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
by Anna Jackson One day, when I was about eight or nine, I was watching the T.V. I cannot remember what show was playing, yet I was struck with a single scene that has remained with me ever since. A little girl was playing in the living room of a big, old house. Her mother and grandmother were reading in their armchairs when the doorbell … Continue reading Ophelia’s Garden & Gatsby’s Daisy: Floriography in Literature
by Brooke Brandtjen At Hillsdale, quoting Plato, Shakespeare, and Churchill is de rigueur. It is not only chic, but wholly expected that you be well acquainted with the most noble literary icons that have arisen since Ancient Greece. This is both a burden to bear and a reward to reap. However, amid all of this, perhaps there ought to be a space left for fantasy. … Continue reading Dream Again: Why Fairy Tales & Fantasy Are Important
by Prof. Jon Balsbaugh “Are you the professor who … likes mushrooms?” a student hesitantly asked at the beginning of the semester. I suppose we are known by our loves. I suppose we are known by our loves. I have long been an amateur forager. Growing up in Oregon, my high school offered a course in Edible Plants. (Yes, the Pacific Northwest is … different.) … Continue reading Wonder, Love, and Mushrooms
Hillsdale Forum 