The Back of the Book

In this special double feature, Chris welcomes the authors of two new books about the American way of life—one about the many things that make it great, and the other about something we’ve lost. First, Matthew Mehan of Hillsdale College’s Washington, DC, campus discusses his latest children's book, The American Book of Fables , a collection to help the young and old celebrate America’s 250th birth...

Chris talks to Melanie McDonagh about her new book, Converts: From Oscar Wilde to Muriel Spark, Why So Many Became Catholic in the 20th Century . Dr. McDonagh discusses some of the prominent (and less familiar) British artists, writers, and intellectuals who entered the Roman Catholic from the 1890s through the 1950s. What were the social and cultural origins of the century’s remarkable increase i...

Sean Keilen, professor of literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz, talks with Chris about his new book, Shakespeare's Scholars: Three Lessons from the Liberal Arts . They discuss how Shakespeare depicts the role of scholars in Hamlet  and The Tempest , what Shakespeare can teach us about the scholar’s proper relationship to the public, and the current state of literary studies in ac...

In this special episode, recorded as part of AEI’s American Dream Lecture Series, Dr. Zena Hitz addresses the role of liberal education in sustaining the democratic project. She also identifies the most significant threats to liberal learning and offers practical remedies that might address them. After her lecture, Zena sat down with Chris for a conversation and fielded questions from the audience...

Novelist Karan Mahajan joins the show to talk with Chris about his new work, The Complex . They discuss the novel’s memorable characters, settings, and themes, as well as Karan’s literary influences and the challenges of writing about Indian culture and politics for a non-Indian audience. Show notes:  Karan’s novel, The Complex “ The True Margaret ,” a short story excerpted from The Complex  in Th...

Chris talks to Tess Chakkalakal about her new literary biography, A Matter of Complexion: The Life and Fictions of Charles W. Chesnutt . Tess explains why Chesnutt is such an important figure in American literary history, how his short stories and novels made the case for a color-blind society, and why he should be more widely read today. Show notes: Tess’s book, A Matter of Complexion Chesnutt’s...

In this re-pea—er, very special encore presentation, Chris’s brother, Father Paul Scalia, joins the show to discuss the significance of Holy Week and how Catholics in particular celebrate this most important (and for priests, most exhausting) week in the liturgical calendar. Father Scalia also recounts his road to the priesthood, shares his favorite Christian apologists and novelists, and discusse...

Writer Lionel Shriver joins Chris to discuss her provocative new novel, A Better Life . They touch on the novel’s relation to Lionel’s broader thematic interests, the challenges of navigating political controversy in literature, and the worrying decline of literacy and readership.  Show notes:  Lionel's new novel, A Better Life Lionel on cultural appropriation Lionel on American Dirt Time stamps:...

Sunil Iyengar, editor of an outstanding new poetry anthology, joins the podcast to discuss all things narrative verse: its origins, its virtues, and its place in contemporary poetry. He and Chris also take turns reading some memorable narrative poems, including some of their own.  Show notes: Sunil's new anthology, The Colosseum Book of Contemporary Narrative Verse Andy Ferguson  on John McCain an...

Literary critic Brooke Allen drops by to talk about her new essay collection, Good Bones: Glorious Relics from the Age of Reading . She and Chris also discuss Brooke’s idiosyncratic career path (including her time writing for Divorce Court ), the emergence of a post-literate culture, and the future of criticism. Show notes: Brooke’s new collection, Good Bones Brooke’s New Yorker  essay  on Benning...

Joseph Loconte drops by to talk about his new book, The War for Middle-earth: J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Confront the Gathering Storm, 1933–1945 . He and Chris discuss the friendship between Tolkien and Lewis, the impact of both world wars on their literary lives, and how they influenced each other's most celebrated works. Show notes: Joseph's new book, The War for Middle-earth The Rivendell Ce...

Poet and critic James Matthew Wilson drops by to share a few poems, discuss his writing process, and consider the re-emergence of form in contemporary poetry. Chris and James also discuss efforts to foster literary excellence in the culture more broadly. The episode includes its federally mandated Seinfeld  reference, but this time it’s James who brings it up. Show notes: ·         James’s most re...

