What You Need to Know About Dwight Macdonald
Dwight Macdonald was one of the twentieth century’s great public intellectuals.
American culture was Macdonald’s specialty, including government. A journalist by trade, Macdonald’s first professional...
Beauty will Save the World
The following talk was given at a symposium titled “‘Beauty will Save the World’ – It’s the Culture,” arranged by Andy Anuzis and The...
The Once and Future Boss: The Possibilities of Tammany Hall
We are, here in New York, just about ready to cast our votes for the next mayor: even Mike Bloomberg cannot, apparently, actually appoint...
What You Need to Know About John Lukacs
John Lukacs (1924-) is one of the last great narrative historians, to be numbered among Jacques Gibbon, Jacques Barzun, George Kennan and Samuel A. Huntington....
Gravity’s Rainbow
If a rainbow is a symbol of hope, there's a bright 'bow in the sky' to be found in Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity. And, just...
The Triumph of the Liberal State
First published in Dutch as De triomf van de liberale staat in the anthology Essays Over Het Midden (Groningen, The Netherlands: Uitgeverij de Blauwe Tijger, 2013)
It was sometime back in...
First Lecture
On Monday, November 11, I delivered the first "First Lecture" to students at the University of Notre Dame. This series - modeled on the...
Promoting Civil Society Among the Heathen: a Memoir
John McClaughry is one of the most misunderstood figures in modern American politics. He served several terms in the Vermont House and state senate...
A Message in a Bottle
Every now and then we hear of a lucky homeowner who takes down a wall to make renovations on his house, and finds inside...