The New Criterion Explores the Possibility of a New American Revolution

NEW YORK, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Criterion, an influential monthly review of cultural and intellectual life, will host a symposium, "America's Fourth Revolution," on November 28 in New York City to discuss the revolutionary challenges facing America. The catalyst for the symposium is a widely discussed essay, "The Fourth Revolution" by James Piereson, who is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and also president of the William E. Simon Foundation.

Piereson argues that, for the first time since the 1930s, the U.S. faces a fundamental existential challenge to its political and social institutions that could rapidly sharpen into a crisis. Roger Kimball, editor of The New Criterion, said the symposium's goal is "to define the political, economic, and cultural dimensions of that challenge, to understand the choices that led us here, and to suggest alternative courses of action that can help establish a new and prosperous American consensus."

Piereson's essay has already become a focal point of discussion in the blogosphere, talk radio, and beyond. Powerline named it "Article of the Year." Rush Limbaugh read long excerpts of it over the air to his audience.

The essay was published by The New Criterion in June in a special series of eleven essays under the title "Future Tense: The Lessons of Culture in an Age of Upheaval." The aim of the series, and of the hardcover book of essays published this fall by Encounter Books under the same title, is to provide a cultural pathologist's report on America and the West's recent trajectory, while also outlining some remedial strategies for renewal. 

Thought leaders in culture, history, and policy will deliver remarks at the November 28 symposium that will expand on this discussion. James Piereson will deliver a talk titled "Is America in a pre-revolutionary situation." John Steele Gordon, author of An Empire of Wealth, will talk on "Is capitalism in crisis?" Charles Kesler, of Claremont McKenna College, will talk on "Is the culture of dependency to blame?" Additional speakers include William Kristol of The Weekly Standard, Nicole Gelinas of the Manhattan Institute, Kevin Williamson of National Review, and Roger Kimball, editor and publisher of The New Criterion. Noted historian Andrew Roberts, author of The Storm of War, will deliver the luncheon keynote address, "Are America's Best Days Behind Her Forever?" 

About The New Criterion

The New Criterion (www.newcriterion.com) is a New York-based monthly literary magazine and journal of artistic and cultural criticism, edited by Roger Kimball. It was founded in 1982 by Hilton Kramer, former art critic for The New York Times, and Samuel Lipman, a pianist and music critic; the name is a reference to The Criterion, a British literary magazine edited by T. S. Eliot from 1922 to 1939. For three decades, it has featured criticism of poetry, theatre, art, music, the media, and books from America's leading commentators.

Since its inception, the magazine has been the home to many of the smartest minds in cultural journalism including Dr. Henry Kissinger, Mark Steyn, Andrew Roberts, Theodore Dalrymple, Denis Donoghue, William F. Buckley Jr., Andrew C. McCarthy and Charles Murray. Now edited by Mr. Kimball, the magazine is also staffed by the critics David Yezzi (Executive Editor) and James Panero (Managing Editor).

The Times Literary Supplement has said "The New Criterion is probably more consistently worth reading than any other magazine in English." The Wall Street Journal has said "it operates as a refuge for a civilizing element in short supply in contemporary America: honest criticism" and calls The New Criterion "the best art magazine and provocative force in other cultural areas." 

SOURCE The New Criterion