The New Dark Ages: James Marriott in Conversation with Henry Oliver
James Marriott, author of *The New Dark Ages*, will discuss his book with Substack writer Henry Oliver on July 8, 2026, at Dr Johnson House in London. The conversation will probe whether the erosion of reading habits signals a cultural dark age for the West or if there are grounds for optimism. Organizers note that tickets are already selling, highlighting strong public interest. The event offers a platform for scholars, publishers, and policymakers to examine the future of literacy and its societal implications.
Wisdom Through the Awful Grace of God
A visitor walks through Arlington National Cemetery, noting its layered history from a former slave plantation to the resting place of presidents, generals, and cultural icons. The essay describes the meticulous Changing of the Guard ceremony, highlighting its precise choreography...
The Clock in the Forest
The review examines Volume IV of Solvej Balle’s series *On the Calculation of Volume*, noting its dense philosophical focus on time and morality. While the book deepens the relational theory of time and explores obligations toward altered selves, its pacing feels...
The Future of Reading, the Honest Broker, and Michel Houellebecq
The latest episode of The Pursuit of Liberalism podcast features Sunil Iyengar of the National Endowment for the Arts, dissecting the limited data behind America’s reading decline and questioning the roles of TV, streaming and social media. A second episode...
The Man Who Read Everything
Harold Bloom’s posthumous collection, *The Man Who Read Everything*, assembles letters exchanged with poets such as A.R. Ammons, John Ashbery, and others, offering a rare glimpse into his private thoughts on poetry, teaching, and academic fatigue. The volume showcases Bloom’s...
Old Things Are Passed Away; Behold, All Things Are Become New.
The author reflects on a recent Emergent Ventures unconference where discussions spanned art, mortality, and the future of higher education. He contends that despite pressures for practical outcomes, the study of the literary canon—especially Shakespeare—will endure, even if it becomes...
Hating Dostoevsky
Social media has revived interest in Fyodor Dostoevsky, with TikTok star Jack Edwards propelling the novella "White Nights" to bestseller status after a viral review. The Penguin Little Black Classics edition sparked millions of #Dostoevsky posts, turning classic quotes into...
The Wealth of Nations Is a Classic of English Literature
Adam Smith’s *The Wealth of Nations* is being re‑examined as a work of English literature, not merely an economic treatise. The Liberty Fund essay highlights Smith’s literary influences—Jonathan Swift, Joseph Addison, and Samuel Johnson—and his humanist style that blends moral...
Do More People Write Poetry than Read It?
The claim that more people write poetry than read it is disproved by recent data. The National Endowment for the Arts reports that 9‑12% of American adults—roughly 30‑40 million people—engage with poetry, while UK sales exceed one million poetry books annually....
C19th English Novels Overrated?
The author argues that 19th‑century British novelists are overrated, preferring the English Renaissance (1580‑1680) for its worldview and language. While acknowledging personal enjoyment of Austen and Dickens, the piece suggests their works lack the universal impact of earlier poets or...
Elizabeth Bowen on Jane Austen's Englishness
Elizabeth Bowen argues that Jane Austen embodies the purest form of Englishness, contrasting her work with the broader decline of the English novel after the eighteenth century. She suggests that English writers have treated their nationality as a constraint, while...