The Signum Scene

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Dr. Corey Olsen Blinks with His Take on Doctor Who Dec 20, 2015

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As part of the Signum University Annual Fund Campaign in the fall of 2015, in this Mythgard Academy mini-class, Signum University President Dr. Corey Olsen discussed the story and themes of the episode "Blink" from Series 3 of Doctor Who. Later in the segment, he was joined by Signum students Katherine Sas and Curtis Weyant – of the Kat & Curt's TV Re-View podcast – to discuss how the episode fits more generally into the overall show.

Mythgard Academy, the Simarillion Film Project, and other free events and series that we offer free to the public are funded by tax-deductible donations. Please consider donating by going to http://www.signumuniversity.org and clicking on the "Donate" link at the top of the fast links box.

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Talking Adaptation with Jim Butcher Dec 20, 2015

Show notes

Stars and stones! Crows and furies! SilmFilm co-hosts Corey Olsen, Trish Lambert and Dave Kale went all fan, all the time as they spent time with author Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files, Codex Alera, and the brand new Cinder Spires series) about adaptation, from Jackson’s take on the The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to his own experiences in the TV adaptation of The Dresden Files. Conversation range wide and far, and included Jim sharing about his own evolution as a writer—information that will be of interest to any aspiring author.

The Simarillion Film Project, Mythgard Academy, and other free events and series that we offer free to the public are funded by tax-deductible donations. Please consider donating by going to http://www.signumuniversity.org and clicking on the "Donate" link at the top of the fast links box.

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Dr. Dimitra Fimi: Halloween in Literature Dec 20, 2015

Show notes

As part of the Signum University Annual Fund Campaign Halloween Extravaganza in the fall of 2015, fantasy scholar and Signum lecturer Dr. Dimitra Fimi discussed Halloween customs and rites in literature – including extracts from some unexpected pieces of literature that have a Halloween flavor.

Faculty chats, Mythgard Academy courses, the Simarillion Film Project, and other free events and series that we offer free to the public are funded by tax-deductible donations. Please consider donating by going to http://www.signumuniversity.org and clicking on the "Donate" link at the top of the fast links box.

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Mythgard Academy: The Father Christmas Letters, by J.R.R. Tolkien Dec 20, 2015

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The Mythgard Academy lecture series focuses on novel-length books, with a weekly lecture over eight to ten weeks. However, as part of the Signum University Annual Fund Campaign the Halloween Extravaganza in 2015, Dr. Corey Olsen conducted a lecture on one of Tolkien's shorter works: The Father Christmas Letters, a selection of letters Tolkien wrote to his children over a number of years. If you’ve never read or considered this short but imaginative book, this is your chance to delve into it.

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Sparrow Alden & Dave Kale: Fun with Words in The Hobbit Dec 20, 2015

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As part of the Signum University Annual Fund Campaign in the fall of 2015, Signum Master’s Program participant and resident Spreadsheet Queen Sparrow Alden and "should be an advisor to The Big Bang Theory" Dave Kale talk about computational text analysis of The Hobbit. Sounds dry? You don’t know these two. With Corey Olsen chiming in from the sidelines and audience participation designed into the segment, this is a fun-filled talk complete with charts and word geekery galore!

Mythgard Academy, the Simarillion Film Project, and the other free shows and series we offer free to the public are funded by tax-deductible donations. Please consider donating by going to http://www.signumuniversity.org and clicking on the "Donate" link at the top of the fast links box.

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Guest Lecture Series Malcolm Guite – The Truth of Imagination in the Writings of Lewis and Tolkien Oct 26, 2015

