Walks of Life

Last year, I interviewed my friend Sarah Landenwich about her newly-published novel, The Fire Concerto . She and I enjoyed a lovely conversation about the novel, her writing process, researching Polish history, her next book, and much more. Next week, on Tuesday, June 2nd, the paperback edition of The Fire Concerto becomes available. I've already ordered by copy. To celebrate this moment, I'm re-r...

Welcome to the Walks of Life podcast. Today's guest is Bryan McGrath , a longtime friend who writes The Conservative Wahoo blog on Substack. Bryan recently retired after a career as an officer in the United States Navy and then as a naval strategist, consultant and advocate. In the Navy, he served as a surface warfare officer, winning the prestigious Admiral Elmo Zumwalt Award for Inspirational Le...

Welcome to Solvitur Ambulando , which means “Solve It By Walking.” On this journey, we explore the alchemic potency of walking for sorting through life’s puzzles, exploring our world, and transforming ourselves. Like a good walk, you will encounter distinctive ideas, remarkable people and gorgeous scenery. I hope you will enjoy a beautiful walk today. And if you like what you read and hear, please...

Welcome to Solvitur Ambulando , which means "Solve It By Walking." On this journey, we explore the alchemic potency of walking for sorting through life's puzzles, exploring our world, and transforming ourselves. Like a good walk, you will encounter distinctive ideas, remarkable people and gorgeous scenery. I hope you will enjoy a beautiful walk today. And if you like what you read and hear, please...

Welcome to Solvitur Ambulando , which means "Solve It By Walking." On this journey, we explore the alchemic potency of walking for sorting through life's puzzles, exploring our world, and transforming ourselves. Like a good walk, you will encounter distinctive ideas, remarkable people and gorgeous scenery. I hope you will enjoy a beautiful walk today. And if you like what you read and hear, please...

Welcome to Solvitur Ambulando , which means "Solve It By Walking." On this journey, we explore the alchemic potency of walking for sorting through life's puzzles, exploring our world, and transforming ourselves. Like a good walk, you will encounter distinctive ideas, remarkable people and gorgeous scenery. I hope you will enjoy a beautiful walk today. And if you like what you read and hear, please...

In the last episode of Walks of Life , I posted a 2022 interview with my friend Geoff Cook. We talked again last month, when he caught me up on what’s happened to him over the past 2+ years. They haven’t been years of all rainbows and sunshine for Geoff. We talk about his continuing job search, a very tough illness last summer requiring surgery, and much more. As I reflected on this second convers...

Geoff Cook and I met in late 2021 through Seth Godin’s altMBA . We became fast friends and have stayed in close touch since graduation. In this interview from late 2022, Geoff and I discuss his thoughts on the future of reaching your audience; growing up with a disability; differences between countries in how they treat disabled people culturally and legally; his experiences traveling in his wheel...

I could describe Sherry Shenoda in many ways: poet, pediatrician, immigrant, intellectual, mystic, mother, daughter, granddaughter, aunt, wife, Egyptian, American, Coptic Christian, muse and hearer of the muse. Yet she defies description. In a world of people clawing desperately to stand out, I find her remarkable for her desire and willingness to stand in the long flowing river of beautiful tradi...

In 2022, prompted by, well, I don’t know what, I decided to look into getting a bonsai tree. I knew nothing about them, but something in the deep recesses of my mind urged me on. A few years before, my yoga instructor, Laurie LeCompte , had given me an air plant as a holiday gift. So I asked Laurie if she knew where I could find a bonsai. “There’s one guy in town. I only know him as the Bonsai Guy...

A short note before we get to the podcast. If you’re enjoying the essays and podcast on Solvitur Ambulando , I invite you to Pledge Your Support of this work and vision. Solvitur Ambulando is free to enjoy and I have no intention of turning on paid subscriptions anytime soon. (If that changes, I will give pledgers plenty of notice.) But knowing you savor the fruits of my efforts — to the tune of b...

In March 2022, on the cusp of his retirement after 46 years as a clothier, I sat down with Herb Melton of the Tom James Company . Herb has served as my clothier or tailor for more than 30 years – since my father couldn’t find me an off-the-rack suit that would fit my 5’ 9” and 105-pounds body to wear for college admissions interviews. Since then, Herb – and his Tom James colleagues in Washington,...

Last spring, my friend Bryan McGrath mentioned a new book he felt eager to read – Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds , by Sophie Osborn. Earlier, Bryan wrote about the Merlin Bird ID app from Cornell University, which had transformed my walks in nature. Suddenly, rather than merely hearing a bird singing nearby, I could quickly and easily identify it – and usually numero...

After meeting Sherry Shenoda at a wedding in the summer of 2022, I interviewed her about her book, The Lightkeeper , later that year. To say I love the book is a massive understatement. I found it so full of rich and beautiful themes: longing and loss; free will and its limits; and finding, coming and returning home; among many others. In our discussion, we cover fine and fertile ground: how her w...

A few months ago, I interviewed Henry Oliver about his book, Second Act , which is my book of the year. Second Act offers wonderful in-depth biographies and analyses of late blooming luminaries like Katharine Graham, Maya Angelou, Chris Gardner, Samuel Johnson, Ray Kroc, Margaret Thatcher, Frank Lloyd Wright and others. He also delves into less-heralded but no less instructive personalities, such...

In 2017, coming off a health scare, I needed to become more active physically. My nutritionist suggested I reach out to Laurie LeCompte about yoga. At the time, she was offering private lessons at the Meridian Center on Wallace Avenue in Louisville. Laurie took great efforts to understand my health background – my congenital heart defect, sloped shoulders, near-scoliosis, and weak left arm. She cr...

Over the past three years, I’ve interviewed some fascinating and accomplished people. I’ve learned much from each person. I’ve felt delighted to share their loves, laughs, trials and feats with Solvitur Ambulando readers through the edited transcripts of the conversations. But look, podcasts reign supreme in the world. Over the past 10 years, people have become accustomed to engaging with the inte...