Hello all. This is a quick note to remind my American readers that I will be in your country next week, for a mini speaking tour. As a taster, here’s a conversation I recorded last week with the organiser of my first event in Alabama, Matt Burford. We talked about writing, weirdness, God and the ways of seeing that the modern world has made almost impossible for us to access now. This is a perennial theme of mine which I always grasp at with my words but probably never quite reach.
I’d love to meet any Abbey readers who can make it to any of these events. And if you can’t - well, I expect to be back next year when my book, Against the Machine (pioneered here), is published. I also hope to post recordings of some of my talks here.
Here’s the agenda. I expect these tickets to sell like an Oasis tour1, so get your fingers on the buttons.
Friday 18th: Resisting the Machine: a lecture in Birmingham, Alabama.
Saturday 19th: In conversation with Rod Dreher: on my Christian journey and his new book, also in Birmingham.
Tuesday 22nd: The Machine in the Garden: a talk about the Christian relationship to nature, in Buffalo, NY.
Monday 28th: Against Christian Civilisation: I’ll be delivering the Erasmus Lecture in New York City, organised by First Things magazine.
Joke, obviously. But come anyway.
When to Australia Paul? Sydney specifically
Paul, I feel sorry for you sometimesl, being on the podcast circuit and the speaking circuit. It must be a bit lonely dealing with an anonymous or brand new audience each time. It's the machine treadmill and we are all on it as we try to earn a living. On the other hand, I am happy for you that you have the audience and the chance to share some good things.