What is the liminal?
THE LIMINAL is a time, place, or state of being that’s betwixt and between. Neither here nor there. If it’s a time, it might be a summer of travel, a year of illness, or a period of war. If it’s a place, it might be a staircase, airport, or refugee camp. If it’s a state of being, it might be the experience of not fitting into the world’s tidy categories and feeling like you exist somewhere between them. Or it might be the experience of no longer fitting into your own tidy categories but feeling unable to find your way out of them yet. If this is the case, you didn’t end up there by accident. Something new is emerging in you, and for that to happen, some old things need to fall away. Darkness, confusion, and disorientation are to be expected. Just make sure you let the liminal do its work in you. You’ll be glad you did.
Betwixt & Between: Discovering the Gift of the Liminal
Step into the threshold! Whether you’re a teacher looking for classroom-ready resources or simply curious about the liminal, this FREE Betwixt & Between Resource Packet is for you.
Inside you’ll find:
A presentation you can use for your own study or a riveting discussion in the classroom
A Teacher Guide with individual and group activities, writing assignments, and more
A complete set of tools to help you or your students explore liminality in depth
Perfect as an introduction to the Liminal Essay Contest or the Tales from the Liminal Study Edition
Give your students—or yourself—the gift of the liminal.
Intrigued by the liminal?
Discover the delightfully strange and endlessly thought-provoking Tales From the Liminal!
Give your students the gift of the liminal with the Tales From the Liminal Study Edition!
Check out our annual
Liminal Essay Contest
Liminal Essay Contest winners discuss liminality in Dr. Timothy Carson’s Honors Class, MU.
Congratulations to the Winners of the 3rd Annual
Liminal Essay Contest!
COLLEGE AWARDS
1st Place: “Between Darkness and Light: A Personal Liminal Journey” by Sumanth Karnati, UW-Madison Senior
2nd Place: “The Liminality of Birth, Growth, and Death” by Cooper Stokes, MU-Columbia Freshman
3rd Place: “In the Silence of Waiting” by Ella Johnson, Wheaton College Freshman
HIGH SCHOOL AWARDS
1st Place: “Liminality in ‘Summoned by a Star’” by William Mar, Texas Senior
2nd Place: “The Three Stages of Liminality” by Chazmin Mui, New Jersey Junior
3rd Place: “Liminal Roots: Transformation in Summoned by a Star” by Isabel Romero, Massachusetts Freshman
Judge Matt Flaherty said this of the high school entries:
“The essays were a delight to read. Most bespoke a genuine communion with the text. Any teacher would be proud to have students willing to take on a challenge like this while demonstrating the results of their careful reading. The winning essays showed a level of care and professionalism that stood out from the rest. The top three in particular displayed a level of insight that went beyond just accurately following rhetorical moves of the short story's extended metaphor, to making their own intellectual contributions. And the top two combined their own original insights with well fitted textual evidence that helped fellow readers follow along their journey of discovery.”
Judge Gina Ochsner said this of the college entries:
“First let me say how wonderful these essays are. Each of them sing and soar with voice and unique perspective. Each is vastly different from the other, and the talent is deep. How wonderful! Believe me, this was not an easy deliberation.”