<![CDATA[Word & Song by Anthony Esolen: Books]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/s/books-by-anthony-esolenhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PVmy!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F14770073-0b84-47aa-a979-75288a9a7065_1280x1280.pngWord & Song by Anthony Esolen: Bookshttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/s/books-by-anthony-esolenSubstackSun, 19 Apr 2026 05:40:55 GMT<![CDATA[The Hundredfold: Songs for the Lord]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/the-hundredfoldhttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/the-hundredfoldThu, 14 Mar 2024 14:00:00 GMT“How does one describe a work as rare, as priceless, as this? Nourishment for the malnourished soul. Food for those hungry for beauty. Manna in the desert of our postmodern waste land. Lembas for sojourners in Mordor. All we need to do is taste and see that it is good!” — Joseph Pearce

The Hundredfold is a tapestry of hymns, monologues, and short lyrics knit together as one book-length poem in praise of Christ in his startling humanity. Using all the riches of the English poetic tradition―meter, rhyme, music―the poet ponders the mysterious man from Nazareth and the world he came to set on fire with splendor.

Having devoted a career to studying and translating the Italian masters Dante and Tasso, Anthony Esolen puts on the dusty mantle of such English craftsmen as Donne, Milton, and Hopkins in his own book of original contemplative poetry. The Hundredfold includes dramatic monologues set in first-century Greece and Palestine; lyrical meditations on creation, longing, failure, modern emptiness, and unshakeable hope; and twenty-one brand-new hymns, set to such traditional melodies as "Picardy" and "Old One-Hundred-Twenty-Fourth".

And if all that were not enough, the book includes an introduction with diamond-sharp insights about English poetic forms at a time when form is so often misunderstood, if not dismissed. It provides an invaluable resource for students, teachers, and poets themselves, as well as for those who want to read poetry but need help along their way.

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]]><![CDATA[The Lies of our Time]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/the-lies-of-our-timehttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/the-lies-of-our-timeSun, 10 Dec 2023 19:03:56 GMTNew Book (Regnery, 2023)

"Anthony Esolen is in a category of one: a prolific author whose every single word is worth reading. Why? His prose surrounds the reader from the first with his manifest love of the West and of Jesus Christ and his Church by engaging the reader’s mind and heart. Only a scholar who is also a poet can write with so much insight and so much music."

Chris Check, President, Catholic Answers

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]]><![CDATA[Confessions (St. Augustine)]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/confessions-st-augustinehttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/confessions-st-augustineSun, 10 Dec 2023 19:00:46 GMTNew Translation of St. Augustine’s Confessions (Tan Books, 2023)

“Like St. Augustine himself, Dr. Esolen is intimately familiar with Sacred Scripture and the classical tradition, and he helps the reader enter into St. Augustine’s world through his meticulous translation and helpful explanatory notes. This book is worth it for the footnotes alone—they make all the difference in understanding many of St. Augustine’s images, references, and allusions."

Peter Tapsak, Institute of Catholic Culture

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Word & Song by Anthony Esolen is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

New Paid Subscriptions, Upgrades to Paid, and Gifts Subscriptions are now available at a discount through Epiphany. We are including printable gift certificates with our December posts for your convenience.

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]]><![CDATA[In the Beginning was the Word]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/in-the-beginning-was-the-wordhttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/in-the-beginning-was-the-wordThu, 30 Nov 2023 14:55:00 GMT“This book is more than biblical interpretation. It is poetry — and poetry about the greatest work of poetry ever generated: the Prologue to John’s gospel.” —Scott Hahn

In this extended meditation, Anthony Esolen looks, phrase by phrase, at the majestic Prologue to the Gospel of John, which with good reason he calls “the most influential paragraph in the history of man.” He unfolds its theological richness by showing how the Apostle John has in mind, not only what he saw Jesus do and heard him say, but also the whole witness of Scripture before the time of Jesus, and the way the young Church proclaimed him. A unique feature of this remarkable work is how Esolen “hears” (and we with him) the Hebrew/Aramaic underlying John’s Greek (which was not his mother tongue), echoing those languages in such a way that, all at once, what we thought could never be more profoundly expressed bursts forth in a renewed poetic splendor that brings into ever keener relief the whole panorama of the theology of the God-Man. Esolen’s decades-long immersion in Christian poetry and Scripture uniquely positions him as a guide to the astonishing and life-changing “poem” of the Prologue. He says it best: “My hope is not only to illuminate what John wishes us to hear, but to show that, when it comes to this poetry, John is not the originator; he is, rather, the beloved disciple who caught the habit from the Lord Himself.”

