Poets At War

Joshua David Ling
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Art. Theology. Philosophy. Fun. Poets At War is a gathering place for Christian artists engaged in the culture war of worldviews. Hosted by Joshua David Ling, this podcast explores the intersection of creativity and faith through conversations that range from deeply philosophical to lightheartedly humorous. Drawing inspiration from Tolkien, Lewis, Calvin, Augustine, and Chesterton, Poets At War invites listeners into an authentic community of creators who are serious about their craft and convictions while maintaining a spirit of camaraderie and joy.

  1. 4d ago

    Poets At War Ep. 267: Swagger, Spiders, and Space Princesses

    Welcome to Poets at War, a podcast documenting the brood of writers, where art, theology, philosophy, and fun beckon your ears. The Brood assembles for an evening that ranges from music theory to alien invasions. Joshua kicks off with a deep dive into the evolution of hip-hop, the death of swagger in rock, and why Outkast matters — even playing a sample to prove his point. Ian Wilson shares an extensive outline for his middle-grade sci-fi novel Heart of the Stars, featuring giant spiders, a wizard named Azariah, a time-traveling cat named Fred, and a bully who decides life on an alien planet beats his trailer back home. The gang plays "Fallout Boy Song or Anime Title?" and reveals which movie character they most closely associate with. Plus: Brendan's work woes, Joshua's chronic stress management, and a scheduling check-in for future episodes.Chapters:00:00 — Weather Check-In & Brood Chat Recap05:10 — Joshua's Daughter Turns Eight10:00 — Hip-Hop, Rock, and the Nature of Swagger17:35 — Joshua Plays a Music Sample23:00 — Rap vs. Hip-Hop: Defining the Genres27:40 — Ian Reads Heart of the Stars Outline40:30 — Feedback on Ian's Story47:00 — Fallout Boy Song or Anime Title? (The Game)54:40 — What Movie Character Do You Associate With?1:02:30 — Work Updates: Brendan, Daniel, and Joshua1:14:30 — Brendan's New AI-Assisted Story Idea1:18:00 — Scheduling & Close

  2. Jul 24

    Poets At War Ep. 266: Commerce, Broadway, and Dignity in Dress

    Welcome to Poets at War, a podcast documenting the brood of writers, where art, theology, philosophy, and fun beckon your ears. This is Part 2 of a marathon recording session with the Brood, and the dispatches are flying fast and thick.The conversation kicks off with Alex delivering a passionate breakdown of Wickard v. Philburn and the Commerce Clause, before pivoting headfirst into Joshua's latest experiments in vibe-coded web development — a secret terminal architecture with a premium paywall hidden behind Easter-egg UX. The Brood then assembles into a war council for the "Guardians of Atlanta" opera-musical-audio-drama project, debating the Howard Ashman model (speak until you can't, sing until you can't, dance), whether Zeke's prophecy should be sung-through or spoken, and casting calls for Reed Jones and Crusader himself. Brendan and Jesse engage in an extended workshop on the psychology of artistic practice — why we stall, how to push through the "blue screen of the soul" — anchored by Ian McKellen's Hobbit breakdown as a metaphor for creative isolation. Finally, Alex reads a lengthy passage from Robert Farrar Capon's "Offering of Uncles" on the theology of clothing, the body, and why men's fashion has surrendered to a culture of tubes and leather thongs. Jesse expands this into a full treatise on V-silhouettes, diamond body theory, and why every youth pastor in skinny jeans is a sin against proportion.Timestamps: 00:00:00 — Intro & Part 2 Kickoff 00:00:16 — The Commerce Clause: Wickard v. Philburn 00:06:30 — Joshua's Secret Terminal: Vibe-Coding a Premium Website 00:09:24 — Guardian of Atlanta: Ashman vs. Sung-Through Debate 00:24:12 — Reed Jones & William Avery: Voice Casting the Brood 00:28:41 — Alex's Project: Reformatting Papal Encyclicals & Economics Ed 00:36:14 — Brendan & Jesse: The Psychology of Artistic Practice 00:40:30 — Ian McKellen, Green Screens & the Loneliness of Creation 00:43:00 — The Drawing Challenge: Practice vs. Finished Work 00:48:20 — Alex's Reading: Capon's "Offering of Uncles" on the Body & Fashion 01:25:10 — Jesse's Fashion Theory: Male Hourglass, Female Diamond, the Thirds/Thirds Ratio 01:41:10 — The Problem with Modern Men's Wear & Cultural Laziness 01:45:20 — Outro & Sign-offYou too can be a part of the brood of writers and Poets at War. Just visit JoshuaDavidLing.com/Discord to join. If you're a true poetry patriot, you can support us on Substack and Patreon and get recordings of all of our encouraging and strategic meetings, along with much more. Once again, all links can be found at joshuadavidling.com. Over and out.

