Doomer Optimism

This episode explores how Josh and Hannah Centers built Chapter House, a publishing project designed to restore beautiful, culturally literate children’s books to homeschool families. From Homer and Shakespeare to Beowulf, Greek myth, and Our Island Story, they explain why classic literature still matters for forming attention, imagination, and virtue in a distracted age.
They also share the homeschooling experiences that shaped their philosophy, including Hannah’s background as a public school teacher, their journey with a dyslexic child, and why Charlotte Mason’s ideas about habit training and whole-person education continue to guide their work. Josh makes the case that the liberal arts are even more important in the age of AI, while Hannah describes how the right book can open a reluctant reader’s world.
If you care about education, great books, or raising kids with depth and resilience, this conversation offers a thoughtful and hopeful vision for what learning can be.

"But at Least They're Human: Face-to-Face Living -- With Joy and Without Illusions"From the conference: Another Life is Possible co-organized by the Woodcrest Bruderhof community, Doomer Optimism and Savage Collective, July 2026https://doomeroptimism.substack.com/p/do-308-bill-kauffman

Tom and Jason talk to Lenny Wells - pecan farmer and extension agent - about growing pecans in Georgia, the cultural and ecological factors.
Along the way we also discuss:
-how he got into pecans
-his book on pecans
-consulting with a pecan farmer in Spain
-his love for Wendell Berry, and
-fly-fishing in Montana

Enjoy!

In this episode Ashley and Jacob discuss the concept of microcolleges, and examples of alternative educational models writ large.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro: Exploring education, community, and sustainability
02:27 - How a class on sustainable development shifted a life trajectory
04:02 - Higher education as transformative yet bureaucratic: a nuanced view
06:20 - The role of micro-colleges as laboratories for alternative education models
08:20 - Microcollege principles: human scale, place-based focus, holistic curriculum
10:12 - Experiential learning in agriculture and sustainability in Uruguay
13:19 - Moving to Uruguay: motivation, land, community, and self-sufficiency
16:26 - The influence of environmental sociology and fieldwork on education
18:13 - Rizoma and regenerative agriculture: connecting resources across bioregions
23:21 - Adapting the Uruguay model to local high schools and legislative advocacy
26:13 - The challenges of bureaucratic hurdles in US-based experiential programs
27:27 - The origins and evolution of Thoreau College in Wisconsin
28:05 - Deep roots in the Driftless region, organic farming, and educational experimentation
29:04 - Waldorf pedagogy, family-centered schooling, and youth leadership
31:51 - Deep Springs College: history, pillars, and self-governance
34:40 - The influence of Nicola Tesla and pioneering education in remote settings
36:27 - The unique, small scale, and community-centered design of Deep Springs and inspired schools
40:34 - Gender, environment, and community: reflections on co-ed versus single-sex models
41:26 - The importance of family and nurturing environments in education communities
43:11 - The role of place-based knowledge and historical understanding in cultivating belonging
45:27 - The holistic curriculum: arts, nature, and expedition-based experiential learning
48:45 - The ethics and profundity of slaughtering animals as a ritual of reverence
50:05 - Broadening perspectives: practical engagement over superficial debates
54:35 - The significance of embodied work, such as farming and outdoor survival skills
55:55 - Building agency through collective effort and sharing tangible skills
62:45 - The impact of experiential and community-based learning on resilience
65:05 - Ideals of subsidiarity and bioregional identity as anchors for local culture
66:39 - The cultural and environmental richness of bioregions like the Driftless
70:47 - The importance of place-based storytelling, native histories, and ecological literacy
75:34 - The power of local, tangible practices versus abstract ideologies
77:26 - The role of shared projects in dissolving superficial divisions
85:12 - Cultivating inner resilience and emotional strength through holistic education
87:11 - Moving from global scale despair to local scale action and empowerment
89:04 - The importance of facing difficulties together and growing through challenge
90:46 - The value of community hubs and bioregional identity in creating hope and agency

Movetonewathens.com
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Introducing the idea of building a city from scratch to address societal doom
02:08 - Jackson’s background in tech and recruitment influencing city planning
03:03 - The role of ambition and ecosystem understanding in city development
06:20 - How tech industry recruitment reveals societal dysfunction and potential solutions
08:39 - The cultural decline: urban decay, regulations, and family disconnection
11:48 - The blueprint for New Athens: promises to residents and leveraging local incentives
15:07 - Examining societal doom: urban chaos, lawlessness, and cultural disintegration
18:19 - Why cities are the optimal size for revival and the role of regulations
19:16 - Ideal demographic makeup: balancing virtue, ambition, and risk-taking
21:49 - Global and regional efforts for renewal: bioregions, state lines, and culture-based organization
26:56 - Practical steps for deregulation and attracting people, businesses, and investors
33:01 - The significance of moral bounds, virtue, and community in city planning
42:50 - The importance of craft manufacturing, local food, and human-scaled urban design
46:47 - Envisioning a human-friendly, tech-lite city culture
52:28 - Population growth, family life, and the cultural mimetic effect
58:40 - The collapse of woke ideology and the rise of anti-tech, pro-human movements
65:00 - AI as a secular religion, the need to maintain human sovereignty and meaningful life
71:01 - The role of technology regulation: keeping devices off the body and emphasizing human presence
76:33 - The dynamics of institution-building, trust, and leadership challenges
83:50 - The archetype of visionary leaders and operational builders for city creation
88:17 - How to follow and support the New Athens project