Lengthened Shadows: America and Its Institutions in the Twenty-First Century
Fans of theNew Criterion, theHarper'sfor cultural elites bending right, will likely recognize most of the contributors to this anthology, which, like its parent publication, prefers to fortify its criticism with a healthy (if not liberal) dose of eulogy. As such, this selection combines politically self-conscious praise for American high modernism in architecture, poetry, and war with mournful longing for the very nearly departed in American society. Some are more indignant than others. Coeditor Kimball's "Institutionalizing Our Demise," a Samuel Huntington-esque^Bappeal to reverse the centrifugal forces of multiculturalism, spits more bile than Jay Nordlinger's assessment of the state of classical music, which suffers primarily from a glut of enthusiastic, qualified performers. Robert Bork's piece on recent Supreme Court jurisprudence, likewise committed to provocative gloominess, will resonate with strict constructionists and social conservatives. It preaches to the choir at times, but alongside all its exhortations and laments shine some thought-provoking insights, such as theologian David B. Hart's intuitive musings on the unique ecstasies of American religion, perhaps this selection's best essay.Brendan DriscollCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved