A Time For Cornerstones

by Duncan Stroik

Throughout history, times of plague and catastrophe have called for serious responses in the form of churches and sacred art.  Continue Reading »

13 Apr 2020

A New Fusionism

by R. R. Reno

Since the end of World War II, American conservatism has been characterized by a three-pronged coalition. The first prong emphasizes the virtues of a free economy, the second a strong military, and the third a faith, family, and flag social conservatism. The three prongs endure today, but they are . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Apr 2020

Letters

by Various

Theodore Dalrymple (“Identity as Ideology,” February) is certainly correct to point to the yearning for transcendence that was not—and likely cannot be—obliterated in people like André Hébert when they lose the will to enter into communion with the traditional means of attaining . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Apr 2020

The Clerisy of the Concrete-and-Glass Box Freaks Out

by George Weigel

Outrage erupted over a leaked memo suggesting that President Trump would issue an Executive Order creating a preference that federal buildings be designed in a classical style. Continue Reading »

4 Mar 2020

Against Architectural Relativism

by Catesby Leigh

“Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again,” Trump’s draft executive order, mandates a reorientation of Uncle Sam’s architectural patronage along traditional—and above all, classical—lines. Continue Reading »

3 Mar 2020

Venice Afloat

by Catesby Leigh

An observer of a Spenglerian bent might just write Venice off, taking the floods that afflict the city with increasing frequency as the finishing touches on a long-running spectacle of political, economic, and cultural decline. That decline, spanning half a millennium, has by now reduced the city to . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Mar 2020

The Antidiscrimination Regime

by R. R. Reno

I read The Age of Entitlement in one sitting, unable to put down Christopher Caldwell’s riveting account of the last fifty years of American politics and culture. After the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the nation’s leaders embarked on a series of grand projects. A modern . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Mar 2020

Make Government Buildings Great Again

by R. R. Reno

An executive order on President Trump’s desk promises to put an end to the reign of mediocrity in federal architecture. Continue Reading »

25 Feb 2020

Notre-Dame de Paris, by Gérard de Nerval (1808–1855)

by William Flesch

Notre Dame is quite old: one will see it perhapsStill bury that Paris it saw at its birth;But in a few thousand years Time will cause to collapse(As wolves do to cattle) this carcass to earth,Twist its tendons of iron, then with a deaf toothChew its bones made of rock, which fills us with ruth.From . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Feb 2020

Building to No Purpose

by Catesby Leigh

Architecture can reflect the progress of a civilization, but Hudson Yards is not about civilization. Its buildings reflect the futility of a “progressive” design sensibility cut off from the past and wedded to novelty and formal dissonance as ends in themselves. The mixed-use development rises . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Feb 2020