JHK discusses his newly published nonfiction book Too Much Magic: Wishful Thinking, Technology, and the Fate of the Nation, (Altantic Monthly Press, 2012). Kunstler considers Magic to be an update on his 2005 book “The Long Emergency.” He says it was time to issue a reality testing report from reality central.
JHK and Duncan speak to a group of NextGen New Urbanists during the Congress for the New Urbanism held in West Palm Beach, Fla. this May 9-12. NextGen New Urbanists are young professionals participating in the New Urbanist movement. Jim asks the group to tell him what they’re up to and what’s next for New Urbanism. After a quick history of the NextGen movement, topics include: Resettle America, the Braddock PA Initiative, Tactical New Urbanism, Growing Culture and more.
James Howard Kunstler and Duncan Crary record a podcast before a live student audience at Union College, in Schenectady, N.Y. As part of a Humanities Super Seminar on liberal arts and activism, the students read The KunstlerCast book. During the podcast Jim and Duncan riff on college architecture and the Union campus before opening up the discussion to questions from the class. Topics include: the value of a liberal arts education in The Long Emergency, monocultures concentrating poverty in the built environment, the prospects for restoring passenger rail in North America and more. Along the way Jim also delivers a call to millennial students to renounce their student loans.
“The Heirloom,” by Richard Davies, explores a post peak world where a group of Native Americans comes to terms with a dangerous and chaotic world. Guy McPherson, of Nature Bats Last, says, “Ultimately, The Heirloom is a wide-ranging tale about the human experience. It is about life, love, death, honor, and people struggling to make their way in a world not of their choosing.”
Part one of a trilogy, “The Heirloom” is available through Amazon in both paperback and eBook. The second book in the trilogy will be available late Summer 2012. Visit: http://theheirloom.blogspot.com/
Light Pollution, the Printed Page v. the Screen & More
Released: April 12, 2012
JHK fields listeners calls about the healthcare industry and its future in the Long Emergency, the validity of peak oil, cognitive ability to retain information from a computer screen vs. the printed page, and light pollution.
“The Heirloom,” by Richard Davies, explores a post peak world where a group of Native Americans comes to terms with a dangerous and chaotic world. Guy McPherson, of Nature Bats Last, says, “Ultimately, The Heirloom is a wide-ranging tale about the human experience. It is about life, love, death, honor, and people struggling to make their way in a world not of their choosing.”
Part one of a trilogy, “The Heirloom” is available through Amazon in both paperback and eBook. The second book in the trilogy will be available late Summer 2012. Visit: http://theheirloom.blogspot.com/
Our Overcomplexity and Hyperdependence on Modern Technology
Released: March 22, 2012
JHK and Duncan have a ramble ‘n rant episode on the robitification of our communications landscape, that wasteland of overcomplexity and hyperdependence of modern technology.
ANNOUNCEMENT: The 200th episode of The KunstlerCast is coming up. Call the listener line and share your favorite moment from the kast.
Sponsor:
“The Heirloom,” by Richard Davies, explores a post peak world where a group of Native Americans comes to terms with a dangerous and chaotic world. Guy McPherson, of Nature Bats Last, says, “Ultimately, The Heirloom is a wide-ranging tale about the human experience. It is about life, love, death, honor, and people struggling to make their way in a world not of their choosing.”
Part one of a trilogy, “The Heirloom” is available through Amazon in both paperback and eBook. The second book in the trilogy will be available late Summer 2012. Visit: http://theheirloom.blogspot.com/
Join CNU in West Palm Beach, FL this year May 9-12, for the 20th anniversary event of the Congress for the New Urbanism. Confirmed speakers include Richard Florida, Sprawl Repair Manual author Galina Tachieva, retail guru Robert Gibbs, Fighting Traffic author Peter Norton, Peter Calthorpe, Lizz Plater-Zyberk, Jaime Correa, Andres Duany and many more speakers being added every day.
Go to www.cnu20.org and register now to take advantage of early registration rates.
My fellow Gen X journalist Duncan Crary tells pretty much the same story of awakening slowly to the ills of suburbia, but with one difference: the small paper for which he covered local politics was in the town where Kunstler had started his own reporting career. Kunstler, who had settled in nearby Saratoga Springs, New York, and added dystopian novelist to his résumé, became a source for Crary’s reporting on suburban land use — a relationship that has continued throughout Crary’s journalism career.
This book is indeed great fun. … However, Crary’s superior volume has the guts to truly grapple with the harsh realities shaping our times—realities that few dare discuss out in the open.
Sponsor:
Join CNU in West Palm Beach, FL this year May 9-12, for the 20th anniversary event of the Congress for the New Urbanism. Confirmed speakers include Richard Florida, Sprawl Repair Manual author Galina Tachieva, retail guru Robert Gibbs, Fighting Traffic author Peter Norton, Peter Calthorpe, Lizz Plater-Zyberk, Jaime Correa, Andres Duany and many more speakers being added every day.
Go to www.cnu20.org and register now to take advantage of early registration rates.
In this episode, James Howard Kunstler and Duncan Crary go through the KunstlerCast listener mail bag. Topics include: David Brooks’s recent 180 on the “wonders” of suburbia, the Zeitgeist movement, the fate of ebooks, home maintenance during The Long Emergency, rural Illinois and other topics.
Join CNU in West Palm Beach, FL this year May 9-12, for the 20th anniversary event of the Congress for the New Urbanism. Confirmed speakers include Richard Florida, Sprawl Repair Manual author Galina Tachieva, retail guru Robert Gibbs, Fighting Traffic author Peter Norton, Peter Calthorpe, Lizz Plater-Zyberk, Jaime Correa, Andres Duany and many more speakers being added every day.
Go to www.cnu20.org and register now to take advantage of early registration rates.
James Howard Kunstler comments on the rising rates of pessimism in the U.S. in response to Capital cronyism, the disappearing American dream, and our own entitled wishful thinking. During the second half of the program he examines some of the cultural and lifestyle changes we may observe in response the 21st century failures in politics, capitalism, technology and religion.
