Author Archives: davetcourt

Reading Journal 2023: The Silver Crown By Robert C. O Brien I was made aware of this book after listening to a podcast episode discussing the film adaptation of The Secret of Nihm. The book being a childhood favorite, I decided to revisit it in 2022. Unaware of whether the author had penned other worksContinue reading “Reading Journal 2023: The Silver Crown By Robert C. O Brien”

Film Journal 2023: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (Directed by Peter Baynton and Charlie Mackesy)Where to watch: Apple TV+ “Life is difficult, but you are loved.”This beautifully animated film, based on the book by the same name, follows a simple cast of characters who happen to find each other as aContinue reading “Film Journal 2023: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”

Over Christmas I found myself meditating on and reflecting on the Gospel of Luke, specifically the parallel stories of Zechariah and Elizabeth and Mary and Joseph. I came across an interesting thesis titled The Blessed Mother Sarah: The Figure of Sarah in Genesis Rabbah in Light of Christian Exegesis and the Rise of the VirginContinue reading “Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah and the Rest of the Women: Rethinking The Birth Narrative”

A couple observations on Luke 15:11-32 (The Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother) for discussion: What follows is a set of three parables. What this should tell us is that all three figures will appear in the parables, as parables are designed so that the audience will see themselves in it. When it comesContinue reading “The Father, The Prodigal Son, and the Larger Message of Luke 15”

Non-Fiction This walk through the majority of my nonfiction reads is something of an experiment. I tried to walk through my reads and track through my experiences of these books as a kind of story that defines the major themes of my year. I note the unintentional bookends that frame my first and final reads.Continue reading “My Reading Journal, 2022: Non-Fiction”

A few years ago I began a New Years Resolution Plan called Rosebud. I heard about it on one of the travel podcasts that I follow. The process essentially looks like this:Step 1: List Three Roses-This is the stuff that I would consider the greatest strengths, successes or accomplishments of the past year, the stuffContinue reading “Rose Bud 2023”

Fiction: I have a fond memory from earlier in the year following a blind buy of Gallant. I had been inspired to read more fiction. At the time I was immersed in non-fiction (still am), and I was craving a good story. This set in motion an intentional effort to uncover more literary fiction. MyContinue reading “My Reading Journal, 2022: Fiction”

As the final few days and hours start to wind down on 2022, looking back at the year in film is a chance to remind myself of just how full 12 mohths really can be. Memories of heading to the theater to see Black Widow, a film that, at the time, was supposed to kickContinue reading “My Top Films of 2022: Ranked”

As it is with any year, it’s been a good year for film, As it is with any year, taking the time to seek out worthwhile titles will merit possible gems and worthwhile projects and personal favorites. There remains a wealth of new titles and plenty of ways to see them, especially as the yearContinue reading “My Top Films of 2022: The Hidden Gems”

I feel like if I have some real blind spots in 2022 it would be in the category of documentary. There are a few of the big hitters I never got around to seeing, and to be honest, unlike last year where we had two big frontliners for the Oscar’s and some very real hopefulsContinue reading “Top Documentaries of 2022”