A Drink With a Friend
Conversations about a life that values truth, goodness, and beauty above all else. Tsh Oxenreider, a writer, teacher, travel guide, and Catholic convert talks with friends about what it means to live in cooperation with what matters most. Pull up a chair and pour yourself a glass. thecommon.place
Episodes
Tsh gives a short pitch for why you should do — in some way, before too long — what she does every summer: take a break from the internet. She explains why this break is so life-giving and necessary for her, her three reasons why she firmly believes EVERYONE needs to take regular breaks from the internet, as well as some encouragement that you, too, can do this. Yes, you! Really.
The next season will return after a brief hiatus!
Tsh chats with her in-real-life local friend Rick Reynolds, whom she first got to know on one of her pilgrimages (he and his wife have since been on three with her!). Rick is a marriage therapist specializing in infidelity, so they get into what really holds marriages together, why community matters so much to ALL of us, what it means to affair-proof your relationship, how to heal from betrayals, and where hope is truly found in al...
Tsh chats with Stephanie Duncan Smith, a book editor who’s been thinking for a while about the liturgical calendar. They get into Eastertide — and the beauty of its length (50 days), how it’s good that feasting always follows fasting, why Ordinary Time is magical, and how it all fits together with the rhythms of our personal lives (and how it feels when it sometimes doesn’t).
* Stephanie Duncan Smith and her Slant Letter
* Stephanie’...
Tsh talks with Rachel Canto, author of Pretty Good Catholic, about the current dating scene and …well, what to do about it. Tsh read her book in one sitting on a flight a few months ago, and knew she wanted to chat with her. Rachel’s thoughts are chock-full of sage, practical advice — and not just for Catholics. She has wisdom beyond her years!
* Rachel Canto & Pretty Good Catholic
* Tsh’s newsletter: The Commonplace
Tsh chats with Millie Florence, a young author who recently published her first middle-grade novel, Beyond Mulberry Glen, with Waxwing Books. They chat about alternative education, following your skills and interests during the adolescent years (and how homeschooling is a boon for this), the process of getting a novel published, what makes a good story, and more.
Tsh talks with her daughter Tatum, who’s currently studying 6,000 miles away in Austria. …From an empty classroom with wifi in Austria, she chats with Tsh about studying abroad, living cross-culturally, Theology of the Body, friendships, and all other sorts of sundry. (She’s currently in a four-way tie as Tsh’s favorite human.)
* Tsh’s newsletter: The Commonplace
* Tsh’s books, trips, & Rule of Life
* Join Tsh’s next pilgrimage: The R...
Tsh talks with musician and writer Andrew Peterson about his approach to storytelling, the sacramental nature of his sort of work, why embodiment matters, and what he’s learned in the decades of wearing the many hats he wears. (Plus, he shares when we can expect the next season of Wingfeather!)
* Andrew’s upcoming Resurrection Letters tour
* Passions of the Soul, by Rowan Willia...
Tsh talks with Douglas McKelvey, author and editor of the Every Moment Holy prayer collections, which she has long loved and used frequently. They talk about the role of communal prayer, why the need for both written and spontaneous prayer, and why it’s helpful to use prayers both new and old, crafted by others, to help deepen our relationships with God.
* Dixie’s Substack newsletter, The Hollow
Tsh talks with historian and homeschooling mom Dixie Dillon Lane about homeschooling education, teaching history — imagination is our greatest tool! — leaning into the seasons, writing and reading books, and more.
* Dixie’s Substack newsletter, The Hollow
* Dixie on Hearth & Field
* When Teaching Children History, Embrace Imagination
Tsh and her good friend Sarah Mackenzie kick off January by working through a few topics from Tsh’s annual new year reflection questions… It’s a good conversation.
* Sarah’s businesses: Read-Aloud Revival and Waxwing Books
* Tsh’s New Year Reflection Questions
* The Hallow app
* The Fulfillment of All Desire, by Ralph Martin
* I Believe in Love, by Jean C. J. d’Elbée
* Table for Two, by Amor Towles
* Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kah...
