The opportunity for us
To kick up dust and start a fuss
Has so decreased in recent years
It well might drive a cat to tears.
The more we say we honor others
And everybody must be brothers,
More rules are made to say we can’t
Say what we want, in play or rant.
We love the truth, but guard our words,
Walk meekly in submissive herds.
When honest discourse takes a fall”
We find we’re not diverse at all.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
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