Stories Are Soul Food

Why You Should Train Girls Harder Than Boys

Canon Press — Mon, 11 May 2026 15:30:28 +0000

ND Wilson and Brian Kohl mix parenting advice and sports stories once again. Listen for a discussion on how you can treat daughters like ladies, while still pushing them to their limits, in athletics.

Looking For Real Life Supervillains? | (Ep. 203)

Canon Press — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:30:00 -0100

Nate and Brian catch back up on the trailer for Toy Story 5, then they tackle the question "Why is everybody looking for someone to blame?"

Scene by Scene Breakdown, Children of Men | (Special Episode)

Canon Press — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:59:00 -0100

You won’t want to miss Nate Wilson and Brian Kohl as they watch and break down Children of Men. This masterpiece has some of the most intricate and technically brilliant cinematography in movie history. See what makes it so special—and check out one scene that misses the mark.

Children of Men, a Very SASF Christmas Movie | (Ep. 202)

Canon Press — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0100

You thought the Look At Moving Pictures Club was dead? LAMPC is baaaaaack, and the guys are discussing one of their favorites:

- Why Alfonso Cuaron's "Children of Men" is one of the best movies of the 21st century; - Why Children of Men is a Christmas movie (whether or not P.D. James intended it in the novel); - What you missed in this movie; - How Alfonso Cuaron (the director) crafted his best scenes; - the very worst scene in Children of Men; And lots more.

So What If Elon's a Lizardman? | (Ep. 201)

Canon Press — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0100

The guys go through some of the best pitches so far. ("Best" is strong.) Then:

Conspiracy theories aren't your job. What is?
You have heard that Israel k*lled Charlie. Or that Elon is a lizard man. What next?
Make sure you're rooted in the God, who never changes, before you think about investigating conspiracy theories (which always change). And then, understand that you will never know.
Understand how streaming incentivizes the wildest and craziest takes...and AI has made it a million times worse.
Obviously the government lies (MK Ultra? Covid? NSA?). Trust people / churches who haven't lied to you.
Internalize the Coca-Cola CEO's words: "The truth is, we're not that smart; and we're not that dumb."
One of these isn't not untrue: A Jew rules the world. Birds aren't real.

"Hello SASFers -- Happy No Quarter November to all who celebrate! Visit noquarternovember.com for free ebooks all month long."

Stories Are Soul Food is presented by Canon Press

Revenge Movies & Masculinity | (Ep. 200)

Canon Press — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 21:00:00 +0000

This week on SASF—apparently our 200th episode (who knew?)—we're diving into the massive topic of justice and mercy? From revenge-soaked movie plots to the rise of the manosphere, we explore why so many men seek utter annihilation over their enemies, and what it looks like for Christians to fight with integrity.

Writing Your Story with Self-Control | (Ep. 199)

Canon Press — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 19:30:00 +0000

Nate and Brian sit down to talk about the importance of self-control in writing your story. Plus, brand new pitch reviews featuring a ewe with a unique circumstance.

What Makes a Story Resonate? | (Ep. 198)

Canon Press — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Nate and Brian return to review your pitches and break down what makes stories resonate with an audience. Plus, their takes on the Charlie Kirk memorial service through the lens of powerful storytelling.

How Propaganda Ruins Stories | (Ep. 197)

Canon Press — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 23:30:00 +0000

On this episode of SASF, Nate and Brian are back to review your pitches again while tackling propaganda in Christian media. Catch them discussing the power of satire and what friendships should look like in your stories.

Charlie's Cheerful Masculinity | (Ep. 196)

Canon Press — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 17:05:00 +0000

This SASF episode breaks down the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk. What a story:

How the devil messed up by killing Charlie, because martyrdom after Christ doesn't work.
Charlie's cheerful masculinity made him a target.
Why Charlie's "free speech" approach prevents civil war.
Crazy progressives in public high schools and universities only "reproduce" because of your children.
Live like Charlie by faithfully "raking the gravel" in your life.

Watch Charlie Kirk's entire Man Rampant episode with Douglas Wilson for free on Canon Press's YouTube:
https://youtu.be/bL4DxMZXNIA?si=tWcFKiIZ9XI_Ycc8

Spotting Stories with Hidden Poison | (Ep. 195)

Canon Press — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

How do you identify stories with poison in them? They never say "TAKE THIS POISON." They always coat it in chocolate first...
- "Make Me Famous" pitch reviews segment continues with "The Ghost Train". Maybe this is the episode wherein Nate finally likes a pitch.
- Then the guys turn to stories that start out sweet but conceal poison in the end.
- Harry Potter and The Hunger Games both start a story with something admirable (the underdog, self-sacrifice). That's the chocolate.
- But once you like the chocolate, an author *can make you eat anything after that... even poison (self-pity, dissatisfaction, ungratefulness, victimhood mentality).
- To demonstrate how a true underdog story works, Nate reframes the story of Joseph and the coat of many colors (not what that is).

Were We Wrong About KPop Demon Hunters? | (Ep. 194)

Canon Press — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 16:15:00 +0000

On this episode of SASF Nate and Brian discuss the recent X controversy Nate caused, Why you should watch KPop Demon Hunters? How we as Christians should approach it and all forms of Media? How Miyazaki does anime well? and much more.

- Nate and Brian discuss how Kpop Demon Hunters is a bad pitch, but done well
- Why Kpop Demon Hunters is a better movie for girls to watch than the Disney Classic Beauty and the Beast
- Why Kpop Demon Hunters isn’t a coming out movie.
- Where viewers have prejudice against the movie because it’s in an Anime format, How Miyazaki does good anime while telling a good story.
- How you shouldn’t be legalistic against a movie because it’s on Netflix

Fictional Dads To Look Up To | (Ep. 193)

Canon Press — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

You have heard this SASF axiom: "A good dad can't be present in children's fiction." This is because if he was, there'd be no story for the kids to take care of -- BUT... there are a few exceptions...

- Brian and Nate search for those elusive MG/YA unicorns: the good and present father.

- What about To Kill a Mockingbird's Atticus Finch? Jeremiah Land from Peace Like a River? Guido in Life is Beautiful? In these stories, the good dad becomes the protagonist.

- Uncle Frank in 100 Cupboards? Nate explains why he'd never call Uncle Frank a good father figure.

- Heading further afield: what about Mustafa from The Lion King? Bandit from Bluey? Gomez Addams??  - Finally the guys turn to real life: Ralph Moody's father, Pa Wilder, Bible characters including Nate's pick for best dad in the whole Bible: Jesus's earthly father, Joseph.

Nate Roasts Your Story Pitch (Make Me Famous No. 1) | (Ep. 192)

Canon Press — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 15:54:00 +0000

This week SASF listeners sent in their own pitches for an episode of "Make Me Famous"
In this new SASF segment, Nate reacts for the first time to original ideas containing:
- The Last Airbender meets Stranger Things plus reincarnation, a slave girl, and a menacing priest
- A headstrong girl who awakens an ancient evil
- Narnia fanfiction
- a determined goat trying to succeed at roarball;
- and much much MORE, including the elements of a good pitch. If you still have an idea, send it! We'll likely do another episode of "Make Me Famous" in the future.

F1, K Pop Demon Hunters, & Netflix’s Big Mistake | (Ep. 191)

Canon Press — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Brian Kohl and Nate Wilson discuss F1: The Movie and K-Pop Demon Hunters. Nate explains that the latter sounds terrible on paper pitch but the filmmakers really pulled it off. They also touch on the teaser for Pixar's upcoming movie, "Hoppers" and why it's just a plain old bad pitch.

Neil Gaiman, Morbidity, & Sparta | (Ep. 190)

Canon Press — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 21:15:00 +0000

This episode offers a smorgasbord: Nate has never finished a Neil Gaiman book. Brian tells him why.
They also discuss:
- Sparta, Lycurgus, and delicacies.
- Feminine vs Masculine glory.
- Stoics vs Epicenes.

Nancy Drew and Soul Food | (Ep. 189)

Canon Press — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 20:45:00 +0000

This episode offers a SASF smorgasbord:

Is Nancy Drew healthy soul food for a teenager?
The guys discuss syndicate writing such as Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, and the Hardy Boys.
Also on this episode: Why theater is so often gay, why Broadway is boutique, and why Shakespeare isn't a counterexample.
... with a chaser of why you should still, probably, be writing and directing plays (on your way to making a movie).

China Beats Pixar | (Ep. 188)

Canon Press — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 22:30:00 +0000

Brian forces Nate to watch two new kids movie trailers... one from Pixar, and one from China.

Pixar's new movie Elio flopped harder than anything that's come before.
The top-grossing animated movie this year comes from China... it's Ne Zha 2, and it's made 2.2 billion (!) dollars.
The guys talk about why Ne Zha 2's trailer is better than Elio's.
But it still kinda stinks: The last couple years for children's animation has been very poor.
Artificial Intelligence makes you dumber, but it will soon replace this level of bad production.

Find out what an AI future might look like on this episode of Stories Are Soul Food.

The Future of Christian Fiction | (Ep. 187)

Canon Press — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 22:00:00 +0000

The guys welcome Scott Minor of Realm Makers for a cameo on Christian fiction...

Meet the Realm Makers conference: A decade or two ago, Christian fiction publishers only wanted Amish romance; but Scott's wife Betty was a Christian fantasy writer... so together they founded Realm Makers!
Nate's headlining at Realm Makers in two weeks: So Nate asks Scott about fantasy authors' greatest strength... and their greatest weakness.
The guys discuss the future of Christian fiction, including Christian fiction "stars" like Mike Nawrocki (Veggie Tales), Katie Lee (Connie from Odyssey), and S.D. Smith (Green Ember).

Help Help We're Being Repressed! Ft. Nate's Daughters | (Special Episode!)

Canon Press — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 15:00:00 +0000

We've got good news for you: Lucia and Ameera come on SASF to discuss HELP HELP!
Yes, it's about the launch of Lucy and Ameera's new movie/book review podcast!
The new podcast/show is named Help Help We're Being Repressed. (Yes, that's a Monty Python reference.)
On this first episode of Help Help, Nate and the girls discuss writing female characters badly (and goodly).
Subscribe to their new podcast wherever pods are podded!
This and much more on this special episode of SASF.

Social Media Controls Hollywood | (Ep. 186)

Canon Press — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Brian says he showed "Batman Begins" to his kids and enjoyed it; Nate goes on a rampage.
Nolan's Batman earnestness necessitated the Joker to give us all some relief. "Why so serious, Batman?"
Nolan is a great artisan but a terrible philosopher. "I run because they need me to run."
... But it was all worth it for LEGO Batman.
How long can Hollywood's obsession with superhero movies continue? Apparently forever.
Is "Down with Hollywood" a good rallying cry?
Why AI is the strangler fig for all that's real.
What could end the entertainment industry in America? Social media may already have done it.
This and much more on this episode of SASF.

Overcoming Trauma and Hardship | (Ep. 185)

Canon Press — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 05:00:00 +0000

When you've been hurt, what kind of character will you be?

God gives you hardship as a Storyteller does: because readers love what happens when a character is down but finds a way to get back up;
Remember that it's in the cellars of affliction that God makes his choicest wines (Rutherford);
Be at once tender and merciless with your own victimhood;
Stop assuming nobody else at church has the dark backstory of trauma and abuse that you do.
Take heart from Grandpa Jim, who used to "get chose" to fight the bullies every day after school.

What kind of wine will you be?

Fake Christians | (Ep. 184)

Canon Press — Tue, 27 May 2025 22:30:00 +0000

Time to talk about Christians in novels:
+ Secular novelists love to make their villains hypocritical Christians.
+ Christian novelists are very honest about their Christian characters' flaws as well.
+ So don't be offended when you bump into a fake Christian in a story.
+ Nate walks through the flaws of his Christian protagonists (Niffy, Rupert, etc.).
This episode dissects Christians and their character flaws on the page... and in real life.

Be The Director | (Ep. 183)

Canon Press — Tue, 20 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Brian asks Nate what tips he'd give a teenage SASFer who wants to become a movie director. And, perhaps surprisingly, Nate's advice has nothing to do with movies. Because if you want to direct feature films when you grow up, you're the kid saying "I am gonna be an NFL quarterback." That kind of career wish has everything to do with whether you're the kind of person who could manage someone else's million-dollar investment. That doesn't just happen for wanting. Are you ready to convince the rich guys, direct the talent, soothe the producers, reject the bad network notes, talk to the cinematographers, and maintain total clarity on your artistic vision for the film through it all? And that assumes you know your stuff when it comes to story (watch Canon+ resources like "On Directing" and "Fantastical Wordcraft") and aren't hoping your elementary critical analysis will take the place of artistic talent. The best thing you can be doing is MAKING films with your (or your parents') iPhones. Also in this episode, the guys take some potshots at allegory, Reformed Facebook groups, Edmund Spenser, and more.

Stomach for the Fight | (Ep. 182)

Canon Press — Tue, 06 May 2025 23:00:00 +0000

You're used to saying "stories are soul food" -- this episode discusses why Nate thought kids in our time especially need to read stories about corrupt institutions failing them, and how to reconsecrate an institution in its own rubble. This takes courage, strength, and determination. It takes having stomach for the fight. It takes a leader who refuses to sabotage himself by turning around. It takes becoming immune to the stress of conflict... but also being willing to let love cover it when it doesn't matter. And, it also takes a thorough knowledge Nate's First Law of Meetings (listen to find out this key piece of advice). Because the truth is that any institution that loses sight of the mission is decaying in front of you... and if you notice the Snickers wrapper on the floor in the classroom, you need to pick it up. All of these themes are things you may have noticed in the Ashtown Burials series. You'll also get a few bonus SASF musings on whether Trump can continue his strategy of nonstop wins or whether he'll run out of steam; SASF for Canada and Canadians; and much more.

Netflix Narnia | (Ep. 181)

Canon Press — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 17:45:00 +0000

Brian springs an awful Aslan casting surprise on Nate, and the results are delightful. The SASF discussion of Greta Gerwig's new Netflix Narnia series ranges far afield. Planet Narnia, which book of the series is Nate's favorite, Lewis's repeated character archetypes, adaptation of books to film... this one has all things Lewis. Including Nate's claim that Edmund / Eustace / Digory all behave the way they do because CSL had thumbs that couldn't bend.

