Poet Malcolm Guite, along with artist Stephen Crotts and editor Pete Peterson, will discuss the inspiration for and development of Merlin’s Isle, the epic poem cycle of the tales of King Arthur and his Knights, featuring early looks at Stephen’s artwork, and readings of the text from Malcolm. Moderated by Rabbit Room Press editor Pete Peterson.

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Eiji Tsuburaya emerged from the horrors of WWII believing that kaiju stories could help restore hope to traumatized children. His pioneering work laid the architecture for a six-decade tokusatsu movement in which monsters offer cultural mirrors and spiritual architecture. This session will cross space and time to explore the complexity and beauty of monsters as storytellers. Perhaps their tales can give us courage and hope to face some creatures raging in our own tumultuous era.

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An interactive exploration of writing with a Christ-formed heart—moving your reader’s heart by incarnating the reality of Christ in written word through informing, instructing, influencing, inspiring, involving, and inviting. Conversational format peppered with biblical insights, writerly quotes, and practical wisdom drawn from three decades of thinking and writing about the heart. Sally Clarkson, heartfelt author of 30+ books, will join for a Q&A to wrap up the session. Kinei kardiam!

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“The world is Trouble … and Grace. That is all there is.” – Gary D. Schmidt

Over the past 20 years, the books of Gary D. Schmidt have been honored with awards and found their way into the homes and hearts of countless families with their complex portrayals of grief, sacrifice, mercy, and redemption. Your two humble, bookish guides will provide a warm welcome to Schmidt’s works in a joyous celebration of these stories, which, it turns out, are a part of the One Great Story.

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Leslie Eiler Thompson leads audio storytellers Mike Cosper (The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill), Jakob Lewis (No Small Endeavor), and Tasha A.F. Lemley (Nashville Public Radio, This Is Nashville) in conversation on how the transcendentals—truth, goodness, and beauty—shape their work. The panel examines the craft, ethics, and wonder behind their varied styles of audio storytelling that invites listeners into deeper meaning and awe.

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Friends Joe Sutphin and Santosh John share personal stories of unmerited blessings at the intersection of work and faith, and discuss how our God delights in lavishing grace and blessings on his children, who can not earn them on their own.

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This session invites you to examine the powerful tale of Rizpah (2 Samuel 21:1-14), which symbolizes grief intertwined with strength and resilience. Embracing redemptive beauty through the lens of lament necessitates a courageous acknowledgment of pain—an indispensable step toward healing and transformation. Join us as we discuss that while rooted in sorrow, lament opens pathways to hope and renewal, showing that from despair’s depths, true beauty and new beginnings can emerge. 

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Van Gogh’s Irises, which he painted while committed to an asylum, started out violet but turned blue over time. The red he used (the color associated with madness) is gone, and all we see is the purity of the primary color associated with peace. Where his life as an artist began (optimism) looked so different from where it ended (despair). But where people’s view of him as an artist was when he died (madness) looks so different from how his life is regarded today (brilliance).

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We all want to improve our craft, bring better visions to life, and find joy in the process—but too often creativity feels fraught with friction. Creative work can feel like a grind, a gamble, a hustle, or a lonely shout in a noisy room. But it doesn’t have to. This session explores five surprising shifts that can renew your creative practice through stories of rest, resilience, and community. We’ll uncover how ordinary rhythms and small choices can open the door to a deeper, more sustainable creative life.

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If you’ve grown bored with church feeling like five pop songs and a Ted Talk, you’re not alone. The church has lost its way. The songs, prayers and practices from generations of Christians before have much to teach us about the kind of Jesus-following life we don’t often see in our world today. Through them, we learn things like stillness, loving our enemies, grieving and forgiving—becoming Christlike people of mercy, joy and love.

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