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]]><![CDATA[No Apologies]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/no-apologieshttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/no-apologiesWed, 29 Nov 2023 14:55:00 GMTA generation of young men and boys are being raised in self-loathing, taught that the core of their identity as men is not only abhorrent, but is responsible for most, if not all,  of humanity's ills.

In No Apologies, veteran author and professor, Anthony Esolen, issues a powerful defense of the virtues of masculine strength. From the thankless brute force of the nameless men who erected buildings, paved roads, and cleared the ground upon which human society stands, to the boundless energy of youth that compelled centuries of global exploration, to the father's embodied authority as protector, director, and exemplar of law and justice, Esolen shows how civilization has rested upon the strength of men.

With his customary wisdom and wit, Esolen draws on two millennia of historical thought, introducing his readers to giants such as Plato, Augustine, Aquinas, Solzhenitsyn, and even Mark Twain to present a vigorous and timely defense of the masculine ethos.

NEW RELEASE!

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]]><![CDATA[Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/ten-ways-to-destroy-the-imaginationhttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/ten-ways-to-destroy-the-imaginationSat, 21 Jan 2023 02:55:00 GMT“Anthony Esolen mounts a crushing and delightful riposte to the whole array of theories on the rearing and education of children that preside in current American culture. Ironically, however, the note he strikes, far from sounding the sullen tone often marking the work of those who (justly) find themselves appalled at those doctrines, is joyous. Sprightly, lucid, exultant: such words touch on the spirit of the book.” — Thomas Howard

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Book Review by Thomas Howard

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]]><![CDATA[Nostalgia]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/nostalgiahttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/nostalgiaFri, 20 Jan 2023 13:56:00 GMT"A true master of the moral imagination, Esolen breaks through the sentimental surface of nostalgia to reveal its hidden metaphysical depths in the human heart.  Homesickness is the illness of our age, and Esolen shows us the way home."                 
-- Nathan Schlueter, Professor of Philosphy and Religion, Hillsdale College

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]]><![CDATA[Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/out-of-the-asheshttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/out-of-the-ashesFri, 20 Jan 2023 13:43:00 GMT"Out of the Ashes is an astonishing combination of energy, humor, insight, and exceptional erudition, topped off by a vivid personal style and a special gift for tweaking the nose of secularist nonsense-peddlers. If you’re looking for a guide to our current cultural predicament (and how to fix it), one that’s sobering and invigorating at the same time, start with this book."

—CHARLES J. CHAPUT, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia

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]]><![CDATA[Sex and the Unreal City]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/sex-and-the-unreal-cityhttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/sex-and-the-unreal-cityWed, 18 May 2022 13:42:52 GMTThe Unreal City is a zany cartoon megalopolis where towers are built of cotton candy, facts scatter like pixie dust, and the truth is whatever you feel it to be. But it's no fantasy. It's where we live. We dwell in Unreal City. We believe in un-being.
With saber-like wit, poet and professor Anthony Esolen leads readers on a tour through the ruins of the…

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]]><![CDATA[How the Church Has Changed The World ]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/how-the-church-has-changed-the-worldhttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/how-the-church-has-changed-the-worldWed, 18 May 2022 13:27:52 GMTThese three volumes are a compilation of Professor Esolen’s monthly essays on the topic of “How the Church Has Changed the World.” Of themselves, each of the volumes makes excellent and inspiring devotional reading; these popular short stories, published in Magnificat over many years, were brought out in three volumes because of their popularity with readers. To read Professor Esolen's ongoing work each month in Magnificat, along with daily Mass texts, other fine essays, art commentaries, meditations, and daily prayers inspired by the Liturgy of the Hours, visit www.magnificat.com to subscribe or to request a complimentary copy of the monthly magazine. 

