: I’ll be honest, I can’t wait to see the new Muppets special. Based on the glowing NYT review, it’s …
: Finished reading: In the Dark Places of Wisdom by Peter Kingsley. The pre-Socratics as you’ve never …
: Finished reading: Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. A much stranger & more interesting book than I …
: Currently reading: Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth 📚
: It’s… cold today in Minnesota. ❄️ 🏡
: A beautiful morning here in Minnesota 🏡
: Currently reading: The Club by Leo Damrosch 📚
: Incredible day for new jazz releases—a posthumous live set from Al Foster, albums from Sam Yahel & …
: View from my window. Yesterday morning there wasn’t a snowflake in sight. Snow day for the kids—or …
: Between the bookstore, Bandcamp, & the good ol’ USPS, Christmas came early for me today! 🎶📚
: Current listening: Aaron Parks’s new quartet album By All Means—beautiful music; delightful cover …
: Current listening: Charles Lloyd’s beautiful new album, Figures in Blue, which kicks off with a …
: Here’s a wonderful guest post from jazz bassist Thomas Morgan on Ethan Iverson’s Substack. Morgan …
: Currently reading: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow 📚
: Two miserable chumps hanging out together, plotting devious methods of destroying a beloved global …
: Currently reading: In Search of Lost Time, Volume II by Marcel Proust 📚
: Currently reading: The Disappearance of Rituals by Byung-Chul Han 📚
: Finished reading: Frost: Poems by Robert Frost. I don’t think I ever really realized how powerful & …
: Current listening: the new album from my favorite active jazz trio: Wolfgang Muthspiel, Scott …
: Finished reading: The Crisis of Narration by Byung-Chul Han. Provocative in the first half; …
: Current listening: Johnathan Blake, My Life Matters 🎶
: Currently reading: In Search of Lost Time, Volume II by Marcel Proust 📚
: Currently reading: Frost: Poems by Robert Frost 📚
: Currently reading: The Crisis of Narration by Byung-Chul Han 📚
: A section of Psalm 119 forms part of today’s lectionary, so it’s a good time to remember that …
: Finished reading: The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell 📚
: I recently finished Katherine Rundell’s wonderful new volume in her Impossible Creatures series and …
: Matthew Crawford on democracy, tradition, & authority 🔗 Here’s a very good essay by Matthew Crawford, drawing on Michael Polanyi, about how democracy …
: Cannot wait to dive into this one! I had to fend off two small but voracious children to preserve my …
: Currently reading: The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell 📚
: Current listening: Arvo Pärt, Alina (30th Anniversary Edition). 🎶 Only and already 30 years old, it …
: Current listening: Field’s Complete Nocturnes, beautifully performed by Alice Sara Ott. I love …
: It’s always a good day when Wolfgang Muthspiel, Scott Colley, & Brian Blade release a blistering new …
: Spend a few days camping with Sam at McCarthy Beach State Park near Chisolm. A beautiful spot, and …
: Current listening: Aaron Parks / Little Big, Live in Berlin 🎶
: Currently reading: All Things Are Full of Gods by David Bentley Hart 📚
: Finished reading: The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi. Some books feel like they’re written …
: Currently reading: The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi 📚
: Finished reading: The Son by Philipp Meyer. This book is incredible—I see why some think it’s the …
: Finished reading: Lacunae by Scott Cairns 📚
: Finished reading: Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner 📚
: Currently reading: The Son by Philipp Meyer 📚
: A clerihew for MacIntyre: RIP, Alasdair MacIntyre, A Catholic who, with Marxist fire, Sought to heal …
: Currently reading: Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner 📚
: Currently reading: Lacunae by Scott Cairns 📚
: It’s the first day of summer break, & my kids just discovered Weird Al. So… it’s going to be a long …
: Finished reading: Perelandra by C.S. Lewis. Read this one, & Out of the Silent Planet, with my …
: Currently reading: The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne 📚
: Currently reading: The Lords of Limit: Essays on Literature & Ideas by Geoffrey Hill 📚
: Current listening: Anouar Brahem’s beautiful, haunting new album After the Last Sky. Brahem is …
: Latest newsletter: The brilliant idiot & the wise fool: aphorisms on two ways of life
: Grateful to have caught Bill Charlap at the Dakota tonight. The trio included the great Kenny …
: I wrote a short essay on Chinese architect Liu Jiakun for my newsletter. Liu, who won this year’s …
: Latest issue of my newsletter: “The Wolrd is Run by Brilliant Idiots” and what we can learn from …
: One of the real problems in modern life is that people who are good at being civil lack strong …
: The story of the foolish wiseman—on Thomas More, Niels Bohr, & the power of paradox in a …
: Finished reading: Vita Contemplativa by Byung-Chul Han 📚
: Currently reading: King Lear by William Shakespeare 📚
: Finished reading: Concerning the Future of Souls by Joy Williams. Subtitle: 99 Stories of Azrael. …
: Finished reading: Lord Emsworth and Others by P. G. Wodehouse 📚
: Currently reading: Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges 📚
: Currently reading: Concerning the Future of Souls by Joy Williams 📚
: Two absolutely killer albumss released today. One could do worse than spend the weekend listening to …
: Hollis Robbins, "AI & the Last Mile" Here’s a very insightful essay on the changing role — and increasing importance of — human judgment …
: Parables are strange; finding your life transformed into a parable, even stranger.
: Boy do I wish I had been in Chicago last Friday 🎵
: Currently reading: The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro. It’s time. Let’s do this. 📚
: It’s a glorious time to be an American tennis fan. Half of the US Open men’s & women’s semifinalists …
: Currently reading: All Things Are Full of Gods by David Bentley Hart 📚
: Finished reading: Middlemarch by George Eliot 📚
: Currently reading: Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake 📚
: Currently reading: Range by David Epstein 📚
: The wisdom of simplicity: an interview with Uruguya's former president José Mujica 🔗 A brief, powerful interview with Uruguay’s former philosopher-president, who is now battling cancer. …
: The power of journalism rises & falls inversely to journalists' belief in the power of journalism. …
: Get out there right now & watch Esperanza Spalding & Milton Nascimiento’s beautiful Tiny Desk (Home) …
: Currently reading: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. Oft recommended; I’m reading it & going …
: Current listening: Pat Metheny’s beautiful new solo guitar album, Moondial. The album includes a …
: Loving Rick Rubin’s two-part interview with Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend (my family’s favorite …
: Luke Burgis offers a reading list for creators & entrepreneurs. Personally, I’d replace Mill & …
: Current listening: Ron Carter, All Blues. Roland Hanna’s solo on “Light Blue” is a beautiful little …
: Finished reading: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. What a remarkable book. I love academic …
: We’ve got a trip to Yellowstone & Grand Tetons coming up next month. Any recommendations for must-do …
: Currently reading: Middlemarch by George Eliot. An old favorite. Profound from the first paragraph. …
: Finished reading: Moonbound by Robin Sloan. So great! Handed it off to my daughter—she’s 11; I’m …
: Finished reading: Night Train by A. L. Snijders. Wonderful microstories, translated by Lydia Davis. …
: Currently reading: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi 📚
: Cleaned like a zillion ants out of our mailbox today. (!?!) Now spending the afternoon creeped out …
: Matt Levine is hilarious & spot-on, exhibit 389247 🔗 Matt Levine is hilarious & spot-on, exhibit 389247 (likely paywalled unless you subscribe to his …
: Currently reading: Moonbound by Robin Sloan 📚
: The pizzas turned out very well. I made four different pizzas, 5 pizzas of each style—turned out to …
: Father’s Day Special: Wordle 1,093 2/6 ⬛⬛🟩🟨🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
: Prepping a whole lotta pizza for tomorrow… #pizzaparty 🍕
: Jeff Koons and T.J. Maxx: a match made in heaven.
