Lately, we’ve been inundated with stories about the death of newspapers.  It would seem that print journalism is an increasingly obsolete aspect of our culture, especially since people tend to read online information sources and seek out news aggregators that reduce complexity into a blurb.  Outlets like NPR’s On the Media explore the reasons why we’ve moved away from printed newspapers, and even the Arcadians are talking about how attitudes toward our new media landscape may evoke pastoral nostalgia.

To hear the fifth episode of Et in Arcadia Ego, click here:  Basil Newspapers.  This episode is an hour long, and it’s truly a pastoral conversation about the quality of journalism today.  We begin by discussing an article by Richard Rodriguez called “Final Edition,” and then we focus on Lexington’s newest paper, North of Center. By the way, if you don’t know what a mimeograph is, click here!

Pastoral Recommendations

The graveyard of newspapers - tombstones for a bygone era of information.

Danny pitches a Rolling Stone article by Hunter S. Thompson entitled “The Battle of Aspen” (October 1, 1970).  In the early 1970s, Thompson ran for sheriff in Aspen and challenged the status quo.  He also mentions Rob Morris’s blog on construction in Lexington.  Visit and take him up on his offer for a free oil change from now until the end of 2009.

Hunter S. Thompson in 1981

Beth wants us all to consider the novel Wickerby:  An Urban Pastoral, by Charles Seibert.  She couldn’t remember the author’s name while on the air, unfortunately, but I guess that’s why we have post-production research.

Andrew suggests that listeners pick up a copy of North of Center and read James Agee’s Let us Now Praise Famous Men. It’s a classic expression of the journalist’s dilemma, and it’s supplemented with a series of famous photographs by Walker Evans.

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Clearly, the hosts at Et in Arcadia Ego are more about leading a life of otium than producing good media.  But we’re back!  On this episode of the podcast, Andrew talks to Leah about the supermarket pastoral.  A form identified by Michael Pollan in his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma:  A Natural History of Four Meals, the supermarket pastoral is a vision quest for pure foods and authentic experiences with nature.  Don’t miss this leisurely discussion, that covers the organic food industry, community gardening, the Obama’s White House, lead-infested garden, and more.

Leah recommends two novels by Ruth Ozeki, a Japanese American writer.

Andrew recommends a photo essay by James D. Griffioen.

In today’s episode, Andrew talks with Anne Mareck, University of Kentucky postdoctoral fellow and Assistant Director of Writing Program, about environmental activism and its place in the pastoral tradition.

Anne invites us all to attend An Evening with the Mountainkeepers on April 9, 2009.  The Arcadians hope to see you there.

Et in Arcadia Ego is back!  After a long break, the Arcadians are back in business.  In this episode, we wonder whether or not we can blame Bill Clinton on our economic woes.

An article in Time Magazine recently ranked Clinton as the 13th most culpable person in creating our current financial disaster.  Hannah and Andrew wonder if this is even the right question to ask.  Listen to the Arcadians hash this out.

Also, don’t miss the pastoral recommendations!

Andrew suggests that everyone read Jay Griffiths’ article “Art v. Pastoral,” which is in the current issue of Orion.

Hannah wants everyone to gear up for our coming episode on the pastoral tradition and the job market in higher education humanities disciplines.  See her link to a recent article in the New York Times that has been getting a lot of buzz.

And if you haven’t already, subscribe to the podcast via one of the services listed on our website.

Well, it’s a bit rough, the dialogue seems contrived at times, but we’re off.  Et in Arcadia Ego:  The Pastoral Podcast is born!

Click here for the first episode

Welcome to Et in Arcadia Ego, the podcast about pastoral and culture.  Please take a few minutes to look around on our site.  And do subscribe to our podcast.

Our first test episode leaves a little to be desired.