“Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself in a dark wilderness, for I had wandered from the straight and true." These, the opening lines of Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy (Anthony Esolen translation) speak to the inner journey of the soul. They confront us with the voice of a man who knows … Continue reading Dante’s Divine Comedy: Links to Lead You through History’s Greatest Poem
The tension in many a good story centers on a hero's struggle, as opposition mounts, to remember his identity or to recall her mission. Succumbing to Sirens and Circes is perilous and treasure greater than victory awaits the unwavering. In Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, for instance, Meg Murry's mission is to rescue her … Continue reading The Tao or the Wow: How Ancient Texts Rehumanize the Heart
One year ago for the very first time, I planned my year's reading instead of simply keeping a reading list as I went along. Inspired by How to Make a Yearly Reading List as a Grown-Up, my first step was to root through my shelves and scan my Audible and Kindle libraries for books I already … Continue reading Five Standouts from a Reading Year
It's been described as "heady, extraordinary." It's where I first heard about Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter and P.D. James' The Children of Men. I discovered Alan Jacobs had written a biography of C.S. Lewis by listening, added it to my wishlist and gratefully received The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis for Christmas that year. It's also … Continue reading The Mars Hill Audio Journal: Where All Things Considered Meets God
While immersed in Rod Dreher's much-discussed The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation a few weeks ago, a children's book startled me with a hopeful connection. My son's kids had come to visit and I'd turned to reading nature books with them, but as we read and baked and played and … Continue reading Don’t Fear the Forge: In Which The Benedict Option Mingles with a Rock Book and a Yeats Poem
