Literature
Heavy Is the Head
Eliot Cohen’s ‘The Hollow Crown’ intertwines Shakespearean insights with the history of statesmen, past and present.
Thomas Merton’s Blueprint for a More Contemplative Life
This year marked the 75th anniversary of his seminal work, ‘The Seven Storey Mountain.’
The Beckoning of Christmas ‘Time’
From the Old Testament to ‘A Christmas Carol,’ ebenezers past and present offer a richer notion of time.
‘The Conservative Mind’ at 70
A rising generation can still look to Russell Kirk’s classic for real inspiration.
Reflections on a Brain-Melting Masterpiece
Jorge Luis Borges’ 1940 short story mirrors the intrusiveness of identity politics.
The Irrepressible Freshness of Robert Frost
Revisiting ‘New Hampshire’ on its 100th anniversary.
To Thine Own Self Be True
Tara Isabella Burton’s new book ‘Self-Made’ surveys the grand, and sometimes ridiculous, history of how crafting identities shaped our modern world.
An Essayist’s Defense of the Novel
Joseph Epstein’s new book explains why serious fiction matters, and what we’ll lose if we stop reading it.
To Understand ‘Oppenheimer,’ Look Back at Prometheus
Christopher Nolan’s film, like the Greek myth, refuses to simply glorify its protagonist.
Cormac McCarthy’s Blood and Guts Catholicism
The late writer’s gritty style gives us a window into his religious upbringing and imagination.
Socrates and Xi Jinping Go Into a Bar
A review of ‘Plato Goes to China: The Greek Classics and Chinese Nationalism.’