Between our physical demise—when the soul, like a saved
page from a trashed notebook, lifts in the hand
of its maker—and endless fate judgement decrees,
there is a pause of ample brevity
which we might call the Second Life.
Still freighted with its abacus of doubts
as with the harvest of its deeds, counseled
by groped guesses, unready for the nearing light,
this novel ghost, fresh unsilked from flesh,
will hope its vapid hover will be all
that needs experiencing. Those lies
that sharpened the gnaw of passion’s blade,
those daily thefts gathered into haul,
those refusals to sacrifice triumph for verity,
those mirrorless comforts and swallowed questions
are suddenly not forgotten as the bright tongues
order him to settle in and embrace
his fuel destiny—just, inescapable, simple.
—Ricardo Pau-Llosa
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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