The American Scene

An ongoing review of politics and culture


Articles by Alan Jacobs

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007

2011

November

12
there, I fixed it by Alan Jacobs
09
O captain, my captain by Alan Jacobs

August

11
Christianism redux by Alan Jacobs
09
the cause of all the trouble by Alan Jacobs

June

07
sentiment and sentimentality by Alan Jacobs

April

29
a report from Alabama by Alan Jacobs

2010

September

05
Jonathan Franzen's Freedom by Alan Jacobs

August

04
on some of the "first things" by Alan Jacobs

July

24
storytelling by Alan Jacobs

2009

August

31
Jews with Swords by Alan Jacobs
06
great expectations by Alan Jacobs
inquiring minds at the White House by Alan Jacobs
05
The Franchise Affair by Alan Jacobs
03
the English Montaigne? by Alan Jacobs
02
inquiring minds want to know by Alan Jacobs

July

31
testing, testing by Alan Jacobs
19
sauce for the goose by Alan Jacobs
17
one more note about that island by Alan Jacobs
16
my official response to Noah's books-off-the-island post by Alan Jacobs
14
a follow-up to that bleg by Alan Jacobs
13
the green at heart by Alan Jacobs
a homeschooler's bleg by Alan Jacobs
12
in praise of oddballs by Alan Jacobs
08
Would you send your children to Bill Gates U? by Alan Jacobs
06
two scenarios by Alan Jacobs

June

30
watch your language by Alan Jacobs
12
is there still an American scene? by Alan Jacobs
10
Rod, you can do better by Alan Jacobs
Discovery preview by Alan Jacobs
08
arguing, attacking, exposing, refuting by Alan Jacobs
some thoughts on "Up" by Alan Jacobs
04
Koko Taylor by Alan Jacobs

May

26
American Babylon by Alan Jacobs
23
lay off, McWhorter by Alan Jacobs
22
human development by Alan Jacobs
the dyes from gas-tar by Alan Jacobs
18
The President at Notre Dame by Alan Jacobs
16
time passages by Alan Jacobs
14
Gladwell's generalizations by Alan Jacobs
the future of archives by Alan Jacobs
11
a farewell to Malazan by Alan Jacobs

April

30
flags by Alan Jacobs
education, skills, and the future by Alan Jacobs
27
more sin, just for you by Alan Jacobs
24
on the making of tiny distinctions by Alan Jacobs
what's a poor teacher to do? by Alan Jacobs
22
the forgiving Buckley by Alan Jacobs
Steven Johnson on e-readers by Alan Jacobs
conscience by Alan Jacobs
20
Wunderkammer by Alan Jacobs
17
Hell's classroom by Alan Jacobs
more on Saletan and abortion in China by Alan Jacobs
07
apology to Philip Pullman by Alan Jacobs
me and the amoral menace by Alan Jacobs
03
The Arcadian Friends by Alan Jacobs
01
"death is better than life" by Alan Jacobs
Aubade by Alan Jacobs

March

30
T. S. Eliot and Animal Farm by Alan Jacobs
further (mis?)uses of enchantment by Alan Jacobs
tragic humanism by Alan Jacobs
20
literacy and suicide by Alan Jacobs
18
life skillz by Alan Jacobs
those dark satanic mills by Alan Jacobs
11
Freeman's exit by Alan Jacobs
10
uncabled by Alan Jacobs
06
moment of surrender by Alan Jacobs
05
reader's report by Alan Jacobs
04
Anthony Lane on violence and suffering by Alan Jacobs
03
out of the blue by Alan Jacobs

February

28
yet another self-serving announcement by Alan Jacobs
27
Sita's Blues, lessened by Alan Jacobs
26
son of text patterns by Alan Jacobs
23
working hard, or hardly working? by Alan Jacobs
22
FYI by Alan Jacobs
20
Fish and Millman by Alan Jacobs
Do-It-Yourself Tradition by Alan Jacobs
19
exposed by Alan Jacobs
15
it's not cricket by Alan Jacobs
13
PayPal: an agony in five fits by Alan Jacobs
11
traffic by Alan Jacobs
09
what blogs can and can't do by Alan Jacobs
08
the master narrative of secularization by Alan Jacobs
04
The Great Cham of Literature and Mr. Larison by Alan Jacobs
03
syllogism by Alan Jacobs
Auden on nature and history by Alan Jacobs
02
more on Coyne by Alan Jacobs
01
the Culture11 stuff by Alan Jacobs

