Hello, I’m Steve. Before becoming a writer, I enjoyed working in the U.S. Navy, teaching, nonprofit administration, and manufacturing. Born in Vietnam, I lived in France before emigrating to the United States at age 10. I am sharing stories from my travels throughout the United States about real people whose experiences reflect the complexities of this nation, so that we can better understand one another.
During the last Obama year and the first two Trump years (2016–18), I traveled to all 50 states and met over 1,600 people who shared their stories with me. During those years I wrote the blog Le Mobile Feast, so called because I aimed to cook and host a dinner party in every state to gather those folks.
I met leftwing progressives and rightwing conservatives, religious devotees and atheists, and all shades in between. In each conversation, rather than seeking debate or argument, I listened with empathy to learn how people arrived at their beliefs. Since then, I have returned to many conversations to deepen that knowledge.
Given the ongoing political and social climates, I suspect that our nation will experience further turmoil in the years to come. In search of ways to increase mutual respect, I am getting back on the road to share stories about the towns and cities where I saw the manifestations of the toughest issues facing us, and where I also witnessed the resilience of individuals, families, and communities as they worked together across differences.
I believe that, if we attend to the challenges posed by the following five questions, then we may find a peaceful way forward from our current struggles:
How do we participate in difficult conversations?
How do we rebuild communities as neighbors?
How can we address the plight of boys and men?
How can we change the perception and economic potential of blue collar work?
How can we formulate a new American Story that can unite us?
Although the stories I publish speak to these big questions, they are mostly about individual lives and the rich diversity of a place. Join and support me on this endeavor to bring us together by reading and sharing these stories.
Why should you subscribe?
Short answer: So that you can learn what I’ve learned without going to all 50 states.
Since 2016, I have shared many stories with friends and acquaintances—usually over a meal—about people whose perspectives and experiences differed from their own, and often the reaction was an opening of mind or a reconsideration of judgment. I attribute this to the power of stories that involve real people and that reflect complexities. In my telling of these stories, I fought against resorting to categories and instead sought to introduce nuances and even contradictions.
I did not do this as a contrarian, but because every one of us contains nuance and contradiction, not only in what we believe but also in who we are. Each of us is also capable of understanding one another, despite political and cultural differences. If you skim the headlines, listen to cable news, or scroll through social media, you will encounter disagreements seemingly impossible to overcome. Based on what I have heard and seen all over the country, however, I believe that these voices speak from the extreme ends. The majority of Americans—I estimate around 60 percent—live our lives in the middle, where we want to and do know how to put differences aside to achieve a common goal. The stories that I want to share illuminate this middle ground.
Here are the 5 most-read stories from my former blog Le Mobile Feast (reposted here on Substack):
1. A Love Story
2. Our Second Family Is Black
3. Come as Strangers, Leave as Friends
4. Tomorrow is November 9th. Now what?
5. Miracles in Providence
Why should you become a Paid Subscriber?
I wish to keep the stories FREE to read and share because they serve a public good. Paid subscribers can
Access more personal stories about my life;
Read and comment on my annotations on books and articles that have helped me to understand the bigger picture of what I’m encountering on the road;
Founding Members Only: Participate in a monthly video (or audio) conversation with me, and possibly with someone from a published story;
Support just because you like what I’m doing and want me to keep doing it.
