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One philosopher of our time claims that "today, the experience of beauty is impossible." Dr. Jason Baxter, director of the Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine College, begs to differ. Dr. Baxter joins us on HeightsCast to unpack his latest book, Why Literature Still Matters, which looks at why such a claim might feel true in our digital age. Then, he talks us through why and how we should reclaim our experiences of beauty for the health of our soul. Chapters: 00:03:34 The experience of beauty 00:08:44 Byung-Chul Han: the possibility of beauty today 00:15:41 Marc Auge: still living in the Enlightenment experiment 00:20:46 The soul is not a machine 00:24:57 Our task as parents, educators 00:35:05 Likes and emojis: the simplification of our interior life 00:49:23 A near-death experience in Sardinia 00:56:24 Beauty and mental health 00:57:40 Franny and Zooey: interiority matters 01:03:41 Recommended reading Links: Why Literature Still Matters by Jason Baxter Help! Where do I go from here? Part I: Poetry by Jason Baxter Beauty Matters, Substack for Jason Baxter jasonmbaxter.com featuring articles and lectures Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine College Saving Beauty by Byung-Chul Han Non-Places: An Introduction to Supermodernity by Marc Auge The Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich A Letter to Our Daughter by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan "A Prayer for My Daughter" by W. B. Yeats Recommended reading: "Burnt Norton" from Four Quartets by T. S. Eliot Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger "A Hill" by Anthony Hecht "Advice to a Prophet" by Richard Wilbur The Loss of the Creature by Walker Percy Middlemarch by George Eliot Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro Also on the Forum: Breathing Narnian Air: Loving Modernity as a Medievalist featuring Dr. Jason Baxter Receiving Beauty: A Liberal Arts Education featuring Dr. George Harne Order and Surprise: On Beauty and the Western Tradition featuring Dr. Lionel Yaceczko Featured Opportunities: Mustard Seed Communities The Art of Teaching Boys Conference at The Heights School (January 7-9, 2026 / May 6-8, 2026) |
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