A short little reminder-announcement: creating your own personal Rule of Life is both a time-tested practice and a great way to kick off a new year (but also, it’s good any time of year) — and I’ve got a little tool to guide you in the process of creating your own. Thousands use it every year… Listen in for details.
(Regular episodes resume next week!)
* Create Your Rule of Life self-paced workshop
* Rule of St. Benedict
Tsh chats with Shawn Smucker, novelist and co-owner (with his wife) of the indie bookstore Nooks. They talk about his first foray into running a bookshop, what it’s like to connect with local regulars, how to decide which books to stock, how to juggle bookshop-keeping with writing (or not), and other sundry regarding the delights and challenges of keeping the lights on in the neighborhood book nook.
Tsh chats with Jonathan Rogers, author and podcast host. It’s the twentieth anniversary of Jonathan’s first middle-grade fiction series, The Wilderking Trilogy, so they talk about what makes good children’s literature, why we all love stories, and how our native homelands affect our perspective of stories… He loves swamps.
* Jonathan Roger’s podcast: The Habit
* Jonathan’s middle-grade series, The Wilderking Trilogy
Tsh chats again with Faith Moore, author of Christmas Karol and podcaster of Storytime for Grownups, about holiday traditions, kicking off Christmas, and ways to make reading A Christmas Carol accessible. She’s got a new series to read alongside with you this Advent!
* Faith Moore’s podcast: Storytime for Grownups
* Faith’s novel, Christmas Karol
* Tsh’s newsletter: The Commonplace
* Tsh’s books, trips, & Rule of Life
Tsh chats with Danielle Bean about Advent, particularly why they both love this old, time-worn season found at the start of the liturgical calendar. They also get into parenting, grandparenting, making time for solo reflection, and ways to incorporate their family's Advent traditions into ordinary family life.
* Danielle Bean’s newsletter: Girlfriends After Hours
* Danielle’s Advent series, Look + Listen
* Tsh’s 101 primer: A Brief Wh...
Tsh chats again with one of her favorite people, Sarah Mackenzie — this time about books (as always), good storytelling, podcasts and newsletters they’re currently enjoying, holiday books they’re looking forward to, her annual Christmas School, and more.
* Sarah’s businesses: Read-Aloud Revival and Waxwing Books
* Read-Aloud Revival’s 2024 Christmas School
* Tsh’s newsletter: The Commonplace
* Tsh’s books, trips, & Rule of Life
Tsh chats with her old friend Erin Loechner about unplugging as a lifestyle choice, both for us as adults and for our kids. She’s got kids a few years younger than Tsh’s, but they’re both in lock-step with their ethos of letting their kids be kids. They get into the rebellion of not giving kids smartphones, why it’s important for local friends to do this together en-masse, and how to live fully without instagram, incessant smartpho...
Tsh chats with her new friend Regina Gravrok, who was homeschooled K-12 and then (recently-ish) got a degree in English at Hillsdale College. Her passion for education and literature led naturally into a position at Classic Learning Test — in this chat they talk about the gift of a traditional, individualized education, the beauty and power of reading great books, and how to foster an environment at home that loves to learn.
Tsh chats with her friend Chloe Langr, mom of three little ones and host of the podcast Letters to Women. They talk about homeschooling (she’s a first-generation!), finding time to read, book clubs, leaning in to our vocations, and more.
* Tsh’s newsletter: The Commonplace
* Tsh’s books, trips, & Rule of Life
* Chloe Langr’s newsletter & podcast
* Hannah Coulter, by Wendell Berry
* Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger
* A Hi...
Tsh chats with her friend Christine Bailey who, along with her husband, runs a regenerative farm and hosts all sorts of community gatherings in their beautiful barn. They talk about farming as a family, homeschooling, hosting gatherings, beauty, and much more.
* Tsh’s newsletter: The Commonplace
* Tsh’s books, trips, & Rule of Life
* Christine Bailey’s book & podcast
* Christine’s farm: The Kindred Farm
* I Cheerfully Refuse, by Leif E...
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