Join CNU in West Palm Beach, FL this year May 9-12, for the 20th anniversary event of the Congress for the New Urbanism. Confirmed speakers include Richard Florida, Sprawl Repair Manual author Galina Tachieva, retail guru Robert Gibbs, Fighting Traffic author Peter Norton, Peter Calthorpe, Lizz Plater-Zyberk, Jaime Correa, Andres Duany and many more speakers being added every day.
Go to www.cnu20.org and register now to take advantage of early registration rates.
JHK discusses the concept of “The Trust Horizon,” which he first came across on one of his favorite blogs, The Automatic Earth blog. As the economy contracts, Americans are gazing at the “Trust Horizon” for big government. On the other hand, more people are forging their own trust networks at a very local level. Topics include: local currencies, bartering, small transport networks, basic local healthcare and permaculture initiatives.
Citizens React to Tragic Death With Calls to Demolish Train Bridge
Released: Jan. 12, 2012
Painting of bridge by JHK
After a tragic death, citizens in the Albany area are clamoring to tear down an old train bridge that is already slated to be re-opened as a bike-hike trail. JHK & Duncan examine this story and explain why we must save historic infrastructure like the bridge in question.
Links:
A long night at work, a sudden fatal slip
A bartender’s walk home on New Year’s Eve ends in a fatal fall from trestle
By STEVE BARNES, Times Union, Monday, January 2, 2012
Gregg Stacy, VP of Brown’s Brewing Co., and Troy author/podcaster Duncan Crary flex their manly vocal stylings to promote The Festival of Manliness this Jan. 22 at Revolution Hall. After wrestling a live sabre-toothed tiger on the airwaves, Gregg and Duncan have a serious talk with Rick Lyke, founder of Pints for Prostates, about the importance of getting regularly screened for prostate cancer. A portion of the proceeds from The Festival of Manliness will benefit Pints for Prostates and their awareness campaign.
JHK discusses his 2012 Annual Forecast. He thinks this may be the year that we discover that shale gas and oil is just another bubble, simply a destination for hot money to make returns in a financial landscape that doesn’t offer many. He also mentions a recent encounter with Noam Chomsky.
Lastly, Jim shares his resolution for the new year
Apocalypse Not, Green Wizardry and Techno-Narcissism
Released: Dec. 22, 2011
Apocalypse Not, by John Michael Greer
John Michael Greer, author of The Long Descent, The Wealth of Nature and, most recently, Apocalypse Not, joins JHK and Duncan by phone to speak about 2012 apocalypse scenarios, Green Wizardry, politics and techno narcissism. Greer explains how the 1970s were the last time that America was confronted by a major disruption in its energy supply. At the time, many Americans began exploring renewable energy and more modest living arrangements that require less energy. But that was the road not taken. And now we face what he describes as a “stairstep collapse,” like many other civilizations that have overshot their resource base. Other topics include: our modern delusions about technology, the re-enchantment of our worldview, and the potential resurgence of fraternal orders which once served as the foundation of public life in America.
JHK and Duncan are joined by Minneapolis-based cartoonist and self-described muckraker Ken Avidor, who recently illustrated the KunstlerCast book and whose artwork as been displayed on this website for years. Topics include Minnesota sprawl, the Mall of America, Avidor’s artistic influences and his opposition to the Personal Rapid Transit movement.
James Howard Kunstler shares his thoughts on the Occupy movement sweeping America. It’s going to be a dark and difficult time ahead for the U.S. and JHK thinks we may be heading into a period of mischief this spring. But he has a lot of faith in the younger generation because they’re not cynical and they truly want to live in a country they’re capable of caring about.
JHK and Duncan get caught up on listener calls. Question topics include: Phoenix vs. Georgia; repealing the gas tax, The Long Descent, the downgrading of America and why aren’t there any African-American characters in Jim’s World Made By Hand novels. One listener also shares a bizarre and raunchy consipiracy theory.
KunstlerCast Get together in Buffalo
October 19, 2011
8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Pearl Street Grille and Brewery
67 Pearl St., Buffalo, NY
Cost: Free
In conjunction with a party hosted by the Buffalo Young Preservationists. For info and to RSVP: click here.
During National Preservation Conference
KunstlerCast Book Release Party
Nov. 1, 2011
Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Daisy Bakers, Troy NY
There’s a crazy Christian cult on the rise in the US and JHK believes Americans needs to watch out. The New Apostolic Reformation is a dangerous movement exerting its influence on the American political sphere during a time when this country is so fraught with problems that we are leaving ourselves vulnerable to being pushed around by crazy people like this, Kunstler says. The group — which has connections to presidential candidates Rick Perry and Michele Bachman — not only believes in literal devils but that certain American politicians are afflicted by these demons. More concerning is their belief in dominionism over all aspects of American culture, politics and business. The “apostles” claim to speak directly to God and feel they have a mission to convert all the people of the world (particularly the Jews) to Christianity. Kunstler sees this group, and others like it, becoming more troublesome as The Long Emergency unfolds. He can imagine that the country may find itself in a new Civil War in the years ahead. During the conversation JHK also describes his experiences reporting on religious cults, his own thoughts on religion as an agnostic, and explains how the story of the New Apostolic Reformation may resemble some of the aspects in his fictional World Made By Hand novels. [Main discussion begins: 5:04 mins.]
Car Dependency and the American National Character
Released: Aug. 18, 2011
A listener asks if American’s cherished value of spontaneity is inextricably bound to car dependency. JHK shares his thoughts on the American National Character and how it may change during The Long Emergency. Topics include: Alexis de Tocqueville, Carmageddon, Convenience, Car Sharing.
Released: Aug. 4, 2011 (Originally April 24, 2008).
