Let me say first that I think abortion an admirable practice with many benefits. It preserves the free choice of all people and saves women the pain and emotional trauma of having a part of their own body forcibly removed. Most importantly, abortion limits overpopulation. Imagine—if all the aborted fetuses had instead been allowed to grow into human beings, what would be the state of … Continue reading Another Modest Proposal
by Megan Li In the fall of 1996, my high school literature teacher Mr. Stephen Rippon befriended the woman who would become his wife. “ [She] mentioned Shakespeare, and I came across as just kind of lukewarm about Shakespeare, so that did not impress her,” Mr. Rippon laughed, “because she really likes Shakespeare.” Ironically, he went on to teach literature at Delaware Valley Classical School, … Continue reading “It Is in Our Nature to Love”: What Romance Stories Can Teach Us
by Anna Jackson Winner of the Barns Award for Excellence in Poetry A gentle girl in swirling skirts – the Sea Dances a mazurka with the moon Dressed in azure, trimmed in lace-like foam Which brushes softly on the sandy shore. But in the wind-tossed waves a monster starts To rise, distorts the dance, and soon Where once there was a girl a siren stalks. … Continue reading The Hurricane
by Grace Bryant Winner of the Dana & Elinor Kie “Rose Award” Characters:CHRISTOPHER: A plain, young man in a suitDAN: An older man in an undershirtPAULA: Dan’s tired wifeBETH: Dan and Paula’s neighbor, a Southern lady Set Requirements:3 free-standing doors, 2 ladders, a bouquet of flowers Curtain opens on city street in the late afternoon. There is a row of townhouses represented by 3 doors. … Continue reading Daisies for Jeanine
by James Lauve Winner of the Margaret Weymouth Jackson Award in Creative Writing What barren rock, what cruel, remorseless land Is now the grave of my belovéd ship— The fairest craft that sailed the celestial seas Above, until that curséd ast’roid rammed Into her mighty hull and brought her down? What lifeless planet do I stand upon? For lifeless it is, no creature’s calling greets … Continue reading Deucalion
by Jack Golden In the March 2024 issue of the Hillsdale Forum, Tomasz Ignatik penned the thoughtful essay “The Rout of the Culture War,” in which he contemplated the extent of conservatives’ success in the battle to “stem the tide of cultural decay” and “revitalize the values of the forgotten Western Tradition.” As Mr. Ignatik tells it, conservative victories in the culture war are “often … Continue reading The Choir Still Needs the Sermon: A Response to Tomasz Ignatik
by Kiri Forrester A Silent Voice is a 2016 animated film directed by Naoko Yamada and written by Reiko Yoshida, which tells the coming-of-age story of a high school boy named Shouya, a former bully who struggles with internal guilt and thus has difficulty building relationships. He seeks to repair the past by befriending Shouko, the deaf girl whom he bullied in elementary school. Netflix … Continue reading The Shape of a Voice: The Beauty of Relationship and Redemption in A Silent Voice
by Caitlin Filep Most people who lived through the ’90s (or who don’t currently live under a rock) would recognize the strong cultural imprint of Seinfeld, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld’s highly acclaimed sitcom. The “show about nothing” often used biting, witty, and boundary-pushing humor to approach taboo but incredibly relatable topics, such as restrictive social dynamics, everyday mishaps, and casual sex. The manner in … Continue reading The Best Seinfeld Episode and Why It’s Uncomfortable: A Comment on the Value of Transgressive Comedy
by Megan Li The boy remained before the altar, long after his master had left the tent. His mother’s call sounded faintly in the distance, reminding him of his unfinished chores. A group of his friends ran past the tent, laughing and shouting. But the boy was oblivious to all these things. His eyes were closed to the world and everything in it, for he … Continue reading Face to Face
by Tomasz Ignatik Cor ad cor loquitur Though the term “Culture War” is thrown around much in socio-political discourse, many have not stopped to think what this title means. Specifically in the conservative side of the socio-political divide – in which the term seems of more prevalent use and importance – this term often applies to a broad effort to stem the tide of cultural … Continue reading The Rout of the Culture War: A Reflection on the Fight for Cultural Influence
Hillsdale Forum 