The Poetry found in Presence
What would it mean to live a life where you were truly present? And how could poetry help draw us into the here and now? Our content this month focuses on what stillness means — and what it doesnt mean! — through the ordinary things, like conversation, story, verse, gardening, pipe smoking, and much more!
Imagination Redeemed Podcast (July Episode)
In every episode, we retell one of the great stories, then follow its illumination to delve deeper into conversation about how to enter into the life of the Christian imagination.
Distraction and mastery
Join us as we explore the story of Taran Wanderer—a young man eager to skip to mastery but forced to learn that true craft begins with getting your hands dirty in the raw materials. Through Lloyd Alexander's tale of smithing, weaving, and pottery-making, we dive into why our souls, like Taran's hands, need to be trained in stillness before they can create anything worth keeping.
Want to dive in?
Subscribe to Anselm’s Substack to receive the full show notes, which includes: a detailed list of topics covered, resources mentioned in the episode, further recommended reading and listening, and discussion questions to utilize for further thinking and conversation with friends!
EARLIER ON THE PODCAST: “Making the Most of Our Time”
In Season 3, Episode 12, Brian welcomes back writer and storyteller Leslie Bustard to talk about how to cultivate thankfulness, and how it helps us to live well in the present moment. Leslie shares her real life experience in regards to gratitude, and shares a secret: life doesn't have to be ordinary.
Interview: Malcolm Guite on Pipe Smoking and Stillness
In our fast-paced, ever-connected world, we've largely forgotten the art of being still. But what if stillness isn't simply the absence of activity—what if it's actually a practice that requires intention, ritual, and presence?
Join Brian Brown and Matthew Clark as they sit down with renowned poet and theologian Malcolm Guite for a contemplative conversation about pipe smoking as a case study in the spiritual discipline of stillness.
Anselm Voices
Jane Scharl’s “The Importance of Formal Poetry”
Anselm poet Jane Scharl joins the table at the Believe to See Podcast to share her love of classic poetic forms, and to explain how poetic style reflects your view of the world.
Roger Scruton, “Living with a Mind”
On the poetry of Emily Dickinson and mastery in boredom, Roger Scruton recalls that in his little patch of suburban England, learning — especially those stuffy hobbies like poetry — would be treated in the same way as any other hobby: harmless and excusable, so long as you kept quiet about it.
Featured Poetry Books
Dive into the Joy found in the poetic verse. | View more books in“The Library”
Series Highlight: Why We Create
Poetry is a wonderful act of sub-creation, but it may spark some preliminary questions for us like, “Why do we feel the need to create, anyway? And is this important to the Christian Life?” Dive into our past series, “Why We Create” to learn our answers to these questions and much more!
MUSIC Feature
FINDING MAGIC: IN THE MUNDANE
Noah Love reviews John Mark McMillan’s album Deep Magic in a new column from Anselm.
Artist Feature
Gatherings
Philosophy by the Fireside
Saturday, July 12, 2025
6:30pm – 9:30pm
The Common Room
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
6:00pm – 9:30pm
by Andrew Klavan