Insulting social convention
Has been your stock in trade,
But I doubt you’ll be forgiven
The scandal you’ve now made.
Iconoclasm’s brought you fame
But now you’ve gone too far.
Your days may well be numbered
As a multi-media star.
You’ve sailed close to the wind before,
You’ve cut it mighty fine.
But now you’ve really done it,
You’ve really crossed the line.
They’ve loved your every outrage,
Whoever you’ve cursed or kissed,
But they’ll not love your latest words:
“When I was an atheist . . .”
—Hal G. P. Colebatch
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.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Politics of Dissidence
In the latest installment of the ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein, Scott Greer joins…
A Muslim Answer to Muslim Immigration
Modern America worships at the altar of youth and eagerly tracks in polls and market research its…
New Founders Wanted
It’s now 250 years since America declared her independence and embarked on the experiment of fashioning a…
