Against Great Books Fetishism

Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. You’re reading Dispatch Culture, our weekend newsletter featuring essays about American culture, staff recommendations, book reviews, and more. Happy Saturday! If you’ve interacted with The Dispatch for any length of time, it’s highly likely that you’ve heard the name Leo Strauss mentioned. Valerie is Ideas Editor at The Dispatch, based in New York City. Prior to joining the company in 2025, she worked at The New York Times and NewsGuard Technologies, and she is currently a Novak Fellow through The Fund for American Studies. When Valerie isn’t commissioning and editing the next big essay for The Dispatch, she is probably people-watching in a funky cafe or scheming up her next oddly-themed party. Surya Gowda is a Morning Dispatch Reporter, based in New York City. Before joining the company in 2026, she worked at USA Today and the political economy publication ProMarket. When Surya isn't writing for The Morning Dispatch, she's probably experimenting with watercolor paints or trying out a creative makeup look. Ross Anderson is the Editor of The Morning Dispatch, based in London. Prior to joining the company in 2025, he was an editor at The Spectator, columnist at The New York Sun, and a Tablet fellow. When Ross isn’t working on TMD, he’s probably trying out new tech, lifting weights, or hanging out with his cat, Teddy. Alex Demas is an editor at The Dispatch and is based in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the company in 2023, he worked in England as a financial journalist and earned his MA in Political Economy at King's College London. When not heroically combating misinformation online, Alex can be found mixing cocktails, watching his beloved soccer team Aston Villa lose a match, or attempting to pet stray cats. Newsletter selected Click sign up to start receiving your newsletters. More Dispatch Culture Newsletter selected Click sign up to start receiving your newsletters.