The Claremont Review of Books Podcast
For 20 years, the Claremont Review of Books has been the gold standard for conservative criticism and political analysis. Now the CRB comes to the podcast world with a new interview show hosted by Dr. Spencer Klavan, the magazine's assistant editor. As each new issue comes out, Spencer phones up authors whose essays have prompted deeper reflection and discussion. Over a drink and a copy of the latest CRB, he'll chat with the leading minds on the Right about what's going on in politics and literary culture.
New interviews appear once a month, and--as a bonus--Spencer will sit down once per issue with his boss and friend Dr. Charles Kesler, editor of the CRB, to discuss the major themes that have arisen in the news cycle and their deeper implications for the state of the nation.
Latest episodes
Aug 14, 2020 • 32min
The Close Read: Michael Anton on The Last Four Years and the Next
As Trump’s first term draws to a close, former senior national security advisor Michael Anton joins Spencer to discuss the political phenomenon that is Trump: are we better off now than we were four years ago? Anton, author of the forthcoming book The Stakes: America at the Point of No Return, argues there’s little wrong with Trump that more Trump can’t solve.
Jul 10, 2020 • 30min
The Close Read: Economist David P. Goldman on the Troubling Rise of China
Is China really an existential threat to America? Economist David P. Goldman joins Spencer to discuss the meteoric rise of a ruthless and emboldened China. Goldman, president of Macrostrategy LLC and columnist for Asia Times, is well-placed to observe and analyze the underhand tactics of the Chinese Communist Party.
Jun 12, 2020 • 31min
The Close Read: Professor David Azerrad on the Frightening Endgame of Social Justice
Where is all this wokeness leading us? Professor David Azerrad of Hillsdale College joins Spencer to reveal the final goal of the social justice crowd. Professor Azerrad, himself on the forefront of the culture war raging throughout American higher education, explains the tactics SJWs utilize to shut down the debate of ideas.
May 15, 2020 • 34min
The Close Read: Spring 2020 Review with Dr. Charles Kesler
Join Dr. Kesler and Spencer as they dive into the Spring 2020 CRB and its major themes over a tall glass of forced social distancing. Dr. Kesler elucidates the effect the coronavirus is having on America and constitutional governance, and the two discuss ways in which governments often extend "emergencies" for decades beyond the resolution of the relevant crisis.
Apr 24, 2020 • 31min
The Close Read: Professor Jim Hankins on the Troubling Rise of Hyperpartisanship
Professor Jim Hankins of Harvard joins Spencer to discuss the rapid and worrying rise of hyperpartisanship in the United States on the Left and, to a lesser extent, the Right. Professor Hankins, an expert in Renaissance history, draws on ancient Greece and Italy to forecast where we’re likely headed from here.
Apr 3, 2020 • 29min
The Close Read: Professor Amy Wax on Woke Threats to the Law
Professor Amy Wax of Pennsylvania Law joins Spencer to discuss the threats that social justice ideology poses to education and legal philosophy. Professor Wax, herself a front-liner in the fight against wokeness, paints a bleak yet realistic picture. Then: Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the history of social justice in the American courts.
Mar 6, 2020 • 33min
The Close Read: Winter 2020 Review with Dr. Charles Kesler
Join Dr. Kesler and Spencer as they delve into the Winter 2020 CRB and its major themes over a glass of riesling. Dr. Kesler elaborates on his predictions about the effect of President Trump’s impeachment on the 2020 election cycle, and the two discuss what ails America with the help of Christopher Caldwell's new book, The Age of Entitlement.