  3. Jul 17

    Poets At War Ep. 265: Magic Terminals, Guild Economics, & The Two Tyrannies

    Welcome to Poets at War, a podcast documenting the brood of writers, where art, theology, philosophy, and fun beckon your ears.Today on the program, Joshua David Ling is joined by Jesse, Alex, Carrie, and Stephen for a three-hour barn burner split into two parts. This is Part 1 — a dense, wide-ranging conversation that moves from vibe-coded website magic to a deep critique of capitalism, liberalism, and the walls that make freedom possible.Chapters:00:00 — General's Report & The Magic Terminal — Joshua opens with a weather check (snow flurries, Hurricane Helene aftershocks) before unveiling his latest vibe-coding project: a premium website with a secret "magic terminal," Payhip passcode integration, 10-year browser cookies, and a Netflix-style thumbnail grid.19:06 — Joshua's Writing Software & Version Control — A rebuilt poetry writing app with indented series/season/episode structure, Automator versioning, and full text-to-speech across manuscripts.23:30 — Alex's Economics Education: Rerum Novarum — Alex walks through his EPUB reformatting project, reading from Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical on the rights and duties of capital and labor, the nature of private property, and Christian trade unions as instruments of moral education.33:30 — The Liberal Heart: Capitalism as Totalizing Philosophy — The conversation deepens into a critique of liberalism, the amorality of capitalism, the sexual revolution as capitalism applied to sex, attention as commodity, and Chesterton's giraffe — why art and morality consist of drawing the line somewhere.58:13 — Tech Upgrades & The Music Album — Joshua shows off his new Toner mic arm, YOLO Live webcam, and teleprompter monitor, then plays tracks from his Suno AI-assisted album including "Minstrel Boy" and "Kings of the Backyard."1:06:10 — Jesse's World-Building & Drawing Practice — Jesse shares his 5-year Minecraft-derived fantasy world, "moth with the sword" artwork, and a discussion on bad practice vs good practice — doing the same thing over and over vs intentional growth.1:14:40 — Outro & Call to Action — Closing remarks and poem.To join the Brood and participate in future recordings, visit https://joshuadavidling.com

  4. Jul 10

    Poets At War Ep. 264: Pipes, Caffeine Crashes, & The Brood Animated Movie

    Today on the program, Joshua David Ling is joined by Jesse, Carrie, Daniel, and Alex for a massive, multi-topic roundtable. The conversation kicks off with some wild life updates, including stolen trucks, insurance woes, and Joshua's latest vintage book acquisition. The crew then dives into the art of hand-carving wooden pipes and the struggles of using AI to generate complex musical arrangements.As the episode progresses, the guys share some hilarious and terrifying caffeine stories, from Joshua's unforgettable Sobe drink crash during football practice to a legendary 10-shot espresso dare. The conversation takes a surreal turn as they recount profound and bizarre dreams, including a heroic British butler, the Beast of Revelation, and a zombie from the Princess Bride. Finally, Joshua fan-casts the "Brood Animated Movie" with 80s Hollywood legends and introduces the group to the comedic genius of Key & Peele's East/West Bowl sketches.You too can be a part of the brood of writers and Poets at War. Just visit https://JoshuaDavidLing.com/Discord to join.If you're a true poetry patriot, you can support us on Substack and Patreon and get the recordings of all of our encouraging and strategic meetings, along with much more. Once again, all links can be found at joshuadavidling.com. Over and out.Chapters:00:00:00 - Intro & Stolen Trucks00:02:30 - Joshua's Vintage Book Acquisition00:05:40 - Hand-Carved Pipes & Smoking00:08:00 - AI Music Generation & "The Prophecy"00:10:00 - Trade Schools vs. Apprenticeships00:13:00 - Funny News: Don Lemon & The KKK Act00:16:30 - The Art of Crafting a Wooden Pipe00:23:00 - Vintage Leather Jackets00:31:50 - Making Peanut Butter Sandwiches & Fatherhood Skits00:37:30 - Broodcast Updates & Poetry Boot Camp Ideas00:44:15 - Sobe Drinks & A Caffeine Crash Story00:48:00 - The 10 Shots of Espresso Dare00:50:00 - Profound Dreams: Mr. Wendell & The Beast of Revelation01:01:15 - Casting The Brood Animated Movie01:11:00 - Key & Peele's East/West Bowl Names01:17:30 - Mythbusters, Battlebots, & Upcoming Conferences

