Stories Are Soul Food

Were you, like Nate and Brian, somewhat scarred by Watership Down -- and loved it because of that fact? Stories Are Soul Food welcomes on Joe Sutphin, the illustrator whose stellar pen & ink drawings you might recognize from Little Pilgrim's Progress, Word of Mouse, and the Wingfeather Saga. Joe's neverending project for the past five years, though, has been a full-length graphic novel adaptation of Watership Down, Richard Adams' fantastic rabbit epic. With Watership Down, Joe went crazy with all the colors of the English downs -- and turns out, that's a lot of green, plus a gazillion gnats (and a huge team to help him). The guys discuss what makes Watership Down a classic, what Joe is doing next, how to avoid burnout as an illustrator, and much more. Plus, a special offer: If you want to order a copy of Watership Down for Christmas, you can now get an exclusive limited SASF edition: Each copy ordered from Canon Press will come with an exclusive Stories Are Soul Food bookplate signed by the illustrator himself. Limited to 200 only, so order now. https://canonpress.com/products/water...

The guys open this episode with a brutal question: how do you deal with a family member who claims they're trans? The discussion wends its way into how to love that family member, and how to protect your own family at the same time. And that doesn't involved being "nice" to sin. The bulk of the episode is about sports -- specifically girls in sports, and that noisy redpilled group who think girls shouldn't play any (to be clear, this is dumb). Brian also pushes Nate on the so-called tension between academics and physical education, and Herodotus's truism that soft lands breed soft men. Nate makes the controversial claim that he learned more on the field than in the classroom. #SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #Herodotus #GirlsSports #Coaching

Nate is a contributor focused on parenting and conflict resolution, bringing a unique perspective from Moscow, ID. He shares insights on teaching kids to embrace differences, even if that means being viewed as disagreeable. The discussion spans personal stories, including his memorable college escapades, and the challenges of fostering resilience in children amidst societal pressures. They explore the nuances of navigating complex dialogues, especially around faith and values, while encouraging open communication at home.

Have you ever thought about how difficult it would be to make a movie about child trafficking that anybody would watch? Alejandro Monteverde, director of the hit indie film "Sound of Freedom," thought of little else for the past five years as he searched for the right partners. The SASF guys talk with Alejandro to hear how -- far beyond the $20 million-dollar movie he hoped it would be -- "Sound of Freedom" because a summer blockbuster, now on track for $300 million. They also get Monteverde's explanation of how he made Light a character in a dark movie, how he fought to make it "feel" like theater instead of reality, how he went through four composers before he found one who could make Sound a character too, how a "divine moment" made the end of the movie perfect, and much more. You'll also get a sneak peek at the director magic behind Monteverde's upcoming new film, Cabrini (2024), how reflections become a symbol for immigrants, and the tension between a director's artistic ego and the project itself. #SoundofFreedom #Monteverde #Cabrini #SASF #storiesaresoulfood #NDWilson #AlejandroMonteverde #BrianKohl

A dozen years ago, Nate had lunch, in Jerusalem, with a Palestinian, an Arab, and an Israeli. The three locals all agreed that Israel wouldn't exist in ten years as a nation state -- and the Palestinian said it was because he wanted every f-ing Israeli to die. Tune in to hear the rest of the story as the SASF guys discuss this bleak development in current world history, as well as the US's part in it and a brief foray into the role of empire. In typical SASF style, the guys blend two disparate topics: after the discussion of Hamas's murder of innocents, they affix a discussion of why the original Star Wars trilogy worked so well -- and almost everything in the franchise afterwards hasn't. #Israel #Hamas #Palestine #StarWars #GeorgeLucas #antisemitism #Jerusalem

The weather is turning, you're too happy it's fall, you want to read about the world falling apart -- it's DYSTOPIA TIME! The guys counter the autumnal desire for falling leaves and scented candles with a discussion of the wintry novel "Forbidden Child," a brand-new adventure story by Gwen Newell. Gwen comes on the show to discuss the years of writing and editing that finally resulted in this exciting new story: "Forbidden Child" takes place aboard the last piece of America in a flooded world, which is a huge cruise liner called "The Mothership" ruled with the loving, iron hand of the Godmother. The novel follows 13-year-old Piper Pascal, one of the Godmother's most dedicated child spies, who accidentally finds the most illegal thing in the world: a baby. Once she finds this "illegal organism," Piper has to decide whether to turn the baby or try to hide it aboard the ship.  non-stop action story ensues. Also in this episode: Nate and Brian get into a pitched battle over the difference between post-apocalyptic sci-fi and dystopian sci-fi. Brian declares victory. Gwen also talks about how much her research into North Korea and Stalinist Russia influenced this cheerful tale (just the right amount). Pre-order Gwen's new book at canonballbooks.com to get free shipping. #ForbiddenChild #NDWilson #SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #GwenNewell #dystopia #postapocalypse #scifi      

Exploring the emotional and logical challenges faced by exvangelicals, the podcast delves into the Problem of Evil and the conflict between sin and repentance. It discusses the storylines of Jon Ward, Joshua Harris, Derek Webb, and Glennon Doyle, highlighting the emotional struggles of belief and apostasy.

Forrest Dickison, an illustrator known for his work in children's literature, dives into the importance of embracing individuality in a conformist world. The conversation revolves around his character, Blah Blah Black Sheep, who represents joyful rebellion. They discuss the need for kids to distinguish healthy black sheep from mere rebels, all while sharing fun anecdotes about the creative process behind the character. Listeners also get to explore themes of artistic evolution and the value of critical thinking in navigating societal pressures.

What happens when an audience doesn't "get it"? That's ultimately the director's fault. Nate argues there are two kinds of directors: the ones who care what the audience thinks, and the ones who put the art of a pedestal and don't. Spielberg's an example of the first, and Nolan's an example of the second. This is true for authors as well, mutatis mutandis.  But Brian pushes back a bit, as the SASF pod has been known to tell critics they don't get it and it's THEIR fault. Brian asks Nate how he thinks through people who didn't "get" his nonfiction books -- when its their fault, when it isn't, and when it doesn't matter if they get it (sorry, boomers -- Notes from the Tilt-a-whirl wasn't written for you). #StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF#NotesfromtheTilt #DeathbyLiving #NDWilson #ChristopherNolan #Spielberg

The key moment from this podcast is when Brian investigates a short story idea of Nate's with a provocative title (Heather would prefer it not to be written). This is all in the context of discussing Flannery O'Connor's "dark grace." It turns out the guys have never discussed short stories, so prepare for an extravaganza on O'Connor, Hemingway, O. Henry, and more. A key question is "why are short stories dead as a genre?" They also get into specifics about how the best short fabulists write, which short stories could make feature films, and some key moments in favorite O'Connor stories -- and why her novels are poor. Also, Nate puts down a rumor that he would name "The Chestnut King" "The Conker King" were he British. #StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF #FlanneryOConnor #darkgrace #OConnor #shortstories #Hemingway #NDWilson