From 1957, a classic essay by Flannery O'Connor, who died 50 years ago on Sunday.

The novelist had a driving conviction that ran roughshod over our weak-kneed answers.

Tommy Tighe argues that being Catholic is hipster in itself. So, he contends, why not mine the tradition for its quirkiest customs and celebrate them without reservation?

John Matteson reviews "The Fate of the West" by Bill Emmott

The book grapples with the biggest of issues: the meaning of life, the problem of evil and the value of praying to a God who seems only rarely to intervene in human affairs.

Alice McDermott has once again delivered a novel to ponder and cherish, from its moral quandaries down to its wry humor and hypnotic prose.