web02.fireside.fm Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:43:09 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Ethics and Culture Cast - Episodes Tagged with “Writing” https://ndcec.fireside.fm/tags/writing Thu, 07 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0400 Lively conversations with professors, fellows, scholars, and friends of the University of Notre Dame's de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. The Center is committed to sharing the richness of the Catholic moral and intellectual tradition through teaching, research, and public engagement, at the highest level and across a range of disciplines. For more information visit http://ethicscenter.nd.edu en-us episodic From the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture Notre Dame de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture Lively conversations with professors, fellows, scholars, and friends of the University of Notre Dame's de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. The Center is committed to sharing the richness of the Catholic moral and intellectual tradition through teaching, research, and public engagement, at the highest level and across a range of disciplines. For more information visit http://ethicscenter.nd.edu no catholic, academics, university, notre dame, prolife, pro-life, ethics, bioethics, philosophy, political science, theology Notre Dame de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture khallenius@nd.edu Episode 67: Greg Wolfe https://ndcec.fireside.fm/67 8aaee50e-c206-4e74-81ae-89fe0b7d2947 Thu, 07 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0400 Notre Dame de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture full Notre Dame de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture Greg Wolfe is a writer, editor, publisher, and teacher. He was the founding editor of Image Journal and currently is the editor of Slant Books. 34:10 no Writer, editor, publisher, and teacher, Gregory Wolfe has been called “one of the most incisive and persuasive voices of our generation” (Ron Hansen). Both as a thinker and institution-builder, Wolfe has been a pioneer in the resurgence of interest in the relationship between art and religion—a resurgence that has had widespread impact both on religious communities and the public square. As an advocate for the tradition of Christian Humanism, Wolfe has established a reputation as an independent, non-ideological thinker—at times playing the role of gadfly but ultimately seeking to be a reconciler and peacemaker. Special Guest: Greg Wolfe. humanism, art, writing, christian humanism, erasmus Writer, editor, publisher, and teacher, Gregory Wolfe has been called “one of the most incisive and persuasive voices of our generation” (Ron Hansen). Both as a thinker and institution-builder, Wolfe has been a pioneer in the resurgence of interest in the relationship between art and religion—a resurgence that has had widespread impact both on religious communities and the public square. As an advocate for the tradition of Christian Humanism, Wolfe has established a reputation as an independent, non-ideological thinker—at times playing the role of gadfly but ultimately seeking to be a reconciler and peacemaker.

Special Guest: Greg Wolfe.

Links:

]]> Writer, editor, publisher, and teacher, Gregory Wolfe has been called “one of the most incisive and persuasive voices of our generation” (Ron Hansen). Both as a thinker and institution-builder, Wolfe has been a pioneer in the resurgence of interest in the relationship between art and religion—a resurgence that has had widespread impact both on religious communities and the public square. As an advocate for the tradition of Christian Humanism, Wolfe has established a reputation as an independent, non-ideological thinker—at times playing the role of gadfly but ultimately seeking to be a reconciler and peacemaker.

Special Guest: Greg Wolfe.

Links:

]]> Episode 63: Christopher Beha https://ndcec.fireside.fm/63 59f06c0d-907f-45d2-9d10-a4164aad7e21 Thu, 18 Nov 2021 20:00:00 -0500 Notre Dame de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture full Notre Dame de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture Christopher Beha is the author of a memoir, The Whole Five Feet, and the novels Arts & Entertainments and What Happened to Sophie Wilder. His latest novel, The Index of Self-Destructive Acts, was nominated for the 2020 National Book Award. He is the editor of Harper’s Magazine. 34:42 no Christopher Beha is the author of a memoir, The Whole Five Feet, and the novels Arts & Entertainments and What Happened to Sophie Wilder. His latest novel, The Index of Self-Destructive Acts, was nominated for the 2020 National Book Award. He is the editor of Harper’s Magazine. Special Guest: Christopher Beha. novel, catholic, writing, memoir Christopher Beha is the author of a memoir, The Whole Five Feet, and the novels Arts & Entertainments and What Happened to Sophie Wilder. His latest novel, The Index of Self-Destructive Acts, was nominated for the 2020 National Book Award. He is the editor of Harper’s Magazine.