: Want to read: Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake 📚
: Thomas Chatterton Williams pens another chapter in the story of how every sport is breaking under …
: Ran my first 10k this morning at the Fargo Marathon. I beat my goal, finishing in 54:25. More …
: Our first pizza night with the wood-fired Ooni was a great success! Can’t wait to start using this …
: Finished reading: Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford. This book is incredible—it connects many of my …
: Currently reading: Night Train by A. L. Snijders. Very short stories translated from Dutch by Lydia …
: Currently reading: The Shield of Achilles by W. H. Auden 📚
: Currently reading: Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford 📚
: I love the impulse toward community in the work of the great Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto, …
: Finished reading: The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu 📚
: Currently reading: A Time to Keep Silence by Patrick Leigh Fermor 📚
: Currently reading: Aspects of Truth by Catherine Pickstock 📚
: Happy Feast of the Epiphany! Our Rosca de Reyes turned out exceptionally well 😋🏡
: I think this year would be a good year to listen to Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers straight …
: Exodus 90: readings ✝️ Try to read each week’s Scripture once each day. Week 1: 8-14 Jan Reading: Exodus 1-4 Week 2: …
: Exodus 90: Mental prep ✝️ I have a very general, easy schedule of readings for the next 12 weeks. A few chapters each week—it …
: Currently reading: If On A Winter’s Night A Traveler by Italo Calvino. Christmas: the perfect time …
: Finished reading: The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald Another Penelope Fitzgerald book I love.📚
: Currently reading: The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald 📚
: Highland Advent vibes this morning. 🏡
: Exodus 90: spiritual discipline between New Year's & Easter ✝️ Several times in the last five years, I’ve participated in Exodus 90, a 90-day program of spiritual …
: Current listening: *The Incomparable Bola Sete 🎶
: A new Geri Allen album?? Sure, it’s just a live recording, but I’m here all day for this one. Heck, …
: Finished reading: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 📚
: Great day at the used book store 📚
: I’ve been working on an essay on Sam Bankman-Fried and Sam Altman for a couple weeks now. Today …
: I like the new Wikipedia app… but it doesn’t always get everything right:
: Finished reading: *The New Leviathans* by John Gray Finished reading: The New Leviathans by John Gray. A book with no single overarching thesis beyond …
: Current listening: a new Arvo Pärt album, Tractus, featuring a new, chamber-choir arrangement of …
: Rest in peace, Terence Davies. 🎞️ The first film I saw of his was his relatively recent documentary …
: No words strike fear into a Minnesota United fan’s heart quite like “must-win home game.” #COYL ⚽️
: Currently reading: Your Face Belongs to Us by Kashmir Hill 📚
: Currently reading: Toward the Winter Solstice by Timothy Steele 📚
: Perfect night for a fire. A zillion stars in the cloudless sky. Some Wolfgang Muthspiel on the …
: Finished reading: The Bible and Poetry by Michael Edwards. A fascinating and very idiosyncratic look …
: Finished reading: Meet Me at the Lighthouse by Dana Gioia. A delightful collection of poems, songs, …
: Tyler Cowen draws attention to the remarkable life and work of the Catholic religious scholar R.C. …
: Currently reading: The Bible and Poetry by Michael Edwards 📚
: Finished reading: Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury. I love Bradbury’s simple, relentless …
: A beautiful evening by the lake. I read; the kids built driftwood boats. 🏡
: One should act like a man of thought, and think like a man of action. ~Henri Bergson, quoted by …
: Can’t wait to dig into this one. 📚
: Some days, you get lucky. Very, very lucky. Wordle 785 2/6 ⬛⬛🟩🟩⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
: Current listening: Johnathan Blake, Passage. Blake is a master. Always brings the fire. 🎶
: True confession: I’m so inept at using the MacOS Photos app that if I want to use a photo, I usually …
: Do not hurry; do not rest. ~Goethe; h/t Annie Dillard 📚
: Currently reading: Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury 📚
: It’s incredible how many good book groups, seminars, & tutorials the Catherine Project is offering …
: Currently reading: In Search of Lost Time Volume I Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust. It’s been a decade …
: Current listening: Tyshawn Sorey Trio, Continuing. Four tracks, 53 minutes. As wide-ranging as ever …
: This desk. Click through for more detail—it’s worth it. Suddenly considering a trip to the …
: Finished reading: The This by Adam Roberts. Lots to think about with this delightful book. Roberts …
: A beautiful summer morning 🏡
: Rest in peace, my dear old friend David MacKay David MacKay, 1944–2023. David was already retired from IU by the time I started grad school there, …
: Currently reading: The This by Adam Roberts 📚
: Finished reading: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. Rather sobering to have finished it on Father’s …
: I just love these essays that so confidently tell me what my own brain is doing to me. Undoubtedly …
: My friend Rick recently helped design a book of poems about Parkinson’s disease. The book is written …
: R.I.P., Astrud Gilberto—one of the most ethereal & beautiful of all singers, IMO. 🎶
: There are some compelling resonances between Tara Isabella Burton’s New Atlantis essay “Rational …
: Currently reading: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen 📚
: Well, gotta say I’m glad I forgot my Loons had a US Open Cup match tonight… Houston 4-0 MNUFC. 😳⚽️
: NB, publishers: describing an author as a “Forbes 30 Under 30 scientist” makes me want to read their …
: Current listening: Danish Rain, the new album from a duet of wonderful musicians: pianist Justin …
: A wonderful essay by Tara Isabella Burton in The New Atlantis on Effective Altruism, the rationalist …
: Current listening: Brian Blade, Mama Rosa. I’ve loved this singer-songwriter-Gospel album from a …
: Finished reading: Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin. My second read; it’s as beautiful and profound as it …
: The Temptation in the Wilderness, part 1 (Good Teacher #3) ✝️ Original post here Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the …
: Baptism & new life (Good Teacher #2) ✝️ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented …
: I’m heading to Chicago this weekend for a birthday celebration with my father & brother. I’m eager …
: Welcome to the Good Teacher (Good Teacher #1) ✝️ In this newsletter, the goal is to consider Jesus’ teaching: what makes it worth following now, …
: Realizing I should be maintaining issues of my newsletter here on my blog, not just on Substack, in …
: Austin Klein won’t be hiring a virtual assistant anytime soon. 🔗
: R.I.P. Ahmad Jamal, one of the greatest and perhaps my absolute favorite jazz pianist. My dad used …
: The best AI app wouldn’t be an everything app. It would be a nothing app—so smart it helped me do …
: Everything Iain McGilchrist has to say is worth considering, but I can’t recommend his conversation …
: On Brad East’s blog, Denise Levertov’s Good Friday poem “On a Theme from Julian’s Chapter XX”: …
: [Early book collectors] supported the lively culture of book hunting that still goes on, diminished …
: Yeesh. For Minnesota United fans, things are not looking good on the Bebelo front. Fortunately, …
: Currently reading: The Secret Commonwealth by Robert Kirk A gloriously strange book from …
: Blue Note Records is absolutely crushing it lately: Julian Lage, Charles Lloyd’s trio of trios, Bill …
: Current listening: Charles Lloyd, Trio of Trios 🎵 Three fantastic trio albums, each with a different …
: Current listening: Charles Lloyd, Trio of Trios. 🎵 Three fantastic trio albums, each with a …
: No world / wears as well as it should but, mortal or not, / a world still had to be built. ~Auden, …
: What is mobile is always the most just. ~Robert Walser. So many great sentences in Walser. 📚
: Every last silly little thing has its unspeakably swift justification, its good clever grounds. …
: Jaron Lanier, being typically insightful: “We have to say consciousness is a real thing and there …
: Then, in all labyrinthine economies there are obscure nooks into which Authority never pokes a …
: What has become of us as a people that we can possess the beautiful only in dreams. ~Robert Walser
: Currently reading: Berlin Stories by Robert Walser 📚
: The cultivation of taste, in morals as well as in art, is neither snobbish nor elitist; it is, …
: I encountered a stunning book of photos on the Getty’s website today: Kazumasa Ogawa’s Some Japanese …
: Currently reading: The Battle for Your Brain by Nita A. Farahany 📚 Her contention is that control …
: Rest in peace, Kenzaburo Oe. My friend Caleb introduced me to Oe back in 2004 or 2005, and I came to …
: Rest in peace, Wayne Shorter, one of the very greats. 🎶
: Current listening: Kendrick Scott, Reverence. A 2009 album featuring some incredible players: not …
: Attention is how one disposes oneself to the world. ~Iain McGilchrist, The Matter with Things
: The more I use Arc Browser the more I love it—and I’ve been using it a lot! It restores some joy, …
: Start of a new season for my beloved MNUFC tonight. I’m not optimistic about the season, but I am …
: Finished reading: How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg 📚 For the most part, a very good and …
: Currently reading: Dubliners by James Joyce 📚 Chiefly, “The Dead.” Is there a more beautiful story?
