Forefront 360

Discussion: How We Found the Arts

Cody, Zack & Gage discuss how they first became captivated by the arts.

Arts Review: Neutral Milk Hotel, Narnia in Turkish, Kings Kaleidoscope

Cody, Nate and Zack gather for an arts review, discussing the following:

• Neutral Milk Hotel, esp. The King of Carrot Flowers
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in Turkish
• Kings Kaleidoscope by Kings Kaleidoscope

We also mention Zack's article on the Forefront blog, "Jesus etc."

Discussion: Does it really matter if we read the classics?

The Forefront crew gathers to discuss the classics: what are they, does it matter if we read them, and how do we read them well?

Spoiler alert; here are the ones that made the draft list at the end:

• Pride and Prejudice
• Little Women
• Treasure Island
• The Grapes of Wrath
• The Lord of the Rings
• A Tale of Two Cities
• The Metamorphosis 
• The Odyssey
• Things Fall Apart
• The Count of Monte Cristo
• Anna Karenina
• The Joy Luck Club
• The Great Gatsby 
• Charlotte's Web
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Arts Review: Sacred Strides, The Bear, The Boy and the Heron, Maryann Corbett

Cody, Rich and Nate gather for the first arts review of the year to discuss:

• Sacred Strides book by Justin McRoberts
• The Bear TV series
• The Boy and the Heron film
• Memories in Old Age poem by Maryann Corbett

 

Interview: Hallow app feat. Taylor Buckley

Since Advent is a perfect season to begin rhythms of prayer & meditation, today Rich talks to Taylor Buckley, Director of Influencer & Brand Marketing at Hallow. Hallow is a popular Christian prayer & meditation app. 

If you'd like to try Hallow free for 3 months: Hallow.com/Forefront

Discussion: The Chronicles of Narnia

Rich, Cody, Nate, Zack, and special guest Lauren Lowin gather to discuss C.S. Lewis's beloved series, The Chronicles of Narnia.

We cover what Narnia means to us personally, whether Narnia is for kids, whether we like the "allegorical" elements of the Chronicles, what adaptations we like and dislike, what we hope for the Netflix adaptations, and of course, our favorite passages from the books.

We're doing it on this occasion because the podcast Pints with Jack has established C.S. Lewis's birthday, November 29, as "C.S. Lewis Reading Day." It's the perfect day to talk about Narnia, and the perfect day to pick up the books for yourself!

Interview: Veronica McDonald

Cody talks with Veronica McDonald about the enjoyment of surprising stories, the beauty of the Gospel, and the challenges of running a literary journal. 

Veronica McDonald is a published fiction writer, poet, visual artist, and editor. She graduated from American University in Washington D.C. with an M.A. Degree in Literature, and has since accumulated a growing list of published work.

In 2019, Veronica started a literary and art journal called Heart of Flesh, where she publishes Christian-themed literature, poetry, art, and photography by writers and artists from around the world. In 2021, she began a literary magazine for kids and families, called Pure in Heart Stories.

Veronica became a born-again Christian in July 2016 when Jesus saved her from anxiety, depression, and a nihilistic worldview.  Since then, she has been fascinated with good and evil, love and fear, life and death, and the various ways the Gospel and biblical themes shine out of secular literature, movies, and storytelling. This fascination is often reflected in her writing and art. You can read her full testimony on the Heart of Flesh website here.

Veronica currently lives in Mobile, Alabama with her husband and three children.

Arts Review: Anastasia Trusova, Hallow, Brother to Brother, Ordinary Ways

Nate, Rich and Dan discuss the art they've been experiencing recently:

• Anastasia Trusova's paintings
• The Hallow app
• Brother to Brother by Michael Card & John Michael Talbot
• Ordinary Ways by Jon Guerra

Discussion: Summer Movie Review 2023

Nate, Rich and Dan give their takes on the summer blockbusters of 2023. We keep it free of major spoilers.

• 00:04:23 - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
• 00:12:46 - Across the Spider-Verse
• 00:20:25 - John Wick 4
• 00:26:28 - The Flash
• 00:31:44 - Asteroid City
• 00:34:06 - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
• 00:45:11 - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning: Part One
• 00:49:55 - Barbie
• 01:02:38 - Oppenheimer

Discussion: AI Art (Part 2)

The Forefront crew continues and broadens their discussion about AI’s impact on the arts:

• How will widely accessible AI tools affect education?
• To what extent will AI displace jobs, and should we be concerned?
• Will using AI negatively affect our spiritual formation?