Articles Archive
FPR Conference: Get Your Ticket Now
The fourth annual Front Porch Republic conference will examine ways to promote a more comprehensive localist vision that both learns from and goes beyond the increasingly successful local-food movement. It…
A Happy Thought
The world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings. Robert Louis Stevenson, A Child’s Garden of Verses In my…
Getting Detroit’s Goat
When a city's situation is as dire as Detroit's a certain amount of creativity is required. Enter the goat. And then enter Detroit's bungling mismanagers. Read the article, but don't…
Love: Needs, Risks, Opportunities
Love – it draws out the timeworn clichés and greeting card verse in us, yet it is serious and necessary and hard. Without it, there would be no popular culture;…
On the Nightstand
Two books right now, one fiction and one non-fiction. First, the fiction: Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. I re-read this one (revisit it?) every few years. Brideshead is quite different…
Localist Roundup: Pernicious Parking Lots
This article examines how local farms are expanding their business to serve local institutions, mainly schools. Meanwhile, this piece describes obstacles to implementing the USDA standards that encourage local sourcing…
Thoroughly Anti-Modern Milius
On John Milius, writer-director-surfer-anarchist, from The American Conservative.
Roots Along the River
Historically, the locals have called Pompaples, Switzerland the “milieu du monde.” Not to be confused as a claim about its importance as a cultural or political influence, the title refers…
How Marx Explains the Pomo-Con/Front-Porch Divide, In Four Easy Steps
[Cross-posted to In Medias Res] Via Rod Dreher, I see that the occasionally interesting blog Postmodern Conservative has departed its longtime home at the (often, if not always) theoconservative journal…
Localist Roundup: Internet of Things
This article outlines some efforts in Britain to involve local communities in the upkeep of unused land. Meanwhile, this article warms that attempts to digitize interaction with physical objects may…
The Violent and the Fallen On the Airwaves
Holy Family Radio in Grand Rapids, Michigan, recently aired John Pinheiro's interview with me on his weekly program, Faith and Reason. Pinheiro asked me to discuss my new book, The…
Localist Roundup: Politically Expedient Localism?
This article on the Amazon-Hachette contract dispute illustrates some problems with having nearly all book sales in the hands of one major corporation. Meanwhile, this piece reflects on social media's tendency…
Whisky Tales
In a full bottle of whisky are all the aspirations of mankind, and in an empty one are all the failures of man. Mike Drury As we emerge into adulthood,…
Trying to Be Like Them
“It is for you to try to be like them.” Pericles’ Funeral Oration I have to admit a problem that I’ve had with Memorial Day. I’ve often let my thoughts…
Localist Roundup: The Week’s Weakness
This piece describes the alienating aspects of technology. Meanwhile, the author of this ambitious article would have the seven-day week abolished. This article speculates as to the impact of food…
Academy of Philosophy and Letters
The Academy of Philosophy and Letters will be holding its annual conference on the topic "Civil Religion and American Self-Understanding" next weekend at the BWI Doubletree in Baltimore. There are…
Public Schools, Local Schools, Family Schools
[Cross-posted to In Medias Res] Yesterday was the final day of the school year at Peterson Elementary School, the public school which three of our four daughters have attended. It…
Philanthrolocalism vs. Effective Altruism
William Schambra has a piece at Philanthropy Daily that describes the coming showdown between two competing conceptions of philanthropic giving. Here's a taste: Community-embeddedness versus detached godliness: not a bad…
Soylent: It’s What’s for Dinner (and Lunch and Breakfast)
Hidden Springs Lane. What if you never had to worry about food again? Possible answers: 1) Wow! Think of all the time I can save, all the hassle of shopping,…
Localist Roundup: Localism vs. Climate Change
In political news, Congress continues its attempt to restrict NSA bulk data collection. At the same time, this article describes Facebook's hopes to use phone microphones for data collection of…
Wholistic Chef
A most interesting piece over at The Atlantic wherein a world-class chef discusses his epiphany concerning the interrelatedness of flavor, sustainable farming practices, local cuisines, and supporting farms financially. Well worth…
Who Owns America?
In The American Conservative, Ralph Nader, paladin of the American anti-monopolist tradition, revives the great distributist-agrarian project of the 1930s.
When Your Way of Life is Out of Date
“…your whole way of life is out of date when compared with theirs. And it is just as true in politics as it is in any art or craft: new…