: Nicholas Dames on literary studies 🔗 📚 What happened to literary studies? If professionalization was the flaw in the construction of the …
: Finished reading: Skin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb 📚
: Currently reading: How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg 📚
: Current listening: Chris Potter, Got the Keys to the Kingdom. 🎵 Absolutely scorching live set …
: Currently reading: Night Train by A. L. Snijders; translated by Lydia Davis 📚
: Reading stories about Davos attendees’ optimism, I’m reminded of Iain McGilchrist’s insight that our …
: Currently reading: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 📚
: Currently reading: Skin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb 📚
: Still excellent advice, on the whole, though I’m not sure what Auden would replace “Read The New …
: Aesthetic judgments in an anti-aesthetic age 📚 🔗 Just because we don’t believe in aesthetic standards as a culture doesn’t mean we aren’t making …
: Rowan Williams on Iain McGilchrist 📚 Rowan Williams reviews Iain McGilchrist’s The Matter With Things. A masterful and appreciative …
: The result of more free time for the masses is not more leisure, as Aristotle conceived it, but more …
: Finished reading: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 📚
: Finished reading: The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W. Tallamy 📚
: It seems like the people most awed by “generative AI” art are those least familiar with humanity’s …
: Don’t come at me with some “philosopher test” if Hegel’s not one of the possible results. Hegel …
: My friend Patrick worked with his daughters to make an awesome collaborative card game—Nature …
: This World Cup’s group-stage matchday 3 has produced absolutely scintillating, wild, …
: World Cup update: 🇺🇸 and 🇦🇷 are through, so I’m happy. I can enjoy the rest of the group stage …
: Not surprised—it’s a great album! 🎶
: Alan Jacobs on your lies, and mine: In any given community, there will be a profound divide between …
: Despite EA & crypto, we're still living in the Victorians' world 🔗💰📚 Derek Thompson’s short, pensive essay on his own entanglement with effective altruism (EA) and Sam …
: Excited for 🇧🇪-🇨🇦. I spent 90 terrifying minutes several years ago watching Alphonso Davies tear …
: So far, this World Cup suggests that it might not be quite the disaster I expected to expand to 48 …
: Jacqui Oakley and Warren Barton are hands-down the best commentators in this Fox squad for the World …
: I’ve loved Argentina since I studied abroad there in 2005. That’s a crushing defeat. But huge credit …
: Halfway through 🇺🇸- 🏴, I’m thrilled. We’re playing great; creating some good chances. I’m …
: My heart-over-head bracket. Really had to get speculative to get the final I wanted… 🇧🇷- 🇦🇷 ⚽️
: Everyone can’t look away from the story of the spectacular failure of crypto wunderkind/slacker dude …
: All of humanity’s problems stem from our inability to sit quietly in a deer stand alone. ~ Pascal, …
: Currently reading: The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W. Tallamy 📚
: Decided recently to start a newsletter about Jesus' teachings. It won’t be religious, or even really …
: Tomorrow, the Premier League starts a six-week mad dash prior to the World Cup; some teams will play …
: D.C. Schindler on beauty and hospitality 📚 Instead, beauty effects a completeness that strengthens our capacity to be open and hospitable. It …
: Is there any better illustration of Iain McGilchrist’s theory of the left brain’s colonization of …
: Sure, I’d love to be your start-up’s Chief Metaverse Officer. Here’s my cover letter: I solemnly …
: Saddened to learn of Hilary Mantel’s sudden and untimely death at the age of 70. Her Wolf Hall …
: So, apparently there are 20 quadrillion ants in the world. That’s a cool 1.5 million per person. 🐜 🔗
: Current listening: Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band, Season of Changes 🎶
: Finished reading: The Elementary Particles by Michel Houellebecq. Profoundly bleak, even for …
: Finished reading: Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler. An amazing novel of revolutionary …
: Finished reading: The Life We’re Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World by …
: Finished reading: Purgatory Mount by Adam Roberts 📚
: Finished reading: Bells In Winter by Czeslaw Milosz 📚
: Bill Russell, Track & Field, & Learning to Learn 🏀🔗 R.I.P., Bill Russell—an amazing athlete and man. Tributes to Russell reminded of an essay by a …
: In life and work alike, his contradictions are pressed together like layers in metamorphic rock. It …
: Finished reading: McGilchrist, *The Master & His Emissary* 📚 I finally finished Iain McGilchrist’s The Master & His Emissary this morning. It’s taken me about 6 …
: Thanks to MinnPost for publishing this rich, illuminating portrait of MSP drummer Dave King (of The …
: Pulitzer Committee: Award Duke Ellington the 1965 Pulitzer Prize he was denied. 🔗🎶
: Tanner Greer on substance, not procedure 🔗 The trouble is that the national problems that the extremists fixate on are, for the most part, …
: Max Richter, giving Auden pride of place in his Recomposed Four Seasons headshot. (The album is very …
: “The Technocrat’s Dilemma” is as concise a framing of our current “misinformation” crisis as we’re …
: I basically agree with Gruber’s take on Netflix: Netflix would be better-served by focusing more on …
: I relished Roy Foster’s Conversation with Tyler on Irish history, economics, and culture. I read …
: “We’re moving towards disaster, guided by a false image of the world; and no one realizes.” ~ Michel …
: Glad to see a third-party candidate enter the MN governor’s race. I don’t expect I’ll agree with the …
: Put the Oscars out of their misery 🔗 🎞 Most of the ceremonies feature flickers of genuine emotion amid hours of sanctimonious, self-serving …
: The world needs more Cavafy 📚
: On the absurd counter-productivity of cancelling Russian culture. 🔗 The last thing we need is to …
: In order for people to use social media responsibly—i.e., not get addicted—we essentially have to …
: Finished reading: Tradition and Apocalypse by David Bentley Hart 📚 Unsurprisingly if you’ve read …
: Finished reading: London’s Fields by Mark Waldon 📚 ⚽️ A delightful oral history looking at some of …
: Review: *The Future of Money: How the Digital Revolution Is Transforming Currencies and Finance* by Eswar S. Prasad 📚 Eswar Prasad, The Future of Money Reading Eswar Prasad’s The Future of Money was an odd experience. …
: Everything about central bank digital currency (CBDC) is the stuff of totalitarian nightmare. ~A …
: Expert ≠ leader (or vice versa): The pandemic has shown us the dangers of expert rule, and the …
: Social media & the human heart 🔗 From Mallory Owens’s review of Bruno Maçães’s History Has Begun: It would be disturbing enough if, …
: When was the last time I link to a Slate article? Maybe never. In any case, their “Best Jazz Albums …
: Tyler Cowen’s conversation with biographer-historian Ruth Scurr is delightful—bookstores, Cambridge, …
: Beautiful light in my office this morning.
