Nate helps Ashley think through the idea of returning home from Uruguay to Chicago by reflecting on his own story of homecoming.

Will, GG, and Jason discuss Will’s eclectic background researching ‘urban renewal’, the cyclic nature of society, urban decline and polarization, as well as his ‘escape’ to the exurbs to become a low-tech, permacultural, self-sufficient homesteader and the reality checks he’s received in terms of producing enough food and battling invasive species.

Will Caverly lives on a permaculture homestead in Southeastern Pennsylvania with his family. He writes at his substack, The Mercenary Pen, and most of his work can be found at www.willcaverly.com. His recent article for Front Porch Republic, "There's No More Room: Toward an Anarcho-Pastoralism", reflects on his ten years of homesteading in response to civilizational decay. He is currently working on a book on the intersection of eminent domain and environmentalism in mid-20th century Philadelphia.

Drake, Nate, and Jason talk about Silvopasture, Drake’s experience with it, and Nate’s plans for it. What it is, why it has so much potential for both food production and ecological restoration, the central role of water management, keyline design, carbon myopia, ecological prefiguration, and the numerous beings that are supporting our efforts.

Description:

Tessa Carman and JC Scharl join Donald and Going Godward to talk about poetry, translation, and motherhood in the first-ever Doomer Optimism Literary Hour.

Bios:

Tessa Carman is a writer and teacher. You can find more of her work at TessaCarman.wordpress.com.

Jane Clark Scharl is an American poet, playwright, and critic. Her poetry has appeared in many American and European outlets, including the BBC, The Hopkins Review, The New Ohio Review, The American Journal of Poetry, The Lamp, Measure Review, and others. Her criticism has appeared in Dappled Things, Fare Forward, Plough Quarterly, and others. Her first verse drama, Sonnez Les Matines, was published by Wiseblood Books in February 2023. The play had its theatrical debut in NYC on February 21st, 2023 at the Nubox Theatre.

Over the past several months Josh Kearns has been remote mentoring a small group of Stanford students working on biochar water treatment (mostly though one student contact). Two students just wrapped up a 10-week implementation trip in Malawi. He recorded the conversation the night before they were flying out to come back to Western Civilization. He wanted to talk to them while they were still fresh off the experience and in-context, before the mind-warp of readjusting to life in the US.

In this conversation they talked about their project and what insights and experiences they gained, what they found surprising, challenging, etc. They discussed the utility of field-based hands-on experiential education versus formal university education. They had some interesting things to say, including that living in the campus environment (in campus housing where cleaning is all done for you, eating at the dining hall where you don't have to prepare your own food, etc.) many students don't feel like "adults." Managing their own housing upkeep and meals was a salient point for them it seems.

Evan and Jason talk about Narrative Exchange, a program of bringing

Ashley and Evan discuss global supply chains and suggest a synthesis between globalism and localism.

Chris, Shaun, and Jason record a follow up conversation to an earlier one between Shaun and Jason (found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yni0F-3VVxo&t=1174s ) talking about the intersections of Chris’s vision of a Small Farm Future and Shaun’s of Lean Logic, and particularly the cultural and spiritual dimensions of collapse and regeneration, as well as the more near term conflicting urban/rural class politics involved

Braxton sits down with Ashley and Roland to discuss localism, agriculture, community, and that controversial new country music singer Oliver Anthony!

James, Keturah, Andy, and Donald talk about America and literature and American literature, its limits and possibilities.