‘Lemon and a Pear’ Gratitude Time!

Appreciating All Who've Helped Me Continue the Conversation During My First Half-Year on Substack

May 08, 2024

I posted my first Substack article exactly six months ago (Nov. 8, 2023). This means, as of today (May 8, 2024), I made it halfway to the one-year mark of creating weekly content about the harmony between Christianity and anarchism/voluntarism!

In homage to the Bon Jovi “intentionally misheard lyrics” jokes, consider this the lemon-and-a-pear edition of the “Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen” Substack!

But before looking ahead to the next six months, I’d like to appreciate the prior six months and everyone who’s been here with me.

This weekly series emerged from my intention to continue the conversation I began with my book, Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen (find it at Amazon, B&N, Lulu).

I wasn’t exactly sure how to accomplish this, nor where an ongoing conversation would take me. One thing I knew, however, is that a conversation can’t occur with only one person participating. So, I’d have to find a way to encourage others to join me (or to let me join what they were doing).

The biggest surprise: Podcasts!

There is no greater example of the modern, high-tech conversation than the podcast interview!

And what’s more, I’ve found that Substack readers have been interested in me writing about these podcasts.

My three most-viewed articles …

… each include excerpts from podcast episodes released a few days earlier.

Made from Podcast Transparent Background PNG, available at pngarts.com.

Podcasts also pushed me to expand my thinking with respect to the “Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen” Substack possibilities. When incorporating a podcast excerpt into an article, I typically would focus on a very small portion of the interview and then expand upon it in an article or use it to bolster a broader point I was already wrestling with in writing.

Some interviews even had unexpected conversation topics that I used as a springboard for a fun article. Perhaps the best example is my post, “Curious? Gullible? It’s Matrix Time!” from way back on Dec. 6, 2023. This entire article was me expanding on a very serendipitous discussion with Jeff Macolino on his eponymous show.

Another way to continue the conversation: Comments (and comments about comments)!

That Dec. 6 article also spurred the first written feedback I received on Substack for one of my articles. I now regularly add a summary chunk to each post, in which I pose questions and give prompts that might facilitate a written exchange between me and a reader.

And, yes, I read all comments, and I think I’ve replied to every commenter, too (if I didn’t, it was an accident and I apologize for failing to acknowledge anyone).

Made from an image by user mamewmy, available at Freepik.

The Comments section has become a wonderful way to “meet” some readers and learn from their perspectives. A few of the readers have been content creators whose work I’ve also been privileged to see and hear.

It’s a crude format, but it has some elements of real community, and I’m grateful that this Substack has afforded me these interactions and chances to broaden my social circle.

I try to keep things constructive, even if the commenter disagrees with me. I’m grateful that each person took the time and made the effort to express their thoughts to me. We’re all here voluntarily — yep, it’s an anarchist/voluntarist Substack! — and it’s a good exercise in Christian neighborliness for me to be open-minded and attentive about the responses. I hope everyone has gotten something out of our interactions!

Time for one of those aforementioned ‘summery chunks’ …

What do you think of podcasts? Do you enjoy long-form audio (or audio-visual) conversations and interviews? Have you found any of my podcasts appearances particularly interesting? What is/are your favorite(s)?

Any podcasts you know and like that you think I should contact and try to appear on? If so, do you know the host(s) well enough to introduce me to him/her/them? Almost all the podcasts I’ve appeared on happened via this “nearbound marketing” method of networking.

What do you think of the social-media aspects of Substack? Do you take advantage of the opportunities to interact on this platform?

If you’ve read my book, Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen, do you find this Substack to be in keeping with the main theme of tension between neighbor and citizen mindsets/priorities?

And to bring everything back to the mid-year evaluation prompt from the opening of this article, what do you think of the “Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen” Substack? What’s your overall impression of what I do here and the core theme that I try to wrestle with every week?

Any other suggestions or feedback for me?

Let me know your thoughts in the Comments section … which appears below the list of ‘All My Podcast Appearances’.

All My Podcast Appearances

This list will also be stored as a separate file, and will be updated whenever I have a new podcast appearance or write a new podcast-citing article.