When I say a prayer
for the wicked I despair
and think, of course, of you
and how your late-night rants
make reservoirs of jaundice rise
as veins keep tightening
and helplessness
intensifies.
Forgiveness that I profess
just marks me as a liar
while dread, and darkness too,
make their cruel advance
without the clarity of lightning,
without the cleansing of the fire.
—A. M. Juster
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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