January

30
dethroning Manjoo by Alan Jacobs
reporting 101 by Alan Jacobs
29
cost and effect by Alan Jacobs
Get Your Deoxyribonucleic Acid Here! by Alan Jacobs
defining fundamentalism by Alan Jacobs
23
more bus slogans by Alan Jacobs
22
associations by Alan Jacobs
16
nation, stripped by Alan Jacobs
I seek the wisdom of the Scene by Alan Jacobs
15
evicted! by Alan Jacobs
13
Poulos, Bono, etc. by Alan Jacobs
silent houses by Alan Jacobs
09
memories and surveys by Alan Jacobs
Dreher and Neuhaus by Alan Jacobs
08
Richard John Neuhaus, 1936-2009 by Alan Jacobs
07
pals by Alan Jacobs

2008

December

31
Frum and literature by Alan Jacobs
27
reads to remember by Alan Jacobs
26
Harold Pinter by Alan Jacobs
24
a Christmas poem for all our readers! by Alan Jacobs
20
dialogue redux by Alan Jacobs
religions and dialogue by Alan Jacobs
12
a really good writer by Alan Jacobs
adequate secular reasons — or not by Alan Jacobs
10
our hero by Alan Jacobs
08
Text Patterns by Alan Jacobs
03
Peter Singer and Jamie Bérubé by Alan Jacobs
the Reformation's "minimum kit" by Alan Jacobs
01
this is where we live by Alan Jacobs
empirical confirmation of my previous two posts by Alan Jacobs
ain't got time for that, part II by Alan Jacobs
ain't got time for that by Alan Jacobs

November

24
when barry met sally by Alan Jacobs
18
pet politics by Alan Jacobs
17
on being a Christian by Alan Jacobs
15
centering by Alan Jacobs
07
in the garden by Alan Jacobs
06
prose and ho's by Alan Jacobs
05
change we can believe in by Alan Jacobs
04
how the world goes by Alan Jacobs

October

29
Sir Richard rides forth to slay another dragon by Alan Jacobs
26
reader's report by Alan Jacobs
23
when I come to be old by Alan Jacobs
21
um, maybe not by Alan Jacobs
fun facts to tell and know (mummy edition) by Alan Jacobs
20
museumgoing (or, my continued attempt to remind myself that there's more to life than politics) by Alan Jacobs
15
living like kings by Alan Jacobs
A Conspiracy of Paper by Alan Jacobs
14
I regret to inform you. . . by Alan Jacobs
13
get yourself anathematized by Alan Jacobs
the long defeat by Alan Jacobs
09
Jean-Marie whatshisname by Alan Jacobs

September

26
libertarians and original sin by Alan Jacobs
22
the dark side by Alan Jacobs
21
Marilynne Robinson by Alan Jacobs
14
what to do after by Alan Jacobs
09
a caveat and/or a confession by Alan Jacobs
08
Purgatory Mates by Alan Jacobs
06
my last ever post on this topic, cross my heart and hope to die by Alan Jacobs
04
more meta by Alan Jacobs
clear lines by Alan Jacobs
03
Third Ways by Alan Jacobs
02
a public service announcement by Alan Jacobs

August

31
knowledge by Alan Jacobs
30
24 hours later by Alan Jacobs
people who need people by Alan Jacobs
29
balancing and hypocrisy by Alan Jacobs
22
medal counting by Alan Jacobs
16
the fate of Iraq's antiquities by Alan Jacobs
12
fallows on brooks by Alan Jacobs
10
commentary by Alan Jacobs
09
get 'em while they're hot by Alan Jacobs
07
did I just hear what I think I heard? by Alan Jacobs
06
codes by Alan Jacobs
04
a poem by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (ca. 1972) by Alan Jacobs
02
culinary conservatism, part II by Alan Jacobs

July

31
on culinary conservatism by Alan Jacobs
19
Carr's impatience — and mine? by Alan Jacobs
18
children and happiness by Alan Jacobs
16
a wise decision by Alan Jacobs
threatening conditions by Alan Jacobs
14
atheisms by Alan Jacobs
the anguish of the Christian libertarian by Alan Jacobs
12
the killer of puppies by Alan Jacobs
08
nightmares do come true by Alan Jacobs
Johnson vs. Bauerlein, third and final round by Alan Jacobs
07
Milt and me by Alan Jacobs
04
Jesse Helms by Alan Jacobs
02
i know what you're thinking by Alan Jacobs

