Classical Education

About the Guest
Jason M. Baxter is (PhD) is Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine College. He is the author of ten books, including Why Literature Still Matters, a new translation of Dante, A Beginner’s Guide to Dante, and the best-selling Medieval Mind of CS Lewis. In his non-academic writing, he writes about why our technology-obsessed, digital culture desperately still needs the arts. You can order signed copied of his books off of his website (JasonMBaxter.com) and read his articles, like “How to Get Your Kids to Fall in Love with Literature," on his Substack, Beauty Matters.

Show Notes
In this episode, Jason Baxter—educator, author, and creator of "Beauty Matters"—shares his journey and offers practical, insightful ways to help educators and parents foster a love of reading.

During his conversation with Adrienne, Jason discusses why "Falling in Love with Literature" addresses a vital, often missing element in education. As Jason notes, "Great literature opens the powers of imagination." Together, they explore actionable, creative techniques to bring out the enchantment of reading both stories and poetry with children at every stage—from early childhood through college.

Booklists
We normally add a booklist, but since Jason includes several pages of recommendations in his essay, please refer to that article.
How To Get Your Kids to Fall in Love with Literature (Substack article by Jason Baxter).

Billy Collins "The Lanyard"
Mike Teavee by Roald Dahl
Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger

Jason's Favorite Quote:
"Human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars."- Gustave Flaubert, Madam Bovary  

Resources
Literary Life Podcast
Jason teaches from time to time for House of Humane Letters.
His website:  https://www.jasonmbaxter.com/

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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
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Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
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What is Classical Education?

Classical Education is a podcast perfect for learning about the tradition of a liberal arts education. We invite you to join us on a journey in pursuit of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful as we participate in the great conversation and listen to the many voices coming from the world of classical education.