What have I been researching?
The beginning of my dissertation focuses on the religious conflicts that emerged in the election of 1800, between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Many scholars have commented on this element in the election, but I have particularly drawn to what Adams and Jefferson thought about the whole affair years later. Jefferson was always annoyed that people thought he was an atheist, and he was offended that people thought he would encourage people to burn bibles and the like. But less covered is that Adams was also upset with how the Jeffersonian Republicans depicted him, as a moral and zealous busybody. A claim he was horrified at. Here is what he wrote to Benjamin Rush in 1812:
The Secret Whisper ran through them all the Sects “Let Us have Jefferson Madison, Burr, any body, whether they be Philosophers, Deist or even Atheists, rather than a Presbyterian President. This Principle is at the Bottom of the Unpopularity of national Fasts and Thanksgivings, Nothing is more dreaded than the National Government meddling with Religion.
Something that has really struck me in my time at the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies is just how similar Jefferson’s and Adam’s religious views were. Their approach, emphasis, and candor were certainly different, but in terms of theology, they have plenty of overlap.
Overlap that I am starting to think the New England Federalists were aware of and weren’t exactly thrilled by.
What my thesis is starting to get at is that it is one thing to make the Christian case against someone, but it is a whole different effort to make the Christian case for someone. Just because you were religiously opposed to Jefferson, doesn’t mean your faith was thrilled to have Adams.
What have I been writing?
I reviewed Jonathan Todd Hancock’s Convulsed States: Earthquakes, Prophecy, and the Remaking of Early America for Reading Religion, A Publication of the American Academy of Religion.
I also reviewed/commented on Netflix’s The Chair for the Bulwark.
What have I been reading?
BOOKS
The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
(re-read) Friends Divided: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson by Gordon S. Wood
A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign by Edward J. Larson
Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800 by John Ferling
The Words That Made Us: America's Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840 by Akhil Reed Amar
ARTICLES
Biden’s Long Trail of Betrayals by Peter Wehner (The Atlantic)
Biden’s Disingenuous Speech on the Afghanistan Withdrawal by Shay Khatiri (The Bulwark)
What We Can Learn from the Campus Free-Speech War by Isaac Willour (National Review)
Why aren’t there more Republican women in Congress? by Laurel Elder (The Washington Post)
Have the parties switched sides on patriotism? by Samuel Goldman (The Week)
The Importance of Fit and Laura Arnold (Ivy Style)
What have I been watching?
The Big Sleep (1978; The Criterion Channel): A serviceable but uninspired modern noir, featuring two of the greats with Robert Mitchum as Philip Marlowe and James Stewart as General Sternwood. Sadly, it is pretty bland despite its iconic leading man.
Night Moves (1975: The Criterion Channel): A bleak, cynical, and depressing film-noir, full of post-Watergate angst. Gene Hackman’s P.I. Harry Moseby has his charms but also his clear weaknesses, all of which are displayed to great effort. The mystery is pretty straightforward and the ending might leave people cold, but I quite enjoyed it.
The Last Seduction (1994; The Criterion Channel): Often referenced as one of the 1990’s best neo-noir erotic thrillers, with Linda Fiorentino’s Bridget Gregory proclaimed as the ultimate femme fatale. I was completely enthralled by it, wondering what was going to happen next. Sadly, the come out of nowhere ending really spoils the rest of the movie. Still a solid movie, but soured by the finale.
Clockwatchers (1997; The Criterion Channel): I wanted to like this movie, I really did. Given the cast (Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow, Toni Collette, and Alanna Ubach), I thought I was in for a treat. But while it started strong, sadly it quickly became as boring as the subject matter (the dullness of corporate culture). I wouldn’t recommend it.
Moonstruck (1987; The Criterion Channel): I was completely taken in by this movie. Full of wit, romance, and charm. A perfect date-night movie. Will be adding this to my personal Criterion collection with the new Blu-Ray soon.
The Bedroom Window (1987; The Criterion Channel): A pretty paint-by-numbers neo-noir and erotic thriller but elevated by the energy of the cast, the simple but smart twists, and the clean editing. Not going to blow you away, but will certainly entrain you.
Val (2021; AmazonPrime Video): Very touching and really moving. If you are even remotely interested in Val Kilmer’s career, or just how actors work, or how some movies succeed while others bomb, I would recommend it.
Manhunter (1986; The Criterion Channel): As slick and as stylish as one would expect from a Michael Mann work. Very much enjoyed Brian Cox’s depiction of Dr. Hannibal Lecter as brief as they were, but I thought William Petersen also did a solid job as Will Graham. I was a little surprised at the happy ending, given the ending conclusion of the book.