Message from Fran Griffin President, Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation
Dear Friends of the Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation,
Thank you for your generosity in supporting the Fitzgerald
Griffin Foundation. It is because of you and like-minded souls that
the Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation has continued in its mission to defend
Western civilization — and that FGF Books, our publishing arm,
was able to publish the first posthumous volume of Joe Sobran’s
work, Joseph Sobran: The National Review Years: Articles from 1974
to 1991.
The book, which includes some of Joe Sobran’s finest
articles, has received rave reviews in conservative and Catholic
publications. Paul Gottfried wrote at TakiMag.com on
October 1: “In this anthology … one meets a political
and social writer with a sense of language that I found unmatched
among my contemporaries. (And I’m including Buckley,
who for all his personal flaws could turn a phrase but not
as well as the editor whom he kicked out to please his well-placed
friends.)”
Gottfried continued: “We are still combating many of the
same things Joe went after thirty years ago, although the cast
of characters is not entirely the same. … He could construct
elaborate theological and constitutional arguments with an economy
of words.”
Christopher Manion, writing in his October
11 Wanderer newspaper column, From
Under the Rubble, continues this theme: “Joe had
a knack for putting his finger on timeless issues and translating
the ideological writing on the wall into simple prose. … In
addition to his enduring smile and a writing style worthy of
angelic locutions, Joe’s personality comes bursting through.”
Gary Potter, in an article titled, For
Sobran Lovers (I’m One) at Catholicism.org on
November 2, said: “Joe Sobran was as gifted a thinker and
writer as any on the political and social right in the United States
during the past seventy years and the selections in Joseph
Sobran: The National Review Years show it.”
Buy this book now —
before they're gone
Chilton Williamson, former book review editor at National
Review magazine at the same time that Joe was a senior editor
there, wrote in the December edition of Chronicles magazine: “Joe
was, indisputably, a hero of modern American letters. ... He could
turn from writing brilliant critiques of performances by Sir John
Gielgud and Sir Lawrence Olivier to producing equally brilliant sendups
of Donahue and Hugh Hefner without diminution either of his artistic
and intellectual taste or his critical equipoise.”
Williamson’s thesis in his review was that Joe “was an
expert in the process, content, structure, strategy, and application
of liberal thought and rhetoric at the popular level, about which he
knew as much or more than anyone, including George Orwell.”
In the December edition of Culture Wars magazine, James
Bruen recounted some of his favorite parts of the book: “In
these collected essays and book reviews, Sobran addresses media
bias, liberal biases and pieties, Elvis ("as naïve
as his own music"), the Rolling Stones ("Stony Rolls:
hard to get into, not much flavor"), Woodstock, Chesterton
("a living challenge to today's reader"), stereotypes,
racism ("What's that?"), censorship, Hugh Hefner ("a
man waiting in line at the world's biggest gangbang … self
consciously tasteless"), liberal Catholics, Jimmy Carter
("Martyr-In-Chief"), Ronald Reagan ("To call him
simplistic is simply simplistic."), journalism, and much
more.”
In the December 10 edition of The New American, Jack
McManus writes: “Sobran fans and anyone
else who wants a taste of good thinking, great writing,
and unabashed loyalty to what made America great, can
find it in this anthology. … [This new collection]
give[s] the reader a delicious serving of excellent
writing, good thinking, and poignant humor. Joe was
a man who saw something about which to chuckle in almost
everything. His disdain for many of the nation’s
political leaders led him to conclude, ‘When
most politicians wrestle with their conscience, they
win.’ That particular Sobranism would be hard
to beat — even by Joe himself.”
Australian writer, R. J. Stove, reviewed the book
for The American Conservative magazine’s
January–February 2013 issue. He reports that Joe Sobran’s “talents
included a rare — indeed a unique — mixture of button-holing
informality with austere erudition. …
[This book gives] the surreal experience of hearing Joe’s voice ring forth
in every line, as if through a superb stereo system. Tennyson poignantly mourned ‘the
touch of a vanished hand, and the sound of a voice that is still’; but
he did nothing to prepare us for the timbre of Joe chastising, chortling, lauding,
joking, and snarling, large as life and twice as natural. That timbre is the
predominant tone of this book.”
See links to these and other reviews at the Books page, including those by Allan Brownfeld (A
Look at Late 20th Century America from a Perceptive and Talented Observer),
and Charles Mills, who concluded in his column Joe
Sobran on Contraception by stating: “Sobran’s
writing on contraception, abortion, and life issues became legendary
during his nearly 40-year writing career, earning him the title, in
some circles, as the greatest pro-life essayist of the 20th century.”
