Episode 32: The Literary Life of James Banks

01/14/20 • 95 min

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Angelina and Cindy interview James Banks. James is a civil servant, veteran, teacher, former academic and writer living in Austin, Texas. Prior to moving to the Lone Star State, he studied Renaissance Literature and taught at the University of Rochester. But it was only after leaving the academy that he rediscovered his passion for Shakespeare, Spenser, Chaucer and all things literary. His essays and reviews have appeared in The Weekly Standard, the Literati Quarterly, the Intercollegiate Review and elsewhere, but he is best known for being the brother of Thomas Banks and brother-in-law of Angelina Stanford.

James talks about his childhood relationships with books and stories, and the massive leap he took from not being able to read to being a reader. He tells about his desire to be a teacher and his undergraduate experience. He also elaborates on how he came to his love of Shakespeare and Renaissance literature. James tells why he ended up leaving academia and how he rediscovered his love of literature. He also gives some examples of how he reads so much and makes the most of his time.

The Cross of Snow

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In the long, sleepless watches of the night, A gentle face — the face of one long dead — Looks at me from the wall, where round its head The night-lamp casts a halo of pale light. Here in this room she died; and soul more white Never through martyrdom of fire was led To its repose; nor can in books be read The legend of a life more benedight. There is a mountain in the distant West That, sun-defying, in its deep ravines Displays a cross of snow upon its side. Such is the cross I wear upon my breast These eighteen years, through all the changing scenes And seasons, changeless since the day she died.

Book List:

(Amazon Affiliate Links)

Big Wonderful Thing by Stephen Harrigan

John Buchan by His Wife and Friends by Susan Tweedsmuir

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Good Things Out of Nazareth: Uncollected Letters of Flannery O’Connor and Friends

The Shooting Party by Anton Chekhov

The Sword of Honour Trilogy by Evelyn Waugh

Cultural Amnesia by Clive James

Pat Conroy

The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare

The Meaning of Shakespeare, Vol. 2 by Harold Goddard