A Drink With a Friend

By Tsh Oxenreider

What's A Drink With a Friend about?

Writers and friends Seth Haines & Tsh Oxenreider chat over drinks about living sacramentally—seeing God in all things. Pour yourself a glass and pull up a chair as they talk about the sacramental nature of work, art, community, stories, love, the hard stuff, & more.

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A Drink With a Friend episodes:

04.19.2024
Making Things
Why do we need to make things? Because we need to be people who make things (more than we need things that are made by us). Why? The reason is simple: because making things makes us more into who we’re...
04.05.2024
Localism
Why does localism matter? What does a need to know our local farmers have to do with our souls? Why are our neighborhoods better when we buy and invest as locally as possible (even when it’s a small amount)? Tsh...
03.22.2024
Revisiting the 100-Mile Radius
Living within your 100-mile radius means living small and local—choosing to, as best possible, participate, buy, and invest our time in only that which is immediately around us, within roughly a hundred miles. There’s no way to do this perfectly,...
02.23.2024
The Noonday Devil
Acedia is our modern-day dragon — the desert fathers and mothers named it “the Noonday Devil.” What is it, really? And how do we fight it? Tsh talks with Harrison Garlick, a Deacon with the Diocese of Tulsa, to unpack the...
02.09.2024
Flourishing & Acedia
We've talked about rootedness; now we're moving up the plant stalk to flourishing: thriving, growing well, and generally being who we're supposed to require good roots in good soil. But what's possibly the biggest threat to said flourishing? The ol'...
01.26.2024
You Are a Tree
You are a tree. You are also not a tree. You are on a journey. You are also not on a journey. We use metaphors all the time to describe life, and funnily enough, so does the Bible. Joy Clarkson...
01.12.2024
Rooted
We’re starting a new season with a few changes — Tsh Oxenreider unpacks what you can expect this spring by way of the season’s theme: rootedness. What does it mean to know who you are, whose you are, and where you...
12.22.2023
Asking Those Reflection Questions
In this final chat of the year, Seth and Tsh work through a few of her end-of-the-year questions—and you’re invited to do the same. They’re tougher than they initially seem! * Hosts: authors Seth Haines and Tsh Oxenreider * Buy...
12.08.2023
Good Stuff to Read, Watch, & Listen To
‘Tis the season to have more options than possible to read, watch, and listen to. Authors Seth Haines and Tsh Oxenreider share what they're currently imbibing in this department, along with what's in their queue for the holidays. *...
11.24.2023
The Gift of (& Need for) Advent
Whether you're a seasoned Advent adherent or a barely-even-heard-of-it curious onlooker, Advent really is for everybody. Writer Tsh Oxenreider shares why Advent, as well as the rest of the liturgical calendar, really is a gift to us, even in (especially...
10.27.2023
The Deep Down Things
Why hope? Because we have no other choice. A few years ago, Amber Haines entered a season of pain and despair when she resigned from her role as church curate and walked out those doors for the last time. Since...
10.13.2023
You Should Like This, Too
Social media isn't great for us, neither individually nor collectively. Know what's better? Substack. Not just for writers or creators — for readers and listeners, too! That means you. Writers Seth Haines and Tsh Oxenreider share why they dig this bright...
09.29.2023
A Case Against (& For) AI
We officially live in a world with AI, like it or not. It’s been around quite awhile, but its ubiquitous presence is escalating, and quickly. How shall we then live? Is there ethical space for AI? Writers Tsh Oxenreider and...
09.15.2023
Fragile Objects
Why is adding beauty to our everyday lives worth the time and effort? Tsh Oxenreider talks with fellow writer Katy Carl about why the ongoing, noble pursuit of beauty (in its truest form) is essential for ALL of us. They...
09.01.2023
Ignatian Bookends
We’re back for a new season of chatting over drinks! Writers Tsh Oxenreider and Seth Haines discuss the old idea of Ignatian examen and how it applies to us moderns. Also, why morning and evening bookends are a great idea....
06.30.2023
Good Finales
No need to panic; the podcast isn’t ending! It's simply time for a summer break. In this episode, Seth and Tsh chat about some of their favorite finales: the last lines of books, the final songs on an album, the...
06.16.2023
Fiction is More Real Than Non-Fiction
Stories (the good ones, anyway) tell us more than an entertaining tale—they tell us why the world is the way it is, as well as the way it should be. In this way, fiction is often more real than non-fiction....
06.02.2023
Love What Lasts
Is reading good books, watching good movies, and preferring good art a matter of subjective taste or objective reasoning? And if it’s objective, does that mean there’s a wrong preference for these things? Even a …moral wrong? Tsh talks with...
05.19.2023
Things We'd Tell Our Younger Parenting Selves
Both Seth and Tsh's oldest children are graduating high school this month, and just like the cliché, they can't believe how fast time has flown. Here are a few things they'd tell themselves when they were younger and in the...
05.05.2023
Why is Seth Catholic? Part 2
Continuing with (what the numbers say is) this show’s most popular series, in this episode, Seth shares more of why he became Catholic. If he could sum up a major reason why he and Amber led their whole family into...
04.21.2023
Why Switch to a Dumbphone?
We've reached a fever pitch with smartphones, and more and more people aren't sure what to do anymore with these computers in our pockets. Is it time to throw them in a river and "downgrade" to older school flip phones?...
04.07.2023
Why is Tsh Catholic? (Part 2)
It's still the question Tsh and Seth get more than just about any other... They each began answering this question in earlier chats, but it involves an answer that may take a lifetime to share... In this episode, Tsh shares...
03.24.2023
Why Hope in the Midst of Despair?
On the trails, in silence of an adoration chapel, in the practice of shrugging our shoulders, in the dirt of the earth, in art, bread, a feast with our friends. In other words: practice. This is where Seth and his...
03.10.2023
Why Screwtape Letters?
C.S. Lewis wrote a newspaper column as a series of letters from a demon writing to his nephew training for his role as …well, a demon. Screwtape advises Wormwood how to best attack his “patient” — an unassuming young man —...
03.03.2023
Bonus: Why Go on a Pilgrimage?
