How to Explain?

It is so difficult when people crucify others for misspeaking during a public speech.

If you go here, you'll find some particularly difficult people making fun of James O'Keefe. This seems to be an afternoon's pastime for some of them, who have never misspoken themselves.

What I think James meant to say was that people in public office should be monitored, and that this was a good use of one's moral judgment: To keep watch over what those who claim to represent us do and say.

They don't know Belloc (spelled Beloch on the site). They think Mount St. Mary's invited James to speak.Tweet

James O'Keefe at the Conference

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Call for Chestertonian Papers

This from Jill:

Once again, I'm asking for you to share the information about the Mid-Atlantic Popular/American Culture Association conference. This year it will be held in Washington, DC. This will mark the third year of an official Chesterton panel at this event, a panel that was precipiated in the fall of 2007, when I presented a paper on Tolkien and Chesterton on the well-established Tolkien/Lewis panel. It is only thanks to Chesterton admirers and scholars of ACS that I've been able to make this little panel a reality.

In the official Call for Papers, you'll note the Chesterton panel (G.K. Chesterton
Jill Kriegel, Florida Atlantic University. Please note that although the CFP states a submission deadline of June 30, there is now an extension until July 19. I humbly apologize for this still-late notice. I admit that the whirlwind of finishing up my dissertation distracted me from other professional tasks that also deserved attention.

Please, at your convenience, disseminate this information on your blog...and in any other way you can. If anyone mentions needing a little time beyond 7/19, I believe I can get a little wiggle room.

Thanks, blessings, Jill

Call for Papers (CFP) MAPACA 2010
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL, ALEXANDRIA, VA
October 28, 2010 to October 31, 2010

The Mid-Atlantic Popular and American Culture Association (MAPACA) invites academics, graduate and undergraduate students, independent scholars, and artists to submit papers for the annual conference, to be held in Alexandria, VA, in 2010. Those interested in presenting at the conference are invited to submit ONE proposal or panel to ONE of the areas listed below by June 30, 2010. Include a brief bio with your proposal. Single papers, as well as 3- or 4-person panels and roundtables, are encouraged. For further information, updates on areas and area chairs, please visit MAPACA’s web site at www.mapaca.net.

Standford's Coming!

I just heard that Standford's coming to ChesterTen, and so I was searching for his latest video and found this. I'm not sure he's going to like our conference, do you?

Interview with Dawn Eden

See what she's been up to since we saw her at the last conference, she's amazing. You go, girl!

Chicago-Talk on Henry8 and Anglican Communion

Chris Check, Vice President of The Rockford Institute, to address Jan. 8, 2010 CCI Lunch Forum On The Impact of "Henry VIII, the Divorce"

Christopher J. Check is the Vice President of The Rockford Institute. He holds a B.A. in English literature from Rice University. Before joining the Institute he served as a captain in the United States Marine Corps, where he specialty was field artillery. He served as editor of The Family in America and is an award-winning commentator for Illinois Public radio. He has been published in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, the Wanderer, National Review, New Oxford Review, Culture Wars, Touchstone and Defense Media Review. The subject: "Henry VIII, the Divorce" and the welcome "home" by Benedict XVI to Anglicans wishing to return to full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.Pope Benedict XVI has extended an historic olive branch to Anglicans distraught over the collapse of the Church of England into moral anarchy. It is astonishing that Anglicanism has lasted as long as it has in light of the troubling tale of lust, deceit, and disobedience that is at its origin. Even C.S. Lewis, whose Ulster-bred prejudices kept him out of the Church of Rome, locates Henry VIII in deepest, darkest hell. If many Anglicans today admit that Henry VIII was a monster, they justify his cruel treatment of his wife, Catherine of Aragon, by arguing that the king's motives, while not necessarily admirable, were merely political: that the stability of the Tudor line and of the whole realm demanded a male heir. This lecture:
1. exposes the dishonesty of that defense,
2. lays bare Henry's true motives in divorcing Catherine,
3. identifies the sinister operators behind the scenes,
4. unwinds the convoluted legal arguments Henry attempted to justify his actions,
5. and names the painful and widespread effects of the divorce we yet feel today.
Henry VIII's divorce may be the worst tragedy to befall mankind since the Fall of Man.

Luncheons are at 12:00 noon at the Union League Club, 65 W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago. The dress code for the Club allows casual business attire (collared shirt and slacks for men; slacks or skirt with blouse or sweater for women. Jeans, sweat shirts, or tee shirts are not permitted.)
Tickets are $30.00. For reservation, call Maureen at 708-352-5834.


H/T: Gramps, thanks John!

