Articles Archive

In recent news, single adults now comprise more than half of the U.S. population. Meanwhile, this piece considers how technology has changed the way we wander. This article argues that…

This article poses the question "Who's responsible for bad architecture?" Meanwhile, this piece criticizes the practice of communities outsourcing art, with particular reference to Florentijn Hofman and his giant rubber ducks.…

Japanese rail commuters ride train station escalators the way you might expect: those who are in no hurry stand to the right, leaving a ‘passing lane’ for those who walk…

My meditation on the question from The American Conservative.

Holland, MI I can’t say I’m overly conversant with the history of charitable giving in America, but I can’t recall something taking off quite like this “ice bucket challenge.” In…

This article condemns the  trend of big houses in America. This feature describes the fate of a small North Dakota town affected by the oil boom. Meanwhile, this article argues against urban…

The first book published under the FPR Books imprint is out. David Bosworth's The Demise of Virtue in Virtual America: The Moral Origins of the Great Recession can be purchased…

Entrance:Virtual America’s Convention Hall                                                     Demise—1) the conveyance of an estate 2) transfer                                              of the sovereignty to a successor 3) a: death b: cessation                                              of existence or…

“When the oak-tree is felled, the whole forest echoes with it; but a hundred acorns are planted silently by some unnoticed breeze.” Thomas Carlyle That time of year is almost…

This piece provides some interesting thoughts on the future of liberalism. Meanwhile, this article describes Alaska's local food movement. Finally, the author of this piece describes the significance of learning to…

Tickets are going fast. If you want to attend, register soon. It's going to be a great event and we hope to see you there. Making a Home Fit for…

This article tells more about the micro-house trend. Meanwhile, this article gives some economic analysis on the importance of smallness. Lastly, this piece reminds of the importance of local politics…

Our archrival of 75 years, Jamestown, leaves the New York-Penn League.

"Do remember that each kind of work has its season..." Hesiod, Works and Days A simple, mundane truth about the end of August. The mid-Atlantic growing season is moving toward…

Holland, MI Over at the Postmodern Conservative, Peter Lawler has been writing quite a bit about Robin Williams, and specifically the movie Dead Poets Society (which, Peter and I agree, isn’t…

Hillsdale, Michigan. Readers may recall the dustup earlier in the summer when Peter Conn prompted pious gasps for suggesting that institutions like Wheaton College (the evangelical one) should not be…

Hillsdale, Michigan. Three years ago or so when the missus and I moved to Michigan from Philadelphia, we wondered how we would manage. Not only is the state's economy at…

“Oh Shenandoah, I long to hear you…” American Folk Song, traditional What is it about hearing a river? This past spring I stood next to the flooding Mississippi in St.…

This article criticizes localism and seasonal eating. Meanwhile, this piece argues in favor of public libraries even in an era of digital books. Finally, this imposing proposed structure might take…

[Cross-posted to In Medias Res] From 2003 to 2005, we lived in Craighead County, Arkansas, while I taught at Arkansas State University. Craighead was a dry county, having voted many…

“Now nature makes nothing incomplete, and nothing in vain…” Aristotle, Politics Sometimes we might wonder about Aristotle. Was he observing the same world we are? One thing is clear: Aristotle…

This article suggests that Comcast's infamy comes from the fact that the cable-provider has grown too big to function. Meanwhile, this piece questions the importance of eating seasonally. It also calls…

The fourth annual Front Porch Republic conference will be in Louisivlle on September 27. We will examine ways to promote a more comprehensive localist vision that both learns from and…

This summer I moved to a new neighborhood that happens to be much nearer the freeway that divides my city. My  house is less than a mile from an on-ramp,…