On Being Read | Dear Abbie: The Non-Advice Column

A philosophical work — especially one drawn from a life — is never simply understood. It is received and interpreted through the concerns of the reader. And in a careful reading, one may come to see not only what was intended, but also something that had not been fully articulated at the time of writing.

What struck me most in Lee Trepanier’s review was the way he engaged the work as a life in motion; something shaped by relationships, embodiment, and historical experience. This is not always the case in philosophy, where the lived dimension of thought is often set aside in favor of argument alone. To have that dimension recognized is not only meaningful, but central to what the work itself is trying to do.

I am grateful for that kind of attention, and thought it worth sharing here with you.

Read the review (2–3 min): https://voegelinview.com/marked-by-love-and-life

Read more from Confessions of a Young Philosopher: https://a.co/d/05NUsyrO

About Abigail

Abigail Rosenthal is Professor Emerita of Philosophy, Brooklyn College of CUNY. She is the author of A Good Look at Evil, a Pulitzer Prize nominee, now available in an expanded, revised second edition and as an audiobook. Its thesis is that good people try to live out their stories while evil people aim to mess up good people’s stories. Her latest book, Confessions of a Young Philosopher, illustrated by Caroline Church, explores the thesis in her own life. She writes a weekly column for her blog, “Dear Abbie: The Non-Advice Column” (www.dearabbie-nonadvice.com) where she explains why human lives are in fact quite interesting. She’s the editor of the posthumously published Consolations of Philosophy: Hobbes’s Secret; Spinoza’s Way by Henry M. Rosenthal, her father. Some of her articles can be accessed at https://brooklyn-cuny.academia.edu/AbigailMartin . She is married to Jerry L. Martin, also a philosopher. They live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

View all posts by Abigail →

Posted on April 7, 2026 by Abigail

This entry was posted in appreciation, authenticity, book reviews, books, Confessions of a Young Philosopher, contemplation, memoir, modern women, philosophy, public intellectual, reading, twenty-first century, work, writing, Zeitgeist and tagged "Confessions of a Young Philosopher", Abigail L. Rosenthal's "Confessions of a Young Philosopher", book review. Bookmark the permalink.

1 Response to On Being Read | Dear Abbie: The Non-Advice Column

Jerry L Martin says:

April 7, 2026 at 6:12 pm

This review by Lee Trepanier is a splendid philosophical reflection on a subtle philosophical memoir. It is a wonderful example of the dialectic that can occur between the writer and the reader. Therethrough it reveals salient aspects of life and love.

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