Show notes

        <p style="text-align: center;">This free online lecture is part of the <a href="http://mythgard.org/academy/guest-lecture-series/">Mythgard Academy Guest Lecture Series</a>.</p>
        <img class="size-medium wp-image-8824 alignright" src="http://mythgard.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2015/08/img_3854-sepia-200x300-200x300.jpg" alt="Malcom Guite" width="200" height="300" /><strong>Synopsis:</strong> John Keats spoke of "The truth of Imagination"; this lecture will explore the ways in which the rich, intuitive, and image-laden myth-making of Lewis and Tolkien allows the imagination to become a truth-bearing faculty.
        <h3><strong>Recordings from Monday, Oct. 26, 2015</strong></h3>
        <em>Watch:</em> <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.mythgardacademy/GuestLectureSeries/2015-09-10_TomShippeyMythInModernFantasy.mp4">Video</a>
        <em>Listen:</em> <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.mythgardacademy/GuestLectureSeries/2015-10-26_MalcolmGuiteTruthOfImaginationLewisTolkien.mp3">Audio</a>
        <h2>Suggested Reading</h2>
        <ul>
            <li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GOBPT2/ref=as_li_tl?&amp;tag=mythgainstit-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Tree and Leaf</a></i> by Tolkien, especially the poem "Mythopoeia"</li>
            <li>The introduction to <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Faith-Hope-Poetry-Theology-Imagination/dp/140944936X?tag=mythgainstit-20" target="_blank">Faith, Hope and Poetry: Theology and the Poetic Imagination</a></i> by Malcolm Guite</li>
        </ul>
        &nbsp;
        <h2>Biography</h2>
        <a href="http://www.malcolmguite.com/"><strong>Malcolm Guite</strong></a> is a priest, poet, professor, writer, and rock-n-roller. He is Bye-Fellow, Chaplain, and Supervisor in English and Theology at <a href="http://www.girton.cam.ac.uk/guite-revd-malcolm" target="_blank">Girton College</a>, Cambridge University. He researches and writes about the interface between theology and the arts, particularly Theology and Literature, and has special interests in Coleridge and C.S. Lewis. He has published a book entitled <em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Faith-Hope-Poetry-Theology-Imagination/dp/140944936X/ref=la_B0034Q9LNE_1_2?tag=mythgainstit-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Faith, Hope and Poetry: Theology and the Poetic Imagination</a></em>, as well as poetry and theological writing. He is also one of the Clergy at St. Edward King and Martyr, in the Centre of Cambridge. He has a rock band called Mystery Train and is part of a jazz-poetry performance collective called riprap.

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Guest Lecture Series Tom Shippey – Myth in Modern Fantasy Sep 09, 2015

Show notes

        <p style="text-align: center">This free online lecture is part of the <a href="http://mythgard.org/academy/guest-lecture-series/">Mythgard Academy Guest Lecture Series</a>.</p>
        <img class=" size-medium wp-image-8877 alignleft" src="http://mythgard.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2015/08/GLS_Tom_Shippey-300x225.jpg" alt="Tom Shippey" width="300" height="225" />

        Both mythical studies and the study of fairy-tales took on new importance during the early nineteenth century, along with the entirely new development of comparative philology. Jacob Grimm was in all three cases the pivotal figure. The relationship between them continued to fascinate both scholars and creative writers, including Andrew Lang, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and their successors. This lecture will show how scholarly research acted as a direct stimulus for many creative writers.

        &nbsp;
        <h2></h2>
        <h3>Recordings from Thursday, Sept. 10</h3>
        <em>Watch:</em> <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.mythgardacademy/GuestLectureSeries/2015-09-10_TomShippeyMythInModernFantasy.mp4">Video</a>
        <em>Listen:</em> <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.mythgardacademy/GuestLectureSeries/2015-09-10_TomShippeyMythInModernFantasy.mp3">Audio</a>
        <h2>Suggested Reading</h2>
        <ul>
            <li>C.S. Lewis, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743234928/ref=as_li_tl?&amp;tag=mythgaintit-20" rel="nofollow">That Hideous Strength</a></em> (1954)</li>
            <li>C.S. Lewis, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Till-We-Have-Faces-Retold/dp/0156904365/ref=sr_1_1?tag=mythgainstit-20" rel="nofollow">Till We Have Faces</a></em> (1976)</li>
            <li>J.R.R. Tolkien, "On Fairy Stories," in <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tolkien-Reader-J-R-R/dp/0345345061/ref=sr_1_1?tag=mythgainstit-20" rel="nofollow">The Tolkien Reader</a></em> (1966)</li>
        </ul>
        <h2>Background Reading</h2>
        <ul>
            <li>Bruno Bettelheim, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Uses-Enchantment-Meaning-Importance-Fairy/dp/0307739635/ref=sr_1_1?tag=mythgainstit-20" rel="nofollow">The Uses of Enchantment</a></em> (1976, pick a chapter or two from Part Two, which deals with individual fairy-tales)</li>
            <li>Derek Brewer, "The Interpretation of Fairy Tales", in <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Companion-Fairy-Hilda-Ellis-Davidson/dp/1843840812/ref=sr_1_1?tag=mythgainstit-20" rel="nofollow">A Companion to the Fairy Tale</a></em>, ed. Hilda Ellis Davidson and Anna Chaudhuri, 15-37</li>
            <li>Sir James Frazer, <em><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3623/3623-h/3623-h.htm" rel="nofollow">The Golden Bough</a></em> (many editions from 1890: just skip-read the first 3 chapters)</li>
            <li>Allan G. Hunter, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Princes-Frogs-Ugly-Sisters-Brothers/dp/1844091848/ref=sr_1_1?tag=mythgainstit-20" rel="nofollow">Princes, Frogs and Ugly Sisters</a></em> (2010, just pick one or two chapters out, as with Bettelheim above)</li>
            <li>Robert A. Segal, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Myth-Short-Introduction-Robert-Segal/dp/0192803476/ref=sr_1_1?tag=mythgainstit-20" rel="nofollow">Myth: A Very Short Introduction</a></em> (2004)</li>
            <li>Tom Shippey, "Rewriting the Core," in <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Companion-Fairy-Hilda-Ellis-Davidson/dp/1843840812/ref=sr_1_1?tag=mythgainstit-20" rel="nofollow">A Companion to the Fairy Tale</a></em>, above, 253-74</li>
        </ul>
        <h2>Biography</h2>
        <a href="http://www.mythgard.org/about/our-faculty/dr-tom-shippey/"><strong>Tom Shippey </strong></a>holds a PhD from Cambridge University and served for many years as the Chair of Humanities at Saint Louis University’s College of Arts and Sciences. He is a scholar of medieval literature, Anglo-Saxon language and literature, medievalism, modern fantasy, and science fiction. He is one of the world’s leading scholars on the works of Tolkien. <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Road-Middle-earth-Tolkien-created-mythology-ebook/dp/B00I7JFC5Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1423358483&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=tom+shippey">His publications include <em>The Road to Middle-earth</em></a><em>, </em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien-Century-Tom-Shippey/dp/0618257594/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1423358483&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=tom+shippey"><em>J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century</em></a>, and <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Oxford-Book-Science-Fiction-Stories/dp/0192803816/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1423358483&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=tom+shippey"><em>The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories</em></a>. He has published many articles on <em>Beowulf</em> and Anglo-Saxon literature. He was born in Calcutta, India, and as a child played with a friend’s full-grown pet Bengal tiger.

