Paterson
by Peter J. LeithartA cinematic poem in seven stanzas, Paterson proves a man in himself is a city. Continue Reading »
Befriending Geoffrey Chaucer: A Review
by Doug SikkemaAmidst Chaucer's satire lies a profound vision of the Church for the Church. Continue Reading »
The Transfiguration of Death
by Sebastian White O.P.In Death Comes for the War Poets, Joseph Pearce poses anew the questions of life, death, and humanity that haunted the poets of the Great War. Continue Reading »
Wendell Berry Redux
by John MurdockWendell Berry's work reminds us to approach rural life as something more than a prison to be escaped. Continue Reading »
The Universal Russian Soul
by Nathan NielsonHidden beneath contemporary Russian nationalism is an old aspiration to embrace all humanity. Rekindling it will soften Russia’s presence on the world stage. Continue Reading »
“Decadent Poverty” at the First Things Gallery
by Alexi SargeantApproaching the paradox of the Passion in art. Continue Reading »
Empson in the East
by David Bentley HartThe Face of the Buddhaby william empsonedited by rupert arrowsmithoxford, 208 pages, $49.95 William Empson (1906–1984) was not, as he is frequently said to have been, an “important critic,” but only because there is no such thing. By the same token, neither was he a unicorn, a square circle, . . . . Continue Reading »
From a Vanished Library
by David Bentley HartThe library in question is not the Great Library of Alexandria, but it is every bit as much a thing of the past, existing now as scarcely a memory—almost legendary, positively Edenic. I think it had been my ambition throughout much of my life to accumulate a collection of books in the ideal, . . . . Continue Reading »
Harmony and the Scriptures: Lenten Reflections on Harnoncourt and Bach
by Michael Maria WaldsteinI became aware of the clash between Harnoncourt and Richter, right around the time when my own musical taste became more mature and critical, at age fifteen or sixteen. I was a Richterian; Harnoncourt struck me as harsh and uncouth. Continue Reading »
Catwalks through the Middle Realms of Heaven
by Adrienne LeavyA new book illuminates the formal power, moral depth, and intellectual brilliance of important American poet Anthony Hecht. Continue Reading »
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