I had the pleasure of reviewing American Shtetl: The Making of Kiryas Joel, a Hasidic Village in Upstate New York for First Things. The book is a legal history of the struggles of this Jewish enclave to run itself independently of the surrounding town. It's a fascinating story, especially in the context of certain disagreements… Read More
Tag: illiberalism
Discussing Illiberal Feminism with Plough
I joined Susannah Black and Jennifer Frey for a discussion of Illiberal Feminism, hosted by Plough. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjSe-vj30tc The conversation was sparked, in part, by my article "Dependence," in Plough. Here's an excerpt from that piece: It always confuses me that illiberalism is taken as a belligerent ideology – both by its detractors and some of… Read More
Debating Illiberalism in DC
As one of my last trips before hitting the don't-travel-while-pregnant cutoff, I went to Washington D.C. As part of the Georgetown Initiative on Catholic Thought and Social Life, I was part of a panel with Ross Douthat, Matthew Sitman, and Austen Ivereigh. We were asked to tackle "Nationalism, Post-liberalism, and Pope Francis." It got a… Read More
Your Roots Shall Make Ye Free
I reviewed Michael Brennan Dougherty's epistolary memoir, My Father Left Me Ireland, for The American Interest. Dougherty's rage is directed at the eunuchizing modern mindset that sees us as most free when we can be stripped of all the ties we have to others. A father can leave his children, provided the financial pain is assuaged by child support or governmental… Read More