the Bibliotheca reader’s Bible and the new Word on Fire Gospels, and discuss if the latter might help pave the way for a renaissance in Catholic Bible publishing like we’ve seen in evangelical Bible publishing.

And if you’re interested in sticking around, Mark and I talk some about fun things, well, fun to us, like briefcases and book shopping. We both share our most serendipitous bookstore finds, and revel in the joy of disordered bookshops.

Bible Design Blog

Roland March Mystery Book Series

Hearing the Music Podcast with J. Mark Bertrand

J. Mark Bertrand on Instagram

'A Visit to R.L. Allan', by Alan Cornett

Books mentioned:

The Eight Doors of the Kingdom, and Searching For and Maintaining Peace, by Fr Jacques Philippe

Japanese Paper-Making, by Kiyofusa Narita

The Lost Book of the Grail, by Charlie Lovett

First Garden, by C.Z. Guest

Bibliotheca Reader's Bible

R.L. Allan ESV

Word on Fire Gospels

Art critic William Newton joins me in this episode to discuss how to approach art. How to learn about it, appreciate it, and also acquire it. William is an attorney, a graduate of Notre Dame Law School, but also a graduate of Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. He has written and blogged about art for over two decades, and has recently turned his writing attention to the online magazine The Federalist where you can find his art themed views and reviews.

William Newton: Website | At the Federalist | Twitter

Baumgartner Art Restoration YouTube

The Met Exhibition Catalog Digital Archive

Paris Review: 'T.S. Eliot's "The Cultivation of Christmas Trees"'

Cultural Debris on Twitter

Poet Dan Rattelle joins the podcast to discuss his new collection Commonwealth from Little Gidding Press. We discuss the idea of place and how Scotland and New England have influenced his poetry. Plus, Dan and I explore a meeting between Wendell Berry and Thomas Merton, and the article he wrote about it for The Front Porch Republic.

Dan Rattelle on Twitter

Little Gidding Press on Twitter

'Work and Prayer: The Brief Friendship of Thomas Merton and Wendell Berry', by Dan Rattelle

Alan Cornett on Conversation of Our Generation Podcast

Cultural Debris on Twitter

Since we all need as much Christmas as we can get in 2020, Dr. Blake Scott Ball of Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama joins the podcast for this episode. Dr. Ball is chair of the department of History and Political Science at Huntingdon. And he has a forthcoming book from Oxford University Press titled ‘Charlie Brown’s America: The Popular Politics of Peanuts.’

He and I chat about the Peanuts holiday specials, particularly the iconic ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’. I hope it helps put you in the holiday spirit.

Blake Scott Ball on Twitter

Charlie Brown's America (OUP)

When talking about classic men’s clothing particularly the American variety, one can’t talk long without bringing up Brooks Brothers. In 2018 Brooks Brothers celebrated its 200th anniversary. In 2020 Brooks filed for bankruptcy.

My guest today, like me, is a decades long customer of Brooks Brothers, Dr. Samuel Goldman of George Washington University is executive director of the John L. Loeb, Jr. Institute for Religious Freedom and director of the Politics & Values Program. He not only is the literary editor of Modern Age, a journal founded by Russell Kirk, but he recently published an essay on the bankruptcy of Brooks Brothers in First Things magazine called ‘Lamb to the Slaughter.’ Join Dr. Goldman and me as we discuss his article, the history of Brooks Brothers, and its possible future.

Samuel Goldman - 'Lamb to the Slaughter'

Alan Flusser - 'Alan's Thoughts on Reconstructing Brooks Brothers'

Bruce Boyer - 'Boyer On Brooks, 1981'

The Triangle Club - The Ivy League Look

Spencer Reece - 'The Clerk's Tale'

Cultural Debris on Twitter

Welcome to the first episode of Cultural Debris, released on Russell Kirk's 102nd birthday!

Dr. Bradley Birzer of Hillsdale College is my guest as we discuss Russell Kirk, Brad's other projects, and end up chatting about Batman.

Dr. Bradley Birzer on Twitter

Cultural Debris on Twitter

'Cultural Debris' by Russell Kirk

If you like Russell Kirk, Wendell Berry, the Inklings, the Agrarians, and the Distributists then you may like this podcast.

I will interview guests and share books and poems and other bits of cultural debris, flotsam that the culture at large may not value, but some of us in the row boat still do.

Please take a moment to subscribe and join me as from time to time we examine a bit of Cultural Debris.

'Cultural Debris' - Russell Kirk