It's Raining in Pensacola, and Everything Else is the Same

Digest No. 33 - May 2026

My friend Matt and I took 8is teenagers to see the movie opening night. This is the way.

May means Star Wars. And The Mandalorian and Grogu did not disappoint, regardless of what the critics may say.

On Reading & Researching

I enjoyed finishing Book 3 of The Faerie Queene as the school year wound down. We did not make it to Romeo and Juliet, as I had hoped. But it was worth it to leave the students considering Britomart and all the challenges that rise up to challenge our loves. Of the books in Spenser’s masterpiece, I do think this one might be the most appropriate for teenagers.

I’m still working through Chesterton and the Philosophers, though I’ve had to set it aside briefly to read Longfellow’s Outre-Mer. I find it frustrating that there are not enough easily accessible, quality editions of Longfellow’s prose works. The Library of America volume has most of the best poetry and a handful of good prose, but I would like to see LOA put out enough volumes to cover all his works, including his lesser read narrative writing.

I’m also working through The Sun Also Rises again for a book club, as well as Perelandra for a different book club. I’ve got plenty of good things to read to kick off the Summer. I anticipate joining the Walker Percy slow read for the Summer, which will likely be Love in the Ruins. Few books have made me laugh as much as this one, so I’m looking forward to an excuse to go back through it.

On Researching & Speaking & Publishing

Just a few days after my last digest, The University Bookman published my review of Anthony Esolen’s Classical Catechism. This was a challenging book to review but ended up being one of the most enjoyable reviews I’ve written over the years. I think this is an important book for classical educators, largely because it is one of the few books to truly hit a universal note in offering thoughts on modern pedagogies. Below is a little preview.

I’ll be participating in an online conference this week, presenting on Longfellow and Hemingway as travel writers. I think there is much more to be explored here, and it’s given me a renewed interest on a few authors I’ve got in the back of my mind. I don’t know what kind of project this could turn out to be, but least a couple of essays (or even a book) could come out of it.

The conference is called Modernist Crossroads and is offered free to anyone interested. You can check out the schedule and register here. It will be a fun time, with a nice mixture of academic and laymen offerings, I think.

On Traveling & Laboring

May has been a month of only local trips. We celebrated graduation at Trinitas in the middle of the month. This also mean celebrating other graduates in our circle. We mixed in a wedding of a former student (turned co-worker) and the new Star Wars film, meaning we’ve had plenty to keep us busy. I’ve also begun thinking about my future at FSU, which has included reviewing syllabi and considering reading lists. I’m sure I’ll have more to share on that in the coming months.

I’m particularly happy to see so much promotion for the upcoming launch of Josh Herring’s Logres Institute. I’m working with Josh on this project, helping to design and lead the Great Books certificate offering. The program as a whole is exciting, and I think all of the certificates being offered present great opportunities for anyone wanting to expand their education. The Great Books program has already been making people upset online, with squabbles over the list making themselves known. However, I don’t mind for two simple reasons: the list is not meant to be exhaustive but rather representative, and there are a limited number of hours for something like this. I’ll post a bird’s eye view of the reading list below:

I’m sure everyone can find some aspect they would do it differently. Let me know in the comments! Or sign up for a course to really show me what you think!

On Listening

There were a lot of cool videos that were made during COVIDtide. This was one of the byproducts of so many people finding leisure forced upon them. This video of Kurt Smith and his daughter performing “Mad World” was one of the best ones.