Policy Makers joined us for a first of its kind working retreat.

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Dear
John,
Conservative political leadership has fallen on hard times. Experience and principle rarely combine now to form recognizably conservative statesmen. What’s to be done?

For our part, this past March 23-26, the Kirk Center held its first conference for legislators and related leaders on the theme “American Conservatism, Statesmanship, and the Politics of Prudence.”

The genesis for this event occurred when a Michigan state representative posted on Facebook that in this age of political fanaticism he wanted to learn more about Edmund Burke. He was directed to the Kirk Center and contacted me to explore the possibility of a legislators’ “ideas retreat” in Mecosta. The goal was to learn about and discuss conservative principles with a view toward securing sounder ground for public policy, and, ultimately, more effective conservative leadership.

The result was a rare opportunity for a select group of legislators and policy makers to join together in a discussion of American federalism, Edmund Burke, Russell Kirk, portraits of principled statesman such as Tocqueville, Lincoln, and Churchill, and reflections on current topics in conservative reform. The readings throughout were timeless and timely.

The format of the colloquium encouraged the exploration of ideas through informal yet serious conversation. We were fortunate to have experienced discussion leaders in Dr. Michael Federici of Middle Tennessee State University and Dr. Justin Garrison of Roanoke College.

The response from this group of working politicians was extremely positive:
* “The weekend as a whole has inspired my studies of conservative political philosophy in entirely new ways. Since the seminar wrapped up, I’ve read two Kirk books and have vastly expanded my reading list related to the topic.”
* “In my current position, little time is spent developing my understanding of the foundations of conservative thought. The ability to discuss in a Socratic environment these ideas with people from a wide range of backgrounds was truly invaluable. Holding the event in the library of Russell Kirk was a great experience. Even simply walking around the library was both interesting and informative. I added several books to my reading list as a result of the event being held there.”
* “I wish I was exposed to the Kirk Center earlier in my life and prior to being elected.”

* “I would say that if you want to dive into conservatism and have a well-rounded experience, then give the Kirk Center a look! It is a fantastic opportunity for team building and learning about what conservatives believe, and why.”

This group intends to keep the good results of this seminar going forward through recurring meetings and events discussing the contemporary challenges to statesmanship and political leadership. Demand also exists for another Politics of Prudence Seminar in Michigan as well as in several other places across the country.

Lectures & podcasts engaging Kirk’s thought elsewhere
The Otto von Habsburg Foundation connected with the Kirk Center for its conference “Conservative Minds: The Legacy of Otto von Habsburg and Other Conservative Thinkers from a Transatlantic Perspective.” ([link removed])

Bishop Robert Barron delivered the 2023 Russell Kirk Lecture ([link removed]) on "The Breakdown of the Tocquevillean Equilibrium" at the Heritage Foundation.

Saving Elephants podcast ([link removed]) interviewed John Wood Jr. on finding commonality between Kirk and King’s belief in an ordered universe for the restoration of community.

Wilbur Fellow alumni Alan Cornett spoke about Russell Kirk's conservative vision and its Chestertonian resonances on the Chesterton Society’s podcast, Uncommon Sense. ([link removed])

Kirk books available from Regnery Publishing

For those of you who have been asking how to obtain the Russell Kirk titles published by ISI Books, we’re happy to say that the following titles are now available from Regnery ([link removed]) :
* The Roots of American Order
* Eliot and His Age
* The Enduring Edmund Burke
* The Essential Russell Kirk
* The American Cause

However, stock of Kirk’s popular book, The Politics of Prudence, is running low. We are delighted to share with you that Regnery will publish a new edition of the book this year. The Kirk Center will have some exciting book-related event news coming up, so watch for that in future e-letters.

Warm regards,
Jeffrey O. Nelson, Ph.D.
Executive Director & CEO
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