A Drink With a Friend

Stuff has a season, and that includes art. What makes music, movies, books, and visual art fall-ish? Seth and Tsh each share musicians, writers, and visual artists they’re digging as the temps dip and the colors change. Living sacramentally naturally includes living seasonally, so it makes sense to also shift what we read, watch, and listen to as the seasons change.Seth: Newsletter | WebsiteTsh: Newsletter | WebsitePick up a round of drinks & help keep the show goingCome to Italy with us!Black Keys’ Delta KreamTyphoon’s Sympathetic Magic and OfferingsDamien Rice’s My Favourite Faded FantasyAndrew Belle’s Nightshade and Black BearCloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony DoerrGerard Manley Hopkins’ poemsSherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan DoyleSherlock Holmes on audiobook, read by Stephen FryA Hidden Life, by Terrence MalickThe Modern Saints, by Grace Morbitzer Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon.place/subscribe

If we knew then what we know now, would we be better off? Or is there something redeemable about the mistakes we all make when we’re younger? Seth and Tsh answer a listener question about any wisdom they might have for their slightly younger listeners — if they were in their twenties right now, this is what their forty-something selves would tell themselves.Seth: Newsletter | WebsiteTsh: Newsletter | WebsitePick up a round of drinks & help keep the show goingCome to Italy with us!EmyoArtwork on InstagramThe new season of The Great British Bake-OffSave $10 on your first Storyworth order at storyworth.com/drink Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon.place/subscribe

Continuing the conversation about screens, what does it look like in our homes to live sacramentally in a culture immersed in the digital world? There’s no one easy answer. Seth and Tsh, both parents of teens and tweens, talk with Erin Loechner about what this looks like for her, as a mom to three younger children.Seth: Newsletter | WebsiteTsh: Newsletter | WebsitePick up a round of drinks & help keep the show goingCome to Italy with us!Erin Loechner’s website, Design for MankindErin’s recent essay, Who We FollowThe Tech-Wise Family, by Andy CrouchDigital Minimalism, by Cal NewportThe Sober Lush, by Amanda Eyre Ward and Jardine LibaireEast of Eden’s introduction, by John SteinbeckMunk Debates Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon.place/subscribe

Seth and Tsh start a two-part conversation about what Seth is learning from a month-long digital detox (Tsh takes one every July, too, so she has her own experiences). What does it mean as writers and creators? Is it even possible to do good, profitable work and not be on social media? In short: what inconveniences are we willing to trade for a more beautiful life?Seth: Newsletter | WebsiteTsh: Newsletter | WebsitePick up a round of drinks & help keep the show goingCome to Italy with us!Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, by Cal NewportThe Storm is Upon Us, by Mike RothschildAdorning the Dark and God of the Garden, by Andrew PetersonAxel Vervoordt: Wabi Inspirations, by Tatsuro Miki Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon.place/subscribe

Buon venerdì! Seth and Tsh finally spill the beans… They’re leading a pilgrimage next summer to Italy, and EVERYONE is invited. Yep — that means you and your friends! They’d love to journey with you to a slice of land that’s not only known for its art and beauty, but it knows how to do beauty well. Tuscany is steeped in an artful way of life, and it’s one of their favorite places in the world. From the art to the architecture to the food to the farming to the people and the slower pace of life… Pilgrimage to Italy next summer to experience the via pulchritudinis.Seth: Newsletter | WebsiteTsh: Newsletter | WebsitePick up a round of drinks & help keep the show goingCome to Italy with us!Silence in the Age of Noise, by Erling KraggIt’s Not Fall, Folks on Spotify + Stockbridge candle from Laurel Mercantile Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon.place/subscribe

When you grow up hearing that this world will one day fade away, it’s hard to reconcile why, then, there’s so much astounding beauty everywhere. Seth and Tsh unpack why our invisible souls aren’t the only things that matter. (Gnosticism is still around, folks.)Seth: Newsletter | WebsiteTsh: Newsletter | WebsitePick up a round of drinks & help keep the show goingCome to Italy with us!Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s blackberriesAs Kingfishers Catch Fire, by Gerard Manley HopkinsGod’s Grandeur, by Gerard Manley Hopkins Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon.place/subscribe

In this episode, Seth and Tsh pull on the thread they started weaving earlier this year, practicing the art and habit of noticing the everyday beauty around them. (After all, it’s not optional if we want to live a sacramental life.) As always — as a listener, you’re invited to nod along and notice your own as well. Join in this time-tested practice!Seth: Newsletter | WebsiteTsh: Newsletter | WebsitePick up a round of drinks & help keep the show goingCome to Italy with us!No Fear Shakespeare: HamletHamlet on YouTube: David Tennant, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew ScottStrange BrewMozart’s RequiemAndrew PetersonVivian Maier’s A Photographer FoundEva to Ave by Santa Clara DesignVirgin Mary, by Sr. Maria Innocentia HummelAmbience videos on YouTube Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon.place/subscribe

The books we read in childhood have the power to transform us lifelong. So what do we do with the classics that are so good yet have those problematic bits because they’re products of their era? Do we avoid giving our kids these great works because they don’t reflect everything we believe in? Seth and Tsh are joined by fellow writer Mitali Perkins, who has passionate thoughts about why what we read in childhood matters. Her own immigrant story was steeped in stories.Seth: Newsletter | WebsiteTsh: Newsletter | WebsitePick up a round of drinks & help keep the show goingCome to Italy with us!Mitali Perkins: Twitter | Instagram | WebsiteMitali’s new book, Steeped in Stories: Bookshop | AmazonThe Chair on NetflixDigital Minimalism, by Cal NewportThe Book of Waking Up, by SethWhy Art Matters, by Alistair GordonA Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year (and Night), by Jane McMorland Hunter Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon.place/subscribe

There’s a purity to our childhood perspectives, and if we’re quiet enough, we can still hear them whisper to us. What do our first experiences with beauty, goodness, and truth tell us about what’s really there? Seth helps Tsh unpack a process he’s recently experienced as he listened to his nine-year-old self.Seth: Newsletter | WebsiteTsh: Newsletter | WebsitePick up a round of drinks & help keep the show goingCome to Italy with us!The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. TolkienThe Philosophy of Tolkien, by Peter KreeftDrew Binsky on YouTubeThe Summer of Helga, by SethThe Suns We Orbit: Lessons Learned From Leaving the Church, by Seth Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon.place/subscribe

After a short summer break, Seth and Tsh are back! To kick off another season, they talk about many vs few: why does it matter how many people we follow online, friends we stay connected with, names we know, or celebrities we keep up with? Turns out there’s some anthropological science to the overwhelm we feel when we keep track of thousands of people online yet don’t know our neighbor’s name across the street. Perhaps this isn’t how we’re designed to live?Seth: Newsletter | WebsiteTsh: Newsletter | WebsitePick up a round of drinks & help keep the show goingCome to Italy with us!Orgain protein powderDunbar’s Number: Why My Theory That Humans Can Only Maintain 150 Friendships Has Withstood 30 Years of Scrutiny, by Robin DunbarBear Grease Podcast1,000 True Fans, by Kevin KellyBrideshead Revisited, by Evelyn WaughStart With Why, by Simon SinekThe Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon.place/subscribe