The C.S. Lewis Society of California writes…

I am delighted to invite you to join with us at the upcoming conference commemorating the 50th Anniversary of C.S. Lewis’s death, Living the Legacy: The Vision, Voice, & Vocation of C.S. Lewis: C. S. Lewis Summer Conference. Sponsored by the C.S. Lewis Foundation, the program will be held in San Deigo, California, June 21-23.

Nearly fifty years after his death, the popularity and relevance of C.S. Lewis continues to increase. His books, published in many languages, remain perennial bestsellers and continue to inspire both children and adults alike, while his academic ideas continue to inform key debates in a number of fields. Worldwide ticket sales in the billions of dollars from the Chronicles of Narnia film series and sold out theatre performances certify the imaginative power and wonder of Lewis’s world. Most recently, Westminster Abbey has announced the unveiling of a memorial stone to Lewis in the Poets Corner on November 22, 2013. But why? What aspects of this scholar, writer, and Christian believer continue to make Lewis such a major figure in both the Christian world and the culture at large?

• C.S. Lewis’s vision – of the human past and his prophetic view of the issues in our current age offer us a guide as we navigate through the troubled waters of contemporary culture.
• C.S. Lewis’s voice – eloquently and cheerfully challenges us to develop our own voice to speak into a lost and dying world.
• C.S. Lewis’s vocation – particularly as an intellectual who was unapologetic about his Christian convictions and who was a shining example of authentically-lived faith.

Speakers:

• James T. Como, Professor of Fine and Performing Arts, York College. His books include C.S. Lewis at the Breakfast Table and Other Reminisces and Why I Believe Narnia: Thirty-three Essays and Reviews on the Life and Work of C. S. Lewis.
• Paul F. Ford, Professor of Systematic Theology and Liturgy,St. John’s Seminary; author of Companion to Narnia
• Diana Pavlac Glyer, Professor of English at Azusa Pacific University and the recipient of the Imperishable Flame Award for Tolkien Studies, Mythopoeic Society Scholarship Award, and Chase A. Sawtell Inspirational Teaching Award, she is the author of Clay in the Potter’s Hands and The Company They Keep: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien as Writers in Community.
• Malcolm Guite, Chaplain and Fellow, Girton College, Cambridge University; author, Beholding the Glory and What Do Christians Believe?
• Peter J. Kreeft, Professor of Philosophy at Boston College and King’s College, New York City; author of 55 books
• Andrew Lazo, highly popular speaker and writer on C.S. Lewis and his fellow Inklkings, co-editor ofMere Christians: Inspiring Encounters with C. S. Lewis, he teaches English at St. Thomas High School in Houston.
• Richard Platt, author of the novel As One Devil to Another which is dedicated to C. S. Lewis, he was a finalist for a 2012 San Diego Foundation Creative Catalyst Fellowship for his one-man play, Ripples From Walden Pond: An Evening with Henry David Thoreau.

Artists:

• Steve Bell, singer, guitar player, composer, and recipient of the 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. His most recent album, Keening for the Dawn, was created in conjunction with Malcolm Guite.
• Mark Jennings, writer and performer for Face-to-Face Theatre Company, he has lately been seen performing frequently in the role of “Sir Arthur Dimworthy.”
• Anthony Lawton, Founder of The Mirror Theatre Company, he is well known for his one-man shows, Shel Silverstein’s “The Devil and Billy Markham,” and his own adaptations of C.S. Lewis’ “The Great Divorce” and “The Screwtape Letters,” as well as Frederick Buechner’s “Godric.”

I will also be leading the breakout session, “21st Century Lewis – How C.S. Lewis Is as Influential as Ever,” to be held Saturday, June 22nd , 2:45 to 4:15 p.m., and I hope you can attend!

When:

June 21-23, 2013

Where:

Lodging: Alcala Vista Apartments
University of San Diego, San Diego, Calif.

Contact:

Registration
C. S. Lewis Foundation, P.O. Box 8008, Redlands, CA 92375
Phone: 888-CSLEWIS
Email to Steven Elmore

We hope you will be joining with us!

Sadly, I won’t be since things like this require money that my family keeps wasting on junk like “food” and “shelter”.  But if you can go, please do!   Someday I hope to convince the California Lewisians that they need to hold their meetings in Washington, just to shake things up.  California is such a *predictable* location for a California C. S. Lewis Society to meet.