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Guest Lecture Series Amy H. Sturgis – The Jedi, the Cowboy, and Thomas Edison? Pulp Science Fiction and Star Wars Aug 14, 2015

Show notes

        <p style="padding-left: 30px">This free online lecture is part of the <a href="http://mythgard.org/academy/guest-lecture-series/">Mythgard Academy Guest Lecture Series</a>.</p>


        [caption id="attachment_1225" align="alignleft" width="180"]<a href="http://mythgard.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2011/07/MI_AmySturgis.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1225" src="http://mythgard.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2011/07/MI_AmySturgis.jpg" alt="Amy Sturgis" width="180" height="280" /></a> Dr. Amy H. Sturgis[/caption]

        What images come to mind when you think of Star Wars? Luke Skywalker watching the twin suns set on Tatooine? Princess Leia with a blaster in her hand and buns on her head? The glow of a lightsaber in the darkness? These visuals convey volumes, and they spring in part from a common origin.

        One of the keys to the worldwide success of Star Wars is that the saga draws from a variety of global sources, both classical and contemporary. Join Dr. Amy H. Sturgis as she discusses one particular tradition that has left its indelible imprint on the Star Wars franchise. How did pulp science fiction evolve? What is the relationship between this genre and the Western? And how can tracing the pulp ancestry of Star Wars give us new insights on key moments and messages across the Star Wars canon — and quite possibly shed light on the forthcoming film The Force Awakens? Star Wars fans and newbies alike are welcome!

        &nbsp;

        <strong>Recordings from Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015</strong>

