Would you believe it if I told you that C.S. Lewis, himself, actually had his own website? Technically speaking he does not, however, the publisher of most of his books, HarperColllins, does have a site. Of course, there are general limitations to it being a publisher’s site. The main one is the fact that it does exist solely to sell his books; which in and of itself actually isn’t so bad. As you can see from the picture above there are five main areas to the site (plus the traditional “home” button). For those already familiar with Lewis’s books I recommend going to the “BLOG” link. This area contains a large variety of articles about Lewis and his writings by a variety of Lewis scholars and enthusiasts that are very informative.
Fact / Quote / Quiz: February 6th
FACT OF THE DAY:
The Magician’s Nephew took Lewis the longest to write of all the Narnia books (almost 5 years, from ’49 to ’54).
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.”
The Shocking Alternative
(Given as a talk on the BBC on 2/1/1942)
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QUIZ OF THE DAY:
Who is the only daughter of Kidrash Tarkaan and where is her story told?
(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)
Fact / Quote / Quiz: February 5th
FACT OF THE DAY:
“The Man Born Blind” was published on 2/4/1977 in Church Times. But a different version was later discovered called “Light.”
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“I fancy we are all too ready, once we are converted ourselves, to assume that God will deal with everyone exactly as He does with us. But He is no mass-producer and treats no two quite alike.”
Letter to Mrs. Jessup on 2/5/1954
(Published in The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III)
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QUIZ OF THE DAY:
Finish the quote and name the source (two words):
“The danger of mistaking our merely natural, though perhaps legitimate, enthusiasms for holy zeal, is ____ ____ .”
(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)
The Shoddy Lands (CSLM-41)
Lewis is known for various fictional works, especially his stories of Narnia. But I bet you didn’t know he also wrote about “The Shoddy Lands.”
During Lewis’ lifetime only two of his short stories were published. One of them, “The Shoddy Lands” was in a issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. It is also reprinted in Of Other Worlds.
Fact / Quote / Quiz: February 4th
FACT OF THE DAY:
On this date (2/4) in 1933 Lewis wrote to his friend Arthur Greeves about reading a draft of The Hobbit (not published till ’37).
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Since term began I have had a delightful time reading a children’s story which Tolkien has just written.”
Letter to Arthur Greeves on 2/4/1933
(Published in The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume II)
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QUIZ OF THE DAY:
Lewis had a debate in the late 1940’s with whom and what was it about?
(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)
Fact / Quote / Quiz: February 3rd
FACT OF THE DAY:
Lewis’s short story “The Shoddy Lands” was published this month in 1956 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself.”
The Shocking Alternative
(Given as a talk on the BBC on 2/1/1942)
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QUIZ OF THE DAY:
Which Narnia book is the following passage from and who said it:
“I have come home at last! The is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now.”
(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)
Fact / Quote / Quiz: February 2nd
FACT OF THE DAY:
The (often misunderstood) debate between #CSLewis and Anscombe happen on this date (2/2) in 1948.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Those that hate goodness are sometimes nearer than those that know nothing at all about it and think they have it already.”
Who Goes Home? or The Grand Divorce XIII
(Published in The Guardian on 2/2/1945)
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QUIZ OF THE DAY:
Finish the quote and name the source (four words):
“For it is not so ___ ___ ___ ___ and so much of our attention that God demands; it is not even all our time and all our attention: it is our selves.”
(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)
RETROSPECT: February 1st – 9th
Highlights for the first third of February (1st – 9th) include: Two more BBC talks from the second series, “What Christians Believe,” an often misunderstood debate and the first book that made Lewis famous.
An idea that started in 1940 led to international fame for Lewis. This is before he gained fame for being the author of The Chronicles of Narnia and even before he was loved as a defender of the Christian faith. A small book containing thirty-one letters set things in motion that made Lewis gain international fame. Although The Screwtape Letters had been released weekly in 1941, it was not until a year later, on the 9th of this month that all of them could be found in one place. The first edition of 2,000 copies sold out even before the date of publication! In fact it was reprinted eight times before the end of 1942. Despite being so popular, it is well known that Lewis actually didn’t enjoy writing it.
Fact / Quote / Quiz: February 1st
FACT OF THE DAY:
Known as “The Shocking Alternative,” Lewis gave the 3rd talk on this date (2/1) in 1942 on the BBC from What Christians Believe series.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Nobody who gets enough food and clothing in a world where most are hungry and cold has any business to talk about ‘misery.'”
The Shocking Alternative
(Given as a talk on the BBC on 2/1/1942)
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QUIZ OF THE DAY:
One of the few times Lewis discuss politics was published in an essay on what date last month (January) in what year (Hint: It related to one of the commandments)?
(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)
Fact / Quote / Quiz: January 31st
FACT OF THE DAY:
Lewis was president of the Oxford Socratic Club from it’s founding (1942) until 1955 (when he started teaching at Cambridge).
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Nobody who gets enough food and clothing in a world where most are hungry and cold has any business to talk about ‘misery.'”
Letter to Arthur Greeves on 1/31/1917
(Published in The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume I)
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QUIZ OF THE DAY:
What is the name of the bear in That Hideous Strength?
(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)