Dorothy and Jack

Gina Dalfonzo

Description

What happens when we push past the surface and allow real, grounded, mutually challenging, and edifying friendships to develop? We need only look at the little-known friendship between eminent Christian thinkers Dorothy L. Sayers and C. S. Lewis to find out. Born out of a fan letter that celebrated mystery novelist Sayers wrote to Lewis as his star was just beginning to rise, this friendship between a married woman and a longtime bachelor developed over years of correspondence as the two discovered their mutual admiration of each other's writing, thinking, and faith. In a time when many Christians now aren't even sure that a man and a woman can be "just friends" and remain faithful, Gina Dalfonzo's engaging treatment of the relationship between two of Christianity's most important modern thinkers and writers will resonate deeply with anyone who longs for authentic, soul-stirring friendships that challenge them to grow intellectually and spiritually. Fans of Lewis and Sayers will find here a fascinating addition to their collections.

Sujets

• Christianity

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 18 août 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781493424382
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Cover
Endorsements
“This book is both delightful and important. The style is so engaging that it is easy to overlook how rich it is in content. Not only do we learn a great deal about Lewis and Sayers but we are also treated to a nuanced account of the nature of friendship itself. I enjoyed every page of it, and I heartily recommend it. It is very, very good.”
Diana Pavlac Glyer , professor at The Honors College, Azusa Pacific University; author of The Company They Keep and Bandersnatch: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings
“I’ve read and enjoyed virtually everything by these two wonderful writers, but until now I’d never really fully understood the impact they had on each other. Gina’s thoroughly researched and thoroughly entertaining book is filled with fresh insights about two of the greatest writers and most creative apologists of our time. If you are a fan of either writer, this is a book you’ll want to read. It is simply a delight.”
Terry Glaspey , author of 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know , Not a Tame Lion: The Spiritual Legacy of C. S. Lewis , and The Prayers of Jane Austen
“ Dorothy and Jack is a enchanting gift, handcrafted with research, love, and intelligence. This book is about C. S. Lewis and Dorothy L. Sayers, but it is also about all of us; it is about the unexpected beauty in relationship. Dalfonzo’s captivating narrative and profound understanding deepens and ultimately reveals the ‘wild truth’ of Dorothy and Jack—how they changed each other’s lives, hearts, and work, and therefore how they have changed ours.”
Patti Callahan , New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis
“Sadly, many readers of C. S. Lewis know little of Dorothy L. Sayers’s works, and all too often the reverse is true as well. However, in Dorothy and Jack , Gina Dalfonzo has happily remedied this deficit by demonstrating the strong connections between these two Christian thinkers. Dorothy and Jack not only engagingly unfolds the deepening friendship between these two but also sheds welcome light on the significant value this friendship added to their lives. All those who love the writings of Sayers and Lewis will relish the insights and delight to be found in the pages of Dorothy and Jack .”
Marjorie Lamp Mead , associate director of the Marion E. Wade Center, Wheaton College
“Dorothy Sayers is a required text for understanding and appreciating the works of both prodigious writers. Lewis and Sayers hailed from two very different worlds; however, Dalfonzo deftly illustrates how the two nurtured a lasting connection which thrived on humor, mutual respect, constructive criticism, and shared spiritual values. This book is a true gem.”
Crystal Hurd , writer; poet; reviews editor for Sehnsucht: The C . S. Lewis Journal.
“A well-researched and lively narrative like this one of the relationship between Dorothy L. Sayers and C. S. Lewis needed to be written. Dalfonzo has delved deeply into the history of both of these significant literary figures who also made their mark as apologists for the Christian faith. Her storytelling talent provides a vivid, attractive text that keeps the reader wanting to know more, and her analysis of the relationship is bracing and thought-provoking. One cannot ask for a better treatment of these Christian icons.”
K. Alan Snyder , author of America Discovers C. S. Lewis: His Profound Impact
“Much has been made of Lewis and his band of brothers. But the company of Tolkien, Barfield, Williams, and Dyson, while invaluable, offer something of a one-lensed view. I think we can still benefit from a clearer vision. Dalfonzo’s work on Dorothy Sayers gives us a broader view than what the male monocle can offer. There’s something in Lewis best seen through his relationship with Sayers—something formative, instructive, and encouraging—something transformational.”
Corey Latta , author of C. S. Lewis and the Art of Writing