In this rebroadcast of one of our very first podcasts, we revisit JHK’s adventures in landscape paiting. JHK’s paintings are currently hanging in two group exhibitions this sunner. Description: When James Howard Kunstler isn’t railing against suburban sprawl, he’s painting it. Vincent van Gogh painted the peasant sleeping by the haystack because he was living in a landscape populated by people. Our landscape is populated by cars. So, as a sur le motif painter of our time, Jim’s subjects include cars on the road, gas stations and the industrial ruins of America’s manufacturing past. Making this landscape legible on the canvas is a challenge, but it’s also dangerous! An angry manager once told Jim that painting the Burger King is not allowed.
[Note: this podcast has an enhanced version with images that will display as you listen along in iTunes. Or in the YouTube player below.]
Links:
JHK in Group Art Show – Gallery 668, Greenwich NY – Opening Party Sunday, August 7 from 4pm to 6pm: Gallery668.com
In this enhanced podcast, JHK & Duncan explore North Central Troy, NY with Billie-Jean Greene, a KunstlerCast listener who recently purchased a home in this area. This once wealthy neighborhood on the Hudson River has suffered from urban blight for many years. But a group of neighbors, known as The Uptown Initiative, are committed to helping turn their neighborhood around. Billie-Jean leads this tour and introduces us to some of the neighborhood residents, including a bed & breakfast owner, another homeowner, and some urban chickens named Ruby and June. Also along the route is a Hells Angels clubhouse.
Links
For photographs of this neighborhood by Neil Grabowsky of Through The Lens Studio, visit: http://ttlstudios.com
Note: A listener has created a YouTube version of this episode:
Sponsor:
This week’s sponsor is The Congress for the New Urbanism, the nation’s leading advocacy organization dedicated to promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities and healthier living conditions.
JHK and Duncan apply an urbanist lens to a recent string of drunken St. Paddy’s Parade Day riots in three U.S. cities: Newport, RI, Hoboken, NJ, and Albany, NY. Topics covered in this discussion include: monocultures, transient populations, the ghettoization of the generations, self-regulating social scenes, swarm behavior and social networking technology, Glenn Beck, open container laws in cities and The Broken Windows Theory.
Author Andrew Blechman discusses his book Leisureville, a tragicomic report on The Villages, America’s largest planned retirement community. In this version of suburbia, Blechman explains, everyone drives golf carts, last call is at 8:30, Fox News plays on the hour from the lampposts and children aren’t allowed.
This week’s sponsor is PostPeakLiving.com, offering online courses that prepare you for a post-peak world. Enroll now in the UnCrash Course, Sustainable Post-Peak Livelihoods, Navigating the Coming Chaos, Introduction to Sustainable Gardening or Chickens 101. Find out more at: http://postpeakliving.com.
JHK and Duncan get caught up on questions from listener callers. Topics include post-petroleum education, the homogenization of America, Vancouver and light pollution.
This week’s sponsor is PostPeakLiving.com, offering online courses that prepare you for a post-peak world. Enroll now in the UnCrash Course, Sustainable Post-Peak Livelihoods, Navigating the Coming Chaos, Introduction to Sustainable Gardening or Chickens 101. Find out more at: http://postpeakliving.com.
JHK discusses slugging and couch surfing and other casual self-organizing transportation and lodging systems that are emerging under new terms of existence in a less affluent USA.
JHK reacts to the Chrysler Superbowl commercial featuring rapper Eminem, titled “Imported from Detroit.” This leads to a discussion of American growing inferiority complex and our unending need for techno triumphal pep rallies.
JHK reacts to the tragic shooting in Arizona. He reflects on the gun ownership debate in the U.S. and his own conflicting thoughts about owning a gun himself. He discusses the power of violent rhetoric in our public discourse and evaluates his own use of strong language. He also muses on the built environment in Tucson, Arizona and what role it might have played in the tragedy.
Note: This episode contains explicit language
To receive an email notification about the forthcoming KunstlerCast book, scheduled to be published this August, sign up for the KunstlerCast email list(about 2 to 3 emails per year)
James Howard Kunstler talks about his literary influences, including H.L. Mencken, Tom Wolfe and Samuel Beckett. He also explains the role of the social critic and how he separates his critic persona from his own personality. Lastly he muses on what he might like his legacy to be. This conversation, all about writing, is background information for a forthcoming KunstlerCast book.
Note: This episode contains explicit language
To receive an email notification about the forthcoming KunstlerCast book, scheduled to be published this August, sign up for the KunstlerCast email list(about 2 to 3 emails per year)
James Howard Kunstler discusses and reads from his novella, A Christmas Orphan — the story of a young boy from the big city who runs away on Christmas Eve to small-town Vermont. JHK explains how this story deals with many of the issues he writes about in his nonfiction commentary on our living arrangements of the late 20th and 21st centuries.
Purchase your copy of A Christmas Orphan by James Howard Kunstler athttp://northshire.com
JHK shares his thoughts on the recent U.S. midterm elections, the Tea Party, Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity, and the problems of progressivisim.
James Howard Kunstler examines the last ditch effort of some states to try to generate revenue through casinos. Kunstler believes gambling is a marginal activity that states should not be pushing into the mainstream. Also featured in this episode is a short clip from JHK’s one hour interview on KBOO public radio in Portland, Ore. Check out JHK’s Book Tour Schedule” http://www.kunstler.com/sched.phpListener Caller Line: 1-(866) 924-9499 toll-free
KUOW Seattle: “The Conversation” 10/05/10
Host Ross Reynolds inteviews James Howard Kunstler
(featuring Alex Steffen of Worldchanging)
17:56 mins (8.2 MB)
Lars Larson, The Northwest Show, 10/08/10
While in Portland, JHK also appeared via phone for about 7 minues on the Lars Larson Northewest Show on Oct. 8, 2010: $ link $
WABE-FM 90.1 “Between the Lines,” 10/14/10 Hosted by Valerie Jackson Syndicated by NPR, available via podcast 28:42 mins
James Howard Kunstler explains the Tragedy of the Commons, as first described by Garrett Hardin in 1968, as how this philosophical theory relates to the public realm, suburbia, private property, commerce, environmentalism and concepts of freedom. This episode also includes a short radio story produced by MichiganNow.org featuring a walking tour by JHK in Bay City, Michigan. Special thanks to http://www.michigannow.org
James Howard Kunstler joins Duncan by phone from his hotel room in New Orleans. Their conversation moves from Dearborn, Michigan (2:49 – 5:13 mins) to the failings of the airline industry (5:13 – 14:30 mins), to Burlington, Vt. (14:30 – 22:45 mins), to the potential of Thorium, the so-called “green” nuclear energy source (22:45 – 26:50 mins), to the Boomer generation’s parting gift to future generations (26:50 – 40:06 mins).
