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American Art

For all that America prides itself on its individualism, the most distinctive American works of art have always seemed to me to be group projects: musicals such as Oklahoma! , and movies such as The Magnificent Ambersons , and—it seems worth mentioning, now that we’re reaching the end of . . . . Continue Reading »

The New Encyclical

After many conversations with friends and reporters and interested parties, I’m willing to make three predictions about Benedict XVI’s encyclical Caritas in Veritate , due out shortly: 1) The media will basically ignore it, as President Obama’s visit with the pope occupies all the . . . . Continue Reading »

eBaywatch: Friday Edition

What time is it?But don’t take my word for it. Listen to what the vendor has to say: GREAT CLOCK TO HAVE AROUND THE HOUSERELIGIOUS ITEMS ARE GREATEVERYONE WILL LOVE THIS CLOCKSMAKES A GREAT GIFT FOR ANYONEWhich, I suppose, can be said of the Crucifixion itself, though I’m not sure . . . . Continue Reading »

“Roots” Music for the Fourth

Despite the title, the purpose of this post is not to engage in the ongoing discussion regarding “roots” music and “localism”, etc. Instead, I hope to offer some alternatives to those who seek something different than the usual musical fare offered on the 4th of July. Here . . . . Continue Reading »

In Praise of Peter Lawler and Dixie

Peter’s delightful post, “Localism,” takes his work to a new level of literary achievement. This is the stuff of anthologies and “Greatest Works” collections. It is singularly brilliant, it reveals him not as your stereotypical “pointy-headed” philosophy . . . . Continue Reading »

Localism and the Geography of Civic Virtue

In his post on Local Color , Jody includes the epiphanic observation that American literature has entailed a “substitution of geography for heroes in our moral vocabulary.” In other words, we don’t have many heroic types in American literature. What we have instead is heroic . . . . Continue Reading »

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