Ducking inside, escaping the thundershowers,
you see her surrounded with color-mad displays
of roses, tulips, lilies, mysterious flowers,
blooming plants, and wildly-fragrant bouquets.
“What are these?” you stupidly smile and say,
“They’re Elegante hybrids from Ecuador,
deep velvety red, and they stay that way,
the most popular flower we sell in the store.”
“I’d like a dozen, delivered sometime today.”
“And where and to whom should we send them to?”
You know she knows, but you tell her anyway,
“I’d like to have them sent to you.”
She places her order book back on the shelf,
smiles and says, “I’ll deliver these myself.”
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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