Tony Esolen speaks with the urgency and verbal economy of a prophet. No words are wasted and the point of the conversation is ever before him. The professor of Renaissance English Literature and the Development of Western Civilization 

at Providence College in RI, is a translator and a sage of things cultural and authentically Catholic. He’s also a connoisseur of classic movies.

Following a strong series of articles and books on marriage, sexual sanity, and Catholic social teaching, his latest book is titled Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture.

And what a wallop it packs.

Our interview used the themes and arguments in the book as jumping off points for a discussion that ranged from the long journey from boy-to-manhood to the origins of the culture crisis, to the evergreen problem of Why Johnny Can’t Read. Few writers today combine erudition with humor, insight, and a Christian spirit.