“They Forgot to Sing,” by Anthony Esolen
Associate Editor Spencer Klavan reads “They Forgot to Sing,” Anthony Esolen’s review of Poetry as Enchantment, by Dana Gioia, featured in the spring 2025 issue.
Jun 30, 2025•15 min•Ep. 56
The Claremont Review of Books Podcast
For 20 years, the Claremont Review of Books has been the gold standard for conservative criticism and political analysis. Now the CRB comes to the podcast world with a new interview show hosted by Dr. Spencer Klavan, the magazine's assistant editor. As each new issue comes out, Spencer phones up authors whose essays have prompted deeper reflection and discussion. Over a drink and a copy of the latest CRB, he'll chat with the leading minds on the Right about what's going on in politics and literary culture.
New interviews appear once a month, and--as a bonus--Spencer will sit down once per issue with his boss and friend Dr. Charles Kesler, editor of the CRB, to discuss the major themes that have arisen in the news cycle and their deeper implications for the state of the nation.
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Episodes
Spring 2025 Review with Charles Kesler
Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan discuss the newly released spring issue. Kesler’s cover piece, reviewing a biography of William F. Buckley, Jr., gives insight into the life and profound impact of Buckley’s career; the virtues he emanated; and the long-awaited biography by Sam Tanenhaus. William Voegeli chronicles progressives' troubled attempts to build their way out of a woke tailspin. Christopher Caldwell gives a sobering analysis of Trump’s tariffs. And Daniel Mahone...
Jun 27, 2025•44 min•Ep. 55
Barry Strauss on Ancient Alexandria
Alexandria: a sprawling metropolis, once the cultural capital of the Western world. It was ruled by the Ptolemies, whose queens—the Cleopatras—produced the unforgettable queen we know from Shakespeare and Plutarch. Yet their history was eclipsed by that of the Roman Empire and has lost much of its glamor in the public imagination. Spencer sits down with Hoover Institution senior fellow Barry Strauss to dust off the fascinating stories of these Macedonian queens of Egypt. Extravagant, cunning, an...
May 05, 2025•29 min•Ep. 54
William Voegeli on How Woke Broke the Democrats
On the heels of a dramatic Trump victory in the 2024 election, Democrats scramble to get their bearings. Spencer is joined by senior editor William Voegeli to conduct a wellness check on the blue and battered Left, discussing both Voegeli’s recent cover essay and the eventful months of Trump 2.0 that have unfolded since it was published. Democrats remain uncomfortably yoked to their progressive wing; meanwhile, Trump spends political capital to accomplish any and every goal he’s ever harbored in...
Apr 21, 2025•26 min•Ep. 53
Winter 2024/25 Review with Charles Kesler
Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan discuss the winter issue, hot off the press. William Voegeli’s cover essay delivers a bleak prognosis for a Democratic party unable or unwilling to cut loose woke deadweights. Kesler observes the terror struck in the heart of the administrative state by Elon Musk’s DOGE. Christopher Caldwell and Andrew Busch offer insightful analyses of populism’s rise and pitfalls in France and at home, while Daniel Mahoney and Gary Saul Morson explore R...
Mar 24, 2025•25 min•Ep. 52
Fall 2024 Review with Charles Kesler
Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan sit down to page through the newly released fall CRB and talk election results. Kesler’s essay discusses the possibility of a long-awaited Republican majority; William Voegeli tracks the humiliation of both Biden and the mainstream media; and Christopher Caldwell highlights the success of Trump’s arresting rhetoric in a post-rhetorical age. And much more! Plus: the online-exclusive “ Christmas Review of Books ” is out now....
Dec 18, 2024•45 min•Ep. 51
William Voegeli on Shifting Party Allegiances
With election day creeping ever closer, political predictions are everywhere already. Spencer takes the opportunity to sit down with Dr. William Voegeli, senior editor of the Claremont Review of Books , to survey the history and prospects of realignment. Voegeli gives an incisive explanation of the current electoral landscape and what both parties need to do to capitalize on the opportunities before them.
Aug 16, 2024•34 min•Ep. 50
Spring 2024 Review with Charles Kesler
Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan meet the afternoon before the first 2024 presidential debate to discuss the new Spring CRB. Kesler and Spencer spin insightful short-term prophecies--and Kesler calls Biden's flop in advance--using the editor's note as a starting point. Meanwhile, Lee Edwards' tribute to Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago does honor to an epochal work of dissident literature. There's a surfeit of great content in the latest issue, from National Conservatism...
Jul 05, 2024•45 min•Ep. 49
Jeffrey H. Anderson on the Real COVID Catastrophe
Now that COVID is effectively behind us, it's increasingly easy to throw the hazy blur that was late 2019-2022 down the memory hole. Jeffrey Anderson's latest CRB essay shines a light on the COVID craze: government overreach, popular complacency, and collective amnesia. Spencer sits down with Anderson to continue the post mortem analysis and ask how we can prevent the same extreme policies from coming to pass again.
