The staff’s pick of what they read and watched over winter break
Michael Canady, Editor-in-Chief: The Arena (G. K. Chesterton)
G. K. Chesterton wrote a poem about Notre Dame football? Yep. Written in 1930 following his attendance at the dedicatory game of the stadium, this short work compares the intense gameday action to the bloody gladiator games of the Colosseum, another stadium with a golden statue nearby. But instead of killing for a pagan emperor, the Fighting Irish—the “Gladiators of God”—play for “Our Lady of the Victories, / The Mother of the Master of the Masterers of the World.” A proposition for the university: Make this required reading for all Notre Dame freshmen, and put it on a plaque in the stadium. It would be so hype.
Bridgette Rodgers, Executive Editor: PRAY: The Story of Patrick Peyton (Family Theater Productions)
PRAY is a beautiful film documenting the life of Venerable Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., telling the story of his prolific life and witness with both acute accuracy and vivid scenery. After his ordination as a priest in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in 1941, Fr. Peyton devoted the rest of his life to the apostolate of prayer and the family, becoming a notable public figure. The film highlights the vast extent of his work, including the creation of a radio show and other media programs, hosted by famous Hollywood stars such as Bing Crosby, Ronald Reagan, and Frank Sinatra. On air, celebrities prayed the rosary and reminded people of Fr. Peyton’s slogan: “The family that prays together stays together.” PRAY is a must-see film for any Notre Dame student seeking to discover more about the saints and Notre Dame’s history.
Lucy Spence, Managing Editor: Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries (Dorothy Sayers)
If you’re looking for an entertaining read that’s digestible enough for a post-finals state of mind, Sayers’ brilliant and humorous series of mystery novels is the perfect choice. Set in the decades following the Great War, the stories follow the eccentric life of Lord Peter Wimsey, an upper-class English aristocrat whose unusually capable brains aid him in his personal hobby of sleuthing. Romance takes shape in the character of Harriet Vane, an intelligent, independent, and stubborn mystery novelist. Sayers blends ingenuous plot, witty prose, and literary backdrop in this wonderfully fun series that moves from the back alleys of London to the quiet halls of Oxford. For lovers of Wodehouse’s Jeeves, this editor can assure you that the austere butler lives on, this time in the shape of Wimsey’s man Bunter.
Clare DiFranco, Campus Editor: Conversation with Christ (Peter Thomas Rohrbach)
Conversation with Christ is a short, practical guidebook on the principles of meditative prayer. Based largely on the writings of St. Teresa of Avila, the book outlines an effective approach to mental prayer in addition to the steps that can be taken to avoid aridity and distraction during time spent in silent prayer. This book is an excellent guide that will aid anyone in their prayer life, regardless of the stage at which they are in their faith journey. At the bottom line, everyone is called to relationship with Christ, and this is done by knowing who He is through daily, heartfelt conversation.
Caleb Vaughan, Campus Editor: Hillbilly Elegy (J. D. Vance)
The harrowing memoir of the upbringing of America’s newest Vice President, J. D. Vance. Vance’s troubled youth testifies that the American Dream is still alive, the poorest in this country can still rise to the very top. His father was never present, his mother was cripplingly addicted to drugs, and yet Vance managed to piece his life together through marine discipline. This learned discipline and his natural aptitude propelled Vance through university where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in under two years with a double major and then onto a Juris Doctor from Yale. For the hillbillies he grew up with, an ivy league degree is treated as no less a fantasy than Harry Potter, and yet, he achieved. I have great hope that Vance’s background will make him a firm yet compassionate vice president and fierce defender of the disenfranchised, especially the unborn.
Lydia Poe, Religion Editor: The Court Jester (1956)
The Court Jester (1956) is a comedic masterpiece—where mistaken identities and false pretenses create a delightfully hilarious and charming film. Hawkins, a bumbling everyman roped into overthrowing a tyrannical king, spends most of the film stumbling through plots, as if he happened to wander onto a medieval theatre set. What could go wrong? In the process, he becomes tangled in a series of misunderstandings, being mistaken for the king’s jester, an assassin, the princess’s suitor, and later, even knighted. The Court Jester embraces chaos and the glory of the underdog, suggesting how, sometimes, the world mistakes your cluelessness for brilliance. Maybe it’s time to stop stressing and start tripping through life with a little more confidence. If Hawkins can do it, so can we.
Elizabeth Mitchell, Culture Editor: Kristin Lavransdatter (Sigrid Undset)
A Norwegian classic, Sigrid Undset’s Kristin Lavransdatter is a work guaranteed both to captivate as well as transform. The novel traces the life of a young girl named Kristin, as the reader is not only invited into the heights of her girlish revels and the ever-intoxicating allure of love, but also the raw reality of the unforeseen and tragic. It is in such moments that Undset demonstrates most powerfully the true nature of the Cross. Far from being an abstract symbol of a distant realm, for both Undset and Kristin, the Cross does not mask the sheer brutality of its nature, yet it remains nonetheless an unforeseen means of sweetness. Even devastating moments such as bearing the responsibility of your own mistakes, losing a parent, and confronting the reality of death are transformed in its rays. Harshly realistic, yet mystically hopeful, Kristin Lavransdatter is a strikingly beautiful insight into what it means to be human.
James Whitaker, Humor Editor: Knock Knock Jokes For Kids: 365 Jokes for Each Day (and Holiday) of the Year (2023)
Deemed a holiday-specific joke book, this classic boasts to contain a year’s worth of “side-splitting one-liners,” despite the fact that the knock-knock joke is traditionally a five-line set-up. The listing for the book on Amazon specifies that the ideal age range is kids four–six and seven–nine. We highly recommend that children in the formative months between six and seven avoid the book’s contents. The book’s anonymous author posits that a deep engagement with the text will help readers to become “the hero of the lunchtime hangout.” The work’s opening pages are sure to grip any reader for a year’s worth of comedy: “Knock knock. Who’s there? Lenny. Lenny who? Lenny in, it’s getting cold!” Available for 4.85 dollars on Amazon.
Will White, Webmaster: Attacks (Erwin Rommel)
Attacks by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel recounts the exploits of the feared German general during the First World War. Covering his experiences as a junior officer in campaigns that range from France to the Italian Alps, it is an instructive memoir by a highly effective officer. Highlighting the importance of aggression, tempo, and proper fire support in both offensive and defensive operations, it is an outstanding example of good junior leadership and infantry operations at the battalion level and below. Despite fighting as our enemy in two world wars and over 75 years ago, Rommel still has much to teach any leader today—military or otherwise.
Sofia Fair, Social Media Coordinator: All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)
Whether you’re in a World War II phase or looking for a quickly moving, substantial read, All the Light We Cannot See is the perfect journey through time and space. As it follows the lives of blind French teenager Marie-Laure and German soldier Werner from childhood into wartime, readers experience the tension between allegiance to country and family. Switching between the characters’ perspectives, this story highlights the goodness of knowledge and the power of truth in bringing people together. Follow up the enlightening read with the four-part Netflix series, inspired by Doerr’s vivid storytelling and loveable characters.
