I know we\u2019ve got a few more days of 2014, but I\u2019m sick and I\u2019m wallowing. Nothing but true crime and schlocky suspense\/horror for me until the New Year. So let\u2019s do this thing! As always I will wander freely and without warning between \u201cbest\u201d and \u201cfavorite.\u201d<\/p>\n
Best books read (nonfiction)<\/strong>: Henri Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Meditation on Fathers, Brothers, And Sons<\/em>. I read this because Wesley Hill loves it so much. What should I read next year, Wes? \u2026My psychology doesn\u2019t always line up too well with Nouwen\u2019s, but that didn\u2019t stop this from being so necessary for me. Really freeing; a beautiful portrayal of God\u2019s trustworthiness and His desire that we become like Him.<\/p>\n Bp. Kallistos Ware, The Orthodox Way<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Gavin de Becker, The Gift of Fear<\/em><\/a>. It\u2019s really only a<\/em> gift of fear.<\/p>\n Melinda Selmys, Sexual Authenticity: More Reflections<\/a><\/p>\n Archdiocese of Philadelphia (no, trust me!), Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n And I was thrilled to read the galleys for two books coming out in 2015: Wesley Hill\u2019s Spiritual Friendship<\/em> and Leah Libresco\u2019s Arriving at Amen<\/em><\/a>. Both are super-excellent!<\/p>\n Best books read for the first time (fiction etc)<\/strong>: Infinite Jest<\/em><\/a>. No contest; this blew everything else away. Still thinking about it, having nightmares, etc.<\/p>\n John Darnielle, Master of Reality<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Wilfrid Sheed, The Hack<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Iris Murdoch, The Book and the Brotherhood<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Marilynne Robinson, Lila<\/em> (my review is in the current AmCon print edition<\/a>)<\/p>\n Also notable<\/strong>: We the Animals<\/em>, The Adventures of Sumiyakist Q<\/em>, The Spectacular Now<\/em><\/a>, Unconditional Surrender<\/em>, Wolf in White Van<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Best movies watched for the first time<\/strong>: We Are the Best!<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Two Days, One Night<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Desire of the Everlasting Hills<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The Exiles<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The Last Days of Disco<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Also notable<\/strong>: Black Robe<\/em>; Like Father, Like Son<\/em><\/a>; The Addiction<\/em><\/a>; City of God<\/em><\/a>; Casque d\u2019Or<\/em>; Ace in the Hole<\/em>; Phone Booth<\/em><\/a>; Trapeze<\/em><\/a>; Let the Right One In<\/em><\/a>; Rachel Getting Married<\/em><\/a>; Ida<\/em><\/a>; Near Dark<\/em><\/a>; The Swimmer<\/em><\/a>; Blindness<\/em><\/a>; Jesus of Montreal<\/em><\/a>; Ravenous<\/em><\/a>; The Innocents<\/em>; Wolfen<\/em><\/a>; He Who Gets Slapped<\/em><\/a>; Krabat<\/em><\/a>; M. Butterfly<\/em>; The Babadook<\/em><\/a>; The Craft<\/em><\/a>. <\u2013these are in order of when I saw them<\/p>\n Best theater<\/strong>: You know, nothing set me on fire this year. Studio Theater did a lot of solid work.<\/p>\n Best art shows<\/strong>: \u201cDegenerate Art<\/a>,\u201d at the Neue Galerie<\/p>\n Kobayashi Kirochika, \u201cMaster of the Night<\/a>,\u201d at the Freer Gallery<\/p>\n El Greco<\/a> at the National Gallery of Art<\/p>\n \u201cDamage Control: Art and Destruction Since 1950<\/a>,\u201d at the Hirshhorn<\/p>\n \u201cIndelible: The Platinum Photographs of Larry McNeil and Will Wilson<\/a>,\u201d at the National Museum of the American Indian<\/p>\n This is where I should note again how great Sydney\u2019s Hyde Park Barracks<\/a> is.<\/p>\n Best articles etc by other people<\/strong>: Pelagia Horgan, Aeon, \u201cHow Should Secular People Approach Sacred Art?<\/a>\u201d Phenomenal piece; I\u2019m going to write a bit more about it in the New Year.<\/p>\n Mark Slutsky, Buzzfeed, \u201cSad YouTube: The Lost Treasures of the Internet\u2019s Greatest Cesspool<\/a>.\u201d So much better than I expected.<\/p>\n Radley Balko, Washington Post, \u201cHow Municipalities in St Louis Co., Mo., Profit from Poverty<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, Patheos, \u201cMorality as Worship<\/a>\u201d (and hey, let\u2019s hear it for \u201cIn Defense of Flagellation<\/a>\u201d while we\u2019re here)<\/p>\n Sarah Stillman, The New Yorker, \u201cGet Out of Jail, Inc<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Michael Brendan Dougherty, The Week, \u201cStop Helicopter-Parenting Other People\u2019s Kids<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n And, well outside my usual wheelhouses, \u201cFive Details They Cut from My Season of \u2018The Biggest Loser.\u2019<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n Best articles by me<\/strong>: \u201cSublime Recovery vs. Banal Recovery<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFlying Camels, Butterflies and Twizzles<\/a>.\u201d I attend the US National Figure Skating Championships.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Gift Shop of the Dead<\/a>.\u201d I visit the National Museum of Crime and Punishment.<\/p>\n \u201cCriminal or Prisoner?<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorrow\u2019s Native Sons<\/a>.\u201d Reporting live from 1984, here\u2019s me on the Smiths!<\/p>\n Best blog posts by me<\/strong>: I really liked the two series I did this year, the musical rosary<\/a> and the \u201cDVD extras<\/a>\u201d from my book. Those links will take you to the complete list of posts in the series. I also thought \u201cThe Mask of Obedience<\/a>\u201d and \u201cThe Prison of My Person, The Shackles of My Skin<\/a>\u201d did some good work.<\/p>\n Best book by me (published)<\/strong>: Why, Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith<\/em><\/a>. Put your paws on that puppy.<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=068AFYvd58E<\/a>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I know we\u2019ve got a few more days of 2014, but I\u2019m sick and I\u2019m wallowing. Nothing but true crime and schlocky suspense\/horror for me until the New Year. So let\u2019s do this thing! As always I will wander freely and without warning between \u201cbest\u201d and \u201cfavorite.\u201d Best books read (nonfiction): Henri Nouwen, The Return […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1071,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[209],"tags":[339],"class_list":["post-9364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-of","tag-best-of-2"],"yoast_head":"\n