Author: Hillsdale Forum

culture, ISSUE #42 | OCT 2023

Nineteenth Century French Catholics’ Challenge to Integralism

In 2019, Sohrab Ahmari and David French engaged in an infamous debate that culminated in a discussion of drag queen story hours. Both men agreed that exposing children to drag queens is immoral; however, while French argued that the First Amendment protects drag queen story hours, Ahmari argued that such activities are harmful to society and ought to be suppressed by the government. Whatever your … Continue reading Nineteenth Century French Catholics’ Challenge to Integralism

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ISSUE #42 | OCT 2023, Poetry

Poetic Creation: Illuminating the Mystery of Divine Love

Love is the colossal mystery at the heart of the universe—a mystery that haunts every corner of our lives as we ponder what we see around us. It is the light illuminating the nothingness within the atom and the chorus singing through the darkness between the stars. We often have a utilitarian view of nature, with horses for riding, trees for building and burning, and … Continue reading Poetic Creation: Illuminating the Mystery of Divine Love

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Film Reviews, ISSUE #42 | OCT 2023

How the “Barbie” Movie Subverts Expectations

From the droves of young people flocking to the theaters decked head to toe in pink, to the gushy movie critics, to the conservatives who thought it was based, to the conservatives who thought it was garbage, everyone who watched it has been reacting powerfully to the film Barbie. Such an uproar is a sign that the movie touches something deep in the zeitgeist—but what … Continue reading How the “Barbie” Movie Subverts Expectations

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ISSUE #41 | MAY 2023, Poetry

Cowboy Poetry

Have you ever heard of Henry Herbert Knibbs? Or cowboy poetry? Or a chuckwagon cook? I hadn’t either. At least not until I met John and Randy, who are cowboys. Actual cowboys, as in leather chaps, frisky horses, and open spaces.   The marvelous thing about poetry is that it bursts out of every seam of human experience. Look to the Wild West. Their poetic tradition—heart-wrenching, … Continue reading Cowboy Poetry

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Film Reviews, ISSUE #41 | MAY 2023

What it Means to Reconcile: Lady Bird, Columbus, and Coming-of-Age in a World of Change

The year 2017 was a time of flourishing for the indie movie scene, and while the top charts were still dominated by the usual suspects—Marvel superheroes, Star Wars, Stephen King horror— a handful of indie movies reached them as well. A common topic for the indie movies that year was coming-of-age, which was explored particularly well by the high-grossing-hit Lady Bird directed by Greta Gerwig, … Continue reading What it Means to Reconcile: Lady Bird, Columbus, and Coming-of-Age in a World of Change

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ISSUE #41 | MAY 2023, Poetry

Poetic Ethics

We are listening creatures; whence else our speaking? And whence are we? So there is a Word that precedes us. We are spoken creatures. What constitutes this speech constitutes us in some way. And listening to this speech and speaking it are the acts of discernment and virtue. Words have many meanings. Mutatis mutandis, listening carefully to this word detects several valances. General listening is … Continue reading Poetic Ethics

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ISSUE #41 | MAY 2023, LIVING

Singleness is Not a Failing

I came into Hillsdale with a series of expectations—one of which was to get a boyfriend. I had already heard so many “ring by spring” stories, I thought surely something similar was bound to happen to me. And if I couldn’t get a fiancé, I least hoped for a relationship. But one, two, three, and now almost four years have passed, and still nothing. As … Continue reading Singleness is Not a Failing

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ISSUE #41 | MAY 2023, LIVING

In Pursuit of the Unserious: Recovering Rest and Purpose in a Workaholic Culture

It was not the first time I found myself on the verge of tears as I feverishly racked my brain for anything to mend the horrendous structure (or rather lack of structure) of my paper and failed to think of anything other than the impending list of projects, research, and readings I still needed to get to. I still had an hour left on my … Continue reading In Pursuit of the Unserious: Recovering Rest and Purpose in a Workaholic Culture

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ISSUE #40 | MAR 2023, Religion

Personifying the World

At the end of his short work on prayer, the north African theologian Tertullian wrote something surprising about non-human animals: “The whole creation prays,” he said. Cattle and wild beasts pray, and bend their knees, and in coming forth from their stalls and lairs look up to heaven, their mouths not idle, making the spirit [or breath] move in their own fashion. Moreover the birds … Continue reading Personifying the World

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