The Plunge with Derek Holser

Welcome to Episode 6 in our Animals in Literature series. This series aims to explore the origins, conventions, and meanings we find in stories featuring anthropomorphic animals. Joining me for today's conversation on all things CATS! in stories is Laura Burnett, a newcomer to The Plunge. We discuss the cat Church from Stephen King's Pet Sematary, the unnamed cat in Coraline, Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat, Crookshanks from Harry Potter, and many more! Laura Burnett lives on the New England seacoast with her husband, son, and two shelter cats. She is a teacher, writer, and organic farmer with a Masters in Education from Boston College. When she’s not chasing her eight-month-old around the house or digging around in the dirt of her garden, you can find her trying to perfect her butternut squash curry recipe or curled up with the latest Tana French novel. She writes on Substack at Lighthouse Hymns. https://substack.com/@lauraburnett ⸻ 📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser 📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2xemfzs9

Welcome to Episode 5 in our Animals in Literature series. This series aims to explore the origins, conventions, and meanings we find in stories featuring anthropomorphic animals. Joining me today is Elizabeth Hardy as we conclude our chapter-by-chapter journey through the beloved Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Elizabeth is an instructor of English at western North Carolina's Mayland Community College. In addition to composition and literature courses, she teaches humanities courses, including Myth in Human Culture and Introduction to Film. To learn more about Elizabeth's life and work, check out her website: https://www.appalachianinkling.com/ Elizabeth's newest book, to be published October 2026, is Appalachia in the Hunger Games: Real-Life Roots of District 12 (https://tinyurl.com/3z7kuran) This book reviews Suzanne Collins's depiction of District 12, which draws upon longstanding Appalachian landscapes, industries, and culture, using lived experiences from the region as inspiration for her fictional setting. Elizabeth examines how Susanne Collins adapts features of Appalachian geography and community into speculative fiction, creating an environment that echoes both contemporary and historic Appalachia. Elizabeth is the author of Milton, Spenser, and the Chronicles of Narnia: Literary Sources for the C.S. Lewis Novels. (https://www.amazon.com/Milton-Spenser-Chronicles-Narnia-Literary/dp/0786428767) She also frequently writes literary and popular culture criticism and has contributed to numerous collections focusing on the work of C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling, as well as on topics as diverse as The Hunger Games and Star Trek. A popular presenter, she contributes to a variety of programs and podcasts and might be found sharing about 18th century medicinal plants, World War II Victory Gardens, or literary alchemy, depending on the day. ⸻ 📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser 📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Tambika & The Shield of Wisdom ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2xemfzs9

Welcome to a bonus episode, special edition of The Plunge. Today's guest is Micah Johnson, author of the New York Times Bestselling Middle-Grade Novel AKU: Journey to Ibra. Micah and I discuss his inspiration for creating AKU's first novel, the meaning and purpose he discovered in telling the tale, and the hope he has for the next generation of dreamers. Micah Johnson is a former MLB player turned artist, author, and creator of Aku. Micah's work has been featured on the cover of TIME Magazine and has reached millions worldwide through projects with Starbucks, MLB, New Era, and Beats by Dre, among others. His debut sci-fi adventure, Aku: Journey to Ibra, published by Penguin Random House, is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. A proud Hoosier and girl dad, Micah is a fluent Spanish speaker and enjoys playing guitar and piano. ⸻ 📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser Tambika & The Shield of Wisdom ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2xemfzs9  

