A recent post at the wonderful C.S. Lewis Minute blog introduced me to an amazing new way to experience the brilliance of the great author. I want to pass on the information so that you too can enjoy it.
The site is called “C.S. Lewis Doodles,” and it is the creation of a Kiwi (New Zealander) named Kalman Kingsley.
Kingsley uses a skillful artistic presentation of the clearly read original essays, to give Lewis’ words a particularly engaging and comprehensible air. It is, in a sense, C.S. Lewis “updated” to contemporary media.
Lewis himself alluded to the value of different types of media in communicating. In “Studies in Words” he says, “Language exists to communicate . . . Some things it communicates so badly that we never attempt to communicate them by words if any other medium is available.” Of course, in this case Lewis’ words are profound—in and of themselves. However, the addition of the illustrations serves to highlight and amplify his message.
Lewis, after all, passed away nearly sixty years ago, when most homes still owned black and white televisions. Technology has advanced light years since then, and transposing Lewis’ timeless wisdom to new formats such as this is an important work worthy of the talents of innovative men and women.
C.S. Lewis Doodles is available here, but don’t head there until you finish reading this Mere Inkling post.
The YouTube “Channel” offers three essays:
“The Grand Miracle” (from a sermon about the Incarnation preached in 1945)
“The Laws of Nature” (a 1945 consideration of the interplay between Nature and prayer)
“On ‘Sexual’ Morality” (a 1963 essay entitled “We have No ‘Right to Happiness’”)
All three of these essays are found in the collection published as God in the Dock. (For Americans the last word in that title refers not to a marina, but to a courtroom.)
Because each presentation covers an entire essay, they range in length from eight to ten minutes. Nevertheless, they are so well presented that they will certainly hold your interest.
I believe Lewis would have enjoyed this presentation of his work. Had he been an artist and had access to this technology, he may have experimented with it himself. As he wrote to Arthur Greeves in 1933, his book Pilgrim’s Regress is “going to be decorated by a map on the end leaf which I had great fun in drawing the sketch for.”
You can hear (and view) Lewis’ thoughts on “the Laws of Nature,” by clicking on the image below.
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C.S. Lewis Minute is a website every true Lewis fan should be following. You can read the column I referred to—and subscribe to the blog—here.
This was really interesting! I especially enjoyed watching the artist draw the pictures to go along with the essay, as I am an artist too. Very excellently put together.
Fascinating combination (we have gotten so visual)
Oh, thought of your writing when I saw this place seeking essays
http://vocabula.com/VRauthors.asp
Here’s Roxie’s blog where I noticed it.
http://roxieh.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/review-seeks-essays/
Ah! That is mesmerizing and wonderful! Thank you for posting this! I must toddle off and share it with friends.
Thanks for this…’future prayers have always been present to him’…
This is absolutely FANTASTIC! Thank you SO much for sharing these! Love them :D God bless!
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