Isn’t it weird to travel with people you’ve never met? Tsh thought so, too, until she started leading pilgrimages. Now it’s one of her favorite things she does. She chats with her friend Bond Strong, who went on Tsh’s 2022...
02.24.2023
Why Read Classics to our Kids?
Aren’t old books too hard for kids to understand? Maybe. Or maybe not. Tsh chats with her new friend Noah Tyler about his challenge of reading aloud from the original Harvard Classics set (also known as “Dr. Eliot’s Five-Foot Shelf...
02.10.2023
What Were Our First (Paper) Loves?
You always remember your first. ...Get your mind out of the gutter, we're talking about first BOOK loves — you know, the stories that captured us and wouldn't let us go. In this episode, Seth and Tsh talk about the books...
01.27.2023
When is "Lex" Not a Superman Villain?
Lex orandi lex credendi lex vivendi. What does this old Latin phrase mean? And what does it have to do with actual life? Lots, actually. These words represent an idea that’s not only time-tested, but it affects more of your...
01.13.2023
Why Cold Showers? And No Dairy?
The new year kicks off with Seth in bed with the flu, so even though he musters up the strength to chat, in this episode it's mostly Tsh. Last year they each gave themselves a six-month challenge, so she shares...
12.24.2022
Happy Holidays!
Seth and Tsh are offline for the next couple of weeks, but the show will pick back up in January. In the meantime, they've got a few thoughts for you — by way of other people's thoughts. Merry Christmas and...
12.16.2022
Bonus: What’s it Like Writing a Book With Your Son?
Bonus! Tsh recently talked with Sam Smith and his teenage son, Josiah, about the fine art of writing a book together. Sam, often known as S.D., is the author of the beloved Green Ember series, and his son came up...
12.09.2022
What’s Delighting Us?
With Advent in full force and Christmas on its way, Seth and Tsh keep it lighter-hearted in this episode. They share what's adding more joy to their days in the categories of movies/TV series, music, books, and habits. Bookmark this...
11.25.2022
What is the Liturgical Calendar?
We all have a liturgy to our lives, even if we don't call it that. So why bother with one that's old and global, too? Since Advent is the start of a new liturgical year, Seth and Tsh unpack what...
11.11.2022
Why is In-Person Community Better Than Virtual?
Seth is joined by Myles Werntz, a professor of theology, and in this chat they unpack what's meant by community, a word we toss around a lot in our culture. What's the real difference between in-person and virtual communities? What...
10.28.2022
Why Should You Go to Ireland?
Tsh is joined by a good friend — her husband, Kyle! A late-night conversation, they reflect on how travel has affected their 20-year marriage and why you (yes, you!) should join them next summer in Ireland. ☘️ Tsh's newsletter + website Pick...
10.14.2022
Why is Seth Catholic? (part 1)
Both adult Catholic converts from a lifetime of Protestantism, Seth and Tsh each could do a 12-part series on why they swam the Tiber. In this chat, Seth unpacks with Tsh just a few items in his backpack worn on...
09.30.2022
Why Leave Instagram?
More and more folks are talking about the ills of social media, but the platforms remain hugely popular (and addictive). Seth asks Tsh about her recent decision to leave Instagram even though "they" say writers should be there if they...
09.16.2022
What’s the Genesis of Gender?
What does it mean to be a man or a woman? And just as important in today's culture, how do we have civil, truthful, loving conversations about that topic? Seth and Tsh are joined by author and professor Abigail Favale...
09.02.2022
Why is Italy so Great?
We're back! Seth and Tsh recap Italy, but don't worry, it's not done in a way that bores you if you weren't there... They reflect on why it's always true that ordinary conversations with new friends over gelato are more...
07.08.2022
What’s Good About Summer?
It's good to remember the good things in life, especially when the news is heavy (when is ever not anymore, right?). And since art has a season, Seth and Tsh share their summery music, movies, TV shows, and books they're...
07.01.2022
Why Publish New Classics?
Tsh talks to her good friend, Sarah Mackenzie, about what makes good stories (especially for our kids). She's got a HUGE new project in the works: not only a new children's book, but a new publishing house! When it's hard...
06.24.2022
6 Months in a 100-Mile Radius
It's now Tsh's turn to update us on her six-month challenge: what she's learned living as best she can in a 100-mile radius. She and Seth talk about the importance of subsidiarity, reorienting our priorities, finding community IN an actual...
06.17.2022
6 Months Away From Social Media
It's June, which means Seth and Tsh are at the end of their first of the year challenges. Seth updates us on what he's learned being away from social media for six months, what he'll do differently, and what he...
06.10.2022
In Praise of Hobbies
Hobbies aren't just the things we do whenever we have spare time — they're actually important to our health. The things we do just because we enjoy them, staying at amateur status for the love of the craft, starting at...
06.03.2022
Quick Announcement
Seth moseys by a river and sits among the birds to explain what's up this week. He and Tsh be back next week with a new episode! Stay tuned. Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon.place/subscribe
05.27.2022
Why is Tsh Catholic? (part 1)
Both Seth and Tsh became Catholic just a few years ago, as adults after a lifetime of being Protestant. Why? ...That's the question they get asked by many of you ALL the time. In this episode, they dip their toes...
05.20.2022
Six More Good Things
It's the end of the school year, and May is always nuts. When life feels flustered, it's grounding to remember the ordinary things adding beauty to our days. Seth and Tsh each share what they're currently reading, watching, and listening...
05.13.2022
Now What?
How do we connect with people when our differences are exacerbated by algorithms and echo chambers? Seth and Tsh are joined around the table by their friends Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart-Holland from the podcast Pantsuit Politics — together, they...
05.06.2022
Why Travel Matters
Particular places in the world matter, whether they're your grandma's childhood home or the Sistene Chapel. Going to them matters, too, and it's a privilege and honor to do so because the journey, the arrival, and the conversations once we're...
04.29.2022
1,000 True Fans
You don't need all the people, you just need your people. This is the premise of an idea penned over a decade ago that still serves as a bellwether for Seth and Tsh's work, that they're on the right track....