: A fresh layer of snow overnight + fire-red sunrise.
: Incredibly excited for the future of Slant Books. They have some wonderful titles coming in their …
: R.I.P, Robert Bly, one of Minnesota’s great poets. I’ll remember him most for his translations of …
: A beautiful obituary of Chinese philosopher and aesthetician Li Zehou. 🔗
: This sunrise this morning… unreal. 💥 🏡
: Alan Jacobs on distributism & the need for new institutions 🔗 In the Hedgehog Review, Alan Jacobs describes the potential for “A New Guild System”: I envision a …
: Bitcoin & the US fiscal reckoning 🔗 Bitcoin and the U.S. Fiscal Reckoning - National Affairs Until and unless Congress reduces the …
: A first post in my shameless theft of Robert‘s Last/Next notebook category. I’ll enjoy looking back …
: Daniel A. Kaufman defends “The Good Old Liberal Consensus” against its foes on both right and left. …
: Currently reading: The Future of Money: How the Digital Revolution is Transforming Currencies and …
: "Homeward Bound (for Ana Grace)" 🎵 The title track from Johnathan Blake’s upcoming album Homeward Bound is a beautiful tear-jerker. …
: This is a wonderful appreciation of Norm MacDonald—the best I’ve read so far. 🔗
: “Destiny waits in the hands of God, not in the hands of statesmen / Who do, some well, some ill, …
: MNUFC old-timer Brent Kallman provides the context behind the “Nicest Rivalry in Sports” moniker. …
: Another beautiful sunrise on Rish Lake🏡
: Current listening: the Danish String Quartet’s Prism III 🎶
: R.I.P., great author, publisher, and literary scholar Roberto Calasso 📚 🔗
: Amen: “Simone Biles Doesn’t Exist To Make America Proud” 🔗
: In “The Future is a Decentralized Internet,” Olaf Carlson-Wee explains the theory behind DAOs and …
: There’s no world in which I sign up for a newsletter hosted by Bulletin, just like there’s no world …
: Currently reading: Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings by Peter Pettinger 📚
: Stop whatever you’re doing and go listen to Glenn Loury’s podcast conversation with Cornel West. H/t …
: Current listening: Squint, jazz guitarist Julian Lage’s new album, which features the trio Lage has …
: Current listening: Another Land by Dave Holland, featuring Robin Eubanks on guitar and Obed Calvaire …
: Weekend project: cleaning out the garage, the last holdout/dumping-ground from our Oct move. Wish I …
: A beautiful sunrise over Rush Lake this morning. #nofilter 🏡
: I’m not interested in the decision of the Facebook “oversight board” on Trump. A foregone conclusion …
: Management as marketing I’m no management guru, but my takeaway from the drama at Basecamp is “Don’t confuse your management …
: It was a beautiful foggy morning at Whispering Woods 🏡
: Currently reading: The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist 📚
: The European Super League™️ Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase® is an affront to soccer fans around the …
: Conversion in modernity Continuing on the theme, here’s Pierre Manent on why conversion can seem so objectionable to us …
: Varieties of Conversion 🔗 Two interesting pieces on conversion: A review of Neil Price’s history of the Vikings, Children of …
: Who is Wanchope Ábila and what does his nickname mean? ⚽️ Minnesota United’s new striker, Ramón “Wanchope” Ábila is an old friend of our superstar midfielder …
: Dropped yesterday: Uneasy by Vijay Iyer with Linda May Han Oh & Tyshawn Sorey. Three jazz musicians …
: What happened to the ACLU? 🔗 A fantastic story in Tablet about how the organization abandoned long-held principles in pursuit of …
: Robert Pogue Harrison reviews several recent books by and about the wonderful Shirley Hazzard. 📚 As …
: Freddie deBoer’s Substack has been excellent lately. From a recent post of thoughts for new writers: …
: The NYT obit for Adam Zagajewski is quite touching. I remember talking with a peer at a conference. …
: RIP Adam Zagajewski, my favorite contemporary poet. 📚
: Happy new year / public-domain day! 🎶 📚 Happy new year & happy public-domain day! The works coming out of US copyright protection this year …
: Your annual reminder that Geri Allen’s A Child is Born is the pinnacle of Christmas jazz, and the …
: The Charthusian monks: brewing Chartreuse in the Alps during a pandemic A fascinating essay in the NYT on the Charthusian monks, brewers of Chartreuse: “An Elixir from the …
: My favorite year-end list is always Ted Gioia’s 100 favorite albums of the year. I guarantee you’ll …
: Leibovitz on the Supreme Court & religious liberty 🔗 Supreme Court decisions rarely make for page turners, but the one handed down last night, siding …
: Shouldn’t it be “philosophy schimosophy”? 🔗 Is there an anecdote that better describes our current moment than this one? Probably. But this one …
: The Politics We Don't Have 🔗 Most Americans want secure work, safe streets, healthcare, dignity, freedom, and a governing class …
: Out this week: Songs from Home, beautiful solo piano from Fred Hersch. 🎶
: A beautiful day to prep the garden for winter. 🏡
: You think it is helpful having a fluorescent praying mantis coming into their office, telling them …
: Currently reading: Montaigne: Life Without Law by Pierre Manent 📚
: Moving day. Our first day of snow for the season, too. 🏡
: Currently reading: Jane Austen: Writing, Society, Politics by Tom Keymer 📚
: The Big Move 🏡 Our family is getting ready to move from the Minneapolis – St. Paul metro area up to central …
: UMN professor of history Jon Butler has a fascinating new book out: God in Gotham: The Miracle of …
: Liz Bruenig on Catholicism & American power Elizabeth Bruenig has written a couple of amazing columns this week for the NYT, columns that focus …
: Coffee + grading while listening to Mahler’s Sympony No. 5, prompted by this touching anecdote from …
: I watched The Booksellers this evening. It’s a delightful documentary about the passionate folks in …
: Here’s 58.5 hours of Glenn Gould playing Bach for y’all. See ya next week. 🎶
: R.I.P. Fr. Edward Sthokal Show me what you give your time and attention to, and I’ll show you what you love. ~Fr. Edward …
: It’s finally Minnesota’s turn in the Atlantic’s series of photographs from each of the 50 states. 🔗 …
: Catching up on some soccer highlights: Alphonso Davies had a ridiculous assist for Bayern in their …
: At the very center of his identity, Kushner is a Good Son. He’s run the country in a spirit of …
: Just behind the kingdom that failed ran a nice little river. It was a clear, lovely stream, and many …
: Tonight’s MNUFC win shows a deep team that’s well-coached. Some of our best players—Opara, Molino, …
: Visit to Como Zoo / RIP Buzz Abe, Sam, & I visited Como Zoo today. It opened a few weeks ago, and I was impressed with how …
: In the years to come, New York and the United States would eventually recognize and embrace Derek …
: “Same as it ever was”: On heaven & the Talking Heads 🔗 The traditional imagery of heaven is …
: Early Morning Nature Hike Silverwood Park, Saint Anthony, MN
: A delightful story about an initially failed, but remarkably persistent, fantasy writer: Brandon …
: The promise of politics is that, within and through our differences, some form of common life can be …
: On the nihilism of Harari’s *Sapiens* 🔗📚 Sapiens is a distinctly nihilist tract, rejecting every sort of theism, every claim that life has …
: Malick’s technique 🔗 🎞 🎥 The effect is to situate the actors within the world; even with closeups, the individual is never …
: Appiah on race, language, & capitalization 🔗 A compelling essay by philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah that argues for why it’s so problematic to …
: Ismail Muhammad on Coltrane’s “Alabama” 🔗 🎷 In The Paris Review Daily: The quartet recorded the track in November 1963, two months after the …
: Adam Zagajewski on poetry in an age of mass culture & popular pseudo-science 🔗📚 The central issue for us is probably the question of whether the mystery at the heart of poetry (and …
: Joshua Hochschild on communal life & the life of the mind 🔗 📚 Today an authentic intellectual life seems more natural in the flaneur than the professional …
: Billy Hart Quartet, Live Streaming at the Village Vanguard 🎶 I just caught the Billy Hart quartet live at the Village Vanguard, thanks to the club’s streaming …
: Weekend project: building new beds for the boys. All that remains is to add a bed skirt to cover up …
: Morgan Meis on a highly questionable paraphrase of Auden in the NYT: “We must assist one another or …
: Ahhh… back in the outdoor office at last.