Special Guest: Christopher Beha.

Links:

  • Author's Homepage: Christopher Beha
  • The Index of Self Destructive Acts — Longlisted for the National Book Award A New York Times Editors’ Choice Finalist for the Gotham Book Prize Named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus, The Christian Science Monitor, Library Journal, and BuzzFeed
  • The Whole Five Feet — In The Whole Five Feet, Christopher Beha turns to the great books for answers after undergoing a series of personal and family crises and learning that his grandmother had used the Harvard Classics to educate herself during the Great Depression. The result is a smart, big-hearted, and inspirational mix of memoir and intellectual excursion that “deftly illustrates how books can save one’s life” (Helen Schulman).
  • Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque
]]> Christopher Beha is the author of a memoir, The Whole Five Feet, and the novels Arts & Entertainments and What Happened to Sophie Wilder. His latest novel, The Index of Self-Destructive Acts, was nominated for the 2020 National Book Award. He is the editor of Harper’s Magazine.

Special Guest: Christopher Beha.

Links:

  • Author's Homepage: Christopher Beha
  • The Index of Self Destructive Acts — Longlisted for the National Book Award A New York Times Editors’ Choice Finalist for the Gotham Book Prize Named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus, The Christian Science Monitor, Library Journal, and BuzzFeed
  • The Whole Five Feet — In The Whole Five Feet, Christopher Beha turns to the great books for answers after undergoing a series of personal and family crises and learning that his grandmother had used the Harvard Classics to educate herself during the Great Depression. The result is a smart, big-hearted, and inspirational mix of memoir and intellectual excursion that “deftly illustrates how books can save one’s life” (Helen Schulman).
  • Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque
]]> Episode 56: Joshua Hren https://ndcec.fireside.fm/56 f215b08b-cfc1-4cf1-93e7-56ea6252aee5 Thu, 17 Jun 2021 16:00:00 -0400 Notre Dame de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture full Notre Dame de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture Joshua Hren is the founder and publisher of Wiseblood Books, author of "How to Read (and Write) Like a Catholic," and cofounder of a new MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of St. Thomas that focuses on the Catholic imagination. 50:45 no Joshua Hren is the founder and publisher of Wiseblood Books, author of "How to Read (and Write) Like a Catholic," and cofounder of a new MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of St. Thomas that focuses on the Catholic imagination. He has presented at the de Nicola Center's Fall Conference. Special Guest: Joshua Hren. writing, o'connor, flannery, dante, imagination, beauty Joshua Hren is the founder and publisher of Wiseblood Books, author of "How to Read (and Write) Like a Catholic," and cofounder of a new MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of St. Thomas that focuses on the Catholic imagination. He has presented at the de Nicola Center's Fall Conference.

Special Guest: Joshua Hren.

Links:

  • How to Read (and Write) Like a Catholic — How to Read (and Write) Like a Catholic is a sweeping survey of some of the finest literary works ever written by our fallen and yet redeemed race. Joshua Hren takes readers on a tour that spans centuries and explores our broken path to salvation, passing through stories known to many but perhaps understood by few, and others that merit a broader readership.
  • In the Wine Press: Short Stories — The thirteen stories in this collection track strained lives, characters compressed by the crises of our times, from clerical misdeeds to school shootings. Among them: a father and son comet-watching from a porch they built together confront a constellation of familial abuse; a parish priest grooms a fatherless boy; a politico conquers through think tank schemes until he is defeated by his parents’ death; a spokesman for a major bank insists that a young intern died of natural causes; and a bishop’s secretary discovers a deeper obedience when asked to destroy parish records. Never settling for easy exits, these intense fictions portray a world distrustful of its former guides but populated still by souls searching and finding.
  • Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing — The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at the University of St. Thomas offers an advanced apprenticeship in poetry and fiction, taught by a host of distinguished writers and scholars. The MFA in Creative Writing integrates intense and invigorating workshops in writing with a series of comprehensive seminars in the Catholic literary and intellectual tradition. Courses are online and flexible (with an optional residency), and tailored to the needs of students and their writings.
  • Theme Song: "I Dunno" by Grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque
]]> Joshua Hren is the founder and publisher of Wiseblood Books, author of "How to Read (and Write) Like a Catholic," and cofounder of a new MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of St. Thomas that focuses on the Catholic imagination. He has presented at the de Nicola Center's Fall Conference.

