Optionality and the Intellectual Life: In Gratitude for the Real World...
Something about Taleb’s emphasis on practical wisdom unleashes in his readers a sense of humility, a renewed trust in reason, and a spiritual hunger courageous enough to move beyond the cynicism and skepticism typically bred in schools.
Unearthing America’s History of Empire
In How to Hide an Empire, Daniel Immerwahr lays bare the consequences of the American empire and how this history has been ignored by citizens of the United States. It’s an unflinching look at America’s expansionist foreign policy throughout our history.
Ernest Gaines, 1933-2019
On Tuesday, November 5th, Ernest Gaines, one of the great Southern novelists of the twentieth century, passed away. Gaines had a distinguished and decorated career:...
Two Great Interruptions
Wendell Berry’s new story is actually about two great interruptions: the first forms the occasion for Billy’s tale, and the second is how, as the title has it, the tale “ceased to be told.”
Vermont Papers Redux
All in all, mark The Vermont Papers down as a brave if idealistic attempt to chart the beginning of a campaign to preserve and refresh liberty, community and democracy in the one small state best suited for such a revival.
Sticking It Out in Green Bay: Mona Simpson’s Off Keck Road
"With her glamorous personal life and occasionally edgy prose, Simpson hardly fits the mold of the down-home writer who nurtures a sense of place. Yet..."
The Localist Theory of Charles Marohn’s Wonderfully Practical Strong Towns
This past weekend, I took a group of students up to the annual Prairie Festival at The Land Institute in Salina, KS. I...
The Bridge and the Breach: A Review of Indigenous by Jennifer...
It is a hybrid, sacramental understanding of the earth and matter and of being in the world. She seems to say that even if the earth of Chilhowee is dry or the trees of the Smokies are stunted, we must cherish them because they remain good.
Climate Change, Dirty Hands, and the Grace (and Hope) of Limits
Paul Schrader, the famed screenwriter and director, does not make subtle films. His latest movie, First Reformed--the story of a depressed, emotionally exhausted, and...
Asceticism is for Everyone
Those who are inclined to agree with Patrick Deneen (and others) that liberalism has indeed failed may ask what way of life would be...