Description

“The Inklings”—it is a name we love, and, for many of us, it conjures up a whole cosmos of worlds and imaginings. But when C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Owen Barfield called themselves “the Inklings,” they had something specific in mind. Despite their great differences in temperament and vocation, this circle of friends—which grew to include Charles Williams among other attendees—united around an intuitive appreciation of something beyond the walls of this world contained in the words we write and speak everyday. This inkling, this sense of language haunting, was at the core of their friendship, is at the heart of their works, and is one of the greatest yet most overlooked gifts the Inklings have passed on to us. In this four-session mini-class, we will go on an everyman journey, beginning at the foundation of Barfield’s theory of words and then building towards Williams’s strange poetry, Tolkien’s philological genius, and Lewis’s masterful combination of literary creativity and analysis. Along the way, we will figure out why Barfield wanted appearances saved, how Tolkien formed a secret vice, and what on earth an Arthurian torso is anyway. But best of all, we just might catch an inkling of how words can wake up our imagination.

Instructor: Jenn Rogers, MA

Please note: There is no required reading for this mini-class, but students must listen to Angelina Stanford’s episode on the Pints with Jack Podcast before class: www.pintswithjack.com/s7e13/

This mini-class will meet over four Mondays between February and March of 2025 at 4 PM Eastern and will be also be available as recordings once each live session is complete:

• February 10th
• February 17th
• February 24th
• March 3rd