Have you ever finished a really good book and felt suddenly homesick for a world that doesn’t even exist?

Fantasy is often dismissed as "childish" and "escapist," but growing up, I held a secret belief that fantasy novels like Lord of the Rings, Narnia, or Harry Potter were tapping into something profoundly important about the world. There is a siren song in these powerful stories, an ache that beckons us beyond the borders of this world.

But what is it that's calling to us, exactly?

(This video is an adapted version of a talk I gave in June, when I graduated from the Pacific University MFA program. I would like to hereby note that yes, I cried in the making of this video. Many times. Because LotR is JUST. THAT. GOOD.)

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↠ CHAPTERS ↞
0:00 - what’s the point of fantasy?
2:19 - a universal ache
3:42 - the secret thread in everything you love
7:02 - a desire for another world
8:28 - why I hid my love of fantasy
9:20 - is fantasy an ‘inferior’ form of literature?
10:18 - how lord of the rings opens the imagination
12:24 - eucatastrophe: the truest trait of fantasy
13:28 - how Tolkien redefines heroism
14:53 - how fantasy tackles the big questions
15:42 - fantasy’s greatest gift
16:25 - tldr: why we need fantasy
17:04 - what do we do with this homeward ache?
17:40 - a parting encouragement from Samwise Gamgee
18:23 - parting words from me & a question for you

↠ SOURCES ↞
• C.S. Lewis: “The Weight of Glory,” “Mere Christianity”, and “The Problem of Pain.”
• J.R.R. Tolkien: “On Fairy-Stories”
• All movie clips are from THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001), THE TWO TOWERS (2002), THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003), and THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE (2005).

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↠ ABOUT ME ↞
If you’re new here, hi! 👋I’m Olivia, a twenty-something writer living on the central coast of California. After receiving my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, I’m currently revising draft 5 of my high fantasy novel, which is going by the alias Project Amaranth.

This YouTube channel is a cozy corner of the internet where I share about all things books, creativity, travel, and life design. By documenting my writing journey and sharing about the stories I love, my goal is to inspire and encourage you on your creative journey. Thanks for stopping by! ☀️

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