Death in The Garden

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit deathinthegarden.substack.comOn this episode of “Death in The Garden” we are sharing our conversation with Alex Leff, which was co-released for his podcast subscribers. Alex Leff is the creator and visionary behind Human Nature Odyssey, which is a cinematic audio journey through the fantastic and iconic book, Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. He is also the creator of a beautiful film called Cycle of Memory, which takes the viewer on an intimate and compassionate journey through his family’s experience of their patriarch suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. We had an expansive conversation, discussing and admiring each other’s projects while also deepening our understanding of why we all find ourselves to be so curious about civilization and how to make the world a better place. Check out his podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and please leave him a 5-star rating! Paid subscribers should get the full audio and free subscribers should only get a preview of this conversation. If you’d like to listen to this podcast in full, as well as have access to our upcoming surprises, please become a paid subscriber today! You can support us for only $5 a month. We can only continue doing this project with your support! (We know some of our free subscribers on Substack support us on Patreon - do not fret. You find the video here).

On this episode of “Death in The Garden,” Maren is reading her recent piece, The Tales that Really Matter - Part I. In this audio essay, you’ll hear tracks and clips from The Lord of the Rings films by Peter Jackson, and music composed by Howard Shore. Additionally, you’ll hear original synth soundscapes inspired by Howard Shore’s compositions, from the songs “In Dreams”, “The Road Goes Ever On…, Pt. 1”, and “Samwise the Brave”. All credit for movie clips and songs used goes to Peter Jackson et al. and Howard Shore. This podcast is sponsored by The Beekeeper’s Granddaughter Whipped Tallow Balms. If you are in the market for clean, natural, and nourishing moisturizing healing balms for dry skin or other skin conditions, you have to try these tallow balms. Use coupon code DITG20 for 20% of your order! Try yours today. If you’d like to keep DITG going, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack for only $5 a month. This will give you access to bonus material (some of which is very exciting and currently very secret) and allow us to continue doing this project. Thank you for being here.Writing & Editing: Maren MorganMastering: Jake MarquezSongs used: “Gollum”, “Forth Eorlingas”, “Samwise the Brave”, “Caras Galadhon/ ‘Lament for Gandalf’” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deathinthegarden.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to the “Death in The Garden” podcast! A lot changed for us over the past 4 months, and we’ve needed to take some time to figure out how to proceed with the film/podcast/writing project in light of a change in resources. But we’re back! As a preface to what is to come, we’re sharing today a reading of a short myth-inspired tale that Maren wrote last year, which was inspired by the works of Daniel Quinn. The podcast, to follow, will be centered around audio essays, produced with original and licensed music and soundscapes, sound effects, and other audio elements, such as snippets of interviews we conduct. While conversational interviews will continue to happen, those interviews will be released only for paid subscribers on Substack and Patreon, though we plan to phase out Patreon in the coming months. HOUSEKEEPING: If you want to support the project, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription on Substack. The Beekeeper’s GranddaughterAdditionally, we are now sponsored by Jake’s parent’s small-business, The Beekeeper’s Granddaughter, which makes handmade grass-finished, pasture-raised whipped tallow balms - the best, all-natural skincare we’ve ever used! Use coupon code DITG20 at check-out to receive 20% off your order. Check out The Beekeeper’s Granddaughter website (designed by us!).If you’ve never tried tallow for skincare or are unsure which scent is your favorite, try out our .5 oz Starter Pack! This pack comes with all 6 of our scents, 1 of which has yet to be released in the other sizes. Follow our Instagram for more info about tallow and deals (but, let’s be honest, our listeners get the best coupon regardless). We’re the media team for the business, so your support of Jake’s parents supports us, too! ARQETYPE MEDIAWe have recently released a show reel, so if you’d like to check that out, head to our website, ARQETYPE MEDIA, for more info about how to work with us! We have a lot of really cool things in the works right now (particularly for The Lord of the Rings nerds, but we’ll say no more on that), and can’t wait to release and share more about our upcoming projects as they unfold. Thank you for sticking around with us through all of the changes. Before you leave, please, we beg of you, listen to this song by Nothing But Thieves:In fact, just do yourself a favor and listen to every song by Nothing But Thieves.Audio editing: Jake Marquez and Maren MorganSoundscapes: Jake Marquez and Maren Morgan This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deathinthegarden.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of “Death in The Garden,” we spoke to author and farmer Chris Smaje about his new book Saying No to a Farm-Free Future which was written in response to George Monbiot’s book Regenesis. We talk about the dangers of the ecomodernist worldview, about how the narrative of progress inhibits practical solutions, and we discuss at length the importance of moving towards agrarian localism as a lifeway in order to weather the coming storms. We talk about the precariousness of urbanization, and how moving toward a more rural, local society offers resiliency. We talk about the issue of decoupling humans from nature, and how it’s imperative that we re-couple humans with nature in order to create a sustainable society. We talk about the problems with precision fermentation, as well as transitioning to a carbon-free society under the high-energy lifestyles we have today. We discuss at length what it means to become a good keystone species, and how doing so simultaneously heals our spiritual and cultural ills while also healing the environment. We discuss all of these topics in relation to Maren’s essay, The Quantitative Cosmology.Check out Chris’ blog and be sure to order his books, Saying No to a Farm-Free Future: The Case for an Ecological Food System and Against Manufactured Foods and A Small Farm Future: Making the Case for a Society Built Around Local Economies, Self-Provisioning, Agricultural Diversity and a Shared Earth. Also, follow Chris on Twitter.If you want to support the project, please consider upgrading your subscription from free to paid on Substack or join our Patreon. To support us in another way, consider buying a print from our brand new Print Shop! Use code PRINTSHOP at check-out for 10% off until the end of September. For now, prints are only available in the United States and Canada.Come see us at the Crestone Energy Fair! Editing: Jake Marquez and Maren MorganMusic: “Missed the Boat” by Modest Mouse This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deathinthegarden.