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Substituting Technology for Intellectual Freedom
“Artificial Intelligence” has become a part of our vocabulary in the last couple of years. It’s so common it’s easy to forget that in fact, there’s no such thing. If it’s “artificial,” it’s…
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A prayer of faith, for faith
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (Mark 9: 14-29) Unbelief? This man has pulled his son out of fire,…
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Why do we need the humanities?
Justifying his exorbitant expenditure on the University of Florida, Ben Sasse says two things about higher education that captured my attention and got me thinking. What’s the purpose of education? First, he writes…
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3 Mistakes with Young Readers
I came across this post and subsequent discussion thread today and was dismayed. It focuses on Carol Ryrie Brink’s Caddie Woodlawn (1935), which I reviewed here after revisiting it with my daughters. The…
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The Death of Ivan Ilych
My daughter, glancing at The Death of Ivan Ilych on my nightstand, remarked dryly, “I see you’ve moved on to cheerful fare since Stoner.” Fair point. It’s a title that seems intentionally blunt…
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Stoner: A Quiet, Devastating Novel
In the simple compositional exercises he made for his students he saw the potentialities of prose and its beauties, and he looked forward to animating his students with the sense of what he…
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Why Parents Make Great Writing Coaches
I’ve created a selection of online writing courses for homeschoolers in high school. The courses handle the instruction, but parents still have an important role to play! Online Writing Courses Across the Page…
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Off the Beaten Track: 2 C.S. Lewis Reads
I’ve spent a lot of time lately thinking about C.S. Lewis, and here are two books that help to expand our understanding of this writer who resists being consigned to any single category:…
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New Writing Course: Position Argument
Looking for a good argument? Most of us like to avoid heated conflicts, but an effective argument — the kind that offers a reasoned defense and shows awareness of other views — can…
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7 Nature Read-Alouds for Summer
The spring and summer months are great for nature study. Most of my walks are layered with memories of past sights and sounds in the preserves we visit: It started with library trips…
