The Conservative as Artist: Flannery O’Connor and the Ethical Life

Time: Tuesdays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm ET
Dates: September 9, 16, 23, and 30
Faculty: Dr. Michael P. Federici
Location: Online
Tuition: $100 (due upon acceptance)

Description

When Russell Kirk and Flannery O’Connor met in October of 1955, it was a meeting of minds—one that they each would recall in their later writings. In many ways, O’Connor embodied in her fiction the kind of imaginative conservatism that Kirk promoted throughout his life.  
 
Just two years after the publication of Kirk’s The Conservative Mind, O’Connor was engaging seriously with his work. She read and reviewed his books—including Beyond the Dreams of Avarice—in her diocesan newspaper. Recognizing his influence, she wrote: “Mr. Kirk has managed in a succession of books which have proved both scholarly and popular … to make the voice of an intelligent and vigorous conservative thought respected in this country.” O’Connor also recommended Kirk’s work to others and seriously explored the ideas of other leading conservative scholars of her time, such as Eric Voegelin.

 This online master class, “The Conservative as Artist,” explores Flannery O’Connor as a writer whose work reveals the moral imagination at the heart of the conservative tradition. Participants will consider the moral philosophy of Flannery O’Connor by analyzing selected short stories such as “The Lame Shall Enter First” and “Good Country People.” The course will focus on O’Connor’s use of darkness to illuminate the realities of the ethical life. Comparisons will be made between O’Connor and fiction writers like Cormac McCarthy and Herman Melville.

 Open to students, teachers, young professionals, and lifelong learners, this online master class is an initiative of the new School of Conservative Studies at the Russell Kirk Center.

To Apply:  Enrollment is limited to no more than 15 participants to ensure a high-quality learning experience. Early application is recommended. Applications are due by August 10, 2025.

Please send a resume and letter of interest to Darrell Falconburg at dfalconburg@kirkcenter.org.

About the Instructor: Michael P. Federici is a Senior Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center. He is also Professor and former Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), where he currently serves as Faculty Senate President. He previously taught for twenty-four years at Mercyhurst University, where he chaired the department for seven years, served as Faculty Senate President, and sat on the university’s Board of Trustees. Federici earned his B.S. in economics from Elizabethtown College and his M.A. and Ph.D. in politics from The Catholic University of America. In addition to numerous scholarly articles and reviews, he is the author or editor of six books, including The Challenge of Populism (1991), Eric Voegelin: The Restoration of Order (2002), The Political Philosophy of Alexander Hamilton (2012), Rethinking the Teaching of American History (edited, 2012), The Culture of Immodesty in American Life and Politics (co-edited, 2013), and The Catholic Writings of Orestes Brownson (2019).