Being a Columnist is Like Being a Tradesman

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Viewing writing a column as a task similar to fixing a toilet, the speaker highlights the practicality and necessity of their job. They acknowledge the allure of pursuing fantasy novel writing but recognize the value in being productive and avoiding the trap of endless unfinished projects. Embracing a tradesman mindset, they emphasize the importance of consistency and productivity in their work.

Last year, Tyler asked his readers “What Is the Strongest Argument for the Existence of God?” and followed up a few days later with a post outlining why he doesn’t believe in God. New York Times columnist Ross Douthat accepted the implicit challenge, responding to the second post in dialogic form and arguing that theism warrants further consideration.

This in-person dialogue starts along similar lines, covering Douthat’s views on religion and theology, but then moves on to more earth-bound concerns, such as his stance on cats, The Wire vs The Sopranos, why Watership Down is the best modern novel for understanding politics, eating tofu before it was cool, journalism as a trade, why he’s open to weird ideas, the importance of Sam’s Club Republicans, the specter of a Buterlian Jihad, and more.

Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links.

Recorded January 11th, 2018 Other ways to connect

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