: R.I.P., Lee Konitz. Here’s jazz pianist Ethan Iverson’s tribute to Konitz, insightful as always.
: A sure way to establish enduring significance as a thinker is to combine sophistication with …
: Today (Mon 6 Apr) at noon CST: “Christian Ethics & Pandemic Ethics”.
: My colleague Pilar’s 86-year-old father has been hospitalized with covid-19 in Spain. His last wish …
: A stunning New York Times photo-essay on how coronavirus has devastated Bergamo, Italy. In high …
: How Texas supermarket chain H-E-B has prepared better than just about anyone for the pandemic. 🔗 …
: There is no afterwards. 🔗 A profound, honest reflection on COVID-19 and our mortality. Written for …
: The World's Best Virtual Art Galleries A follow-up to last week’s post: for those who don’t want to sift through 2,000+ options, here are …
: Current listening: Pat Metheny, *From This Place* 🎶 I’ve been listening to Pat Metheny’s outstanding new album From This Place. From the compositions, …
: Sunday Morning Biscuit-Making
: Singers, among many others, have had their livelihoods cancelled or postponed indefinitely due to …
: In my extra reading time these days, I’ve been taking @ayjay‘s suggestion to read essays and short …
: 🔗 2,500 museums you can visit virtually I’m planning on visiting many museums in this way with my …
: My selections from our trip the Shoreview Public Library today. Looking forward to some reading time …
: Learning to play the piano without a piano 🔗🎶 This is a remarkable story, though disappointingly …
: “Chelsea are back in fashion – but Roman Abramovich is out in the cold” 🔗 ⚽️ Speaking of Chelsea FC, here’s a fascinating essay by David Conn on owner Roman Abramovich’s rise to …
: Martin Filler on the MOMA’s expansion 🔗 🖼 The mindset that bigger and more are preferable to less but better has incrementally eroded the …
: The Poverty of Economics & The Wealth of Religions: an essay on the limits of the economic analysis …
: I’ve never like Chelsea FC—I’ve actively disliked them, in fact. But now, with Pulisic …
: “Miguel Ibarra’s My Friend” ⚽️ 🔗 He played his heart out on the pitch and quite fittingly wore his heart on his sleeve. He would …
: Nothing too surprising in MNUFC’s contract-deadline-day decisions… other than the club …
: Money & Government: Against Economics 🔗 From a long, but very readable review by David Graeber of Robert Skidelsky’s new book, Money & …
: Andrew Delblanco on Rethinking the Puritans 🔗 From a review essay in The Nation entitled (brilliantly) “Vexed and Trouble Englishmen”: Rodgers’s …
: Wendell Berry’s essay “The Pleasures of Eating”—beautifully illustrated and with a new introduction …
: Two Views On Art and Politics 🔗 Will Arbery: It basically boils down to a dissatisfaction with the ending, on both sides. People …
: Hjemkomst Spent the morning at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead. It’s a history museum centered (literally) …
: I was in Fargo for a couple days for my mom’s birthday. While there, I enjoyed an all-too-rare gift: …
: Ethan Iverson's ECM Artist's Choice Playlist 🎶 I’ve been exploring the ECM Artist’s Choice playlist curated by pianist Ethan Iverson (available on …
: Silence & Music: two of my favorite things. Also the name of a beautiful album by the Gabrieli …
: Daylight savings time: my semi-annual reminder that the government delights in tormenting parents.
: I voted today after work. The poll workers seemed genuinely surprised when I walked in—I bet fewer …
: Lots of news regarding my beloved MN United today ⚽️: Rookie defender Chase Gasper called up to the …
: Early morning nature hike. 📷🍁
: MInnesota United ⚽️ declined contract options on five players today: Carter Manley Collin Martin …
: The Trees of Windsor Green 📷🍁
: MN United FC: Season Recap and Roster Notes ⚽️ Last night’s heart-breaking loss to LA Galaxy brought an end to a pretty exciting, encouraging …
: Current reading: Waugh & Engelmann 📚 Waugh’s satire of Hollywood doesn’t hold up particularly well; still, there are some funny scenes …
: Fall at Silverwood The trees at Silverwood Park are beautiful today. The photos don’t do them justice.
: A fall week in Minnesota. 80° ➡️ 30°.
: I’ve been intrigued by Derek Parfit’s photos of Venice and St. Petersburg since learning of his …
: Autumn in New Brighton Monday
: Autumn Leaf One of Ruskin’s early lessons in The Elements of Drawing is to draw a leaf, as carefully …
: English is Not Normal 🔗 When saying ‘eeny, meeny, miny, moe’, have you ever felt like you were kind of counting? Well, you …
: I hadn’t heard of Inktober till it was mentioned in the Micro.blog community. But I recently decided …
: So incredibly proud of my brother Andrew Kaul for launching a new design studio, Buddy-Buddy. He and …
: Recently attempted, & abandoned 📚: David Graeber, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory (should’ve stayed an …
: Current reading 📚: David Bentley Hart, That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal …
: These two pieces complement each other quite nicely: First, in FiveThirtyEight: “The Christian Right …
: Morning dinosaur-puzzle time. 📷
: A day when one’s surroundings reflect one’s heart: dreary & a bit deflated.
: If you use Apple Music and you like top jazz, give my ¡¡¡ Top Jazz !!! playlist a listen. (Shuffle …
: Shirley Hazzard's *Greene on Capri: A Memoir* 📚 Shirley Hazzard’s Greene on Capri recounts the relationship that Hazzard and her husband, the …
: San Diego atheist noir: On Patrick Coleman’s *The Churchgoer* 📚 The Churchgoer I stayed up late to finish The Churchgoer, a new novel written by Patrick Coleman. …
: I made an Apple Music playlist of Hans Castorp’s favorite music in the “Fullness of Harmony” chapter …
: An Anglo-Catholic literary tradition This piece by Tara Isabella Button, In Brooklyn, ‘tradpunk’ Christianity meets millennial …
: Today’s listening: on a recommendation from my father, Pat Methany’s Still Life (Talking), a …
: Oxford’s Schwarzman centre for the humanities I’m excited about the new Schwarzman centre for the humanities at Oxford, which will provide a hub …
: I really like Ezra Klein’s podcast about half the time. He’s fair-minded, listens carefully, asks …
: I’m excited to be co-leading a reading group on Thomas Mann’s wonderful novel The Magic Mountain …
: A beautiful day at the office.
: It was a beautiful morning for a bike ride to school—perfect, in fact.
