originally published 9/1/2011
Kevin Belmonte, author of Defiant Joy: The Remarkable Life and Impact of G. K. Chesterton, talks about Chesterton’s life and subsequent influence. Chesterton began his career as an art critic who was deeply affected by the modern art world’s pessimism regarding the state of the world. He only emerged from the “slough of despond” through his recollection of the imaginative fairy tales of his youth and through the literature of authors like Robert Browning, George MacDonald, and Walt Whitman. Belmonte describes how great poetry and literature continued throughout his years to shape his inner life with joy — a joy that overflowed into his public writing and speaking. This interview was originally presented on Volume 110 of the Journal.
16 minutes
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