Special Guest: Joshua Hren.

Links:

  • How to Read (and Write) Like a Catholic — How to Read (and Write) Like a Catholic is a sweeping survey of some of the finest literary works ever written by our fallen and yet redeemed race. Joshua Hren takes readers on a tour that spans centuries and explores our broken path to salvation, passing through stories known to many but perhaps understood by few, and others that merit a broader readership.
  • In the Wine Press: Short Stories — The thirteen stories in this collection track strained lives, characters compressed by the crises of our times, from clerical misdeeds to school shootings. Among them: a father and son comet-watching from a porch they built together confront a constellation of familial abuse; a parish priest grooms a fatherless boy; a politico conquers through think tank schemes until he is defeated by his parents’ death; a spokesman for a major bank insists that a young intern died of natural causes; and a bishop’s secretary discovers a deeper obedience when asked to destroy parish records. Never settling for easy exits, these intense fictions portray a world distrustful of its former guides but populated still by souls searching and finding.
  • Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing — The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at the University of St. Thomas offers an advanced apprenticeship in poetry and fiction, taught by a host of distinguished writers and scholars. The MFA in Creative Writing integrates intense and invigorating workshops in writing with a series of comprehensive seminars in the Catholic literary and intellectual tradition. Courses are online and flexible (with an optional residency), and tailored to the needs of students and their writings.
  • Theme Song: "I Dunno" by Grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque
]]> Episode 37: Dale Ahlquist https://ndcec.fireside.fm/37 f3413682-55fe-45f8-a581-186d0a70e2b4 Thu, 17 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0400 Notre Dame de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture full Notre Dame de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture Dale Ahlquist is president of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton and the author of "The Complete Thinker" and "Common Sense 101." 29:36 no Dale Ahlquist is the president of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton and the author of five books about Chesterton, including The Complete Thinker and Common Sense 101. We chat about Chesterton's 1930 visit to Notre Dame, his interdisciplinary approach to writing, and (spoiler alert!) the meaning of The Man Who Was Thursday. Special Guest: Dale Ahlquist. chesterton, fiction, writing, poetry, catholicism Dale Ahlquist is the president of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton and the author of five books about Chesterton, including The Complete Thinker and Common Sense 101. We chat about Chesterton's 1930 visit to Notre Dame, his interdisciplinary approach to writing, and (spoiler alert!) the meaning of The Man Who Was Thursday.

Special Guest: Dale Ahlquist.

Links:

  • The Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton — Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) is a writer like none other. As a journalist, he wrote thousands of essays for the London newspapers. But he also wrote a hundred books: novels, poetry, plays, literary criticism, history, economic theory, philosophy, and theology. And detective stories. He wrote on every conceivable subject, but his vast output is matched only by the consistency and clarity of his thought, his uncanny ability to tie everything together. In the heart of nearly every paragraph lies a jaw-dropping aphorism or sparkling paradox that leaves readers shaking their heads in wonder.
  • Poem: The Arena (Dedicated to the University of Notre Dame, Indiana) — On Saturday, Oct. 11, 1930, in the inaugural game at Notre Dame Stadium, the Irish beat Navy, 26-2. Chesterton was in attendance. "The Arena" is his poem commemorating the occasion.
  • The G. K. Chesterton Collection — The University of Notre Dame's London Global Gateway is proud to house the G.K. Chesterton Library. As well as being the premier English Catholic intellectual of the 20th century, Chesterton had a very specific connection to the University of Notre Dame: he was named a visiting professor and given an honorary degree in 1930. It is appropriate that Notre Dame, widely recognized to be the leading Roman Catholic teaching and research university in the United States, is home to such a remarkable collection. Serving as a tangible connection between the Notre Dame main campus and the London Global Gateway, the collection also aims to unite the University with the broader Roman Catholic community in the United Kingdom.
  • Book: "My Name is Lazarus" — 34 stories of converts whose path to Rome was paved by G.K. Chesterton. Edited with an introduction by Dale Ahlquist. Jewish converts, Muslim converts, former atheists, agnostics, and Protestants of all stripes. Drawn to Chesterton for utterly different reasons. All arriving at the same destination.
  • Book: "G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense" — This book is the perfect introduction to Chesterton. Dale Ahlquist is an able guide who takes the reader through twelve of Chesterton’s most important books as well as the famous Father Brown stories.
  • Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque
]]> Dale Ahlquist is the president of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton and the author of five books about Chesterton, including The Complete Thinker and Common Sense 101. We chat about Chesterton's 1930 visit to Notre Dame, his interdisciplinary approach to writing, and (spoiler alert!) the meaning of The Man Who Was Thursday.

