The Literary Life Podcast

Episode 311: "Falling Inward" with Dr. Jason Baxter
January 13, 2026
Hosts: Angelina Stanford (A), Thomas Banks (C), Cindy Rollins (B)
Guest: Dr. Jason Baxter

Episode Overview

This episode welcomes back Dr. Jason Baxter to discuss the new (second) edition of his book Falling Inward. The conversation explores how deep reading of great literature nurtures the soul, especially in our hyper-distracted age. The hosts and Dr. Baxter address the loss of inwardness in modern life, the difference between genuine inward reflection and “navel-gazing,” the medicinal power of art, and the continuing relevance of pre-modern cosmology through the lens of the humanities and literary greats. The episode weaves personal anecdotes, philosophical depth, literary references, and a passionate defense of the humanities.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction & Conference Announcement ([00:18]–[08:08])

• Housekeeping and upcoming conference: The team introduces Dr. Jason Baxter, who will be keynote at the House of Humane Letters’ upcoming conference on “Deep Reading in the Age of Hypertexts.”

  • Baxter previews his talk: "I want to... propose exactly what it is about literature that is medicinal and therapeutic in our age." ([03:55], B)
  • Reference to Byung-Chul Han’s The Crisis of Narration, and the paradox of our word-saturated but meaning-impoverished world.

• Commonplace Quotes:

  • Thomas Banks selects Flaubert: “Never touch your idols. The gilding will stick to your fingers.” ([08:08], C)
  • Dr. Baxter shares from Wendell Berry: “There are no unsacred places. There are only sacred places and desecrated places.” ([09:20], B)

2. Falling Inward: The Book, Its Journey & Purpose ([15:00]–[21:47])

• Second Edition—Why Now? ([15:00], B)
  • The original edition had reach despite publishing flaws; Dr. Baxter felt compelled to refine it as its theme—technological distraction and loss of inwardness—had become even more urgent.
  • "Now we know a lot more about these, about our habits and our devices... There's kind of an evacuation of our interiority, an evacuation of our inwardness." ([16:51], B)
  • The book seeks to translate moments of literary wonder from the classroom into words—a process Baxter describes as “falling inward moments.”

3. The Power of Deep Reading & The Metaphor of “Falling Inward” ([22:33]–[33:39])

• Experiencing Depth vs. Flatness ([22:33], A/B)
  • Modern life is described as “flat”; great art reintroduces us to depth. The metaphor of “falling inward” is drawn (as in Augustine and Dante) to illustrate spiritual, intellectual, and psychological awakening.
  • “The falling inward moment is when I recover for a brief moment the capacity to hear eternity whispering.” ([27:13], B)
  • Difference from “navel-gazing”: Genuine inwardness leads to expansion and transformation—"It draws me outside of myself and it puts me in front of something which is so big and so beautiful that I think to myself, I can change. Indeed, I must." ([29:16], B)
  • The eucatastrophe (Tolkien’s “good catastrophe”) is invoked to describe the upward turn revealed at the nadir, as exemplified by Dante in Inferno and scenes in literature and film like Inception.

4. The One and the Many; Expanding Tastes and Beauty ([29:37]–[32:04])

• Thomas Banks compliments the book for helping readers see the “multifariousness of beauty”—appreciating diverse forms in landscape, painting, or prose.
  • “Beauty speaks a thousand languages and encountering these different types of moments of beauty... helps us see the multifaceted nature of beauty calling us in all kinds of different ways.” ([31:24], B)
• Literature as an expander of taste and a reminder of our limited perspectives.

5. On the Educational Purpose of Literature ([33:39]–[49:54])

• Academic approaches often reduce literature to “collecting literary facts”—but true education is about discovering unity and pattern, not just data.
  • Baxter’s teaching approach: always ask “so what?” to connect facts, patterns, and deep meaning; giving students the experience of “eureka” moments in literature.
  • “That eureka moment... in which all of a sudden these things are not just isolated objects, but connected and form a pattern, I think is an extraordinary experience. And I think that’s what gets people hooked on literature.” ([43:37], B)
• Recognizing and cultivating readers’ intuition; the joy of guiding students to discovery rather than merely lecturing.
• Anecdotes on overcoming the effects of poor schooling or reductive methods that discourage true engagement with art.