JHK Travels Back in Time to Warn The American People of the Future that Awaits Them
Released: Sept. 16, 2010.
Duncan asks JHK what he would say to the American people of 1946 if he had the means to travel back in time. What would Kunstler tell them about the suburban dream as promised to them? Would they listen?
James Howard Kunstler muses on The American Vacation and why the act of vacationing in the U.S. has become so stressful and unpleasant. He also shares his observations on Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, three states he visited during his own recent vacation. Kunstler doesn’t believe that motor-based tourism will be around for much longer…and that’s probably a good thing.
James Howard Kunstler muses on the suburban family living arrangement–past, present, future. Points of discussion include: “Boomerang Kids” (a.k.a. adult children living in their parents’ home), caring for seniors, and learning to live in closer proximity to family members.
JHK explores a mostly abandoned low-income housing project in Duncan’s neighborhood. Two of the three 9-story brick “vertical slums” are boarded up and abandoned. They come complete with their own “rape-o-matic” tunnel for pedestrians to travel under the bridge ramp that separates them. Kunstler says these “towers in a park” are based on the ideas of Le Corbusier, the Swiss-French architect/planner whose “Radiant City” plans envisioned turning the right bank of Paris into a series of high rise towers connected by highways. Corbu’s plans were not implemented in Paris, but his ideas didn’t die. In fact they morphed into what are commonly known as “the projects,” low-income high rise towers all around the U.S. and indeed the world. Taking inspiration by the housing projects in Troy, Kunstler explains the history of this style of low-income housing and its detrimental side effects.
Note: On the left is a QuickTime player that you can click on to listen to and watch this episode…but only if you have QuickTime installed on your computer. (If a black bar is displaying where the controlls should be, it’s a browser compatibility issue.)
Sponsor:
Support for the KunstlerCast comes from Post Carbon Institute, the world’s leading think tank dedicated to getting society off fossil fuels fast. PCI is proud to have James Howard Kunstler as a valued advisor–joining Richard Heinberg, Bill McKibben, Majora Carter, Rob Hopkins and 25 other Fellows in leading the transition to a more resilient world. Learn more at http://PostCarbon.org.
Using the example of a recent gimmick to allow dogs into the stores in downtown Saratoga Springs, James Howard Kunstler examines the topic of decorum in the public realm. JHK believes that Americans struggle with boundary issues and evaluating appropriate behavior, which may explain the increased presence of pet dogs in inappropriate venues. Vicious dogs, which have become the latest “urban” accessory, add an even more troubling dynamic to the streetscape. The situation gets worse when dog owners leave their pet’s droppings in the sidewalk. Kunstler notes that dogs have always played a role in city life, but now we rarely employ dogs in the traditional roles that they were bred for. And listlessness leads to bad behavior in all mammals, dogs and humans included.
Support for the KunstlerCast comes from The Law Office of Paul C. Rapp … Specializing in intellectual property law including copyright, trademark, Internet, art and entertainment matters. Paul Rapp is licensed in New York and Massachusetts. For information visit: PaulRapp.com
James Howard Kunstler examines the politics of place. Are the suburbs more conservative than cities? Why are people who try to conserve the historic fabric of their towns branded as radical liberals, while the agents of destruction in those towns call themselves “conservative?” What is the historical relationship between political ideas and the places where they originate from? JHK addresses these questions in today’s episode.
Today’s program is sponsored by Audible, the Internet’s leading provider of spokeword entertainment with more than 75,000 titles in every genre to chose from. For a free audiobook download and 14-day trial, sign up today at Audiblepodcast.com/kunstler
James Howard Kunstler shares some stories from his days writing for Rolling Stone magazine in the 1970s. He reflects on the role that technology played in creating the mind-blowing music that defined a generation. He also wonders about the future of popular music as we head into the Long Emergency.
James Howard Kunstler believes that the virtual is not an adequate replacement for the authentic. In spite of how appealing and ingenious we may find virtual life, it is not as good as real life. Kunstler calls the Internet “the world’s most amazing distraction from reality that has ever been invented” and he notes that it appeared just at a time when we are in desperate need to attend to the major troubles facing our society. Online spaces now serve as our “third place,” but that often occurs at the expense of our tangible public realm. Kunstler says the sense of place in the U.S. was severely damaged well before the Internet came along, but he wonders if there is a link between our impoverished public realm and our increasing desire to inhabit the Internet landscape. Other areas of discussion include: the Internet as “green,” the enterprise of “infotainment” and the effects of digital communication on human interaction.
Support for this program comes from the Congress for the New Urbanism, the nation’s leading forum dedicated to advancing urbanism and promoting alternatives to sprawl. CNU’s 18th annual Congress,”New Urbanism: Prescription for Healthy Places” will be held in Atlanta, May 19 – 22, organized with help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It will feature 90 plus sessions, tours, and immersive experiences with world’s leading thinkers and builders of good urbanism, and prominent researchers into the health impacts of how places are built, including the CDC’s Dr. Howard Frumkin, co-author of “Urban Sprawl and Public Health.” Register today, at: www.cnu18.org
This conversation was recorded one day before James Howard Kunstler was scheduled to debate Randal O’Toole at Brown University in Providence, RI. O’Toole is a well-known advocate for the suburban living arrangement. Host Duncan Crary chats with JHK about the pro-suburbia arguments in preparation for the debate. JHK refutes some of the major arguments used by sprawl defenders, including the notions that sprawl is good because people choose it and that sprawl represents liberty. JHK also notes that while the infrastructure required to deliver suburbia is extremely subsidized with government money, many sprawl defenders argue against public transportation because it is subsidized.
