Stories Are Soul Food

Latest Episodes:

Neil Gaiman, Morbidity, and Sparta Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

This episode offers a smorgasbord: Nate has never finished a Neil Gaiman book. Brian tells him why.
They also discuss:
- Sparta, Lycurgus, and delicacies.
- Feminine vs Masculine glory.
- Stoics vs Epicenes.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsaxEsja_Q4

IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

Nancy Drew and Soul Food Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

This episode offers a SASF smorgasbord:

Is Nancy Drew healthy soul food for a teenager?
The guys discuss syndicate writing such as Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, and the Hardy Boys.
Also on this episode: Why theater is so often gay, why Broadway is boutique, and why Shakespeare isn't a counterexample.
... with a chaser of why you should still, probably, be writing and directing plays (on your way to making a movie).

IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

China Beats Pixar Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

Brian forces Nate to watch two new kids movie trailers... one from Pixar, and one from China.

Pixar's new movie Elio flopped harder than anything that's come before.
The top-grossing animated movie this year comes from China... it's Ne Zha 2, and it's made 2.2 billion (!) dollars.
The guys talk about why Ne Zha 2's trailer is better than Elio's.
But it still kinda stinks: The last couple years for children's animation has been very poor.
Artificial Intelligence makes you dumber, but it will soon replace this level of bad production.

Find out what an AI future might look like on this episode of Stories Are Soul Food.

IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

The Future of Christian Fiction Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

The guys welcome Scott Minor of Realm Makers for a cameo on Christian fiction...

Meet the Realm Makers conference: A decade or two ago, Christian fiction publishers only wanted Amish romance; but Scott's wife Betty was a Christian fantasy writer... so together they founded Realm Makers!
Nate's headlining at Realm Makers in two weeks: So Nate asks Scott about fantasy authors' greatest strength... and their greatest weakness.
The guys discuss the future of Christian fiction, including Christian fiction "stars" like Mike Nawrocki (Veggie Tales), Katie Lee (Connie from Odyssey), and S.D. Smith (Green Ember).

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-97aWZNwW0

IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

Help Help We're Being Repressed! Ft. Nate's Daughters | (Special Episode!) Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

We've got good news for you: Lucia and Ameera come on SASF to discuss HELP HELP!
Yes, it's about the launch of Lucy and Ameera's new movie/book review podcast!
The new podcast/show is named Help Help We're Being Repressed. (Yes, that's a Monty Python reference.)
On this first episode of Help Help, Nate and the girls discuss writing female characters badly (and goodly).
Subscribe to their new podcast wherever pods are podded!
This and much more on this special episode of SASF.

IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

Social Media Controls Hollywood Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

Brian says he showed "Batman Begins" to his kids and enjoyed it; Nate goes on a rampage.
Nolan's Batman earnestness necessitated the Joker to give us all some relief. "Why so serious, Batman?"
Nolan is a great artisan but a terrible philosopher. "I run because they need me to run."
... But it was all worth it for LEGO Batman.
How long can Hollywood's obsession with superhero movies continue? Apparently forever.
Is "Down with Hollywood" a good rallying cry?
Why AI is the strangler fig for all that's real.
What could end the entertainment industry in America? Social media may already have done it.
This and much more on this episode of SASF.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2os9U5xvzk

IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

Overcoming Trauma and Hardship Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

When you've been hurt, what kind of character will you be?

God gives you hardship as a Storyteller does: because readers love what happens when a character is down but finds a way to get back up;
Remember that it's in the cellars of affliction that God makes his choicest wines (Rutherford);
Be at once tender and merciless with your own victimhood;
Stop assuming nobody else at church has the dark backstory of trauma and abuse that you do.
Take heart from Grandpa Jim, who used to "get chose" to fight the bullies every day after school.

What kind of wine will you be?

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIsY6nTKYHk

IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

Fake Christians May 27, 2025

Show notes

Time to talk about Christians in novels:
+ Secular novelists love to make their villains hypocritical Christians.
+ Christian novelists are very honest about their Christian characters' flaws as well.
+ So don't be offended when you bump into a fake Christian in a story.
+ Nate walks through the flaws of his Christian protagonists (Niffy, Rupert, etc.).
This episode dissects Christians and their character flaws on the page... and in real life.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfWLoKCq5sg

IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

Be The Director May 19, 2025

Show notes

Brian asks Nate what tips he'd give a teenage SASFer who wants to become a movie director. And, perhaps surprisingly, Nate's advice has nothing to do with movies. Because if you want to direct feature films when you grow up, you're the kid saying "I am gonna be an NFL quarterback." That kind of career wish has everything to do with whether you're the kind of person who could manage someone else's million-dollar investment. That doesn't just happen for wanting. Are you ready to convince the rich guys, direct the talent, soothe the producers, reject the bad network notes, talk to the cinematographers, and maintain total clarity on your artistic vision for the film through it all? And that assumes you know your stuff when it comes to story (watch Canon+ resources like "On Directing" and "Fantastical Wordcraft") and aren't hoping your elementary critical analysis will take the place of artistic talent. The best thing you can be doing is MAKING films with your (or your parents') iPhones. Also in this episode, the guys take some potshots at allegory, Reformed Facebook groups, Edmund Spenser, and more.

IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

Stomach for the Fight May 06, 2025

Show notes

You're used to saying "stories are soul food" -- this episode discusses why Nate thought kids in our time especially need to read stories about corrupt institutions failing them, and how to reconsecrate an institution in its own rubble. This takes courage, strength, and determination. It takes having stomach for the fight. It takes a leader who refuses to sabotage himself by turning around. It takes becoming immune to the stress of conflict... but also being willing to let love cover it when it doesn't matter. And, it also takes a thorough knowledge Nate's First Law of Meetings (listen to find out this key piece of advice). Because the truth is that any institution that loses sight of the mission is decaying in front of you... and if you notice the Snickers wrapper on the floor in the classroom, you need to pick it up. All of these themes are things you may have noticed in the Ashtown Burials series. You'll also get a few bonus SASF musings on whether Trump can continue his strategy of nonstop wins or whether he'll run out of steam; SASF for Canada and Canadians; and much more.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBJ8PK8uUUg

IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

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