Friday Links
June 27, 2025
Flannery Abroad Conference: Keynote with Phil Klay
Andrew Callis in Presence Journal
Steve Knepper is (Somewhat) Against “Selected Poems”
Rod Dreher’s Weird Case for Religion
Down in my heart to stay
George Weigel On Flannery O’Connor’s Centenary
B. H. Fairchild: PoetryLA Series
Flannery Abroad Conference: Keynote 4 with Phil Klay
From my source, Dorian Speed, this conference was fantastic. Here’s Phil Klay on O’Connor.
Andrew Callis in Presence Journal
Our very own Andrew Callin in Presence via Instagram.
Steve Knepper is (Somewhat) Against “Selected Poems”
It needed to be said and Steve has said it, as gently as possible, of course, because he’s a nice guy.
Rod Dreher’s Weird Case for Religion
J. C. Scharl writes on Rod Dreher’s newest book, Living in Wonder: Finding Meaning and Mystery in a Secular Age:
Among its other dubious gifts, the past decade has made the concept of “re-enchantment” inescapable in certain, generally very online, circles. Substack is rife with it. Twitter reeks with it. Now, Rod Dreher has written a book about it, a book that contributes some much-needed clarity to this slippery concept.
Down in my heart to stay
David Deavel reviews Shemaiah Gonzalez’s collection of essays, Undaunted Joy: The Revolutionary Actor Cultivating Delight:
Like the best essays, many mix a blend of story and reflection in order to allow the reader a glimpse at the truth around which Gonzalez is painting with her words. The stories include tales of her family growing up, her family now, her friends, her neighbors, the people she meets in Costco, and pretty much anybody she encounters who shares a bit of himself with her. The overall story that is related in this patchwork quilt of encounters and meditations is that of her discovery, acceptance, and pursuit of joy. “Today I dwell in joy,” she says in her introduction. “But it was a long, tenuous road to get here.”
George Weigel On Flannery O’Connor’s Centenary
How appropriate that Flannery O’Connor should have been born on the Solemnity of the Annunciation: the liturgical feast celebrating the willing acceptance of a God-given vocation. As we marked Miss O’Connor’s centenary three months ago—and yes, boys and girls, it was MissO’Connor, as no one would have been more repelled by the neologism Ms.—that’s the dimension of her life that struck me most powerfully: her embrace of the challenging vocation of writing, shaped in her case by the vocation of suffering.
B. H. Fairchild: Poetry LA Series
The widely acclaimed poetry of B.H. Fiarchild explores working class lives in the small towns in Texas and Kansas where he grew up. His poetry has been praised as an artful meeting of the “gritty and exalted.” The Blue Buick: New and Selected Poems is the latest of his seven collections. His many honors include the William Carlos Williams Award and the Arthur Rense Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
