History is on the ebb. Philosophy is on the ropes. And comparative literature? Please. It's an intellectual heirloom: cherished by those who can afford such baubles but disposable in the eyes of others.

I'm talking about college majors, and talk about college majors is loud and contentious these days. There's concern about whether schools are offering the right ones. There are questions about whether colleges should be emphasising them at all. How does a deep dive into the classics abet a successful leap into the contemporary job market? Should an ambitious examination of English literature come at the cost of acquiring fluency in coding, digital marketing and the like?