The Boys Aren't Reading | (Ep. 180)

Canon Press — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 20:00:00 +0000

It's old news that the boys aren't reading. The NY publishing industry was obsessed with the idea when they first took at look at Nate's work twenty years ago. This episode of SASF features the story of the (female) editor who wanted to reach boys with Nate's manuscript of Leepike Ridge by 1) taking out the treasure, 2) taking out the father figure, and 3) making the book about the relationship between the boy and his widowed mom. The industry at large moved on to graphic novels to try to get boys to read. But Nate says things have gotten worse since then: Boys weren't reading then; they aren't even watching now. Hollywood is currently freaking out over the difficulty of getting young adult males into theaters. Turns out boys play video games a bit and watch YouTube and p*rnography a lot (devastating). The rest of the podcast discusses how to defeat the algorithms by creating dopamine with your family instead of your phones. This is the first step to freeing a generation of young people enslaved to the doomscroll.

Invasion of the Consumers | (Ep. 179)

Canon Press — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 19:10:00 -0100

What should your decision process be when you are thinking about moving your family across the country to a new place? Well, the answer is rooted in story. Are you moving to a place where you can be a better character, where your kids can be more active, where your family can grow -- or are you relocating yourself merely to consume the products that are brought to you by this new community? Don't be a hummingbird, be an ant. Jump on the moving walkway and start running. This discussion of communities, moving, and what makes Moscow, Idaho different from other parts of the US is equal parts practical and (probably) offensive. Enjoy!

Animation Studio Autopsy Feat. Nate's Daughters | (Ep. 178)

Canon Press — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 23:00:00 -0100

Many of us remember a time when Pixar reigned supreme over the many competing Animation Studios. But now, 15ish years later, that distinction has become blurry. Can we bet on any one Animation Studio for quality? Join Nate, Amira, and Lucia as they talk about childhood movie memories and the problem with animation today.

Severance Season 2 Shakedown | (Ep. 177)

Canon Press — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 17:45:00 -0100

This week the guys discuss some frustrating creative decisions behind the new Season of Severance. #severance #benstiller #adamscott

House of David, Raining Frogs | (Ep. 176)

Canon Press — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 22:15:00 -0100

A project Nate worked on is arriving this February: It's House of David, a serious retelling of the life of David. But Nate only worked on early drafts, and it's now a Prime Video project. The guys watch the preview; Brian criticizes vestiges of what feels like Rings of Power; Nate talks about the vision for the project, and (even if he were to have quibbles about the final result) talks about what success for this series would do: Reignite some interest in telling faithful Bible stories. He talks about the importance of Christians telling real stories, and Brian makes a surprising pivot into the movie Magnolia (1999, directed by PTA, definitely NOT a Christian movie, don't show your family and then send us angry messages). Brian argues that Magnolia's director Paul Thomas Anderson is trying to take a divine perspective on the rise and fall of ten characters in Los Angeles. Nate gives his thoughts on a movie that is more honest about grace and judgment than any "Christian" film he has seen recently. As Magnolia's Christian Officer Kurring (John C. Reilly) puts it: "Sometimes people need to be forgiven. And sometimes they need to go to jail. And that's a very tricky thing on my part." This leads to a challenge: Christian directors should be more ambitious than Paul Thomas Anderson in their efforts to make Christian films great again.

Animals are Soul Food | (Ep. 175)

Canon Press — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 21:30:00 -0100

Yes, animals are real food -- but they're also soul food. You might think animal documentaries aren't that important, but imagine this: What if the only commentaries on the Bible were written by atheists? That's the modern-day situation we have with nature documentaries. Remember, God has revealed himself in two huge ways -- through the book of Scripture AND the book of nature. But for the past hundred years, it's only the atheists who tell stories about animals...and of course they hate the Author of that story and get the big stuff completely wrong: No, humans aren't a blight on the planet. No, the universe isn't uncaring. No, animals aren't just thumbless people. No, the funny animals didn't blindly evolve; Somebody designed them. The guys invite Riot & the Dance director James Engerbretson on to discuss the brand new season of Riot (four episodes now streaming on Canon+!). They talk about almost getting gored by a rhino and swimming with sharks and teaching your kids to appreciate the Grand Artist's work in their own backyards first (and maybe someday, on Komodo Island).

Capitalism Doesn't Produce Great Art | (Ep. 174)

Canon Press — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 23:00:00 -0100

As a conservative artist who's been working in the mainstream since 2007, Nate has an artistic opinion that's going to get conservative folks angry: Capitalism doesn't produce great art. Lest you join this commenter who said "this take is so dumb it got me to engage, brilliant", if you care about this topic, you need to listen to the whole episode. Nate's argument is that the incentives of capitalism reward the MOST entertainment, for the MOST people, for the MOST money. But actual greatness of art? That's not a problem that capitalism is solving for. Capitalism is a Delta stewardess serving cheese cubes to the Delta Sky Club Diamond members. It'll get you the most cheese cubes at the lowest price, but it's not not gonna get a steak. Instead, Nate argues for a return of patronage. Cathedrals, requiems, masses, paintings, statuary -- it's all been the result of patronage. Brian objects. Nate qualifies. The truth is that when streaming is king, an uncompromising demand for excellence and improvement only eats into your profit, because a creator's profit is capped by the streaming service. How do you resist the allure of cold hard cash if you're a creator? Better make sure you have principles you can hold on to beyond the desire for money.

Year of the Looney Toon | (Ep. 173)

Canon Press — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 23:00:00 -0100

This episode is a justification for the Stories Are Soul Food manifesto. First, Brian makes Nate react to the worst SASF episode from last year; then, Brian makes Nate react to the 2025 Golden Globes winners (The Brutalist, Emilia Perez, The Substance, Flow, etc.); and lastly Brian makes Nate justify the importance of story in a time when everybody else seems to be crazy. Kinda seems like we should be focusing on more important stuff than narrative, right? Nate describes 2025 as the year of living next to the insane asylum -- what can we do with our own lives when your neighbors are coloring on all their walls? Nate says story is not only part of the answer, it's the solution for how you, your spouse, and your kids are going to get through these "interesting times."

Mediocrity of Input | (Ep. 172)

Canon Press — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 18:00:00 -0100

Longtime listeners will get that particular feeling in the pit of their stomach when they hear Nate start talking about life in a particularly bleak way -- you know, the "make that heartbeat count because we're all going to die" kind of way. Brian has named this manifestation of his podcast co-host "Black Pill Nate." For today's episode, Black Pill Nate goes on a rampage against those who desperately hope for excellence of output while inputting mediocrity. There are a million ways to drive off the road, and only one way to stay on it -- and this applies to film, art, creativity, work, and everything in between. Mediocrity of input, Nate says, may be the reason we have "Wicked" dominating the box office, and why Severance season 2 may fail, and (contrarily) why Silo season 2 is currently succeeding (with filters, people!). The flip side of this is that there is also a very exclusive fraternity of excellence. If that doesn't make sense to you yet, keep repeating "mediocrity of input doesn't deserve excellence of output" every night until you fall asleep.

171: Flattering Your Kids

Canon Press — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:00 -0100

Nate and Brian discuss flattering your kids versus telling them the truth, what would happen if we stopped giving gifts on Christmas (it would be really really really horrible), and touch on some Christmas movie classics.

170: A Judeo-Christian Christmas

Canon Press — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 20:00:00 -0100

Listeners of this podcast know that when Christmastime rolls around, the SASF podcast likes to focus on the less appreciated Bible stories that lead up to the birth of the Christ:. You may remember past Advent episodes on the Levite's concubine, Onan, and Tamar. This year, the guys discuss the place of the Jewish people in the Christmas story. Why? Well, nobody needs a reason to talk about the Gospel, but in addition (if you're on X), you've definitely noticed a certain vocal minority who loves nothing more than to denigrate the Jews. Don't worry, we don't spend much time on those dummies -- but we do spend time discussing the meaning of Christmas, its place in history, the rights and wrongs of Zionism, Old Testament heresies like Talmudic Judaism, and, of course, the Jewish story that is the whole basis for the birth of our Jewish Savior... and why we're Christians now. You're also going to find out that you're the second lobster on the heavenly sheet in Peter's vision, so get used to not being the main character. Merry Christmas!

169: Undermining Gladiator's Nobility

Canon Press — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 17:00:00 -0100

Under duress, Brian admits that Gladiator (the original) is still his favorite movie, having stayed atop the BK Movie podium since Brian was a teenager. Nate attacks Brian for his bashfulness at recommending what is, in fact, an all-time great movie, and the guys have a pleasant reminiscence of Russell Crowe and 2000's Gladiator, remembering all the great parts and forgetting all the supporting actors' names. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and it turns out they just released a NEW Gladiator, and Nate had watched it with his kids. You get to hear Nate's analysis of how the new Gladiator fails to emulate the old, along with his hypothesis for why Ridley Scott keep churning out poor quality movies from potentially amazing IP. You'll also hear Nate's director's take on the casting in Gladiator II, which is a single point of failure (well, maybe the CG baboons are the single point of failure). But the worst of Gladiator II is the effort spent undermining the nobility of Maximus.

168: Bored of That Hideous Strength (feat. Calvin Robinson)

Canon Press — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 18:00:00 -0100

Get The Things of Earth today: https://canonpress.com/products/the-things-of-earth-treasuring-god-by-enjoying-his-gifts-2nd-ed

167: All Fiction is Fantasy

Canon Press — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 17:35:00 -0100

The guys make a oliphaunt-sized announcement -- the 1977 animated Hobbit is now streaming on Canon+ (along with the cartoon Return of the King!). Naturally, it's our next LAMPC pick (Look At Moving Pictures Club, for those of you who don't know). The discussion of the Rankin-Bass cartoon Hobbit leads to a discussion of Family Movie Night, and how all fiction is fantasy, really. In process Nate pokes fun at one of the sci-fi greats, Robert Heinlein, for his definition of sci-fi, and the guys turn their attention to discussing the movie I Am Legend.

Get The Things of Earth today: https://canonpress.com/products/the-things-of-earth-treasuring-god-by-enjoying-his-gifts-2nd-ed

166: Potty Talk and Shrek Fulfillment

Canon Press — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:30:00 -0100

Yes, these two topics are both related, but not in the way you're thinking. Brian asks Nate a vital parenting question for anyone with boys -- how do you deal with kids talking about gross things? Nate points out that it's God who made the world with poop, pee, and barf in it, but it's also God who forbid coarse jesting. So Nate's family had a no-tolerance approach to fart jokes, for example; or yuk-yukking it up about poop and pee. But Nate also has a keen eye for the gross parts of God's storytelling, so there's nothing wrong with noticing and being amused when your infant destroys her new Easter outfit. This is all related to Shrek; but the real damage of Shrek is not in the earwax or swamp farting but in the "princess to monster" character arc that Princess Fiona epitomized. The guys break down wish fulfillment of Fiona's sort and how it has perverted (technical word) most of our modern storylines.

165: The Beauty Pageants of Babylon

Canon Press — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 18:15:00 -0100

Around election time people get addicted to bad stories, downing them cocktail after cocktail. And that's because presidential elections, which are the beauty pageants of babylon, usually turn on this simple storytelling question: Who can tell the most compelling tale about their opponents? Harris-Walz is trying with video games and guns and abortion; Trump-Vance is trying with filthy comedians and French fries and free speech. Analysis gets really entertaining when you get to watch how fringe elements on both side stand where their opponents tell them to stand and say what their opponents tell them to say (this is where AOC and groypers overlap in their hatred of Israel, and where fascists and communists sort everyone into categories based on sunburn-ability). In literary terms, we Americans in 2024 are living in a black comedy, which is a satire in which the main characters cannot see that the rules they live by are crazy. But the audience can. And unfortunately, black comedies usually end in destruction for everyone but the audience. Speaking of audiences: who is your audience? What matters for you, right now, on a Tuesday afternoon, isn't the centuries-long stories God is telling of the rise and fall of nations -- it's how you treat your wife, kids, boss, pastor; and how your actions are telling a story to everyone you live with. So, vote for Trump, but God is the only Storyteller who should have control of your emotions. Stories are soul food, after all.

164: The Gospel of Story

Canon Press — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Public perception of Christianity has soured in the past decade -- and so has most of the famous "Christian" nonfiction -- titles such as The Shack, Love Wins, Blue Like Jazz, Love Does, Wild at Heart have aged like milk. In contrast, Brian asks Nate why his own nonfiction seems so well suited for the negative world. Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl is now a barrel-aged 15-year whiskey, the gospel of story. Death by Living is a bold declaration of your mortality in a time when "normal" dreams are shattering. The guys discuss why storytelling is kingdom work, and why the Gospel of Story is a key skill for every Christian living now to develop. Nate also addresses readers who don't like his writing, and that one secular reviewer who, days after publishing a positive review, accosted Nate with this realization of how Christianity had tiptoed into his books: "You pulled that C.S. Lewis s***." Find the matching hardcover sets of each book at ndwilson.com.

163: A Soul Food Challenge

Canon Press — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

See if you can guess this author who has sold over 200 million copies: His comic work consists of nonstop adventure featuring a boy-faced hero and his little white dog. Yes, this Stories Are Soul Food episode is about Herge, Tintin, and Snowy (or Milou, if you're Belgian, and want the dog to be named after Herge's girlfriend). Nate and Brian discuss Herge's influence on their development, Spielberg's sorta unsatisfying adaptation, and the excellent Tintin cartoons now available on Canon+ (better than Spielberg?? yes!). Nate also challenges SASF listeners to show episodes of Tintin to their children (5th grade and under) and see what comes out of brains fed with this adventurous soul food. (Do let the SASF pod know what comes of it.) The guys also discuss Herge's blatantly bad spots (Tintin in the Congo) and their excitement at being able to share a childhood favorite with so many other families. If that sounds good, sign up for a free trial at joincanonplus.com.

162: Taking Down Churchill

Canon Press — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 23:00:00 +0000

The internet is still smoldering from the aftermath of a Tucker Carlson interview in which Darryl Cooper of the pop history podcast Martyr Made called Winston Churchill "a chief villain of World War 2." Brian asks Nate about historical heroes, the great wars, whether Winston Churchill is hero or villain, and why the explosion of boomer rage over the Churchill criticism in the first place. Nate returns these questions with extra helpings of spice, laying into historical revisionists of all sorts who think that THEY are the judge, and that a great man's legacy rises or falls after each new podcast claim. And, at the same time, he gives his answers to whether Winston had bigger flaws than we think (probably). Churchill is the last championship banner hanging in the gym -- why wouldn't we love him, even if he had flaws? To make sure everyone is angry, Nate also makes a case for the nuclear end to WW2, showing that historical revisionists, even when they've got a point, are always taking shots from the cheap seats.

