Give Me Some Light

A collection of 47 posts

JeffreyOverstreet.com

Welcome to the new JeffreyOverstreet.com!

Here is a video welcome from Jeffrey Overstreet and a special guest for visitors and subscribers old and new!

Scott Cairns

The Event Of Poetry: Poet Scott Cairns On Reading, Writing, And Responsibility

From the archives: In 2000, I interviewed the poet Scott Cairns, who would become the director of Seattle Pacific's MFA in Creative Writing program, and a mentor.

Journal Entry

Fundamentals of Fatherhood: Reflections on My Father's Life (in Four Parts)

I offered a much-abridged version of these reflections at the Celebration of Life service in memory of my father, Larry Overstreet, at Damascus Community Church on Saturday, June 21.

Give Me Some Light

On January 20, 2025, I celebrate the inspired Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the great President Jimmy Carter

Give Me Some Light

A Thanksgiving reminder

Give Me Some Light

"Whoa!": hospital woes, publishing woes, higher education woes

Give Me Some Light

My brief hiatus: Putting out fires, taking care of business, and grieving.

Overstreet Archives

The 20th anniversary of the Looking Closer journal

Give Me Some Light

A personal update, a request, and a preview

In which Overstreet quickly summarizes the calamities of the last two weeks and the subsequent revision of his plans for the month of December.

Film Reviews

Killers of My Substack Journal: New films by Scorsese and Fincher

In a season of intensifying violence — in American neighborhoods, and in battlefields of global significance — some of our best filmmakers are telling stories about gun-wielding villains. I've just published thoughts on The Killer and Killers of the Flower Moon.

Give Me Some Light

Stop Making Sense at 40, Overstreet at 53

Give Me Some Light

The Yowling: a reflection on a most annoying noise that's been troubling my home and screaming in my bones...

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Sinead O'Connor was right all along

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Recovery Report — Day Three: Surprise Package!

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Recovery Report 2: If you're not lucky enough to live in a bookstore, discover the joy of one who does.

Give Me Some Light

Recovery Report: My first surgery and Asteroid City!

I'm on drugs! Writing about Wes Anderson!

Give Me Some Light

An unforgettable evening for fans of Watership Down

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Building a cathedral: how to begin

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Talking with students about Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life"

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The day has arrived: I can share my big news.

For you, friends and subscribers, here's a first look at the big turn my life is taking.

Give Me Some Light

Ken Priebe gives us some light

Give Me Some Light

Live from Professor Overstreet's Office: 1/27/23

Journal

A conversation with Frederick Buechner in my quiet, snowbound house

Wondrous things can happen at Christmastime. And so it was that I found myself in deep conversation with the late Frederick Buechner just before Christmas. I wrote it down, and as it's probably relevant for many of us, I'm sharing it.

On Books & Writing

All-Stars: Steven D. Greydanus and 20+ years of extraordinary writing on film

Star-gazing again, I'm pointing to one of the brightest in the cosmos of criticism: Steven D. Greydanus. I'd be hard-pressed to think of a critic who has had a more consistently inspiring influence on me over the last 20 years of my engagement with film and with film essays.

On Movies & Media

Looking Closer All-Stars: Sarah Welch-Larson on The Rings of Power

Star-gazing, I'm highlighting Sarah Welch-Larson as the first Looking Closer "all-star" — a writer whose wisdom and wit set her apart as exceptional in guiding us to the best in art and culture. Here, she finds her way to insight about why Amazon's The Rings of Power is such a fascinating and frustr