: Brad Mehldau’s new album, Finding Gabriel, is apparently the fruit of an intense reading of the …
: I’d listen to Clifford Jordan’s Glass Bead Games just to have a chance to look at the gorgeous cover …
: I wanted to create something useful and practical, you see… And since I also loved books, I was …
: Today’s listening: gotta be the new Vampire Weekend album, Father of the Bride. 🎶
: #MNUFC It was a beautiful first match for me at Allianz Field, celebrating my birthday with my father, …
: Publicly manifested prosperity might well hide a deeper sorrow than we at first could imagine. ~ …
: Agnes Callard on losing philosophical fights When you lose, you experience just how far your capacity to think takes you, which is to say, you …
: Riding with the gauchos of Argentina Riding with the gauchos of Argentina: A photo-essay (h/t Gray Areas I studied in Buenos Aires in the …
: I’m re-reading a favorite novel, Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain, preparing for a reading group …
: The St. John Passion at the Lab Theater I’m proud of my sister-in-law, Krista Costin for her role in the Oratory Bach Ensemble’s production …
: The Acropolis vs Mount Athos Monasticism is not a theology; it is a way of life. Abbot Eliseus told me that there are two …
: I’ve been listening to a lot of Third Stream recently. So far, though, nothing I’ve found has come …
: Here’s a delightful symposium on personal libraries. The best entries, in my opinion, are those from …
: A disappointingly short, but still worthwhile, portrait of editorial illustrator Anna Parini, whose …
: “Zuckerberg says Facebook will shift focus to private sharing” via the New York Times I’m sure they’ll be completely transparent and absolutely vigilant, whatever …
: Recommended: this excellent review of a book I plan to read as soon as possible: Martin Hägglund’s …
: I finally cancelled my Twitter account. It was time—I had my fill of toxic nastiness & …
: I haven’t seen The Green Book, and don’t plan to, but still highly recommend reading Ethan Iverson …
: Grateful for some time this morning to read by the fire. More grateful still for a new book by a …
: The incomparable Brian Phillips is featured on the latest episode of Bookworm, alongside man-eating …
: “How Facebook Deforms Us” - a thorough, thoughtful review by LM Sacasas of Siva Vaidhyanathan’s …
: Just discoereved @motyar’s MarkShow: Markdown to Slideshow app. It’s wonderful! I lesson-plan in …
: Recommendation: Spectacle App In my day job as a technical writer, I use Windows; it’s really not been a great experience, but …
: I read a wonderful novel tonight, Patrick DeWitt’s very dark & very comedic “tragedy of manners,” …
: I hadn’t heard of translator Anthea Bell until I read her obituary yesterday. But then I realized …
: The implausible idea of a "chief ethics officer" I read Kara Swisher’s recent column on the need for chief ethics officers in Silicon Valley with …
: A wonderful short essay on soccer & politics in Brazil, from Andrew Downie in the London Review of …
: Joan Barry & two forms of political belief This article is fascinating. It follows Joan Barry, a Missouri Democrat whose politics don’t neatly …
: Fall Walks, Silverwood Park 2018-10-17 2018-10-18
: Truth vs useful knowledge: Teaching business students *How to Think* I’m teaching Alan Jacobs’s book How to Think to my business communication students this semester. …
: I work with a lot of different foreign languages, & Korean is my favorite, hands down. The font we …
: Everything you need to know about Facebook’s understanding of journalism—in one useful ad!
: Happy 85th birthday to the great Wayne Shorter! We mere mortals can celebrate by reading Ethan …
: Craigslist purchase of the year. $30!
: In a remarkable essay for NYT Magazine, Ilya Kaminsky revisits Odessa, city of his birth. Time & …
: Centrist Democrats in the Age of Trump Yesterday, the NYT published an interesting, and beautifully photographed, article on ND senator …
: The vast majority of electricity used in the world’s data centres comes from non-renewable sources, …
: Thoreau in Minnesota. I had no idea about this voyage of Thoreau’s; thanks, @rnv, for the link!
: Cavell on citizenship as conversation Today’s a good day to reflect on the demands of citizenship in our troubled nation. And there’s no …
: A sobering look at how tech companies conquered America’s cities, by the excellent Farhad Manjoo. As …
: Friends in Europe: there is some excellent jazz coming your way this summer. The Billy Hart Quartet …
: Trump’s description of his parallel reality unwittingly calls to mind his most reckless and …
: *Of Farming & Classics: A Memoir* 📚 I recently finished re-reading David Grene’s memoir, Of Farming & Classics. Grene balanced action …
: Please read my friend Bharat Ranganathan’s essay on Scripture, immigration, and Christian ethics. …
: So excited for the World Cup, starting today. ⚽️ My prediction for the final: 🇦🇷 3:2 🇧🇷 Dark …
: Michael Dirda, typically excellent, recommends two recent books on Stoicism and ancient philosophy …
: #CINvMIN ⚽️ My beloved #MNUFC ground out (truly—it wasn’t fun to watch) a US Open Cup win in penalties against …
: View from the desk this morning.
: Children’s Museum Rainy day in MSP—perfect day for a day at the Children’s Museum with grandma.
: I’m a sucker for gossip & insider info on editors & publishing. This NYT piece on TLS editor Stig …
: Teju Cole, in conversation with Krista Tippett I had the great privilege to listen in on Krista Tippett’s conversation with Teju Cole this evening. …
: Finished my first Muriel Spark novel this morning, Aiding and Abetting, and greatly enjoyed its very …
: This morning’s listening: the Cedar Walton Trio’s Ironclad: Live at Yoshi’s (Apple Muisc link), …
: All holy books are works of fiction. Saw this bumper sticker today (on the way to church, of …
: My good friend Brad wrote about Mississippi’s Yazoo River, where attempts to prevent flooding …
: Just wrote a long post on awkwardness in Vodolazkin’s “novel” Laurus — mjkaul.com/2018/05/0…
: From the NYRB, a fascinating essay on Berenice Abbott, jazz-age photographer in NYC and Paris. …
: An exceptional essay by Garnette Cadogan, “Due North”—an oddly edited, but also delightful and …
: These photos of Lake Baikal are absolutely stunning (though I could do without any of the ones with …
: *Laurus* and Dostoevsky The further I go in Laurus, the more I see Dostoevsky all over the place. That’s not surprising—you …
: Addendum to my Cecil Taylor post: Ethan Iverson’s essay on Taylor is remarkable, and does justice to …
: Where Are You, Spring? Latern Waste; or, April in Minnesota
: I’m finally starting Eugene Vodolazkin’s Laurus, in anticipation of the Anselm House book night in a …
: Christian Democracy in Europe—and America? This short essay in the Guardian makes a case for a Christian-democratic movement in the US to …
: The a-fore-quoted interview with Cecil Taylor harmonizes with this interview with Ursula K. LeGuin, …
: Cecil Taylor, RIP Start with Ben Ratliff’s obituary for the NYT. NPR’s coverage of Taylor’s life and work is also …
: Building Anglo-Saxon England A fascinating new release from Princeton University Press: John Blair’s Building Anglo-Saxon …
: Timothy Murphy's *Devotions*: Art and Death Reading Anthony Domestico’s review of Timothy Murphy’s latest book of poems, I was saddened to learn …
: I recommend this conversation in Democracy on whether political parties are dying or strengthening, …
: Robin Sloan’s Sourdough: like Mr Penumbra, simply delightful. I’m half done, and can’t put it down. …
: Alan Jacobs makes a powerful and persuasive argument for the open web in The Hedgehog Review: We …
: A wonderful essay in the TLS on Arnold as poet—his (deliberate) awkwardness, off-rhymes, and the …
: Robert Caro’s responses in this NYRB interview are profound, fascinating, and inspiring—as is the …
: Rebecca Solnit on writing and agency The process of making art is the process of becoming a person with agency, with independent thought, …
: Les Murray, “Animal Nativity” The Iliad of peace began when this girl agreed. Now goats in trees, fish in the valley suddenly feel …
: Restoring the Democrats’ foreign-policy vision Samuel Moyn calls for Democrats to restore the liberal internationism that formed the core of its …
: Rereading Mary McCarthy B.D. McClay’s review essay on Mary McCarthy is excellent, homing in on precisely those qualities of …
: This delightful essay from Sven Birkerts describes his time with a trio of poet-pals who lived & …
: More from that essay on Paul Thomas Anderson: Such restorative attachments are one response to the …
: Paul Thomas Anderson’s “casually Catholic,” Californian upbringing Wonderful essay in The Point on Paul Thomas Anderson: Anderson describes himself as shaped by a …
: A single poem in your head Seamus Heaney has noted that if a person has a single poem in his head, one that he returns to and …
: Adam Gopnik on Parents’ Greatest Gift I still think the greatest gift you can give your kids is easy exposure to interesting things. Not …
: Imagine if the New York Review of Books had hired a slightly stoned Edwardian fop as art director …
: Very proud of my sister-in-law, Krista Costin, who is performing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the …
: Snack time, listening to and imitating Auntie @kristacostin live on #classicalmpr. Sounds wonderful! …
: This interview with Sonny Rollins is amazing. The idea of jazz is so spiritual, and it has such …
: I loved fishing and silence. Walking in the hills…. I didn’t talk much. Had opinions about …
: Tonight’s listening: Emerson String Quartet, Chaconnes and Fantasias: Music of Britten and Purcell. …
: Recommended reading: Moyn & DBH Two exceptional recent Commonweal essays: David Bentley Hart demolishes an attempt to defend the …
: The Brad Mehldau Trio @ the Dakota The Brad Mehldau show tonight at the Dakota Jazz Club was so, so good. Among the highlights from a …
: Really looking forward to this book. Ecklund is an excellent scholar and writer, and this is a …
: Current listening: Hudson, with Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, & Brad Mehldau Larry Grenadier (whom …
: Ted Gioia’s albums-of-the-year lists are always long and excellent. This year’s list is no …
: Camus, quoted by Izzo: The love we share with a city is often a secret love.