Welcome to Episode 4 in our Animals in Literature series. This series aims to explore the origins, conventions, and meanings we find in stories featuring anthropomorphic animals. Joining me today is Elizabeth Hardy as we continue our chapter-by-chapter journey through the beloved Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Elizabeth is an instructor of English at western North Carolina's Mayland Community College. In addition to composition and literature courses, she teaches humanities courses, including Myth in Human Culture and Introduction to Film. To learn more about Elizabeth's life and work, check out her website: https://www.appalachianinkling.com/ Elizabeth's newest book, to be published October 2026, is Appalachia in the Hunger Games: Real-Life Roots of District 12 (https://tinyurl.com/3z7kuran) This book reviews Suzanne Collins's depiction of District 12, which draws upon longstanding Appalachian landscapes, industries, and culture, using lived experiences from the region as inspiration for her fictional setting. Elizabeth examines how Susanne Collins adapts features of Appalachian geography and community into speculative fiction, creating an environment that echoes both contemporary and historic Appalachia. Elizabeth is the author of Milton, Spenser, and the Chronicles of Narnia: Literary Sources for the C.S. Lewis Novels. (https://www.amazon.com/Milton-Spenser-Chronicles-Narnia-Literary/dp/0786428767) She also frequently writes literary and popular culture criticism and has contributed to numerous collections focusing on the work of C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling, as well as on topics as diverse as The Hunger Games and Star Trek. A popular presenter, she contributes to a variety of programs and podcasts and might be found sharing about 18th century medicinal plants, World War II Victory Gardens, or literary alchemy, depending on the day. ⸻ 📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser 📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Tambika & The Shield of Wisdom ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2xemfzs9

Welcome to Episode 3 in our Animals in Literature series. This series aims to explore the origins, conventions, and meanings we find in stories featuring anthropomorphic animals. Joining me today is Elizabeth Hardy for the second in our multi-part conversation about the beloved Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Elizabeth is an instructor of English at western North Carolina's Mayland Community College. In addition to composition and literature courses, she teaches humanities courses, including Myth in Human Culture and Introduction to Film. To learn more about Elizabeth's life and work, check out her website: https://www.appalachianinkling.com/ Elizabeth's newest book, to be published October 2026, is Appalachia in the Hunger Games: Real-Life Roots of District 12 (https://tinyurl.com/3z7kuran) This book reviews Suzanne Collins's depiction of District 12, which draws upon longstanding Appalachian landscapes, industries, and culture, using lived experiences from the region as inspiration for her fictional setting. Elizabeth examines how Susanne Collins adapts features of Appalachian geography and community into speculative fiction, creating an environment that echoes both contemporary and historic Appalachia. Elizabeth is the author of Milton, Spenser, and the Chronicles of Narnia: Literary Sources for the C.S. Lewis Novels. (https://www.amazon.com/Milton-Spenser-Chronicles-Narnia-Literary/dp/0786428767) She also frequently writes literary and popular culture criticism and has contributed to numerous collections focusing on the work of C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling, as well as on topics as diverse as The Hunger Games and Star Trek. A popular presenter, she contributes to a variety of programs and podcasts and might be found sharing about 18th century medicinal plants, World War II Victory Gardens, or literary alchemy, depending on the day. ⸻ 📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser 📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Tambika & The Shield of Wisdom ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2xemfzs9 ⸻

Welcome to Episode 2 in our Animals in Literature series. This series aims to explore the origins, conventions, and meanings we find in stories featuring anthropomorphic animals. Joining me today is Elizabeth Hardy for the first in our multi-part conversation about the beloved Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.          Elizabeth is instructor of English at western North Carolina's Mayland Community College. In addition to composition and literature courses, she teaches humanities courses including Myth in Human Culture and Introduction to Film.         She is the author of Milton, Spenser, and the Chronicles of Narnia: Literary Sources for the C.S. Lewis Novels. (https://www.amazon.com/Milton-Spenser-Chronicles-Narnia-Literary/dp/0786428767)         She also frequently writes literary and popular culture criticism and has contributed to numerous collections focusing on the work of C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling, as well as on topics as diverse as The Hunger Games and Star Trek. A popular presenter, she contributes to a variety of programs and podcasts and might be found sharing about 18th century medicinal plants, World War II Victory Gardens, or literary alchemy, depending on the day.  ⸻ 📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser 📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Tambika & The Shield of Wisdom ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2xemfzs9    