[Update: You can download Randal O’Toole’s presentation from his debate with JHK on this page.]
Support for this program comes from the Congress for the New Urbanism, the nation’s leading forum dedicated to advancing urbanism and promoting alternatives to sprawl. CNU’s 18th annual Congress,”New Urbanism: Prescription for Healthy Places” will be held in Atlanta, May 19 – 22, organized with help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It will feature 90 plus sessions, tours, and immersive experiences with world’s leading thinkers and builders of good urbanism, and prominent researchers into the health impacts of how places are built, including the CDC’s Dr. Howard Frumkin, co-author of “Urban Sprawl and Public Health.” Register today, at: www.cnu18.org
As NASA prepares to retire its space shuttle program, James Howard Kunstler takes a few moments to muse on the past, present and future of space exploration. Personally, JHK is glad that our government is cutting funding for space exploration. He’s not sure what the 20th Century fiesta of technology accomplished anyway. On the topic of space colonization, Kunstler says he fears that humans will make the rest of the universe as bad as Hackensack, New Jersey. He also touches upon the issues of resource exploitation, offloading surplus population, and the wishful thinking that lies behind the space exploration narrative.
Support for this program comes from the Congress for the New Urbanism, the nation’s leading forum dedicated to advancing urbanism and promoting alternatives to sprawl. CNU’s 18th annual Congress,”New Urbanism: Prescription for Healthy Places” will be held in Atlanta, May 19 – 22, organized with help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It will feature 90 plus sessions, tours, and immersive experiences with world’s leading thinkers and builders of good urbanism, and prominent researchers into the health impacts of how places are built, including the CDC’s Dr. Howard Frumkin, co-author of “Urban Sprawl and Public Health.” Register today, at: www.cnu18.org
James Howard Kunstler is sometimes propelled into “mad dog mode” when speaking about the modern American landscape. But tempers fly on all sides of these urban policy debates. And there are many times when the only sane response is to be angry about what we’ve done to the North American landscape over the past 50 years. In this conversation, JHK explores the heightened emotions that erupt over the issue of parking in small cities and towns. Community leaders across the country still believe that motoring and car storage will be the determining factor in everything. But JHK thinks that one day soon everyone will just wake up with a different idea, because it will be self-evident that densely conceived and executed redevelopment will be necessary.
PostPeakLiving.com, offering a new online course this April 24 led by psychologist Carolyn Baker who will teach students to deal with the emotional aspects of facing peak oil. Register today at: http://PostPeakLiving.com
On today’s podcast, James Howard Kunstler answers questions from the cast members and audience after the staged reading of “Big Slide,” an original three-act play by James Howard Kunstler. An audience member asks Kunstler if his character “Tom” was meant to be an African-American. A cast member asks if the character “Daniel” is named after the biblical prophet and if perhaps “Daniel” is actually Jim himself. Another castmember asks why he chose theater for as a medium for this story.
Staged reading of “Big Slide” at the MUCCC, Rochester NY. Photos by Carl Pultz.
About the Staged Reading:
“Big Slide” was first performed as a staged reading on January 9, 2010 in Rochester, NY, as part of the Multi-use Community Cultural Center’s American Playwright series. The event was introduced by James Howard Kunstler and recorded by KunstlerCast host/producer Duncan Crary.
THE CAST:
Roger Gans, Kevin Indovino, Ira Simel, Micky Markert, Diane Chevron, Jeff Moon, Denise & Don Bartalo, Fiona Criddle, Gavin Price, Meredith Powell, Allan O’Grady Cuseo, Tommy Mastrangelo, Jeff Andrews and Peter Elliott.
Produced by: John Borek
Directed and Narrated by: Michael Arve
Promotional Artwork by: Louis Podlaski
Purchase Big Slide e-Book
“Big Slide” is now selling as a 116 page e-book (.PDF), and is also available for your Kindle device or iPhone. For more information and a description of “Big Slide,” visit: http://www.kunstler.com/BigSlide.
On today’s podcast, we present the conclulsion of “Big Slide,” an original three-act play by James Howard Kunstler. Set in the autumn of an unspecified near-future year, at an Adirondack “great camp,” this is the story of three generations of the Freeman family who have taken refuge from New York and Boston during a severe national political maelstrom. Though we are never fully apprised of the exact nature of this event, it appears that a coup d’etat has occurred in the White House and local militias have risen up all over the nation in response. The estate at Big Slide is isolated from these events, but the electricity has stopped working and, apparently, the law enforcement has, too.
Direct Download: KunstlerCast_98.mp3(53 MB | 57: 24 mins)* Please note this is a stereo podcast.
Listener Caller Line:
1-(866) 924-9499 toll-free
Staged reading of “Big Slide” at the MUCCC, Rochester NY. Photos by Carl Pultz.
About the Staged Reading:
“Big Slide” was first performed as a staged reading on January 9, 2010 in Rochester, NY, as part of the Multi-use Community Cultural Center’s American Playwright series. The event was introduced by James Howard Kunstler and recorded by KunstlerCast host/producer Duncan Crary.
THE CAST:
Roger Gans, Kevin Indovino, Ira Simel, Micky Markert, Diane Chevron, Jeff Moon, Denise & Don Bartalo, Fiona Criddle, Gavin Price, Meredith Powell, Allan O’Grady Cuseo, Tommy Mastrangelo, Jeff Andrews and Peter Elliott.
Produced by: John Borek
Directed and Narrated by: Michael Arve
Promotional Artwork by: Louis Podlaski
Purchase Big Slide e-Book
“Big Slide” is now selling as a 116 page e-book (.PDF), and is also available for your Kindle device or iPhone. For more information and a description of “Big Slide,” visit: http://www.kunstler.com/BigSlide.