June

29
the life of trees by Alan Jacobs
26
the ball is round by Alan Jacobs
23
these days by Alan Jacobs
21
circumstantial innocence by Alan Jacobs
20
the genie's offer by Alan Jacobs
19
Johnson vs. Bauerlein, Round 2 by Alan Jacobs
18
the two races by Alan Jacobs
17
Johnson vs. Bauerlein, Round 1 by Alan Jacobs
13
first impressions by Alan Jacobs
07
more on towns by Alan Jacobs
06
the weakness of religion by Alan Jacobs
03
what to write on by Alan Jacobs
02
his wheel, my time by Alan Jacobs
01
Luttwak and Islam by Alan Jacobs

May

29
free as in . . . by Alan Jacobs
28
warning: theology ahead by Alan Jacobs
26
my writing doesn't want to be free by Alan Jacobs
25
Google and the English language by Alan Jacobs
23
share and share alike by Alan Jacobs
17
the authority Leon Kass forgot to cite by Alan Jacobs
16
all's right with the world by Alan Jacobs
ethics by Pinker by Alan Jacobs
13
bias by Alan Jacobs
11
get your ridicule here by Alan Jacobs
MacDonald's over-egged pudding by Alan Jacobs
09
great moments in higher education by Alan Jacobs
the manifesto that isn't by Alan Jacobs
08
down under by Alan Jacobs
02
the bonds of community by Alan Jacobs
01
and then there's this by Alan Jacobs
now's your chance by Alan Jacobs

April

24
how do you handle a hungry man? by Alan Jacobs
23
I'll tell you whether you're happy, chump by Alan Jacobs
20
whacky by Alan Jacobs
18
my new motto by Alan Jacobs
11
supercuts by Alan Jacobs
10
tweet ontology by Alan Jacobs
08
presentism by Alan Jacobs
04
firing Yoo? by Alan Jacobs
in memoriam by Alan Jacobs
01
good news from Zimbabwe? by Alan Jacobs

March

31
this literally drives me crazy by Alan Jacobs
29
something I can't do by Alan Jacobs
21
your better is driving me up the wall by Alan Jacobs
19
honesty in playlists by Alan Jacobs
12
take it as a challenge, if you want by Alan Jacobs
11
savvy by Alan Jacobs
connected lives redux by Alan Jacobs
10
phone for you by Alan Jacobs
09
always on shuffle by Alan Jacobs
06
And One More Experience I'll Never Have by Alan Jacobs
How I Know I'll Never Be a Wonk (Volume XXXIV) by Alan Jacobs
03
no, not that Nicholson by Alan Jacobs
anticipation by Alan Jacobs

February

27
complications by Alan Jacobs
23
why p.c. was invented by Alan Jacobs
the sphere of concrete achievement by Alan Jacobs
covering by Alan Jacobs
22
best children's books by Alan Jacobs
more on reading by Alan Jacobs
21
Stephen Dubner on cheating: a response by Alan Jacobs
20
the very best thing about the Obama campaign? by Alan Jacobs
a kick in the . . . by Alan Jacobs
15
outage and outrage by Alan Jacobs
11
okay, okay, one little post on Rowan Williams by Alan Jacobs
Tom Lantos by Alan Jacobs
09
little surprises by Alan Jacobs
08
Huckabee and anti-Mormonism by Alan Jacobs
Steven Johnson on reading by Alan Jacobs
03
same old show by Alan Jacobs
02
Bad to the Bone. Or not. by Alan Jacobs

January

28
a brief meditation on book reviewing and other matters by Alan Jacobs
the greatest toy ever made by Alan Jacobs
23
about that blood by Alan Jacobs
22
after the wire by Alan Jacobs
21
Birmingham by Alan Jacobs
18
confessions of a Christian homeschooler by Alan Jacobs
07
Mormons, antiquity, and plausibility by Alan Jacobs
06
writing words by Alan Jacobs
04
Jonathan Chait, football guru by Alan Jacobs
01
My Happy New Year to Andrew Sullivan by Alan Jacobs

2007

December

30
the conservatism of open-source software by Alan Jacobs
29
bad reading by Alan Jacobs
14
the Mitchell report and the great temple by Alan Jacobs
12
Clarence Thomas, Jeffrey Rosen, and Bulverism by Alan Jacobs
09
illegitimacy revisited by Alan Jacobs
04
Chinese meritocracy by Alan Jacobs
03
The Devil's Party by Alan Jacobs

November

21
Shibboleth by Alan Jacobs
16
editorial control by Alan Jacobs
10
the perfidy of the barista by Alan Jacobs
07
praise the Lord with music by Alan Jacobs

October

23
the gay headmaster by Alan Jacobs
15
hearts and heads by Alan Jacobs