“There is something special about books... books thrill you to the marrow;
they talk to you, counsel you, admit you to their living, speaking friendship.They introduce other books; each one creates a desire for another.”
- Petrarch on Bookhunting, 1346
Welcome to The New American Renaissance
Welcome to The New American Renaissance! This monthly missive is dedicated to the intellectual, moral, and civic renewal of America. It offers a space to struggle with important ideas related to truth, beauty, and human experience. The aim is to give readers a reprieve of stillness, reflection, and contemplation on permanent and important ideas amidst a frenetic and chaotic cultural environment.
Your time is your most valuable possession, and I promise to do my utmost to make it worth your while, sharing with you the latest of my work, as well as other stimulating stories and features from around the world and web.
I will also uncover & enjoy with you ample insight from the wisdom of the past, the semi-occasional epigram or witticism from Oscar Wilde and other bon-vivant, and some of my reflections on life and culture—all to the end of ennobling the mind and enlivening your day.
PAST ISSUES
The political philosophy of manners—and a chance to win a new book on how to start a Renaissance!
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Make “Porching” Great Again
It is my profound honor to have been awarded 2019 Novak Fellowship for my original journalism on American civic renewal. Run by The Fund for American Studies and …
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Can Popular Art Revive American Identity?
Has our existential crisis of meaning in America contributed to mass shootings? Why is American health care so expensive? It was great to discuss these …
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The Re-Opening of the American Mind
It’s been my pleasure to help curate an art and rare books exhibit that will help revive a conversation about a shared American identity. There …
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Zuckerberg, The Digital Gutenberg
I had the privilege of spending time in Aspen last winter to partake in a Socrates Seminar—a program of the Aspen Institute—that discussed the changing role of …
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In Search of the American Character
I was recently commissioned by California’s Independent Institute to profile initiatives across the country trying to heal our public discourse. In my first profile, I featured Better Angels …
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An Introduction to the New American Renaissance
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