By Sarah Schweizer I am going to make an unusual suggestion when it comes to books: read not for pleasure, but, while still enjoying the act of reading The Sportswriter by Richard Ford, do not let enjoyment carry the momentum. Instead become an attentive reader reading for empathy—go to the literature to learn about your neighbor. The best part of this learning process might be … Continue reading Book Review: The Sportswriter by Richard Ford
By Stacey Egger Lana del Rey’s newest album, Honeymoon, has enough on its most surface level to merit at least one listen- which will almost inevitably lead to a second, and a third. Its depth and variety of tone and its vivid lyrics immerse the listener in what feels like a very tragic day on the beach. But the artistry of Honeymoon goes deeper than … Continue reading Music Review: Lana Del Rey, Honeymoon
By Timothy Troutner The 2014 film Calvary begins with a quotation (alas, of disputed authenticity) from St. Augustine. The text reads: “Do not despair; one of the thieves was saved. Do not presume; one of the thieves was damned.” With this first image, writer and director John Michael McDonagh evokes the presence of death and the fragility of faith that will dominate the rest of … Continue reading Film Review: Calvary
Fifty Shades of Grey’s reputation precedes it, and passionate critics and defenders rush to add their voices to the chatter whenever the topic surfaces. We defame the books as pornographic and dismiss them as horrendous literature that wreaks havoc on the intellectual welfare of the general population. I too originally dismissed the series as a plotless joke, and it was not until I actually read … Continue reading Fifty Shades of Grey: Not Everything I Thought It Would Be
“The Catholic faith is, I believe, a right faith in essentials but it must grow up inside one. Evolve through suffering to have values.” -Malcolm Muggeridge to Alec Vidler (43) Malcolm Muggeridge: A Biography by Gregory Wolfe (1995) ISI Books: Irvington, Delaware. When one asks the average modern person their thoughts on Malcolm Muggeridge, their response will likely be mild bewilderment. For all intents and purposes, … Continue reading The Pilgrim Found: A Review of Gregory Wolfe’s Biography, Malcolm Muggeridge
by Kirby Hartley Peculiar Crossroads: Flannery O’Connor, Walker Percy, and Catholic Vision in Postwar Southern Fiction by Farrell O’Gorman (2007) Louisiana State University Press: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Farrell O’Gorman’s study of the similarities between Walker Percy’s and Flannery O’Connor’s works pierces the banal to draw associations between the authors that significantly enrich interpretations of their fiction and nonfiction. The scholarly book is divided into four … Continue reading Book Review: Peculiar Crossroads
by Chris McCaffery The Logos of Heraclitus by Eva Brann (2011), Paul Dry Books: Philadelphia Lucky Heraclitus to have such a disciple! Brann cuts through the misunderstanding that plagues ‘the obscure’ in this short book. “A large book is a large evil”, Callimachus says; Hillsdale students might be willing to agree. Eva Brann’s The Logos of Heraclitus is neither, but the pithy saying is like Heraclitus’ … Continue reading Book Review: The paradox of Heraclitus
If you’re reading this column, I am going to assume that you are, on some level, desperate. Fear not, would-be hipsters! This is a good thing. All true hipsters are closeted gluttons for peer validation. Just try defending a mainstream artist while your indie kid test subject of choice is surrounded by sneering, denim-clad henchmen and you’ll see what I mean. The first rule: avoid … Continue reading Tragically Hip—Five Simple Rules for Gaining Indie Cred by Sarah Albers
Paul Gottfried is not impressed by the Straussian project. His latest book, Leo Strauss and the Conservative Movement in America, is part history, part polemic, and part intellectual version of Mythbusters. For anyone confused by the Straussian debate that occasionally rears its head on our campus, this book is a great place to start, but a terrible place to end. Gottfried presents an adequate overview … Continue reading Lambasting Straussians by Brett Wierenga
This is a new regular feature for The Hillsdale Forum, taking the place of our “Professor’s iPod” feature of years past. Sarah Albers ran a music blog for several years before giving it all up to…study, or whatever it is Hillsdale students do that takes all their free time. We hope to receive many tidbits of smarmy hipsterness from our new contributor, and we hope … Continue reading Tragically Hip—Album Review: Reflektor
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