Living Outside the Machine

Ashley Colby, founder of the Rizoma Field School, digs up inspiring true stories of resistance and restoration (with references to donkeys, elephants, and our 49th state). Bill Kauffman, author and regular conference closer, weaves Wisconsin professors of the past and the robo-umps of tomorrow into a seamless and side-splitting localist garment. Rory Groves introduces the duo and ponders a porch free of PhDs. Highlights 1:30 Rory Groves, unlikely agrarian Ashley Colby: “Doomer Optimism: Life Adjacent to the Machine” 5:30 Adjacent, whether we like it or not 7:45 Donkey driving, mastodon ranching, hospitality boot camp 12:00 Alaskan laundries and cider-sipping city dwellers Bill Kauffman: “Off the Empire, On Wisconsin” 17:15 A thieving historian 22:00 Rural drama 26:00 Little things mean a lot 33:00 You’re out! 38:30 A midnight tale Resources Speaker bios and conference videos FPR Books and bookshop Conference co-sponsor Plough Thanks to Wendell Kimbrough for our theme music