Showing results by author "Alan Jacobs" in All Categories

W. H. Auden once wrote that "art is our chief means of breaking bread with the dead." In his brilliant and compulsively listenable new treatise, Alan Jacobs shows us that engaging with the strange and wonderful writings of the past might help us live less anxiously in the present - and increase what Thomas Pynchon once called our "personal density." Today we are battling too much information in a society changing at lightning speed, with algorithms aimed at shaping our every thought - plus a sense that history offers no resources, only impediments to overcome or ignore.

By early 1943, it had become increasingly clear the Allies would win the Second World War. Christian intellectuals on both sides of the Atlantic thought the soon-to-be-victorious nations were not culturally or morally prepared for their success. These Christian intellectuals - Jacques Maritain, T. S. Eliot, C. S. Lewis, W. H. Auden, and Simone Weil, among others - sought both to articulate a sober and reflective critique of their own culture and to outline a plan for the moral and spiritual regeneration of their countries in the post-war world.

While many of us are familiar with such famous words as, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here. . ." or "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," we may not know that they originated with The Book of Common Prayer, which first appeared in 1549. Like the words of the King James Bible and Shakespeare, the language of this prayer book has saturated English culture and letters.

The White Witch, Aslan, fauns and talking beasts, centaurs and epic battles between good and evil: these have become a part of our collective imagination through the classic volumes of The Chronicles of Narnia. Yet who was the man who created this world? This audiobook attempts to unearth the making of the first Narnian, C. S. Lewis himself.

The selections made in this volume shed light on these esoteric doctrines, revealing intimate conversations between Jesus and his disciples. The Gospel of Mary Magdalene throws new light on his relationship with this favorite disciple. The Gospel of Thomas contains concentrated mini-parables, containing deep inward and symbolic meaning, many of which are not found in the New Testament. The texts chosen are relevant to many of the perplexities of contemporary life and deal with the questions of good and evil, sin and suffering, and the path to salvation.

As a celebrated cultural critic and a writer for national publications like The Atlantic and Harper's, Alan Jacobs has spent his adult life belonging to communities that often clash in America's culture wars. And in his years of confronting the big issues that divide us - political, social, religious - Jacobs has learned that many of our fiercest disputes occur not because we're doomed to be divided, but because the people involved simply aren't thinking.

From hayrides, corn mazes, Jekyll n Hyde, warped games, witches, demons, and death personified, Autumn Nights: 13 Spooky Fall Reads brings together the very best in chilling tales to hear under a harvest moon. This audiobook is for those who get excited about Halloween and crisp fall weather (and yes, even pumpkin spice lattes). Are you the type to dream of windy nights and tumbling leaves even while summer days stretch on? Do you want scary bonfire stories with doses of humor and twists on classical tales? This collection is perfect for you.

Red Door audiobooks presents 46 classic tales of the strange from some of the greatest writers of all time. 1. A Joy Ride by A. J. Alan 2.The Death Mask by H. D. Everett 3. Query by Austin Small 4 . The Dancing Partner by Jerome K. Jerome 5. The Furnished Room by O. Henry 6. The Squaw by Bram Stoker 7. The Interruption by W. W. Jacobs 8. The 19 Club by A. J. Alan 9 . The Giraffe Problem by Barry Pain10. The Man who Stole a Meeting House by John Townsend Trowbridge 11. The Lightning-Rod Man by Herman

Literary critic Alan Jacobs on the decadence of Anne Rice's vampire novels and the social themes in W.H. Auden's poetry. Whereas traditionally vampires are portrayed as blood-hungry fiends, Rice's books extol the power and freedom that these immortals enjoy. Jacobs explores the moral and literary consequences of this unabashed celebration of self-indulgence. Then, Jacobs dissects Auden's poetry and explains how the poet returned to the church after realizing that liberal humanism failed to provide answers to the problem of evil.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff and Other Stories is a fun, colourful collection of traditional tales that's a must for younger listeners. From the curiosity of Goldilocks to the resourcefulness of the Three Little Pigs, these stories have been told for generations and are perfect for any young child's audio library.

Percy Mackenzie is a US Air Force pararescue hopeful with a relentless will to protect. Rafiq Itani is an aspiring jihadi with big plans. They don't know each other, and they live on opposite sides of the world. But they share demons from a painful past, which will propel both of them into a fateful and bloody future.

Nabaa Mackenzie is an Iraqi-American who lost her entire family to violence overseas. Rafiq Itani is the son of the most notorious mass murderer in recent history. Rona Kavian is the great-granddaughter of a rapist, and has never known a man she could trust. As they each try to break the shackles of their past, they're shaping a future just as dark.

A rich anthology of forty-five great stories by some of the most renowned storytellers in the world. Saki, O. Henry, Edgar Allan Poe, Barry Pain, Guy de Maupassant, M. R. James, A. J. Allan, Guy Boothby, Jerome K. Jerome and many more giants of the piterary world contribute to this collection of tiny tales which pack a huge punch.

Jack and the Beanstalk and Other Stories brings together another four of the world's favourite children's fairytales. Written and read with character and fun, this is storytelling at its best!

A wonderful collection of spine-tingling, imaginative, terrifying but beautifully written tales to keep you hiding under the bedclothes this Halloween.

A delightful collection of humorous classic tales by some of the world's greatest racconteurs.

A stunning collection of the most significant short stories by some of the world's greatest writers. Each story packs a great tale into around 20 minutes of concise and evocative narrative. Perfect for the 20-minute commute, the jog around the block, or the bed-time wind down.

The stuff of nightmares! A terrifying collection of stories about haunted rooms, strange beds, terrifying dreams and sleepless nights. Listen at bedtime if you dare!