Anthony Esolen to present next Faith and Society lecture on Thursday

ASHLAND, Ohio – Anthony Esolen, a writer, social commentator and translator of classic poetry, will present “Becoming Human Again: The Power of Poetry Among the Cultural Ruins.” The presentation is part of Ashland University’s Faith and Society lecture series and will be held Thursday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. The event is online only and available for anyone to join at https://ashlanduniversity.zoom.us/j/97508568074.

Esolen is expected to discuss some of the themes from his book, “Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture.” He believes “the antidote to cancel culture is the revival of any components of culture at all.” One specific aspect of culture our society has lost is poetry in all its forms from the folk song to the hymn to the drinking song to the Broadway musical to rock and roll, according to Esolen, and he notes there are generations of college graduates who don’t recognize the names of Robert Frost or Alfred Tennyson.

A faculty member and writer-in-residence at Magdalen College in Warner, N.H., Esolen has translated Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” Lucretius’ “On the Nature of Things,” and Torquato Tasso’s “Jerusalem Delivered.” He is the author of a number of books and articles on topics such as culture, beauty and literature.

Esolen earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University as well as a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Renaissance literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The ongoing Faith and Society lecture series is designed to give Ashland students and the Ashland community the opportunity to hear experts discuss critical topics of faith and its implications in contemporary society.

For more information, please contact Dennis Monokroussos at dmonokro@ashland.edu or 419-289-5154.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.