The Patriotic and Tragic Life of Dashiell Hammett

There are few modern authors commanding a greater influence on American literature than Dashiell Hammett. Hammett invented the “hard-boiled detective” – a genre of storytelling used in books and film up to the present day. More than that, Hammett lived the life of one.

Here’s to the stories…

Here's to the stories...

As a kid growing up in the desert of Northern Arizona, I used to go outside and stare into the night sky. Being so far from the lights of the cities, we could see the stars like few others can in the United States. They stretched from horizon to horizon, so close it felt like you could fall off the face of the earth to touch them.

Medieval Feudalism: An Amazing Book, and Some Unsettling Similarities to Today

Carl Stephenson paints a beautiful and easy to digest picture of life in a traditional feudal society during the Early and High Middle Ages. That’s what makes this book so important. To understand the hierarchy and power structure of the modern capitalist world, it is important to understand feudalism. This actually isn’t as difficult as … Read more

The Last Chance Corps: Death, Extreme Risk, and a Proposed Means of Redemption for the Unsavory Element

The Last Chance Corps: Death, Extreme Risk, And A Proposed Means Of Redemption For The Unsavory Element

There is nothing inherently wrong with punishment, even of the most brutal sort, but we must offer those who have erred the chance to redeem themselves if we expect them to be anything other than habitual criminals and lifelong burdens on society. Sacrifice is the road that leads from person disgraced to citizen restored.