Welcome to Episode One in our series Animals in Literature. This series aims to explore the origins, conventions and meaning found in stories featuring anthropomorphic animals. How the beloved fables and literary masterpieces featuring animals who live and talk as humans do blur the lines between childhood and adulthood while holding up a mirror to our humanity.        Joining me today is a returning Plunge favorite, Landon Loftin. In fact, it was Landon's essay that prompted this conversation. Literary Tributaries: Classical and Romantic Influences in The Wind in the Willows.       It was published in the Mythopoeic Society's MYTHLORE, vol. 44, no. 1. It can be found here: https://dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3396&context=mythlore       Landon Loftin has a BA in Religion and Philosophy from Southwest Baptist University, an MA in Apologetics from Houston Christian University, and a PhD in Humanities from Faulkner University.   He is the author of a plethora of academic articles on the writings of authors such as G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, and Owen Barfield.   Additionally, he is co-author of What Barfield Thought: An Introduction to the Work of Owen Barfield, for which he was named co-recipient of the 2023 Award of Excellence by the Barfield Literary Estate.       Connect with Landon: Book: https://tinyurl.com/5ee6hr3j       Please also check out Seth Lerer's annotated edition of The Wind in the Willows: https://tinyurl.com/2pvzdrfc       ⸻ 📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser 📚 New Book! Lightgliders: Tambika & The Shield of Wisdom ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2xemfzs9  

Welcome to Episode Eighteen in our Tolkien's Greatest Characters series. Today's conversation explores the transformation of Smeagol into Gollum, and entertains the possibility that maybe Smeagol found his way back to the light at the bottom of the fires of Mt. Doom... Leah Holser returns for her second appearance on The Plunge. Enjoy our spirited discussion of the implications of discovering the Ring, the explicit connection between Greed and Violence, and the possibility of redemption and restoration, no matter how far the Ring takes us away from the Light. Leah Holser will complete her Master's in Theology & Culture at St. Stephen's University in 2026. She has been active in parenting and children's ministry for nearly 25 years, and has a passion for families to be full of love and flourish in every way. She is the President of the Board of Directors of Northwest Family Life, a Seattle-based nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the cycle of domestic violence. Since 1989, Northwest Family Life’s network of faith-based counselors has been characterized by a strong commitment to our mission of “assisting individuals and families in finding hope and healing when facing the pain of domestic violence, trafficking, trauma, and related issues.” As a non-profit learning and counseling center based in the greater Seattle area, we have a three-pronged approach to ending domestic violence: advocacy, intervention, and prevention. Northwest Family Life is a 501(c)3 organization. https://northwestfamilylife.org/ ⸻ 📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser 📚 New Book! Lightgliders: Tambika & The Shield of Wisdom ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2xemfzs9  

Welcome to Episode Seventeen in our Tolkien's Greatest Characters series. Today's conversation shines the spotlight on the dark lord himself, SAURON.          Turner Burnett returns for his third appearance on The Plunge. We explore the meaning and nature of evil, Sauron's backstory, the power of the Ring, and the eternal temptation of mortal men.           Turner Burnett is a husband, father, writer, music artist and amateur pie-maker. He spends most of his time day-dreaming about seeing artists partner with God to create meaningful beauty that draws people into the Kingdom of Heaven. A Seattle native, Turner currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he works at Sony Music in artist development. His favorite color is blue!       ⸻ 📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser New Book! Lightgliders: Tambika & The Shield of Wisdom ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2xemfzs9  

Welcome to Episode Sixteen in our Tolkien's Greatest Characters series. Today's conversation shines the spotlight on two central characters in the Fellowship: Boromir & Gimli.       My guest, Chris Tansey, shares how each character has inspired him at different points in his life, and offers us a deeper appreciation for literary figures in our lives.          Chris Tansey is a middle school English teacher on Cape Cod. He loves history, movies, books and pizza. He is married to the wonderful Laura and has a new baby named Sam (partially in honor of Samwise). He has two cats, one of whom he likes.        ⸻ 📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser New Book! Lightgliders: Tambika & The Shield of Wisdom ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2xemfzs9