Special Guest: Dale Ahlquist.

Links:

  • The Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton — Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) is a writer like none other. As a journalist, he wrote thousands of essays for the London newspapers. But he also wrote a hundred books: novels, poetry, plays, literary criticism, history, economic theory, philosophy, and theology. And detective stories. He wrote on every conceivable subject, but his vast output is matched only by the consistency and clarity of his thought, his uncanny ability to tie everything together. In the heart of nearly every paragraph lies a jaw-dropping aphorism or sparkling paradox that leaves readers shaking their heads in wonder.
  • Poem: The Arena (Dedicated to the University of Notre Dame, Indiana) — On Saturday, Oct. 11, 1930, in the inaugural game at Notre Dame Stadium, the Irish beat Navy, 26-2. Chesterton was in attendance. "The Arena" is his poem commemorating the occasion.
  • The G. K. Chesterton Collection — The University of Notre Dame's London Global Gateway is proud to house the G.K. Chesterton Library. As well as being the premier English Catholic intellectual of the 20th century, Chesterton had a very specific connection to the University of Notre Dame: he was named a visiting professor and given an honorary degree in 1930. It is appropriate that Notre Dame, widely recognized to be the leading Roman Catholic teaching and research university in the United States, is home to such a remarkable collection. Serving as a tangible connection between the Notre Dame main campus and the London Global Gateway, the collection also aims to unite the University with the broader Roman Catholic community in the United Kingdom.
  • Book: "My Name is Lazarus" — 34 stories of converts whose path to Rome was paved by G.K. Chesterton. Edited with an introduction by Dale Ahlquist. Jewish converts, Muslim converts, former atheists, agnostics, and Protestants of all stripes. Drawn to Chesterton for utterly different reasons. All arriving at the same destination.
  • Book: "G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense" — This book is the perfect introduction to Chesterton. Dale Ahlquist is an able guide who takes the reader through twelve of Chesterton’s most important books as well as the famous Father Brown stories.
  • Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque
]]> Episode 2: Sean Kelsey https://ndcec.fireside.fm/2 0de52b5e-8580-4a05-b14a-7acaa36ba692 Thu, 12 Oct 2017 16:00:00 -0400 Notre Dame de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture full Notre Dame de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture A conversation with Sean Kelsey, associate professor of philosophy and the chair of the CEC's Faculty Advisory Committee. We discuss his book on Aristotle's "De Anima", the writing process itself, the Center's work with students, and how the Center helps support the Catholic character of Notre Dame. 23:22 no Professor Sean Kelsey (http://ethicscenter.nd.edu/people/advisory/fac/#sean_kelsey) is an associate professor of philosophy and the chair of the Center's Faculty Advisory Committee (http://ethicscenter.nd.edu/people/advisory/fac/). He is on sabbatical in 2017-18, writing a book on Aristotle's De Anima with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. We discuss the writing process, the Center's student formation work, and the role of the Center in supporting the Notre Dame's Catholic identity. Special Guest: Sean Kelsey. Professor Sean Kelsey is an associate professor of philosophy and the chair of the Center's Faculty Advisory Committee. He is on sabbatical in 2017-18, writing a book on Aristotle's De Anima with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. We discuss the writing process, the Center's student formation work, and the role of the Center in supporting the Notre Dame's Catholic identity.

Special Guest: Sean Kelsey.

Links:

]]> Professor Sean Kelsey is an associate professor of philosophy and the chair of the Center's Faculty Advisory Committee. He is on sabbatical in 2017-18, writing a book on Aristotle's De Anima with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. We discuss the writing process, the Center's student formation work, and the role of the Center in supporting the Notre Dame's Catholic identity.

Special Guest: Sean Kelsey.

Links:

]]>