MY INTEREST IN C.S. LEWIS •  I thought of C.S. Lewis as the author of the Chronicles of Narnia and the Screwtape Letters, as well as the pithy sayings quoted in many pastors’ sermons. When the first three books of the Narnia series were turned into hit movies, the second one Prince Caspian quickly became the favorite movie of my two daughters. They watched that movie over and over again. Our entire family was enraptured by the epic story, grand scenery, humorous dialogue, and very likable characters. Little did I know at the time that CS Lewis would be the reason why I would start a blog.

The spark that lit the flame happened as I was driving my car to pick up my daughter at the local zoo one Sunday afternoon in February 2019. At the time, I had been reading a biography about Mr. Lewis, and had reached the story of the Inklings, that literary group with J.R.R. Tolkien and other friends who met weekly to read and critique each other’s writings in the 1930s. For a few years, I had written essays about history and my favorite historical figures of the past. As I read that biography, I found myself getting more and more envious of that joy-filled Inklings group, full of laughter and witty insights, as I imagined them. I began to yearn for my own tight-knit group of friends who would love to gather together to read and critique my essays – as my personal collaborators, if you will. People who would appreciate what I was trying to express and communicate. People who, without needing much explanation, would understand my writing. Wanting to be understood? Then it hit me. As I drove west toward the zoo, I suddenly realized that the people who could best understand my writing would be the very people I was writing about! So right then and there, I decided to switch from writing about them -and begin writing to them. It was my personal epiphany. Having written a couple of letters to CS Lewis, I have come to feel deep affection for him – and now consider him a friend.