In 1784 Thomas Jefferson found himself in France as our first ambassador. While he was there he fell in love. Arrested by its striking classical beauty, the patriot became smitten with a small Roman temple in Nîmes known as the Maison Carrée (square house). Describing it as “the most perfect model existing of what might…
American Classicism and the ‘Gentleman Architect’ Thomas Jefferson
April 29, 2021
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American architecturearchitectureArchitecture & InteriorsArts & LettersClassical architectureclassicismHistoric ArchitectureHistoryLifestyleRadiant LifeThomas JeffersonUS Architecture
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Benjamin Franklin: American Philosophe
The Enlightenment saw the emergence of the “philosophes” in Europe—intellectuals who were unafraid to publicly challenge … well, just about everything. But Britain’s American colonies weren’t without their own philosophers. The most famous was certainly Benjamin Franklin, the grandson of an indentured servant and the son of a candlemaker. Unlike many of Europe’s thinkers, however,…
Freedom Through Leisure in ‘Leisure: The Basis of Culture’
We are a society that all too often focuses on work, but do we ever stop and think about rest and leisure? What constitutes work, and for that matter, what exactly is leisure? German philosopher Josef Pieper (1904–1997) delves deeply into this question in his classic work, “Leisure: The Basis of Culture.” Here, Pieper demonstrates…
When Silicon Valley Values Meet West Texas
Texas ranching has been under economic siege almost since it began. It has always offered an opportunity to make a small fortune, nowadays by starting with a large one. Yet for all its flaws, ranching is addictive. So is abandoning ranching. “The Big Empty,” a novel by Loren Steffy, steals one of the classic tropes…
The Capitol’s Statuary Hall
On the quick walk from my office to the House floor to vote, I paused a moment in Statuary Hall, my favorite room in the Capitol building. The room once served as the meeting place for the U.S. House of Representatives, back when there were fewer representatives and each member’s desk could fit in the…
Poetry, Almanacks, and Spelling Bees
April 22, 2021
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American RevolutionArts & LettersBenjamin FranklinFarmers’ AlmanacHistoryRadiant LifeThomas JeffersonThomas Paine
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Upon seceding from Britain, her thirteen former colonies immediately began to lay the foundations of an independent humanities tradition. One could argue, of course, that the process of creating a uniquely “American” literature was already well underway long before the Revolution even began—with William Bradford’s “History of Plymouth Plantation,” for example, or the poetry of…
Remembering What Is Important: It Is All But Hay
As human beings living in this world, we are often bombarded with materialistic desires that may fuel our sufferings. We can be led to believe that our lives would be better if we only had more—more money, more affection, more education, more beauty, and so on. Pursuing more, however, often leads to more hardship. For…
The Revolutionary Humanity of the Declaration of Independence
One of the most inspirational and revolutionary documents ever written is the American Declaration of Independence. This great document isn’t read and studied as much today as it was in the past, but it should be. This single, relatively brief pronouncement captures and expresses the lofty ideals of America’s Founders as they set about laying…
‘Violino’: The Musical Trees
April 21, 2021
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AlpsAntonio StradivariArts & Lettersclassical musicFine ArtsItalian renaissanceRadiant Liferare violinviolinViolin maker
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In every sound of the violin there is the breathing of its trees. —Antonio Stradivari, luthier The story of the world’s greatest violins begins in the musical woods nearly 400 years ago. Standing high atop the Italian Alps, at an altitude of over 5,575 feet, the magical spruce trees grow very slowly. Having endured the…
Seeing Beauty
British philosopher Roger Scruton (1944–2020) was a defender of beauty and traditional art throughout his long writing career. In his book “Beauty: A Very Short Introduction,” Scruton guides the reader through the world of the beautiful: from art to architecture to nature to even the simple pleasures of everyday acts, such as eating. He writes…
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