Believe to See
Anselm Society
The podcast of the Anselm Society's Arts Guild. Join host Matt Mellema and a rotation of guests at the digital pub table for conversations about faith and storytelling. “Some things have to be believed to be seen." -Madeleine L'Engle
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 25, 2020 • 55min
Episode 78: What Makes a Poem Epic?
Ever try to read an epic poem, but didn't know where to start? Anselm poet Jane Scharl is here to help. She explains the history and form of epic poetry, and points us to the best places to start reading. Check out Jane's own (fantastic) poetry at jcscharl.com. Painting: Odysseus and Nausicaa, by Christoph Amberger (c. 1505-1561/2)
Sep 9, 2020 • 1h 12min
Episode 77: Fantasy Pub Table(!)
Our fourth annual draft extravaganza! Evangeline, Matt, and Mandy take turns drafting the most interesting pub tables in the world. And this year, there's a twist... Photo by Kotomi
Aug 26, 2020 • 46min
Episode 76: Exvangelical Literature
Who are exvangelicals, and what happens when they write short stories? Anselm author Elizabeth Childs joins the table to explain. Photo by Dennis Sparks
Aug 12, 2020 • 52min
Episode 75: Bringing Poetry to the People
Poetry used to be for everyone. Now, it's largely a boring academic subject. How did this happen, and how can we give people back their poetry? Sarah and Clinton Collister are a husband and wife team of poets, scholars, and teachers of poetry. They also host the podcast, "Poetry for the People." They join the table to discuss how we can bring poetry back as something for everybody. Photo by Felix E. Guerrero
Jul 29, 2020 • 45min
Episode 74: Cryptid Cinema
Matt's two brothers join him at the table to discuss their shared passion: monster documentaries. Can TV shows that try (and fail) to find Bigfoot and Nessie teach us anything valuable? Can they have artistic merit? The Mellema brothers are on the case. Photo by Roger Patterson
Jul 15, 2020 • 49min
Episode 73: Misquoting CS Lewis
Ever notice CS Lewis quotations online that seem...less than real? Author William O'Flaherty joins the table to help. His book, "The Misquotable CS Lewis," analyzes the internet's favorite fake Lewis quotations. He explains why we love quoting CS Lewis, why we misquote him, and the importance of keeping quotations accurate. Photo by William Murphy
Jul 2, 2020 • 58min
Episode 72: Mythos of Michael Jordan
Without any current sports, the table talks about the summer's biggest sports documentary: The Last Dance. Even if you don't care for sports ball, the epic tale of Air Jordan has a lot to teach us about narrative and modern myth-making. Photo by Ed Wagner Jr., Chicago Tribune
Jun 10, 2020 • 55min
Episode 71: In Defense of the Romantics
Let's face it: the Romantics often get a bad rap from us Anselm types. Anselm authors Evangeline Denmark and Ashlee Cowles join the table to set the record straight, and to discuss the many lessons artists can learn from the Romantics. Painting by Thomas Jones, The Bard, 1774
May 19, 2020 • 60min
Episode 70: Question of the Day Extravaganza!
To help us all stay sane on the eleventy-first day of quarantine, co-hosts Mandy Houk and Evangeline Denmark join Matt for everybody's favorite quarantine past-time: answering random questions about the arts. Also, Sorry about the delay in posting! I blame the quarantine...
Apr 15, 2020 • 55min
Episode 69: The Gaming Artist
Are video games a mindless waste of time, or a vehicle for art and community? Gamer and Anselm writer Caleb Eatough joins the table to talk about the beauty of gaming. Also, if you want to hear more of Caleb's thoughts on gaming, keep a lookout for his upcoming podcast, the Citrate Gaming Podcast. Photo by Mark Bonica
