The University Bookman

Reviewing Books that Build Culture

Watch James Panero of the New Criterion discuss “The Urbanity of Russell Kirk” at the 2025 Gerald Russello Memorial Lecture.

The Urbanity of Russell Kirk

“The urban fabric must also be mended and darned through continuous upkeep. The city is not yours to experiment. From Russell to Russello, our ancestral spirits cast their shadows whether or not we choose to observe the city of god in the cities of men.”

Solzhenitsyn and the Spirituality of Self-Limitation

“…any so-called ‘progress’ or advancement of society must begin, always and everywhere, in the soul of the individual—not in the revolutionary fantasies of radical social reformers, whose aims work to dissolve the spiritual bonds that underlie the traditional fabric of human communities.”

How Should We Think About Inequality?

“The book’s ultimate claim is not that the rich are virtuous, but that a democracy hostile to wealth will not become more equal—it will become more centralized, more bureaucratic, and less free. In that sense, McGinnis’s argument is less a defense of inequality than a defense of constitutional humility.”

Enchanting Criticism: Dana Gioia as Literary Critic 

“Gioia’s latest book is a testament to the persistence of authentic criticism in an age suspicious of and even hostile to literary values.”

Contra Materialism and Gnosticism

Contra Materialism and Gnosticism

“Jones argues that our elites, by which he means ‘the most influential people in the richest parts of the world,’ have undermined our flourishing as human beings, and that we must rediscover our true meaning and purpose if we wish to achieve real happiness.”

More than Regime Change, We Need a New Cosmological Vision

Revolution and Counter Revolution

“We might hope that a fuller discussion may arise that brings to light how the traditional conservative commitment to ordered liberty and checked power compares to the various ideological options on offer from today’s right.”

Christians in the Brave New World

Christians in the Brave New World

“[The book] gives Christians tools to read the cultural terrain. It makes a strong argument that evangelistic and discipleship tactics must be updated to account for current conditions. And it offers outside-the-box suggestions for strengthening evangelical households and institutions.”

Still Believing and Singing

Still Believing and Singing

“[It is] a book that will resonate with many readers because of how it connects the personal stories about Jeremy Camp’s life to universal themes about faith and adversity.”

Higher Ed and the Crisis of Civic Despair

Higher Ed and the Crisis of Civic Despair

“The collected essays in this volume all argue against civic despair… A variety of important topics are explored… but it is the threat higher education poses to our civic compact that stands out most clearly.”

Citizenship Matters

Citizenship Matters

“McNamara and Shelley… demonstrate that recovering citizenship is essential to preserving America’s constitutional tradition.”

The Book Gallery

A collection of conversations with Bookman editor Luke C. Sheahan and writers and authors of imagination and erudition. Click on the icon in the upper right corner of the video to see more episodes in this series or check out our YouTube page.

@EvieSolheim By the way, the @KirkCenter takes literature, ethics, character formation, & cultural renewal seriously

Encourage you to participate in our @ubookman academic journal & the fellowship of our literary & academic community, enshrining what Dr. Kirk calls “the Moral Imagination”

Load More

Shop through Regnery
Support the Kirk Center
& University Bookman