Russell Kirk Center For Cultural Renewal

THE CENTER'S MISSION IS TO STRENGTHEN THE CULTURAL, ECONOMIC, AND PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION AND THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE WITHIN IT. OUR PROGRAMS CELEBRATE AND DEFEND THOSE PERMANENT THINGS THAT CONSERVE A TRADITION OF ORDER, JUSTICE AND FREEDOM.

I. SEMINARS: FOR STUDENTS, SCHOLARS, TEACHERS, AND THE PUBLIC ARE HELD AT THE RUSSELL KIRK CENTER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. PARTICIPANTS COME FROM THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD. IN ADDITION, THE KIRK CENTER CO-SPONSORS SEMINARS WITH PUBLIC NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE INTERCOLLEGIATE STUDIES INSTITUTE, THE LIBERTY FUND, THE MCCONNELL CENTER, THE EDMUND BURKE SOCIETY, AND THE SOCIETY FOR LAW & CULTURE. WE ALSO PARTNER WITH HOPE COLLEGE, HILLSDALE COLLEGE, THE HAUENSTEIN CENTER AT GVSU, CALVIN UNIVERSITY, AND NORTHWOOD UNIVERSITY. BETWEEN 300-500 PEOPLE ATTEND WEEKEND OR DAY EVENTS AT THE CENTER WHILE HUNDREDS MORE ATTEND EVENTS AT THE UNIVERSITIES WITH WHOM WE COOPERATE. II. FELLOWSHIPS: RESIDENT FELLOWS CONDUCT RESEARCH FOR THEIR THESES, DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS, OR WRITING PROJECTS WHILE STAYING IN ONE OF FIVE HOUSES NEXT TO THE KIRK CENTER LIBRARY DURING THE FALL, SPRING, OR SUMMER SEMESTERS. WHILE IN RESIDENCE, THEY GIVE PRESENTATIONS ON THE PROGRESS OF THEIR WORK AND PARTICIPATE IN THE SEMINARS HELD AT THE CENTER. THE CENTER'S AIM IS TO FOSTER A COMMUNITY OF SCHOLARS WHO CARRY THIS EXPERIENCE INTO THEIR FUTURE PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC COMMUNITIES. VISITING KIRK SCHOLARS COME FOR A WEEK OR TWO FOR RESEARCH AND LECTURE PURPOSES. THE CENTER ALSO HAS AN ACTIVE GROUP OF EIGHT SENIOR FELLOWS THAT PUBLISH AND OTHERWISE REPRESENT THE CENTER IN PRINT AND AT CONFERENCES. III. LIBRARY AND ARCHIVE: THE KIRK CENTER LIBRARY CONSISTS OF TWELVE THOUSAND VOLUMES AND DOZENS OF PERIODICALS; A MASTER FILE OF KIRK'S ARTICLES, ESSAYS, REVIEWS, AND COLUMNS; A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ALL OF KIRK'S WRITINGS; AND AN EXTENSIVE ARCHIVE OF KIRK'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH PRESIDENTS, POETS, PUBLISHERS, PHILOSOPHERS, HISTORIANS, AND LITERARY FIGURES. KIRK CENTER PERSONNEL ASSIST STUDENTS, SCHOLARS, AND JOURNALISTS IN FINDING MATERIAL FOR THEIR ARTICLES, DISSERTATIONS, OR BOOKS. THE LIBRARY IS A UNIQUE BUILDING WITH CONFERENCE ROOMS AND AN EXTENSIVE ARCHIVE. IT IS OPEN AND AVAILABLE TO THE FELLOWS SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. COMMUNITY AND COLLEGE ORGANIZATIONS HOLD MEETINGS AND EVENTS IN THE LIBRARY ON A REGULAR BASIS. IV. PUBLICATIONS: THE UNIVERSITY BOOKMAN" WAS FOUNDED AS A BOOK REVIEW QUARTERLY BY RUSSELL KIRK IN 1960, AND IS NOW AN ONLINE JOURNAL WHICH PUBLISHES WEEKLY. IT POSTS MORE THAN 100 REVIEWS, ESSAYS, AND INTERVIEWS ANNUALLY AND ATTRACTS A GROWING NATIONAL AUDIENCE. "STUDIES IN BURKE & HIS TIME" IS A JOURNAL DEDICATED TO THE STUDY, INTERPRETATION, AND APPLICATION OF THE LIFE AND THOUGHT OF THE STATESMAN EDMUND BURKE. "PERMANENT THINGS" IS THE KIRK CENTER'S BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER. THE KIRK CENTER WEBSITE CONTAINS INFORMATION ABOUT KIRK AND HIS WRITINGS AND ANNOUNCES NEWS OF THE CENTER'S UPCOMING PROGRAMS AND FELLOWSHIPS. ALL JOURNALS AND VIDEOS ARE POSTED FREE-OF-CHARGE ON THE RUSSELL KIRK CENTER WEBSITE, AND ARE VIEWED BY THOUSANDS. IN ADDITION, THE CENTER ARRANGES FOR THE PUBLICATION AND TRANSLATION OF KIRK'S BOOKS IN THIS COUNTRY AND ABROAD.