April 5, 2021
Poet and philosopher James Matthew Wilson returns to the show to read poems from his new poetry collection. the strangeness of goodnessdiscusses the decline and rebirth of Catholic intellectual life, including his “Quarantine Notebook” series.
Topics discussed include:
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The current narrowing of Catholic intellectual life in conservative/traditional circles
- How can you be civilized in an authentic and unpretentious way when you are not participating in the culture?
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His ideal approach when reciting poetry
- Poets we should read most right now
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What is needed to build on the work in Catholic aesthetics undertaken by figures like Maritain, Hildebrand, and Gilson?
- What is it like to receive an orthodox Catholic education at a nominally Catholic university?
- I try to tell college freshmen who think they already know that Western heritage has no value, no truth, and life is meaningless.
Watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ip02uvHlvck
Note: This interview was recorded prior to James Matthew Wilson announcing his appointment as founding director of the new MFA in Creative Writing at the University of St. Thomas in Houston (see several previous Catholic Culture Podcasts) (in collaboration with guests, especially Joshua Fullen of Wiseblood Books). Learn more about the program here:
https://www.stthom.edu/public/index.asp?AQ_Action=getPageByURL&AQ_URL=/Academics/School-of-Arts-and-Sciences/Division-of-Liberal-Studies/Graduate/Master-of-Fine-Arts -in-Creative-Writing/Index.aqf
link
https://www.amazon.com/Strangeness-Good-include-Quarantine-Notebook/dp/1621386325/
Full interview with James Matthew Wilson
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-tePYzIXOsQ2OgM0Bh-Nq1LUpYF2877q
