Saturday Good Reads

Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) was a French philosopher who started as a Marxist and ended as a Reformed priest. He wrote some 59 books and thousands of articles, including a book about propaganda in which he argued that the more educated you were, the more susceptible you were to propaganda. (The state of America’s universities today may make his point for him.) Ellul is best known for his writings about technology, and David Gill at Comment Magazine has a thoughtful story about his writings.

The New York Times Magazine, of all publications, interviewed a former speechwriter and foreign policy advisor for President Obama, and the man rather gleefully describes how he helped hoodwink America on the Iran nuclear treaty. (Presidential speechwriting surely has changed over the years.)

Good poetry, beautiful photography, an encouraging story about teaching Jane Austen in the classroom, and “The Old New World Project” – an animation of old American photographs that is wonderful.

Life and Culture

What If Learning Stopped? – Jon Mertz at @ThinDifference.

Jacque Ellul and Technology’s Trade-off – David Gill at Comment Magazine.

9 Perspectives on Trump, Clinton, and the Evangelical Christian Voter – Dr. Bob Kellemen at RPM Ministries.

The Aspiring Novelist Who Became Obama’s Foreign Policy Guru – David Samuels at The New York Times Magazine.

Art and Photography

Why We Love Unfinished Art – Philip Henscher at The Spectator.

Beautiful Industry – Jack Baumgartner at The School of the Transfer of Energy.

Spring Rain – Tim Good at National Geographic Your Shot.

The Wounded Hero – Russ Ramsey at The Rabbit Room.

Poetry

Freight – Brendan MacOdrum at Oran’s Well.

Bey of Revenge – Maureen Doallas at Writing Without Paper.

After the romance – Mary Harwell Sayler.

7 Sonnets on the Lord’s Prayer: 3 Thy Kingdom Come – Malcolm Guite.

Faith

Can Biblical Stewardship Save the Nation? – Hugh Whelchel at the Institute for Faith, Work, & Economics.

My Depression Story, Part One  and Part Two (videos) – Dena Dyer.

Writing

Jane Austen’s Ivory Cage – Mikita Brottman at The American Scholar.

British Stuff

London During the Blitz – The Atlantic.

The Old New World Project – Alexey Sakharov

Painting: Little Boy Reading a Book, oil on canvas by William Henry Hunt (1790-1864).