Sirico on Russell Kirk and populism
Religion & Liberty Online

Sirico on Russell Kirk and populism

On November 15, Acton President and co-founder Rev. Robert Sirico participated in a panel conversation to not only honor the centenary of Russell Kirk’s birth but as well discuss the rise of populism in the United States and abroad. The event was held at the Jack H. Miller Auditorium at Hope College, Holland, Mich. The panel also included John O’Sullivan, editor-at-large of National Review; Jeff Polet, professor of political science at Hope College; and Kathryn Jean Lopez, senior fellow at the National Review Institute.

Panelists shared personal stories of the author of The Conservative Mind and The Roots of American Order and discussed whether Kirk’s most significant books and his integrated life can be helpful to students today. The event was co-sponsored by the Acton Institute, the National Review Institute and Hope College under the rubric Kirk on Campus.

The Challenge of Contemporary Conservatism: Russell Kirk and the Populist Moment – full video from The Russell Kirk Center on Vimeo.

Bruce Edward Walker

has more than 30 years’ writing and editing experience in a variety of publishing areas, including reference books, newspapers, magazines, media relations and corporate speeches. Much of this material involved research on water rights, land use, alternative-technology vehicles and other environmental issues, but Walker has also written extensively on nonscientific subjects, having produced six titles in Wiley Publishing’s CliffsNotes series, including study guides for "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest." He has also authored more than 100 critical biographies of authors and musicians for Gale Research's Contemporary Literary Criticism and Contemporary Musicians reference-book series. He was managing editor of The Heartland Institute's InfoTech & Telecom News from 2010-2012. Prior to that, he was manager of communications for the Mackinac Center's Property Rights Network. He also served from 2006-2011 as editor of Michigan Science, a quarterly Mackinac Center publication. Walker has served as an adjunct professor of literature and academic writing at University of Detroit Mercy. For the past five years, he has authored a weekly column for the mid-Michigan Morning Sun newspaper. Walker holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Michigan State University. He is the father of two daughters and currently lives in Flint, Mich., with his wife Katherine.