161: How to Fake the Shroud of Turin

Canon Press — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Did you know that N.D. Wilson found a method that would have allowed a medieval to fake the Shroud using glass and paint, including photo negativity and all? This Stories Are Soul Food episode has the entire scoop -- including: Nate's impetus for the whole experiment (a professor discarded the Bible because the Shroud was "proof of the resurrection"); how the inspiration came to him (through a monstrous collection of G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown stories); and how his theory continues to be ignored by contemporary Roman Catholics (although the medieval Roman Catholics declared that the Shroud of Turin was fake because they'd found the craftsman who had faked it!). You'll also hear why, if you believe your Bible, you already should have known the Shroud was fake. But for the first time in the modern era, we've got a frontrunner for how the Shroud of Turin was made (and it wasn't made at the moment of Resurrection).

160: 8 Million Copies

Canon Press — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 10:00:00 +0000

After a quick discussion of Brian's decision to shout more at Nate to please a few vocal liseners, the SASF guys discuss what it takes to sell more than 8 million copies of your books. Turns out, if you published in the 2010s, putting "Girl" in the title pretty much did it. If you follow publishing, you should be able to guess the books that sold the most copies in the 2010s: EL James's 50 Shades series (the trilogy sold 35 million copies). Nate and Brian discuss the crisis that publishing such successful smut caused Random House -- and how RH made it go away. They also introduce you to Doug Wilson's reviews of Twilight and 50 Shades. Then they move on to identifying the expertise required to sell what fills out the rest of the top 10 list for the previous decade in this books-focused episode of Stories Are Soul Food. Includes discussions of Hunger Games, The Help, Gone Girl on a Train with Tattoos, Divergent, and more, all of which sold about 8 million copies or more.

159: Living Forever

Canon Press — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Will we tell stories in heaven? Nate says the answer is so obvious it's a dumb question. Brian tries to make him answer anyway. Instead, Nate talks about a sci-fi story he is working on in which nobody lives past age 18. Turns out storytelling is fundamental to humanity, and we should be living like it now. Then Brian brings up a related listener question about how to choose what you're doing with your life now: What happens if you're working a blue collar job but you want to go to seminary and you also want to write? Prepare for an episode of Life Advice with Nate , and you best believe he's not sympathetic to decision paralysis. Pick what you want to do, and do it. God doesn't steer a parked car. You'll often get Open Doors when you least expect it, because your life is a story, and you don't get to know what happens in the future. The conversation blasts off into a conversation about human nature and winning the lottery, and how we love to complain in the midst of richness. You'll also get to know Grandpa Kohl's slogan, "Better than I deserve," and how you should look for God's choicest wines in the cellar of affliction (Rutherford). You'll also notice we opened this week's SASF with a new song just for fun: Check out Aaron Rench's "Fences" streaming everywhere now.

158: Fast Starters Who Fade

Canon Press — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 19:00:00 +0000

Prepare for a very convicting episode of Stories Are Soul Food. Jesus warns of one kind of seed that springs up fast but quickly withers away. It's this kind of character the SASF guys discuss today, with Brian asking questions about Saul and Judas. Nate identifies one fundamental error such characters always make: They mistake their place in the story, making themselves the main character. Saul thinks the kingdom of Israel is about him. Judas thinks he can make the Messiah drive out the Romans. But the most common place Nate has seen this error? Parents. Moms who can't see past their own trials. Dads who sabotage their kids goals for their own. Turns out, mis-reading the story is the way we all make things easier on themselves.

157: The Boy and the Heron (feat. Crispin's Rainy Day)

Canon Press — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 23:15:00 +0000

Nate and Brian invite Forrest Dickison on to make sure he takes first place as SASF'S Most Invited Guest. But really they want to discuss Forrest's debut picture book, Crispin's Rainy Day, a story about a boy who wants to join a crew of pirate frogs -- but only if he can escape from his little sister first. The book is a perfect chocolate chip story with stunning illustrations -- meant to be enjoyed as a family -- but it has a contentious depiction of gender roles reflected in the relationship between Crispin and his sister Rose. "Contentious" means "traditional" in this case -- Rose wields delicious slices of cake and is completely uninterested in swords. The discussion of the heroic feminine leads naturally into a discussion of Miyazaki's latest feature film, The Boy and the Heron, with some amazing female characters of its own and bold narrative choices (man-eating parakeets, anyone?). Forrest calls it a masterpiece; Brian wanted it to be better. You'll have to listen to the episode to find out what Nate thought. If you're an NC Wyeth fan, you'll also get some recognition in this episode. Visit crispinsrainyday.com for more.

156: Trump Survives

Canon Press — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 23:45:00 +0000

How do we, the members of a rotting democracy, read the story of the botched assassination of President Trump? God put a few more minutes back on the clock when DT turned his head to look at that immigration chart. Not only did we get a key character moment from Trump -- courage after being shot cannot be faked -- but we also got even bigger helpings of legacy news spin cycles flailing and bureaucratic incompetence. There have been at least three other assassination attempts in a millennial's lifetime (Reagan, Bush grenade, Clinton Cessna), but this is the first one to happen in an age of social media. And the photo op alone has tanked Democrat plans for the DNC. Also, we never would have gotten that moment with a competent Secret Service (or a male Secret Service agent). Nate tells us when to admit that you'll never know the complete truth (and why that's okay), and how to avoid becoming a Trump Apostle while still praying fervently that he'll win (Nate makes his claims about the election this November into the camera). Brian asks about the Deep State and Good Paranoia, and Nate wants our country to turn its attention to the Deepest State: public schools. But what the guys want you to take away from this episode is how to read this moment as a Christian -- Trump is AN answer, but the not THE answer. And you need to turn your attention back to the task that matters right now: build build build.

155: Unsung Heroes

Canon Press — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 23:00:00 +0000

This week Brian has abandoned Nate to attend the birth of his daughter, so Nate strikes back by having two of his own daughters on the pod instead. The discussion begins with what books the girls, Lucy and Ameera, are reading, and why Lucy hates detective novels and green food. Lucy is moved to love, though, when the trope of "unsung heroes" is introduced. Nate pursues this line, getting his daughters to articulate exactly why praise-less sacrifice is such a stirring concept. Frodo finally gets the love that he has been missing both from the hobbits of the shire and the audience of the Peter Jackson's movies. This episode touches down on all sorts of authors, ranging from the obligatory Tolkien (All Hail!) to Terry Pratchett to Jane Austen, Agatha Christy, and (who else?) C.S. Lewis. It wouldn't be a SASF episode though if Nate didn't sneak in some comments at the end about behaving like the kind of character you want to be and ... which episode number are we on anyway?

154: Innocence in the Postapocalypse

Canon Press — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 21:00:00 +0000

Today's Stories Are Soul Food episode covers two new dystopian tales, a book and a show. The book is Leif Enger's "I Cheerfully Refuse", which Brian cheerfully despised for Leif's overly luminous characters and bass-playing giant protagonist. The show is Amazon Prime's "Fallout," which Nate skipped his way through, watching the innocence of the virginal protagonist be stripped from her episode by episode through violence, immorality, and (apparently) cannibalism. Nate talks about how the show's potential was ruined because the director, Jonathan Nolan, had only one trick: take innocence and corrupt it. Beyond that, the show never gets beyond the video game logic which bounds it. Brian asks why the destruction of the innocent seems to be the theme of most postapocalyptic fiction, and the guys talk their way through Margaret Atwood, The Road, Mad Max, and other tales of scientific dystopia. Why do we love such stories? Brian answers that it's because our lives are so easy. Listen to the episode to see if Nate agrees...

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #Books #Movies #NDWilson #JonathanNolan #Fallout #AmazonPrime #ICheerfullyRefuse #LeifEnger #DystopianSciFi #Postapocalypse #Innocence

153: Not All Burgers Are Equal

Canon Press — Tue, 28 May 2024 19:10:00 +0000

If you're a crippled Eskimo girl, would the best story you could ever read have a crippled Eskimo girl as the hero? Many book publishers and movie studios today would say YES. (The part they don't say is that the only reason they don't make more movies about Eskimos on crutches is because that demographic doesn't sell enough tickets.) Another way to ask this question: Do stories appeal because the main character represents you? Or do they appeal because you connect with the main character? Here's the takeaway: Representation is pointless; connection is the holy grail of storytelling. And the confusion of "representation" and "connection" is behind much of our worst woke storytelling today. Nate doesn't connect with a "father of five" on screen because he himself feels represented as a father of five -- there needs to be some human connection, some shared feeling or experience, if you want a character to resonate with the audience. The SASF guys discuss the difference between, say, the generic heroine of Princess Diaries versus Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. And then they get into a discussion of character archetypes, and how, in storytelling as in a restaurant, you can have all the ingredients of a great burger and still end up with a terrible burger. You also get to hear Nate hate on Shakespeare's tragedies while Brian tries to defend them, and hear which Shakespeare play Nate has adapted into a high-school rom-com.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #Books #Movies #NDWilson #Shakespeare #PrincessDiaries #wokestorytelling

152: Filtering Bad Books

Canon Press — Mon, 20 May 2024 20:00:00 +0000

Nate talks about his ability to sense changes in the weather, and proceeds to roast Brian for his opinions on prologues. But that's not the occasion for this wandering episode: If you're a regular SASF listener, you'll know that the guys are big proponents of filtering films for family movie night (they recommend ClearPlay and VidAngel both). But what about books? When do books cross the line, and what should you do about it? Brian and Nate discuss this question. They kick things off, though, with a discussion on prologues -- turns out Brian hates them and Nate has written them, so stay tuned for the drama.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #Filters #Books #Movies #NDWilson #prologues

151: Taylor Swift and Playlist Trouble

Canon Press — Mon, 13 May 2024 20:30:00 +0000

Nate claims that talking about music is boring, but in this episode you're going to find out he has written lyrics to more than twenty (!) songs (as yet unscored). You're even going to get one scandalous title. Then Brian ambushes Nate by reading a stanza of Taylor Swift's new lyrics, and the guys discuss all the questions that come along with music. What if you're a mom who sings secular jazz to her kids at bedtime? ("You are all I long for / all I worship and adore.") More power to you! What if you're a high school girl who bops to TSwift in her car all the time? Be careful you're not using your playlist as an aid to personal fantasy. Nate makes the point that it's just as easy to fantasize while reading Bronte, but your parents may not think to object to the classics. What about young guys whose workout tracks are a solid mass of E (for Explicit)? Masculine version of personal fantasy. How do you immunize yourself to music's pop culture? Well, that's the question. To conclude, Brian laments the decline of story-telling ballads into pop music -- and Nate says they're not even on the same tree: a Taylor Swift song is more of Starbucks frappe. What is the modern ballad? THE MOVIE.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #Jazz #Country #playlist #TaylorSwift #TorturedPoetsDepartment #Swifties #ballads

150: The Great Debate: Art vs Morality & Money (feat. Doug TenNapel)

Canon Press — Tue, 07 May 2024 03:15:00 +0000

Can you name a successful Christian artist living today? Right now, to be a Christian artist means to be not a very good Christian and not a very good artist. Nate and Brian welcome the larger-than-life figure of Doug TenNapel to the SASF show to discuss this problem. Doug T. is a comic artist and video game maker who has pivoted with the times and is now reaching a monthly audience of 17 million+ via his YouTube show, Doug in Exile, where he is known for political noticing. But the guys aren't here to talk about politics -- they want to debate art and Christianity and why so many artists are deviants. Doug tells awful stories about furries: Doug's been calling out perverts in Hollywood since the late 80s, and the furries who just recently started biting kids in public schools are just one more thing that Doug T. foretold. Since artists are the canaries in the world's coal mines, we know things are bad when our artists are crazy. Nate asks Doug to name one successful artist who isn't screwed up. Doug brings up the cave art in Lascaux, and hypothesizes that this early artist might be the only one who didn't sell out. Nate says he tells young Christian kids NOT to join the art world -- books, movies, paintings-- because it's corrupt and will try to chew them up and spit them out. Doug agrees, and then offers his own solution to the twin problems of art vs morality and commerce. Nate wants the Christian artist to know the industry's demands, Doug wants the Christian artist to never think once about what his audience wants. But both of them want to protect young artists from being ramrodded into the machine, and both of them are very indie in their efforts, and so Brian asks Nate and Doug why they have moved on from the publishing world, and the guys argue about whether the goal of art is to innovate. They argue about fine art being experiential or a tradesman-like craft. The crux of the show comes when Nate tells Doug he has a little bit of "follow your heart-ness" in him. Doug objects -- sort of. You'll also hear a bit about Doug's dreams for a cardboard movie, what Nate would work on if he had ten million dollars, how Doug had to give himself grace to make art. And of course you'll hear a bunch of great one lines: "Bulk is still a quality", "Anything worth doing is worth doing badly... so that you can learn to do it goodly," "I can't think of successful Christian artists who didn't sell out," and much more...

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #DougTenNapel #Cardboard #EarthwormJim #BigfootBill #Nnewts #DougInExile #NDWilson #CanonPress #Publishing #Art #DeviantArt #ArtDebate #ChristianArt #ChristianArtists #CavesofLascaux

149: Two Students Defy Columbia Mob

Canon Press — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 20:35:00 +0000

Breaking news: Nate's son Rory is a senior at Columbia University where, late last night (Monday April 29th), a mob of professional protestors advocating intifada and abolition of Israel climbed through dorms and tried take possession of a university building. Only Rory and his friend Charles stood up to bullies at the door of Hamilton Hall, defying hundreds of protestors, some professional antifa types, slinging threats and trying to pull them away with human chains and the crush of the crowd. Nate calls this moment of bravery Rory's "true graduation", and describes how he and his wife couldn't be prouder as parents. When campus security and actual police failed to respond, other Christian friends pulled the students away and the Hall was taken, windows smashed, and the protestors barricaded themselves inside. But the moment -- two calm students facing a mob of masked protestors in shemaghs -- was a perfect example of flipping the script and making a lie of the pro-Palestinian bullies' claim to be the oppressed. Nate and Brian break down the whole event, including how Christians can learn from radicals like Saul Alinsky by applying Doug Wilson's Rules for Reformers. When you see a bully, you shouldn't be doing "wuss calculus" about whether you will win. That kind of math can happen later. To quote Nate's novel Dandelion Fire, "Sometimes standing against evil is more important than defeating it. The greatest heroes stand because it is right to do so, not because they believe they will walk away with their lives. Such selfless courage is a victory in itself." Congratulations on your graduation, Rory!

