The Habit

Tish Harrison Warren is an Anglican priest, a former columnist at the New York Times and Christianity Today, and a writer of wise and thoughtful books about living lives of connection and meaning. Her new book, What Grows in Weary Lands, explores a reality that early Christians often grappled with but that we rarely talk about in contemporary life: at times, God seems to abandon the soul, leaving us feeling as if we are alone and left to our own resources. These are times of futility, when work and relationships feel hard, when prayer feels unsatisfying, and we question whether our efforts amount to anything. In this conversation, Tish and Jonathan Rogers talk about the possibility that aridity, languishing, and even burnout are an invitation to deeper, more connected, and more fruitful life and work. This episode is sponsored by The Habit's Writer Development Cohorts. Support the show: https://therabbitroom.givingfuel.com/memberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angela Alaimo O'Donnell, poet and Fordham professor whose work traces faith and memory, reflects on childhood as a creative well. She recounts early loss, Sicilian-American family life, and sensory triggers that unlock buried impressions. The conversation ranges from writing rituals and sonnets to affinities with Flannery O'Connor and how poetry preserves fleeting moments.

Lee Camp, theology and ethics professor and host of No Small Endeavor, explores what it means to live a good life. He discusses virtue ethics, Aristotle’s cardinal virtues as hinge habits, routines for deep work and creativity, community and justice in flourishing, and how slowing down and relationships shape well-being.

Professor Alan Noble is a voice of good sense in a world where good sense seems to be in short supply. His new book is To Live Well: Practical Wisdom for Moving Through Chaotic Times. It is a call to return to the old paths as laid out in the seven virtues of Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance, Faith, Hope, and Love. In this episode, Alan and Jonathan Rogers talk about the limits of technique, a respect for reality, and largeness of spirit, among other topics.Support the show: https://therabbitroom.givingfuel.com/memberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jennifer Trafton, historian, visual artist, and novelist, brings Lillias Trotter’s life to vivid color. The conversation traces Trotter’s Victorian art training, missionary life in Algeria, and the idea of seeing with humility. They explore creative structure, contour drawing, and art as a bridge between cultures.

Théa Rosenburg, writer-editor who finished Leslie Bustard’s posthumous book Strong Allies, discusses collaborating on the manuscript and preserving Bustard’s voice. They explore the Hebrew idea of ezer reframed as ‘strong ally’. Conversations touch on hospitality as a central practice, creative work as invitation, domestic beauty, and how suffering shaped the book’s final tone.

Jamie Quatro is the author of Two Step Devil, a southern Gothic novel very much in the tradition of Flannery O’Connor. The Booklist review of Two-Step Devil describes it as "Brilliantly paced and exquisitely detailed, this striking novel takes on such weighty themes as faith, humanity, and frailty without a touch of melodrama . . . A spectacular masterpiece.” Bookpage called Quatro "a saint of Southern discomfort. Jamie Quatro and Jonathan Rogers recorded this conversation in front of a live audience at the Illuminate Conference near Chattanooga.Support the show: https://therabbitroom.givingfuel.com/memberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joy Clarkson is the author of Aggressively Happy and host of the podcast, Speaking with Joy. She is the books editor for Plough Quarterly and a research associate in theology and literature at King's College London. Joy completed her PhD in theology at the University of St Andrews, where she researched how art can be a resource of hope and consolation. Her new book is You Are a Tree: And Other Metaphors to Nourish Life, Thought, And Prayer. In this episode, Joy and I talk about the ways that figurative language shapes the way we think about the world and ourselves, and Joy tries to convince Jonathan that the distinction between simile and metaphor is meaningful. This episode originally aired January 2024.Support the show: https://therabbitroom.givingfuel.com/memberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Timothy Jones is a pastor and author known for helping people uncover greater warmth and depth in their relationship with God. His new book is Fully Beloved: Meeting God in Our Heartaches and Our Hopes. As Sandra Mccracken says, Fully Beloved “names the ache of loneliness and our lifelong quest for belonging.” In this episode, Tim Jones and Jonathan Rogers talk about the Trinity, Julian of Norwich, and the creative energy that is released when you realize that you are more loved than you thought.Support the show: https://therabbitroom.givingfuel.com/memberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bethaney B. Wilkinson, writer and spiritual director who champions slow, soul-nourishing living. She explores tending inner terrain and balancing longings with real limits. They unpack distraction versus creative openness. Conversation highlights accepting the life you have, spotting burnout signals in the body, and focusing energy on what you can actually influence.