Futility Closet

In 1968, Richard Proenneke left his career as a heavy equipment operator and took up an entirely new existence. He flew to a remote Alaskan lake, built a log cabin by hand, and began a life of quiet self-reliance. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll hear Proenneke's reflections on a simple life lived in harmony with nature. We'll also put a rooster on trial and puzzle over a curious purchase. Intro: Joshua Steele preserved David Garrick's line readings in a "prosodia rationalis." The Habeas Corpus Act of 1679 passed because one large MP was counted as 10. Sources for our feature on Richard Proenneke: Sam Keith, One Man's Wilderness, 1973. John Branson, More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke, 2012. "Reflections on a Man in His Wilderness," National Parks 91:2 (Spring 2017), 52-58. Rosanne Pagano, "A Pebble in the Water," National Parks 83:2 (Spring 2009), 24-31. Rona Marech, "Off the Grid," National Parks 91:2 (Spring 2017), 4. Leigh Newman, "Cab