The feminine call to the intellectual life
A scribe tests Jesus, asking him, what is the greatest commandment? Jesus responds, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with…
What Jane Austen teaches us about virtue
We’ve all heard St. Paul’s famous verse from 1 Corinthians: “Love is patient, love is kind.” He takes care to equate love with patience because they are both virtues and…
Why fiction is necessary in the spiritual journey
About seven years ago, I was invited by a small group of friends to form a book club under what was at the time a brand new organization: the Well-Read…
What reading with children has taught me
It can be hard to read with young kids around. Snatches of paragraphs between screams and snack times. Reading e-books from the library one-handed while the baby sleeps in my…
Stories to read around the fireplace this holiday season
There are many traditions in the Advent and Christmas season that my husband and I have together and that we love sharing with our two young daughters. Some are from…
What is keeping you from heaven?
It was a jarring moment when I realized I didn’t love God. Or, rather, I didn’t love God as I should — simply because of who he is. The epiphany…
Why Catholics should read great books
In the 1970s, the University of Kansas launched an investigation on their recently developed Integrated Humanities Program. The administration at the secular university had concerns that the three Catholic professors…
How to fit spiritual reading into your busy life
It’s no revelation to say that eating a balanced diet helps keep the body healthy and strong. But it might be surprising to apply this theory of intentional consumption to…
Literature and the feminine genius
“Running Out of Time” by Margaret Peterson Haddix was one of those books that so captivated me in elementary school that it became the standard bearer by which my young…