This reader is excited for every topic and type of content you listed! I’ve really appreciated your insights on Biblical discernment, how modern philosophies can warp our worldview without our knowing it, fairy tales, current films and TV shows, and Jane Austen. I would love to hear your thoughts on:
- Other much-loved plays and musicals like Wicked (for instance, why are so many people wildly in love with “Peter Pan”)?
- Edwardian classics like Winnie the Pooh, The Secret Garden, The Wind in the Willows, or Anne of Green Gables
- Fairy tales, fairy tales, fairy tales . . .
- Fairy tale adaptations, reimaginings, and retellings, including ones outside of the Disney empire such as Studio Ghibli’s “Howl’s Moving Castle” (ok, that’s fantasy, but has fairy tales elements)
Alicia, I've thought this before—you and I are cut from the same cloth! I love everything you listed. Howl's Moving Castle is one of my all-time favorites. I also love the movie, although I watched it after reading the book, so it can only have second place for me. Okay, I will give some thought to incorporating those ideas! THANK YOU!
Haha Noelle I love the book and movie too - and the fact that they’re so different just makes each of them a deeper pleasure. Thank you for your writing!
My daughter and I have read through four of the Anne Shirley books and they have been edifying. My nine year old is a little young to see some of the biblical motifs Montgomery uses, but she is a master of ironing them in smoothly without being so heavy
Von, those books are so good! How fun to read them together. Reading stories alongside my dad is one of the great pleasures of my life to this day.
You and your daughter might enjoy “The Farthest-Away Mountain” by Lynne Reid Banks or “No Flying in the House” by Betty Brock - both short but delightful
Everything you’re doing has blessed me and my eldest daughter. I really can’t see any deficiencies as I’ve followed some of your recommended Substack follows, yours seems the most consise, but very effective as others are in their bigger scaled writings. Also, personally, your work has helped me along this journey of reenchantment, though it started with having to read stories with my children, your work as it stands, has been such a blessing. May the Lord bless you with more subscribers, there are so many out there that need to be exposed to your work
I’m catching up with some older posts and when I read this my first thought was, “You and Alicia Pollard need to connect!” And then I saw she had commented…and now I’m wondering if I found your Substack through her 😄.
I used to be a member of the Habit and still love Jonathan Rogers. Now, I'm thinking that may be where I first connected with Alicia. That's super fun!
I agree with all the comments below!! It wasn't until I found ND Wilson and his dad that I began to understand exactly how fiction could shape our lives as Christians and you have become a great addition to that group of teachers! (Thanks to your dad whom I found even before the Wilsons! :) ) I found the complete works of Jane Austin in one book a couple years ago and read the whole thing and loved it! Then I started reading the complete works of Shakespeare, which my mom and dad found in an old book shop many years ago, and it actually started to make sense!!! -- I hated it in school (almost 50 years ago...) So, yes, more understanding of what I'm reading and HOW to understand it. This is all so new to me!!
Laurel, thank you! ND and his dad have been a huge influence on me as well. I got my MFA from NSA, and so they have definitely influenced my writing. And I always love hearing from fans of my dad! I'm so glad you're on board!
This reader is excited for every topic and type of content you listed! I’ve really appreciated your insights on Biblical discernment, how modern philosophies can warp our worldview without our knowing it, fairy tales, current films and TV shows, and Jane Austen. I would love to hear your thoughts on:
- Other much-loved plays and musicals like Wicked (for instance, why are so many people wildly in love with “Peter Pan”)?
- Edwardian classics like Winnie the Pooh, The Secret Garden, The Wind in the Willows, or Anne of Green Gables
- Fairy tales, fairy tales, fairy tales . . .
- Fairy tale adaptations, reimaginings, and retellings, including ones outside of the Disney empire such as Studio Ghibli’s “Howl’s Moving Castle” (ok, that’s fantasy, but has fairy tales elements)
Hope your novel project goes well!
Alicia, I've thought this before—you and I are cut from the same cloth! I love everything you listed. Howl's Moving Castle is one of my all-time favorites. I also love the movie, although I watched it after reading the book, so it can only have second place for me. Okay, I will give some thought to incorporating those ideas! THANK YOU!
Haha Noelle I love the book and movie too - and the fact that they’re so different just makes each of them a deeper pleasure. Thank you for your writing!
My daughter and I have read through four of the Anne Shirley books and they have been edifying. My nine year old is a little young to see some of the biblical motifs Montgomery uses, but she is a master of ironing them in smoothly without being so heavy
Von, those books are so good! How fun to read them together. Reading stories alongside my dad is one of the great pleasures of my life to this day.
You and your daughter might enjoy “The Farthest-Away Mountain” by Lynne Reid Banks or “No Flying in the House” by Betty Brock - both short but delightful
Thank you for the recommendations, I will definitely look into them
Everything you’re doing has blessed me and my eldest daughter. I really can’t see any deficiencies as I’ve followed some of your recommended Substack follows, yours seems the most consise, but very effective as others are in their bigger scaled writings. Also, personally, your work has helped me along this journey of reenchantment, though it started with having to read stories with my children, your work as it stands, has been such a blessing. May the Lord bless you with more subscribers, there are so many out there that need to be exposed to your work
Von, your feedback is always encouraging! For me, there's nothing better than having both a child and parent be blessed by my writing!! Thank you!
I’m catching up with some older posts and when I read this my first thought was, “You and Alicia Pollard need to connect!” And then I saw she had commented…and now I’m wondering if I found your Substack through her 😄.
Ha! You must know Alicia outside Substack! So glad you both are here!
Yep! We’re writing accountability friends through The Habit ☺️.
I used to be a member of the Habit and still love Jonathan Rogers. Now, I'm thinking that may be where I first connected with Alicia. That's super fun!
I agree with all the comments below!! It wasn't until I found ND Wilson and his dad that I began to understand exactly how fiction could shape our lives as Christians and you have become a great addition to that group of teachers! (Thanks to your dad whom I found even before the Wilsons! :) ) I found the complete works of Jane Austin in one book a couple years ago and read the whole thing and loved it! Then I started reading the complete works of Shakespeare, which my mom and dad found in an old book shop many years ago, and it actually started to make sense!!! -- I hated it in school (almost 50 years ago...) So, yes, more understanding of what I'm reading and HOW to understand it. This is all so new to me!!
Thank you.
Laurel, thank you! ND and his dad have been a huge influence on me as well. I got my MFA from NSA, and so they have definitely influenced my writing. And I always love hearing from fans of my dad! I'm so glad you're on board!
Still hoping to get your number and a date!