The Pursuit of Dadliness

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Listen to Patrick's New History Podcast, Past Lives Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

Patrick has a new history podcast, Past Lives! It's all about the experiences of real, everyday people throughout the human past, people just like you. Listen to the first full episode, "On Historical Storytelling," right here, and then go subscribe to the Past Lives feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast platform of choice.

Past Lives is an independent production supported through Patreon, where you can subscribe for $7 a month and receive tons of great bonus content: interviews with scholars, Q&As with Patrick, access to the community chat and monthly book club, and much more. Be sure to head over, check it out, and support this new project!

Let's Imagine a Medieval Dad: Dan Jones on Parenting, History, Fiction, and Life Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

Dan Jones is a man of many parts: bestselling historian, TV presenter, novelist, and not least, a highly accomplished Dad with a great perspective on parenting. Dan joins me to discuss everything from writing to Elon Musk to history to imagining a medieval dad.

What Makes a Book a Dad Book? Brandy Jensen on Dad Books Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

Brandy Jensen is one of my favorite writers on the Internet. I've followed her work for years, everything from advice columns to interviews with the character actor Walton Goggins, and it's only gotten better with time. She joins me to discuss the genre of Dad Books, their highs and lows, and what we should all be reading.

What is Strength? Alyssa Ages on Strongmen, Pursuing Strength, and Overcoming Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

Alyssa Ages is a competitor in the sport of strongman, author of the recent book Secrets of Giants, and a highly qualified Mom. She joins me to chat about what strength really means and what we can learn from some of the strongest people who have ever lived.

Alyssa's book, Secrets of Giants, is available here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/707130/secrets-of-giants-by-alyssa-ages/

Baseball, History, and Improving the Land: Mike Duncan Oct 24, 2023

Show notes

Mike Duncan is a foundational part of the present-day Dad Canon: history podcaster, bestselling author of popular history, baseball enthusiast, and a guy with a lot to say about returning a portion of Wisconsin to its natural prairie state.

On Loving Your Job and the Beauty of Basketball: Ben Golliver Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

I love basketball, and Ben Golliver is one of the best basketball writers and podcasters working today. He's been doing it for a long time and has managed not to lose his love of the game. We talk about the upcoming NBA season, visiting national parks, and how to appreciate your job.

An Uncool Dad's Guide to Pop Culture: Sam Sanders on What the Youths are Up To and the Lessons of the Gay Uncle Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

Dads often seem to lose touch with pop culture, but it doesn't have to be that way. Sam Sanders is one of the sharpest people covering pop culture today, and he joins me to talk about staying connected to the broader currents of pop culture and why it's worth our time to do so.

Embracing the Minivan and Thinking About Westerns: Chad Dundas Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

Normalize men driving minivans. They're practical vehicles and fit the needs of a family in which the kids match or outnumber the adults, the fantastic Dad, journalist, and novelist Chad Dundas tells me. We also have a wonderful discussion about writing and the Western genre, about which Chad knows a very great deal.

Thinking Historically and Looking Back at the 1990s: Jamelle Bouie Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

For my money, there's nobody writing about politics and society in the United States with a better grasp of the country's history than Jamelle Bouie. We talk about how to think historically about the present, the 1990s as a historical period and cultural touchstone, and developing new skill sets and hobbies.

Uncle Energy and America's Constituent Types of Guy: David Roth Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

What are Dads and Uncles but flip sides of the same coin? David Roth, one of the co-founders of the excellent website Defector, podcast host, and longtime observer of American sports and politics, joins me to discuss Uncle Energy, America's constituent Types of Guy, and when we can leave a bad sports team behind.

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