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #BreakingNews #ColumbiaUniveristy #ProPalestine #Intifada #NDWilson #DouglasWilson #TuckerCarlson #ProudParents

148: Demon Possession

Canon Press — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 23:00:00 +0000

FACE YOUR FEARS: If this week's "Soul Food" discussion is a sandwich, the first slice of bread is advice for helping your children face their fears, the other slice of bread is how moms and dads fail to face their fears as adults, and the mystery meat in the middle is delightful discussion on demon possession, Jesus and Legion and the pigs, why demons seem to hate water, and why exorcisms happen more in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox communities than, say, Presbyterian ones. There's some speculation in that middle section -- but also a dose of biblical interpretation about Jesus as the strong man in Mark 5, and how he fulfils David's story in his rescuing of the demons. You'll also hear why most horror movies are dumb and why it's more helpful to look for scary stuff in Flannery O'Connor's short stories of hypocritical, self-obsessed grownups.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #demons #exorcism #FaceYourFears #FlanneryOConnor

147: Doug on Tucker, Weak Big Eva

Canon Press — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 16:30:00 +0000

Nate and Brian discuss Doug Wilson's gospel-filled appearance on the Tucker Carlson Network. Turns out, this isn't Doug's first big media rodeo, and it makes perfect SASF fodder to discuss the different characters that come out of the woodwork after such an event. The guys discuss the "I don't agree with Doug on everything, but" guy, the "criticize you publicly and beg for private favors" guy, and of course the outright haters vs. the tough-minded allies (we know who you are, SASF kingdom). Oh, and of course the Big Eva folks -- who are actually Tiny Eva -- who are unwilling to mention Doug's name for fear they might get cooties. But we don't care about their tiny walled commune -- because the Gospel is so much bigger. As many a SASF episode does, the conversation launches into a discussion of how not to be a terrible dad who, for example, abdicates on his kids' homeschooling and then blames his wife for the bad result. The episode ends with a classic sign-out: "Go hard, suffer, keep the Sabbath. This has been Stories Are Soul Food."
If you want to listen to the audio of the Doug / Tucker episode, check it out on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3HYgx4GuY9Z8J7o6VKIp0l?si=FM_HhemDRniSQ-WmvE89tw

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #TuckerCarlsonNetwork #TuckerCarlson #DougWilson #BigEva #BadDads

146: Worldview of Stories

Canon Press — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 01:45:00 +0000

This episode starts with a discussion of woke adaptations and ends with a discussion of the unavoidability of fiction in shaping your life. Would Nate be fine with having "woke" elements in a major adaptation of his films? His answer might surprise you. You'll hear war stories about ancestor worship in Hello Ninja (the show), the importance of a team with different strengths, and more war stories from the movie industry. Then they turn their attention to a claim from a pastor that "No work of fiction should ever change our worldview. As a Christian, my worldview is shaped by Scripture alone." Turns out, the Bible is full of stories, and (cue the Grey Havens opening music) -- STORIES ARE SOUL FOOD. How you handle the stories of the Bible will determine how you handle your own life stories. Try to get away from modernist thinking and start thinking like Solomon: add instead of remove. The episode ends with a strong endorsement of a life of imagination.
#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #HelloNinja #Netflix #imagination #metaphors #ScriptureAlone #WorldviewOfStories

145: Shawshank Revisited (SASF LAMP Club)

Canon Press — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 20:00:00 +0000

Would you say Shawshank Redemption is "a movie with a happy ending"? Years ago as a young husband, that's what Brian picked to watch when his wife made a request for just such a film with a happy ending. (Spoiler: Shawshank Redemption was not the kind of movie she had meant.) For this momentous 145th episode, and the first ever LAMPC pick WITH CLIPS FROM THE MOVIE INCLUDED IN THE EPISODE (go watch it on Canon+, people), the guys discuss a movie this film that was a box-office failure upon release, and has since climbed into the upper echelons of film conversations. Brian asks Nate about its popular appeal. Nate surmises why it flopped upon release, and makes suggestions for improving that release (if given a time machine). Brian fails at describing Andy Dufresne's character flaw. Nate avoids talking about Stephen King, who wrote the original story. They discuss how Christians interpret movies wrong (Andy giving the 12 prisoners beer on the roof is the Last Supper) and how atheists do the same thing (Zihuatanejo is a Nietzschean paradise beyond guilt and innocence!). Enjoy!

#LAMPC #LookAtMovingPicturesClub #SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #ShawshankRedemption

144: Dune 2: Making Chani Great

Canon Press — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 23:00:00 -0100

Prepare yourself for the Dune-versation! (Sorry.) The guys liked Dune 2 and Denis Villeneuve proved that he "got" what made Dune great. But of course, the fun of a movie discussion is often in what you hate: Brian really disliked pouty Zendaya and the northern "modernist" Fremen. But Nate says there was nothing wrong with Chani's character that couldn't be fixed (and in fact, an amazing character might exist on the cutting room floor). If only Paul had chosen to implicate Chani in his decision to become Lisan al-Gaib, instead of relying on the deus ex machina of her saving him! They discuss scenes that were great (opening scene), scenes that fell flat (Feyd Ratha fight), prophecies, and everything in between (Frank Herbert's obsession with peyote and Lawrence of Arabia). The guys also announce the next LAMPC (Shawshank Redemption), how the Boys in a Boat movie was fine on its own but really disappointing if you had read the book, and how we live in a place where airplanes have their wheels fall off mid-flight.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #Dune #Dune2 #Zendaya #Chani #FrankHerbert #LisanAlGaib #Stilgar

143: Harold's Conversion in Chariots of Fire (SASF LAMP Club)

Canon Press — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0100

In this episode you'll get to hear Nate sing (!) the unofficial English national anthem "Jerusalem"... but there's lots more: In England 1924, the sport of "sprinting" is in tension between faith and secularism, amateurism and the pros, and the nation versus world. Chariots of Fire is a tale of two athletes making their mark in this moment, and the SASF guys discuss this classic sports film. First thing to note is that Eric Liddell is actually not fulfilling the role of the protagonist in this story. It's Harold Abrahams's character arc that resolves -- putting Liddell in the role of "side" character. Second thing to note is that Harold's conversion is what allows his character to resolve -- although Brian brings up a rabbit who views Harold as a villain for just that reason. The guys discuss the iconic music, adaptations that aren't strictly accurate, Scipio Africanus Mussabini, what an emotionally sabotaging villain Eric Liddell's sister was and how he didn't respond to her correctly, Eric's faithfulness up to his death in a Japanese internment camp, and much more.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #LAMPC #LookAtMovingPicturesClub #ChariotsOfFire #EricLiddell #HaroldAbrahams #England #Blake

142: Real Life Comedy

Canon Press — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 15:30:00 -0100

As regular listeners know, Nate is a high school basketball coach, and for the first half of this episode he updates the SASF crowd with all travail his team has gone through -- the worst having to do with lies being told about his guys. This leads to valuable lessons for these young men, and has amply demonstrated their theme for the season, which Nate has taken from Romans 5: Hardship is not glory in itself, but great glory only comes through hardship. After this the guys move on to a discussion of comedy. Brian suggests Nate doesn't use humor in his fiction-- Nate is very displeased. An enjoyable discussion follows as the guys move on to critiquing Marvel.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #Comedy #Basketball #Coaching

141: The Most Interesting Man

Canon Press — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 17:30:00 -0100

Did you think we were dead? Brian apologizes for the long break between episodes and Nate does not. They then open the new year with a banger about being boring. Let's face it... most of us don't live what could be called "interesting" lives. We don't travel extensively, kill and then circumcise dead Philistines, explore new continents, build spaceships -- and yet, perhaps the most commonly given piece of SASF advice is BE AN INTERESTING CHARACTER. Are we all failing to live like King David, like Cyrus Smith, like Huck Finn? The answer is actually yes. The guys dig into the discussion of what it means to be interesting. And it starts with being interested.

#MostInterestingManintheWorld #SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #Characters #Fiction #parenting #insects #RiotAndtheDance

140: Dressing Like Vader

Canon Press — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 10:00:00 -0100

What should parents do if their six-year-old son wants to dress up like one of the most murderous bad guys, Darth Vader? It's fine -- and the key lies in a weakness in the story itself: Luke is a vanilla protagonist (at least until he gets his own robot hand). 2D good guys aren't inspiring to your kids? Why should they be? That's most often a problem with the story itself...because, after all, stories are soul food. The bigger issue would be if you had a son who wasn't at all interested in swinging a light saber and saying "koooh-prrrrh." Of course, there are some checks and balances to this process, especially as your kids get older. You'll hear plenty more on this topic as the guys spend a pleasant hour not discussing Les Mis.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #DarthVader #StarWars #MerryChristmas #NDWilson #PaintItBlack #vanilla #2DCharacters

139: Les Mis is Lying to You

Canon Press — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 23:30:00 -0100

Brian reads the hate-mail after SASF fired a few shots at Les Miserables. For some reason, Les Mis has become untouchable: one guy wrote that critics like Brian and Nate "will miss God's grace, for they do not have the capacity to receive it." Always willing to hear criticism themselves, the SASF guys take the opportunity to dive into Les Mis on a much deeper level, and eviscerate it in its own words. Not to overstate things, but Les Mis is teaching you to rely solely on your emotions. The vehicle for it is a heart-forward story, full of sentimental schlock and holy victimhood, and you need to inoculate yourself against its appeal. Only then can you enjoy the parts that are catchy and enjoyable (the songs, Valjean's forgiveness). After all, it's okay for you to enjoy things... once you can see where they're messing with you. The guys also perform a SASF emergency surgery on Les Miserables to determine what changes could make it good -- and they settle on Valjean being actively on the side of the government's troops. Imagine what could have been...

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #LesMiserables #InoculationStation #MerryChristmas #NDWilson #VictorHugo #LesMis #hatemail #LesMisIsLying

138: Dark Christmas Stories, Onan the Embarrassed

Canon Press — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 23:15:00 -0100

As longtime fans may remember, it's a Christmas tradition here at the SASF headquarters to take the worst Bible Stories and turn them into Christmas fodder... because that's what they are: they are the dark before the Light came down at Bethlehem two thousand and twenty-seven years ago. Today Nate chooses the tragedy of Onan and weaves it into the Advent story. We hope this SASF episode will help you read the Old Testament better. Merry Christmas!

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #Onan #DarkChristmasStories #MerryChristmas #TheLightCameDown #MessianicLine

137: The Holiness of Victimhood

Canon Press — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:54:00 -0100

Christmas is coming, so as a gift Brian lights the fuse and Nate destroys Dickens and Les Miserables. But first, the guys discuss whether “It’s a Wonderful Life” mishandles George Bailey’s depression -- does the movie pat him on the back and tell him what a good boy he is, when it should be handling his sin more roughly? (The answer is the movie handled it well). However, to be fair, Nate then sets off on a tirade against the more saccharine elements of the movie, which leads into a natural discussion of Charles Dickens’ strengths and weaknesses from “Tale of Two Cities” to “David Copperfield” and “A Christmas Carol.” Turns out, despite his characters, his work is mostly weaknesses -- could Brian edit them to be better in a editions titled “Dickens But Good” (trademark?). The guys review the truism that Tiny Tim is a really odious character, and then move on to Victor Hugo, concluding this fantastic Advent episode with a demolition of Les Miserables the musical, including its approach to justice and sacrifice, its deification of victims, and its catchiness. If Stories Are Soul Food podcast had to diagnose the disease that most evangelicals have, SASF would say they’re sick with the idea that victimhood is holy.
#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #LesMiserable #ItsAWonderfulLife #CharlesDickens #AChristmasCarol #TaleOfTwoCities #DavidCopperfield #LesMiserables #VictorHugo #MerryChristmas

136: Bringing Watership Down to Life

Canon Press — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 17:40:00 -0100

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...

135: Girly Sports

Canon Press — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 23:00:00 -0100

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

134: Picking Fights

Canon Press — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 23:10:00 -0100

The nice part about living in Moscow, ID is that you get pickled in conflict, meaning you start to become immune to troubles that stress other people out. And it's key that you teach your kids to be comfortable being different -- and being seen as disagreeable. A great way to do that is through -- cue the Gray Havens theme music -- stooooooooories (they are soul food, after all). Brian corners Nate for a discussion of some key stories for parenting: when do you decide to work with someone you disagree with, and when do you decide to throw down? As a Protestant, how do you work with Romanists -- and vice versa? The guys discuss misbehaving in college -- Nate has been thrown out of three classrooms and the stories are juicy. They also discuss the dangers of being fearful parents, and the dangers of presumptive parents. An all-around great episode.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #MoscowID #Conflict #College

133: Alejandro Monteverde's Sound of Freedom (SASF LAMP Club)

Canon Press — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 13:00:00 +0000

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

132: Israeli Wars & Star Wars

Canon Press — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 18:30:00 +0000

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

131: Dystopia and a Forbidden Child

Canon Press — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 19:00:00 +0000

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

130: Sad Exvangelicals

Canon Press — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Secular media is enthralled with exvangelicals... those former evangelicals who post some variation of "I've just been asking a lot of questions lately, and I've realized that organized religion doesn't have all the answers." Of course, turns out that "unanswered question" is usually the Problem of Evil... and every last Christian has had to answer the P.O.E. since the time of Adam. But investigating apostasy is helpful for other reasons as well, and Brian asks Nate about the storylines for such characters -- Jon Ward, Joshua Harris, Derek Webb, Glennon Doyle, and others being recent tragic examples. Turns out evil does not present a logical problem for Christians -- but it does present an emotional one. And the truth is, when you're clinging to sin, no matter how large, you've only got two choices: drop it and come to Jesus, or clutch it tight and try to remove your tender conscience from the Holy Spirit. And that's the exvangelical problem in a nutshell.

#StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF #NDWilson #Exvangelicals #Evangelicals #Christians #ProblemOfEvil #POE #apostasy #repentandbelieve #JesusChrist #JoshuaHarris #DerekWebb #EnlightenMe #RachelMartin #JonWard #GlennonDoyle

129: Be a Black Sheep

Canon Press — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 15:30:00 +0000

Is it a bad thing to be a black sheep? The answer used to be yes (a horde of shrieking Disney movies to the contrary). But after the 2020 shutdowns, our world has gone mad, and the SASF guys think every kid needs to learn how to be a black sheep. What does that look like? Be a sheep who's out of step with the status quo; willing to joyfully devote your life to working, worshipping, and having a family, no matter how many people say boo. To further this goal, the SASF pod welcomes illustrator Forrest Dickison, who just finished drawing your kids' new favorite character, Blah Blah Black Sheep. Blah Blah is a lamb who can't baa (he "blaaahs" instead), and the rest of the flock does not appreciate his boundless energy, curiosity, and desire to fight. Will Blah Blah's aunts realize too late that SOMEBODY needs to able to fight coyotes? (Blah Blah Black Sheep releases this October in a new rhyming children's book written by N.D. Wilson and published by Canonball Books). The Stories Are Soul Food podcast wants kids to distinguish between the "Rebels Without a Cause" and the healthy, happy black sheep -- because the world needs more of the real kind. You also get to add the phrase "Chestertonian Outlaw" to your vocabulary, and hear a discussion of Starlink, Papua New Guinea, and Forrest being an insufferable artist (it's his job). Stock up on the Blah Blah preorder special at blahblahkids.com.

#StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF #NDWilson #ForrestDickison #BlahBlahBlackSheep #BlahBlah #BeABlackSheep #BlackSheep #CanonballBooks

128: The Director's Fault

Canon Press — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 23:30:00 +0000

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

127: Short Stories

Canon Press — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 00:05:00 +0000

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

126: Rich Men North of Richmond

Canon Press — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 01:30:00 +0000

Oliver Anthony's unexpectedly viral song "Rich Men North of Richmond" provides the fodder for this week's SASF as the guys discuss how rural Idahoans have more in common with the inhabitants of the inner city than they do with rich, white, Republican suburbs (or Washington, D.C.). The overnight success of a song simply speaking truth is a good example of how to use stories to unite huge groups of people -- another instance of the Tucker Carlson and Ice Cube phenomenon. The guys also discuss criticism of the song from Christianity Today to National Review Online. However, the song's popularity is also a great picture of Americans uniting in the face of those who want to take control by dividing us -- that's the origin of the phrase "divide and conquer." Yes, they discuss the bad words he uses, and how he can avoid becoming a one-hit wonder, and how he can make sure his life's work isn't squandered. (Also: This is also your last chance to get questions in for the "Sound of Freedom" Look at Moving Picture Club episode. You can email by subscribing at canonpress.com/sasf or message on Facebook.)

#StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF #OliverAnthony #RichMen #RichMenNorthofRichmond #viralsong #BillboardTop100 #politics #TuckerCarlson #IceCube

125: Childhood's Lost Years

Canon Press — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 23:30:00 +0000

The guys jump from Percy Jackson into a discussion of child actors (it kinda makes sense, we promise). Then they really find their groove at Nate describes how he maxed his credit cards to make memories when it mattered, how he was approaching the possibility of dying during brain surgery, and how to make moments "last" for your children -- or, on the contrary, how to lose entire years of childhood. Don't forget to be watching "Sound of Freedom" for this month's LAMPC!

#StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF #Parenting #NDWilson #PercyJackson

124: Bad Women of Scripture

Canon Press — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 22:15:00 +0000

Are you uncomfortable with the stories of Esther and Tamar, two women of Scripture who manipulated powerful men's sexual desire as part of their strategies? Was that "wrong" of them to do? To get the answer to this question, we've got to look at the stories: How does God talk about these two ladies? Turns out they're both described as virtuous heroines who saved the entire human race -- if Esther and Tamar hadn't had the "courage of their convictions", the Messianic line would have failed. God's storytelling always messes with our preconceived notions -- Tamar, for example, is the first woman listed in the New Testament. Learning to read the stories of the Bible correctly is the point of saying "Stories Are Soul Food." Oh, and speaking of uncomfortable stories, the next Look at Moving Pictures Club (LAMPC) pick is Angel Studio's "Sound of Freedom," by popular request. Get to the theater and watch the indie film that beat Indiana Jones.

#StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF #Esther #Tamar #MessianicLine #ReadtheStory #UncomfortableBibleStories #SoundofFreedom #AngelStudios #LAMPC

123: Pretentious Peter Jackson's LOTR

Canon Press — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 22:00:00 +0000

Some have accused Brian of being pretentious. More have accused Nate of pretension. But the most have accused SASF of being "pretentious" when they criticize Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings. The guys set out to dispel the myth of pretension and to answer charges leveled against them fairly and honestly. Yes, thirteen-year-old Brian loved Aragorn hacking orcs. However, if you don't understand why PJ's LOTR would make Tolkien vomit, listen to this episode. Ep. 123 also functions as a follow-up to earlier episodes on taste and sophistication. Plus you'll get solid reasons for what the movies did well (Gandalf, Gollum, setting), what they did poorly (Aragorn, Frodo, Tony-Hawk Legolas, oliphaunts, the Dead), and what they did abysmally (Faramir, Eowyn, no cleansing of the Shire) -- and why they get graded harder for it. All around a fun episode about why Brian and Nate refuse to bury this particular hatchet.

#LOTR #LordoftheRings #SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #Aragorn #Legolas #Tolkien #JRRTolkien #TheHobbit #Gandalf #Gollum #PeterJackson #WetaWorkshops

122: Courage Not Apathy

Canon Press — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 20:30:00 +0000

You must approach the crazy moment we're living in right now with courage, determination, and a breadth of skills. Unfortunately, many young people and adults around the country have chosen apathy instead. The SASF guys take on another studio audience of more than a hundred high schoolers visiting Moscow for New Saint Andrews College's Called Conference. They start with some (gentle) teasing of novel pitches the students sent in for consideration and then move on to the meat of the discussion: comparing the difference between David and Samuel (a king of Israel and the faithful prophet who anointed him) with Jeroboam and Abijah (another king of Israel and the faithful prophet who anointed him). David remained faithful to God over the course of his life, and Jeroboam led the northern kingdom astray. What do you do with the fact that there's a clock above your head, counting down the days left in your life? How do you seize the moment you're in? What happens when you see someone lose their leg in a car wreck, as Nate just did?

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #NSA #NewSaintAndrewsCollege #MoscowID #CalledConference

121: Ask SASF

Canon Press — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 22:15:00 +0000

New Saint Andrews College hosts the SASF podcast with a live studio audience of a hundred and fifty high schoolers visiting Moscow for NSA's Called Conference. The kids take full advantage of the opportunity, asking questions ranging from "what do I do if my friend has been working on a novel for eight years and won't show anybody" to "why do Peter Jackson's LOTR movies suck" and many other pressing questions.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #NSA #NewSaintAndrewsCollege #MoscowID #CalledConference

120: Directing "Escape from Pretoria" (SASF LAMP Club)

Canon Press — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Huge excitement for this episode as the guys have up-and-coming director Francis Annan on to discuss his movie "Escape from Pretoria" (which all must watch...really, do it!). Francis describes what it was like to get the film made, including challenges from local governments to talent and, ultimately, to a virus shutting theaters down four days into his movie's launch. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as do most things given by a good Father. This episode is extra long as the conversation covers all steps of the directing process, from inspiration to adapting from a book to working with A-list talent like Daniel Radcliffe and the real-life heroes behind the film. You'll find that there was a conscious decision behind everything the film portrays. And you'll hear the real-life pressure-cooker situation behind shooting the infamous "gum" scene.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #FrancisAnnan #EscapefromPretoria #SASFLAMPC #director #directing

119: Big Happy Mob Families

Canon Press — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 22:00:00 +0000

The guys discuss gangsters today, specifically the Godfather and why there's something compelling about the big happy Italian mob families portrayed -- at least until the murders start. But first: Nate's kids correct Brian's error that Jojo Rabbit won an Oscar. It was only nominated -- Parasite won in 2019. At this point, the guys wander into a discussion of violent portions of world history, foraying into ancient Israel and King David. Brian recently finished "Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy, and explains why that book was so unpleasant and violent (it's about the Glanton gang of scalp-hunters on the Tex-Mex border). Nate never wants an episode to be too unobjectionable, so they stray into a discussion of why Untouchables is such a loser of a movie -- Elliot Ness/Kevin Costner is killing people over alcohol? And we thought our current tyranny was bad... Lest this episode be too Italian, the guys mix Ireland into the discussion with "Banshees of Inisherin" and "The Irishman" (also nominated for an Oscar in 2019).

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #gangsters #Godfather #BloodMeridian #violence #AlCapone #Untouchables #Italians #Irishman (edited)

118: Kids Are Characters Too

Canon Press — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 21:00:00 +0000

Why do you discipline your kids? What happens when your kids aren't characters you like? Ultimately it means YOU aren't being a good character. This SASF discussion ventures into the fraught world of parenting for a discussion of when kids are in control, when your home tiptoes so that one kid doesn't get upset, and why your kids should be well-behaved -- so that you can do awesome things with them. There are also stories containing tears and blood, and advice on how to deal with adults who aren't great characters either.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #characters #writing #parenting #discipline

117: Jojo Rabbit (SASF LAMP Club)

Canon Press — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 22:00:00 +0000

This episode begins with something you probably missed in Jojo Rabbit -- and it answers the question "what's up with Yorki?" Brian thinks he has figured it out: The answer is that Adolf isn't the only imaginary character in Jojo Rabbit -- Yorki is also only in Jojo's head. Listen to the arguments and see if Nate is convinced. This episode is how to handle holocaust in stories, exaggeration and characterization, the strengths of caricature and its weaknesses, and why Taika Waititi chose this subject and this way of telling his story. For a movie that's so funny, Jojo Rabbit packs quite an emotional punch, set up perfectly with shoelaces. Yes, the guys also discuss the fabulous Klinzendorf, Taika's mockery of pre-WW2 Germany, and how in the world Taika thought of ending the movie with a David Bowie dance scene. If, like the guys, you grew up watching WW2 movies (Schindler's List, Boy with the Striped Pajamas, Inglorious Basterds, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, etc.) or reading WW2 books like All the Light We Cannot See, The Book Thief, or Snow Treasure, this episode will be a great listen.

#JojoRabbit #Yorki #imaginaryfriends #TaikaWaititi #SchindlersList #BoywiththeStripedPajamas #IngloriousBasterds #SavingPrivateRyan #BandofBrothers #AlltheLightWeCannotSee #TheBookThief

116: The Jesus Revolution (SASF LAMP Club)

Canon Press — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 21:30:00 +0000

The start of this episode, as the guys suggest improvements to Narnia, when you should be fine with a dad bod, and that time Nate almost died, is not to be missed. They also touch base on parenting submissive but fearless boys, when not working out is a good sacrifice (and when it's lazy), postmillennialism, and why the Narnia Chronicles as as series would be "much better" if "The Last Battle" was a better book. Then they finally get to the long-awaited Jesus Revolution episode: What is a "faith film"? What do "Chariots of Fire" and "Jesus Revolution" and Terrence Malick have in common? How is Jesus Rev organized? What's up with Lonnie Frisbee? How does the Spirit work in times of chaos, and does God care about the carpets? How can organizations use young people? How can hippies and squares co-exist? Ultimately Jesus Revolution is the story of parents reconciling with their children when they both find the Truth: because He is powerful.

#JesusRevolution #ChariotsofFire #NDWilson #sasf #StoriesAreSoulFood #SasfLampC #watchingmovies #filmcriticism #TerrenceMalick #Narnia #TheLastBattle #CSLewis

115: The Worst Murder Mysteries

Canon Press — Wed, 24 May 2023 21:20:00 +0000

Brian argues that murder mysteries are the worst genre for doing what literature does best. Nate disagrees, and the guys launch a discussion of whodunnits (which are actually a favorite reading snack of both). You'll learn why Agatha Christie isn't re-readable, how Father Brown is like a fig newton at your grandmas, what happens at the intersection of good and evil, why Raymond Chandler is one of the top writers in English; why detectives are so often atheists (it has to be that way if you don't want an incredibly devout protagonist!). And yes, you'll also hear which genre(s) Nate thinks are actually the worst.

#sasf #storiesaresoulfood #AgathaChristie #RaymondChandler #FatherBrown #SherlockHolmes #murdermysteries #lotr #twokingdoms #ndwilson

114: Gospel of Winning

Canon Press — Wed, 17 May 2023 22:45:00 +0000

Do we win down here? And what does winning look like? We'll tell you what it doesn't mean: holding on to your own life, and your own happiness, until they're pried from your fingers. But is it accurate to say we "lose" here on earth -- but win ultimately in heaven? The guys use MacArthur bashing on postmillennialism as a jumping off point to discuss an optimistic eschatology vs a Viking eschatology, what kind of story the Lord of the Rings would be if Frodo had had his throat cut by an orc, why Christians think it's prideful to talk about "winning" on earth, and -- finally -- how to actually win, because we serve a Lord who DID win, and wants us to follow in his footsteps. MacArthur has done a ton of winning vs mask tyrants, and he illustrates a wonderful truth: that "Christ is Lord" is the reason you have kids, start businesses, go on vacations, host block parties, and much more. Truth is, winning looks like sitting on a throne on top of a pile of skulls. And one of the best ways to behead an enemy is to convert him.

#sasf #storiesaresoulfood #MacArthur #wewindownhere #christislord #merechristendom #lotr #twokingdoms #ndwilson #graceagenda

113: Puke or Pass Out

Canon Press — Wed, 10 May 2023 20:15:00 +0000

PSA: The LAMPC discussion for Jesus Revolution got postponed a week (sorry, it's almost like Jon Erwin is busy or something). In the meantime.... Puke or pass out: Ah, the joys of spring sports! Nate coaches track, BK coaches little kid rugby, and life lessons abound. The takeaway is that both boys and girls should be playing spring sports. Nate can't remember any individual moments from his school education, but can remember a multitude from high school sports. Brian thinks Nate must have been a very different kind of student. The guys discuss how good it is to have unhinged parents screaming at your kid on the basketball court. They discuss how good it is to be made to puke. They also discuss the dangers of being obsessed with sports. All around, another good time is had on the SASF podcast. A final PSA: Send in your Jojo Rabbit questions sooner rather than later to brian+sasf@canonpress.com, so we can be sure to see them before we record.