Chesterton and Christmas Talk--A Reader Sends a Report

I was made aware of Chesterton and Christmas: A Serious Affair thanks to your Chesterton blog. Last night I traveled from Philadelphia to New York City to attend this event. In gratitude, I offer you this report.
The event was a collaboration among The Crossroads Cultural Center, the G.K. Chesterton Institute For Faith and Culture at Seton Hall University, and Fordham University's Campus Ministry. Attendance was about two hundred.
Tony Hendra read Chesterton's The House of Christmas, The Nativity, and The Wise Men.
The Choir Of Communion And Liberation, under the direction of Christopher Vath, sang carols from around the world.
Father Ian Boyd and Dr. Dermot Quinn were luminous in Chesterton's Love For Christmas; A Conversation. What stays with me about their presentation is this: that the Incarnation was the foundation of Chesterton's wonder, gratitude, and joy. That God became a man to share in our humanity should be the basis of a lifelong celebration. 
Some GKC zingers:
"Dickens rescued Christmas from the Puritans."
On Shaw's criticism that Christmas is just an excuse for shopkeepers to sell their wares: "That's like saying the purpose of sex is for jewelers to sell rings."
Each Christmas GKC "celebrated the realization that he was not God."
This was a great event and well worth the trip.
John H

Thank you so much for this wonderful report, John. I felt like I got to share a little bit in the joy of this conversation.

And Father Boyd is going to be speaking at ChesterTen in August, 2010.

Ahlquist speaking on newest articles of Chesterton's found recently

New York City Chesterton/Christmas Event

Lucky New Yorkers, this looks like a great way to prepare for Christmas.

Special Treat

In case I haven't convinced you that you need to listen to the CDs from the Rochester Conference, I was listening yesterday and discovered that a very special guest introduces Dale at the talks: his wife Laura! Laura gives some "insider" information that you won't want to miss.

Find the CDs here.

Seattle Conference CDs NOW AVAILABLE!

Come and get 'em!

Rochester Conference CDs are here!

You can now find the conference CDs from the Re-Awakening Wonder conference here, the entire set from the entire day is only $25! Order yours today.

Some Pictures from ReAwakening Wonder in Rochester

Thanks and H/T: Su
Includes Dale and Tom Howard, the four speakers (Joseph Pearce, Dale Ahlquist, Tom Howard, and David Higbee), Ellen Finan, Vicki Darkey, and Jeff Force, who were all in Seattle.

It should be noted that Vicki, Ellen and Su (whom I received these pictures from) are all heads of their local Chesterton Societies, way to go!

ChesterTen News

It has come to my attention that the ChesterTen announcement was overlooked by some folks, thinking I was making some sort of local conference (like the St. Paul or Rochester, NY) announcement.

ChesterTen, the Annual Conference of the American Chesterton Society's 29th annual conference, will be held in Emmitsburg, MD August 5-7, 2010. This is the biggie. What Seattle was this year and St. Paul was the 27 years before that (more or less).

So now I hope I've clarified that for everyone ;-) Make plans. Be there.

Rochester, NY Chesterton Conference this weekend

Rochester, NY is the place to be this weekend! (So what am I doing in Peoria???)

ChesterTen Big Announcement

The 29th Annual G.K. Chesterton Conference will by Aug. 5-7, 2010, at Mt. St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. It will be the centennial of “What’s Wrong with the World.”

Already scheduled to speak are Nancy Brown, Msgr. Stewart Swetland, Tom Martin, Regina Doman, and Dale Ahlquist.

Mt. St. Mary’s is a beautiful campus located about an hour north of Washington DC, and only about 20 minutes from Gettysburg.

Reports of the Minneapolis Conference?

So far, I've only seen this, but would love to hear more about the conference last Saturday. Anyone go? If so, please leave us some thoughts in the combox. Thanks.

The Best Conversation Ever

Seeing what's going on below, and the fact that we have 78 comments (a record for us) and more than two people involved in the conversation led me to wonder: What's the Best Conversation Ever? This one is certainly our blog's best. For example, we have people asking intelligent questions, and a few old standard questions, and some sill questions, and then we also have some really intelligent, well-thought-out, given-lightly answers.

I've been really please to see that no one has steam coming out of their ears, no on seems to be reacting in haste, if offense seems possible, I've seen apologies. It's really hard to carry on this kind of conversation over a blog because you can't see when someone is laughing or grinning as they type, knowing in their own minds they are composing a joke. On the other end, it may look like a sneer or a put-down, so these things can often go awry.

But let's get back to the topic. In-person conversations are really best, when you can have them, and I was wondering if you can recall your Best Conversation Ever. What were the elements that made it so memorable? Was there laughter? Intelligent exchange? New insights? Conversion? Wine? Cigars? Cards or scrabble involved?

Some of my Best Conversations Ever have actually taken place at ChesterCons at meals. I recall serious exchange of ideas blended with wine, and with laughter, and give and take, and some shouting and an occasional pounding of canes or sword sticks. I've also had some great conversations right here on line.

Tell us about your Best Conversation Ever. Where was it? When? Whom? How? Why?

Views of the Ignatian Chapel on Seattle U's campus--the Outside

As you can see, the architecture of this building is modern, very asymmetrical, plain, rather ugly walls, strange shapes, incongruous juxtapositions. A building least likely, upon viewing, to be suspected of being a chapel. Next you will see the inside.

ChesterTen

The ACS Conference in 2010 will be most likely in August, in the Washington DC area, most likely Maryland, Emmitsburg, probably Mount St. Mary's University. Nothing written in stone yet, but this is the anticipated time/place.

Hopefully, this will accomodate a lot of the east-coasters who couldn't come this year.

2011--in St. Louis.