I’ve had two essays and one interview published since my last update.

First, I wrote about how the so-called “renegades” and “heterodox thinkers” of the podcast world are little more than Fox New with infomercials. Joe Rogan and his ilk degrade public discourse, making the country bleaker, all while advertising themselves as mavericks and rebels. In reality, they are propagandists for reactionary power. Read at UnHerd.

Next, I interviewed one of America’s most dedicated and heroic advocates of justice, Stacy Bannerman. Bannerman is the leading crusader for justice and services for the victims of military-connected domestic violence, a taboo topic that, despite its overwhelming frequency and danger, few will even discuss. Read at the Washington Monthly.

Finally, I write a personal reflection on how many people refuse to discuss topics of discomfort, mainly death and grief. Since the loss of my friend, Alanna Ford (my essay on her is linked in the post immediately below), I’ve had the consistent experience of telling people about her death only to receive blank stares and/or incoherent mumbles. As other writers, such as the late Barbara Ehrenreich, have observed there is a direct connection between America’s refusal to deal with death, and its myriad sociopolitical crises. Read the essay, “In the Candyland: American Neuroses and the Indifference to Suffering,” in CounterPunch.