The Pageturning Report: November 2024
What's next for "Pageturning"? Plus: podcasts, podcasts, and more podcasts!!!
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! November has been another busy month for me. My freelance writing is on the upswing again and I’ve got several new articles in-progress at the moment.
Recently I got to see a photo of the proof copy of my upcoming children’s book for Word on Fire Votive! It looks amazing!!! I can’t wait to finally hold a copy in my hands. You’ll be some of the first to know as soon as the book goes up for pre-order. Watch this space!
And if you’re ever on Long Island, drop by and chat American history with me at Raynham Hall Museum! Learn about life in a Patriot home behind British lines during the Revolutionary War: occupation, espionage, slavery, and rebellion. I’m there on Fridays and sometimes on weekends too.
What’s next for Pageturning?
You may have seen my recent post where I spent some time “thinking out loud” about the direction I want to take this newsletter in 2025. I’ve brainstormed a few ideas, but I could always use more feedback from you, my readers.
Here are a few of my initial plans: These monthly Pageturning Reports will always remain free to all subscribers. As will occasional bonus essays. But now that I’ve begun writing daily gospel reflections again, I think it’s best to move the Duc in Altum posts to the paid subscription tier.
Not everyone who hits subscribe wants daily content cluttering up their inbox. Some might not be interested in these spiritual reflections at all and just want to follow my podcasting and freelance stuff. This change will allow folks who find value in the Duc in Altum reflections to gain exclusive access to them and will also reward those who choose to support me financially through the paid tier.
As always, I’d love to hear from you, especially if you have any suggestions for exclusive writings that could provide extra value to a paid subscription. Also, I just want to shoutout
, whose recent post gave me a lot of ideas for upping my game here on Substack. If you’re a Substack writer, you need to be following .
Podcast life
My podcast life has really been hopping this month and shows no signs of slowing down! I’m so grateful that I get to record all of these shows for you.
Mythic Mind
I join
of the Fellowship as we continue to work our way through the Poetic Edda. In this conversation, we discuss “Vafthrudnir's Sayings”, “Grimnir's Sayings”, “Skirnir's Journey”, and “Harbard's Song.”LegendFiction
Have you ever noticed hints of the Gospel in movies and TV shows that aren’t intended to be Christian? I’ll bet you have! I joined my friends
, , and Robert King from the StarQuest Production Network (SQPN) for a fun group discussion for about shows like The Mandalorian and movies like Godzilla Minus One—not just for the action but for the deeper stuff: devotion, redemption, and the meaning of suffering, revealing how real-life questions about faith show up in stories we love.Secrets of Middle-Earth
For our Halloween episode, the panel and I delve into Tolkien’s “fell lands”—Utumno, Angmar, and Mordor—dark regions of Middle-earth brimming with sinister elements. We discuss the role of “fell lands” in Tolkien’s mythology, blending humor and lore, reflecting on both well-known settings and obscure places filled with werewolves, wraiths, and other ancient evils, weaving a narrative of Middle-Earth’s haunted geography for fans.
Now that season two of The Rings of Power is complete, the panel and I come together for a BIG discussion to hash out its themes, character arcs, and story development. We tackle the good, the bad, and the Tom Bombadil! Plus, our hopes and fears for season three!
Discover Beleriand! After a hiatus for The Rings of Power, the panel returns to our journey through The Silmarillion. This time we discuss Turgon's founding of Gondolin and other stories that set up major events that will influence all the later history of Middle-earth!
Secrets of Star Wars
Before Clone Wars there was the classic 1985 animated series Star Wars: Droids. I’m joined by my cohost Patrick Mason for a nostalgia trip to the days of classic Saturday morning cartoons! This series has unique characters, wacky humor, and surprising themes like C3PO's quest for a worthy master (as well as some ‘80s-style moral lessons).
EEEEEWOKS!!! We're going way back to the ‘80s for another animated series, Star Wars: Ewoks. I’m joined by my cohost Kathryn Laffrey to discuss the Ewoks' place in the Star Wars universe, from their controversial debut in Return of the Jedi to the lighthearted (and cringeworthy) adventures in this cartoon. We run down the best and worst moments, our favorite characters, and why seemingly all the good episodes were written by Paul Dini!
Thanks so much for reading this month’s Pageturning Report. If you’ve just discovered my little corner of Substack, I invite you to subscribe and to share this post with someone, perhaps a fellow writer or podcaster who might be interested in my work. This newsletter only exists with the support of my readers and followers. I can’t thank you guys enough!
Until next time, take care, God bless, and happy reading!
I'm happy to see you're upping your paid perks. You deserve to have many paid supporters.
Thanks for the kind mention Thomas!