This (almost) Fourth of July conversation originally appeared on Jenny Holland’s channel, Saving Culture From Itself, but it’s really a “collab,” as they say in the pod-biz. I’ve talked with Jenny before on YouTube livestreams, but this is the first time we’ve done an official podcast together.
This conversation kept circling back to the kinds of tripwires and trigger points that cause people to tune out ideas before they even hear them—for instance my advocacy for Spencer Pratt in the L.A. mayoral race a few months ago and Jenny’s support of . . . Brexit. (She lives in Belfast in Northern Ireland.) We also talked about how I began my career at the tail end of the golden age of magazine journalism, and what it was like watching that world start to shift around 2012-13.
Finally, in the spirit of the season, we talked about American exceptionalism, generosity of spirit, and her husband’s 1987 trip to the US as part of the “Children of the Troubles” program — the trip that made him fall in love with this country.
Here are my two earlier conversations with Jenny.
Housekeeping
🎏 New format (slightly new, anyway): For the next several months at least, the “official” podcast will publish every other week. (This is one of those.) On the weeks in between, I will do a Substack livestream — exact date and time TBD. The livestream itself is open to all, but the recording will be posted for paying subscribers only. So it’s never been a better time to upgrade your subscription! My most recent livestream was July 8 with Tara Henley. Recording here.
📜 For the first time ever—and for a limited time on a limited basis—I’m offering full-length manuscript consultation. Info here.
🚋 We’re going to San Francisco! We’ve just announced a women’s living room weekend retreat in San Fran, Sept 26-27. Info here.
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🏍️ I am hosting Zoom hangouts for Founding Members on the last Sunday of every month at 8pm ET. We have to skip July, so the next meeting is Sunday, August 30. If you’re a Founding Member, you will get an email with the link. If you’re not yet a Founding Member, you can upgrade your subscription here.
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