On today’s podcast, we present the first act of “Big Slide,” an original three-act play by James Howard Kunstler. Set in the autumn of an unspecified near-future year, at an Adirondack “great camp,” this is the story of three generations of the Freeman family who have taken refuge from New York and Boston during a severe national political maelstrom. Though we are never fully apprised of the exact nature of this event, it appears that a coup d’etat has occurred in the White House and local militias have risen up all over the nation in response. The estate at Big Slide is isolated from these events, but the electricity has stopped working and, apparently, the law enforcement has, too.
Direct Download: KunstlerCast_97.mp3
(60 MB | 1 hr 5 mins)
* Please note this is a stereo podcast.
Listener Caller Line: 1-(866) 924-9499 toll-free
Staged reading of “Big Slide” at the MUCCC, Rochester NY. Photos by Carl Pultz.
About the Staged Reading:
“Big Slide” was first performed as a staged reading on January 9, 2010 in Rochester, NY, as part of the Multi-use Community Cultural Center’s American Playwright series. The event was introduced by James Howard Kunstler and recorded by KunstlerCast host/producer Duncan Crary.
THE CAST:
Roger Gans, Kevin Indovino, Ira Simel, Micky Markert, Diane Chevron, Jeff Moon, Denise & Don Bartalo, Fiona Criddle, Gavin Price, Meredith Powell, Allan O’Grady Cuseo, Tommy Mastrangelo, Jeff Andrews and Peter Elliott.
Produced by: John Borek
Directed and Narrated by: Michael Arve
Promotional Artwork by: Louis Podlaski
Purchase Big Slide e-Book
“Big Slide” is now selling as a 116 page e-book (.PDF), and is also available for your Kindle device or iPhone. For more information and a description of “Big Slide,” visit: http://www.kunstler.com/BigSlide.
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James Howard Kunstler and Duncan Crary hit the open road to bring you these audio postcards from the NYS Thruway on their way to Rochester. To pass the time, they discuss the American experience of the road trip, the future of the small forlorn cities they pass along the way, the enterprise of downhill skiing, and how life in upstate New York has colored Kunstler’s worldview as an author and commentator.
This week’s sponsor isCultivatis, a full service land planning and consulting firm that integrates agriculture and resource conservation into every project. Core services include: agricultural urbanism; sustainable food system consulting, Urban farm and garden design, community engagement and workshop facilitation.http://www.cultivatis.com
There will be a staged-reading of James Howard Kunstler’s play, “Big Slide” this Jan. 9 at the Multi-use Community Cultural Center in Rochester NY. The playwright will introduce the show, which begins a 7:30 p.m. Admission is pay what you can. For information, visit: http://muccc.org
The Role of Generalists in a Hyper-Specialist Society
Released: Nov. 12, 2009.
James Howard Kunstler speaks about the role of generalists in a world of hyper specialists. Although hyper-specialists are experts in their narrow fields, their work is often disregardful of the larger picture. Traffic engineers, for example, can move huge numbers of cars extremely efficiently, using fine-tuned formulas for curve ratios and grades, but their final product often makes downtowns un-walkable for pedestrians. Econometric models are only a substitute for reality that tend to produce a failure of perception and therefore a failure in our ability to act in the face of the things that happen to us. A sense of hyper-individualism in U.S. culture is another obstacle that stands in the way of thinking about our society and its problems in general terms. At the close of the show, a listener shares his thoughts on the vibrant center city of Philadelphia.
This week’s sponsor is Chelsea Green, publisher of Waiting on a Train by James McCommons, with forward by James Howard Kunstler. Waiting on a Train is a critical look at the embattled future of passenger rail service, told by a journalist who spent one year traveling across America by train in 2008. Look for Waiting on a Train at your local bookstore, or visit: http://chelseagreen.com.
Additional support for this program comes from Audible. For a free audiobook download, visit:www.audiblepodcast.com/kunstler
Christopher Alexander, Daniel Burnham, Lewis Mumford, Leon Krier, Le Corbusier
Released: Oct. 15, 2009.
James Howard Kunstler believes that urban design will be the next big philosophical battle for the hearts and minds of Americans. One of the most important tasks we will face is determining the size, scale and shape of the 21st Century city. Kunstler says current cities are not scaled to the energy realities of the future. We must downscale, reform and de-automobilze our cities. Urban thinkers and urban planners will serve as our guides throughout that process. In this episode, Kunstler returns to the list of Top 100 Urban Thinkers complied by Planetizen.com to discuss some of the top names on that list. People discussed on this program include: Christopher Alexander, Frederick Law Olmsted, Daniel Burnham, Lewis Mumford, Leon Krier, Le Corbusier, and Ian McHarg.
This week’s sponsor is Grinning Planet, providing real news in a free weekly mp3 format. Grinning Planet compiles the best audio news coverage of the week on a single page to save you time and cut through the mainstream propaganda. Listen at: http://www.grinningplanet.com/mp3-news
Planetizen, an urban planning website and book publisher, recently conducted a poll about the Top 100 Urban Thinkers. Jane Jacobs, author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities, made #1 on the list. Kunstler explains the story and importance of Jacobs. He also recollects interviewing her in 2000. Although at the time Jacobs was writing a book about the coming energy crisis, Dark Age Ahead, Kunstler said she didn’t seem interested in talking about “Long Emergency” issues during their conversation. A listener caller tells us why he thinks Sesame Street is a good model for urbanism.
This week’s sponsor is Grinning Planet, providing real news in a free weekly mp3 format. Grinning Planet compiles the best audio news coverage of the week on a single page to save you time and cut through the mainstream propaganda. Listen at: http://www.grinningplanet.com/mp3-news
A Listener caller asks James Howard Kunstler if now is a good time to emigrate from the U.S. to France. During his response, Kunstler poses the question: exactly what allegiance do you owe to your country if your country is making a foolish spectacle of itself? Kunstler explains why he himself has not packed his bags for Europe. And he covers the possibility of regional autonomy arising in the U.S. if various energy, climate, political and financial crises push us in that direction.
This week’s sponsor is New Society Publishers, the leading publisher of Peak Oil thinkers such as Dmitry Orlov, Richard Heinberg, and Sharon Astyk. NewSociety.com
James Howard Kunstler says one reason why American cities are so dirty is because we do not have a firm agreement about how to treat the public realm in this country. He believes that people will literally trash a place that they don’t like or respect. And a lot of American space is difficult to respect. On a larger scale, many corporations treat the American landscape with a similar disregard. While Kunstler believes that large scale pollution from mega corporations may taper off with the cheap oil supply, he thinks local manufacturing in the future might reintroduce forms of pollution that haven’t been seen in the U.S. for a while.
Note: The voice of Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk appears in this episode, courtesy of Planetizen, publisher of The Story of Sprawl DVD. Kunstlercast listeners receive a $5 discount when purchasing this DVD by using the discount code FIESTA: http://www.planetizen.com/DVD
This week’s sponsor is New Society Publishers, the leading publisher of Peak Oil thinkers such as Dmitry Orlov, Richard Heinberg, Sharon Astyk and Michael Ruppert. NewSociety.com
James Howard Kunstler believes that stupid Americans are exerting their political and cultural tyranny over the rest of us. No other society has produced a larger group of stupid people with as much money and means to express their thoughts, pleasures, ideas, biases, delights, and hatreds in things that can be broadcast, built or in some way imposed on other people. Those who object to this situation are called elitist, he says. JHK also explores the diminishing returns of information technology and the internet.
The Tribunal of the Inquisition as illustrated by Francisco de Goya
Sponsor:
This week’s sponsor is PostPeakLiving.com, offering online courses that prepare you for the post peak oil world. Registration Closes Midnight, Sept. 2. Use “KunstlerCast” as your discount code.
A “man cave” discovered in a government complex made national news earlier this month. Eminent new urbanist planner Andrés Duany was prompted to speak out in defense of the man cave and “male space” in general, which he sees as a disappearing habitat in modern America. James Howard Kunstler and host Duncan Crary listen to a recording of Duany’s “The Dilemma of Male Space” and further explore the concept of male space. Not only does Kunstler believe that male space is disappearing in suburbia, but he thinks adult space in general is endangered.
This week’s sponsor is PostPeakLiving.com, offering online courses that prepare you for the post peak oil world. Use “KunstlerCast” as your discount code.
Traffic Jams and Plastic Weenie Stands in the Woods
Released: August 13, 2009.
Even during a recession, Americans are pouring into our nation’s “wilderness areas” with jet skis and cigarette boats in tow. After returning home from a visit to the Adirondack Mountains of New York, James Howard Kunstler serves up some thoughts on the gas guzzling toys we use to get off on in nature. Although we have a residual memory of what the American wilderness used to be like before World War II, the reality of our “nature areas” today is much different. Plastic weenie stands, ice cream emporiums and gift shops have invaded the woods. But Kunstler believes the days of traffic jams in Yosemite are numbered.
(Note: Here’s the article Duncan mentions in the podcast: Pollution outruns Adirondacks, Times Union, July 15, 2009.)
Sponsor:
This week’s sponsor is PostPeakLiving.com, offering online courses that prepare you for the post peak oil world. Use “KunstlerCast” as your discount code.
This May, the Committee on Environmental Health of the American Academy of Pediatrics confirmed that the design of U.S. communities (i.e. car-dependent suburbia) negatively affects the health of children (i.e. makes them obese). James Howard Kunstler explores the relationship between suburban sprawl and the declining health of Americans. (Artwork courtesy of Ken Avidor)
This week’s sponsor is PostPeakLiving.com, offering online courses that prepare you for the post peak oil world. Use “KunstlerCast” as your discount code.
James Howard Kunstler joins host Duncan Crary for a quick KunstlerCast “grunt” to react to the recent death of pop star Michael Jackson. Kunstler thinks Michael Jackson represents many of the bad choices that America made about itself and also its difficulty in telling the truth about it. To read Kunstler’s recent obituary for Jackson, visit http://kunstler.com/blog. The KunstlerCast will return in full next Thursday on July 16.
James Howard Kunstler takes a look at various types of public artwork on display in Troy NY, a small American city. Kunstler notes that many public murals in America attempt to put a human face in places where people are noticeably absent. He notices that 20th century commercial advertisements painted on building exteriors exhibit more skill than most 21st century “art.” He analyzes a painted steel, corporate sculpture that adorns the public face of glass box corporate building. He also discusses the role that formal statues play in adorning public squares.
James Howard Kunstler discusses public art in our cities and towns. Modern public art often lacks artistry and is an ironic representation of our 21st century junk empire. But Kunstler says we don’t need any more irony. We need a dignified public realm. Instead of engaging amateurs and children to splash paint on the blank walls of publicly facing buildings, we need to stop creating blank walls in the first place. Even the skilled work of professional muralists often results in little more than a neurotic attempt to give our deactivated streets the appearance of life, when the real problem is that our streets are dead. Kunstler relates these issues to Potemkin villages, trips to Disneyland and do-it-yourself home improvement kits.
The Broken Window Theory, Car Cops and Rising Tensions in Tough Times
Released: April 16, 2009.
James Howard Kunstler often advocates for a return to urban living arrangements. But urban living often bring residents into close proximity to bad behavior. The situation can be especially frightening when people inhabit cities that aren’t fully repopulated yet. Suburban style “car cop” policing causes additional problems because car culture can foster bad behavior from the police themselves. Kunstler believes that police on foot and horse would lead to more productive policing and would also allow citizens to police the police. Later Kunstler speaks about the “Broken Window Theory.” Host Duncan Crary asks Kunstler about the obligation of citizens to address and correct bad behavior when they encounter it. In his response, Kunstler touches upon the underlying racial issues that are sometimes present in these situations. Finally, Kunstler muses on the future of community policing after insolvent municipalities can no longer afford to pay for overwhelming vehicular policing styles. A listener caller from Portland, Maine ends the show with thoughts on “driving” bicycles on the street.