  5. Jul 3

    Poets At War Ep. 263: The Broodcast June 2026

    Welcome to Poets at War, a podcast documenting the brood of writers, where art, theology, philosophy, and fun beckon your ears.In this episode, Joshua David Ling hosts another Broodcast, where members of the Brood gather to share their latest creative writings and pitches. Joshua and Daniel kick things off by answering a challenge to pitch a D&D-themed cop show, resulting in "DNDPD" and a cozy mystery involving a bookstore-owning Dungeon Master. Ian then shares a thrilling and terrifying chapter from his story "Heart of the Stars," featuring giant spiders, a wizard named Azariah, and a very helpful cat named Fred. Abby brings a fun, urban fantasy vibe with "The Lightning Night," a story about an airport security guard dealing with Fae hooligans trying to smuggle swords through a checkpoint. Finally, Joshua reads a gripping chapter from Marty Francom's Civil War-era story, exploring the sobering reality of war fever.You too can be a part of the brood of writers and Poets at War. Just visit https://JoshuaDavidLing.com/Discord to join. If you're a true poetry patriot, you can support us on Substack and Patreon and get the recordings of all of our encouraging and strategic meetings, along with much more. Once again, all links can be found at joshuadavidling.com. Over and out.Chapters:00:00:00 - Intro & Apology to Joel Stanley00:18:30 - Joshua's Pitch: DNDPD (D&D Cop Show)00:25:55 - Daniel's Pitch00:28:15 - Feedback on Joshua & Daniel's Pitches00:35:00 - Ian Shares: "Heart of the Stars" Chapter 700:48:15 - Feedback on Ian's Story00:59:00 - Abby Shares: "The Lightning Night" Part One01:08:05 - Feedback on Abby's Story01:15:00 - Joshua Reads Marty Frankham's Story (Chapter 2)01:23:45 - Feedback on Marty's Story & Outro

  6. Jun 26

    Poets At War Ep. 262: Lego Mechanics, Christian Fantasy, & The Broadway Beast

    Welcome to Poets at War, a podcast documenting the brood of writers, where art, theology, philosophy, and fun beckon your ears.Today on the program, Joshua David Ling is joined by Alex, Ian, Abe, and later Daniel, for a massive, multi-topic roundtable. The conversation kicks off with some hilarious miscommunications, as Joshua details his struggles with comforting people without sounding like a drill instructor or a battle-ready Narnian mouse. Ian then shares an incredible story of how his childhood understanding of Lego mechanics helped him fix a broken snowblower in the dead of winter, leading to a deep dive into Lego MOCs, misprints, and the controversial new "smart bricks."The crew then pivots to literature and storytelling, unpacking why Christian authors often excel at fantasy and horror compared to their secular contemporaries. They compare The Spiderwick Chronicles to Narnia, debate the pacing flaws in the animated Beauty and the Beast versus the Broadway musical, and discuss the literary framing of Gaston. Joshua also shares a work-in-progress AI-generated folk song, "The Prophecy," to get the group's feedback on syncopation and storytelling. Finally, Daniel drops in after a stressful day to share a workplace whistleblower story and brainstorm a terrifying serial killer villain for his writing project, Midnight Accord.You too can be a part of the brood of writers and Poets at War. Just visit https://JoshuaDavidLing.com/Discord to join.If you're a true poetry patriot, you can support us on Substack and Patreon and get the recordings of all of our encouraging and strategic meetings, along with much more. Once again, all links can be found at joshuadavidling.com. Over and out.Chapters:00:00:00 - Intro & The Drill Instructor Communication Style00:10:16 - Channeling Reepicheep00:17:13 - Fixing a Snowblower with Lego Engineering00:29:57 - Lego MOCs, Smart Bricks, & Corporate Fails00:43:40 - Voicing Hobgoblins & The Spiderwick Chronicles00:46:28 - Why Christians Write Better Fantasy & Horror01:00:00 - Beauty and the Beast: Animated vs. Broadway01:14:54 - A Goofy Movie's Steve Martin Controversy01:18:40 - "The Prophecy" (Joshua's AI-Generated Song)01:31:00 - Workplace Ethics & Whistleblowing01:39:48 - Writing Villains Who Think They're Heroes01:43:50 - Favorite Musicals & Outro

