Rin-Tin-Tin

In Rin Tin Tin, Susan Orleans writes, as usual, about obsession. She writes not only about the dog star himself but also about how industries--specifically the film industry--can turn on its stars. 

Rin Tin Tin was explosive force of goodness--heroic, loyal, and brave--who would make people fortunes. He would also, through no fault of his own, cause people to lose fortunes.

Lee Duncan rescued the puppy that would become Rin Tin Tin on a WWI battlefield in France. Convincing his superiors to let him take the puppy home to the US, Lee embarked on a journey that would change his life, the dog's, and the world.

Rin Tin Tin in A Dog of the Regiment

When Duncan took Rin Tin Tin to Hollywood, the dog not only saved Warner Brother's studios from bankruptcy, he also became its highest paid actor. Other dog stars achieved fame during the silent film era, but Rin Tin Tin was the most revered and adored. 

When talkies came out, though, Duncan and Rin Tin Tin lost their elusive contract and film deal.  Rin Tin Tin worked for a less lucrative film company before he died in 1932.

After Rin Tin Tin's death, Duncan made one of Rin's puppies the new Rin Tin Tin. Duncan put Rin's son in movies, but he lacked some of the old Rin's spark. In 1934, Rin Tin Tin Jr. made 1/3 of what he had made in Old Rin's heyday.

Rin Tin Tin, Jr in 1936

The could have been the end of the story but Lee knew "there would always be a Rin Tin Tin." Lee was right. Rin Tin Tin III starred in The Return of Rin Tin Tin. Rin Tin Tin IV would have a nominal role in beloved television series, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin which became a huge hit and one of the most popular television shows in the world. 

Rin Tin Tin in The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin

Rin Tin Tin IV only played a symbolic role while another dog did most of the acting. Duncan's ability to train top dogs was diminishing, leaving others eager to step in. 

Orleans' describes another tragic figure in her book, Bert Leonard. His story also moves from rags to riches to rags. His obsession to tell stories made him a successful Hollywood producer, but his obsession with Rin Tin Tin would undo him. 

Bert's concept for the show, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, was inspired by a visit to a Hollywood shooting location, Corrigan Movie Ranch, that was used to film Westerns. The show was, thus, set in the 1870s, about a boy, a dog, and U.S. cavalry troop at Fort Apache. 

Although Bert had many other successful projects, he never wanted to give up rights to Rin Tin Tin. During the 1960s and 1970s television changed, but Bert was still steadfastly loyal to Rin Tin Tin. Another problem was that Bert was incredibly argumentative with executives at film studios.

Whatever the exact reasons, Bert had a tragic end. He died nearly penniless, but he was still attached to an idea he had with Lee. He wanted to create a movie about Lee's life and his transformative relationship with Rin Tin Tin.

That movie never came to be. A movie, Finding Rin Tin Tin (2017) is the closest to retelling Lee's story. Finding Rin Tin Tin was developed years after Bert died. The movie is only loosely based on Lee's life and it was not a commercial success.  

Orleans does a wonderful job explaining the magic behind the original Rin Tin Tin's success. Before Lee Duncan and his wonder dog, no one trained dogs the way they do now. Dogs were mostly ranch animals. Those who watched the original silent films, believed in Rin Tin Tin's loyalty, bravery, and genius. Like Lee had predicted, old Rin's legacy would live on.    

All of Rin Tin Tin's successors merge into one in the Duncan's mind: 

   "Lee knew that he had created something that meant more than any individual dog or moment--something with a kind of elastic reality. The intensity of his connection with old Rin was so special that all the dogs that followed merged in Lee's mind into one dog--one vessel for containing and carrying forward what old Rin had begun."

Orlean's book on Rin Tin Tin is an award-winning best-selling book, that is as much a biography as it is a critique of popular culture, the television and movie industries. Much of the events happen by coincidence, chance, or miracles, like the chance meeting of a soldier and a puppy on a French battlefield or the surprising success that Lee finds when he brings that same dog to Hollywood.

Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean – review | Film books | The Guardian

How to be a GirlBoss

 

I remember seeing Girlboss in the library and wanting to read it. However, despite what many think, librarians do not spend all their time reading. In fact, most of the time, I would defer reading popular books because they had too many holds. The number of holds a book signifies its popularity. Holds means someone is waiting on a list to read it.

