Joshua Gibbs

Jesus Christ On The Importance Of Accurately Citing Your Sources

“You have heard it said…”

The Best Thing I’ve Written Which No One Has Read

Seven years ago, I briefly wrote AuRevoir1967, a Twitter account which summarized (in 140 characters) episodes of a fictional television show that was a bit like Absolutely Fabulous and a bit like a Destroyer record. I’ve thought several times of resurrecting this thing, but never gone through with it.

A Bracing Little Speech For The First Day Of School

“Not every teenager is good at being a teenager, just like not every adult is good at being an adult, not every newlywed is good at being a newlywed, and so forth. There are many stages of life, and you can be good or bad at any of them. Doing well as a teenager meansContinue reading “A Bracing Little Speech For The First Day Of School”

You Do It To Yourself And That’s Why It Really Hurts

From a history class in the year 2500 A.D. Teacher: One of the things men in the 21st century absolutely despised was attending meetings. No one liked meetings. Student: I don’t know if I can believe that. Teacher: Why? Student: If everyone hated meetings, who was scheduling all the meetings? Teacher: The same people thatContinue reading “You Do It To Yourself And That’s Why It Really Hurts”

Exceptional Critique

A friend sent me a link to this essay by Freddie deBoer, which opens on the late Woodstock 99 documentary, but quickly turns into a brilliant assessment of the infantilization of adult taste over the last ten years. If the title and the subject matter over the first six or seven paragraphs doesn’t hold you,Continue reading “Exceptional Critique”

Snobs

There is nothing the modern man finds quite so pretentious as obedience. Obedience creates a real bond between the ruler and the ruled, the transcendent and the ephemeral, the obeyed and the obedient. This bond is simply not possible for the egalitarian, the radical individual, the self-made man, or the rebel. In the end, whoeverContinue reading “Snobs”

Give Me That Sweet, Prestigious Apostasy

There are Christian parents that are dying for their children to get into schools like this one.

This Season’s Jazz Record

I am so picky about jazz, when I find a new jazz record that I like, I listen to it four or five times a week for months. Chet Baker With 50 Italian Strings is what I’m on now.

For Everyone Listening To “The Rise And Fall Of Mars Hill”

This is what that dude is up to today.

On Teaching Modern Literature

The thing is, Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is far better if no one tries to explain it to you. You may as well try to explain why pain hurts. The same is true of A Farewell To Arms. If someone doesn’t understand A Farewell To Arms, they are simply too young to read it. ThisContinue reading “On Teaching Modern Literature”