The ‘Reader’s Digest Condensed’ show notes
Katie welcomes Mississippi singer-songwriter and author Matthew Clark to discuss The Well Trilogy — a sweeping project of albums and companion essay collections inspired by the woman at the well, faithfulness in exile, and the hope of Christ’s return.
Together they explore Tolkien, creativity, grief, collaboration, The Rabbit Room, and why paying loving attention to God and the world around us may be one of the most important spiritual disciplines we’ve lost.
Unabridged show notes
Katie sits down with Mississippi-based singer-songwriter and author Matthew Clark to discuss The Well Trilogy — three albums paired with collections of reflective essays exploring healing, faithfulness, beauty, and the restoration of all things.
Matthew shares how growing up surrounded by music, visual art, and storytelling shaped his imagination, and why Tolkien became one of the earliest literary worlds that truly captured his heart.
They discuss the origins of Only the Lover Sings, the first volume in the trilogy, which emerged during a long season of grief and healing after divorce. Matthew explains how the story of the woman at the well became a spiritual “habitat” he returned to again and again — and how the trilogy gradually expanded into meditations on exile, endurance, and the return of Christ.
Katie and Matthew also explore the importance of collaboration in the creative process, the influence of communities like The Rabbit Room and the C.S. Lewis Foundation, and why personal essays and creative nonfiction can become powerful companions for people walking through suffering.
Throughout the conversation, they reflect on leisure, contemplation, beauty, and the idea that we most fully discover ourselves when we are seen and loved by God and others.
In this episode
Growing up surrounded by creativity
- Matthew’s artistic family background
- Learning guitar through one hilariously surprising riff
- Why early success matters when learning an instrument
Tolkien, imagination, and literary influence
- Growing up immersed in Middle Earth
- Tolkien’s idea of “escape” and why it matters
- The influence of Josef Pieper’s Only the Lover Sings
The origins of The Well Trilogy
- How the woman at the well became central to Matthew’s spiritual journey
- Writing through grief, loneliness, and healing
- Why each album became paired with a collection of essays
Creativity and collaboration
- Learning to invite others into the creative process
- Working with essayists, editors, and visual artists
- The role of communities like The Rabbit Room and The Cultivating Project
Faithfulness in exile
- The themes behind A Tale of Two Trees
- Psalm 137 and learning to “keep singing”
- Hope, despair, and the promise of restoration
Beauty, contemplation, and paying attention
- Recovering the true meaning of leisure
- “Beholding” as a spiritual practice
- Why art and stories matter for Christian culture-making
Books and authors mentioned
- The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit — J.R.R. Tolkien
- Only the Lover Sings — Josef Pieper
- Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling — Andy Crouch
- Galahad and the Grail — Malcolm Guite
- King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table — Roger Lancelyn Green
Who this episode is for
- Readers who love contemplative Christian nonfiction
- Fans of Tolkien, The Rabbit Room, and faith-infused art
- Christians walking through grief, loss, or spiritual exhaustion
- Songwriters, artists, and creatives navigating calling and collaboration
- Anyone longing for beauty, hope, and deeper attention to God
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A question to reflect on:
What is a Bible story that you have "lived in" for a season (or maybe you're in it now), and how did God meet you there?