#StoriesAreSoulFood #sasf #sports #football #basketball #JojoRabbit

112: Breaking Bad Fanboys

Canon Press — Mon, 01 May 2023 18:35:00 +0000

LAMP Club is postponed a week because John Erwin, director of "Jesus Revolution", is coming on the SASF pod next week to discuss the movie himself! So in the meantime: You might remember that Nate had thrown out some reckless bait about Breaking Bad. A few bold listeners pushed back: Surely Breaking Bad isn't so very Bad, is it? The guys dig into the nuts and bolts of Christian artistic appreciation: the responsorial tier (what does the audience do with what they've watched), the aesthetic tier (how well or poorly is it made), and the objective tier (does God like it). You'll find such a system of criticism maps perfectly onto the classical trifecta of the true, the good, and the beautiful. So how does that apply to Breaking Bad? Listen to find out. Hint: It doesn't look like hosting a Breaking Bad party with rock candy in place of meth, as some Christians have done. The guys also discuss the next LAMP Club pick, which will be Taika Waititi's "Jojo Rabbit."

#StoriesAreSoulFood #sasf #BreakingBad #JojoRabbit

111: Tell Your Life Story

Canon Press — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 16:15:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered why God makes it so much easier to remember a novel than, say, your own memories? He appears to put a priority on received or secondhand experience (think of his blessing and admonition to Doubting Thomas). This SASF launches off into a discussion of how to interview your own (elderly) relatives, and why you should do that sooner rather than later. Then you get advice on telling your own (real) stories to your own kids, and musings on problems with being human, mostly about why our memories are so spotty. Don't forget to be watching Jesus Revolution for next week's LAMP Club -- and of course to be posting a review to iTunes or Facebook that makes Nate cry.

#sasf #StoriesAreSoulFood #memory #novels #ancestors #relatives #FourQuartets

110: Spirited Away by SASF

Canon Press — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 01:45:00 +0000

Time to discuss a movie that's on both Brian and Nate's Top-10 list: Studio Ghibli's "Spirited Away." (Consider this a bonus LAMPC, because Nate won't let it be a real one.) But first, a quick follow-up from a listener regarding Slumdog Millionaire: Does Salim's sacrifice make him a Jesus figure? To help answer this, remember the SASF rule that if you can't understand WHY a villain did what they did, they're a cardboard character (i.e., bad). Next, let's address the elephant in the room: Is Spirited Away too weird to be good? What's with the pig transformation and the jumping heads and the big baby and the stink spirit? Don't get caught looking at the ornamentation of the story -- Spirited Away is Japanese art layered on top of western story structure. The combo is wholesome enough for parenting lessons. And what's even better, Miyazaki also has the film work as a post-war investigation of Japan -- all set in a spirit bathhouse. Last teaser: one of Nate's favorite stills in all of cinematography is in this movie.

#sasf #StoriesAreSoulFood #SpiritedAway #Miyazaki #StudioGhibli #stinkspirit #bathhouse

109: Admitting You Have Bad Taste

Canon Press — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 23:30:00 +0000

The first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one -- and you do: You've got bad taste. Inspired by That One Review which accuses SASF of being overly arrogant in subjective areas, Brian asks Nate how many bad takes are just because a person has bad taste. (We won't spoil the answer for you.) The guys discuss how to fix bad taste, and this begins with NOT treating your own preferences as the standard. To treat yourself as the judge, W.H. Auden argues, is to have the artistic judgment of a child. The solution to bad taste begins with zealously copying the biggest Creator in everything he does. And until you make that commitment, your own artistic judgments are always going to feel lackluster and uninspired. Furthermore, then you can actually KNOW what God thinks of a piece of art. Unfortunately, its these sorts of objective claims about subjective art that make people mad at SASF. So, in retaliation, please send a review that will make Nate cry (with cheerfulness, or anger). Also the next LAMPC pick is "Jesus Revolution."

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #objectivity #art #subjectivity #taste #judgment #art

108: Slumdog Millionaire (SASF LAMP Club)

Canon Press — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 23:00:00 +0000

It's time for the second every LAMP Club -- and we know you enjoyed/suffered through "Slumdog Millionaire" as much as we did. But first, Nate has a tragic story about airports and the coming collapse of our workforce (if you're not in the mood for airport depression, skip to minute 29:46 for the start of the LAMP discussion). "Slumdog" cleaned up awards and money in equal measure, and it's easy to see why. The story of two brothers is a compelling one -- but each brother has a problem. What does the movie want you to think about their relationship? Is it a problem that this movie deals with tragedy and yet doesn't take itself seriously? What about the Bollywood soundtrack? Turns out joy in the midst of pain is deeply human. The guys dive deep in the second ever Look At Moving Pictures Club.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #SlumdogMillionaire #Lion #Bollywood #LAMPClub

107: The Pets Episode

Canon Press — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 10:00:00 +0000

The question is simple: Do you want to be like God? If so, you need to buy your kids a pet, because He filled a world with 'em. (Is it that simple? Listen to find out.) You'll meet a billion garter snakes in this episode along with Timothy the Owl, Odd the Mouse (tragedy of sentimentality there), Scout the Beagle, Rosalind the Tortoise, that green vine snake that tried to take a piece out of Nate, and several of Brian's failed wildlife experiments. The guys have fun in this episode telling stories about various and sundry snakes, birds, dogs, tortoises, rats, and other pets they encountered.

#NDWilson #Sasf #storiesaresoulfood #Pets #DominionMandate #Mice #Beagles #Owls #Snakes

106: The Problem of Solomon's Inheritance

Canon Press — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 19:30:00 -0100

You want lessons for life? Meditate on the book of Kings. Stories are soul food, even (especially?) when they're true. Brian asks Nate about Solomon and a recent claim which suggested we might not see King Solomon in heaven. The guys reframe the discussion of Solomon's story into a lesson for parents and also for leaders of any institution: How do you get your children -- or your successors -- to appreciate what you suffered to give them, when they didn't have to suffer to get it? An added bonus you didn't know you wanted: You get to find out Brian's favorite editor in the Bible.

#NDWilson #Sasf #storiesaresoulfood #Solomon #Rehoboam #Kings #KingDavid #inheritance #succession

105: Soul Food Smorgasbord

Canon Press — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0100

Find out next Month's LAMP Club movie pick within the first thirty seconds of this podcast. And then stay for a delightful discussion of the Prince of Egypt and why Nate wrote a story called "The Rise and Fall of Circumcision"; why Lewis's wood between the worlds kicks the multiverse's butt; why time travel is possible and how you can pray in light of it; why the end of Prince Caspian is weird but awesome; why vampires are lame; how JK Rowling could have ruined The Prisoner of Azkaban; and more in this SASF smorgasbord. Sign up for our mailing list at canonpress.com/sasf and send any more questions we need to answer.

#NDWilson #SasfLamp #Sasf #storiesaresoulfood #PrinceofEgypt #smorgasbord

104: The Fabelmans (SASF LAMP Club)

Canon Press — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 22:55:00 -0100

Find out how good you are at movies! We know you've all watched the Fabelmans (or you thought about watching it really hard). Some of you have sent in questions -- and one or two complaints. Now it's time to have the first inaugural Look at Moving Pictures Club with Brian and Nate. Questions about Spielberg's masterpiece will be answered such as: 1) Is this a masterpiece?; 2) Is Mitsi or Burt worse (depends); 3) Does this movie advise you to follow your heart? (Absolutely not); 4) why is the famous director John Ford in this movie?; and 5) Is Uncle Boris correct when he says "art will tear you apart"? (this is the million dollar question).

#thefabelmans #SasfLamp #Sasf #Spielberg #JohnFord #dontfollowyourheart #storiesaresoulfood #ndwilson

103: Giving Sons Aggression

Canon Press — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 23:30:00 -0100

This episode begins with an update on Gabe Rench and the City of Moscow getting swatted by a federal judge -- expensively. Not every victory comes quickly, and we can learn from this long, slow slog. The guys meander from this moment into an excellent discussion on training sons to be aggressive. This is done best through STORY. Nate and Brian mix sports stories into a discussion of how to train your sons to be aggressive in the right way: how to hit hard in a culture that hates hard-hitting men. Much food for parenting here.

#parenting #aggression #boys #fatherhood #storiesaresoulfood #ndwilson #basketball #sasf #storiesaresoulfood

102: Adrenaline Junkies

Canon Press — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 20:38:00 -0100

The guys discuss a typological observation which compared Noah to Christ -- and did so terribly. This leads into an interesting discussion of biblical types and anti-types -- and how to tell if such an observation is worth anything. Nate explains why we should be the flood, not the Ark: the Benedict Option misreads the Noah story. Then the guys move on to dangerous careers like bull-riding and mountain-climbing. Are dangerous professions acceptable for men? And how can a wife sabotage a man with a dangerous career? The answers depend on the story they’re in...

101: Severance Szn

Canon Press — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 22:32:00 -0100

It's Severance SZN! Like many in the Canon office, Brian watched Ben Stiller's new show "Severance" and, amidst the story-grip that Severance caused, has many questions...mostly having to do with goats. Nate answers them emphatically as usual -- and this provides viewers with a nice lesson in thematic film-viewing. (Think of it as a sneak-peek at the SASF LAMP club viewing of "The Fabelmans" coming at the end of February...you can now subscribe the SASF newsletter to be notified.) There will be some SPOILERS in this episode, so be an adult about your spoiled expectations. "Severance" feels like a show that exists in the same universe as "That Hideous Strength" -- if it were written by Christians. But there's an argument to be made for it being an apostasy story. You will enjoy.

#Severance #BenStiller #ThatHideousStrength #SASF #NDWilson

100: The Big Announcement

Canon Press — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 21:06:00 -0100

Brian bothers Nate with balloons for the big episode (and a big pod announcement). Happy ONE HUNDREDTH birthday to SASF! How does that math check out? Well, folks, listen to find out.... But before we get to the big announcement, the guys heard from enough of you regarding A.I. and ChatGPT that they spend awhile de-fanging your objections to last episode. Then -- you get to find out about the SASF LAMP. Want to know what that acronym means? Well, folks, listen to find out....

#ArtificialIntelligence #AI #ChatGPT #SASF #MovingPictureClub #LAMP #HappyBirthday

99: The Real Trouble with A.I.

Canon Press — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 17:10:00 -0100

You may have seen the new robot making waves: ChatGPT is sort of a glorified search engine which (who??) can perform detailed reasoning and compose answers to complicated topics. For example, it can give researched, chapter-length answers to questions like "Explain quantum computing in simple terms" or "Explain why 'The End of the Affair' a classic -- and use scholarly sources." This raises many questions -- mostly about so-called "artificial intelligence" and creativity. To explore these, Brian tries to get the robot to write a never-before-seen N.D. Wilson novel, and the results are hilarious: prepare to be dazzled by "The Last Mortician." (Spoiler: Nate was not dazzled.) But the discussion wends its way to the real problem behind technology such as Tesla's self-driving cars and robot policedogs -- the idea that humans aren't involved from start to finish. There is no such thing as Artificial Intelligence -- we're puppeting ourselves at this point. At least there's no such thing, Nate argues, until the demons get into the system.

#ArtificialIntelligence #AI #ChatGPT #Tesla #Puppets #Computers #creativity #technology

98: The Messiah in Manhattan

Canon Press — Mon, 26 Dec 2022 10:00:00 -0100

Merry Christmas! Nate tells Brian about a recent trip to Manhattan and the experience of watching Handel's Messiah at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Mecca for aspiring secular artists. The guys break down the universal, global appeal of the performance and what it means for Christian art. Contrary to some claims, what makes "Christian" art good or bad is not whether the Christian message is too overt. After all, Handel's Messiah is straight Scripture. It's whether that art -- overtly Christian or not -- sets a benchmark for excellence that even god-haters will recognize and applaud. Graham Greene and Flannery O'Connor provide more examples for this important discussion.

#Christmas #MerryChristmas #Advent #TheMessiah #Handel #ChristianArt #GrahamGreene #FlanneryOConnor

97: Why Tiny Tim is the Worst

Canon Press — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 19:02:00 -0100

Warming to a familiar SASF theme, the guys discuss why Die Hard is, indisputably, a Christmas movie. But first, they discuss the Grinch, and why we like him more than Cindy-Lou Hoo, and why Tiny Tim is so very annoying, and many other Christmas movies (usually filtered to a greater or lesser degree). Christmas is ultimately the story of subversion -- not to be confused with perversion -- and understanding that is the true spirit of Christmas.

#Christmas #MerryChristmas #Advent #ChristmasMovies #DieHard #Elf #Spirited #TheChristmasCarol #subversion

96: Tell the Truth about Noah (for Christmas)

Canon Press — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 19:29:00 -0100

Nate wishes you Merry Christmas by means of a New Saint Andrews video he narrated, titled "Let Joy Erupt" (listen to it in this episode). After the rush of appearing in that video's B-roll with his family, Brian opens up about his sense of style being criticized as "hipster trad" by one of the video's critics. A discussion of what it's actually like to live in the Pacific Northwest ensues -- there are wolves and coyotes. This allows Brian to segue into a discussion of whether Noah and Jacob were "not really very good people," as per Twitter, and to talk with Nate about how best to tell the stories of the Patriarchs to your children when, for example, you celebrate Advent with a Jesse Tree.

#Christmas #MerryChristmas #Advent #JesseTree #Noah #OldTestament #PrimevalSaints

95: Fail Forward

Canon Press — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 19:41:00 -0100

Why hasn't there been a SASF episode for weeks? Because basketball coaching. But turns out sports is a fantastic metaphor for life -- if handled correctly. But if your kid isn't getting the point, better to have them play video games. In this context, Brian asks Nate about his 10 year goals. Nate waxes eloquent on setting ambitious goals -- but then counters himself with an argument that being able to recognize failure is perhaps more important. Not moving the goalposts, recognizing failure, and moving on after disaster are all key skills to develop for parents, employees, bosses, and pastors.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #BrianKohl #Failure #FailForward #SetGoals #basketball #lifelessons

94: Nutritional Goo

Canon Press — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 17:33:00 -0100

Say you met a highschool kid who was confused about the biblical view of gender: would you give them a book or a movie? The answer to this question is probably not what you expect, and it highlights the way that conservatives get the gender and sexuality conversation wrong. The guys begin this discussion with a related question: in a hot Thanksgiving dinner, is it the nutritional content that contains the value -- or is the goodness in something else? The discussion which follows discusses the relative merits of painting with a broad brush, and the (almost complete) worthlessness of an idea when it has been reduced to nutritional goo. Yes, they also talk a lot about Children of Men and Enemy of the State.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #BrianKohl #ChildrenOfMen #EnemyOfTheState #NutritionalGoo

93: Killing the Cranky Danky Dragon

Canon Press — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:18:00 -0100

Parenting isn't easy, and Rachel Jankovic's "Sir Badalot and the Cranky Danky Dragon" gives parents the tools to talk with their fat-faced toddlers about emotional self-control. Most parents do that by resorting to the poor parenting tactics of 1) emotional distraction, and 2) emotional reaction. Turns out, your child's response to a "fussy dragon" should include actually pretending to kill it! But the self-control vitamins are not why Sir Badalot is a good book -- that's just an added benefit. The SASF guys host Rachel Jankovic to talk through this parenting advice and how her fun new book, illustrated by Hello Ninja's own Forrest Dickision, is really just a fresh chocolate cookie for a hungry child. (Oh, and you'll also get a nice long stretch of Nate's dark take on relying on real-life vs fictional friends.)

