The Optimistic Curmudgeon

Book Launch: The American Book of Fables, by Dr. Matthew Mehan

Dr. Matthew Mehan calls his new book, The American Book of Fables, as a "250th birthday present" for America. Releasing today (5/19/26), this volume is filled with rhymes and songs "for Littles," fables "for Middles," and a treasure trove of witty-wise sayings and primary sources "for Bigs." Dr. Mehan has written not just a book for children or adults, but a volume for the whole family to return to year over year.

We also discuss the moral imagination, Cicero, Dr. Mehan's upcoming Smith Lecture on Virtue at  ⁨@thalescollege⁩ , teaching in DC, and the value of writing poetry as "Father Goose." It's a great conversation - enjoy!

Direct from the publisher (Sophia Institute Press): https://sophiainstitute.com/product/the-american-book-of-fables/

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/American-Book-Fables-Matthew-Mehan/dp/B0G1XYVC54/

If you're in the Raleigh, NC area - RSVP here to attend Dr. Mehan's Smith Lecture at Thales College: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIPSgAYX_6A4eMDVefWkJCW4vFgVzDBJLpXQK9j0UcPT6X4w/viewform 

Eulogy for Charlie Kirk, Assessment Design, and Phonics: Dr. Tracy Gardner (10x9)

Josh interview Dr. Tracy Gardner about her work in psychometrics, its application to national testing design, and the science of reading. Dr. Gardner has worked for the  @ClassicLearningTest ,  @Pearson , and is now the Vice-President for Workforce Assessment Solutions for the ACT. She is a proud  @hillsdalecollege  parent, and has been heavily influenced by the life and work of Charlie Kirk. We recorded this episode the day after Charlie's assassination, and Tracey shares some of the impact  @turningpointusa  has had on her. It's a great conversation! Enjoy!

Creating Classroom Culture with Mandi Gerth (10x8)

Mandi Gerth draws from her book Thoroughness and Charm: Cultivating the Habits of the Classical Classroom to explain what teaching is, how teachers can draw on the wisdom of Machiavelli to understand their authority and wield it for the good of their students, and what it means to put on the Western tradition as both a mantle and a crown.

Along the way, Mandi shares wisdom from Donald and Louise Cowan, highlights the difficulty of the teaching task, and inspires teachers with a lofty vision of shaping the students' souls to perceive truth, beauty, and goodness.

Mandi is the Administrative Director of Cowan Center at the  ⁨@universityofdallas⁩  , an instructor in  ⁨@thalescollege⁩  's Certificate in Classical Education Philosophy, and a prolific writer on  ⁨@substackinc⁩  .

You can find her at https://mrsgerthteaches.substack.com/

You can also order Thoroughness and Charm: Cultivating the Habits of the Classical Classroom here: https://circeinstitute.org/product/thoroughness-and-charm/ 

Stranger Things Series Finale, with Brad Birzer (10x7)

Dr. Brad Birzer of Hillsdale College analyzes the Stranger Things series finale. Birzer argues that Stranger Things is a mythology of the 1980s, and he thinks the finale episode wraps up the series well. The younger generations of kids, the older generation heading to college, small town life, the Upside Down, hatred of the military, music of the 1980s - we discuss it all! This is definitely a spoiler-ridden episode, so if you haven't watched the finale, do that first. We also get into the controversy around Will Byers 6-minute coming out scene. By the end of the conversation, both Birzer and Herring argue this is a show about friendship and coming-of-age in a certain era of American life mostly lost to the present.

Brad Birzer's Wall Street Journal article about Stranger Things (free on Substack): https://substack.com/@bradleyjbirzer/p-187969433

Josh Herring's book Sons of Adam, Daughters of Eve: C.S. Lewis's Images of Gender - https://davenantinstitute.org/sons-of-adam-daughters-of-eve 

Annie Crawford and Ashley Lande: Psychedelics and the Incarnation (10/6)

Annie Crawford and Ashley Lande join Josh Herring for a discussion of psychedelics, their stories, and what people actually long for when they turn to ecstatic experiences. The conversation begins with definitions - what is a psychedelic? What all counts? - and turns to embodiment, a symbolic reading of reality, and the way both guests found their desires met in Christ Jesus. It's a great conversation.

Ashley Lande's book, The Thing that would Make Everything OK Forever: Transcendance, Psychdelics, and Jesus Christ - https://www.amazon.com/Thing-That-Would-Everything-Forever/dp/1683597605

Annie Crawford's autobiographical article in Salvo Mag, "A Trip to the Edge: From Psychedelic Wanderlust to Obedience ot Christ" - https://salvomag.com/article/salvo72/a-trip-to-the-edge

And just in case you're interested in a book that has nothing to do with this conversation, Josh Herring's new book Sons of Adam, Daughters of Eve: C.S. Lewis's Images of Gender is now available from @Davenant Press! https://davenantinstitute.org/sons-of-adam-daughters-of-eve 

The Ciceronian Society - with Josh Bowman (10x5)

Josh Bowman, Executive Director of the Ciceronian Society, explains the nature of the Ciceronian Society, and reflects on why the church needs Christian academics. He also reflects on why Christian academics need the church and a network of friends within which they conduct their scholarship. The conversation moves from Cicero to modernity, with a lot of points in between. The 2026 Ciceronian Society meeting is March 12-14, at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska - come join us! The Ciceronian Society is the "place where we take ideas seriously, and our selves not at all." We try to model that attitude in this episode - much laughter and joy in this conversation.

https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2026-conference-registration/

Josh Bowman's essay: "Intellectual Discipleship" - https://circeinstitute.org/blog/intellectual-discipleship/

Ciceronian Society podcast, The Sower - https://open.spotify.com/show/4AD2nBjpEscmBR86xemnPH?si=67d305d54f9f4fc9&nd=1&dlsi=28c8fa474f2543d8 

Only a Conservative Military Wins: Chase Spears (10x4)

Chase Spears, host of Finding Your Spine, joins Josh to discuss his essay "Only a Conservative Military can Defend America." They discuss Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the role of the military, what it would take to have a conservative military, and where they both find hope for a brighter future. Woke is not yet done in the US military, because "personnel is policy." We also discuss Harvard, and why the US military is ending its War College fellowship with Harvard.

Finding Your Spine - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWhObhyW9BweItep_VZ-TmWcM4P_IW5WN

Only a Conservative Military can Defend America." - https://www.realcleardefense.com/2026/02/05/only_a_conservative_military_is_capable_of_defending_the_united_states_1163008.html 

Culture: Procreative or Decreative (10x3)

Graham Dennis is a Dean of Academics for Veritas Academy and an elder in the CREC; he also holds a PhD in philosophy. In this wide ranging conversation, he introduces a particular way of reading culture through the lens of "procreative" and "decreative." From there, the conversation turns to C.S. Lewis, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength, gender, transgender, Phillip Rieff, Life among the Deathworks, Narnia, literary theory, Augustine's ordo amoris, and a host of other topics. Enjoy!

Death, Sex, and Birth: Nathan Gwinn on Biology Education (10x2)

Nathan Gwinn of Freedom of Education tells his story as a teacher, a principal, and an author of the Franklin Standards, a new approach to reinvigorating science education.

The way we teach science matters. In avoiding biological truth, all kinds of social problems emerge. One primary way to counteract bad ideas is to rediscover the wonder and beauty that lie at the root of good scientific exploration. With discussion of birth, death, and sex, this is a conversation to enjoy.

Freedom in Education - https://freedomined.org/

Larissa Phillip's essay "Dreaming about Going Back to the Land? I did it" in  ⁨@thefreepress⁩  - https://www.thefp.com/p/larissa-phillips-going-back-to-farm-from-brooklyn 

The Franklin Standards: Model K-12 State Science Standards - https://www.nas.org/storage/app/media/Reports/Franklin%20Standards/Franklin_Standards_9.25.pdf 

Classical Education and Christian Banking: Frank Clement of America's Christian Credit Union (10x1)

Frank Clement of America's Christian Credit Union joins Josh for a discussion of classical education, Christian banking, and the role that financial institutions can play helping new organizations begin. Check out their work here: https://americaschristiancu.com/