That’s why I was surprised to find a video on Giant Ideas, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5zW9h8vS8U. The video from Giant Ideas features an interview with NastyGal founder, Sophia Amoruso.

GirlBoss is also a comedy series loosely based on her life.    

Amoruso began a vintage clothing shop on eBay that grew exponentially until she was kicked off the site in 2008. By 2014, she had her own brick-and-mortar shop.  That was only the beginning of her career rise.

She became a wildly successful CEO of NastyGal. Amoruso’s company was worth 250 million at its peak.   

In 2016, the company filed for bankruptcy, yet Amoruso’s business career continues to flourish with the success of her foundation, the GirlBoss Foundation and Business Class.   

The GirlBoss Foundation helps women start companies by offering grants to qualified individuals. Business Class teaches the art of entrepreneurship.

The Horses Who Made Me: The Journey to a Horsemanship Philosophy

Former French international dressage competitor, Alizee Froment, profiles the equines that shaped her life—from her childhood Shetland pony to the horse that she calls her "heart," Mistral. The stallion not only helped her achieve success in the competitive world of dressage but also altered the course of her life. Though horsemanship was always a passion, Froment was not initially drawn to competition. 

Two horses from her childhood, Shapati and Kazan, taught her that a horse could fly. At 12, she is asked to join the French Equestrian Training Camp. Plagued with self-doubt, the author drops equestrian training for acting at 16. While she nearly gives up her dream, two remarkable events occur. Froment finds Mistral—a horse that she wholeheartedly believes in—and she finds a mentor who scouts her for dressage. 

With Mistral, Froment becomes proficient in dressage and competes at the highest levels. She represents France at the European championships, achieves worldwide success, and finds a way to combine horsemanship with showmanship, developing and performing equestrian shows throughout Europe that showcase dressage, liberty work, and elaborate costuming.

This title introduces readers to the competitive and risky field of equestrianism. In addition to being a great memoir for animal lovers, it will inspire anyone who faces seemingly insurmountable career obstacles.

History of Bees by Maja Lunde

 

Divided into three sections, this dystopian novel looks at beekeeping from three different vantage points–Victorian England, America circa 2007, and China circa 2098.

 While ostensibly focusing on bees, the novel examines the tensions that exist between family members, especially fathers and sons. This is true for the Victorian century beekeeper, William, and his son, Edmund, and in his American descendants, George, and his son, Tom circa 2007.

 The sons in each case want nothing to do with father’s dream of harvesting honey and raising bees. William Savage is not only estranged from his son but also becomes more and more alienated from his mentor, Rahm. The only child who understands William’s dream is Charlotte yet he coldly dismisses her achievements. She is the wrong gender.

In the last time period, which takes place in China, bees and other pollinators are extinct. Their absence which leaves a void in the world further alienates family members. Without bees, everyone is undernourished and forced to work long hours hand painting pollen onto flowers.

In this horrific time, parents can only see their children one day a week. Children are forced to leave school and work as pollinators at younger and younger ages. Tao and Kuan can barely speak to each other, especially after their son disappears. Tao leaves her husband and goes off into unsafe areas of Beijing in search of her child, Wei-Wen.

Tied into all three stories is The History of the Bees, a book written by Thomas Savage who is distantly related to the Victorian bee keeper. Tao read the book and insists that the leader of the Committee, Li Xiara, read it as well.

The army and Chinese government finds a new colony of bees near the site where Wei-Wen goes missing. Knowing and acknowledging the past, however, is necessary before they can move forward. Tao’s boy becomes a symbol of hope.

What is fascinating is the way Lunde compares the disappearance of bees, also known as colony collapse disorder, with the disintegration of family and natural bonds. This is a chilling speculative novel about what may happen if red flags about pollinators and the climate are ignored.

FIFA madness

Some fans are paying more than $2,000 to see the FIFA games in person.

Others are watching on TV and maybe buying a memorable item. Even CVS has FIFA World Cup items for sale, including FIFA turnover chains. 

Developed by Manny Diaz of the Miami Hurricanes' defense team, the turnover chain was designed to boost the Miami team's morale. 

A turnover chain is now widely used in other sports to award standout defensive plays. 

The 2026 FIFA is a historical event because for the first time there will be 48 teams instead of 32. 

The games will be hosted in 16 cities across North America. 

For more information, choose FIFA World Cup: The Official Guide. 

