The Weekly, March 11, 2024
Hi all,
Running something of a poll question this week: So we have this YouTube channel for Mere O. I've been uncertain what to do with it. I don't think it would really fit our style to attempt something along the lines of what Gavin Ortlund is doing—and in any case Gavin is already doing it so well that I don't see the need for another similar channel.
That said, for a variety of reasons I think YouTube is worth investing in from a content perspective, and I think there are some ways in which the ethos of Mere O might actually be better conveyed through video. At least it can be conveyed in a different way through video. So I want to do something with the channel.
The thought I've been kicking around is effectively using it as a doorway into the studies of Mere O contributors—something like Malcolm Guite's delightful channel. The idea would be to have a revolving cast of contributors who film short videos in which they introduce a beloved passage from a favorite book of theirs and perhaps talk about it a little and in a fairly informal way as they read. It should have the feel of the best sort of classroom conversation with a knowledgeable teacher who revels in their subject. I think we have the people to pull this off, but I'm curious what you all think. Would you be interested in this? My thought is the videos wouldn't run more than ten minutes, typically, and would be the sort of thing one could easily enjoy while taking a short break from work or perhaps at the end of the day to help one wind down. Let me know. And thanks for reading!
Reading
Books
You really must get this remarkable volume of Christian poems prior to 1800, many of which are found in English translation for the first time. The short essay we ran today at Mere O was stirred by my reading in this book and, in particular, reading a poem by Alcuin of York.
Articles
Matthew Loftus on protesting
Jennifer Valentino-DeVries and Michael H. Keller on Instagram and child exploitation
Jonah Goldberg on how we exaggerate the importance of the presidency
John Ehrett on integralism
Susannah Black Roberts on Habsburg cities
Martin Shaw on knowing the unknown God
Elsewhere
Quite a delightful video of Guite touring his new study and reading a poem from Rilke:
Under the Mercy,
~Jake