#SirBadalot #CanonballBooks #SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #RachelJankovic #ForrestDickision #HelloNinja #FussyDragon

92: Storytelling After Roe v. Wade

Canon Press — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 22:19:00 +0000

This episode juxtaposes abortion and hospitality. We live in a post-Roe v. Wade world -- can we apply those lessons to storytelling now? How do evangelicals do with that cultural fight? Does fiction have a place in it? (Not the way you probably mean it.) The guys dig deeper into the themes of Episode 90, exploring the meaning of "proof" and poor ways of obligating belief. Familiar SASF themes emerge in this episode -- specifically, the importance of a good meal outweighing the value of "good" propaganda. Comparisons between October Baby and Juno are made. And you'll get to hear about grandmothers and the random acts of kindness that inspire the next generation more than all the political sloganeering in the world.

#StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF #RoevWade #hospitality #Juno #OctoberBaby #Stories

91: Naughty Words

Canon Press — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 16:00:00 +0000

A listener writes in to find out why, as a pastor's kid, Nate uses expletives like "hell" and "damn" in Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl. (Shh, don't mention that Nate has written worse.) This leads to a discussion of the sliding scale of bad words -- truth is, no word is bad intrinsically. Seriously: a word's badness or goodness is dependent on how it's used -- on its place in the STORY. (This is SASF, people, you should have seen that coming.) Or, if you prefer to look at it this way, EVERY word is bad -- if used in a way God wouldn't. This naturally leads into a discussion of the nature of evil. Brian tries to lump Nate in with Augustine. Nate resists: Evil is not black goo you can add to things! And so this episode goes.

#StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF #BadWords #StrongLanguage #Augustine #Stories

90: Truth is Not Proof

Canon Press — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Here's an interesting truth that Nate once tried out on his roommate: pure, syllogistic reasoning is not persuasive. In fact, unvarnished truth does not "prove" anything -- by that we mean that it does not obligate belief as well as, say, story might. And you'll notice that people seldom believe the things they do for logical reasons: they come to their beliefs by narrative paths, and construct the logic to defend as needed. So, what does it mean to "obligate belief"? When is truth not persuasive? Why are Christians the one who often need to hear this most? These and other rhetorical intricacies occupy this episode of SASF.

#StoriesAreSoulFood #Rhetoric #EthosPathosLogos #Proof #Logic #character

89: Moses Was A Wizard

Canon Press — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 23:39:00 +0000

Is a book with a good witch a bad book? The guys use the Wizard of Oz as a jumping off point for this lengthy discussion of magic, which listeners know is a favorite SASF hobbyhorse. Nate claims that moderns have lost an appreciation for the miraculous in an attempt to describe the natural. In reality, everything is magic. But Brian objects: if everything is magical, then nothing is. Nate responds with MOSES AND THE WIZARD DUEL. Of course Tolkien and Lewis -- and Gandalf and Jadis -- also feature in this discussion that will get you thinking about your favorite stories... and how our scientists have crossed the line into witchcraft long ago.
#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #magic #science #Tolkien #CSLewis

88: Write Novels Like Jonah

Canon Press — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 22:09:00 +0000

Episode ocho-ocho is about narrative architecture, but that sounds boring so we made the headline more interesting, having been inspired by one of SASF's favorite novels, Evangellyfish. In point of fact, though, this week's episode is fantastic: The guys get into a discussion of favorite (living) novelists, with disagreements aplenty. If you've been looking for novel recommendations for adults, this is the episode for you. And when the guys move into film, and how to structure new stories based on old ones that work, you'll just have to listen to get Nate's take on Terrence Malik... Nipples on the Batsuit and jumping the shark are also discussed. Oh, and Nate loops back around to tie a bow on his disappointment with the end of Cobra Kai.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #Evangellyfish #JessWalter #LeifEnger #TerrenceMalik #MarilynneRobinson

87: Top Gun Cobra Kai Medley

Canon Press — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 22:54:00 +0000

The guys discuss feedback from the Rings of Power sort-of-watchalong. Then, in a shocking turn of events, one of the guys is accused of being too critical of a film--and the critical one is Brian. Nate defends the honor of Top Gun 2, and even a bit of Cobra Kai (always with filters, people). They get into a discussion of character and when you can allow bad things to happen to main characters. They venture far afield in this SASF medley -- perhaps they were just relieved to not be watching Rings of Power.

#SASF #NDWilson #StoriesAreSoulFood #TopGunMaverick #CobraKai

86: Rings of Power Watch-Along

Canon Press — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 22:49:00 +0000

It's the moment you've all been waiting for: You get to listen as Brian surprises Nate with a laptop and The Rings of Power Episode 1: A Shadow of the Past. This is the first ever SASF Watch-Along, so you'll have to listen to see how far they got... Of course, this episode also includes a useful discussion on how the project could have suceeded, what its goals were, whether Nate was unfairly prejudiced, whether critics of the show are racists, and other such Stories Are Soul Food topics. Enjoy! And as always, you can watch the video of the SASF show at mycanonplus.com.

#Tolkien #RingsOfPower #Galadriel #StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF #WatchAlong

85: When Not To Pray

Canon Press — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 17:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Nate explains why some Christian readers are the worst: they love to demand that he sell chicken sandwiches with a side of Gideon Bible in the french-fry box. But Nate's trying to sell the best chicken sandwich & fries he can... he gives away Bibles elsewhere, including in this podcast. This episode is about when / why you might choose to have your characters in fiction pray -- and when you might not. You'll also get some key insights into rhetoric: who are you, who are you writing for, and where do you want to get them. And also some really interesting thoughts comparing Nate's characters to those in the Christian movie "The War Room" (about prayer).

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #BrianKohl #AmWriting #ChristianFiction #WarRoom

84: No Country for Old Men

Canon Press — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 20:03:00 +0000

The guys dig deep into this Coen Bros Academy Award Winner. Is it worth the hype? Watch it and find out. We're sure you'll get that cozy family movie night feeling as Brian and Nate discuss brutal stun gun executions and drug money chasing. They'll also answer your key question about the film, and discuss what Josh Brolin's character is up to in "No Country for Old Men." Spoilers included: Fundamentally, the movie is about the clash of two villains: the romantic, old-school outlaw and the new, pitiless vice of Chigurh. You can also hear what two small things Nate would have changed in this movie -- which is high up on his list. As a bonus, they'll discuss the danger of thinking you're so smart when watching a movie, and then proceed to fall into the trap. (Brian manfully restrained from bringing WB Yeats into the conversation.)

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NoCountryforOldMen #CoenBros #NDWilson #MovieNight #spoilers

83: Defy Tyrants

Canon Press — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 23:45:00 +0000

Have you wondered what Nate is up to recently? Then you don't want to miss this episode. The guys also perform an autopsy on the last two years of being alive, looking at how things have played out in our country, specifically with the test case of Nate's children's own shenanigans with Stickergate. Standing up to tyrants is a lot more costly than you might think -- but it's vital you show your children how to do it. And you'll get lots of good advice on being able to read your own history in this episode. Here's the promised link for the episode: www. givesendgo.com/SovietMoscow

#SovietMoscow #DefyTyrants #StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF

82: Be a Killer Side Character

Canon Press — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 23:30:00 +0000

Wouldn't things be simpler if kids were fictional, and you could "write" their success over each challenge? In today's SASF, the guys discuss how a mom can help her children with their own "character" weaknesses. You get to hear another Nate airplane-story-turned-car story; Brian explains why camping is fun even though it sounds like it isn't; this episode also features two deer, a marten, and Yellowstone. But the real takeaways from this episode is 1) where to get the best breakfast burritos in the the Pacific Northwest; 2) stop trying to make life easy for your kids; and 3) be a killer side character in your kids' stories instead.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #BrianKohl #parenting #storytelling #character #Yellowstone

81: Vengeance Served Hot

Canon Press — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 22:13:00 +0000

Taking revenge has been the subject of many different TV shows, and -- no surprise -- as soul food, it can be well-cooked or very bland. Both Nate and Brian started a vengeance show which is getting tons of positive reviews from conservatives: The Terminal List -- which falls flat on its face right out of the gates because there's not a single real human in the show. And of course the entire T-List doesn't even handle the theme vengeance as well as those four seconds from The Patriot....or Fantastic Mr. Fox. This leads into a discussion of what Nate claims is perhaps the best pilot in TV history: "Lost" episodes 1 & 2. Yes, that and the Rings of Power trailer (just kidding, we're just checking to see if anyone is still reading).

#TerminalList #FantasticMrFox #ChrisPratt #PrimeVideo #TV #vengeance #television #familymovienight #SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #revenge

80: Big Bad Movie Biz

Canon Press — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 20:18:00 +0000

How should you go about getting a job in Hollywood? Well, Nate gives two pieces of advice in this episode (and they're not what you might expect). Brian digs deep into Nate's early movie-making history to find out if Nate followed his own requirements. The guys discuss working on things that are "bad" for your brand, immunity to pop culture, shooting a movie on a shoestring budget ("The River Thief"), and the absence of more Silent Bells chapters in this SASF.

#StoriesAreSoulFood #branding #Hollywood #moviemaking #screenwriting #SASF

79: Character Problems on an Airplane

Canon Press — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 16:19:00 +0000

Yeah, stories are soul food...but stories also have the potential to be poison. Humans are born storytellers, which means they wrong someone, they're quick to "re-tell" the story as one in which they "made a difficult decision." Nate tells his recent top-5-weird-airplane story, and the guys mine the incident for character clues and narrative techniques, with many helpful applications.

#characters #apologies #mistakes #Delta #birdstrike #SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood

78: The Fallacy of Artistic Calling

Canon Press — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 21:01:00 +0000

Another delightful episode of SASF is here for you as Nate and Brian discuss the dustup from two previous episodes, focusing mostly on artistic temperament and motivation gone bad. But first, Brian decides what we need is not less but MORE of Nate's unvarnished opinions, and the guys head into a discussion of a book idea found on Twitter, and how to make a good pitch. You get a sneak peek at an upcoming Nate project as well... Also, if you have a question the guys would want to discuss, please send it in! The question tank could use a top-up, and that's not cheap here in Biden's America. Enjoy! And don't forget, if you prefer video, that's streaming only on Canon+.

#StoriesAreSoulFood #artisticcalling #artistictemperament #bookideas #bookpitch

77: The Heroic Feminine Isn't Missing

Canon Press — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 18:06:00 +0000

Nate and Brian discuss a theory percolating on the interwebs about the difference between male heroes and female heroines in fiction. They branch out into a discussion of the Hero's Journey and the accuracy of Joseph Campbell's storytelling advice (and inaccuracies of application). Remember, the video version of the podcast is streaming exclusively on Canon+.
#StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF #HeroicFeminine #HerosJourney #JosephCampbell #NDWilson #CanonballBooks

76: Buzz Wrongyear

Canon Press — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 18:35:00 +0000

This is the first SASF to be filmed! So if you've wanted to see how Nate wears his headphones, or see Brian soft-smiling at that mean thing Nate just said, go to mycanonplus.com to watch! This episode is about what happens when an editor or producer wants to put something into your movie or book that will ruin it. This is your guide to dying on the right hills. Of course, you're now wondering, what if my movie is already a smoking pile of trash -- surely it can't hurt to make my offering to virtue gods? But enough about Buzz Lightyear...
#StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF #NDWilson #BrianKohl #BuzzLightyear #CanonballBooks

Check out N.D. Wilson's School of Fantastical Wordcraft, now on Canon+: https://mycanonplus.com/tabs/search/video-series/3971

Also, get your first month of Canon+ for 99 cents with code SASF99!

75: Motivation Problems

Canon Press — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:18:00 +0000

Today's episode is for anyone who has something they feel called to do, but can't seem to get around to it. You've got to evaluate WHY you feel called to it. If the reasons are good, you can run through a checklist of reasons why you aren't motivated to do something you think is so important. Those reasons range from lazy to benign to actively being sabotaged (often by someone you're married to, unfortunately). This episode of #SASF is all about the practical nature of getting things done and refusing to quit.
#StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #motivation #writingadvice #writing #writinglife

Check out N.D. Wilson's School of Fantastical Wordcraft, now on Canon+: https://mycanonplus.com/tabs/search/video-series/3971

Also, get your first month of Canon+ for 99 cents with code SASF99!

74: Jim Wilson, God's Character

Canon Press — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 21:01:00 +0000

Jim Wilson was one of God's main characters in our part of the world -- and there's nothing stopping you from being equally faithful in your own character arc. This episode celebrates the life of Nate's grandfather, James Irwin Wilson, an oak tree of a man when he was on earth, and someone more strong and glorious now in Heaven. Follow the story beginning with Jim's childhood as a Nebraska farm kid "tricking" his teachers and working in stockyards, to his Navy years wooing a missionary lady eight years older than him who was absolutely not interested, to the intermission of the Korean War, to the move to Idaho and his life's work of giving books away (leading in part to you all sitting here listening). RIP, Grandpa Jim!

