IT’S THE FEAST DAY OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES, patron of writers and journalists! A good day to ask for his prayers for your favorite (…and least favorite) ink-stained wretches. Read more

THE FLOORS ARE THERE TO WALK OVER, THE WALLS ARE THERE TO CLIMB: Movie reviews. My Netflix had a theme again, as I watched Brief Encounter immediately followed by The Squid and the Whale–a double dose of domestic despair. Brief Encounter was–unexpectedly–harder to watch. It’s an adultery drama from 1945, dir. David Lean. The lead actress, Celia Johnson, is pretty excellent, although to be honest all she’s asked to do is stare at the camera with a look of repressed... Read more

SOUL OF A NEW MACHINE: Here is an amazing video–the cheap, reductive slogan would be, “Blade Runner via the black Atlantic.” It’s an android auction as scored by the Fugees. It’s smart and hard and everything you, as a devotee of Octavia Butler and Kanye West, might’ve hoped for… only more. I mean for real, are you kidding me–if you think about how to convince other people of your personhood, and if you worry that no one will listen when... Read more

MARTY LEDERMAN TO JOIN THE OFFICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL. This is why I truly do hope that Barack Obama will in at least some ways bring this country back into accordance with Catholic teaching. Prof. Lederman is an honorable man and, if you pray, he needs your prayers. Read more

Where do you watch the blog?I’m not telling you, I’m asking you…. Amy Welborn says a lot of good, provocative things, although I disagree on at least two points: 1) Obviously I think Ta-Nehisi Coates is more right about hip-hop culture than Juan Williams (on the one hand, I’ve already heard more than one anecdote about kids essentially pulling up their pants because of Obama; on the other hand, how old and/or obsessive do you have to be to remember... Read more

WORTH IT SOLELY FOR THE UNCANNY X-MEN SUMMARY. I can’t tell you how many people have lectured me on my own oppression; or attempted to gain street cred by poking my bruises. Just… you know… in case you were wondering if I’m bitter. Read more

YOU LOSE YOUR GRIP/AND THEN YOU SLIP/INTO THE MASTERPIECE. Conservative aesthetics; and why you should be grateful to be one of the gouged-out sculptures of God. I guess they won’texchange the giftsthat you were meant to keep…. Read more

…AND HANDED THEM OVER TO THE SECULAR ARM: The comments section to this post, specifically Elizabeth Crum’s use of the term “natural,” reminded me of something I’ve wanted to write about for a while now–the fact that there’s no such thing as a fully secular political argument. Political arguments are about what is just, what is good, what is honorable, what is natural, and what is sacred. (They sometimes pretend to be about what is efficient or what is safe,... Read more

IT’S THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY. There are lots of paintings; I really like Sassetta’s weird, dreamlike 15th-century one, and de Zurbarán’s, which I describe here. Read more

MINIMAL MOVIE POSTERS. Man these are awesome. My favorites of the featured posters are the Indy and Deer Hunter ones. Via… PoMoCon, I think. Read more