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.”

After the New Left: Rereading Breaking Ranks

“The recent death of Norman Podhoretz prompted me to return to his ‘political memoir…’ Published in 1979, it deserves to be read or re-read today—and not simply as a historical account of his evolution from left to right during the 1960s and 1970s.”

Amici

“…art historian William E. Wallace chronicles the rivalry and friendship of Michelangelo and Titian, noting that the two Italian geniuses were not as variant in outlook and craft as is popularly believed.”

Catholic or Nothing

“Her accounts inspire reflection on the allure of Roman Catholicism to noteworthy nineteenth and twentieth century thinkers, specifically its stress on authority, tradition, and dogma, its aesthetics (especially liturgical), and its forceful critique of predominant secularist ideologies and systems. However different these converts were, then, they all found countercultural Roman Catholicism a compelling counterstatement to their epoch’s regnant religious and social norms.”

“To Help Man Endure by Lifting His Heart”: Earl Hamner at 100

“To Help Man Endure by Lifting His Heart”: Earl Hamner at 100

“Through his work, Earl Hamner not only became one of America’s favorite storytellers; he also became a conservator of the truth that though the modern world disdains the past and elevates immediacy, wealth, and power, the true measure of life’s meaning lies in love, grace, gentleness, forgiveness, and joy.”

Real Natural Law 

Real Natural Law 

“The existence of God and his providential governance of the universe are the right subjects for public debate over the basis and content of natural law.”

Knights On a Darkling Plain

Knights On a Darkling Plain

“Kirk’s reminder speaks to the selflessness of those who defend the ‘permanent things’ and the importance of these things (family, community, faith, and tradition) to our world.”

Mysteries Require Odes, Not Emails

Mysteries Require Odes, Not Emails

“In this volume Christian verse encompasses religious themes addressed ‘explicitly or implicitly’ by poets, whether practicing or lapsed, ‘whose imagination is shaped by the tenets, symbols, and traditions of the faith.’

Every Mann

Every Mann

“…Mann blends those aforementioned Big Questions with little daily ones of eternal significance…”

Saving the West By Keeping It Real

Saving the West By Keeping It Real

“…Klavan applies his extensive knowledge of classical literature and the Western canon to properly frame today’s challenges and help people take appropriate action.”

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.

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