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Buy Volume Three Here

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]]><![CDATA[Defendng Boyhood]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/defendng-boyhoodhttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/defendng-boyhoodWed, 18 May 2022 06:16:56 GMTDrawing on his own in many ways all-American boyhood, Esolen --at times wistfully, at times, playfully, at times prophetically, and with the thunder of an Old Testament prophet -- reminds us  what a healthy and good boyhood once was and what it can be again. Anthony Esolen calls for  a return to sanity to an insane world. He may not be able to change th…

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]]><![CDATA[Real Music: A Guide to the Timeless Hymns of the Church ]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/real-music-a-guide-to-the-timelesshttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/real-music-a-guide-to-the-timelessWed, 18 May 2022 06:05:38 GMTReal Music by Anthony Esolen  (with accompanying CD of 18 hymns recorded by the St. Cecilia Choir of St. John Cantius Church in Chicago) is a comprehensive and delightful guide to the great traditional hymnody of the Church.  In an age when sacred hymns of the past have either been "modernized" or utterly rejected as irrelevant, Real Music restores to u…

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]]><![CDATA[Angels, Barbarians, and Nincompoops]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/angels-barbarians-and-nincompoopshttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/angels-barbarians-and-nincompoopsWed, 18 May 2022 05:55:04 GMTIt's hard not to love this book, which introduces a diverse cast of characters ranging from C.S. Lewis and Emily Dickinson to Lily Munster and the Great Pumpkin to explain the historical, humorous, and even sacred origins of words most of us use without even knowing what they literally mean or where they come from. In this engaging discussion of the roo…

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]]><![CDATA[Defending Marriage:]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/defending-marriagehttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/defending-marriageWed, 18 May 2022 05:14:54 GMT“…a sensible, beautiful book . . . bringing us back to hope, to joy, and to gratitude for the divine gift of marriage.”
 
—The Most Reverend James D. Conley, DD, STL, Bishop of Lincoln
 

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Word & Song by Anthony Esolen is a reader-supported online magazine devoted to reclaiming the good, the beautiful, and the true. To receive new posts and support this proje…

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]]><![CDATA[Reclaiming Catholic Social Teaching]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/reclaiming-catholic-social-teachinghttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/reclaiming-catholic-social-teachingWed, 18 May 2022 05:05:11 GMTIn our times, many clergy and laymen alike argue that Catholic social teaching requires that we support the demands of a vast -- and largely secular -- welfare state. With the comprehensive works of Pope Leo XIII as his guide, Esolen shows readers that Catholic social teaching is far more generous and human than any government programs can be, and that …

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]]><![CDATA[The Roman Missal Companion]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/the-roman-missal-companionhttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/the-roman-missal-companionWed, 18 May 2022 04:43:24 GMT

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]]><![CDATA[The Beauty of the Word ]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/the-beauty-of-the-wordhttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/the-beauty-of-the-wordWed, 18 May 2022 04:28:05 GMTThe essential resource for unlocking the riches of the newly implemented Roman Missal, The Beauty of the Word is a comprehensive, step-by-step commentary on the changes in the Order of Mass (including Prefaces), the Proper of Time, and the Proper of Saints, written by Anthony Esolen, author of Magnificat’s bestselling Roman Missal Companion (over 250,00…

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]]><![CDATA[Reflections on the Christian Life]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/reflections-on-the-christian-lifehttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/reflections-on-the-christian-lifeWed, 18 May 2022 02:19:42 GMT“So it seems to me that all stories, and all works of genuine art, point beyond themselves; they put their roots down into time and place, but their fruit has the savor of eternity." (Anthony Esolen)

”Anthony Esolen is a brilliant yet humble scholar and has beautifully and intelligently shared his reflections on how we are a part of the greatest story o…

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]]><![CDATA[The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/the-politically-incorrect-guide-tohttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/the-politically-incorrect-guide-toWed, 18 May 2022 01:51:13 GMT“An acclaimed translator of Dante, and a brilliant teacher of western civilization, Professor Esolen is the perfect Virgil, guiding the student through the fugue-like influence of Athens, Jerusalem, and Rome.” — Russell Hittinger

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Word & Song by Anthony Esolen is a reader-supported online magazine devoted to reclaiming the good, the beautiful, and the tru…

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]]><![CDATA[Ironies of Faith]]>https://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/ironies-of-faithhttps://anthonyesolen.substack.com/p/ironies-of-faithWed, 18 May 2022 01:23:43 GMT“To find the canon of western literature back in the hands, not only of a man who knows that canon, but who loves it as a true man of letters . . . is a pleasure almost beyond telling. Drop everything and read this.” — Thomas Howard

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