What if the books we read aloud, the walks we take, and the names we learn for the world around us are not small extras, but central ways of forming a life? In this episode of Composed, Christine Perrin speaks with Jesse Hake, Director of ClassicalU at Classical Academic Press, about reading as a family practice, literature as a companion in moral formation, and the quiet power of naming the places we inhabit. Their conversation moves from The Lord of the Rings and Dickens to creek stomping, wildflowers, classroom liturgies, and the simple discipline of calling one’s father. For parents and teachers seeking humane, practical ways to cultivate wisdom, attention, and delight, this episode offers a hopeful vision of education as shared life.

Jesse reminds us that classical education is not merely a curriculum or a set of ideas. It is a way of receiving the world with love and giving that love to others through conversation, memory, making, and place. Reading aloud, walking attentively, and creating beautiful things together become patterns that nourish families, classrooms, and communities.

About the Guest
Jesse Hake is director for the ClassicalU parent and teacher training platform at Classical Academic Press, where he has served since 2019. Before that, he was Principal for seven years at Logos Academy, a classical Christian school in downtown York, PA. Jesse holds a BA in history from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and a Master of Letters in history from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. He has taught history, literature and theology at middle school, high school and college levels and currently teaches as an adjunct professor in the Messiah University honors program. He enjoys writing as well, with articles in The Christian Century, Front Porch Republic and his own essay newsletter at Copious Flowers. He lives with his wife and three children in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Guest Links
ClassicalU | https://classicalu.com/
Copious Flowers | https://copiousflowers.substack.com/
ClassicalU on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/classicalupage
ClassicalU on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/classicalu/

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