Articles 356

Recently the city council in my hometown decided we desperately needed a courthouse. Mind you, my hometown is not the state capital. It's not even the county seat. Florissant is a mid-size…

[Cross-posted to In Medias Res] With former Florida Governor Jeb Bush's announcement on Tuesday that he's "actively explore the possibility of running for President of the United States"--a move which,…

Malibu, CA I understand why many wish me a “Happy Holidays” in public settings, and I am glad they wish me well at this time of year. I must confess,…

In this edition of Tales from the Kolache Belt, we celebrate community theatre. Not many rural towns of just over 2,000 souls can boast an institution like the Gaslight Theatre,…

I recently had a chance to watch the film The Giver. Sometimes we get films early, sometimes late, sometimes at the same time as they are released in the United…

There is one version of the history of modern media that is a story primarily about a drug, developed to make its users feel anger with delightful intensity. Refinement of…

Her breasts are too good for the local market.

“So if one doesn’t know how to make use of it, Critobulus, then money must be kept at such a distance that it isn’t even included among one’s assets.” Socrates,…

Our panel discusses immigration policy from a localist perspective.

Hidden Springs Lane. It’s raining. Yesterday we were told to expect 4-8 inches of snow. I was looking forward to the snow. Getting a good snow for Thanksgiving somehow seemed…

I am ambivalent about Thanksgiving. Giving thanks is not a problem though I am sure I could show more gratitude especially when stuck behind some driver in the passing lane…

[Editor's note] President Washington, in his original Thanksgiving Day proclamation, insisted it the "duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God," and to be "grateful for His benefits."…

Jeffrey Bilbro reviews Wendell Berry's appearance at SAMLA.

Radnor Township, PA This past Friday, I led a lunch discussion with students at the University of Chicago who had read my First Things article  “Majoring in Fear.” They verified that…

[Cross-posted to In Medias Res] I recently attended a conference in Nanjing, China, hosted by the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and organized our fellow Porcher, Adam Webb. You can read a short…

Malibu, CA Where does Catholic Social Thought come down on this question? Not surprisingly, Catholic thought often emphasizes solutions taken at the level of the economic and political system: government-provided…

Malibu, CA The danger in speaking after thirteen talks on Catholic Thought and Business is that there is nothing left to say. Russ Hittinger started with the observation that his…

Spring Arbor, MI (Editor's note: Like any real front porch, FPR seeks to be a place where children are valued and welcome. Much of what we do seeks the seriousness…

Manchester, CT “Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow, Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow. None has ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the…

Low flames and smoke and visions of the eschaton.

Richmond, VA I do not think it outrageous, every now and then, to despair for the future of cooking in this country. Not all the time, no, for there are…

Higher education in America has many challenges, and in many ways has become a rather strange place. The satirical novel, such as Richard Russo’s Straight Man or James Hyne’s The…

Spring Arbor, MI In our age of austerity and cost-cutting, the two industries currently under the microscope are healthcare and education. The gains in productivity that have transformed other parts…

Owen Sound, ONT While in Italy last month, I learned that my nation was under attack. On waking, I found myself being told by Wolf Blitzer, redfaced and breathlessly (his only…