I am 74. My mom brought me up like you are describing. Not intentionally but because it was in her. It came from a deep love of God. She saw Him in everything. Beauty in nature and in architecture, music, artwork etc. We would observe the details of all things. Maybe a flower, a waterfall, a handicapped person and kindness, etc. She sculpted, painted, made ceramics, pottery, clay, played piano and sang. Dad was in the big bands and was a pro musician. Joy and love prevailed. Poetry and real beauty surrounded me. These days due to narcissism and greed and technology and removing God has taken a toll. I never went to a utilitarian school. We were not over the top into the books I wish we had been. We did read classics in school and poems and discussed them and appreciated and interpreted them. Anyway it used to be this way especially when we had God in our hearts. We all must revere our talent and passion and go do it! My grandkids are told to go to college to be able to be self sufficient and make income to have a roof over their heads and good on the table. And the old way in my younger years is not possible for them. But unless they immerse in the classic liberal arts education they may end up unable to survive. I keep explaining this to my families. They are so stuck in the thought of taking classes so they can go work. It disturbs me. But with the high cost of living they cannot even rent a house. So I totally agree with this video. And it is really not possible for everyone these days.

I was a teacher in a catholic school before mandates. I think I’m relieved I’ve been stood down I can now read to remedy my own education and educate my son.

Dr. Esolen is one of the few people whose work I will stop and read simply because his name is on it -- I know that I will walk away enriched and edified. What a treasure for the Church, the West, and the World he is.

I am on my 6th class with Magnus, including one on Paradise Lost with Prof. Esolen. I cannot believe they are able to offer this content for free. I am a patron and will be until I cannot feed myself, to access such great courses from such prestigious faculty is amazing and it may be a sin to not take advantage of it.

This was a wonderful conversation. Mr. Holdsworth, can you please give us a book list so that we can begin our journey into classic literature? Thanks - Moses.

Dr. Esolen is a superbly engaging writer and a corrective to so much false history.

I'll have to listen to this in stages because I'm an educator and I'm soaking it in. Sorry about messing up the KZfaq algorithm, but it's a valuable lesson to take time with.

This was inspiring. I'm a Christian-school English teacher who *has* read Milton, but there are many other things I haven't studied . . . yet. Dr. Esolen's comments encourage me to keep chipping away at that mountain and to keep putting literature before my students that will develop them as humans.

I could listen to this man speak all day! What a great guest!

What I’d give to carve out a solid 3 years of my life to dedicate myself to a classical Catholic education 🙏🏾

Anthony Esolen tells the truth about modern "education ". So glad anytime I can hear him speak, or read his articles in Cronicals or anywhere else

I love this! So many teachers have been saying this same line, “what we’re doing isn’t education fit for a human being.” The things we live for are the things with no obvious financial value, and they’re also the only things that matter!

Thank you for this posting. This man is an absolute treasure.

I love to read Dr. Esolen's entries in my Magnificat magazine!

Dr. Anthony Esolen rocks! And so do you, Brian. A joy to see and hear the two of you together!

Absolutely right about life being too practical. I have felt like that forever and know I talk to gets it. Beauty is important.

What a treat! Thanks for interviewing him. If you get a chance, read his translation of Divine Comedy. Very good.

Great show and very important one! You should see the video Christendom Rising 3 on Trad kids, education (home schooling) and why young people are flocking to the Traditional Latin Mass. Keep up the good work.

Pure quality conversation!..Thank you Brian and Dr.Esolen..This is where we need to be at if we are to really heal and restore ourselves as a society.

I had the great fortune of being a student of Dr. Esolen’s at Providence College in a course where we covered the Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost, among other books. He’s an excellent professor and it was great to see this interview.

As a parent I absolutely agree.

I just stopped this video to listen to Spem In Alium. It is so amazingly beautiful that I wept. What other treasures has our culture thrown away?

Study in order to despise…. Wow the reality in that blew me away. Even in the church this is being done!

What are the classics we need to read to re-educate us in catholic education?

Really loved this whole show. Excellent topic, and excellent guest! Maybe you would consider a show where you talk about your homeschooling and the academy you have founded.

Jr in college. Read Milton’s Paradise Lost and professor taught “I made man sufficient to have stood but free to fall.” Life changing. Launched 40 year teaching career for me due to his example.

Dr. Anthony Esolen is a very good man, and a true child of God Almighty. He is an outstanding author. God bless you and your families Dr. Esolen and Brian Holdsworth.

Once I went to the public library in the town close to Vancouver, Canada. "Can I help you" said the young librarian. "Yes" said I " where do you have Lucy Maud Montgomery? "Who?" said the librarian "Never heard about". I almost collapsed.

I hope the professor actually reads this comment. I’m fascinated by your comment that you’d like to keep moving further north. I share this urge, which most people find very odd because the average person dislikes winter, snow, and cold temperatures. Even stranger is the fact that I was born in Cuba, yet I still long to live in places where there are four seasons and long, dark winter nights. I have a PhD in literature but ruined my academic career because I became involved with a man who was a drug addict, and I became one myself. That ruined my career and my relationship with many people, including my children. However, I got the doctorate not to enter academia and become a successful professor, rather because I love learning and going to school and simply did not want to stop. Now I’m 70 and have re-established my relationship with my children. I’ve stopped taking drugs and have returned to my church, the holy Roman and apostolic Catholic Church. These days I’m happy to read and pray and learn and be humble. I would still like to move further north😉 but outside of that appetite, and reading , learning, etc., as mentioned, I will never feed appetites of the flesh again. This is my freedom and my joy.

