Lectures on Tap: Old News For Us š
How Some Gen Z's Are Confronting Loneliness
Hi, everyone. Thanks for subscribing. Before you dive into this newsletter, hereās a sneak peek at our upcoming events and a fiscal year-end update. -Tom B.
In This Episode:
tomsĆ©es: Does anyone remember me saying weāre āmaking lectures sexy again?ā That was in the year 2000.
What Happened? Wowed by a concert, inspired by a conference.
Next Up! Our inaugural Second Story discussion, ānother concert, and a book club led by one of our Members!
Read On!
tomsƩes
In which I share a short take on Christ and culture.*
What the Kids are Doing
Hopefully none of you unsubscribed when you read the word āsexy.ā
Itās just that I never imagined in 2010 that public talks, substantial ones at that, would become a growing fad among emerging adults in 2025.
OK, to be honest Iām not surprised because like other curious folk Iāve been known to drive hours to hear a hearty talk on the beer industry, or NYC pastor Timothy Kellerās legacy, or the war in Ukraine.
I actually attended these three stellar presentations at Bucknell University through The Open Discourse Coalition, a non-partisan group for which Iām now serving as a Community Advisor.
The beer event, incidentally, featured Jen Yuengling. If I need to explain which fourth generation business she represents you may not be from Pennsylvania or youāre totally unaware of pub life in America.
Drinking Optional; Drinks Not
Alcohol, in case youāre wondering, is not a necessary lubricant for such events, but the right kind of setting can be conducive to discussion. When we hold our Second Story discussion at WestArt (see below), drinks of all kind will be available. Even water.
The key is to set the stage for curiosity, conversation, and co-learning.
T.E.D. Who?
I watched with whimsy in the mid 2000s as the T.E.D. talks became sexy. It was a few years into a run of Ivory Tower talks I hosted at Borders Books with my friend Ned.
Now, Iām not saying we deserve credit for the ubiquitous 17 minute downloads that have been seen by billions, but if you want to think that, B.O.G.1
That length of talk is great for a conference or YouTube channel, but my desire was to offer seat-sitters something meaty enough to require a mental knife and fork. I ask our speakers to shoot for 35 minutes in order to offer up some solid nourishment prior to the magical dessert of unscripted Q&A.
If you include the The Ivory Tower years, Lancaster has had a live, faith-centered, and eclectic Forum for close to a quarter of a century! Iām grateful to have been a part of something I learn so much from and that Iām kind of good at.
As our latest board member put it, she feels spoiled. Sheās one of us who, like me and maybe you, would drive two hours to hear Dr. Esther Meek or Mako Fujumura. If youāre in Lancaster city you can walk to our events.
Incidentally Iām working with the my friends at Bucknell to bring Mako to town again on May 1st. Stay tuned.
Do(nāt) Lecture Me
Despite my gratitude Iām never completely satisfied with The Row House project. Our Forums are far from perfect.
Yet our attempt at āengaging current culture with ancient faithā has never felt to me obscure or irrelevant even if on the surface it might appear that way by some of the topics we treat. Somehow the ancient ways and our current concerns form a nexus of timelessness.
Iāve believed all the way that lectures can be fun, informative, and profound. Sexy, if you will, even in a culture that bends toward reliance on media and flirts with A.I., a technique that promises to train us to have the collective attention span of a small soap dish.
So I chuckled with bemusement today when I heard Peter Sagal, host of NPRās Wait Wait Donāt Tell Me quiz show say
There's one big series in New York called Lectures On Tap that is expanding across the country. Every time they announce a series, they sell out. It's taking off as a great summer activity because your lecture body is a lot easier to maintain than your beach body.
Whether your beach body is ready or not, come see us in downtown Lancaster. Weāre ready for you.
What Happened?
1. Tom and Friends Attend The Strong Towns National Gathering
It was pure joy spending two nights with our November lecturer Gunnar Norquist and his wife Shannon in Providence, RI. I drove up with Christian and Sarah Hinajosa and their friend Alex King. Iāve mentioned Strong Towns before. More than ever Iām glad to be a Member and to work locally in Lancaster for incremental, modest, and caring actions that serve the common good.
Enjoy some pix, and check out what Strong Towns has to offer if you care about your place, no matter how small or big.
2. We Co-Hosted a Sweet Concert!
This was our first time helping to promote a show hosted by our friends at WestArt Community Center. The best part was seeing how Roni Bates has been developing as a songwriter, performer, and band leader. The three guys backing her up are rising instrumentalists and performers in the own right.
A highlight: A rocking rendition of Electioneering by Radiohead from OK Computer. Viva la 1997!
Ve-roni-ca is the daughter of Jim and Joy Bates, long-time Members of The Row House. Heck, Jim even spoke at one of our Forums on the phenomenon of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Full circle, Roni has received a lot of mentoring from veteran producer Brown Bannister. (Yes, a real name and not a design element only). Brown has worked with countless CCM artists, including an obscure one called Amy Grant.
Next Up!
Whatās Around the Corner at The Row House, Inc.
1. A Book Club Led By a Row House Member
Lauren Flanagan is reading some classics this summer, and youāre welcome to join her in breaking them down. The group will meet every other month, beginning in July, on the fourth Tuesday at 6:30pm at Nooks Book Shop on Prince St., Lancaster.
July 22nd: Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
September 23rd: Howard's End by EM Forster
November 25th: Our Spoons Came from Woolworths by Barbara Comyns
Lauren reads a lot and loves to learn. Weāre confident youāll gain a ton of learning from her. Go for it, Lauren!
2. End of Year Partnership Campaign
By June 30th we need to raise an additional $6,500. If youāre not yet a Member or Sponsor, we hope youāll consider it. One-time gifts, upgrades, and new supporters will help ensure our mission continues strongly for the rest of 2025. Can you help?
3. Our first Second Story Gathering
If youāre a Sponsor or Member plan to join us at the big table in the new (and amazing) coffee bar at WestArt Community Center 816 Buchanan Ave., Lancaster, Sat., July 12th | 5:30-7:00 PM.
Enjoy some light fare, a hand-crafted coffee drink, or a beer. Bring a friend and something to talk about. For starters weāll see what people remember from our April Forum on the True Believer Podcast.
Email tom@therowhouse.org to RSVP.
4. Concert at WestArt
Cuddle Magic, a crew of veteran musicians from Philly, are coming to town for a rare performance of their eclectic music on a Monday night. Local act Tuck Ryan will lead off. Christopher McDonald, founding cuddler, is Director of Worship Arts and Technology at Resurrection Philadelphia and a friend of Katie Becker Everett, a former Lancaster music scenester.
Donāt forget to ā¤ļø this column, make a comment, or share this post with a friend. See you soon!
*TomsĆ©es is a nod to PensĆ©es, an eclectic collection of writings by Blaise Pascal which was a work of apologetics for the Christian faith, published posthumously in 1670. If you please, you can pronounce it āTom says.ā
Be our guest.