MIT to Close Its Libraries

  

Source: https://libraries.mit.edu

MIT announced the closing of the Barker and Dewey Libraries this Spring. MIT cites a 300-million-dollar shortfall. The Rotch Library is not yet closed, but it is also expected to close.

The change is visible on the Barker website. Their website states, “As of March 30^th, 2026, Barker Library stacks and service desk are closed.” 

The website also states that its numerous study rooms will remain open and that the libraries’ collections will be available by request. 

The library collection will become closed stacks, with only its significantly reduced library staff having access. 

The Dewey Library will be shut down in June 2026. Due to budget constraints, MIT will also gradually reduce its funding of the Wunsch Conservation Lab. The Wunsch Conservation Lab preserves and archives materials. 

The libraries’ closing is consistent with the view that digital materials can and should replace physical copies of works.  According to The Tech, MIT believes library staff cuts and library closings are necessary because MIT is a “digital first” university.

Without a doubt, MIT is well known for its digital collection. MIT Libraries have 478 online databases and 55,000 electronic titles. According to MIT Technology Review, the libraries hold 13.1 digital items comprising 9.3 terabytes of memory.

Elizabeth Cavicci, researcher and alumna, strongly denounced the decision to close three of the university’s libraries. In MIT’s faculty newsletter, she writes that the closing “demonstrates a significant retreat from…commitment to truth and knowledge.”

Though she and many others are opposed to the plan, their objections were not heard.

MIT is one of the U.S.’s premier research institutions. Undoubtedly, other institutions will follow suit.

Data Literacy for Everyone

                 Photo by Conny Schneider on Unsplash 

Data Literacy is the ability to read, analyze and communicate with data. 

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis free course is a wonderful way to get up to speed on data literacy. This course is for librarians, educators, and anyone interested in learning more about Data Literacy. 

The "Data Literacy for Librarians" course explains how to effectively use FRED.

Download data easily from a graph or FRED map, create a data list, or publish a data list. 

Data Literacy for Librarians. Free Course. 

Data Literacy for Librarians - Credly

Thank You For Your Service

Thank You For Your Service by David Finkel

David Finkel takes a dark topic, soldiers returning from duty with PSTD and other injuries, and turns it into something starkly beautiful. The book is filled with haunting stories.

For instance, James Doster makes a fateful decision. Doster gives Adam Schumann his chance to Skype his family because he feels Schumann needs the time more than he does.

Because he earned Doster's spot, Schumann misses a mission that blows up Doster's Humvee. Adam feels horribly guilty. He was the one, after all, who was best at spotting bombs.

Michael Emory, shot in the head, is paralyzed down the left the side. Adam rescued him by carrying him down a flight of stairs. Emory keeps his helmet and uses it as a Halloween candy bowl.

Then there's Tausolo Aietti who sees the soldier he didn't save every night in his nightmares.

Written in a frank, engaging style, Thank You For Your Service is incredibly moving. 

 
Thank You for Your Service was made into a 2017 film by director, Jason Hall. 

David Finkel describes his writing process in niemanreports.org

https://niemanreports.org/david-finkel-and-the-art-of-immersion-reporting/

Free job training--Job Skill Share

According to CNBC, students are replacing college degrees with online certificates in increasing numbers. 

Certifications vary widely in terms of cost and completion time.

So, the critical question to ask yourself is--which one to choose?

First, find websites that rank certification programs like JobCertifications.com. Best Job Certification Programs | JobCertifications.com lists job certifications that teach in-demand skills. 

U.S. News has started ranking certification programs, 20 Certification Programs for Careers That Pay Well | Careers | U.S. News.

Job Skill Share, Job skills for IT Professionals - IT Skills Training, offers FREE training for a three-month trial period. This is one of the longest free trial periods I have seen. Job Skill Share's certifications are all IT-related. 

Sources:

More students are forgoing four-year college, new reports show

Hubspot for Beginners--Contact Forms and Quick Reports

Thalita Milan also explains how to create and customize contact  forms in "Hubspot for Beginners." 

She demonstrates how to use "Quick" and "Advanced Filters" to create simple reports.

She also explains when it's better to use "Segments and Lists" rather than reports. Unlike reports, lists can be "active," which  causes items to be dynamically added to the list.  

Record customization gives users control over what is included in records. 

She explains how to best use Hubspot's built in Ai feature, Breeze. 

