News from the Front Porch Republic
Greetings from the Porch,
We have snow on the ground here in Pennsylvania to mark the beginning of Advent tomorrow. The oaks still have lots of leaves clinging to their branches, but winter is arriving regardless.
-
In my weekly Water Dipper, I recommend essays about the humanities, journalism, and parishes.
-
Ryan Klein imagines a dialogue with one of his students who accused him of being racist. How might the “Great Books” be allies in promoting racial justice?
-
Christian McNamara defends the moral arc of A Confederacy of Dunces. John Kennedy Toole denies Ignatius a happy ending, subverting the traditional redemption narrative. In so doing, he arguably gives us a better portrait of what life tends to be like.
-
Chris Schumerth wonders whether there is an alternative to the Ted Lasso cynicism-versus-optimism dichotomy, an alternative that recognizes human limitations but nonetheless offers hope. He suggests starting with becoming attentive enough to our ignorance, and expectant enough of our own mistakes, that we not overshoot the scale of what we’re trying to do.
-
I had a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation with A.M. Juster for the Brass Spittoon podcast. Juster is a humorous and incisive poet, an accomplished translator, and–under his legal name of Michael J. Astrue–the former Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. Come for his stories about Anthony Fauci, and stay for his articulation of the parallels between poetry and politics.
When I was in the Driftless region of Iowa earlier this month, a friend recommended I read Driftless, a novel by David Rhodes. That was a very good recommendation. It is a moving, wise story of a small community in rural Wisconsin. The plot involves the network of friends and neighbors that develops around a man who strays into town and buys a farm. I could quote many lyrical or insightful passages, but here’s a snippet from an exchange between the main character, July, and a militia leader who is fed up with government and corporate corruption and wants others to join his resistance movement.
“Frankly,” said July, “I don’t give a damn about civilization, dying or otherwise. The only reason we have a civilization is that hardly anyone pays attention to it. Most of us live without trying to change anything. We’re content with more important, private things. Myself, I like to farm. If there were something I’d rather be doing, I’d do that. I like farming. I like being outdoors, growing things and feeding animals. I like it. I farm to be farming.”
“The tyranny of kings would never have been overthrown without people standing up,” said Moe.
“Tyranny still exists. No, my friend, most of the people in this room feel just like I do. We’re not here to solve big problems, and we don’t really believe in the idea of solving big problems because of the bigger problems that come out of it. We’re here to figure out a way to keep farming. The gentleman who spoke before you–he wants me to sign a petition. That’s easy enough, so I’ll sign it. But you want me to do something else with my life and I simply don’t have time for that. As I said before, I like farming. I like going to county fairs, listening to music, and eating my neighbor’s pies. None of that involves fighting with anyone.”