The Close Read Podcast

Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan sit down to rifle through the Spring CRB. There's lots to unpack, including but not limited to: Kesler's editor's note on the growing ideological divide among the states, Christopher Caldwell's investigation of unrest in France, and a new biography of MLK, Jr. Plus: incisive commentary on the Supreme Court's history with affirmative action, and a whistle-stop tour through the greatest hits of country music's first ladies. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Spencer is joined by Jesse Merriam, a Washington Fellow at The Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life who specializes in anti-discrimination and affirmative-action law, for a very timely episode. The two discuss the playing field of affirmative action and how diversity came to define our constitutional order, as well as possible solutions. Merriam outlines what is likely to come next in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision.   Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Spencer is joined by Michael Knowles, celebrated host of “The Michael Knowles Show” at the Daily Wire, “The Book Club” at PragerU, and “Verdict with Ted Cruz.” They discuss the manic decline of the West and its long history, as well as its present manifestation in the form of trans radicalism. Fortunately, Knowles and Spencer also talk about how to cure what ails us, using selected portions from Knowles’ review of Spencer's book, “How to Save the West: Ancient Wisdom for 5 Modern Crises.”   Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan discuss the stimulating new winter 2022/23 CRB. Listen in for reflections on Dr. Kesler's own editor's note and the speech from which it was adapted, discussing the continuity between today's "New Right" and the young conservative movement of the 1950s and '60s. Plus: a survey of ten more CRB essays, covering topics from Benjamin Netanyahu's autobiography to the LGTQQIAAP2S+ movement, and a teaser for the next can't-miss episode of The Close Read. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

To close out the Fall 2022 issue, Spencer is joined by Anthony Daniels (pen name Theodore Dalrymple), a British physician, psychiatrist and prolific author of excellent books. They discuss the history of psychiatric treatment in the West, particularly its blatant barbarism until recently, where we've moved from barbarism to aggressive apathy as the mentally ill have been emptied from asylums to the city streets, where they languish, untreated. Daniels and Spencer talk about solutions to this unfortunate situation. Plus: a brief COVID retrospective from a sane medical professional.   Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Charles Murray, F. A. Hayek Chair Emeritus in Cultural Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Spencer to expand on his most recent essay for the CRB on how diversity and ethnic differences affect large democratic countries like the U.S. Dr. Murray discusses some of the evidence for his argument, as well as some ways in which these difficult truths can be applied to politics today. Plus: a reflection on the need to speak out in troubled times. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Cornell Professor and Hoover Institution Corliss Page Dean Fellow Barry Strauss joins Spencer to discuss his newest essay for the CRB on Caesar and the fall of the Roman republic. Strauss analyzes Caesar’s character and political calculations within the larger Roman political world. This naturally turns to contemporary discussion of what conditions would need to be met for a Caesar to emerge today. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan discuss the thought-provoking new fall 2022 CRB, including Michael Anton’s retrospective on the nuclear near-misses of 1983, Douglas Jeffrey's thoughtful insights into Merle Haggard's life, and Dr. Kesler’s own discussion of what 2022 might mean for 2024. Plus: how closely does the Late Roman Republic parallel us today? Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Harvard Professor and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Harvey C. Mansfield joins Spencer to discuss the state of woke dogma and groupthink at American universities. Mansfield reflects on the value of dissent for students who may be privately reconsidering the group mentality, which leads to broader discussion about the morality of equality and what we ought to do to shed the yoke of wokeism's inherent racism toward everyone. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Claremont Senior Fellow Christopher Caldwell joins Spencer to discuss Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and America’s involvement in it. Caldwell’s brief outline of Ukraine’s history with Russia leads them to a broader discussion of why Ukraine became the flash point for Russia’s ire, and how Americans are inclined to narrativize the war. As the conflict rages on in new and ill-defined ways, what position are everyday Americans left in? Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe