David interviews Dr. Carolyn Weber about her book, Surprised By Oxford, and its upcoming movie of the same name.
S6E44: “Surprised By Oxford” (Download)
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Show Notes
Introduction
Drop-In
Quote-of-the-week
My first taste of Oxford was comical enough… Towns always show their worst face to the railway. But as I walked on and on I became more bewildered…. Only when it became obvious that… I was… getting to open country, did I turn round and look. There, behind me, far away, never more beautiful since, was the fabled cluster of spires and towers
C.S. Lewis, Surprised By Joy
Biographical Information
Dr. Carolyn Weber is an award-winning author, popular professor and international speaker. She has served as faculty at several universities and was the first female dean of St. Peter’s College, Oxford. She lives in a quirky old house out in the country with her family, along with their animal menagerie, and, as mentioned, she’s the author of Surprised By Oxford.
Biographical Information
Chit-Chat
David referenced the trailer for Surprised by Oxford:
Toast
- David was drinking some Yorkshire Gold Tea.
- Dr. Weber was drinking water in the Nashville heatwave.
Discussion
01. “Visiting Oxford”
Q. Let’s begin by talking about Oxford. What is your favourite place to go or thing to see in Oxford? What do you recommend to people who visit?
- The Bodleian Library
- Christ Church Meadow
- The Trout
- Botanical Gardens
- The Oxford Colleges (St. Edmunds Hall)
- The Eagle and Child (“The Bird and Babe”)
- The Lamb and Flag
02. “Carolyn’s story”
Q. I really want to give some space for you to tell us a little bit more about yourself and your story, which you recount in Surprised By Oxford, so please tell us about your life journey!
03. “The Romantics”
Q. What role did your study of the Romantics play in your story? Also, I’m sure some of our listeners would appreciate it if you explained who these people were…
I hope I do not offend God by making my Communions in the frame of mind I have been describing. The command, after all, was Take, eat: not Take, understand.
C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer
04. “The writing process”
Q. How did you find the process of getting your story down on paper?
–
05. “Surprised by Scripture”
Q. What can you tell us about your encounter with Scripture in your journey?
I believe this great ignorance might be a help to the evangelisation of England: any amount of theology can now be smuggled into people’s minds under cover of romance without their knowing it.
C.S. Lewis, Letter to Sister Penelope (July [August] 9th, 1939)
- The Man Born to be King by Dorothy L. Sayers (PWJ Interview)
- The Dogma is the drama by Dorothy L. Sayers
06. “Biggest misunderstanding?”
Q. What do you find is the biggest misunderstanding that people have about your book?
You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet
C.S. Lewis, Surprised By Joy (Chapter 14)
‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.
C.S. Lewis, Surprised By Joy (Chapter 8)
07. “The movie”
Q. So how did your book become a movie? What can you tell us about the adaptation and filming process?
08. “Meeting yourself”
Q. What was it like meeting the actress playing you in the movie?
09. “General release”
Q. What’s happening with the movie distribution? Do you know when/where people will be able to see it?
10. “Since Oxford”
Q. What have you been up to since “Surprised By Oxford”? I understand you’ve written several other books…
- Holy Is the Day: Living in the Gift of the Present
- Sex and the City of God: A Memoir of Love and Longing
- Noiser Podcasts
Wrap-Up
More Information
- Dr. Carolyn Weber website
- Dr. Carylyn Weber Twitter
- Surprised By Oxford book
- Surprised By Oxford movie
