Joshua Gibbs

If You Are A Lousy Father, You Have To Figure It Out On Your Own

“In mulling Mr. Collins over for the last several days, I have come (once again) to a rather sobering thesis: I might be a lousy father. It is a thesis which follows inevitably from two rather simple facts, both easily proved by an honest, unsentimental assessment of the world. First, lousy fathers exist. Second, lousy fathers are unlikely to beContinue reading “If You Are A Lousy Father, You Have To Figure It Out On Your Own”

New Music From Dustin O’Halloran

Dustin O’Halloran isn’t as clever as Chilly Gonzales, but he is one of the most elegant living composers of solo piano pieces. O’Halloran’s Piano Solos 1 and Piano Solos 2 are among my favorite records of all time. Melancholic, contemplative, bookish: O’Halloran unapologetically borrows from the nocturnes of 18th century Irish composer John Field, thoughContinue reading “New Music From Dustin O’Halloran”

Proverbial, Episode 65: Praying For Brad Pitt

Happier with this episode than anything I’ve done in a couple months.

Webinar Tonight: Reconciling Beauty and Progress

Just a reminder that I will deliver “Reconciling Beauty and Progress” tonight at 8pm EST. The webinar is free for all newsletter subscribers to GibbsClassical.com.

How To Give A Lecture At A Summer Conference

“One of the greatest needs in classical Christian education today is a chorus of voices who are willing to boldly speak against the modern corporate values, ethics, aesthetics, iconography, and strategies that are constantly demanding entrance into our schools. Leadership isn’t a virtue. Community isn’t a virtue. Teamwork isn’t a virtue. Soft capitulation to suchContinue reading “How To Give A Lecture At A Summer Conference”

The Notion Club Podcast

Justin Hall recently interviewed me for The Notion Club Podcast. We spoke about autodidactism, adulthood, classical education, and beauty. I am not always happy with interviews, but I was quite pleased with Justin’s set of questions and his conversation. As a tease: in this interview, I explain my friend Andrew’s excellent critique of the “life-longContinue reading “The Notion Club Podcast”

Every Teacher Should Read Fiction

“Regardless of their subject, teachers need to read fiction about children who are the same age as their students. Teachers who don’t read enough fiction about youth can quickly come to believe ‘kids used to be different—better,’ which will lead the teacher to despise his students. Fiction about youth corrects the pretentions of a teacherContinue reading “Every Teacher Should Read Fiction”

Tea Leaves

Whatever it is fashionable to say about COVID today will be thought primitive, ignorant, and backwards two years from now. This has nothing to do with COVID per se. It is simply the way the zeitgeist works. Nothing ever stays fixed.

Teaching Courage In A Sentimental Age

“Our distaste for courage is born of sentimentalism, the belief that it is never right to ask or force others to endure emotional discomfort. Given that the Lord teaches ‘no discipline is pleasant,’ and Solomon teaches ‘with much knowledge comes much sorrow,’ sentimentalists and honest educators are necessarily on a collision course.” -from my latestContinue reading “Teaching Courage In A Sentimental Age”

A Classical Education Requires Humility, Not Brilliance

“A classical education is a place for remedy, medicine, balm, ointment, and healing. It is a confessional booth. If a classical school is a place for therapy, then it is a place for learning to walk again after a car crash, not a place for a psychiatrist’s couch. It is a place for people whoContinue reading “A Classical Education Requires Humility, Not Brilliance”