In the beginning of the God and Comics podcast where Alexi and I were discussing Avengers: Infinity War, Alexi got to make the recommendation for the listeners and shared the superhero RPG we've been enjoying: Masks. The game is tremendous fun—it's easy to pick up the mechanics, and everything in it is designed to serve storytelling.… Read More
Category: Blog
Thanos loses to “Riotous Fecundity”
My husband and I joined the clergymen of God and Comics to discuss the latest MCU movie: Avengers: Infinity War. The full episode is available to stream on the God and Comics site, but I thought I'd type up this teaser for you. Alexi: So if Killmonger is the shadow self of Black Panther, who… Read More
Interviewed on Illiberalism
All discussions of the dangers of too much emphasis on autonomy and self-sufficiency should take place with a backdrop of shrieking children scooting by on trikes, eating ice cream, and jumping off the platform they've built with the outdoor stacking blocks that the Bruderhof make in their community factory. I had the pleasure of being… Read More
Talking BenOp in Pittsburgh
I'm headed to Pittsburgh this weekend to give two talks. On Friday, April 27th, I'll be a guest at SENT, a young adult gathering with live music, free food and drinks. I'll be speaking about my upcoming book, Building the Benedict Option: A Guide to Gathering Two or Three Together in His Name and leading a… Read More
A mix of poetry and prurience in Priestdaddy
I can't figure out whether I want to recommend Patricia Lockwood's Priestdaddy. Lockwood's memoir reminds me of David Sedaris: she tells stories about her surreal family with writing that's so good (she's a poet) but sometimes so bodily specific that you can't decide whether to read it aloud or not. Lockwood's father is a Catholic priest… Read More
Victoria Sweet on Servant Leadership
I've loved both of Victoria Sweet's books so much, that I ordered a copy to keep while the library book was still in my house. (I had to transfer all my dog-ears). I read God's Hotel first, and I've just finished Slow Medicine. One of her stories about being a temporary doctor (filling a gap in a relatively… Read More
Speaking on my Conversion in Chicago
On February 8th, I'll have the pleasure of visiting Loyola University Chicago to deliver their annual Newman Lecture. The Lecture, presented by the Joan And Bill Hank Center For The Catholic Intellectual Heritage. The Cardinal Newman Lecture Series is named after the great 19th century English prelate who wrote very movingly about his intellectual journey toward Roman… Read More
Books I Plan to Read in 2018
This year, I read all but one of the books on my Books to Read in 2017 list. Spiritual Letters by Dom John Chapman is in progress (so it doesn't have its checkmark yet), but I didn't read The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods by A.G. Sertillanges, O.P. for the second year in a row, so it's coming… Read More
My Favorite Books of 2017
Nonfiction about prisoners and dead bodies, just one work of fiction (alas!) about tiny dragons, lunar tipplers, and attack oragami. These were my favorite books I read for the first time this year, or, technicallyDec 2016-Nov 2017. I like to put the list together a little early each year, in the hopes of getting some… Read More
Destroying Marriage, a Diptych
From the New York Times, a feature on the new Argentine trend of throwing fake weddings to enjoy the spectacle and the celebration. In case there was any doubt, as the couple (hired actors) left the stage, colored lights flashed, the disc jockey started the music pumping, and the announcement was made to the paying guests:… Read More