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A Holly Jody Christmas

Episode length: 53m

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For this special Christmas episode, Chris is joined by Joseph Bottum, a distinguished man of letters who has written extensively about the Yuletide season. They discuss the significance of the holiday and the festivities (both old and new) associated with Christmas, its various literary portrayals over the years, and Jody’s own Christmas essays and tales.

Show notes:


Time stamps:
1:39 – The literary qualities of Christmas
15:45 – The opulence and "thickness" of Christmastime
25:38 – Jody's literary influences and the tradition of the Christmas story
33:40 – Dickens as "the great unconscious novelist"
43:29 – Jody's Christmas tales and Chesterton's poem "The House of Christmas"

Opening and closing music: Brendan Benson, “Spit It Out,” used with permission from the artist.

Produced by Sean Doolan.

Host:
Christopher J. Scalia
Guest:
Joseph Bottum