A Drink With a Friend

Aren’t old books too hard for kids to understand? Maybe. Or maybe not. Tsh chats with her new friend Noah Tyler about his challenge of reading aloud from the original Harvard Classics set (also known as “Dr. Eliot’s Five-Foot Shelf of Books”). They talk about how books have the proclivity to form our minds and hearts, what it looks like to homeschool in an urban setting, and how any parent can shape their home environment in small ways to help the family better order their loves.* CLT Exam: get 25% off any registration with the code COMMONPLACE* CLT’s Author Bank* Anchored Podcast* The original Harvard Classics* CLT’s Great Ideas series (based on the Syntopicon)* Gillian Cross’ Iliad & Odyssey* Philosophy for Kids, by David White* The Way of Perfection, by St. Teresa of Avila* Bitter & Sweet playlist for Lent* Tsh’s Newsletter & Website* Pick up a round of drinks* Our recommended reads* Join Tsh in Ireland! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecommon.place/subscribe

You always remember your first. ...Get your mind out of the gutter, we're talking about first BOOK loves — you know, the stories that captured us and wouldn't let us go. In this episode, Seth and Tsh talk about the books that first drew them to the magic of good storytelling and word-weaving — beyond childish trinket stories, these were the books that first taught them the sacramental beauty of telling a story well. What about you? What were your first story loves? They go beyond books — these stories tell us more about ourselves as co-creators, made by God to bring beauty into the world.* Seth: Newsletter | Website* Tsh: Newsletter | Website* Pick up a round of drinks* Our recommended reads* Join Tsh in Ireland!* A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle* The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway* The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding* The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald* Catholic Lofi on Spotify This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecommon.place/subscribe

Lex orandi lex credendi lex vivendi. What does this old Latin phrase mean? And what does it have to do with actual life? Lots, actually. These words represent an idea that’s not only time-tested, but it affects more of your life than you think. Seth and Tsh unpack why this concept matters, and what it has to do with topics like faith, education, work, and more. (In fact, you’ll hear more about this idea in upcoming episodes this season!)* Seth: Newsletter | Website* Tsh: Newsletter | Website* Pick up a round of drinks* Our recommended reads* Join Tsh in Ireland!* At Home in the World, by Tsh* You Are What You Love, by James K.A. Smith* Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, read by Luke Thompson* Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, read by Ethan Hawke* Future Home of the Living God, by Louise Erdrich This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecommon.place/subscribe

The new year kicks off with Seth in bed with the flu, so even though he musters up the strength to chat, in this episode it's mostly Tsh. Last year they each gave themselves a six-month challenge, so she shares her plan for this year: ten challenges in ten months! Why? How? And what are they? Tsh gets into all that with Seth. Seth: Newsletter | WebsiteTsh: Newsletter | WebsitePick up a round of drinksOur recommended readsJoin Tsh in Ireland!Big Thief's new album, Dragon New Mountain I Believe in YouSeason 3 of All Creatures Great and Small This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecommon.place/subscribe

Seth and Tsh are offline for the next couple of weeks, but the show will pick back up in January. In the meantime, they've got a few thoughts for you — by way of other people's thoughts. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!Seth's newsletter + websiteTsh's newsletter + websitePick up a round of drinks! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecommon.place/subscribe

Bonus! Tsh recently talked with Sam Smith and his teenage son, Josiah, about the fine art of writing a book together. Sam, often known as S.D., is the author of the beloved Green Ember series, and his son came up with an idea for his own story. So, he took him under his wing and together they published the first in a new book series! Sam and Josiah share with Tsh what it’s like to write together and how to cultivate a home life that loves good stories.S.D. and J.C. Smith's new book, Jack ZuluS.D. SmithTsh's newsletter + websiteListen to all the episodes  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecommon.place/subscribe

With Advent in full force and Christmas on its way, Seth and Tsh keep it lighter-hearted in this episode. They share what's adding more joy to their days in the categories of movies/TV series, music, books, and habits. Bookmark this episode's show notes for your upcoming holiday downtime!Seth's newsletter + websiteTsh's newsletter + websiteTsh's 2022 Gift GuidePick up a round of drinks!Our recommended readsOnyx CoffeeSpiritedNaughty or NiceEvery Hallmark Christmas MovieThe Man Who Invented ChristmasAll Creatures Great & Small, Seasons 1 & 2In the Bleak Midwinter, by John Van DeusenHark! A podcast about Christmas carols from America MediaIf On a Winter's Night, by StingThe Gospel of LukeThe Penguin Book of Christmas StoriesThe Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, & A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecommon.place/subscribe

We all have a liturgy to our lives, even if we don't call it that. So why bother with one that's old and global, too? Since Advent is the start of a new liturgical year, Seth and Tsh unpack what the calendar is and why it matters. Not so much a deep dive, this chat is more of a high-level perspective on why it's good to lean into a rhythm for marking time outside of ourselves.Seth's newsletter + websiteTsh's newsletter + websiteTsh's 2022 Gift GuidePick up a round of drinks!Our recommended readsA 101 on AdventTsh's Advent book, Shadow & LightThe Liturgical Year, by Joan ChittisterLiving the Christian Year, by Bobby GrossSounding the Seasons, by Malcolm GuiteThe Comfort Crisis, by Michael EasterMadison Cunningham This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecommon.place/subscribe

Seth is joined by Myles Werntz, a professor of theology, and in this chat they unpack what's meant by community, a word we toss around a lot in our culture. What's the real difference between in-person and virtual communities? What do screens provide a community when they're needed, and what do they rob us of when they're not? And what's the takeaway for our day-to-day lives?p.s. - Seth & Tsh will be back together next episode!Seth's newsletter + websitePick up a round of drinks!Our recommended readsMyles' SubstackMyles on TwitterMyles' book, From Isolation to CommunityThe Brothers K, by David James DuncanThe Candy House, by Jennifer Egan This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecommon.place/subscribe

Tsh is joined by a good friend — her husband, Kyle! A late-night conversation, they reflect on how travel has affected their 20-year marriage and why you (yes, you!) should join them next summer in Ireland. ☘️Tsh's newsletter + websitePick up a round of drinks!Our recommended readsCreate your Rule of LifeCome to Ireland!Somebody Feed Phil in Ireland This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecommon.place/subscribe