“As someone very familiar with Jack’s life, I was surprised and pleased to learn more about the similarities between him and Sayers and how their differences impacted each other over the decade and a half they knew each other. Dalfonzo’s work sheds much-needed light on this important friendship.”
William O’ Flaherty , author of The Misquotable C . S. Lewis ; creator of “90 Seconds to Knowing C. S. Lewis” on YouTube
“To pair Dorothy Sayers and Jack Lewis into one lucid, well-researched book is a tremendous contribution. Dorothy and Jack is an enjoyable read, especially for those who want a rigorous, unsentimental expression of orthodox Christianity within post-Christian culture.”
Max McLean , artistic director of Fellowship for Performing Arts
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2020 by Gina Dalfonzo
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2020
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-2438-2
Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
All extracts by C. S. Lewis copyright © C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. Reprinted by permission.
Extracts from Strong Poison copyright © 1930 by Dorothy L. Sayers Fleming. Copyright renewed © 1958 by Lloyd’s Bank, Ltd., Executor of the Estate of Dorothy L. Sayers. Reprinted by permission.
Extracts from Gaudy Night copyright © 1936 by Dorothy Leigh Sayers Fleming. Copyright renewed © 1964 by Anthony Fleming. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
Dedication
For more than twenty-five years, they’ve consistently engaged my interest, expanded my horizons, cheered me up when I was down, inspired me when I felt weary and disillusioned, and strengthened my faith in my Savior and theirs. I consider them my mentors, teachers, and guides, even though I never had a chance to meet them.
To Dorothy L. Sayers and C. S. Lewis, whose writings have done so much to shape my thinking and my life, this book is lovingly dedicated.
Contents
Cover 1
Endorsements 2
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
Dedication 5
Introduction 9
1. “No Mean City”: Oxford and World War I 21
2. “A High Wind’’: The Beginning of Friendship 45
3. “Hey! Whoa!”: A Conflict 67
4. “A Complete Blank”: Of Men, Women, and Williams 83
5. “Sister Dinosaur” 121
6. “I Do Most Heartily Rejoice”: In Joy and Sorrow 147
7. “A Friend, Not an Ally” 157
Timeline 173
Acknowledgments 183
Notes 185
About the Author 201
Back Ads 203
Back Cover 205
Introduction
T hey could not have been more alike.
Born five years apart in the waning years of the nineteenth century, both of them were favored, at least for a time, with the kind of idyllic British childhood you read about in classic children’s stories.
Both were highly intelligent, perceptive, and creative from the start, developing a deep knowledge of and passion for literature. Both attended Oxford University, graduated with honors, and became famous writers of novels, essays, scholarly works, and more.
Each went through a period of spiritual rebellion in his or her youth but went on to become fruitful lifelong members of the Anglican church and respected Christian apologists with a theologically conservative bent.
They could not have been more different.
He lost his mother early and had a troubled relationship with his father. She had both of her parents in her life well into adulthood and was very close to them, though not always able to be as open with them as she would have liked to be.
Her marriage was strained; his marriage, though tragically short, was a very happy one.
His was generally a contented spirit, hers an adventurous, even reckless one. His manner was winsome if boisterous, hers just plain blunt. Much of what came naturally to her, in work and in life, was difficult for him, and vice versa.
Nevertheless, C. S. Lewis and Dorothy L. Sayers were friends for fifteen years—from the time she sent him a fan letter in 1942 until her death in 1957. It was a friendship that on one level caught fire quickly, as the two of them bonded over the many ideas, interests, and values they had in common, and yet took many years to deepen and intensify to the point where they were comfortable sharing their most personal struggles.
But all of those fifteen years were filled with correspondence, critiques, jokes, praise, cartoons, arguments, sympathy, and a true enjoyment of each other’s company. Both of them complained about not being able to meet very often, as they were perpetually busy with their respective careers and family obligations, but the resulting benefit to us is the wonderful collection of letters they produced between them. Lewis told Sayers that she was “one of the great English letter writers,” joking that one day she might be better remembered for her correspondence than for her books (“awful vision for you”). 1 While that hasn’t happened, and doesn’t appear likely to happen, it’s true that her letters are witty, heartfelt, and a joy to read—and for that matter, so are his.
Given all this, it seems strange that so few are aware of their friendship. When I began to tell friends and acquaintances about my idea for this book, surprise at the very fact that Lewis and Sayers were friends was a common reaction. And in some ways that’s understandable. For one thing, their friendship was shorter than many of Lewis’s other, more celebrated ones—only a decade and a half. For another, their public personas today scarcely touch at any point.
Lewis’s memory is kept alive largely by the Christian worl