Reclaiming Catholic Culture through Classic Literature: An Interview with Joseph Pearce
You may know him as the acclaimed expert on J.R.R. Tolkien, or you may know him for his Ignatius Press critical editions of the classics, but Joseph Pearce is also the dedicated editor for St. Austin Review (StAR), a publication committed to reclaiming culture.
The magazine centers on reviews of classical reads, articles that delve deeper into children and adult literature, and advice for why and how to approach the classics, so I was very excited when I found them! I reached out to Joseph Pearce, and he kindly agreed to share the story behind StAR, as well as some of his insider wisdom on the importance of reading the classics, particularly for Catholics.
On the Catholic Propensity, in Literature, to Glorify Pain
But if we Catholics are obsessed with suffering, it is no more than society at large… only our suffering looks a little different.
How O’Connor’s characters seem to suffer needlessly, and when they oughtn’t to! And all of it, like my dressing in the morning, appears self-inflicted.
I apologize, but the search engine can be a bit finicky. First try usually gets you a ‘no results’ message, but just push that enter button again, and what you’re looking for should pop up. Happy Reading!