So on Sunday I went to the Kennedy Center for a children’s show, “Where Words Once Were.” Cannot confirm the effect on actual children of this fable about totalitarian control of language, since the lad with whom I saw the play was (ironically) disinclined to offer his commentary. But the show offered a window into what our artists and teachers can and can’t imagine. So here’s the thing: It’s probably a fine show, if heavy on the explanations. The look... Read more
after a whole bunch of gay Christians told me I should: The last thing you see in writer-director Stephen Cone’s 2011 film The Wise Kids is its dedication: to the former members of the youth ministry at a Baptist church in Florence, South Carolina. The Wise Kids has been slowly gaining fans via streaming services (it’s available on Amazon Prime and Netflix), as adults recognize in it their own experiences as teenage Christians. The film is in large part about... Read more
Hello all. I’m doing a piece for America on what you might call “alternative kinship.” Nonmarital, nonsexual forms of belonging and making family, which take place in a Christian context. The ones I’m most interested in are those adorned with ritual and formal promises, like the vows of friendship Wes Hill describes in his excellent Spiritual Friendship, but I’d also be interested in other ways people build practical and spiritual ties outside of marriage and religious orders/priesthood. If you have... Read more
Or, less terrifyingly, “What’s it like when you bring me to speak?” I realized you can find several of my presentations by searching for my name on YouTube, here. I also did a recent talk in Albany. I’m not actually super satisfied with this–it is disorganized to the point that I think some elements took on really disproportionate space in my talk–but it has its virtues. At the very least I think I say a lot of stuff that your... Read more
for The American Conservative: Back when I was involved in the late-’90s conservative student movement at Yale, I noticed something. The libertarians, whose philosophy celebrated individual choice and experimental living, were normal and in control of their lives. The traditionalists were disorderly drunks who got kicked out of things. Libertarian pastimes included knitting and swing dancing; trads held contests to see which of them could punch his own face the hardest. (Always bet on the Teamster in this contest.) As... Read more
reviewing a movie, and also contemporary American Christian masculinity: Years ago I was reading testimonies from people who had experienced abusive corporal punishment. One man reached adulthood before he was able to give the right name to something for which he was frequently beaten. His parents had called it a lot of things, but the true name of his crime was “tenderness.” Moonlight, written and directed by Barry Jenkins from a story by playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney, tells the story... Read more
In the order in which I saw them. Specter of the Rose: Utterly whackadoo noirish thing by Ben Hecht, set in the world of ballet. You’d think I’d love it! But the acting is just not great, and the main characters are wafer-thin. If you’re more willing than I was to succumb to the pasteboard melodrama of it all you might love this. There is one truly great line: “If we jailed all the people I dislike, the world would... Read more
at First Things: That brings us to the most important spiritual aspect of cocktail culture: hospitality. Those people coming in off the streets, coming into churches and taverns, what do they seek? Home. What truly excellent pastors can help to provide for the wayfarer is a taste of the home that is promised us with our Maker, though of course we will never feel quite at home this side of the kingdom. But the work of helping people to feel... Read more
Americana (and defensiveness about how New England is totally the best region, how dare those brash Mid-Atlantics!, because of course. But these are gorgeous): Worcester Lunch Car Company began building its diners in 1906, producing some 650 units before it shut down in 1961. The several dozen that remain today—including the Rosebud in Somerville—are instantly recognizable thanks to their unique railcar exteriors and barrel-roofed, wood-paneled, and ceramic-tiled interiors. Many even continue to sport signs advertising “Booth Service,” a relic from... Read more
So, I voted. Remember how I said my ballot would be a fractal of civic helplessness? That’s especially true because of the current DC political issue that isn’t being put to referendum: Assisted suicide will almost certainly become law here early next year, due to support in the city council and likely from the mayor. Only two councilmembers (Yvette Alexander and Brianne Nadeau, both Democrats) voted against legalizing assisted suicide here. The arguments on our side that I’ve heard here... Read more
Eve Tushnet
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In