What's A Drink With a Friend about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

A Drink With a Friend episodes:

Making Things

Localism

Revisiting the 100-Mile Radius

The Noonday Devil

Flourishing & Acedia

You Are a Tree

Rooted

Asking Those Reflection Questions

Good Stuff to Read, Watch, & Listen To

The Gift of (& Need for) Advent

The Deep Down Things

You Should Like This, Too

A Case Against (& For) AI

Fragile Objects

Ignatian Bookends

Good Finales

Fiction is More Real Than Non-Fiction

Love What Lasts

Things We'd Tell Our Younger Parenting Selves

Why is Seth Catholic? Part 2

Why Switch to a Dumbphone?

Why is Tsh Catholic? (Part 2)

Why Hope in the Midst of Despair?

Why Screwtape Letters?

Bonus: Why Go on a Pilgrimage?

Why Read Classics to our Kids?

What Were Our First (Paper) Loves?

When is "Lex" Not a Superman Villain?

Why Cold Showers? And No Dairy?

Happy Holidays!

Bonus: What’s it Like Writing a Book With Your Son?

What’s Delighting Us?

What is the Liturgical Calendar?

Why is In-Person Community Better Than Virtual?

Why Should You Go to Ireland?

Why is Seth Catholic? (part 1)

Why Leave Instagram?

What’s the Genesis of Gender?

Why is Italy so Great?

What’s Good About Summer?

Why Publish New Classics?

6 Months in a 100-Mile Radius

6 Months Away From Social Media

In Praise of Hobbies

Quick Announcement

Why is Tsh Catholic? (part 1)

Six More Good Things

Now What?

Why Travel Matters

1,000 True Fans