The Literary Lamppost

Lord of the Rings: It's the Fight that Matters

🧙🏼‍♂️Lord of the Rings is perhaps the greatest and most epic tale of good vs. evil known to the literary world, and addresses an important question: how do you keep fighting for good when all hope is lost?  🗡️Tolkien saw a lot in his life. He fought in WWI, and watched his son fight in WWII. It's no surprise, then, that he brought such a poignant perspective to what it means to fight for good, even when hope seems completely gone.   🧝🏻‍♂️Join us today as we dive into what that fight looks like in Lord of the Rings, and what it means for us today.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2427723/support] Follow us on Instagram @theliterarylamppost

Lord of the Rings: Feminist or Flop?

🧝🏻‍♀️Ever wished there were more female characters (main or otherwise) in Lord of the Rings? Us too! We do love Eowyn and Galadriel, though. 🗡️  How do we approach Lord of the Rings' portrayal of women? What does it mean to write women well? Was Tolkien progressive for his time, or stuck in the past?  Join us as we dive into the study and critique of Tolkien's representation of female characters in Lord of the Rings.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2427723/support] Follow us on Instagram @theliterarylamppost

Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Masculinity

🧝🏻‍♂️When you think of the LOTR characters, who comes to mind first? Frodo? Aragorn? Legolas? 🏹  Tolkien's positive view of masculinity offers a unique lens through which to analyse each of these characters. Plus who WOULDN'T want to talk about the absolute badassery these dudes demonstrate. Join us for a discussion about the marvellous men of Middle-earth, and let us know which one's your favourite!🌋 Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2427723/support] Follow us on Instagram @theliterarylamppost

The Help: "You is Kind, You is Smart, You is One of the Good Ones"

🚽Today we're diving into "The Help", a fascinating novel set in Jim Crow Era Mississippi. We tend to look back at history and think we'd be "one of the good ones". We'd be hiding Jews in our basements, we'd be marching for civil rights with MLK Jr., but is that certain? How can we know? The Help examines some fascinating perspectives, but are they accurate? Can a white woman effectively tell the story of a black woman? Join us as we discuss storytelling, intersectionality, bathroom initiatives, and some of the controversy around "The Help".  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2427723/support] Follow us on Instagram @theliterarylamppost

The Secret Life of Bees: Honey, Mary and Unlikely Community

🐝 It's another bee book! join us for a fantastic discussion about a truly wonderful book, in which we explore the journey of a 14 year old girl escaping an abusive home and running away from her past. Can God be a mother? How does Mary fit into spirituality? How does the Civil Rights movement echo in today’s world? Join us for this and more in today's episode.  We'd love to hear your thoughts!  🎧Connect with us!  Discord: discord.gg/WwzWW7FS Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theliterarylamppost/]: @theliterarylamppost Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheLiteraryLamppost]: The Literary Lamppost Music by Josh Ibbott soundcloud.com/doplas [https://soundcloud.com/doplas] Email: Josh@doplas-music.com Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2427723/support] Follow us on Instagram @theliterarylamppost