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of “Death in The Garden” we are joined by James Connolly, producer of the film series and dear friend, to discuss this recent “Barbenheimer” phenomenon to accompany the piece Maren wrote on the subject last week in her piece below:On this far reaching discussion, we discuss both films and what they represent to each of us, as well as what they both say about the broader culture. We really allowed ourselves to riff and let the conversation lead where it needed to, which allowed us to discuss the historical background of Oppenheimer that comes from American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. We discussed our differing points of view about the effectiveness of Oppenheimer. We talked at length about the social-justice fraudulence that is Barbie, and the importance of critical thinking. We talked about how humans are ideological, and how we have be constantly vigilant so as to not become dogmatic. We also discussed at length the Luddites, as well as the early 20th century scientists, psychologists, educators, and engineers that (under the pretense of rationalism and morality) precipitated the “chain reaction” that will most likely lead to the collapse of civilization. If you enjoyed this podcast, please like and share with the people in your life. If you’d like to continue the conversation in the comments below, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the Barbenheimer phenomenon. Thank you to everyone for listening, and a special thanks to all of our Patrons and paid subscribers for continuing to help support the work. If you’d like to support the film/podcast/writing project, please consider upgrading your subscription from free to paid. Give James a follow on Instagram and Twitter. Editing: Jake Marquez and Maren MorganMusic: “The 1975” by the 1975 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deathinthegarden.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of “Death in The Garden,” we had a conversation with Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen of Nordic Animism, a project which aims to recover Euro-traditional animist knowledge and share it with a contemporary audience as a means of understanding ourselves, our kinship relations with other-than-humans, and ultimately working towards a resilient future for all life on earth. Rune is a Danish historian of religion, which an extensive background of fieldwork studying contemporary animist religions. Nordic Animism “bridges scholarship with cultural activism,” and Rune discusses many of the social issues that are most relevant in our times through an animist and mythic lens. We talked about what animism is, and what it means to be in kinship relationships with the rest of the living community. We discuss the role of violence, death, and eating as something we can’t avoid, even within kinship relations, and the challenges that brings. We discuss the desacralization of our relationships with animals and plants which once held totemic value, and how that played a role in opening us up for the industrialization of food production. We discuss ecofascism, and the importance of uplifting heritage and cultural uniqueness consciously. We talk about the entanglement of white supremacy and colonialism in our collective histories, and how to engage with Euro-traditional ecological knowledge with consideration of the modern context. We break down the difference between cultural exchange and cultural appropriation, discussing how conscious cultural exchange is imperative in the globalized world that we all now live in. We talk about the complexity of being descendants of settlers, and how to be respectful of history while still seeking belonging in the places we live. Finally, we talk about Ragnarok and the Year of Aun, two Nordic myths that can help us understand our current societal and ecological predicaments. Follow Rune on Instagram and Twitter, but especially check out his YouTube Channel. To get you started, check out the video below, which we mentioned in the episode:Please like, subscribe, and share this podcast if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to financially support the multimedia project Death in The Garden, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or joining our Patreon. Editing: Maren Morgan & Jake MarquezMusic: “Helvegen” by Wardruna This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deathinthegarden.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of “Death in The Garden,” we’re sharing a more produced podcast version of the recording of The Quantitative Cosmology: The Historical Precedent for George Monbiot's Worldview and its Implications Today for our podcast listeners who might not be subscribed to our Substack.In this essay, I (Maren) explore the historical roots of the mechanistic, reductionistic, and ultimately quantitative worldview that undergirds society today and dictates how we understand the world. I use George Monbiot and his book Regenesis as a jumping off point to discuss how this worldview was first concieved by Plato, Pythagoras, and Aristotle; was gestated in the thousands of years following with Ptolemaic mathematics; was ultimately born through Kepler and Galileo; and was raised lovingly by Bacon and Descartes. I break down how this worldview has disenchanted and abstracted our connection to life itself, to the point where we deny our own felt experience if it isn’t backed up by numbers and data, as was evident (to me) in reading Monbiot’s book. At the end, I discuss the utility of this worldview, and deeply question the path we’re on, which is taking for granted this worldview as the only way of understanding the world, and our place within it.We hope you enjoy this reading, and please, if you haven’t, subscribe to our Substack. Consider becoming a paid subscriber so we are more able to produce essays and researched content like this in the future. Or if you’d prefer, consider joining our Patreon community. We just created a new tier for $3 a month, which is less than a cup of coffee and helps cover some of Patreon’s fees! Editing: Jake Marquez & Maren MorganMusic: “Dusty Room” by Evgeny Grinko This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deathinthegarden.