73: Family Movie Night

Canon Press — Mon, 30 May 2022 17:03:00 +0000

Get ready for a practical-advice episode about training your kids how to watch movies together. Dave Radford of The Gray Havens comes on #SASF to ask the guys questions about how, precisely, one teaches children (and yourself!) how to watch movies. BUT FIRST, Dave criticizes the SASF soundtrack -- and as one of Nate's favorite songwriters, his complaints carry weight -- and the SASF pod makes an exciting new acquisition. Then the guys discuss the dangers of ruining the moment by watching movies like a worldview robot: the point is to ENJOY it together. That's what parents are for, after all. Lots of practical movie night recommendations, too. And remember, for a few weeks or so, SASF listeners can get a free month of Canon+ for 99 cents (first-time subscribers only).
#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #movienight #family

72: Nightmares and Jane Austen

Canon Press — Mon, 23 May 2022 15:00:00 +0000

Christianity Today puts Nate on a list of fantasy books you should read -- but with a significant warning that brought Brian much joy. We follow along as Nate discusses other times his books have raised eyebrows and caused nightmares, and his theory for why. In the caramel center of this episode, though, you'll find Nate's sideswiping of Jane Austen's supposed lack of melodrama. Is there any way all of this can cohere into one episode?! The only way to find out... is on this all-new episode of Stories Are Soul Food! For a few weeks or so, SASF listeners can get a free month of Canon+ for 99 cents (first-time subscribers only).
#SASF #CanonPlus #NDWilson #JaneAusten #ChristianityToday #nightmares

71: War Stories and the Problem of Evil

Canon Press — Mon, 16 May 2022 15:00:00 +0000

This week's episode is full of #SASF conflict: Brian suggests that there are two kinds of war movies. Nate disagrees. Brian suggests that war movies are a great analogy for dealing with the problem of evil. Nate refrains from overt disagreement. A conversation ensues on the "real" problem of evil and how to respond to it (plus you get to hear Nate's favorite war movies).

70: Sir Terry Pratchett, Urban Cowboy

Canon Press — Mon, 09 May 2022 15:00:00 +0000

The guys have a book recommendation for you all... or rather, 41 books to recommend (and Nate owns them all). Find out why they recommend an atheist for your children to read.

69: Coach Your Novel

Canon Press — Mon, 02 May 2022 15:00:00 +0000

This week's episode highlights the difference between coaching and teaching, and how to do both well...especially as this applies to a novel. What happens when your novel is coming in less than half the length you wanted it to be? How do you fix that and other first-draft problems? These and other problems are taught in NDW's video course, "The School of Fantastical Wordcraft," but you get the intro here...

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #FantasticalWordcraft

68: Hand Him a Hatchet

Canon Press — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 20:08:00 +0000

Ready for the parenting advice you didn't know you needed? A #SASF mother of boys wrote in with a question about what to have her son read during a time when he had no friends. Nate and Brian launch off into a discussion of what books can do for you, along with what they can't, and what else to consider handing your son when he's struggling. What they ended up with is some great soul food for moms, particularly—although dads, there are some good points for you as well.

#StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #BooksforBoys #Parenting

67: When Good Themes Make Bad Stories

Canon Press — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 23:27:00 +0000

Nate and Brian discuss whether it's possible to write a good story based on a truth you wanted to communicate. This is a key question for Christian writers / artists / movie-makers, and misunderstanding it is what makes so much Christian art bad. To be honest, misunderstanding this is also what makes so much far-left woke creative projects terrible as well. Basically, you can't write a story "top-down." Plus, the guys get into a discussion of hidden themes and Easter eggs in N.D. Wilson's works... any of the rest of you besides Ryan notice the Ruth-Boaz allusion in Ashtown?

66: Pixar's Existential Dread

Canon Press — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 17:38:00 +0000

The guys are back after a long spring break to discuss Pixar—and this episode is the cheerful story of the decline of a creative giant. You'll learn what "heart-forward" content is, why Pixar's approach won parents and kids alike, and why Cars is their most profitable and worst movie (okay, worst is too strong). You'll also track the existential dread in Pixar's films, and see how that dread gradually overtook everything...at least until Disney days, because now Pixar is just a sticker to slap on content.

#TurningRed #MonstersInc #FindingNemo #TheIncredibles #Pixar #StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF

Check out Canon Plus today: https://mycanonplus.com/

65: Patronize Somebody

Canon Press — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 23:00:00 -0100

Check out Canon Plus today: https://mycanonplus.com/

64: LOTR The Rings of Power

Canon Press — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:21:00 -0100

Today: How to spend as much on a TV show as Russia’s GDP and end up with garbage.
The guys react to the LOTR trailer. But first…
Crazy ideas aren’t funny until they become reality. ND tells a story about a skeezy business.
Sneak peek at Nate’s new video project he’s working on.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #LOTR #RingsofPower

63: How to Watch a Movie

Canon Press — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 07:00:00 -0100

Check out Canon Plus today: https://mycanonplus.com/

62: Sheltering Mercy (feat. Ryan Whitaker Smith)

Canon Press — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 16:17:00 -0100

- Are you shaped by the Psalms? SASF welcomes filmmaker and author Ryan Whitaker Smith (son of Michael W. Smith) to discuss this soul food.

- They discuss the gutsiness of Ryan's new book: "Sheltering Mercy" is free verse renderings of the Psalms, through a messianic lens.

- You also get a sneak preview of Ryan's directing work on the upcoming film, "Surprised by Oxford."

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #SurprisedbyOxford #ShelteringMercy

61: Harry Potter

Canon Press — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 23:43:00 -0100

- The people have asked again and again... so the guys return to HARRY POTTER. Please drop your thoughts in the comments!

- ND compliments JK Rowling and thanks her for restoring their shared genre, MG adventure.

- Then Brian and Nate drill down... How good are the Harry Potter characters? world-building? Quidditch?

- And of course, they revisit the notorious wish-fulfillment question.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #HarryPotter

60: Worldblending

Canon Press — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 10:15:00 -0100

- This week has something for everyone:
- Discussion of the fountain of youth and large turtles;
- Publishing insider baseball about the release of "The Door Before";
- How to blend worlds with very different flavors in writing. Enjoy!

#Storiesaresoulfood #SASF #DoorBefore

Get your signed copy of The Door Before: https://canonpress.com/products/the-door-before-100-cupboards-prequel/

59: American Underdog

Canon Press — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 10:14:00 -0100

- Last week you got a movie with major problems; this week you get a good one: American Underdog

- God plays harder with His characters than human creators are allowed to.

- Nate explains the "Kathy challenge" facing Christian filmmakers in America.

- He also casts a vision for what kind of movies he wants to see more of.

#SASF #storiesaresoulfood #AmericanUnderdog

Check out more robust Christian stories on Canon Plus: https://mycanonplus.com/

58: Spider-Man: No Way Out!

Canon Press — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 10:13:00 -0100

- What did you think of Spider-Man: No Way Home?

- This episode touches on key problems with big Marvel films that you need to know: bathos, McGuffins, pathos, guilt, villains, and much much more.

- The guys devote a whole episode to this as Spiderman is one of their favorite superheroes...

- ...so Brian quizzes Nate about this 1.5 BILLION dollar movie to find out why it's so poor.

#SASF #Spiderman #Storiesaresoulfood

Check out the Canonball Kids channel on Canon Plus: https://mycanonplus.com/tabs/discover/pages/canonball-kids

57: Till We Have Lewis' Best Novel

Canon Press — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 19:26:00 -0100

- We forgot to post that we're baaaa-aaaack. Did you miss us??

- This episode has great story content but more importantly, it's your one-stop shop for Brian and Christy's new baby announcement and the Killers.

- So, do you think that "Till We Have Faces" is Lewis's best novel?

- Or do you agree with Nate that it may be great -- but deeply flawed? Let us know in the comments...

#storiesaresoulfood #SASF #ndwilson #bestnovel

Check out the Lewis Lectures on Canon Plus: https://mycanonplus.com/

Stories Are Soul Food is on Break!

Canon Press — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 17:36:00 -0100

Take advantage of your free thirty days of Canon Plus before the special offer ends on January 1st: https://mycanonplus.com/

56: Christmas Conspiracy Theory

Canon Press — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 10:00:00 -0100

- The SASF guys are big fans of Advent—but not Advent as a penitential season, Advent as time when make your kids eat MORE chocolate than usual. Also, ND is shocked by Brian's eggnog confession.
- This is because all of human history leads up to Christmas. And all of human history since Christ's birth has happened in the glow of the first Christmas.
- Every December is an opportunity to show your kids how the obscure parts of the Bible are about Jesus.
- And that leads us to... the awful, gruesome story of the Levite and his murdered concubine. We'll leave the explanation to ND, but GET READY for an epic Christmas rant.

#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #Christmas #Advent

Check out God Rest Ye Merry: https://canonpress.com/products/god-rest-ye-merry/

55: Bad, Sad Endings

Canon Press — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 22:32:00 -0100

- What about stories with bad endings? But enough about Nolan's Batman trilogy.
- Seriously, what about stories with sad endings? What makes a tragedy well written?
- ND Wilson and Brian Kohl discuss books with tearjerker endings, from Charlotte's Web to Agamemnon getting axed in his bathtub.
- Real life is tragic if you zoom in. But if you zoom out far enough....
#SASF #StoriesAreSoulFood #NDWilson #badendings #tragedy

Check out N.D. Wilson's The River Thief: https://canonpress.com/products/river-thief-dvd-and-blu-ray/

54: Violence and Virtue

Canon Press — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 18:26:00 -0100

Why are conservative Christians so worried about sex on the screen but not violence?
Are they hypocrites? Or is violence virtuous....
The guys discuss violence in some favorite movies (and not so favorite movies). If you've seen John Wick or Nobody, pay attention.
They also give some tips for watching violent movies with kids.

Get Andrew of the Firedrake today: https://canonballbooks.com/products/andrew-and-the-firedrake/

53: Stand Tall, Women

Canon Press — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 17:28:00 -0100

Did you miss us? This episode is just a bit tardy to make sure you all cared! (emotional manipulation intensifies)
This episode responds to a reader question, basically: if your daughters imitate Diana Boone, won't they be a bit...well... masculine, what with hunting rifle and leather jacket and all?
The discussion takes the guys afield as they discuss heroines in the Bible, literature, and society...
They also discuss the literary deceptions that are specially intended to lead female protagonists (and female readers) astray.
Sorry, Thanksgiving is not mentioned, not even once. Make your own applications as appropriate, and enjoy your gratitude!

Check out The Sinking City: https://canonpress.com/products/the-sinking-city/

52: #SASF Birthday Empire

Canon Press — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0100

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SASF! The little fella is one year old.
Listen to the guys discuss the least popular episode in SASF's storied history.
The guys argue about why you shouldn't flinch when "empire" is mentioned...
...and why you might need to create one.
If you feel called, you can buy the guys a coffee by Venmo-ing a few bucks to storiesasf (that's the Venmo name). No pressure though—keep enjoying the pod either way!

#StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF #NDWilson #Empire

Check out In The House of Tom Bombadil: https://canonpress.com/products/in-the-house-of-tom-bombadil/

51: Lizard Kings in the Metaverse

Canon Press — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 17:15:00 -0100

Did you know you can tip the guys? They do this (mostly) for fun—Venmo a few bucks to storiesasf to tip them a cuppa. Who knows, Nate might even allow Caleb to bring back faux Narnia as a reward.
Today's SASF begins with a Scottish story and associated Scottish music recc—Gerry Cinnamon's "Belter." (No, we don't know what the lyrics say either.)
The guys move on to Facebook Meta and the Lizard King himself, Mark Zuckerberg.
They finish up with a bunch of questions about video games as a storytelling medium. In short.... another forty minutes of consuming stories with N.D. Wilson and Brian Kohl.

#StoriesAreSoulFood #SASF

Check out our full selection of children's fiction: https://canonballbooks.com/

50: The Sinking City (feat. Christine Cohen)

Canon Press — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 21:05:00 -0100

- Masquerade balls, plague, magic...and monsters? What's not to love about historical-fantastic Venice!
- Christine Cohen's new novel about a patrician's daughter fleeing in disguise is the springboard for this episode's discussion.
- Why is "deception" a theme of Christine's books but not Nate's?
- Can boys enjoy "princess" books? An action-packed episode today....
#SASF #CanonballBooks #SinkingCity #NDWilson #ChristineCohen #StoriesAreSoulFood

Pre-order your copy of The Sinking City today: https://canonpress.com/products/the-sinking-city/

49: History, Sacrifice, and Monsters

Canon Press — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 18:58:00 +0000

Check out Trial and Triumph: https://canonpress.com/products/trial-and-triumph/

48: Magic School

Canon Press — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Check out N.D. Wilson's Notes From The Tilt-A-Whirl: https://canonpress.com/products/notes-from-the-tilt-a-whirl/

47: Problems in the Bones

Canon Press — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 19:10:00 +0000

Apply for New Saint Andrews here: https://nsa.edu/fall2022/

46: Ghosts

Canon Press — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Apply for New Saint Andrews here: https://nsa.edu/fall2022/

45: Demons & Petty Excuses

Canon Press — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Check out The Lewis Lectures on the Canon app: https://canonpress.com/app

44: Carnivorous Activities (feat. James Engerbretson)

Canon Press — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 16:47:00 +0000

Check out The Riot and the Dance: Earth: https://canonpress.com/products/the-riot-and-the-dance-blu-ray/

43: Selling Soul Food

Canon Press — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Check out N.D. Wilson's School of Fantastical Wordcraft: https://canonpress.com/products/n-d-wilsons-school-of-fantastical-wordcraft-dvd/

42: The Riot Show

Canon Press — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Get The Riot and the Dance: Earth today: https://canonpress.com/products/the-riot-and-the-dance-blu-ray/

41: Rabbits with Swords (feat. S.D. Smith)

Canon Press — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Check out the Canonball bookshelf: https://canonpress.com/collections/all-kids/

40: Your Place in Dark Times

Canon Press — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Check out Notes From The Tilt-a-Whirl on the Canon app: https://canonpress.com/app/

39: Writers Never Retire

Canon Press — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Check out N.D. Wilson's School of Fantastical Wordcraft: https://canonpress.com/products/n-d-wilsons-school-of-fantastical-wordcraft-dvd/

38: Microcosmos

Canon Press — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Check out Notes From the Tilt-a-Whirl: https://canonpress.com/products/notes-from-the-tilt-a-whirl/

37: Cultural Appropriation and Time Travel

Canon Press — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 21:01:00 +0000

Check out the Outlaws of Time series at https://canonpress.com/

36: Scary Stories (feat. Remy Wilkins)

Canon Press — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Check out Strays: https://canonpress.com/products/strays-hardback/

35: Dragons

Canon Press — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Get your signed copy of Empire of Bones today: https://canonpress.com/products/empire-of-bones-ashtown-burials-3-paperback

34: Institutional Rot & The Drowned Vault

Canon Press — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Get a signed copy of The Drowned Vault today: https://canonpress.com/products/the-drowned-vault-ashtown-burials-2-paperback/

33: School Rebellion and The Dragon's Tooth

Canon Press — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Get your copy of The Dragon's Tooth today: https://canonpress.com/products/the-dragons-tooth-ashtown-burials-1-paperback/

32: The Secret Lives of Authors

Canon Press — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 07:00:00 +0000