“Wendell Berry: The Poet of Place.” Silas House corresponds with Berry about the work of faithful dwelling and writing:
I think my work also has benefited from distractions. There are times when my writing has had to come second to my family or my neighbors or my horses or my sheep. These reminders of things more important than writing have kept my writing firmly placed in the workaday world, where it belongs.
“COVID-19 is Exposing our Broken Health Care System. Young Physicians will Help.” Nicholas Brennecke describes the gap between a health care system that maximizes profits and the doctors and nurses who are willing to give their lives to care for patients. Nic has been posting other essays as well reflecting on his experience in the hospital during this time.
“Pandemic Through the Eyes of a Globalist.” Jason Morgan tries to parse how globalists use language in order to better understand that strange species, and to determine how it might respond to the pandemic we face as a result of globalist policies.
“Novel Coronavirus, Ancient Economics.” C.R. Wiley wonders if people who are cooped up in their homes, living and working alongside the other members of their households, will begin to foster more productive household economies—and perhaps even seek means to regain ownership of productive property. This may not be the most likely long-term outcome of this crisis, but it would certainly be a welcome one. (Recommended by Jeff Polet.)
“The Post-Liberal Moment.” James Matthew Wilson surveys recent debates about liberalism and finds some grounds for hope.
“What Would Lasch Say?” John Fea interviews Eric Miller about how Lasch might understand contemporary populist currents. Eric wrote for FPR about some of these themes a year or so ago.
“Finding My Place by Finding Wendell Berry.” Jane M. Schreck reflects on her unlikely pilgrimage to Berry’s writings and on what she learned through composing a dissertation about how Berry’s vision might challenge modern forms of education.
“Surviving (and Thriving) While Your Little Ones Are At Home, Too.” Gracy Olmstead describes how she works from home while keeping her toddlers occupied and learning.
“A Generational War Is Brewing Over Coronavirus.” Bojan Pancevski, Stacy Meichtry, and Xavier Fontdegloria report on the unwillingness of many young people to sacrifice their social lives for the common good.
“Neighborhood Groups across the Washington Area are Forming Militias of Caring and Help.” Petula Dvorak reports on more encouraging examples of neighbors reaching out to others and finding ways to offer help: “Sure, there are folks who have managed to humiliate themselves with the toilet paper gold rush and mask hoarding, defiant barhopping and denial. But most Americans are like these folks, willing to step up and help others, to listen to the facts and be there with rational, sound help.”
“Poet’s Corner.” Malcolm Guite describes a note he received from a reader in Wuhan who was drawn to his poem on Julian of Norwich, “a woman who had chosen, and made fruitful, just such enclosure as my correspondent was now enduring.”
“As Coronavirus Spreads, Farmers Fear Market Closures and Lost Income.” Leah Douglas talks with farmers who are worried about how restrictions on gatherings will hinder their ability to sell to consumers at markets.
“Small Farms Also Struggle as Restaurants Shut Down Due to Coronavirus.” Lisa Held also reports on how farmers are rapidly shifting plans and expanding CSAs and other direct-delivery options.
“Why David Quammen Is Not Surprised.” Nicholas Triolo interviews David Quammen about his writing on viruses that mutate and spread from animals to humans: “A tropical forest, with its vast diversity of visible creatures and microbes, is like a beautiful old barn: knock it over with a bulldozer and viruses will rise in the air like dust.”
“Senator Booker is Right About Factory Farming.” Spencer Case suggests this may be the right moment to ban factory farming, which besides causing cruelty and pollution can also breed new pathogens.
