Marvin Olasky on the Press, Presidents, and Pivots

Marvin Olasky on the Press, Presidents, and Pivots

Author: frontporchrepublic April 12, 2025 Duration: 1:08:21
The longtime editor-in-chief of World magazine discusses the Zenger Prize, his new gig at Christianity Today, the temptations of conservative politics (compassionate or otherwise), and his memoir Pivot Points.    Highlights 1:00       Aspiring galactic editor and globe trotter 5:45       Street level reporting v. suite level pontification 15:15    BREAKING:  Flatwater Free Press on the Zenger Prize long list       18:00    Welcome to the jungle . . . and Phoenix 25:00    Adventure is out there! 30:00    A young communist hears Jesus in Russian 34:00    Leaving World for purple pastures 41:00    Character counts, on the diamond and in the Oval 49:00    Covering Marvin’s seat at W’s table 59:45    Hitchhiking as a way of life   Resources Marvin's bio and buy the book (and the other book) Announcing the Zenger Prize winners at FPR Read the winning articles Nominate the next winner Marvin’s work at Current (R.I.P) Wendell Kimbrough helps us find our way home

There’s a certain kind of conversation that happens best when you’re not in a hurry, when the topic can wander from the headlines of the day to the deeper questions that have always shaped how we live together. The Brass Spittoon is built for that kind of talk. Hosted by the folks at Front Porch Republic, this podcast serves as a gathering spot for discussions rooted in the tangible realities of our lives-our connections to a specific place, the practical limits we encounter, and what genuine liberty means within that framework. Each episode feels less like a lecture and more like joining a thoughtful, meandering dialogue among friends who aren’t afraid to chew over ideas from both the past and the present. You’ll hear explorations of culture, community, and the small-scale practices that build a durable society, all approached with a sense of curiosity and a lack of pretense. It’s for anyone weary of abstract debates and hungry for conversations grounded in the texture of everyday life. So, pull up a chair and settle in; this is where we consider how to live well, right where we are.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 32

The Brass Spittoon
Podcast Episodes
Human Responses to Technology [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Jeff Bilbro, FPR’s super-beaver EIC and Grove City College professor, looks to ancient mythology to assess modern technology and fiction of the future. Cassandra Nelson of the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advan…
Imagining Life Beyond the Machine: Eric Miller and Jason Peters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:06
Eric Miller, biographer of Christopher Lasch and a professor at Geneva College, plus longtime porcher Jason Peters of Hillsdale College address the role of imagination in shaping our shared reality. Matt Stewart, an asso…
Paul Kingsnorth: Blizzard of the World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:14
Paul Kingsnorth delivered the keynote address at the 2023 FPR conference in Madison, Wisconsin. With help from a diverse band of fellow travelers including Jewish-Canadian songwriter Leonard Cohen, Anglo-Catholic social…
Paul Kingsnorth’s Opening Prayer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:11
Paul Kingsnorth, the keynote speaker at the 2023 FPR conference in Madison, Wisconsin, begins things with a bonus talk on the power of prayer in a desecrated western world. Highlights 1:15 Mark Mitchell’s welcome 4:00 Pa…
Bill Kauffman in Conversation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:05
Bill Kauffman, author of multiple books including Poetry Night at the Ballpark and long the closing speaker at FPR conferences, talks about the origins of Front Porch Republic and his unique life of letters. Host: John M…
After Virtual: Civic Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:11
The After Virtual conference podcast series closes with a focus on civics and cemeteries. Mark Mitchell, author of Plutocratic Socialism, talks on, well, plutocrats and socialism (plus the importance of property ownershi…
After Virtual: Health [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:16
The penultimate session from the FPR conference After Virtual: The Art of Recovering Lost Goods addresses health. Philosopher Adam Smith from the University of Dubuque and medical doctor Brian Volck, author of Attending…
After Virtual: Chris Arnade [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:04
Chris Arnade, the keynote speaker at the After Virtual conference, has traded global finance for skid row photography. Chris discusses his journey from Wall Street board rooms to a booth at McDonald’s and the associated…
After Virtual: Education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:29
The second episode from the FPR conference After Virtual: The Art of Recovering Lost Goods looks at education. Jeff Polet discusses walking away from Hope. Angel Adams Parham talks about the elementary power of a rapping…
After Virtual: The Church [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:10
For the first of our episodes from September’s FPR conference After Virtual: The Art of Recovering Lost Goods, we go to church. Carl Trueman, Gregory Hogg, and Charlie Cotherman share thoughts on technology and embodied…