Articles Archive
Of Branson and Belonging
Belonging cannot be immediately grasped, but it must be chosen little by little.
Midwest Roots, American Aspirations: Charlie Kirk’s Legacy
I pray Charlie’s old neighbors will keep the flags flying, the campus debates respectful, and their doors open to all visitors.
Bill McKibben with Sunshine on his Shoulder
The author, activist, and grandfather who once warned of The End of Nature has a brighter disposition these days. Resources Bill's bio and buy the book (and the other book)…
Every Tear on Every Face Tastes the Same: Songs About Solidarity
This week on A Symposium of Popular Songs, we’re listening to songs about solidarity, one-half of the foundation of Catholic social teaching. Send me your song recommendations at symposiumofsongs@gmail.com!
Writing Is for Humans
They accepted that the law of human judgment was Mercy—after all, that was the law of divine judgment.
Richmond, TikTok, and Enchantment
Maureen Swinger goes to an Oliver Anthony concert and describes his efforts to repair broken places and subvert the structures of the celebrity machine.
How to Bite the Machine that Feeds You: Kingsnorth’s Options for Resistance
One must think seriously about where to draw lines in the sand
Children Shouldn’t Be Free Marketing Fodder
Shouldn’t we begin putting restrictions on how often and for what purposes minors’ images appear online?
State Universities Should Serve the State—Not the World
In focusing on the global economy, universities often lose sight of the needs of local economies.
Trump’s Hope for Heaven
Within the context of expressing his desire to help end the war between Ukraine and Russia, the President highlights another desire: he wants to go to heaven.
Burning Warm and Bright: Songs About Fire
We’re talking about fire in all its forms this week on A Symposium of Popular Songs, and I managed to get all the way through the episode without referencing Beavis…
The Last Lesson of Charlie Kirk
Kirk started as a kind of ultra-MAGA influencer. Over time, however, he was becoming a serious man—one with a popular following, especially among the young.
Marce Catlett, Farm Policy, and AI Friends
Antonio Spadaro responds to plans to build a bridge across the Strait of Messina.
The Word and the Machine: On Paul Kingsnorth
I wanted living color, an axe to break the frozen sea.
When the Internet Was a Place
Not too long ago, the internet was a place you visited. The family desktop sat in its designated closet or back office. In schools, there were rooms filled with computers…
“Two Liberals Walk Out of a Pandemic…”
I have been hoping for a reckoning about covid for years now, and this book is a major step in that direction.
Can We Dance on the Tables Again?: Songs About Parties
It’s party time at A Symposium of Popular Songs, though we’re going to oscillate wildly between the kind of party you go home from in an ambulance and the kind…
The Wars of Alex Garland
With "Civil War" and now "Warfare," the writer-director has made two consecutive movies about the “what” of armed conflicts rather than the “why”
Fairs, Atherosclerosis, and Toothaches
Tara Couture writes about the mysterious relation between simple joys and hard work.
Writing Like a Man
I found that Wink has not simply played haphazardly with an abundance of tropes but collected them together, arranged them in a pile—so he could then throw them aside and…
Decoding Toddlerese and Theology
It is such a joy to finally figure out something my son has been trying to say. Just so, it is a joy when a particular passage of Scripture finally…
When Humans Prefer a Machine: Warnings from a 1960s Chatbot Creator
Chatbots aren’t new. Joseph Weizenbaum created one in 1966. And what happened next led him to become a vocal critic of his own creation. What did he see that we…
The Vestigial Front Porch
Still it waves. Still it sings.
No Kings and No Landlords: Songs About Freedom
We’re talking about freedom this week on A Symposium of Popular Songs, and I demonstrate my freedom by going all the way from “guy with guitar” folk to overcranked contemporary…