Jeffrey Bilbro is an Associate Professor of English at Grove City College. He grew up in the mountainous state of Washington and earned his B.A. in Writing and Literature from George Fox University in Oregon and his Ph.D. in English from Baylor University. His books include Words for Conviviality: Media Technologies and Practices of Hope, Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News, Loving God’s Wildness: The Christian Roots of Ecological Ethics in American Literature, Wendell Berry and Higher Education: Cultivating Virtues of Place (written with Jack Baker), and Virtues of Renewal: Wendell Berry’s Sustainable Forms.
Jeffrey Bilbro
Articles by Jeffrey Bilbro
Bookstores, Hammers, and Soybeans
Chase Steely visits Elder’s Bookstore in Nashville and muses on the literary and cultural traditions born in that city.
McGuane, MAHA, and DoorDash
Charles McNamara wrestles with how we might regain the virtues needed for real education.
A Place to Stand: The Aims of Teaching, The Good of the Canon, and The Great Gatsby at 100
The real work of judgment makes possible stability and repair, a work worth even one’s death, or, what may prove more difficult, a lifetime of obscure fidelity.
Brad Littlejohn on Freedom and Big Tech
Brad Littlejohn’s recent book offers wise guidance for navigating our way through these times of rapid change.
Rights Without Responsibilities?
Many are quick to posit that we have a wide range of rights, yet we are almost tongue-tied about our responsibilities.
The Monster and the Mirage
Technology may assist the surgeon, illuminate the astronomer’s field, or console a mother in her sorrow. Yet it cannot give the soul the perfection it longs for.
Following Dante
At its best, Krause’s writing reminds us that poetry is not a luxury but a vital mode of human knowing, one that can re-enchant our disenchanted age and direct us…
Populism, Substack, and Education
In a searing essay, Alvaro M. Bedoya, a former FTC commissioner, describes how he came to embrace populism.
Greek, Pruning, and Environmentalism
Charlotte Alden profiles the fascinating school that the brilliant Donald Antenen has started in his hometown.
Inside a Web of Love: Thoughts on Gurney Norman
As Gurney’s family and friends wrestle with the loss of their friend, I hope they—or more accurately we—will lean into being lonely inside a web of love.
A Great Gathering at Baylor
While I was talking with one Texan who was at her first FPR conference, she told me, "I think I've found my people."
Andrea Kirk Assaf on Lessons From the Stoics
My guest is my friend Andrea Kirk Assaf, whom I have known for, well, a few decades now. She is the author most recently of 365 Lessons From the Stoics…
Oliver Anthony, Paul Kingsnorth, and Marce Catlett
Amber Lapp goes to Oliver Anthony’s Rural Revival and explores the conditions for genuine, constructive populism.
Books, Dependence, and Mamdani
Nobody told Jeremy Beer that people don’t read books anymore. So he’s launching a new publishing venture.
Christopher J. Scalia on 13 Novels Conservatives Will Love
Christopher J. Scalia is at the American Enterprise Institute. He and I have been Twitter mutuals for awhile, but I had the pleasure of meeting Chris in Grand Rapids at…
Work, Friendship, and Literacy
Maya Sulkin talks to some influencers and wannabe influencers about the nature of work.
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)…
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.
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.
Fairs, Atherosclerosis, and Toothaches
Tara Couture writes about the mysterious relation between simple joys and hard work.
Family Doctors, Designer Babies, and Bug Farms
The details of the dissolution of the Honors College at Tulsa continue to be quite discouraging.
My Encounters with Dr. Dobson: His Unremarked Upon Strengths and Fatal Weakness
Dobson knew his influence was on one side of the political divide and kept his focus and advocacy there. Political loyalties came first.