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of “Death in The Garden,” we had the pleasure of interviewing Helena Norberg-Hodge, linguist, author, and filmmaker behind the incredible localization organization, Local Futures. She has written several books, such as Ancient Futures and Local is Our Future: Steps to an Economics of Happiness.In this expansive interview we discuss the broad impacts of globalization and development and how it has atomized our society, standardized our cultural diversity, and laid waste to the biodiversity of the ecosystems from which we depend. We discuss how colonization continues to sever community-reliance, and the importance of emphasizing human-scale local knowledge systems in our quest to create a more just world outside of the global corporate economic structure. We talk about how important it is for us to continually educate ourselves on the global context we all live under, as well as gaining intimate local knowledge which informs how we move through our landscapes and communities. Helena breaks down the myth of the “Global Village” and how this corporate ploy has led to the insane economic system of highly destructive comparative advantage that we see today. Above all, we talk about the importance of liberating our minds from the strictures of the story of mechanization, standardization, globalization, and atomization that exists ambiently in our culture, informing our “solutioneering” and detracting from our ability to create lasting, meaningful change. Be sure to follow Local Futures on Instagram and Twitter, and consider participating in the Planet Local Summit in Bristol, Sept. 29 - Oct. 1. If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with the people in your life. You can support the podcast by leaving us a 5-star rating and subscribing to the show. If you’d like to financially support the project, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack or joining our Patreon. Thanks for listening.Editing: Maren MorganMusic: “SING” by My Chemical Romance This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deathinthegarden.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of “Death in The Garden,” we are pleased to share with you the first in our new series of podcasts entitled “A 30,000 ft. View with James Connolly”. James Connolly is the producer of Sacred Cow and Death in The Garden, a chef, an artist, and an all around brilliant guy. On this episode, James interviews the author of We Are Proud Boys: How a Right-Wing Street Gang Ushered in a New Era of American Extremism, Andy Campbell. In the intro, we all discuss the convergence of the rise of Qanon, incel culture, and the Proud Boys, and the extremism that is coming from these areas of the culture. We discuss the white supremacy that is latent in the early conservation movement, bleeding into the modern environmental movement, and how these things intersect with right-wing extremism. We talk about the films This Place Rules and TFW no GF and the docuseries Into the Storm, discussing the role of meaninglessness and chaos in these movements. We talk about how a history of white supremacy has lead us to these movements where a fear of being “replaced” or rendered “redundant” by society has manifested in white nationalism, ecofascism, and other brands of extremism. We talk about authoritarianism, and how the extremes on both ends of the political spectrum come together in the middle. We also discuss how often conspiracy theories in their wildness obscure the truths that need to be investigated within them.In the interview, James and Andy discuss specific details of the Proud Boys. They go into the lead-up to Jan 6, the main actors, and go into the overall history of the Proud Boys coming onto the scene and the cultural impact it has had. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deathinthegarden.substack.com/subscribe

For our 50th podcast, we decided it would be a good time for us to speak candidly about where we have come from, where we are going, and where we are now with the project: not only as an update to those who have been following us for a long time, but as a way to introduce ourselves to everyone who is new to Death in The Garden. We discuss the creative process, and the challenges that come when one feels that they need to commodify themselves in order to stay “relevant” or to feel important. We talk about recognizing our personal limitations, and our awareness that growth and mastery take time, energy, and focus. We explain our current creative process with the film/book, and discuss how important it is for us to feel like we can put all of our energy into those long-form pieces. We discuss how the creative process is like a conception, a gestating, and a birth, and the death and fear that comes with that sort of transformation. We also talk about growth, collaboration, and where the project will go beyond the film and book. We also break down the ways that the podcast is going to change, namely through the introduction of a new series which will be entitled “A 30,000 ft. View with James Connolly.” James Connolly, who is not only our mentor and friend, is the producer of Sacred Cow and Death in The Garden. In these episodes, we will share new and interesting conversations about a myriad of topics that are part of the larger web of the transcontextual world we live in: from white supremacy, to effective altruism, to Davos men, and beyond. These episodes will include a conversational intro between the three of us, and then will follow into a interview James has hosted with an author, journalist, researcher, or artist who is an expert on whatever given topic. We’re not going anywhere: we’re just honoring our creative process, focusing deeply on the creation of the film series and book, and will be so happy and grateful to share writing and podcasts with you as our creativity and curiosity flourishes. Thank you all for being here.Editing: Jake MarquezMusic: “Love It If We Made It” by The 1975 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deathinthegarden.substack.com/subscribe