Shadowlands Selections: July 2024

By the Society for Women of Letters Leadership Council

“Shadowlands Selections” is a monthly column for paid subscribers of Shadowlands Dispatch that features recommended reading, listening, and watching from the Leadership Council of the Society for Women of Letters (Melissa Cain Travis, Julie Miller, Annie Crawford, Rebekah Valerius, and Megan Rials). Every month, we will be sharing the cultural products (books, films, podcasts, etc.) currently captivating our imaginations. Our July 2024 recommendations feature Joy Clarkson’s most recent book, You Are a Tree, P.G. Wodehouse, and William Lane Craig.  Below, we explain our recommendations in greater detail. We hope you enjoy!

You Are a Tree: And Other Metaphors to Nourish Life, Thought, and Prayer by Joy Clarkson

In her latest book, Joy Clarkson explores the power of language to shape the Christian’s spiritual development by examining a number of Biblical metaphors. Each chapter is devoted to a different metaphor, such as wisdom as light and safety as a fortress. Although the entire book is filled with helpful insights, I found the most enriching chapters to be those featuring the titular arboreal metaphor, love as a disease, and sadness as heavy.