• JP O’Malley interviewing Will Stone, “On Not Facing the Death of a Civilization.” Having just written about Theodore Dalrymple’s essay on Stefan Zweig, it was interesting to find this interview with the translator of a just-released book of Zweig’s work.
• Speaking of Dalrymple, “How — and How Not — to Love Mankind.” This was possibly my favorite essay from an excellent book full of them. Both the content and the style are superb.
• Scott Beauchamp, “The Kids Aren’t All Right: What the Gender-Identity Revolution Has in Common with 1960s’ Drug Culture.” For me, finding the right song lyrics to serve as the title of a post is a minor art form in itself. Therefore, for one of my refined sensibility, there can be no more atrocious cliché than the compulsive overuse of that stupid song title by that wretched band whenever an article has something to do with youth culture. For the love of God, people, put some effort into it. As if there are no other lyrics written in the past half-century about being misunderstood adolescents which you could use instead.
That aside, the article is good.
• Shelby Steele, “The Exhaustion of American Liberalism.” Having long since plucked all the low-hanging fruit of injustice from a seemingly boundless orchard, progressives are now reduced to anxiously gnawing on the desiccated rinds, trying desperately to suck out every last delicious drop of moral superiority. Steele’s books are much more psychological than political, and I found them revelatory. (Looks like the direct article link is paywalled now; try a Twitter link instead.)
• William Deresiewicz, “On Political Correctness.” This is probably the most well-rounded, comprehensive treatment of the topic I’ve read. A one-stop shop.