In The Back of the Book, host Christopher J. Scalia interviews writers, scholars, and other expert guests about culture and the arts.Listen to The Back of the B...
Tevi Troy, a senior fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute, talks to Chris about his books The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry (Regnery History, 2024) and What Jefferson Read, Ike Watched, Obama Tweeted: 200 Years of Popular Culture in the White House (Regnery History, 2013). Tevi explains how different titans of the entertainment industry—the Warner brothers, Lew Wasserman, and Oprah Winfrey—developed and used relationships with such presidents as FDR, Reagan, and Obama. He also considers the different ways Joe Biden and Donald Trump have engaged with popular culture to develop their images and connect with voters. Plus, how did Tevi go from earning a PhD in American Civilization to working in the White House to becoming a presidential historian?Show Notes:Tevi’s newest book, The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of IndustryMore from Tevi about presidents and pop culture (C-SPAN)Follow Tevi on TwitterX: @TeviTroyICYMI: Chris’s conversation with Jonah Goldberg on The RemnantChris’s upcoming book, 13 Novels Conservatives Will Love (but Probably Haven’t Read)This episode is brought to you by Root & Branch Sheets: the only bedsheets designed specifically for unwanted guests! Opening and closing music: Brendan Benson, “Spit It Out,” used with permission from the artist.
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47:31
Who Killed Beauty? The Demise of Art Deco and the Rise of Ugly Buildings
Megan Gafford joins Chris to discuss some of her recent writing about the fate of architecture in the 20th century. Art Deco was a beautiful, ornamental style that thrived in the United States in the 1920s and ‘30s. What happened to it—why did modernism displace it and what did we lose in the process? Plus, why do manifestos and fanaticism spoil art? Megan and Chris also discuss the architectural writings of Tom Wolfe, the new film The Brutalist, and why beauty matters in even the bleakest times. Show Notes:· Megan’s Substack, Fashionably Late Takes—don’t miss “‘America Was Supposed to be Art Deco’: When America abandoned beauty.”· Tom Wolfe, “The Building That Isn’t There” Part 1 & Part 2 (New York Times)· Follow Megan on TwitterX: @megan_gafford This episode is brought to you by the Gaza Largo Club—the Crown Jewel of Palestine!Opening and closing music: Brendan Benson, “Spit It Out,” used with permission from the artist.
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1:13:34
A Legion of Horribles; or Cormac McCarthy, The Cannibal Owl, and the Art of Fiction
Novelist Aaron Gwyn joins the show to discuss the fiction of Cormac McCarthy. Why is McCarthy’s Blood Meridian a great American novel? What does Gwyn make of recent revelations about McCarthy’s personal life? Plus, Gwyn reads from and discusses his compelling new novella, The Cannibal Owl. What is the history, and what are the Comanche traditions, behind the work? Gwyn, who teaches creative writing and contemporary literature at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, also discusses how students have changed over the past twenty years, the most important advice he gives young writers, and his favorite Van Halen album. This episode is brought to you by the Gaza Largo Club—the Crown Jewel of Palestine!Show Notes:· “What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years?” (New York Times)· Aaron Gwyn’s course lectures on McCarthy’s Blood Meridian· Harold Bloom talks to Brian Lamb about Blood Meridian (C-SPAN)· B.R. Myers on Cormac McCarthy’s “andelopes”· “Cormac McCarthy’s Secret Muse Breaks Her Silence After Half a Century: ‘I Loved Him. He Was My Safety.’” (Vanity Fair)· Aaron Gwyn’s novella, The Cannibal Owl (Belle Point Press)· Method & Madness Podcast with Aaron Gwyn and Brad Kelly· Follow Aaron on TwitterX: @AmericanGwynOpening and closing music: Brendan Benson, “Spit It Out,” used with permission from the artist.
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58:50
The Arts in America, with Daniel Asia
Daniel Asia, a composer, author, and president of The Center for American Culture & Ideas, joins Chris to discuss his musical career (including his new opera), advise newbies on where they can start enjoying classical music (his answer will surprise you), and consider the place of high art in the United States. Is there a tension between democracy and excellence? Is there anything the new administration should do to boost our engagement with opera, classical, music, and the performing arts? From Tocqueville to Herman’s Hermits, Mozart to the space aliens, this episode has it all. Show Notes:Daniel Asia’s compositions on Spotify and Amazon. His upcoming opera (in English!) is The Tin Angel Opera.Special thanks to our sponsor, Hennigan’s Scotch Whisky. Opening and closing music: Brendan Benson, “Spit It Out,” used with permission from the artist.
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59:52
Classical English, the Socratic Method, and Stoicism: A Conversation with Ward Farnsworth
Author Ward Farnsworth joins Chris to discuss his Classical English series, as well as his books on Stoicism and the Socratic Method. What—and how—can we learn from the style, rhetoric, and argument of great writers from the long 19th century? How are the ancient Stoics comparable to modern cognitive psychologists? And how can the Socratic method be an antidote for stupidity? Plus, Chris explains his father’s theory of the Shakespeare Principle.Ward Farnsworth is professor and W. Page Keeton Chair at the University of Texas Law School. He’s the author the Farnsworth Classical English series, which comprises Farnsworth’s Classical Rhetoric, Classical English Metaphor, Classical English Style, and most recently, Classical English Argument. He is also the author of The Socratic Method and The Practicing Stoic.Show Notes: Ward’s author page on Amazon. Chris’s review of Ward’s most recent book, Classical English Argument. Special thanks to our sponsor, Eckleburg Optometry: from West Egg to West Hollywood, the giant eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg keep their vigil. Opening and closing music: Brendan Benson, “Spit It Out,” used with permission from the artist.
In The Back of the Book, host Christopher J. Scalia interviews writers, scholars, and other expert guests about culture and the arts.Listen to The Back of the Book, along with more than 40 other original podcasts, at Ricochet.com. No paid subscription required.
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