  7. Jun 19

    Poets At War Ep. 261: Magic Stones, 80s Fantasy, & Conquering Intrusive Thoughts

    Welcome to Poets at War, a podcast documenting the brood of writers, where art, theology, philosophy, and fun beckon your ears.In this episode, Joshua David Ling sits down with Ian, Brendan, Daniel, and others for a wide-ranging conversation spanning sci-fi lore, fantasy writing, career changes, and deep theology. They kick things off by debating the best and worst Star Trek captains, the charm of 80s practical effects, and why the four-episode rule applies to almost every show.Ian then pitches his new Arthurian tragedy following Uther Pendragon, leading to a masterclass discussion on writing tragic character arcs, the narrative structure of the Star Wars prequels, and using magic as a metaphor for AI. Later, the guys discuss the nobility of the trades as Daniel shares his journey to becoming an electrician, touching on the foster care system and the vital need for strong fathers. Finally, Ian opens up about conquering intrusive thoughts through Eastern Orthodox practices, sparking a profound theological discussion on Anselm's Satisfaction Theory, Calvinism, and the nature of sin.You too can be a part of the brood of writers and Poets at War. Just visit https://JoshuaDavidLing.com/Discord to join. If you're a true poetry patriot, you can support us on Substack and Patreon and get the recordings of all of our encouraging and strategic meetings, along with much more. Once again, all links can be found at https://joshuadavidling.com Over and out!Chapters:00:00:00 - Intro & Sci-Fi Captains00:02:40 - Star Trek Cancellations & Firefly00:09:20 - The D&D Movie & 80s Fantasy Practical Effects00:18:30 - Ian's Arthurian Pitch: Uther & The Whispering Stones00:28:50 - Writing Tragedies & The Star Wars Prequels00:46:30 - Why the Movie 'Seven' is Too Dark01:02:00 - Why Harry Potter Doesn't Appeal to Us01:04:50 - Daniel's Career Shift to Trade School01:07:20 - Being "Too Intelligent" for a Job & The Foster System01:12:40 - Joshua's Calling as "The Bard"01:20:40 - Conquering Intrusive Thoughts & Eastern Orthodoxy01:26:00 - Anselm's Satisfaction Theory vs. Penal Substitution01:36:00 - Outro & Final Thoughts

  8. Jun 12

    Poets At War Ep. 260: Gaston the Hero?, Christian Humanism, & Narnia's Public Domain

    Welcome to Poets at War, a podcast documenting the brood of writers, where art, theology, philosophy, and fun beckon your ears.In this episode, Joshua David Ling and the Brood gather to tackle everything from theological debates to classic literature and Disney lore. The conversation kicks off with life updates before grappling with a controversial internet take: Was Gaston actually the hero of Beauty and the Beast? The squad breaks down the narrative framing of Belle's "provincial" town and explores G.K. Chesterton's profound observation that "a thing must be loved before it is lovable."The discussion then sails into the high seas of Treasure Island, comparing the tragic heroism of John Silver across adaptations like Treasure Planet and Muppet Treasure Island. From there, the boys dive into deep theological waters, debating the nuances between Vantillian and Clarkian apologetics, the role of logic versus Scripture, and the concept of Christian humanism and sub-creation.In the second half, the Brood laments the current drought of good fantasy adaptations, analyzing the struggles of bringing The Chronicles of Narnia to the screen and anticipating the inevitable flood of fan films once Narnia hits the public domain. Finally, they wrap up with a deep dive into the non-fiction works of C.S. Lewis, discussing where new readers should start, the timeline of his final books, and the emotional weight of A Grief Observed.Timestamps:00:00:00 - Intro, Life Updates, & Hospital Visits00:03:55 - The Great Debate: Was Gaston the Hero?00:05:54 - John Silver: Treasure Island, Treasure Planet, & The Muppets00:14:26 - Sean-Nós Singing & Psalm 7700:16:35 - Vantillians vs. Clarkians: Logic, Scripture, & Christian Liberty00:34:20 - Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Provincial Town & Chesterton's Orthodoxy00:46:50 - The Struggle of Fantasy Adaptations & Stephen Lawhead00:54:30 - The Chronicles of Narnia: Movies, Adaptations, & Public Domain01:06:58 - C.S. Lewis Deep Dive: Mere Christianity, Free Will, & Christian Humanism01:12:30 - Where to Start with C.S. Lewis Non-Fiction01:16:30 - Lewis's Final Books & A Grief Observed01:21:50 - Vintage Narnia Editions, Reading Orders, & Pronunciations

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About

Art. Theology. Philosophy. Fun. Poets At War is a gathering place for Christian artists engaged in the culture war of worldviews. Hosted by Joshua David Ling, this podcast explores the intersection of creativity and faith through conversations that range from deeply philosophical to lightheartedly humorous. Drawing inspiration from Tolkien, Lewis, Calvin, Augustine, and Chesterton, Poets At War invites listeners into an authentic community of creators who are serious about their craft and convictions while maintaining a spirit of camaraderie and joy.

Information

  • Creator
    Joshua David Ling
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    266
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Joshua David Ling
  • Show Website
    Poets At War