Hubspot for Beginners Part 1.

Hubspot for Beginners Part 2. 

Scarborough Faire for Family Fun

 

There’s still time to go to the Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie, TX.  Themed weekends began on April 4 and will continue through May 25. I went during the “Celtic weekend,” where I encountered several fair goers dressed in kilts. 

Plenty of other themed weekends, e.g., “Flights of Fantasy” and “Legends of the High Seas,” are available.

At the Scarborough Faire, there’s something for everyone--jousting, live performances, crafting, and tarot reading. Fairgoers can rent costumes, have their faces painted, or have their hair braided.

The tagline on the Scarborough website says, “Step Back in Time,” but it’s really an immersion in a cosplaying fantasy world. I saw someone dressed as the Goblin in Labyrinth. He had his hair styled like David Bowie in the film and wore leather pants.

Someone called out, “You’re not taking my baby brother.” He smiled and played along. “We’ll see about that,” he said.

Everyone had their own vibe. Some came in suits of armor, Renaissance gowns, and other typical costumes, but still others dressed however they wanted.

Hubspot for Beginners--Importing Data

Hubspot for Beginners by Thalita Milan. Part 2. 

Milan's class "Hubspot for Beginners" on Udemy provides simple steps for importing data objects e.g., such as contact lists.

Milan explains that HubSpot will tell users if it locates errors while mapping data. 

She also advises to give the import a name. 

If you're using a free account, you will be limited to 1,000 contacts. 

Use the import data process to create and update contacts or any other data objects. 

 https://medium.com/@chantal.walvoord

Hubspot for Beginners. Part 1. 

HubSpot For Beginners--Master the Basics in a Few Hours

HubSpot for Beginners--Master the Basics by Thalita Milan is a great introductory course that can be found on Udemy. 

In this course, Milan discusses how to create a free account and how to use basic features e.g. manage contacts, manage marketing strategies, and follow up on leads.

She briefly introduces Hubspot's Ai layer, Breeze. She also covers GDPR compliance settings. 

Thalita Milan

Hubspot for Beginners Part 2.

Untapped: Closing America's Opportunity Gap

 

Source: Untapped. Dir. Josh Kahn. 

Untapped focuses on Yearup.org, a program designed to help close the opportunity gap. 

Young people from low-income backgrounds are given tools and the opportunity to intern for Fortune 500 companies.

Untapped endorses skills-based hiring because there is so much untapped talent and so many jobs going unfilled.

The documentary follows six young people who are trying to succeed in the Year Up United program. One of the participants, Lamia, is pictured above. Other participants are Zane, Brianna, Megan, Simge, Andres. 

The documentary is peppered with advice from CEOs like Mary Barra of General Motors and Byron Auguste of Opportunity@Work. 

The documentary is inspiring and motivational. Though these internships are highly competitive, there are some local alternatives if New York is too distant.

After watching Untapped, I did some research on the non-profit. Year Up United, partners with community colleges, like Dallas College in Dallas, Texas. 

Hopefully, many more non-profit organizations like Year Up will give young workers a path towards success.

Mr. Roger's Writers' Neighborhood

 

Image by OsloMetX from Pixabay

Mr. Roger's Neighborhood is looking for new voices and new perspectives. 

This is an amazing opportunity for those who want to work as freelance writers in children's media 

Opens April 1 and closes May 1, 2026.  

Spec. scripts must be based on an existing live action or animated children's show. 11 to 22 minutes long.

2026_Welcome | Fred Rogers Productions' Writers' Neighborhood

 

The Typing Lady by Ruth Ozeki

 

Not surprisingly, typewriters figure prominently in The Typing Lady: and other fictions.

In “The Typing Lady,” the lady collects typewriters. When she types, though, an uncanny thing happens.

The typewriters write stories of their own — emotional tales that she cannot control. The “typing lady” takes the typewriters apart, looking for the mechanism that accounts for the literary outpouring, but she cannot discover the source.

In “Leafblower” Mel uses a manual typewriter, a Remington Rand, to type poems, her real love, and a laptop to earn a paycheck as a technical writer. She also takes care of an elderly couple in exchange for a cheap room over their garage.

In one of the best stories, “Ships in the Night,” Cayenne, an aspiring romance writer, has a portable pink Olivetti. She wants to launch a career as a writer so her daughter can have a more stable life.

In “Feelings” two mean-spirited girls decide to engage in a school project. They are to write a report about an act of compassion they undertake in their community. Kai types a letter to a lonely classmate on a 1964 IBM Model C Executive.

Ozeki’s stories are filled with aspiring writers who try but fail to send deeply personal letters. In The Typing Lady characters write deeply personal missives that they can never send (“The Anthropologist’s Kid,” “Feelings,” and “One Art”).

More than that, though, Ozeki’s stories are filled with writers whose writing ambitions will never be satisfied. Cayenne, who wanders between lovers, keeps changing the plot of her novel. The daughter in “Ships in the Night,” knows her mother will never finish her romance novel.

The last two stories even more directly deal with how difficult it is to lead a creative life. The couple in “Where Ambition Goes to Die,” have a strained relationship because of the husband’s ambition to write fiction. In this story, his ambition becomes a black-haired girl filled with daring and impulsive ideas. The couple is calmer now that the black-haired girl is gone. After she disappears, they sleep “unhaunted.”

In “The Problem of the Body,” an author plans to fake her own death to avoid going on a book tour. She also appropriates her granddaughter’s dating app. She goes to cafes and chats with boys who think they are meeting her granddaughter. Though she knows its creepy, she does this until one of them recognizes her as “that writer.”

These stories are impressively complex and nuanced. Each story is in some way related to the art of writing, storytelling, and communicating in an increasingly confusing world. Much like Colm Toibin’s stories, they explore the drama of what is unsaid or the meeting that never happens.

Typewriters

I’ve always been drawn to typewriters. With typewriters, words hit the page with a noticeable “thunk.” Words cannot easily disappear the way they can with word processors. Typists have to backspace and type X’s or use corrective tape which gives writers pause and time to revise. Typed words have a permanence that cannot be found in today’s word processors, tablets, and phones.

My mother had a Remington Standard typewriter from the 1960s that she treasured. Even then in the 1970s and early 1980s it was a relic. The typewriter weighed a ton so moving it from the desk to the table required considerable effort.

The Remington had green, gray keys. The rubber carriage moved along with the words. When it was fully extended, writers heard a small ding telling them it was time to reposition that carriage. In a way, that simple act was electrifying for me as a kid. Pushing that slight metal bar and repositioning the carriage was like reloading a gun. Not that I had guns or knew anything about them.

The physical motion of moving the carriage was empowering because it meant I had accomplished something. I had expressed something exciting and tangible on paper.

I must confess I had an unrealistic view of writing and was often disappointed with my creative output. When I started a new story, I felt like the writer in the Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman skit who could create worlds as he clacked away. But just like the writer in that skit, I was rarely happy with the results.

I didn’t become the writer that I dreamed of becoming, yet I’m still drawn to typewriters. Many fantastic works of fiction depict typewriters prominently. 

One of these works is Suzanne Rindell’s The Other Typist. This novel features Rose who becomes obsessed with fellow typist, Odalie's world. Both are typists for the New York City Police department who type the criminals’ confessions in the 1920s. Told from Rose's unreliable perspective, this work is a fascinating psychological novel.

https://medium.com/@chantal.walvoord

100 Day Project--Day 2

 

 Designing a project is essential. 

Rich Armstrong who describes himself as a multi-hyphenate artist and career coach has written a book about designing the perfect 100 Day Project.  

 More tips for creating a successful 100 Day Project:

 https://craftindustryalliance.org/tips-and-tools-for-creating-a-successful-100-day-project/

 

The 100 Day Project

The 100 Day Project is perfect for designers, writers, and any other creative.

https://designobserver.com/five-years-of-100-days/

I'm frankly surprised that the 100 Day Project is not embraced more by public libraries. One library that does a 100 day project is the Daniel Boone Regional Library. Kudos to them. 

Suleika Jaouad explains how the 100 Day Project helped her during a particular low point in her life in The Book of Alchemy. 

https://medium.com/@chantal.walvoord

 

If Ever I Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth

If Ever I Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth. 

 

Gansworth's novel is a YA novel that leaves a lasting impact. A story of friendship, 70s music, and self-realization, this novel is also about overcoming racial divides. 

 

Lewis, who has grown up on a rez, befriends another lonely teen who just arrived to the United State. Lewis and George, a military base kid, bond over choir and the Beatles. They are in the 'braniacs' section in a deeply divided school.

