Episodes

Thursday Aug 24, 2023
CD 41 - Laird Mackintosh: The Last Phantom
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Laird Mackintosh is a longtime Broadway actor who had the opportunity and privilege to play the Phantom himself in the final performances of the Phantom of the Opera. The Phantom closed in April after 35 years on Broadway and was Broadway’s longest running show.
Laird discusses playing the Phantom, his long association with the show, and the unpredictable life of being a Broadway actor. In addition, he and I discuss his interest in vintage Ralph Lauren clothing and the business that sprang from it. Plus, Laird is an art lover and an artist so we discuss our mutual admiration for the great John Singer Sargent.
Cultural Debris Excursions - Travel With Us!
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Cultural Debris Twitter | Instagram
Laird Mackintosh Instagram
The Need For Tweed, by Eric Twardzik (article on Laird Mackintosh's vintage Polo RL business)

Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
CD 40 - Dale Ahlquist on G.K. Chesterton
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
My guest is Dale Ahlquist who has made the study and promotion of the works and ideas of G.K. Chesterton his life’s work. We preview the upcoming Chesterton Society Conference, the growth of the Chesterton School network, as well as the status of the campaign to have G.K. Chesterton officially declared a saint. Plus, Dale’s thoughts on traveling to Genoa on a Cultural Debris Excursion.
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Thursday May 25, 2023
CD 39 - Ferenc Horcher On Roger Scruton
Thursday May 25, 2023
Thursday May 25, 2023
Ferenc Hörcher comes to us from Budapest where he is a professor of political science and philosophy. He is the author most recently of Art and Politics in Roger Scruton’s Conservative Philosophy from Palgrave Macmillan. He is a leading scholar on the writings and thought of Roger Scruton and traditional conservatism. Ferenc and I discuss Roger Scruton’s ties to Central Europe and how it helped shape him, his growing reputation on the Continent, and the core ideas of Scruton’s thought. Plus, we talk about the curious rise of Scruton Cafes.
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Ferenc Hörcher Twitter

Thursday May 11, 2023
CD 38 - John Herreid & Contemporary Catholic Art
Thursday May 11, 2023
Thursday May 11, 2023
John Herreid is editor of a new art compilation from Ignatius Press titled The Catholic Home Gallery: Eighteen Works of Art by Contemporary Catholic Artists. We discuss the dying world of good used bookstores, what makes authentic art, and how to DIY your way to beautiful art on your own walls.
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Alan Cornett on Uncommon Sense Podcast Apple | YouTube
John Herreid Instagram | Twitter

Wednesday Apr 19, 2023
CD 37 - Eduard Habsburg & The Habsburg Way
Wednesday Apr 19, 2023
Wednesday Apr 19, 2023
My guest is His Imperial and Royal Highness, His Excellency Eduard Habsburg. He is Archduke of Austria and Ambassador of Hungary to The Holy See and the Sovereign Order of Malta. He is also a member of perhaps Europe’s most famous family. Plus, he is the author of a new book from Sophia Institute Press titled The Habsburg Way: Seven Rules For Turbulent Times.
The ambassador and I discuss the value of everything from getting married to subsidiarity and dying well. Throughout, we discuss stories from his famous family and the importance of faith as well as what makes monarchy different.
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Tuesday Mar 28, 2023
CD 36 - Kathryn Wehr On Dorothy Sayers and ’The Man Born to Be King’
Tuesday Mar 28, 2023
Tuesday Mar 28, 2023
Kathryn Wehr is editor of the new Wade Annotated Edition of The Man Born to be King by Dorothy L. Sayers, which is published by IVP. We discuss Sayers’s challenges in realizing her vision for the work, the secretary who tried to change it, and Sayers’s trinitarian understanding of the creative process as well as her friendship with C.S. Lewis. Plus, we may just have your soundtrack for Holy Week.
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Kathryn Wehr Website | YouTube

Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
CD 35 - Eric Twardzik & American Ivy Style
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Eric Twardzik is a regular in such publications as the Robb Report, WM Brown, and Drake’s online. His focus is men’s clothing and the drinks scene. We discuss classic American Ivy Style, its expressions in such places as Italy and Japan, Eric’s visit to Kentucky, and the rise of the white Negroni. Plus, Eric discusses a sheep to suit tailoring project.
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Eric Twardzik Instagram | Website
'Demystifying the White Negroni'

Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
CD 34 - Holly Ordway & Sharing the Gospel Through Literature
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Holly Ordway is the first returning guest on Cultural Debris. Holly and I discuss her most recent book Tales of Faith: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel Through Literature. Holly and I discuss the value of literature, receiving vs using stories, why reading fiction can be a dangerous act, and why so much modern Christian art is so bad. Plus, we get a preview of Holly’s fascinating upcoming book.
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Holly Ordway Website | Twitter
Tales of Faith: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel Through Literature
Cultural Debris logo by Rachael Sinclair Twitter | Instagram

Thursday Feb 02, 2023
CD 33 - Kevin Gutzman on The Jeffersonians
Thursday Feb 02, 2023
Thursday Feb 02, 2023
Kevin Gutzman is Professor of History at Western Connecticut State University. He has published half a dozen books on Jefferson, Madison, and the Constitution. His latest book is The Jeffersonians.
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Cultural Debris logo by Rachael Sinclair Twitter | Instagram

Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
CD 32 - Raj Bhakta & (Very) Old Armagnac
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
My guest is Raj Bhakta. Raj is a true practitioner of the art of cultural debris. From founding one of the first premium whiskey brands, Whistle Pig—based out of Vermont, of all places—to buying an actual college at auction, Raj is not one to limit himself.
We talk about all of those things, but especially Raj and I discuss the oldest known spirit, Armagnac, and his discovery of a great horde of Armagnac at a chateau in France, with vintages dating back over a century and a half. Raj bought it all, and the chateau, and launched Bhakta Spirits. We discuss everything from Armagnac to the Apprentice (and the guy who hosted it), but mostly Armagnac. And a little bourbon.
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