Jim Cutler
Christina Fuller
Thomas McConnell
John Mesko
John VanDyk
Tom Scepaniak
Russ Nellis
Cheri Shelnutt
Dave Black
(Note: We no longer sell the Plain Talk conversations, but they are available for free download.)
I always enjoy good conversations, not only the ones where I participate but also the ones where I just sit and listen. The best of them happen when attention turns to a topic on which the conversationalists are knowledgable and passionate. In those circumstances even the most reticent and tongue-tied of people become articulate, eager to share wisdom with their listeners.
My favorite interview program was William Buckley's Firing Line, not so much for the heady subjects discussed or the deep knowledge brought to the table by the participants, but just because the discussion was more of a conversation than an interview. With fifty minutes or more at their disposal, Buckley and his guest could spend as much time as they thought was appropriate chasing down a detail, spinning a tale, or arguing a point. Over the years I thought I came to know William Buckley quite well, and during a program his guest would gradually, steadily take on real human dimensions in my mind.
My least favorite interviews are, well, just about every other kind. Once I was interviewed for an article about a friend and teacher I admire greatly; I was dismayed but not surprised to see fifteen minutes of talk reduced to a single short quote. And I was quite surprised to learn that for the "in-depth" interviews that are heard on National Public Radio news programs, an hour of conversation will be reduced to five minutes of airtime—no surprise, then, that much of an "interview" will actually consist of commentary by the reporter, explaining to us exactly what the interviewee meant.
For awhile I've thought that it would be a good thing to produce a series of recordings where the participants would have the time and luxury of telling their story in a detailed and reflective way. Then in 2005 a community of Christians began to form online, folks who were not only pursuing an agrarian way of life but were eager to share with others what they were learning on the journey. Given our focus on agrarianism here at Cumberland Books, these Christian agrarians were just the sort of folks we wanted to talk with. In November 2005 I put a boxful of recording equipment together and headed out for a weeklong journey around the Midwest, stopping in Missouri and Kansas and Iowa and Minnesota and Indiana to talk with people about what they've done, what they've learned, and where they're headed next. It was an exhilarating experience for me, and I hope that some of that quality has been captured in the recordings.
The Plain Talk series is an effort to capture some of the power of a good, long conversation with someone who knows what they are talking about and has a passion to edify others on the subject. The name is intentional; it is meant to suggest that the talk will be simple and straightforward even if the topic is deep or abstract, and it is also meant to suggest that the talk will be helpful to those who want to live a plainer, i.e. simpler life. Although the series is likely to center on agrarian themes, that isn't a strict limitation. Eventually we hope to broaden the range of topics discussed to include many other areas that play an important role in the good life—literature, poetry, music, doctrine, culture, history, and more. But we think these initial recordings are a good start, and will repay the listener handsomely for his time.
The third round of Plain Talk recordings was done in July 2006. I spoke with three ladies whose thinking I first became acquainted with through their weblogs.
The first round of Plain Talk recordings was done in November 2005, when I made a week-long circuit of the Midwest. Folks I talked to included:
The second round of Plain Talk recordings was done in January and February 2006, during three brief trips north and east. Folks I talked to included: