Saturday Good Reads

Back in the late 1970s, I read a book called Dispatches by Michael Herr (1940-2016), a rather unusual book about the Vietnam War. First published as a series in Esquire, it wasn’t history, and it wasn’t really a journalistic account (although Herr was a journalist). Instead, it was almost a memoir. The New York Times Book Review called it the best book ever published on the war. J.V. Turley pays tribute to the book in a post at The Imaginative Conservative.

This week, that publication also has a post by Russell Kirk, who points to a cause, perhaps the cause, of the craziness that’s been going on at universities and also a lot of urban unrest – rootlessness, and the loss of community. It’s a long article but well worth reading.

Stephen McAlpine asks this question about the shootings in Las Vegas: what is pointlessness was the point? Samuel James in Inklingations looks at Harvey Weinstein, and asks if a number of women wish he might have followed the Billy Graham rule (the one that Mike Pence was ridiculed for following). Eileen Knowles at The Scenic Route embraces the elephant of grief.

Some wonderful poetry and photography this week. And a story about an adoption that brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it.

Poetry

A True Story – Jennifer Maier at Image Journal.

A poem for a friend – David Murray at Writing Boots.

The Haunted Nets – Brendan MacOdrum at Oran’s Well.

John Poch – D.S. Martin at Kingdom Poets.

Gratitude – Maureen Doallas at Writing Without Paper.

Life and Culture

The University & Revolution: An Insane Conjunction – Russell Kirk at The Imaginative Conservative.

How the Fear of Uncertainty Leads to the Loss of Economic Freedom – Elise Daniel at the Institute for Faith, Work, & Economics.

A Unique Testament of War: Dispatches from Vietnam – J.V. Turley at The Imaginative Conservative.

Yes, You Get Wiser with Age – Victor Gomes at Nautilus Magazine.

Art and Photography

Ready for Flight – Susan Etole.

The Farm in Mid-Summer – Jack Baumgartner at The School for the Transfer of Energy.

Personal Space – Tim Good.

Bert Hardy, Photographer – Spitalfields Life.

Autumn in Ohio – Paul Stebleton at iPhotosbyPaul via Facebook.

Faith

Embracing the Elephant – Eileen Knowles at The Scenic Route.

The Pointlessness of Vegas is Its Point – Stephen McAlpine.

Do Laws Actually Limit Freedom? – Zak Schmoll at Entering the Public Square.

Harvey Weinstein vs. Billy Graham – Samuel James at Inklingations.

The Real Story of Christianity and Abortion – Albert Mohler at Table of Contents.

Do Christians Have to Care about Everything? – Aaron Earls at The Wardrobe Door.

Writing

The Role of a Gatekeeper in the Publishing World – Ann Kroeker.

American Stuff

Why Haven’t We Found Christopher Columbus’s Ships? – Kristin Romey at National Geographic.

Ben Needham Comes Home – Stonegate Church

Painting: Reading the Letter, oil on canvas by Pablo Picasso (1921).