 

For the first time, Lewis feels as if he has a friend, particularly as George's family immediately embrace him. Others, however, are not so open-minded. 

 

Lewis learns how indifferent teachers and the school administration can be when he is hassled by one of the school's primary donors. Targeted and bullied, Lewis has no choice but to drop out of school. 

 

All hope seems to have been lost as the blizzard of 1977 with surprising force. Loyalty, friendship, and forgiveness, however, find surprising ways of pushing past the blinding snow of indifference and prejudice.

    

 https://medium.com/@chantal.walvoord

 

 

 

 

 

How to Work with Complicated People

 

                                                            Image by Robin Higgins from Pixabay

We’ve all had that narcissistic boss who plays favorites, who sends passive aggressive emails, or who forbids anyone from taking time off. We’ve all had that nosy, antagonistic, or lazy co-worker who relieves us late and does not even have an excuse. We’ve all been there; or, otherwise, movies like Office Space and shows like The Office would not resonate the way it does.

Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson and Working with Difficult People by Amy Cooper Hakim are two of many books on workplace conflict resolutions. A relatively new book addresses the topic from a fresh perspective.

How to Work with Complicated People by Ryan Leak changes the “difficult” to “complicated.” Leak, an executive coach and transformational speaker, concedes that complicated people in workplaces result in business losses. Complicated people can result in “lower morale, eroded unity and trust, lower job satisfaction.”

In spite of this, Leak does not advise trying to change or reform complicated people. Instead, he argues there are certain techniques that will allow us to deal with such people effectively. Learning how to deal with complicated people can lead to great self-awareness, and, in that way, it is a gift.

He admits that he is himself a “complicated” person and that most of us are too. He writes we are all “weird, odd, irritating or baffling to someone else.”

Avoiding complicated or problematic people rarely ends well. Changing them or trying to cancel them also does not work in our favor. So that leaves only one option left — understanding them.

Though no one should tolerate a toxic situation, Leak insists that improving strained relationships will make everyone like their job more. Complicated people also serve a purpose — they bring a unique perspective.

No one has to accept workplace abuse, yet they should make generous assumptions about their coworkers and bosses. That irritating colleague who is late may actually have a valid reason for their tardiness.

Those who seem off-putting due to their differences can actually bring value. Diverse viewpoints add value because the last we need is “groupthink” or forced consensus. He urges employees to bring healthy collaboration to the table. Having a collaborative mind will help build bridges rather than silos.

The best chapter is the last one. If all techniques fail, he urges forgiveness rather than bitterness. Even if its justified, bitterness should have an “expiration date” because ultimately hostile feelings keep us prisoner to our emotions.

The White Stag in Literature

 

                                                Photo by Valeriia Miller on Unsplash

The white stag, in Celtic mythology, symbolizes mystery and a spiritual quest. In Celtic tales, the white stag leads visitors to Annwn, the Welsh Otherworld, a fairy land where no one gets hurt or dies.

According to Jones’s Celtic Cyclopedia, the white stag is also a component of Hungarian mythology, French lais, and even Christian iconography[1]. Hildegard of Bingen depicts Christ as a red stag[2]. In later Christian iconography, Christ is depicted as a white unicorn, which more directly reflects the Celtic white stag.

The white stag of Celtic mythology is known for its elusiveness and its regenerative powers. The stag can be chased but never caught. The Celts believed that worlds can exist simultaneously, and that certain animals, namely the white stag, can pass between worlds.

The white stag, who can move freely between worlds, acts as a guide during the hero’s transformative journey[3]. In Arthurian tales, the Mabinogian, and the legend Fionn mac Cumhaill, the stag leads the hero to an Otherworld. The hero’s courage is tested as he follows this mythical creature into the forest.

In the last chapter of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lewis appropriates the white stag symbol. Instead of going towards a supernatural realm, however, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, are leaving one behind. They are crossing from a magical world back into the ordinary world.  

Unlike other animals, a stag’s antlers reappear every season; and, thus, they are representative of spiritual renewal. In Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the stag is not just a liminal beast that can move between the seen and unseen world. In Lewis' novel the stag represents a spiritual transformation that the children have undergone.

---

[1] https://www.maryjones.us/jce/jce_index.html

[2] Men and Christ as Stags according to Hildegard of Bingen - Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox

[3] https://thelivinglore.com/the-white-stag-symbolism-and-myths-in-celtic-lore/