Stefan McDaniel

John Updike, the extraordinarily prolific novelist and critic, has died of lung cancer at the age of 76. You can read more about his life and work in the New York Times’ obituary . . . . . Continue Reading »

Having nothing better to do, the British media has created a little hubbub over remarks made by the ever-entertaining Prince Harry. His Royal Highness was caught on camera calling a member of his platoon “our little Paki friend” (in another clip he tells a friend he looks like a . . . . Continue Reading »

Now I’m not saying it’s an excuse, Joseph , but at least it’s an attempt at a proper explanation . . . . . Continue Reading »

A reader just pointed out that the article R.R. Reno mentions in his recent post neglects the possibility that many of these new French mothers are (mostly Muslim) North African immigrants. The article does say that Frenchwomen are starting to have children later (at age 30) on average, and that . . . . Continue Reading »

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, and Metropolitan Filaret from Minsk. One of these three men will soon be elected patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. Whoever is chosen will have no shortage of internal problems to deal with, but we . . . . Continue Reading »

Last Thursday a group of scholars led by Princeton’s Robert George launched ” The Moral Accountability Project ,” an attempt to hold pro-Obama social conservatives accountable for their actions: The Moral Accountability Project trusts that those self-identified pro-life and . . . . Continue Reading »

Excellent news! Thanks largely to the growing demand from China, says The Economist , exports of single malt scotch are booming. As I’ve long argued, scotch is a sine qua non of any truly humanistic global culture (and could do much to secure perpetual peace). . . . . Continue Reading »

Here is Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life: “If [the revocation of the Mexico City policy] is one of the first acts of President Obama, with all due respect, it seems to me that the path towards disappointment will have been very short.” . . . . Continue Reading »

As some readers will remember, our October 2008 issue contained a posthumous poem by Thomas Disch (along with a poem in memory of Disch by David Mason). If you want to learn more about the work of this brilliant novelist, essayist, and poet, read this piece by science fiction writer John Crowley, . . . . Continue Reading »

Devoted readers have probably noticed the ad in this issue announcing that we’re accepting applications for the Junior Fellows program. I’m sure many of you are thinking that this is a great opportunity, but please heed the advice of one who knows: Don’t be be taken in. For unless . . . . Continue Reading »