University of Virginia Press
John Churchill was a distinguished and beloved Arkansan whose posthumous collection, “The Problem with Rules,” is a continuation of his lifelong advocacy of the liberal arts. Readers may have known the Hector, Arkansas, native because they took his philosophy courses at Hendrix College or had an audience with him when he served as dean there. Others may have known him as one of the designers of the Arkansas Governor’s School curriculum or as the executive secretary of Phi Beta Kappa, the historic academic honor society. A lucky few may remember him as the author of an exceedingly wild (and unbelievably true) story about his family’s obdurate pet pig. Churchill was a true polymath brilliant, but also charitable and gregarious. He died in late 2019. Those who knew him may be comforted to hear his voice through this work, which reverberates with generosity, wit, and Monty Python references.