Shirley Jackson’s feminine intellect was not unique
The writing of American gothic extraordinaire Shirley Jackson has received renewed interest in recent years as critics have come to appreciate her […]
Who was Maria Montessori?
Maria Montessori was an Italian educator for whom the Montessori method of schooling is named. Born in Italy on August 31, 1870, […]
Practically Speaking: Cheryl Mendelson tells you more than you’ll ever need to know in Home Comforts
A common complaint about child-rearing is that “they” send you home from the hospital with no manual. How are we supposed to […]
Camille Paglia: women should regard men with a mix of gratitude and rational fear
Eccentric academic Camille Paglia appears to be a Cassandra, prophesying our destruction in words we refuse to believe. Her incisive observations about […]
Feminist fantasies for which the feminist man must pay
Previously, we examined the self-proclaimed “feminist man” and the ulterior motives that often accompany him. In today’s chapter, we visit another such […]
Beware the feminist man
In recent decades being a self-declared “feminist” is seen in certain social circles as proof of civility and enlightenment. Many women have […]
History of Women’s Education
Women’s education has varied greatly in different civilizations. A brief survey of the historical information available reveals that in many cases not […]
Who was Phyllis Schlafly?
First and foremost a wife and mother, Phyllis Schlafly has become an icon of evil for the politically progressive. Born in 1924 […]
The myth of neutrality in women’s education
The modern line is that the true feminist values choice above all else. Whoever a woman wants to be, she can be […]
Welcome! Inspire Virtue is where I write about books and ideas, with a special interest in all that is child-like, joyful, beautiful, and funny. If you have ever wanted to read more to your children, feel less overwhelmed in your home, or learn new skills to make life more ordered, I am right there with you.
Since welcoming my first daughter into the world in 2016, I’ve been on a mission to bring peace and calm into our daily routines and share the world of stories in my home. Sometimes, it seems there is nothing but chaos and an unbearable amount of noise (especially after adding a couple more daughters to the mix), but in between the meltdowns, there are little masterpieces, small miracles, moments of sublime peace.
How do we notice and appreciate those moments of childlike wonder? How do we create more of them? That’s what I am interested in, and I hope you will take a look around and learn with me.
You can reach me by email: hello at inspire virtue dot com.
What you will find here
This picture captures the joy and wonder that can be found in a cozy home and a good book. If you are like me and live along a bayou, you’re more likely to be cozied up in the air-conditioning than around a blazing fire, but the aspiration remains the same: order, peace, beauty. This is the path of virtue.
Inspire Virtue explores ideas in fiction, poetry, and life. We’re trying to bring our hopes for our homes and family culture from a beautiful but unattainable image to a life-giving reality. It will not be perfect, but there is so much joy to be found in the quest.
On this site, I offer:
1) practical tips for home management and mothering,
2) review books worth reading,
3)discuss people who have inspired me, and
4) offer encouragement in establishing a family culture that inspires virtue.
I also examine ideas that prevent us from living up to our potential. I especially take an interest in the empty promises of feminism and what a holistic response entails.
Finally, in addition to meditative musings and occasional feminism lambasting, you’ll find original short fiction. Say what you will about it, but you can’t beat the price.
Who is Anna Kaladish Reynolds?
I was born on the West Coast, raised on the East Coast, got married in Louisiana, spent time in Florida and the Mountain West, and call the Great State of Texas home. I can’t say I fit in while living in any of these places, yet everywhere I have lived people say, “You’re from here, right?”
I have loved each place I’ve lived and the people who live there deeply, and I like to return to different landscapes through writing fiction. In a time of contracting place differences and increasing homogenization, finding noticeable regional variations is a passion.
I received a BA in English from the University of Dallas and an MA in theology from Ave Maria University. Having married my college sweetheart, we got to put pie-in-the-sky academic thinking to the test in the real world. That is when my real education began. After becoming a mother, I discovered a world of ideas that pair well with the quiet ordinary days of caring for small children. I’ve begun to form a vision of femininity that is so different from the feminism that now makes up the air we breathe. It is a vision of unique and beautiful purpose in the feminine person and personality.
Motherhood has above all been an invitation to the embodied and the practical. As such, real women make the best guides for navigating life and art amid the challenges of motherhood. Reading old books provides a window into mothering of yesteryear and can give us tools for our lives today.
A Note About Images
Throughout the site, you will find beautiful images of paintings, drawings, and sketches found at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The website for the Rijksmuseum provides access to thousands of such images, now part of the public domain, that can be used for free. I have tried to link attribution to the persistent URL for each image. Site updates and lack of administrative wherewithal may render these links useless. You can view the sets of images used on Inspire Virtue under the username “Harmonious.” Start your own “collections” and infuse exquisite public domain art into your own digital experiences!
Other images are provided in commentary on books and articles.