Dustbowl Diatribes
Laurie M Johnson & Spencer Hess
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Recent Episodes
Season 4, Episode 12: Chris Smaje on How and Why Communities Ain’t Publics
Spencer and Laurie interview Chris Smaje, author of (most recently) Finding Lights in a Dark Age.
Season 4, Episode 11: Is Liberal Nationalism Acceptable?
Spencer and Laurie discuss Isaiah Berlin's liberal nationalism and ask whether liberalism can be held in balance with nationalism, and even whether this uncomfortable mix is inevitable.
Season 4, Episode 10: Gilmore Girls as Allegory for WASP Civilizational Decline
For April Fools this year, we cover a millennial touchstone television series about growing up, or at least about trying to.
Season 4, Ep. 9: Why and How Patriotism Ain’t Nationalism
Spencer and Laurie discuss the topic of patriotism, which was touched upon briefly in the last Dustbowl episode, and also in the Secret Grange episode that followed (for patrons only), on their…
Season 4, Episode 8: Charles Coulombe on the Perils of Sealing Political Pacts
Spencer and Laurie talk to Charles Coulombe, a monarchist and author of multiple books, including The Compleat Monarchist. His views on the intellectual and spiritual milieux leading up to the…
Season 4, Episode 7: Quid est Dignum et Iustum in a Wilderness of Mirrors?
Dustbowl Diatribes and Political Philosophy are podcasts of the Maurin Academy, and can be found on almost all podcast platforms! https://pmaurin.org Maurin Academy Patreon:…
Season 4, Episode 6: Cultivating Community, Redemptive Lending and Recapitulatory Theology
Spencer and Laurie talk to Bert and Emma Fitzgerald of the Simon Weil Catholic Worker House in Portland, OR: https://simoneweilhouse.org
Season 4, Episode 5: William Cavanaugh on Consumerism & Idolatry
This is a talk by Dr. William T. Cavanaugh, author of The Uses of Idolatry. It was originally given for the Center for Catholic Social Thought, October 9, 2025. We thought it was so good we asked if…
Season 4, Episode 4: Our Trips to Milwaukee, Lancaster and Beyond
Spencer and Laurie discuss what they learned from their recent trips. Laurie went to Milwaukee, WI, to do research on the Peter Maurin papers and to give two talks on Maurin and Day. Spencer and…
Season 4, Episode 3: Integral Friendships: Fun Amidst Frustration
Laurie and Spencer talk to Colin Miller and Tyler Hambley, who trace their path to the Church through the practices of Catholic Workers: praying daily, sharing meals, and opening their homes to the…
Season 4, Episode 2: How Not to Go Back to the Land
Spencer and Laurie discuss an article by Paul V. Stock, "The Perennial Nature of the Catholic Worker Farms: A Reconsideration of Failure," in Rural Sociology, 2014. https://pmaurin.org/get-involved/
Season 4, Episode 1: James Murphy on Cooperation and Poverty as Catholic Action
Spencer and Laurie kick off their new season with Catholic Worker James Murphy of St. Martin de Porres, Harrisburgh, PA. The Catholic Worker movement is a testing ground for solutions to poverty,…
Dustbowl Diatribes Season 3, Episode 33: Dustbowl Danse Macabre, Round 3
As Spencer and Laurie segue to a new season of Dustbowl Diatribes , they look back at the people they've interviewed in 2025 so far and point the way to their next topic.
Dustbowl Diatribes Season 3, Episode 32: Spencer Leonard on Freedom’s Fraught, Geistic Obstacles
Spencer Leonard talks to us about human potential, what constitutes freedom and progress, and why it seems particularly difficult to reach.
Dustbowl Diatribes Season 3, Ep. 31: Neofeudalism as More Than a Metaphor, With Jodi Dean
Spencer and Laurie talk with Prof. Jodi Dean about themes from her new book Capital's Grave: Neofeudalism and the New Class Struggle (Verso, 2025). The theme of neofeudalism is one we have returned…
Dustbowl Diatribes Season 3, Ep. 30: Towelie on Tegridy Farms and Being “Post-Left”
Laurie interviews a very special guest, and Spencer misses out on the best interview in Dustbowl Diatribes three seasons.
Season 3, Ep. 29: The Three Great Catholic Revivals
John Rao visits Dustbowl Diatribes for an episode tracing periods of "sleep" and revival in Catholic history.
Season 3, Ep. 28: David McKerracher on Timenergy and the Multi-Layered Crises That Confront Us
Spencer and Laurie talk to Dave McKerracher of Theory Underground about his book, Timenergy, and also his plans for farming.
Season 3, Episode 27: Gazing Into the Abyss of Deep Pluralism (w/ Benjamin Studebaker)
Spencer and Laurie talk with Benjamin Studebaker about his new book, Legitimacy in Liberal Democracies. Studebaker will give a speech for the Maurin Academy March 3, 2025.
Season 3, Episode 26: Fruitfulness or Effectiveness, A Conversation with Harry Murray
Spencer and Laurie interview Catholic Worker and Sociology professor Harry Murray, who is also doing the "Harry Murray Sessions" for the Maurin Academy. The next Harry Murray session, this one on…
Frequently Asked Questions
Dustbowl Diatribes has published 71 episodes since March 2022, covering topics in Christianity, Education.
Dustbowl Diatribes is currently highly active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 1h 21m.
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