If you don’t already have a copy or want extra copies, I suggest buying them
soon. Because of last-minute resistance by National Review,
this is a limited edition. We printed just 1,000. There will be no
reprinting of it. No paperback edition. No e-book.
In fact, the book came very close to not being published at all, but
we were able, at considerable expense, to arrange a last-minute arrangement
with NR to allow the first (and only) printing of the book
to move forward. I am glad that we resolved the copyright dispute,
which was a lengthy process that took us by surprise just as the books
were rolling off the presses.
Joseph Sobran: The National Review Years is a rare
and valuable limited edition. Once the book is gone, it’s gone.
I urge you to send your order today.
Meanwhile, we are already beginning to select articles for a new Sobran
collection with articles for which we have clear title. That includes
practically everything else he wrote in his nearly 40-year career.
Fortunately, news about the current book is getting out through reviews
and ads in various publications. I am convinced that this book will
inspire young conservatives and future generations of readers. That’s
why I want to get the book into the hands of our youth and in as many
libraries as possible.
Since most young people do not have the resources to buy hardcover
books, I would like to raise funds to donate books to youth leaders
of Campaign for Liberty (headed by Ron Paul) and other worthy organizations
— assuming we still have books left at the end of the year.
In addition, there are many library trade shows going on every month
around the country. In my original budget, we had planned on having
the book at the various American Library Association national and regional
fairs. When we published the Sam Francis book, this worked well, and
we had many orders from libraries all over the country.
I would also like to get a few copies into Christian and conservative
college and university libraries around the country.
And, of course, I would love to get a mention in the media about the
book. I am sure that both Pat Buchanan and Ann Coulter would be willing
to be spokesmen for the book (as well as myself and Tom Bethell, who
wrote the Preface) but we have not had the resources to contact the
media, other than sending out one news release to them.
I know that radio talk shows on the book could be lined up if we could
afford to hire one of the Griffin Communications consultants who are
very good at this sort of thing. But at the moment we have not considered
this because of lack of funds.
Thus I want you to consider doing two things: First,
buy books for gifts for your family, friends, pastor,
or colleagues. Everyone who buys at least four books — or contributes
$100 or more — or will get a free CD of the timeless essay Joe
recorded, “How Tyranny Came to America.” Order
here.
Here’s the deal: One book: $25; two books: $45; four books:
$90; and six books: $130.
Prices are postpaid to addresses in the continental U.S. (Add $10 for orders to Canada; and $15 per book for overseas orders. See FGFbooks.) See REPLY
FORM if you wish to order by mail or fax.
Second, will you
consider making a generous tax-deductible donation so
that we can promote Joseph Sobran: The National Review Years — and
get started on a new collection?
Feel free to call us tollfree at 877-726-0058, or by ordering or donating online
I hope you agree that Joe Sobran’s work should continue to be
published and distributed widely. The Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation
is the only organization doing this.
But without your help, we will not be able to continue this vitally
important mission of collecting and publishing Joe’s work. Thank
you for your continued generosity.
May you have a productive
and healthy new year.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fran Griffin President
Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation
P.S. I hope you can help FGF before the end of the year. I am very
proud of the new book, and so far, we have received only laudatory
comments. One woman told me “I can’t put it down. It’s
fabulous!”
P.P.S. Once the 1,000 books we printed are gone, that’s it.
Order right away or there may not be any books left!
The Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation is a tax-exempt
organization under the 501(c)(3)
tax code of the Internal Revenue Service. Contributions to the foundation
are tax-deductible.
There are four easy ways to donate:
1. ONLINE below
2. CALL toll-free at 877-726-0058
3. FAX the reply form to 703-281-6617
4. MAIL a check and
the reply form to FGF, 713 Park St., SE, Vienna, VA 22180
P.S. Fill out the REPLY
FORM(if not donating by PayPal).
My tax-deductible donation to assist the Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation's educational and publishing projects.
Donors of $100 or more receive a CD or audio tape of Joe Sobran's classic essay, "How Tyranny Came to America."
My tax-deductible donation to assist the Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation's educational and publishing projects.
Donors of $100 or more receive a CD or audio tape of Joe Sobran's classic essay, "How Tyranny Came to America." Donors of $250 receive two new Sobran books (Joseph Sobran: The National Review Years) plus a CD or tape. Donors of $500 receive four Sobran books and two CDs. Donors of $1000 or more receive six books and four CDs.
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