Shout out from Magdalen Collage of the Liberal Arts. It is truly a privilege to study under such an amazing professor, really amazing to see him on your podcast.

Wow what an wonderful interview. As you were going through the questions and I was listening and reflecting on my own education I realized I have been raised with exposure to both concepts and styles. However if I were to value one a bit more over the other I would agree with this gentleman. It inspires me to bring back more of the beauty to my children that which I loved and found to be enriching.

15 year old Canadian here: I am dying for such education. I feel I have got nothing from my current education. It is so terrible.

The teaching program called Kodaly was or is meant to address the issue of children not learning childhood songs, rhymes and rhyming or singing games. Parents aren’t singing songs to their children. There was a huge push in Australia to get rid of made up stories and songs. And I think this is part of the problem and the consequences are children don’t know our songs or childhood poems and cannot learn about good and evil and how to be brave when things don’t work out according to plan. We have definitely lost the value of learning for the sake of learning thus modern society Australia doesn’t value the need to learn nursery rhymes and childhood songs and singing clapping games. Therefore we also do not value fairy tales and the need for old fashioned writings. We cannot learn from the past if we are taught to value only modernity and not the wisdom from the past. That means the past is stupid and dump and people were ignorant and superstitious not god fearing god loving people.

I'm definitely starting something in my country! There's NO classical education here. THANKS FOR THIS! It's been illuminating!

Esolen is a gem. His 10 Reasons For Sanity should have dropped from airplanes across America 20 years ago. Might have avoided the soup were in right now So too is this show a gem . Every one a worthwhile conversation about something significant. Sits among and with the best Catholic content on line. Keep on truckin'' Mr Holdsworth.

I took Dr. Esolen’s advice and just listened to Thomas Tallis’s Spem in alium. It is glorious!

I always say I went to college to learn how to read. I have been in the workforce for 30 years. My exposure to the liberal arts made me a better employee.

Great interview! Greetings from Romania!

Fantastic. Thanks for this interview.

Finished watching it, it was quite good actually.

As a science undergrad, I tried repeatedly to register in a course called "The philosophy of science" in the philosophy department. I was never allowed to register for it, because I wasn't a philosophy student. I will never understand that. I guess it isn't deemed important for scientists to learn about the development of scientific thought from a philosophical perspective. Says a lot, no?

I resent my college education, didn't apply myself in either high school or college...

Studied Christian and Classical Studies at Knox and find my education to be invaluable when it comes to the discipleship of youth. Great conversation Brian thanks!

This was very good.

I also had a teacher tell me, before age 10, that doing math problems was my job.

Not sure if this counts as advertising myself, but there are plenty of classical education schools around America! I work for a secular charter in the Southwest called Great Hearts, I would recommend parents looking into that. :)

I am currently in the second year of my four year college degree to become an English teacher. This year's literature: Bridget Jones's Diary.

At about 58:50, Brian asks, “What brought about this shift?” Me: Compulsory education and later, government-funded welfare.

@01:20:30 "Take down the book. And start to read." I plucked. I read.

I’m early into this video and Super Tramp’s “Logical Song” is coming to mind.

What I wouldn't give to be able to afford a classical education for our kids!!!!

Put simply, our modern society damages people. Few can navigate it without harm. Knowing this, it is even worse for kids, who have less developed coping skills. Only the most adaptable people can survive unscathed.

@01:08:00 reminds me of the Pinocchio scene where the boys are being turned into asses to then be used as labor - beasts of burden

Off topic, but Sky News Australia just did a story about the residential schools thing being a hoax.

Listening to this, “The Logical Song” by Super Tramp comes to mind.

Brian, could you do a segment on "Cor Orans" (“Praying Heart”) which is the title of a document that provides instructions on how to apply Pope Francis’ 2016 Apostolic Constitution - “Vultum Dei Quaerere” (“Seek the Face of God”) addressed to women religious in contemplative communities. Could you examine its effects on women contemplatives several years after it was released. I have read disturbing things. Unfortunately. :-(

If you can... #homeschoolforthewin

I've got to be honest, I have a pet peeve regarding Anthony Esolen, something about him just rubs me the wrong way; I just find him annoying. In fact, to be even more honest, one of the reasons why I'm watching this now, I know this isn't healthy but, it's because I'm in a bad mood this morning.

First. (God bless!)

Great stuff! ❤️ Brian, it’s distracting when you say “Uh huh” or “Mmhm” so much. Lol

So *clap* does mean “cut”!

Kids are not alright because parents are not alright, because they were once kids that were not alright that had parents that were not alright as kids... It goes back to Adam and Eve, it's called original sin.

Dr. Edward Dutton says average IQ peaked in the 1870s

Magnus isn’t free it requires you pay 25$/mo

Brian seems kind of annoyed at times

Is that a Confederate uniform your wearing?