Sponsor: Sponsorship for this podcast comes from the Congress for the New Urbanism, the nation’s leading forum dedicated to advancing urbanism and promoting alternatives to sprawl. CNU’s 17th annual Congress will be in Denver, June 10-14. For information and to register, visit:www.cnu.org.
James Howard Kunstler believes the credit orgy that was the background and basis for our era is over. It will become increasingly harder to lend money into existence and Americans will probably have to pay as they go with what they have. Kunstler explores the historical relationship between credit and the creation of suburbia. But he does not know how our current credit problems will stimulate people to change the physical arrangements of their lives. He assumes, however, that Americans will be dragged kicking and screaming from the happy motoring commuter experience.
James Howard Kunstler joins host Duncan Crary for the Victorian Stroll in downtown Troy, NY. During this annual event, the city evicts the automobile from the streets and 21st century people discover how pleasurable it is to explore this 19th century urban fabric on foot. Kunstler believes events like this are rehearsal for the times ahead when Americans will be forced to re-inhabit their small cities and classic main-street towns.
INSTRUCTIONS: Hover your mouse over the Google Street View windows below. Click the arrows on the window to move up and down the street. Click the window to change your view. Double click to zoom in. Click the box in the right-hand corner for full screen view.
Community ownership and the diminishing role of government?
Released Dec. 4, 2008.
James Howard Kunstler says the notion that Americans have a long tradition of being able to do whatever they want with their land is a fallacy. This false notion is really just the result of a propaganda campaign by the promoters of suburban sprawl and the real estate industry. In reality, there is a whole corpus of responsibilities, obligations and duties that come with land ownership in America that simply can’t be ignored. Kunstler compares American attitudes toward community ownership with those in Europe.
James Howard Kunstler shares his feelings about President-elect Barack Obama. For now Jim is hopeful that Mr. Obama can set a good example for decent behavior as he takes the helm of a functionally bankrupt government. In order to reform the systems of daily life that have to be fixed, it’s important that Obama tells the truth to American people. Jim also addresses the high speed rail bond that passed in California. Lastly, a listener in Japan predicts how the Japanese will face The Long Emergency.
The Increasing Irrelevance of our Two Political Parties
Released: Oct. 30, 2008
James Howard Kunstler muses on the increasing irrelevance of the two political parties in America. Neither party seems to be truly facing our energy predicament and the coming obsolescence of suburbia. Yet this is with the complete connivance of the voting public, which is too heavily invested in the status quo.
Violent Clowns, Oversized Babies and Other Nonconformists Just Like You
Released: Aug. 28, 2008.
James Howard Kunstler addresses the proliferation of tattoos on the American main street. He thinks the fierce looking tattoos on young Americas are actually a sign of how deeply insecure we are as a nation. They’re also a form of “non-conformist-just-like-you” consumerism. Jim also takes on the hip hop costuming that has invaded the mainstream and has made young men look like oversized babies and violent clowns.
The Honeymooners, white flight and the “inner city.”
Released: Aug. 14, 2008.
This installment attempts to explore America’s anti-urban bias. Topics include: environmentalists and the human habitat, suburban-style housing projects in “the ghetto”, white flight, and Ralph Kramden’s apartment in The Honeymooners tv show. James Howard Kunstler also gives advice to those of us who are required to visit the burbs to see our families.
How did the granola crunching nature-loving hippies of the 1960s become the gas guzzling, McMansion dwelling, suburban yuppies of today? James Howard Kunstler reflects on his own generation. Kunstler also shares some of his own groovy stories from the Age of Aquarius.
[Note: This episode mentions sex, recreational drug use, and includes some curse words.]
James Howard Kunstler explores the consequences of handicap access laws and codes, and how they have unintentionally promoted suburban sprawl throughout much of America. In many instances, developers feel it’s easier and cheaper to just build one-story buildings rather than multi-story handicap accessible buildings. These laws can also discourage the retrofitting of second and third story retail space in old “Main Street” buildings as well. So while handicap access codes may make it easier for some people to use our built environment, they can also indirectly make it more difficult for those do not own a car.
Jiminy Cricket, Cargo Cults, Prayer & Other Ways to Get Something for Nothing
Released: June 19, 2008.
Religious activists are praying at Washington DC gas stations for cheaper fuel. James Howard Kunstler says that type of neurotic behavior isn’t much different than the behavior of cargo cults in the South Pacific. The concept of getting something for nothing is widely accepted by American culture, and religion, too. But Jim feels spirituality in America might one day evolve into something worthy of more respect than the Jiminy Cricket, consumerist culture of today’s suburban mega churches.
A listener from Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. wants to know about the ethics of gentrification. What happens to the poor people who get pushed out of the cities when wealthier people move in? James Howard Kunstler addresses how abnormal it is that American city centers are primarily inhabited by poor people. Jim and Duncan also touch upon the racial dimensions of gentrification.
When James Howard Kunstler isn’t railing against suburban sprawl, he’s painting it. Vincent van Gogh painted the peasant sleeping by the haystack because he was living in a landscape populated by people. Our landscape is populated by cars. So, as a sur la motif painter of our time, Jim’s subjects include cars on the road, gas stations and the industrial ruins of America’s manufacturing past. Making this landscape legible on the canvas is a challenge, but it’s also dangerous! An angry manager once told Jim that painting the Burger King is not allowed.
Suburbia: a punishing environment for our children?
Released: April 17, 2008.
Is raising children in suburbia a form of child abuse? What happens to developing people when public space is the berm between the Wal-Mart and the K-Mart? When school looks like a maximum security “facility”? When parents are chauffeurs? James Howard Kunstler addresses these topics and speaks of his own experiences growing up in the suburbs of Long Island and in Manhattan.