May 31, 2024•33 min•Ep. 48
Dan Mahoney on Russian Politics, Past and Future
For a country that features so prominently in the news and so wildly in many conspiracy theories, Russia is a country that many Americans—especially many in the press—scarcely understand. Dan Mahoney’s new review essay in CRB gives a clarifying survey of major trends, challenges, and attitudes in Russian politics since the days of the Tsars. Without emotional theatrics but with moral clarity, Mahoney equips readers with resources for a fuller understanding of Russia’s past and its possible futur...
Apr 19, 2024•37 min•Ep. 47
Winter 2023/24 Review with Charles Kesler
Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan meet to discuss the winter CRB. Kesler’s cover essay covering the intellectual differences between national conservatism and Trump's brand of nationalism takes top billing. Michael Knowles's insightful review of Chris Rufo's new book invites us to consider where Rufo's project may be headed. Plus lots of other excellent material from the winter CRB, and a hint at the best subtitle ever.
Mar 22, 2024•34 min•Ep. 46
Charles Moore on Conservatism in England and America
Celebrated journalist Lord Charles Moore joins Spencer to discuss his CRB essay on the history and prospects of Thatcherism and its implications for modern conservative movements on both sides of the pond. On the one hand, the forces arrayed against Thatcher's legacy have never been stronger. On the other hand, the attitudes she represented--including the "commonsense view that people would probably be better at running their own affairs than governments would"--just won't go away. In the age of...
Feb 16, 2024•30 min•Ep. 45
Fall 2023 Review with Charles Kesler
Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan meet to peruse the fall CRB. Kesler’s editor’s note about the intellectual legacy of Henry Kissinger considers whether foreign policy realism is gaining steam on the world stage as multiple wars rage on. Mark Helprin’s essay on the grinding conflict in Israel takes a practical look at the situation, and Bill Voegeli’s essay articulates the predicament of the modern Left since October 7. Plus much more from the fall CRB.
Jan 26, 2024•39 min•Ep. 44
Christmas Special: Algis Valiunas on The Enduring T.S. Eliot
Algis Valiunas, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and contributing editor at The New Atlantis , joins Spencer to discuss the great modernist and Anglican convert T.S. Eliot. In the spirit of the season, Valiunas explores how a mixture of tragedy, heartache, and providence led Eliot gradually from the sorrow and discontent expressed in his jarring masterpiece, The Waste Land , on through to conversion and the searing brilliance of Christian poems like Four Quartets ....
Dec 22, 2023•29 min•Ep. 43
The Future of AI in Hollywood
Martha Bayles, frequent contributor to the CRB and prolific author and essayist, joins Spencer to discuss the perils and pitfalls presented by AI, especially as it pertains to the entertainment industry. Bayles elucidates the challenge of AI in entertainment as it emerged during the SAG-AFTRA strike. Will the strike’s goals be met in the long term, or is an AI future inevitable? Plus: reflections on how digital delivery systems have changed the media landscape, for better and for worse.
Dec 01, 2023•35 min•Ep. 42
Summer 2023 Review with Charles Kesler
Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan convene to survey the summer CRB . Kesler's editor's note about the decline of West Virginia University proves timely as universities across the country reveal their funding priorities. Christopher Flannery’s cover essay on President James A. Garfield introduces a neglected American statesman, while analyses of everything from affirmative action to modernist poetry round out the issue. Plus: some new authors make their CRB debut....
Oct 20, 2023•38 min•Ep. 41
Wilfred McClay on Understanding the Midwest
Wilfred M. McClay, the Victor Davis Hanson Chair of Classical History and Western Civilization at Hillsdale College, joins Spencer to discuss the virtues and the public perception of the Midwest. Professor McClay illuminates the "reservoir of idealism" hidden away in the Midwest's often unexplored but fascinating history. Plus: a deep dive into why the Midwest is so misunderstood.
Aug 18, 2023•29 min•Ep. 40
Spring 2023 Review with Charles Kesler
Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan sit down to rifle through the Spring CRB . There's lots to unpack, including but not limited to: Kesler's editor's note on the growing ideological divide among the states, Christopher Caldwell's investigation of unrest in France, and a new biography of MLK, Jr. Plus: incisive commentary on the Supreme Court's history with affirmative action, and a whistle-stop tour through the greatest hits of country music's first ladies.
Jul 21, 2023•33 min•Ep. 39
Jesse Merriam on The Affirmative Action Machine
Spencer is joined by Jesse Merriam, a Washington Fellow at The Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life who specializes in anti-discrimination and affirmative-action law, for a very timely episode. The two discuss the playing field of affirmative action and how diversity came to define our constitutional order, as well as possible solutions. Merriam outlines what is likely to come next in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision.
Jun 30, 2023•30 min•Ep. 38
Michael Knowles on Trans Ideology & Our Uncertain Future
Spencer is joined by Michael Knowles, celebrated host of “The Michael Knowles Show” at the Daily Wire , “The Book Club” at PragerU, and “Verdict with Ted Cruz.” They discuss the manic decline of the West and its long history, as well as its present manifestation in the form of trans radicalism. Fortunately, Knowles and Spencer also talk about how to cure what ails us, using selected portions from Knowles’ review of Spencer's book, “How to Save the West: Ancient Wisdom for 5 Modern Crises.”...
