The Role of Memory Through Commonplace Notebooking with Dr. John Ahern from The Wilberforce School

About the Guest

Dr. John Ahern holds a PhD from Princeton University in historical musicology. He currently teaches at The Wilberforce School as an Upper School Humanities and Latin instructor. He is also faculty at the Theopolis Institute and directs their Te Deum Fellows Program in Liturgical Music. His writings on a variety of topics have appeared in First Things, Ad Fontes, The Lamp, Mere Orthodoxy, Eidolon, the Theopolis Institute blog, and the CiRCE Institute blog. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and four children.

Show Notes

John Ahern has successfully implemented the practice of keeping a commonplace book with his students. In this episode he explains why it is an important practice, how to create time to do it, and how to establish best practices in a school setting.

If you have wondered how to succeed at keeping a commonplace book, this episode is incredibly practical and will help you confidently get started in this beautiful practice.

Resources Mentioned

Link to the Circe Institute article: https://circeinstitute.org/blog/how-to-make-a-commonplace-book/

Notebooks the school uses: https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/classic-notebooks-1.html

Also: https://www.amazon.com/Leuchturm1917-Journal-Hardcover-Notebook-Numbered/dp/B09T75BG8L?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

The Book of Memory by Mary Carruthers

Leisure the Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper

Bleak House by Charles Dickens