Reason in the Sun

This article is not yet available online. To order a single copy of the print edition in which it appears, write to us at scholar@pbk.org or look for it on newsstands. To enjoy the full contents of each new issue of The American Scholar as soon as it is printed, please subscribe today and save up to 33 percent off the single-copy price.

Permission required for reprinting, reproducing, or other uses.

Robert Wilson’s first novel, The Love You Take, will be published in the fall of 2025. He is the author of biographies of Clarence King, Mathew Brady, and P. T. Barnum. He was the editor of the Scholar for more than 17 years.

● NEWSLETTER

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up