It's Christmas-time, which means it's time for a very special episode featuring our good friend and special guest, Joseph Loconte. Joe joins us to discuss his latest book, The War for Middle-Earth, the relationship between J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis and how their experiences in the first and second world wars shaped the stories they told and their faith, and more.

Recommended reading:

1. The War for Middle-earth: J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Confront the Gathering Storm, 1933–1945 by Joseph Loconte
2. The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis
3. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
4. The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
5. Tales from the Perilous Realm by J.R.R. Tolkien (which includes Leaf by Niggle)
6. Dominion by Tom Holland
7. Bel Canto by Anne Patchett

About our Guest:

Joseph Loconte, PhD, is an author, historian, and filmmaker. He serves as Director of The Rivendell Center in New York City. He is a Presidential Scholar at New College of Florida and a Senior Fellow at the Sagamore Institute. Mr. Loconte’s commentary appears in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, National Affairs, The New Criterion, National Geographic, Law and Liberty, The National Interest, and National Review. For ten years Mr. Loconte served as a commentator for National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. A native of Brooklyn, New York, he divides his time between Washington, DC, and New York City.

It seems like only yesterday that we released our latest episode… or was it? We really don't know anymore. But what we do know is that Dave and Aaron are here with another episode of Table of (mal)Contents. Watch and listen as we discuss two incredible celebrity biographies and memoirs, Lorne by Susan Morrison and The Uncool by Cameron Crowe. Also in this episode:

• Our ranking of the best Cameron Crowe movies
• The problem with sequels to Mike Myers movies
• What we were reading when we recorded this episode

All this, and the return of a favorite segment, the Jack Reacher Sucker Punch of the Week™, in which Aaron calls out a certain type of writer.

Get the books discussed (affiliate links):

• Lorne by Susan Morrison: https://amzn.to/48rL86Y
• The Uncool by Cameron Crowe: https://amzn.to/48w8ojh
• Faith Simplified by Aaron Armstrong: https://amzn.to/4ia064Z

Does time still have meaning? Absolutely. We might be time-bound, linear beings, but that doesn't mean our podcast feed has to be. Join us for a very special episode of Table of Malcontents we recorded a while back that took way longer to edit than expected (because we tried something new—video, which you might find on YouTube if Aaron gets it uploaded before 2026). In this episode, Dave and Aaron talk about Aaron's most recent book, Faith Simplified: What We Believe and Why We Believe It, as well as updates on what it's like working together again, Aaron's citizenship journey, and, of course, what we're reading.

Get your copy of Faith Simplified everywhere books are sold, and learn more at faithsimplifiedbook.com.

As for when our next episode drops, who can say? Maybe a year—maybe yesterday…