The Republic of Letters is a realm for reasoned and civil discourse on politics and culture. It is a realm where argument and discussion is relished. (Our inaugural post adumbrates the ideals and animating spirit of this blog). No idea is verboten, and while we foreswear controversy merely for it’s own sake, we don’t shy away from it when it’s in the service of wisdom, truth, and understanding. Discussion is welcome, and though we moderate with a light hand, we won’t countenance insulting or otherwise benighted behavior.
Rinku Mathew
A habitué of cigar shops and wineries, and a dilettante and bibliophile by nature, I am a freelance writer living in Orange County, Ca. I find interesting almost all of life, yet my primary interests are philosophy, history, religion, and politics. On politics, I write as a Burkean conservative with libertarian sympathies; while on religion, I write as a happy recent convert adult convert to Roman Catholicism. Email: rinku@therepublicofletters.net
Ann Pham
Ann Pham is obsessed with food, fitness, travelling, and has a particular affinity for fine shoes–the higher, the better. Born in Oregon, she’s a particular kind of Oregonian who doesn’t wear Birkenstocks. She is a stickler for spelling, passionate about entrepreneurial pursuits, and believes in positive thinking. She is currently finishing her B.A. in Business Administration at Cal State Fullerton and resides in beautiful Corona del Mar. Email: ann@therepublicofletters.net
Lejo Mammen
By profession the Director of Technology at the third largest commercial real estate corporation in the country, Lejo Mammen is a connoisseur of all things tech. He considers Steve Jobs the foremost technologist of our time, and the use of any non-Apple product simply as a thorn in the flesh he must forebear. Email: lejo@therepublicofletters.net
Reena Thomas
Reena Thomas considers herself an expert in one thing–sleeping–and believes it should be turned into a competitive sport. In between her Olympic marathons of bed resting, she is attempting to earn a PhD in English Literature from the University of Arizona with a focus on the Indian-English novel (think Rushdie/Naipaul/Tagore/Desai/
An instructor of Freshman English Composition at the U of A, Reena views the classroom as a dialectical space for critical thinking, free expression, and provocative dialogue … and as a last-ditch effort to teach undergrads the difference between it’s and its (hint: one is a contraction, the other possessive).
Reena is a native New Yorker and a lover of Christ. She’s not afraid of the taboo, open-ended conclusions, or getting lost, geographically and otherwise. Her opinions are informed by desires to be objective yet relational, grounded yet fearless. She currently splits her time between California and Arizona. Email: reena@therepublicofletters.net
Ronnie Demler
Rinku stole my line about being a dilettante. In all seriousness, I like to think that I’ve sufficiently dabbled in enough things to hold a decent conversation about most topics (or at least to fake it). I enjoy reading, teaching, and engaging in fruitless debates on online forums and blogs. I have a BA in Philosophy from Biola University. ronnie@therepublicofletters.net