Joshua Gibbs

Sadly, I Am Probably Dropping Out Of “Demons” At About The 70 Page Mark

American novels: The plot turns on Tom killing Richard. Russian novels: The plot turns on Ivan Stepovich insulting the servant of Stepan Ivanovich’s brother’s son, who obtains revenge by defrauding Ivan Stepovich’s uncle, who was also the caretaker of Ivanovich’s grandmother’s ex-lover, who hanged himself after Ivanovich insulted his mother.

IYKYK

There are times when this one explains everything.

First Good Book I Read This Year

This is really quite short, but delightful, albeit in a bleak, nihilistic sort of way. I only recently learned of Caroline Blackwood, but this title was good enough I plan on tracking down her other work. Given her upbringing, I get the sense this one is not exactly fictional. It’s more of a composite “likeContinue reading “First Good Book I Read This Year”

How To Keep Classical Christian Education From Falling Apart

“Imagine a league of eight or ten classical Christian schools forming in the future over a shared frustration that the “classical Christian” designation had come to mean so little. Suppose membership in this league were based on obedience to a number of cultural credos, like no smart phones or social media among students (or maybeContinue reading “How To Keep Classical Christian Education From Falling Apart”

For Those Keeping Score

New Year’s Eve, on the other hand, was originally a pagan holiday. And still is, sort of.

Culture Eats Mission Statements For Breakfast

“A Plato and Augustine school which bans smart phones, social media, and has no sports program really doesn’t have much in common with a Plato and Augustine school that allows all three.” -from a forthcoming barn burner for CiRCE

My Favorite Christmas Prose

The Heavenly Christmas Tree by Fyodor Dostoyevsky I am a novelist, and I suppose I have made up this story. I write “I suppose,” though I know for a fact that I have made it up, but yet I keep fancying that it must have happened somewhere at some time, that it must have happenedContinue reading “My Favorite Christmas Prose”

The New Old-Fashioned Way

This isn’t the sort of thing you’re excited to watch at the outset, but give it ten minutes or so and you’ll be hooked.

Yes, Virginia, “Die Hard” Is A Christmas Movie

Couple things. The Gospel story of Christ’s birth is what the story of Exodus was always pointing to. The story of Exodus is about God delivering an enslaved people from a tyrant and rescuing His bride. Die Hard is the story of a man, John McClane, who delivers people held hostage by the tyrant HansContinue reading “Yes, Virginia, “Die Hard” Is A Christmas Movie”

A Matter Of (Christmas) Taste Vol. 2

There are a few familiar hymns and carols on this one, but it will quite a few numbers to your Christmas repertoire.