Hermits, Homesickness, and Barbarians
“Inis Cealtra.” Paul Kingsnorth explains—sort of—what he’ll be writing about for the foreseeable future. What makes it challenging to explain is that he’s after...
Artist Elisabeth Deane & The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts
My guest this episode is Elisabeth Deane, a talented artist living and working in London with her husband Jethro Buck, also an artist.
On a...
Humane Politics
Adam Smith, a philosopher at the University of Dubuque, counterattacks the disenchanted War on Suffering. FPR President Mark Mitchell goes biblical to bring down...
Families, Hospitality, and Death
“What are Families For?” The new issue of Plough is out, and it looks excellent. I am trying to avoid reading these essays, though, until my...
Craft, Rural America, and Beauty
The Porch will likely be quiet this coming week as we celebrate the Christmas season. Enjoy these next few days on a real porch...
Amazon, Cities, and Farming Colleges
“Inhuman Communication: Søren Kierkegaard Versus the Internet.” Patrick Stokes draws on the Danish philosopher to gain insight into our digital media ecosystem: “According to...
Talking about Wendell Berry on Twitter
Matt Stewart hasn't convinced everyone, and we'll be running further responses to his piece over the next couple of weeks--including essays from those who...
Refuge, Levitation, and Hospitality
“The Liberalism of Refuge.” I think that Bryan Garsten’s notion of “refuge” isn’t robust enough to do all the work he’s asking it to...
Infrastructure, Our Towns, and Opioids
“The American Jobs Plan Will Make Our Infrastructure Crisis Worse.” Over at Strong Towns, Charles Marohn has a multi-part essay responding to Biden’s infrastructure...
David Foster Wallace, Brian Doyle, and Francis Fukuyama
“Fresh Cliché.” In a wise essay that puts David Foster Wallace in conversation with Wallace Stegner, Matt Stewart gives two cheers for clichés: “Surely...