Arts & Letters

A selection of recent articles on this topic

The Virgin Whore and the Humorless Don

John William Sullivan

Much like oil and water, humor and liberal academia do not mix. Anyone who has spent time…

The Making of My Ántonia

Stephen Schmalhofer

This year marks the centenary of Willa Cather’s My Ántonia, and we can thank Viola Roseboro for…

The New Cool

Peter J. Leithart

More than any other filmmakers, the Coen brothers have wormed their way into my everyday. The Hudsucker…

Favorite Books of 2018

John Wilson

For many years when I was editing Books & Culture, I posted an annual list of favorites.…

In Midwinter

C. A. Shoultz

Long and lean and sharp of tooth comes winter in its chill,Deep and void the nights become,…

The Church’s Book

Michael C. Legaspi

The Bible in a Disenchanted Age: The Enduring Possibility of Christian Faithby r. w. l. moberlybaker, 240…

Ad-Venting

Mary-Patrice Woehling

I need tidings of comfort and of joy;Please play me “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.”I don’t like…

Dare to Knock

Cassandra Nelson

The Kingdom by emmanuel carrère farrar, straus and giroux, 400 pages, $28 The genius and the apostle…

Coming Attractions for 2019

John Wilson

Two weeks from now, I’ll write in this space about some of my favorite books from 2018.…

Superheroes and Saints

Alexi Sargeant

Face front, true believers. Last week the world lost one of the few household names among the…

And All Shall Be Well

John Wilson

George MacDonald in the Age of Miracles:Incarnation, Doubt, and Reenchantmentby timothy larsenivp academic, 150 pages, $16 People…

The Bookish Life

Joseph Epstein

The village idiot of the shtetl of Frampol was offered the job of waiting at the village…

The Hawks in the Leaves

Robert W. Crawford

The silly chickens huddle in dismay.Each shadow cast by falling leaves they taketo be a hawk descending…

Redeeming Transcendence

John Wilson

We live in a time of disenchantment, or so we’re told. Strange. Our first text is an…

Harry Potter as Sacred Text

Joshua Mayo

Traditional contemplative practices are in right now—and not only with the religious and pan-spiritual types you’d expect.…