        <em>Watch: </em><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.mythgardacademy/GuestLectureSeries/2015-08-15_TheJeditheCowboyandThomasEdisonPulpScienceFictionandStarWars.mp4">Video
        </a><i>Listen: </i><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.mythgardacademy/GuestLectureSeries/2015-08-15_TheJeditheCowboyandThomasEdisonPulpScienceFictionandStarWars.mp3">Audio
        </a><em>Suggested Reading: </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZSJ212/ref=as_li_tl?tag=mythgainstit-20" target="_blank"><em>Star Wars </em>movies</a> (episodes I – VI)
        <h2><a href="http://mythgard.org/academics/fall-2015-courses/the-force-of-star-wars-examining-the-epic/"><img class=" size-medium wp-image-8307 alignright" src="http://mythgard.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2015/05/StarWarsCourseBanner_MI-300x137.jpg" alt="The Force of Star Wars Banner" width="300" height="137" /></a>The Force of <em>Star Wars</em></h2>
        Be sure to check out Dr. Sturgis' fall class for the Mythgard Institute, <a href="http://mythgard.org/academics/fall-2015-courses/the-force-of-star-wars-examining-the-epic/">The Force of <em>Star Wars</em>: Examining the Epic</a>. This 12-week class will look at the traditions out of which George Lucas built his epic story, while also examining the cultural impact of <em>Star Wars </em>through today.
        <h2>Biography</h2>
        <a href="http://www.amyhsturgis.com/"><strong>Amy H. Sturgis</strong></a> earned her Ph.D. in Intellectual History from Vanderbilt University and specializes in Science Fiction/Fantasy and Native American Studies. She is the author of four books and the editor of six others, and she has published over forty scholarly and mainstream essays. Some of her honors include the Imperishable Flame Award for Tolkien/Inklings Scholarship, the Scholar <span class="il">Guest</span> of Honor distinction at Mythcon XXXVII, and the L.A. Press Club's Best Magazine Review/Criticism/Column Award. Since 2008, <span class="il">Sturgis</span> has contributed regular "Looking Back at Genre History" segments and dramatic readings to StarShipSofa, which in 2010 became the first podcast in history to win the Hugo Award. With over 200 presentations to her credit, <span class="il">Sturgis</span> is a regular speaker at universities and genre conventions across North America and Europe. A faculty member at Signum University's Mythgard Institute since 2012, she also teaches Liberal Studies at Lenoir-Rhyne University. <span class="il">Sturgis</span> lives with her husband and their Boston terrier in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. Her official website is <a href="http://amyhsturgis.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">amyhsturgis.com</a>.

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Thesis Chat Sparrow Alden – Words That You Were Saying Aug 13, 2015

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Guest Lecture Series David Brin – Can Science Fiction Change The World? Jul 24, 2015

Show notes

        <h3>David Brin</h3>
        <h4><b>Can Science Fiction Change the World?</b></h4>
        <a href="http://mythgard.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2015/08/dbrin.jpg"><img class=" size-medium wp-image-8826 alignleft" src="http://mythgard.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2015/08/dbrin-205x300.jpg" alt="David Brin" width="205" height="300" /></a><a href="http://www.davidbrin.com">David Brin</a> is a scientist, speaker, technical consultant, and world-known author. His novels have been New York Times Bestsellers, winning multiple Hugo, Nebula, and other awards. At least a dozen have been translated into more than twenty languages. Some of his best-known novels include <em>Earth</em>, <em>The Postman</em> (filmed in 1997), and Hugo Award winners <em>Startide Rising</em> and <em>The Uplift War</em>. A leading commentator and speaker on modern trends, his nonfiction book <em>The Transparent Society</em> won the Freedom of Speech Award of the American Library Association. Brin serves on advisory committees dealing with subjects as diverse as national defense and homeland security, astronomy and space exploration, SETI and nanotechnology, future/prediction and philanthropy. He has served since 2010 on the council of external advisers for NASA's Innovative and Advanced Concepts group (NIAC), which supports the most inventive and potentially ground-breaking new endeavors. In 2013, David Brin helped to establish the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination at UCSD, where he was honored as a "distinguished alumnus" and where he was thereafter a Visiting Scholar in Residence.

        Brin's newest novel <em>Existence</em> explores the ultimate question: billions of planets are ripe for life. So where is Everybody? David's main thread: how will we shape the days and years ahead – and how will tomorrow shape us? David Brin's guest lecture is titled "Can Science Fiction Change the World?"

        Recordings from <strong>Saturday, July 25, 2015</strong>:
        <em>Watch: </em><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.mythgardacademy/GuestLectureSeries/2015-07-25_DavidBrinCanScienceFictionChangeTheWorld.mp4">Guest Lecture Video</a>
        <em>Listen:</em> <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.mythgardacademy/GuestLectureSeries/2015-07-25_DavidBrinCanScienceFictionChangeTheWorld.mp3">Guest Lecture Audio
        </a><em>Review:</em> Additional Resources
        <ul>
            <li><a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/category/future-is-here/david-brin/?no-ist">Will we diversify into many types of humanity?</a> (Video at <em>Smithsonian Magazine</em>;<em> </em><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/davidbrin/human-and-beyond-diversity-who-will-we-meet-make-and-become">slides</a>)</li>
            <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i275AvgVvow">Indignation, addiction and hope — does it help to be "mad as hell?"</a> (TEDx talk; <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/davidbrin/indignation-addiction-the-modern-plague-tedxucsd2014">slides</a>)</li>
            <li><a href="http://www.closertotruth.com/contributor/david-brin/profile">Closer to Truth</a> (Video series)</li>
            <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzr-DSDMkJM&amp;feature=youtu.be"><em>Existence</em> official trailer</a> (YouTube Video)</li>
        </ul>

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