About William 
William O’Flaherty earned a Master’s degree in counseling from Appalachian State University. Since then, has been a school guidance counselor, a radio announcer, and he is currently employed as an in-home Family Therapist with Pressley Ridge, based out of Pittsburgh, PA.
William’s first publication was a children’s story for Practical Ideas for Counselors. He has also published technical articles for Christian Computing Magazine (now Ministry Tech Magazine) and other tech magazines.
In addition to writing for his website EssentialCSLewis.com, William has contributed to Breakpoint.org and NarniaFans.com. His podcast, “All About Jack,” which features interviews about books related to C. S. Lewis, has over 200 downloads per day. The photo on right is courtesy of Lancia E. Smith.
Your Questions or Comments Are Always Welcomed
Feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments about my site. While I can’t guarantee you’ll get a personal reply, your questions will be considered for a future article. If you have written a book about C.S. Lewis, or have read a book and thought the author would be a good candidate then send me a message below.
Contact me via the form below (at the end of the comments):
Hello, would you know who actually said this?
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
Yes,
I did an article about that quote here:
https://essentialcslewis.com/2017/11/11/ccslq-41-go-back-and-change/
I’m quoting CS Lewis and want to cite it properly. Do you know how I can find out what page number this quote is on? “There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
C.S. Lewis, letter to Mary Willis Shelburne on June 17, 1963. The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3.
It is on page 1430 of Volume 3.
Please note the CONTEXT of this quote. I’ve written about it here:
https://essentialcslewis.com/2016/02/13/ccslq-21-far-better-things/
Regarding the origin of the beautiful quote on friendship some believe to be Lewis’s…”A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”… I have a lovely card that attributes it to a Danish proverb.
Jane
I’m really glad this whole resource exists. I didn’t realize until I read “The Misquotable C.S. Lewis”, just how misquoted he really is! I do have a quote that I am really now wondering about. I first heard it from a Christian artist at a concert. Can you tell me if C.S. Lewis actually wrote this quote or anything close to it, and where it would be found: “We are called to have faith, even in the darkest hour, and not grow faint or join with the cynics and the mockers.”
It is amazing how many quotes are falsely attributed to Lewis, even if some are summaries of what he actually said.
As for your question, I don’t believe anyone has asked about that quote before. However, I was able to track down the source, and it was NOT written by Lewis. Instead, it is from a book about him, or rather Narnia. Specifically, it comes from page 176 of Narnia Beckons: C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Beyond
On that page the authors are providing a reflection of chapter 14 of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Thank you for the clarification on the phrase “We read to know…” While I love the phrase, I wanted to use it in a job application and needed confirmation on its source. Thanks to you, I attributed it to the movie and not Lewis himself.
Hello, I enjoy your podcast a lot!
A while back you highlighted a new doctoral program focused on the Inklings and I can’t find it now when I search your website or google it. Could you remind me of the name of the school?
Thanks and best wishes,
Greg
It’s called Northwind.
Here’s a link to a podcast interview I did on it:
https://essentialcslewis.com/2020/12/28/podcast-northwind-seminary-michael-christensen-and-charlie-starr/
Hello William,
I was trying to find the source of the quote you discuss in the following article: https://essentialcslewis.com/2018/03/03/ccslq-47-loving-everybody/
I felt as though I was reading a detective story! Your conclusion was very satisfying; particularly your willingness to purchase a book solely to determine the authenticity of a quote. Thank you for your work.
I don’t have any other details other then what the article mentions. the quote is found in The Letters of John by John R.W. Stott. Stott claims “Lewis” as the author; however, the author he’s referring to is not the creator of Narnia, but “G.P. Lewis.” I don’t know anything else about G.P. Lewis.
Hi William,
I came across this quotation attributed to CSLewis somewhere: “ . . the Trinity is either the most farcical doctrine invented by the early disciples, or the most profound and thrilling mystery revealed by the Creator Himself, giving us a grand intimation of reality.” Any idea where it comes from? I think I have read all his published works and have never come across this quote. Perhaps located in some revised edition?
Thank you
Russ
I sent you an email, that in part says:
The quote you asked about is actually NOT from Lewis, but a summary/paraphrase made by Ravi Zacharias back in 1994 (Can Man Live Without God).
Ravi then quotes from Mere Christianity, book 4, chapter 2, entitled “The Three-Personal God.”
I need help with a C.S. Lewis quote often stated, but never cited: “You can make anything by writing.” The bit of research I’ve attempted has led me to believe that either it is from an obscure source of Lewis’, or entirely made up. However, I can find no insight into this matter. Hopefully, you can shine light onto this mystery of mine.
I’ve sent you an email with more details that states I’m almost certain Lewis did NOT write it.
Regarding your “(CCSLQ-33) – Isn’t It Funny” post, I recognized the quote right away. It’s “Calvin and Hobbes”! Hope this helps you out a bit.
https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/11/04
That’s VERY interesting! Thank you for sharing the information.
I encountered this quote allegedly by Lewis today:
“Spiteful words can hurt your feelings but silence breaks your heart.”
Genuine?