JUST FYI POD: Conversations about Culture, Ideas, and Life

The main task of Just FYI Pod: Culture's second season is to discuss "Ten Novels That Changed Our Lives." On this episode, my cohost Amy Welborn and I resume our countdown—this time focusing on the #8 novel on our respective lists. Amy begins with Catholics (1972), written by Belfast-born novelist Brian Moore (1921-99), while I dive into Submission (Soumission, 2015), arguably the greatest work by France's literary enfant terrible Michel Houellebecq (1956-). Please visit cbarnett.substack.com for more details, links, and content. As ever, likes, ratings, shares, and "follows" are greatly appreciated!

During the first season of Just FYI Pod: Ideas, my cohost Clark Elliston and I counted down our ten favorite theological texts. On today’s episode, which marks the first of Just FYI Pod: Ideas' second season, we begin to rank our favorite works of philosophy. I will start our countdown with a discussion of the #10 book on my list -- namely, Joseph Schumpeter's 1942 magnum opus Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. Clark will follow with an analysis of Hannah Arendt's famous and controversial 1963 book Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. Additional content and links can be found at cbarnett.substack.com. As always, we truly appreciate your support. Please consider liking, rating, sharing, and subscribing to Just FYI.

The main task of Just FYI Pod: Culture's second season is to discuss "Ten Novels That Changed Our Lives." On this episode, my cohost Amy Welborn and I resume our countdown -- this time focusing on the #9 novel on our respective lists. Amy begins with Love in the Ruins (1971), written by the great Catholic novelist Walker Percy (1916-90), while I dive into one of the more celebrated novels of the last 50 years, namely, A Confederacy of Dunces (1980) by John Kennedy Toole (1937-69). Please visit cbarnett.substack.com for more details, relevant links, and additional content. As ever, likes, ratings, shares, and "follows" are greatly appreciated!

The main task of Just FYI Pod: Culture's second season is to discuss "Ten Novels That Changed Our Lives." On this episode, my cohost Amy Welborn and I begin our countdown -- this time focusing on the #10 novel on our respective lists. Amy begins with Souls and Bodies (also known as How Far Can You Go?), published in 1980 by the English author and critic David Lodge (1935-), while I explore In the Beauty of the Lilies (1996), written by the great American homme de lettres John Updike (1932-2009). Please visit cbarnett.substack.com for more details, relevant links, and additional content. As ever, likes, ratings, shares, and subscriptions are greatly appreciated!

Just FYI Pod: Culture is back for a second season! On a sweltering late August afternoon, amid unexpected technological "upgrades" and loud recycling trucks, Amy Welborn and I sat down to preview our upcoming podcast series: "Ten Novels That Changed Our Lives." We sincerely hope that you will join us on this project over the next several months. Additionally, given the political tumult of the last six weeks, we couldn't resist also setting aside a few minutes to talk about the unfolding "Election 2024" presidential campaign and how it raises legitimate questions about the viability of the democratic process in an age of popular media.

After a lengthy hiatus, JUST FYI POD: CULTURE returns for a midsummer check-in. This is *not* the beginning of Season 2, which should come out around the first of September. Instead, it’s a chance to discuss a number of recent goings-on, whether personal, political, or cultural. Pull up a chair, grab your favorite refreshment, and join us!

During the first season of JUST FYI POD: IDEAS, my cohost Clark Elliston and I have been counting down our ten favorite works of theology. On today’s episode, and after months of deliberation, we turn to the #1 book on our respective lists! In a moment of chutzpah, Clark begins with none other than The Bible itself. Meanwhile, I explore Søren Kierkegaard’s 1849 psycho-spiritual masterpiece THE SICKNESS UNTO DEATH (SYGDOMMEN TIL DØDEN). Additional content and links, not to mention my updated Spotify “Theological Playlist,” can be found at cbarnett.substack.com. As always, we encourage you to support our podcast in any number of ways—liking, reviewing, commenting, sharing, etc. 🙏

Over the last six weeks, there has been a wave of protests on university campuses throughout the country, occasioned by the ongoing Israel-Hamas War. In this “emergency” episode, my cohost Clark Elliston and I talk about these protests and their significance for higher education. Our goal here is not to delve into the war as such—an analysis better left to political scientists—but to ask why universities (especially elite universities) have become cultural flashpoints and what this phenomenon means for the future of the humanities. This is something of an impromptu conversation—and yet one worth having all the same. As always, see cbarnett.substack.com for more details and content!

During the first season of JUST FYI POD: IDEAS, my cohost Clark Elliston and I will countdown our ten favorite works of theology. On today’s episode, we turn to the #2 book on our respective lists. I will kick things off with a discussion of St. Thomas Aquinas’s magnum opus the SUMMA THEOLOGIAE (1265-74), while Clark will follow with a deep-dive into J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythopoeia THE SILMARILLION (1977). Additional content and links, not to mention my updated Spotify “Theological Playlist,” can be found at cbarnett.substack.com. As always, please consider liking, rating, reviewing, and sharing our work!

On our previous episode (April 17, 2024), my cohost Amy Welborn and I wrapped up our countdown of the “20 Most Spiritually Significant Films of All Time.” One might expect that we’d now take a long break, but, on the contrary, we’re just getting started! On today’s episode, we assess the upcoming Flannery O’Connor ‘biopic’ WILDCAT (dir. Ethan Hawke), which is set to be released on May 3, 2024. Amy and I were fortunate enough to be granted access to the film in advance, and, as will be discussed, we both found it well worth our time. In addition to our analysis of WILDCAT, we offer a fairly brief (but hopefully useful) rundown of a few films that didn’t make our top-20 list. Consider this our ‘Honorable Mention’ segment! As ever, there is much, much more on cbarnett.substack.com. Check it out and subscribe for free today.