John Presnall

I want to say no, but Uncle John was there where you wanted to him to be and no one else was. I was twelve years old and he was on his own trip. Uncle John grew his own marijuana, and his parents took it as something he was willing to do. In fact, when my grandmother brought a tree doctor to save a . . . . Continue Reading »

There has been much hype surrounding Ridley Scott’s movie Prometheus released today. An alleged prequel to the sci-fi/horror/thriller classic Alien (1979), the director Scott was always hesitant to speak of it in such prequel terms, and instead spoke of it in larger and vaguer terms—and . . . . Continue Reading »

Since Carl mentioned James Poulos’ band Black Hi-Lighter below, I thought I’d post this video which has been making the rounds (or if it has not made the rounds, it should). It is an excellent (little rehearsed/bar band) performance of David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust.” . . . . Continue Reading »

Pete speaks of Romney’s toughness—a toughness learned through a Senate challenge to a Kennedy in Massachusetts in 1994. Repeat: A challenge to a Kennedy in Massachusetts. I’m not so sure the current election is easily analogized to 1994, even if it is meant only as a mere . . . . Continue Reading »

Early voting started a couple of days ago in Texas, and it sure makes it easy to vote for a primary election dated for May 29. Given that I will be in Rome visiting relatives on that date, it is nice to know that I can still vote early in Texas. Should I say, “Only in America?” Not to be . . . . Continue Reading »

Our Samuel Goldman  is now writing at The American Conservative’s State of the Union blog. Asking whether or not there can be a “decent” American Right for the 21st century—one which is suitable to this democratic age—he provides a link to Postmodern Conservative. . . . . Continue Reading »

So I might as well say why I find Robert Penn Warren’s account of the “agrarian” critique of modern society to be superior to Wendell Berry’s. In his novels and poetry Warren presents ambivalence—a real tension and conundrum—over against Berry’s easy condemnation . . . . Continue Reading »

So Ross Douthat has a new book which speaks of heresy. I am glad he uses this term—heresy—and he is quite sophisticated in his understanding of the issue. Both Hegel and Kierkegaard spoke of the important role of heresy in the development of the Christian doctrine, and Douthat too seems . . . . Continue Reading »

Mark Edmundson is a professor of literature who has said some interesting things about the quarrel between philosophy and poetry , as well as the larger cultural implications of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. Does he make sense in all of these cases? No. He’s a little too trendy for my . . . . Continue Reading »

Given the immediacy of writing in the blogosphere, one is sure to say something that one could wish to take back but, since it had already been posted one could not take it back. Most recently I wrote of the “overzealous evil” regarding the actions of Mr. Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin . . . . Continue Reading »