The Prairie Panicle No. 10

The newest interesting items from the prairie

This marks the 10th month of writing The Prairie Panicle. I hope my readers have enjoyed this monthly collection of recommendations and random thoughts, because I enjoy rounding them up. Is there something you’d like to see in a future edition? Let me know!

What I’ve Written

I marked Juneteenth with “Freedom,” an essay about General Granger’s General Order No. 3, what it means to “make history,” and considering the stories of local community, no matter how uncomfortable they might be.

“Sea of Grass” marked National Grasslands Week with some history of the plains and a few of my thoughts on their majesty. This also marked the commencement of an audio voiceover for each essay and the re-launch of the West of 98 podcast (more on that below).

The 94th Texas Cowboy Reunion was July 2-6 in Stamford and it was a barn burner. I discussed it in two essays: “Cowboy Town” detailed the enduring legacy of the event and “Wendell Berry at the Matched Horse Races” related some of my thoughts about local culture that arose while I undertook my work as an event chairman.

Online Reading: Improving Our Faith

My friend

Myles Werntz, Mindgrapes Vicar

does great work over at the “Christian Ethics in the Wild” newsletter. Right now, he’s working on a series about Dorothy Day and Wendell Berry (I’m wholly unable to resist that premise). Outside of his own newsletter, he also recently published a great piece at Christianity Today entitled “Scarcity’s Strange Gifts.” It’s about how the Church can benefit from lean times, be it in lagging attendance or dragging enthusiasm. If you’ve ever had any sort of discouragement about your local church body, you need to read this article.

I deeply respect several folks who love Henri Nouwen as much as I love Wendell Berry. I need to add more of his writing to my reading roster. In the meantime, Plough published this Nouwen meditation called “How to Not Live a Boring Life.” I recommend it.

“When Christianity is palatable, it is false. When it is a reasonable, effective way of life that clearly benefits society at large, it is false. The Bible is never so.” My friend

C. Wayne Bratcher

continues to challenge my thoughts over at The Layman. His writing is ever-more appreciated as Christianity is interjected into a presidential race in only the most gratuitous and self-serving methods possible.

Online Reading: Journeys to Follow

My friend

Sam Scott

is writing a book and will detail that journey in a special newsletter. I’m excited to read that and you should be too.

The great

Hadden Turner

is moving to a new place to set down roots in a manner that will be meaningful to his family. He details that journey in a new essay and I am proud to watch this unfold from afar. Hadden is one of the best young writers around and this move is going to be impactful for anyone who encounters his work.

Online Reading: Improving Our Local Places

New Zealand is facing a housing crisis in both affordability and supply, like many other places around the world. Their national government is taking significant action to increase housing supply. Local leaders in rural communities would do well to consider all the ideas that might be workable to improve our own housing shortages, which are a real limitation to attracting new residents to town.

I read this article last week and then I was excited to see many friends and acquaintances share it. Three Central Texas school districts are moving to 100% locally-sourced beef in a partnership with a local ranch. This is an incredible investment into the local economy that will hopefully become an inspiration for other such projects all across the land. I’ll be writing much more about this concept in the future.

What I’m Reading: Hard Copies

“Anna Karenina” continues, albeit at a slow pace, but many of the themes are now clear. I have strong opinions about Anna and Count Vronsky.

I started to re-read a few essays in Wendell Berry’s “Citizenship Papers” collection. Many of these essays are a source of great inspiration in my own work and I refer to them as study guides of a sort.

I recently acquired a copy of “I’ll Take My Stand: The South and the Agrarian Tradition.” Written between the World Wars by a group of twelve writers known as the Southern Agrarians, this collection of essays influenced much Southern literature and thought that would follow. Wendell Berry considers it formative to his full understanding of agrarianism. I’m trying to grapple with my own vision of agrarianism for the 21st century, so I view this as a necessary addition to my reading list.

West of 98 Store

The West of 98 bookstore at Bookshop.org has three lists: my Top Texas Books, all the books referenced on the Rural Church and State podcast, and a catch-all Essential West of 98 reads. I’m hoping to steadily convert and expand that final list into a series of lists categorized by topic, as my time allows. We’ve sold several books so far (perhaps more than I anticipated) and I greatly appreciate the support! The commission on these purchases go towards towards the West of 98 project. Even if you never buy my recommendations, do your online book shopping at Bookshop! Their profits support independent bookstores. Amazon doesn’t need more money.

Listening Recs

Believe it or not, the West of 98 podcast has returned! I’m publishing each of my weekly newsletters as an audio essay, in hopes of reaching new audiences that are not reading my Substack. If you’d be so kind, please go to the Apple podcast app and give it a rating and a review to help spread the word! I have some standalone podcasts coming up, including a few interviews and a new podcast monologue on the importance of swimming pools, to revisit a topic from the podcast’s early days.

Sturgill Simpson “retired” from his recording career, but then made a fantastic appearance in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” as rodeo cowboy/bootlegger Henry Grammer. I now want to see Sturgill appear in any number of Western movies. In the meantime, his musical retirement was evidently not a restriction on his alter egos. Last week, he released a superb new album under the name “Johnny Blue Skies.” If you like Sturgill, Americana in general, or bluesy-tinged country, you’ll have this album on repeat. Check it out!

As always, thanks for reading along and supporting my work! Your feedback is always welcomed and appreciated.

James Decker is the Mayor of Stamford, Texas and the creator of the West of 98 website and the Rural Church and State and West of 98 podcasts. Contact James and subscribe to these essays at westof98.substack.com and subscribe to him wherever podcasts are found.