May 26, 2023•37 min•Ep. 37
Winter 2022/23 Review with Charles Kesler
Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan discuss the stimulating new winter 2022/23 CRB. Listen in for reflections on Dr. Kesler's own editor's note and the speech from which it was adapted, discussing the continuity between today's "New Right" and the young conservative movement of the 1950s and '60s. Plus: a survey of ten more CRB essays, covering topics from Benjamin Netanyahu's autobiography to the LGTQQIAAP2S+ movement, and a teaser for the next can't-miss episode of The Cl...
Apr 21, 2023•36 min•Ep. 36
Theodore Dalrymple on the History of Mental Health Treatment
To close out the Fall 2022 issue, Spencer is joined by Anthony Daniels (pen name Theodore Dalrymple), a British physician, psychiatrist and prolific author of excellent books. They discuss the history of psychiatric treatment in the West, particularly its blatant barbarism until recently, where we've moved from barbarism to aggressive apathy as the mentally ill have been emptied from asylums to the city streets, where they languish, untreated. Daniels and Spencer talk about solutions to this unf...
Mar 17, 2023•30 min•Ep. 35
Charles Murray on Diversity & Democracy
Dr. Charles Murray, F. A. Hayek Chair Emeritus in Cultural Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Spencer to expand on his most recent essay for the CRB on how diversity and ethnic differences affect large democratic countries like the U.S. Dr. Murray discusses some of the evidence for his argument, as well as some ways in which these difficult truths can be applied to politics today. Plus: a reflection on the need to speak out in troubled times.
Feb 24, 2023•27 min•Ep. 34
Barry Strauss on Julius Caesar
Cornell Professor and Hoover Institution Corliss Page Dean Fellow Barry Strauss joins Spencer to discuss his newest essay for the CRB on Caesar and the fall of the Roman republic. Strauss analyzes Caesar’s character and political calculations within the larger Roman political world. This naturally turns to contemporary discussion of what conditions would need to be met for a Caesar to emerge today.
Feb 03, 2023•29 min•Ep. 33
Fall 2022 Review with Dr. Charles Kesler
Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan discuss the thought-provoking new fall 2022 CRB, including Michael Anton’s retrospective on the nuclear near-misses of 1983, Douglas Jeffrey's thoughtful insights into Merle Haggard's life, and Dr. Kesler’s own discussion of what 2022 might mean for 2024. Plus: how closely does the Late Roman Republic parallel us today?
Jan 18, 2023•44 min•Ep. 32
Woke Racism with Dr. Harvey Mansfield
Harvard Professor and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Harvey C. Mansfield joins Spencer to discuss the state of woke dogma and groupthink at American universities. Mansfield reflects on the value of dissent for students who may be privately reconsidering the group mentality, which leads to broader discussion about the morality of equality and what we ought to do to shed the yoke of wokeism's inherent racism toward everyone.
Dec 09, 2022•22 min•Ep. 31
Gunboat Diplomacy in Ukraine with Christopher Caldwell
Claremont Senior Fellow Christopher Caldwell joins Spencer to discuss Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and America’s involvement in it. Caldwell’s brief outline of Ukraine’s history with Russia leads them to a broader discussion of why Ukraine became the flash point for Russia’s ire, and how Americans are inclined to narrativize the war. As the conflict rages on in new and ill-defined ways, what position are everyday Americans left in?
Oct 28, 2022•37 min•Ep. 30
Summer 2022 Review with Dr. Charles Kesler
Editor Charles Kesler and Associate Editor Spencer Klavan discuss the wide range of summer’s new CRB, including Chris Caldwell’s thorough analysis of America’s oblique but profound involvement in Ukraine, Michael Anton’s notes from quarantine in Dubai, and Dr. Kesler’s own essay on the several distinct generations of “voting rights”—a term which is gradually coming to imply representation by race or interest bloc. Plus: it’s been a very good year at the Supreme Court. What next?
Sep 23, 2022•32 min•Ep. 29
Daniel J. Mahoney on the Disinformation of the 1619 Project
Professor Daniel J. Mahoney joins Spencer to discuss his thorough rebuttal to The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. Exposing the Project’s willful ignorance and spiteful misinformation leads the two into a broader assessment of American education. The 1619 Project’s architects have engineered a comprehensive assault upon American history teaching from the earliest grades on upward—Professor Mahoney considers what can be done to countermand it.
Aug 12, 2022•39 min•Ep. 28
The Close Read: Professor Allen Guelzo on The Historian’s Responsibility
Professor Allen C. Guelzo joins Spencer to discuss his review essay on Alan Taylor’s deflationist histories of America. Along the way, the two discuss the nature of history as a discipline in America and Europe, the true character of the United States, and the moral responsibilities of the historian.
Jul 22, 2022•37 min•Ep. 27
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