Kirk Swearingen – Medium

Kirk Swearingen

Thinking of Jimmy Carter — and What Came After

In a world full of Ronald Reagans (and worse), strive to be a Carter

Jan 9

Photograph, taken from high above in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, of the flag-draped casket of former president Jimmy Carter, military representatives standing facing the casket.

Jan 9

We need honest role models, not hateful MAGA men

Trump and his hyper-macho followers lie about nearly everything — including what it means to be a man

Sep 25, 2024

We need honest role models, not hateful MAGA men

Sep 25, 2024

Why Are We So Bad at Supporting Child Care?

America’s “lacking care” culture hurts both parents and our economy

Jun 21, 2024

Young American family — father and mother with two daughters between — poses for a photo. One daughter, about six, hugs the younger. (Photo by author.)

Jun 21, 2024

Could a Reporter’s Detention Make the WSJ Rethink Anything?

When it’s this personal, will the Wall Street Journal editorial board keep supporting the ways of authoritarians?

Dec 6, 2023

A banner with the message “I Stand With Evan,” with a color photo of Gershkovich staring ahead with a smile. (Social media campaign by the Wall Street Journal.)

Dec 6, 2023

The Baffling Arrogance of the Republican Party

Even if you want to dismantle our democracy, do you want to look this inept?

Oct 11, 2023

Yard sign, blue and red, saying “COUNTRY OVER PARTY,” with the word “Country” over and much larger than the rest. (Photo by author.)

Oct 11, 2023

Published in
The Riff

Revisiting the Songs of the Prince of Flower Power

In this era of dread and anxiety, as we resist the anti-intellectual forces of the far-right, might we turn back to a spirit guide from the…

Sep 17, 2023

Black and white drawing of a garden-like environment, with flowers and various leaves, entitled “Anthrosol IV,” by Milwaukee artist Richard Knight. (Used by permission.)

Sep 17, 2023

Ron DeSantis’s MasterClass on Autocracy

The governor’s “anti-woke” campaign in Florida just keeps getting less enlightened. But, yeah, that’s the point.

Aug 26, 2023

Various plays and books about Shakespeare in tight focus on a bookshelf.

Aug 26, 2023

Did Trump’s Love of McDonald’s Help Fry Democracy?

When the history of this antic and dangerous period in U.S. history is written, historians might do well to pick over the remains on this…

Aug 10, 2023

Did Trump’s Love of McDonald’s Help Fry Democracy?

Aug 10, 2023

A Lively Eisenhower Returns to the National Stage

A one-man play running Off-Broadway reintroduces us to a moderate Republican president who today’s right would consider far too woke

Jul 30, 2023

A series of 10 colorful, canceled U.S. stamps of various presidents (including Eisenhower, Jefferson, FDR, Washington, and Lincoln), along with Benjamin Franklin.

Jul 30, 2023

Grifting on Our Future

Student loans are predatory capitalism at its most shamefully short-sighted

Jul 27, 2023

University chapel with arched stained-glass window and gargoyles. (Photo by author.)

Jul 27, 2023

Kirk Swearingen

Kirk Swearingen

Half a lifetime ago, Kirk Swearingen graduated from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism. His work has most recently appeared in Salon.

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