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Conversation with John McWhorter

John McWhorter was on sparkling form for his recent Heterodox Academy appearance. He is well-aware that he is at the top of his game — and long may that last. I do hope that the talk will be made available online. It was Mary Lefkowitz who first alerted me to John some twenty years ago.…

The Coddling of the Western Mind

Forthcoming. Though the American context is specified, this book would be of salience across the Anglophonic world. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of the book go to support the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a vital and most effective bulwark against the inquisitors, their complicitous bloated bureaucrapcy and their zombie swarm…

The Cultured Life and why it is worth pursuing

Joseph Epstein, still as sharp as a whistle, in The Weekly Standard. JE’s coinage “virtucrat”  (“any man or woman who is certain that his or her political views are not merely correct but deeply, morally righteous in the bargain”) is the precursor to the term “virtue-signaling”, the condition befalling many academics, politicians and in all probability many…

Mary Lefkowitz

Here’s wishing a happy birthday to the amazingly brave Mary Lefkowitz, a beacon of light for intellectual integrity, truth and liberality. I’d urge you to read History Lesson: it’s an easy, quick and a rather chilling read. Mary came to my attention some thirty years ago when, studying classics, I came across the contentious Martin Bernal. Their bitter clash later morphed into even more unsavory exchanges with others…

Alice Dreger on Academic Freedom

Alice Dreger talks about the importance of academic freedom and why the corporatization of the modern university threatens free speech on campus. I’ve been aware of the wonderful work of FIRE for some sixteen years ago, an outfit first brought to my attention by the immensely brave Mary Lefkowitz (more on Mary in the near future). The first video acts as an overture…