6. On Pre-Modern Cosmology, The Liberal Arts, and Non-Utilitarian Defenses ([50:15]–[64:15])

• Why study the pre-modern cosmos?
  • "They [the pre-moderns] were as good at inwardness... as we are good at tools and technology." ([54:27], B)
  • The humanities offer more than 'critical thinking skills' or SAT scores—they help us partake in a worldview which prioritized wholeness and inwardness.
  • The value in recovering ancient symbols and cosmology: not nostalgia, but supplementing our lopsided modern worldview.
• Lewis and the Narnia Planets; Dorothy Sayers’ lost tools of learning
  • The challenge and gift of learning from a “strange” and idiosyncratic past.
  • “We have to have just enough boldness that once we've done that, we don't just say, oh, well, and then that's how it is, but we actually enter into a dialogue...” ([56:12], B)
• Reconciling the humanities and sciences (Quadrivium/Trivium)
  • Baxter’s epilogue “The 9 Billion Names of God” proposes how this reconciliation could look in the modern age.

7. Reflections on Writing; The Pain and Joy of Revisiting Old Work ([62:03]–[64:45])

• Baxter discusses the challenge of revisiting 10-year-old thoughts with humility—honoring the past self, updating as needed, but resisting the urge to rewrite everything.
• “I think that's why I was most happy to add some new material and to add the piece of the 9 billion names of God in particular. . . a contemporary vision of what trivium and quadrivium... could be reconciled.” ([62:56], B)

8. Final Thoughts: The Value of Dialogue Across Eras and Communities ([64:45]–[68:10])

• Baxter and Angelina underscore that true education is never rejecting what we have, but “supplementing ourselves with the wisdom of the past.” ([66:19], B)
• “It’s the task... of re-membering all of those things which are necessary to make us human. And I cannot do it entirely by myself. Hence, this is where... communities of friendship enter in.” ([67:10], B)
• Literary life is a communal, intergenerational journey—echoing Andre Gide: “Everything worth saying has already been said, but because nobody was listening, we shall have to say it all over again.” ([68:05], C)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Our technology is not going to replace traditional literacy... but rather, I think it’s going to be a direct proportion... we’re going to need that many more hours... with the old books.” ([16:51], B)
• “The falling inward moment is when I recover for a brief moment, the capacity to hear eternity whispering...” ([27:13], B)
• “Beauty speaks a thousand languages and... the longing for eternity just beneath the surface.” ([31:24], B)
• “Good teachers don’t just lecture—they set the table and let students look out at the waterfall.” ([46:31], A; paraphrase)
• On utilitarian defenses: “Utilitarianism is useless. That's the irony of it.” ([64:45], A)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Introduction/Conference teaser: [00:18]–[08:08]
• Purpose of the Second Edition: [15:00]–[21:47]
• Falling Inward vs. Navel-Gazing: [22:33]–[33:39]
• Defining Beauty: One and the Many: [29:37]–[32:04]
• On Literary Education and “So What”: [33:39]–[49:54]
• Pre-Modern Cosmology & Non-Utilitarian Humanities: [50:15]–[64:15]
• Writing and Revising Old Thoughts: [62:03]–[64:45]
• The Communal, Enduring Task of the Humanities: [66:19]–[68:10]

Tone & Language

The conversation is lively, intellectual, and infused with mutual admiration and shared enthusiasm for “the deep joys of reading.” Wry humor, personal anecdotes, and literary references abound. The mood is one of hope—art and stories are not just “useful” but essential to human flourishing.

Conclusion

Dr. Jason Baxter’s Falling Inward is celebrated as a timely and profound invitation to rediscover interiority and the medicinal power of literature. The episode demystifies “deep reading,” valorizes expanding one’s taste and experience of beauty, and calls listeners to join in the ongoing conversation that sustains culture across generations.

For more:

• Falling Inward (preorder or purchase): cassiodorespress.com
• Conference info: houseofhumaneletters.com
• Repeat listen? [Eucatastrophe and Literary Wonder: 33:08]
• Poem by Trumbull Stickney read by Thomas Banks: [72:12]

Memorable Closing
“Keep crafting your literary life, because stories will save the world.” ([71:09], A)