Saturday Good Reads

Five years ago, Rolling Stone magazine published a story about a gang rape of a young woman at a fraternity at the University of Virginia. The story was major news across the United States and beyond, with initially dire consequences for the fraternity in question, the young men accused, and the university generally. It turns out that the story was a hoax, and the writer should have known better. Lucia Graves at The Guardian looks at some of the lessons learned.

My own take: the alleged “facts” of the story fit the writer’s preconceived biases – about “rape culture,” young men, and fraternities. And she fell for the hoax hook, line, and sinker. It was “fake news” even before that term existed.

Ryan Burge writes the Religion in Public blog, and he took a look at the people who were occupying the pews on a given Sunday. And he discovered something interesting. The people who worship – be they evangelical Christians, Jews, mainline Protestants, Muslims, white Catholics, Mormons, and several other categories – are increasingly voting for one political party. The exception is Hindus. Terry Mattingly at Get Religion has the story.

More Good Reads

Writing and Literature

The “Deplorable” G.K. Chesterton – Jerry Salyer at The Imaginative Conservative.

J.R.R. Tolkien – Rick Wilcox at Literary Life on On The Shoulders of Hobbits by Louis Markos.

Nations Need a National Literature – Mark Bauerlein at The Agonist.

How to Gather Momentum When Your Writing’s at a Standstill – Ann Kroeker. 

American Stuff

The Midwest: A Place with a History and a Future – Allan Carlson at Front Porch Republic.

Poetry

‘Three Hundred Spartans’ and ‘Mother Theresa’ – Sancia Milton, 10^th grader, at Society of Classical Poets.

Perspective and Pin Oak – Paul Gallagher at The Chained Muse.

‘The Night City’ by W.S. Graham – Spitalfields Life.

Faith

2020 & Your Political Cage Match – Eric Davis at The Cripplegate.

British Stuff

Aerial photographer's year in pictures from flying over London – Jason Hawkes at The London Evening Standard (Hat Tip: J of India).

Life and Culture

History without Truth: On the 1619 Project – K.C. Johnson at CityJournal.

The Sound of Silence – Pentatonix

Painting: Unknown Woman Reading (formerly known as Charlotte Bronte); oil on canvas (1850). Artist is unknown.