Can’t decide what to get for the imaginative conservatives on your Christmas list? Here area few things to feed the vita contemplativa.
A membership in the Folio Society. The Folio Society publishes beautifully bound and illustrated editions of some of the world’s greatest books that make perfect gifts. Reading Cicero, Tolkien, Gibbon, C.S. Lewis, and John Lukacs is even more pleasurable and seems more, well, civilized, when you are holding one of the Folio Society’s luxurious books.
A fountain pen. You will want to jot down memorable ideas and pithy quotes from all the books you are going to read in the coming year. Tablets have their advantages, but nothing can match the tactile joy of taking notes with a fine pen. Levenger fountain pens are high quality, attractive, and affordable. You will want to take notes with this pen.
A Moleskine pocket notebook. Perfect for carrying with you. You will always be prepared to record ideas as they come to you. Some say their fountain pens don’t like the paper used by Moleskine, but I have never had a problem writing in my Moleskine notebooks with a fountain pen. This and a fountain pen is the atavistic person’s iPad.
La Colombe Coffee Roasters’ Louisiane blend. If you are like me, you need a couple cups of good coffee in you before you are ready to wrestle with the great books and ideas. And this is a very, very good coffee. The Louisiane blend is the result of La Colombe’s efforts to recreate the coffee enjoyed by Americans in the antebellum South.
A bow tie from the Cordial Churchman. With a hand-crafted bow tie from Ellie and Andy Stager of South Carolina, you will look the part of the gentleman scholar. Imaginative conservatives should remember that Churchill and FDR wore bow ties, while Hitler and Stalin did not.
Books mentioned in this essay may be found in The Imaginative Conservative Bookstore.
From the accompanying photograph it appears Mr. Busick is in need of a bow tie from the Cordial Churchman. But, perhaps, he does not need to "look the part of gentleman scholar" because he is one.
In your honor Mr. Roth I have changed the picture of Dr. Busick to one that shows his bow tie.
About twenty five years ago I showed up in my office wearing quite a nice bow tie, although it was not from Cordial Churchman. A philosophy professor friend said, "John, you look like, like…a liberal!" Fashions change.
Sean, you have convinced me. I am suggesting to family members to order bow ties from the Cordial Churchman for me. Will you teach me how to tie it? And I purchased a moleskin notebook. I too love the Folio Society.
Winston, You'll be happy with a bow from them. Excellent quality, reasonable price, and you get to support a home business. They ship them with a card that shows you how to tie it, but I'll be happy show you as well if you'd like, perhaps send you a video. Merry Christmas! -Sean
Winston, You'll be happy with a bow from them. Excellent quality, reasonable price, and you get to support a home business. They ship them with a card that shows you how to tie it, but I'll be happy show you as well if you'd like, perhaps send you a video. Merry Christmas! -Sean