When I finished The Conservative Mind for the first time, I remember thinking quite clearly that Russell Kirk had gotten so close to truth, but, then, just when he had the chance, he failed to promote freedom—the proper answer to every single thing. I often look at, hold, and peruse my first (first to me, [...]
Nationalism has not brought and will not bring unity, if for no other reason than nationalism insists on uniformity and must always exclude those who do not conform. Yet, if there is a chance to achieve some measure of unity, patriotism might enable it. In his thoughtful response to my essay, “History as Tragedy and [...]
I was angry with my friend; I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow. […]
Language has an extraordinary place in an education like ours because our aim is the restoration of the world and the transformation of culture through Christ the Word. Earlier this week, I was having lunch in the cafeteria with a group of new freshmen and one of their teachers, Dr. Kent Lasnoski, who is working [...]
Arturo Toscanini was the early-twentieth century version of a rock star, receiving offers left and right, commanding huge sums of money, selling out theaters, and grabbing the constant attention of the press wherever he went… Toscanini: Musician of Conscience, by Harvey Sachs (Liveright, 944 pages, 2017) In the Academy-award winning film adaptation of Peter Schaffer’s Amadeus, [...]
Though his fans will undoubtedly enjoy this engrossing autobiography, it deserves a broader audience because of the beauty of Mr. Springsteen's writing, his penetrating observations about human nature, and his well-crafted history of an interesting and important life. "We remain in the air, the empty space, in the dusty, roots and deep earth, in the [...]
Poets stand on the cusp of a new opening to a renewal of the Spirit in language, to a renewal of the infinite resonance of words, so that we may hope to infuse new depths into literary productions without at the same time losing our connection with Tradition. On a recent trip to Italy, I [...]
If freedom of speech and the press here have produced a popular culture that is an open sewer and a politics of vilification and venom, why would we seek to impose this upon other peoples?… If a U.S. president calls an adversary “Rocket Man… on a mission to suicide,” and warns his nation may be [...]
Utilizing the keen wit and boundless creativity all filmmakers should possess, Mr. Anderson provides fantastical tales, but never neglects to include accessible examples of human longing… Through the unique directorial vision of Wes Anderson, audiences have seen truly unforgettable, delightfully odd stories spring to life. His genius may be indicated first by his settings—fictitious locales, [...]
With an unsettling sense of déjà vu I watched the events in Charlottesville unfold. I had seen it all before, not merely as a passive spectator watching it happen on television but as an active participant, feeling the rage and the anger and experiencing the violence at first hand… As I read reports of the violence [...]
According to Sir Roger Scruton, traditions and attachments to place and home are precious as they give order and meaning to life. They fill a basic human need. Once destroyed, they cannot be brought back. G.K. Chesterton famously wrote “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at [...]
"It is not only possible to say a great deal in praise of play; it is really possible to say the highest things in praise of it. It might reasonably be maintained that the true object of all human life is play. Earth is a task garden; heaven is a playground. To be at last [...]
Americans prefer to put politics over people. The question is, why? Is there some reason why we have reached a pitch of political fervor which causes civil discourse to fall to all-time lows?… In an age where partisanship reigns supreme, there seems to be one issue on which members of both the Left and Right [...]
To read the Presocratic fragments is to re-enter a world where the simplest natural phenomena, such as boiling water, can set your bones quaking... To read the Presocratic fragments is to re-enter a world where the simplest natural phenomena, such as boiling water, can set your bones quaking. Today it is a cliche that “opposites [...]