Episode
For the final episode of this year, join Michael to discuss your questions for a Christmas mailbag episode. Michael answers questions about Kevin Kelly’s “1,000 True Fans Principle,” the difference between pride concerning earned skills and narcissism concerning gifts, how Christians should approach magic in fantasy books and/or movies, what fiction Michael has been reading and why he cares about fiction, and whether or not Christians should buy cheap, plastic Nativity scenes for their yard.
Stay tuned at the end for the album version of Civilized Creature’s “Humble and Lowly,” off his excellent record Earthen Vessel, released in 2023.
Michael discusses narcissism, why it seems so prevalent among artists, and how to address it. Using an excellent podcast from Martyr Made’s Darryl Cooper called “The Underground Spirit” as his jumping-off point, Michael explores Dostoevsky and Nietzsche, the meaning of narcissism, the nature of giftedness, the struggle of prodigies, the isolation of the artist, and the resentment and pride of communities, recommending tools for addressing narcissism and pride in both gifted artists and the communities that include them. Stay tuned at the end for “I Cannot Forget,” a track from Warbler off of the record Wrestling.
LINKS
Michael interviews Roy Sneed, a missions specialist who trains cross-cultural workers in the four uses of storytelling for missions and evangelism. With seasoned wisdom and disarming humor, Roy explains his storytelling approach, telling a few of his stories along the way.
Stay tuned until the end to hear a track from Physick, “In the Whirlwind,” from the unreleased EP Shoal Creek Valley.
In this promised second part of our podcast on the problem of fame, Michael discusses how an uneven distribution of support in the arts harms patrons, patronage, and communities. He then explores some ways artists and patrons can solve this problem. Stay tuned at the end of the episode to hear “5 Year Town” by Jacob Davis Martin, from his record Ain’t It All Just Golden.
You can listen to the first part of this podcast, The Artist and the Problem of Fame, here on our website.
In this first part of two, Michael explores the problem of fame as it relates to artists. What is the problem of fame? How does it negatively affect both successful and unsuccessful artists? Stay tuned until the end to hear “I’ve Found Love in Mississippi” by Porchlight artist Trailand Eltzroth from his record For My Friends and Family.
Articles on Inequality of Popularity Among Artists
Reader, Author, Thinker, and Teacher Karen Swallow Prior joins Michael for a discussion of her book, The Evangelical Imagination, and particularly, how the ideas of that book apply to the arts. In their wide-ranging conversation, they touch on metaphor, language, fact and fiction, redemption stories, the connection between sentimentality and power, and much more. Stay tuned at the end of the episode to listen to “Don’t I Know?” by Physick, from their record, All the Days.
Show Notes:
Poet, Author, and Editor Paul J. Pastor joins Michael for a conversation on poetry. From a more general discussion of the uses and benefits of poetry to a more specific exploration of some of Pastor’s favorite poetry, get inspired to explore poetry more deeply.
Check out Paul’s work at his website.
For this episode, Michael is joined by Brian Brown, founder and executive director of the Anselm Society, about the importance of the arts in the practice of communal meaning-making. Along the way, they discuss the work and vision of the Anselm Society, the difference between communal and individual experiences of the arts, why art is not gratuitous to human flourishing, what each of us can do to participate in our communities through the arts, and much more.
Stay tuned at the end to hear the studio version of our new theme song, “Humble & Lowly,” by Civilized Creature, off of the recently released LP, Earthen Vessel.
In the episode, Michael goes solo to discuss why Christians should develop better taste. Then he goes on to discuss some practical ways that can be achieved. This episode was inspired by an insightful comment from Lisa Hood on episode 49 (“Do Poor People Make Poor Patrons?”). Stay tuned at the end for “Infinite Rail,” the first single off of Make Sure’s recently released June, available through Tooth & Nail Records and used with permission.
You might also be interested in reading “We Sin Because We Have Bad Taste,” which explores the connection between moral judgment and material discernment.
Michael is looking forward and looking back with Renew the Arts’ former president and current chairman of the board Justus Stout and current president Katy Martin to talk about Justus’ ten-year tenure as president and the challenges and opportunities awaiting Katy in the next season of renewing the arts and liberating Christian creativity. Arts organizations seem to be in a crisis of support. How will Renew the Arts fare differently?
Stay tuned at the end of the episode to hear a previously unreleased track from Physick, “The Ballad of the Steady Man,” which celebrates the consistent faithfulness of those who “move mountains one quiet shovel at a time.”