Greg McKeown’s “Effortless”: Strategies to Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Others
If you know what it’s like to get a word stuck in your head, you’ll know what I meant when I say […]
The Strange Malady of Having Regular Parents
I’ve written before about the crushing weight of trauma people seem to have in response to events and experiences that are, objectively, […]
A New Translation of a Swedish Classic: Laura Fitinghoff’s “The Children from Frostmo Mountain”
Earlier this year, I was delighted to receive a copy of Laura Lugnet’s translation of a Swedish children’s literature classic, “The Children […]
Ralph Moody’s “Little Britches”: Work and Play in the American West
Just as viruses and bad ideas spread between people, so manners, good living, and, best of all, good books can spread. Through […]
“Wild Strawberries,” Cold Mothers, and Embryos on Ice
Ingmar Bergman’s 1957 film “Wild Strawberries” (“Smultronstället” in Swedish) is a portrait of a man whose mother was cold. The protagonist, a […]
Amy Chua’s “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”: Is “Chinese Parenting” Really Better?
When J.D. Vance was announced as the GOP candidate for vice-president, I, like many people, was reminded of his mystifying memoir of […]
Teddy Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts…”
In a speech in Paris in 1910, Teddy Roosevelt said: “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points […]
Margaret Kennedy’s “The Feast”: A Perfect Beach Read?
Reading on the beach is a careful art, made all the more perilous when you have children to keep track of. Books […]
Freedom in Full
Earlier this month, in honor of the anniversary of our nation’s founding, I wrote about the meaning of freedom at Crisis Magazine. […]
Effortless: The Complex Art of Soft Life
It’s another year of “Soft Girl Summer,” a season of relishing feminine pursuits and the finer side of life. I enthusiastically proclaimed […]