The Warren & the World is Story Warren's weekly newsletter, providing a round-up of our favorite things from around the web as well as a review of what was on our site over the past week. We're glad you're here!

Around the Web:
Confessions of a Christian Culture Snob

Over at Relevant magazine, Michael Wear talks about culture snobbery.

I'm coming home this weekend. Let’s get together—want to see a movie?”
“Sure! I’ve been dying to see God’s Not Dead.”
I immediately began to concoct excuses…

It's challenging and good.

The Art & Craft of Shakespeare

Peter Leithart and Robin Phillips talk about Shakespeare:

I think that flexibility is partly due to the fact that Shakespeare wrote plays, and wrote them with few scene-setting stage directions. Austen's world is clearly not ours, nor is Dickens's; that leaps off the page. With Shakespeare, we have drama without much in the way of scenery, and even though the characters talk funny, they are recognizable human characters.

And of course there's the old truism that Shakespeare's plays deal with the perennial dramas of human life—war, love, betrayal, ambition, gossip, trickery, death, hope, reunion, mystery and magic. It's a truism, but it's also true.

Really great read. Read more.

What is Real?

Over at the Circe Institute, Joshua Gibbs talks about reality and the Velveteen Rabbit.

What is real? Much like essence or being, real is a notoriously difficult concept to talk about, let alone define. For my money, the Skin Horse does well when fielding the question.
“Real isn’t how you’re made… It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become real… Sometimes [it hurts to become real]. When you are Real, you don’t mind being hurt… It doesn’t happen all at once. You become. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Beautiful words. Read more.

Design Icon: the American Flag

Over at Design Sponge, they're talking about the inspiration for the American flag. Given the date, it felt appropriate.

Although Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross is often cited as the legendary craftsperson behind the first American flag, its actual roots are much harder to pin down.

Fun details. Read more. Happy Independence Day.

Around the Warren:

Summer Essentials

Helena Sorensen started our week with beautiful, summery words.

I grew up outside Tampa, in a world of endless summer (and I mean that in the worst possible sense). The cycle of the year was one of warm to hot to unbearable, and I am not exaggerating when I relate tales of skidding down the Slip-‘N-Slide on Christmas day or buying Duraflame logs to burn in the dusty, truly pointless fireplace and then cranking the air conditioning down to a dizzyingly expensive 50 or 60 degrees so that we could participate in the joy of the season.
Since moving to Nashville, however, I’ve come to appreciate the coming and going of four distinct seasons, and my feelings about summer have been somewhat redeemed. This year, in particular, I was eager for heat and willing even to brave the swarms of mosquitoes if only I might see green again. But wherever you find yourself, I hope you’ll seize the opportunity to suck the marrow out of this summer, and here are a few essentials to help you on your way.

The Sacred Is Stronger Than All Our Rebellions

Czeslaw Milosz had these words, with a great visual from Paul Boekell:

Get a closer look!

An Artful Ally to Parents

S. D. Smith reviewed Jennifer Trafton's writing classes for kids.

Almost nothing is as refreshing to parents as someone who will come alongside you in the fight to love and shape your children. This informs the mission we’re on here at Story Warren, so I try to be attuned to this happening. But life gets hectic and heavy, and our kids can suffer in the tumult. When we feel besieged, there’s nothing like the feeling of allies arriving.
Our friend Jennifer Trafton teaches creative writing classes for kids. We have wanted to have our kids in the on-line version since it became available, but have only just now been able to do it. (We don’t live close to Nashville.) When the six-week class wrapped up, I wanted to share some things about it.

Read the post, then check out the classes. Read more.

Don't Give Up the Ship!

In honor of Independence day, a poem about Captain James Lawrence.

When I was but a boy,
I heard the people tell
How gallant Captain Law-rence
So bravely fought and fell.

The ships lay close together,
I heard the people say,
And many guns were roaring
Upon that battle day.