For this special Christmas episode, Chris is joined by Joseph Bottum, a distinguished man of letters who has written extensively about the Yuletide season. They discuss the significance of the holiday and the festivities (both old and new) associated with Christmas, its various literary portrayals over the years, and Jody’s own Christmas essays and tales. Show notes: Jody's book of Christmas-theme...

Chris is joined by Jordan Castro, a novelist, essayist, and the deputy director of the Cluny Institute. They discuss Jordan’s new novel, Muscle Man , as well as the discontents of academia, Jordan’s literary influences, the place of fiction in contemporary America, and their favorite campus novels. Show notes:  Jordan’s new novel, Muscle Man Jordan’s essay on weightlifting for Harper’s Jordan’s pr...

For this special Thanksgiving episode, Chris is joined by Meir Soloveichik, the Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel (the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States) and the director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University. They discuss the Jewish origins of the Thanksgiving holiday, the history of Jews in America, and the current plight of antisemitism in Am...

The critic and literary biographer Frances Wilson drops by to discuss her exceptional new book, Electric Spark: The Enigma of Dame Muriel. She and Chris talk about the fascinating life and early career of Muriel Spark, including her development as a novelist, tumultuous family life, and journey to religious belief. This is an especially fun conversation about one of the 20th century’s greatest—and...

Chris is joined by Bryan A. Garner: grammarian, lexicographer, and author of The Etcher: The Life and Art of Oskar Stoessel . They discuss Stoessel’s life and work, how he managed to etch portraits of FDR and eight Supreme Court justices, and what compelled Bryan to write about him. They also talk about Bryan’s recent defense of originalism against a strange new critique, his career as a grammaria...

Chris is joined by prolific sportswriter Joe Posnanski to discuss his 2009 book, The Machine: A Hot Team, a Legendary Season, and a Heart-Stopping World Series: The Story of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Reds’ legendary victory, they discuss the personalities, politics, and drama that culminated in what is considered by some to be the greatest World Series of al...

Chris is joined by Michael Clune, a professor at the Ohio State University’s Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society, and the author of the excellent new novel, Pan . They discuss some of the themes and ideas underlying Pan , as well as Michael’s vision of literary scholarship and its place in the modern university.  Show notes:  Michael’s new novel,  Pan Michael’s previous book, A...

Chris is joined by Brendan O’Meara, the founder and host of the Creative Nonfiction Podcast and author of a great new biography, The Front Runner: The Life of Steve Prefontaine. They discuss the life of American distance running legend Steve Prefontaine (a.k.a. “Pre”), including his childhood, the highs and lows of his running career, his untimely death, and his legacy.   Show notes: ·         Bre...

Chris is joined by Cassandra Nelson, an affiliate fellow in literature at the Lumen Center in Madison, Wisconsin, an associate fellow at the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, and the author of A Theology of Fiction (Wiseblood Books, 2025). They discuss the life and thought of Sr. Mariella Gable, a Benedictine nun who had an under-appreciated influence on Catholic...

Chris is joined by his AEI colleague Thomas Chatterton Williams, whose latest book Summer of Our Discontent: The Age of Certainty and the Demise of Discourse was published earlier this month. The two discuss Thomas’s analysis of the events and ideas that led to the protests, riots, and all-around madness of the summer of 2020; cancel culture and the importance of free expression; the concept of ra...

Chris is joined by Jennifer Frey, professor of philosophy in the department of philosophy & religion at The University of Tulsa, and former Dean of the Honors College at TU. They discuss the university’s recent decision to eliminate her position as dean and restructure the Honors College, the power dynamics at play within university governance, and the value of liberal education more broadly....

Chris talks to Ronnie A. Grinberg, associate professor of history at the University of Oklahoma, about the anti-communist Jewish intellectuals who helped shape post-war American culture and politics. How did this remarkable group of writers—which included such prominent figures as Lionel Trilling, Diana Trilling, Irving Howe, Midge Decter, and Norman Podhoretz—take shape? What were their various o...

Ross Benes, author of 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times, joins Chris to explain how professional wrestling, video games, a face-painted hip-hop duo, and other low culture from 26 years ago can help us understand where we are today.    Show Notes: ·         Ross’s website: https://www.rossbenes.com/ ·         Ross on X: https://x.com/rossbenes?lang=en ·...