Of Many Things
Reading for fun: introducing our Spring Books 2019 issue
Books for every kind of reader are featured in our Spring Books special literary issue.
Features
The literary landscape of Barry Lopez
For decades, Lopez has sought to re-establish our ethical relationships with the land and the other creatures who dwell on it. But Lopez, like many authors, struggles against labels.
The moral vision of Iris Murdoch
Rather than framing moral philosophy as just another form of epistemology (how can we know what to do?), Iris Murdoch was asking a more classical question: “How can we make ourselves morally better?” she asks. “These are the questions the philosopher should try to answer.”
Ideas
Facets of the Maker: the life and work of Mary Oliver
In “Steepletop,” an essay in which Mary Oliver recalls her time living at Edna St. Vincent Millay’s estate of the same name, she insists: “We need to be each others’ storytellers—at least we have to try. One wants to know what the beautiful strangers were like—one needs to know. Still, it is like painting the…
C.S. Lewis helped me understand my grief—and reminded me why I write
C.S. Lewis does not come to lovely conclusions about his God or his religion or his suffering. He asks many more questions than he answers. He rants, questions, weeps and feels terrible, deservedly sorry for himself and for the woman he loved so much and has now lost. And in doing so, he renders in…
Books
Review: A novel analyzes the effects of suicide
Sigrid Nunez mines the effect of suicide on family, friends and even the pet dog in her National Book Award winner, The Friend.
What’s new with the Catholic Book Club?
In late fall we discussed Kate Bowler’s poignant memoir about being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. We followed that with one of three recent volumes of the collected short stories of Andre Dubus.
Review: When giants roamed the earth
Armed with enthusiasm, command of his material and a knack for analogy, Steve Brusatte has written a book that incarnates dinosaurs with color, sound and fury.
Revisiting the ‘Boys’ Life’ books of sports stories
Looking back on sports stories designed to educate a certain class of white American male into the virtues of postwar civic culture.
Review: The life of Bing Crosby, continued
Crosby was the most Catholic superstar the United States has ever seen.
Popes in fiction: What do they say about us?
When it comes to writing fiction about the papacy, we imagine the popes we want—most of the time.
Poetry
What Happened Then
Strange meeting this, the holes there in his hands and feet and heart.
Instagram poets make me ask: What is good poetry?
Often Instagram poets want to tell the lesson in their writing rather than simply show the reader through sights, sounds, smells, touches and tastes of their lives and stories.
Last Take
Why as Christians we need to read widely—and deeply
Oftentimes we find that the people on the other side of a hot-button issue are motivated by good reasoning and deeply held values. They are not the enemy.
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts