Ancient thinkers considered every person to be a little world–a microcosm of the universe embodied in the individual. Among other applications, this means that the stories of our lives share a common narrative. We are all created good, we all fall into sin and suffering, we all are rescued and restored by intervening grace.

By extension, the great stories of the literary tradition reflect this universal story, conveying shared experiences, preoccupations, conflicts, and yearnings. Over the centuries, literature tells this common tale in myriad ways, creating overlapping layers of meaning with fiction, psychology, and faith.

In this interactive pre-conference, Heidi White will take you into this intersection of human psychology, literary education, and Christian spirituality through the lens of her book, The Divided Soul: Reuniting Duty and Desire in Literature and Life. Heidi will reveal how the conflict between what we want to do and what we ought to do is the dividing line of every enduring story—including our own—and what we can do about it.

Heidi White is a teacher, podcaster, therapist, and author with a lifetime of experience as a divided soul. She has spent the last several years researching, speaking, and writing about the divided soul in literature and life.