: Current listening: Mavis Staples, One True Vine: I can tell when something’s going on, And …
: A pleasant surprise after a looooong weekend of grading. Reading and writing: I’m easy to please.
: The three little Octonauts. Enjoying this Halloween—undoubtedly the last one they’ll choose …
: Lanchester on Scott, Suzman, & Civilization More John Lanchester: his latest, a review (with wonderful cover image) of James C. Scott and James …
: I love these three brave explorers.
: This girl takes her sleep very seriously. #hermothersdaughter
: On wrath, contemptuous smugness, and slower thinking: Alan Jacobs interviewed by Emma Green for the …
: Beautiful mist on the lake this morning.
: Big leaf pile, beautiful day
: The wonderful Andrew O’Hagen on literature vs. “the dark babble of social media."
: The London Review of Books has a new podcast up, on Auden. It’s excellent. Supplement with Alan …
: Current listening: two albums from London’s jazz scene: Nubya Garcia’s Nubya’s Five (check out her …
: If forced to pick the greatest song of all time, I might choose “I Want You Back”. That bass line…
: Turns out things are pretty much the same, except wetter, and Siri works better.
: Captain Abemerica. Saving the world, and stopping to smell all the flowers.
: So glad to be present at a very full @AnselmHouseUMN for a talk by Dan Siedell on modern art.
: Current listening: Tyshawn Sorey’s Verisimilitude, a beguiling fusion of jazz & classical (a fusion …
: “You are the Product." John Lanchester, brilliant as always, in the London Review on why Facebook is …
: Stunning: “The Majestic Marble Quarries of Northern Italy”, h/t Prufrock News.
: Sandbar, with canoe. Cross Lake, MN.
: “The Economics of the Protestant Reformation”. (I love when academic research like this is freely …
: Current listening: “Lazarus”, from Bowie’s late, great Blackstar.
: Current listening: Matthew Shipp, I’ve Been to Many Places. I especially like his version of …
: Success! Finished uploading old WP posts to my new Jekyll-based site. Next adventure: a custom …
: J.M. Coetzee’s early poetry was written in binary, hex, & FORTRAN, anticipating the …
: On my commutes, I’ve been listening to Tony Judt’s Postwar. It’s a remarkable book, & I will write …
: Current listening: my local symphony orchestra’s recordings of Beethoven’s symphonies.
: Two of the great moral philosophers of recent history are Bernard Williams and Alaisdair MacIntyre. …
: Joshua Cohen is the guest on this week’s episode of Bookworm, discussing his new novel, Moving …
: Spending a big chunk of the afternoon trying to set up my personal site and microblog with Jekyll & …
: Polos. Bed head. Ready for their first day of business school.
: This post, on the rift between the White House & the State Department on Qatar, confirms that …
: Current listening: Sun Ra, Monorails and Satellites, vol. 1. Inspired by the remarkable NYT Magazine …
: Current listening: Jobim’s Stone Flower, a melancholy masterpiece of the late Jobim.
: Current listening: Max Richter, from Sleep. Beautiful music, composed about, and for, sleep.
: These two rascals let themselves out of their beds, and their bedroom, this morning at 6:25. We’re …
: Tyler Cowen’s interview with Jill Lepore is, like all his conversations, fascinating and …
: Lucky enough to catch the second set of the Chris Potter Quartet at the Dakota last night. …
: If you are in the habit of kissing your kids' owies to help them feel better, you better also …
: Wandering and river-watching on a dreary Good Friday.
: Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.
: More birthday festivities: morning at the zoo. Sam was rapt—he could have watched the giraffes for …
: Two years old today… Their day included 3/4 grandparents, a singing Elmo birthday card (thanks …
: Exciting news: Jeffrey Stout will give a series of Gifford Lectures this May 1-11. Entitled …
: I’m very proud to have helped edit one of the essays that became this book, Reaping Something New: …
: [gallery size=full ids=‘186’ columns=1]
: Krista Tippett’s conversation with Anil Dash is a classic—one of my On Being all-time favorites.
: The indignity of Minnesota winter: when you drop a glove & then, upon stopping to pick it up, kick …
: Auden on Attention Choice of attention—to pay attention to this and ignore that—is to the inner life what choice of …
: Geoffrey Hill on Making and Self-Making The world is full of noise, the noise of opinion. Are you going to be able to master some small …
: Commiseration & consolation for Minneapolis in winter.
: Observing New Year’s Day at the Conservatory. (And zoo.)
: The boys, loving Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (a gift to their big sister on the day of their birth, from …
: Found my favorite bar in NYC.
: The most beautiful morning for a walk.
: Mission accomplished. #tcbookfestival
: The giant playground wasn’t quite exciting enough.
: A beautiful night for soccer.
: ¡Feliz cumplé, Carmen, y adios, arepa!
: Climbing trees at the Farmers Market.
: Abe is just shocked that the gorilla is letting the elephant loose on the world.
: The boys love their chocolate banana dessert.
: We’ve found heaven on earth for the kids.
: It Tolls for Thee I will leave you by saying that it seems that a widely predicted outcome of digital culture has come …
: First visit to @functionbrewing! Delighted to finally be here, several years after it opened! cc …
: BFFs. Cc @joelniese @meaganniese @kdkaul
: The boys are serious about their graham crackers. #latergram
: Belated birthday celebration. Lil was pretty excited about singing—and the boys were just concerned …
: Dinner with friends … Lots of friends.
: Easter egg hunt! Lil just ran around, a little too terrified of the other kids to pick up any eggs.
: Beautiful day for a @hellopizza_mn picnic!
: Spring! At last! The boys, it turns out, are pretty interested in this thing we call the outdoors.
