The Bench

Episode 5 – Dr. Alexander Salter on G.K. Chesterton and Polycentricity

Dr. Alexander Salter, an associate professor of economics in the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University, joins the podcast to talk discuss polycentric order, the economic thought of G.K. Chesterton, and why there's no substitute for getting off your ass and doing the hard work of building community.   Alex and I also discuss medieval history, informal constitutions, and Eastern Orthodoxy (to which Alex is a convert). Alex is a brilliant thinker, and I spend much of the episode struggling to keep up with him. This episode is my shortest one yet, so you can listen to it twice (and might need to)! Alex's bio: https://www.awsalter.com/ [https://www.awsalter.com/]  Alex's Q&A with Eileen Norcross: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/politics/2021/01/15/classical-liberalism-and-the-common-good/ [https://www.discoursemagazine.com/politics/2021/01/15/classical-liberalism-and-the-common-good/]  Alex at The American Conservative: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/why-true-conservatism-means-anarchy/ [https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/why-true-conservatism-means-anarchy/]  Alex's forthcoming book: https://www.amazon.com/Money-Rule-Law-Predictability-Institutions/dp/1108479847 [https://www.amazon.com/Money-Rule-Law-Predictability-Institutions/dp/1108479847]  What's Wrong with the World by G.K. Chesterton: https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_stripbooks_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A00479357E5I64WB2SG1&url=%2FWhats-Wrong-World-G-Chesterton%2Fdp%2F1797442384%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fdchild%3D1%26keywords%3Dwhat%2527s%2Bwrong%2Bwith%2Bthe%2Bworld%26qid%3D1616612443%26s%3Dbooks%26sr%3D1-1-spons%26psc%3D1&qualifier=1616612443&id=7223118988827830&widgetName=sp_atf [https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_stripbooks_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A00479357E5I64WB2SG1&url=%2FWhats-Wrong-World-G-Chesterton%2Fdp%2F1797442384%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fdchild%3D1%26keywords%3Dwhat%2527s%2Bwrong%2Bwith%2Bthe%2Bworld%26qid%3D1616612443%26s%3Dbooks%26sr%3D1-1-spons%26psc%3D1&qualifier=1616612443&id=7223118988827830&widgetName=sp_atf]  A Short History of England by G.K. Chesterton: https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_stripbooks_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A0552106G1I63H4CBV45&url=%2FShort-History-England-G-K-Chesterton%2Fdp%2FB08KJ74LD6%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fdchild%3D1%26keywords%3Dchesterton%2Bshort%2Bhistory%2Bof%2Bengland%26qid%3D1616612471%26s%3Dbooks%26sr%3D1-1-spons%26psc%3D1&qualifier=1616612471&id=3351892519553755&widgetName=sp_atf [https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_stripbooks_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A0552106G1I63H4CBV45&url=%2FShort-History-England-G-K-Chesterton%2Fdp%2FB08KJ74LD6%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fdchild%3D1%26keywords%3Dchesterton%2Bshort%2Bhistory%2Bof%2Bengland%26qid%3D1616612471%26s%3Dbooks%26sr%3D1-1-spons%26psc%3D1&qualifier=1616612471&id=3351892519553755&widgetName=sp_atf]  Vladimir Lossky (Orthodox theologian): https://www.amazon.com/Vladimir-Lossky/e/B001K7PHAU?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1616612621&sr=1-1 [https://www.amazon.com/Vladimir-Lossky/e/B001K7PHAU?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1616612621&sr=1-1]

Episode 4 – Evan Feinberg on Frederick Douglass, Believing in People, and Starving the State

Evan Feinberg, the Executive Director of the philanthropic Stand Together Foundation, joins Grayson to explain how Stand Together empowers people to escape poverty. Their discussion touches on racial justice, direct cash assistance, and how communities can "starve the state of responsibility."     Sorry for the long gap between episodes! I ran into some technical difficulties.   Evan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-feinberg-7605993a/  Stand Together: https://standtogetherfoundation.org/about/  The Phoenix (addiction recovery): https://thephoenix.org/  Family Independence Initiative (direct cash assistance): https://www.fii.org/  Safe Families for Children: https://safe-families.org/about/  The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: https://www.amazon.com/Narrative-Frederick-Douglass-Original-Classic/dp/1722502266/ref=pd_lpo_14_t_1/135-2395458-5692059?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1722502266&pd_rd_r=da818057-145e-49df-b3cc-a24ac23baba8&pd_rd_w=HFcfp&pd_rd_wg=SEsLm&pf_rd_p=16b28406-aa34-451d-8a2e-b3930ada000c&pf_rd_r=V5081TH6AEYD8JK9ZAZJ&psc=1&refRID=V5081TH6AEYD8JK9ZAZJ  What to a Slave Is the Fourth of July (Frederick Douglass speech): https://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-july/  Reclaiming the American Dream (book by Richard Cournelle): https://www.amazon.com/Reclaiming-American-Dream-Associations-Philanthropy/dp/1560006552

Episode 3 – Rachel Van Til on Wine, #MeToo, and the Carnivalesque

Grayson talks with Rachel Van Til, a master sommelier who recently played a role in exposing a pattern of sexual misconduct in the sommelier community, about the role wine plays in human celebration, relaxation, and worship and what that says about us as social and embodied beings.    She also explains her decision to pursue hospitality rather than literary studies, expresses her love for the Bakhtinian carnivalesque, gives me a quick tutorial on how to fully appreciate my Franzia box wine, and shares some expert advice (hint: pair champagne with fried chicken).                                      New York Times article in which Rachel is quoted: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/29/dining/drinks/court-of-master-sommeliers-sexual-harassment-wine.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/29/dining/drinks/court-of-master-sommeliers-sexual-harassment-wine.html]

Episode 2 – Sarah Stites on Cultural Christianity and Shared Trauma in Armenia

In this episode, Sarah and I discuss her experiences in Armenia during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. She reflects on the place of Christianity in Armenian culture, the lingering memories of the Armenian Genocide, and her experiences as an American expatriate living in her ancestral homeland.   My article on the Nagorno-Karabakh War and the historical background of the conflict: https://stream.org/armenia-a-christian-nation-under-threat/  A summary of the peace deal: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54882564  The Armenian non-profit Sarah works for: http://emiliaregak.am/

Episode 1 – Ben King on Meditation, Mindfulness, and Military Veterans

Grayson talks with Ben King, the founder of the Mindful Memorial Foundation [https://www.mindfulmemorialfoundation.org/] and Armor Down [https://armordownmeditationcushions.com/]. Ben discusses his own military service, his journey toward managing his trauma, and his work in the veteran community. We also discuss our experiences with the late Andrew McCaffrey [https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/arlington-va/andrew-mccaffrey-9326034], a war hero [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB112069510371879038] who struggled to adjust [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN4pKrpxbcY] to civilian life.