: Spent a lot of time today photographing trees. #treesofinstagram
: Long walk, blue sky, lake country.
: Well, two out of three enjoyed the walk this afternoon. Abe, however, was a bit cranky.
: Window shopping. (One of the dishes at this place is awesomely named “The Prime Rib of Miss Jean …
: Many of Osip Mandelstam’s own poems only exist today because they were memorized by his wife & …
: Giant snow octopus. Only in New Brighton.
: Breakfast for the boys: all of grandpa’s eggs.
: Sammy: so happy; so confused by glass.
: Birthday!!! Thanks for the great par-tay @monnytam @fargofd @deborahkaul @andrewkaul @ryanleedawes …
: Thanks for the Amazon gift card, @monnytam & @fargofd – it was put to good use. 📕📗📘📙
: Berryman on Writing Short Write as short as you can In order Of what matters. ~ qtd. by Gabriel Josipovici, here
: Time for a quick early morning snooze.
: Weekend project with Pa Kaul, finished!
: I’ve seen a lot in these last nine months. But nothing quite so gag-inducing as what the boys did to …
: Sammy, really excited for bedtime.
: Collect for the First Sunday in Advent Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now …
: Fun day with Auntie @kristacostin, Grandpa @fargofd, @monnytam, @ryanleedawes, and @karincostin!
: Sammy, pretty proud after pulling himself up for the first time.
: Mark Greif on Esteem for the Novel In his important new book, The Age of the Crisis of Man: Thought and Fiction in America 1933-1973, …
: Evening walk #nohatsnocoatsnovember
: Someone’s kids haven’t quite adjusted to daylight savings yet. On the plus side, they’re a great …
: Lil, worried she would scare people because she looked so much like a real lion, decided to reassure …
: I’d describe her style as Van Gogh with a bit of Turner.
: Lil exploring the lake with Nana D.
: Successful day at the #twincitiesbookfestival
: Someone started crawling today! Evidence captured by auntie @karincostin
: Auden on Our Media Consumption [Our] ease of access is in itself a blessing, but its misuse can make it a curse. We are all of us …
: Apple picking, pumpkin patching, and CHICKENS!
: Another early morning–the boys didn’t want to miss the loons. Instead, they woke the loons up.
: First morning at the lake. It’s an early one.
: New chalk is all meticulously lined up. Thanks @kristinvarella!
: Fun at @monnytam’s cc @fargofd
: Well, at least one of them thinks I’m funny.
: At least one of them’s in a good mood today!
: The boys are 3 months. That means soon I won’t be able to put them on the kitchen table unrestrained …
: Jason Moran + Robert Glasper, at the Walker. Absolutely amazing.
: Thanks for the visit, @kristinvarella! (Also, Lilli’s pretty pumped about her sweet new shades.)
: Weekend with the nephew. He’s the smiliest kid ever.
: Lil loving her new bicycle. Thanks @karincostin for the sweeeeet helmet!
: After taking care of the boys all night, the grandparents still seem to love them.
: Abraham Andrew and Samuel Ryan, soaking up some sun at 4 days old. Enjoy it while it lasts, boys.
: Italo Calvino on City & Memory The city, however, does not tell its past, but contains it like the lines of a hand, written in the …
: James Poulos on the New Adventurism Unhappily, however, the wisdom-loving aristocrat’s appreciation for non-attachment is a harder sell …
: Surprise spaghetti night with “nampa Kim”!
: Samuel Taylor Coleridge on the Reading of Fairy Tales My Father (who had so little of parental ambition in him, that he had destined his children to be …
: Marilynne Robinson on the Beauty of Classic Language I like dealing with people whose vocabulary and worldview is less media–saturated than ours is. I …
: Mesmerized by hopping animals. #Walker75
: Philip Roth on Richard Stern I met Dick in the fall of 1956, and thus was initiated a fifty-seven-year-long literary conversation …
: Nightly reading to Curious George in the laundry basket.
: Christmas reading with uncle @andrewkaul and auntie @baileekaul h/t on Once Upon an Alphabet: …
: Jonathan Rée on Foucault He could not cover the whole story in his six lectures at Louvain, but he got under way with …
: Jonathan Yardley on Book Reviewing I came to this task as a journalist, not a literateur, and I have remained one to this day. I have …
: Beautiful morning. #latergram
: The moment I’ve been waiting for. #windinthewillows
: Mill on Annotated Reading For the first year or two after my visit to France, I continued my old studies, with the addition of …
: I love you most of all, my darling, When autumn leaves start to fall.
: Afternoon at the lake. #latergram
: In a corn hole world, horseshoes doesn’t stand a chance.
: A moment with Schiller on my ride into work this morning.
: Blankets! With uncle @andrewkaul
: Costin family photo day @karincostin @kristacostin @ryanleedawes @fargofd
: Somebody smudged the mirror @askovfinlayson… @andrewkaul
: Beautiful walk with the little one around the lake tonight.
: Probably should have emptied the pool after it rained…
: The scratcher! With @ryanleedawes, @fargofd, @andrewkaul, @baileekaul
: HI! Lilli’s new favorite word.
: Someone really enjoyed her dinner this evening.
: A page straight out of @kristinvarella’s cookbook!
: Opening her first Christmas gift with aunt @karincostin (#book)
: On a one-day drive across both Montana and North Dakota, everyone needs to pitch in! #latergram
: First day of Christmas skiing.
: Vancouver. I could get used to this place.
: Trying to start crawling and standing on the same day.
: Labor Day picnic at Bryan Park
: Air balloons, / the summer evening: / both quickly gone
: The fried butter put Lilli straight to sleep. #INstatefair
: Wild times with buddy Billy!
: Still life with soccer ball, cook books, and baby.
: I love the new toy, it’s delicious! Thanks aunt @karincostin!
: Sourdough. Heirloom tomato. Bacon. Cheddar. Avacado. #masterchef
: Dancing with gramps! So much fun!
: First bites of food! Everybody’s favorite: oat cereal.
: Swing + foot = contemplation
: “My dad totally rocks!” ~Lil’s onesie
: Someone’s looking forward to lunch.
: Somebody learned how to roll over today!
: Alley view of the Bloomington square.
: Serious Liffrig discussion, post-wedding. #kaulwedding
: With the lovely couple #kaulwedding
: Wedding dance whaaaa??? #kaulwedding
: Wedding dance whaaaa??? #kaulwedding
: Today, suddenly, toys are fascinating.
: Lilli’s first trip to the east coast… And mine! #providence NYC is next, @jnetsamyn!
: Inaugurated into the classic Gpa Kent evening snooze tradition. With @fargofd
: With @ryanleedawes, @kristacostin, @andrewkaul, Gma Tammy & Gpa @fargofd. And taken by …
: With @meaganniese and @hendersweet
: With @andrewkaul, @ryanleedawes, and @kristacostin
: Lilli’s Easter Sunday baptism!
: Suspicious of uncle @andrewkaul
: Ready to meet uncle @andrewkaul!
: Right after the big grin, of course!
: Someone got a sexy new haircut! Ye-yeah!
: Lilli in Grandma’s cocoon. So cozy.
: Snoozing in the laundry pile.
: ryanleedawes has new buttons!
: Reaching for the stars with aunt @kristacostin.
: Everyone’s favorite sleeping position: arm suspended mid-air.
: Three weeks old. And loved by auntie @karincostin! (And her other aunties too!)
: Chillin' to Bill Evans with dad, for whom side-lying is an incredible revelation.
: With aunt @kristacostin for some amazing lunch from @kristinvarella
: USA-Canada last night. Lilli’s first soccer match put us both to sleep. Her more quickly than me.
: Home from my doctors appointment and doing well!
: Home sweet home (2:45 am version, w/tornado warning & no sleep)