The Commentary Magazine Podcast – "Visiting Days"

Date: August 19, 2025
Hosts: John Podhoretz (EIC), Christine Rosen, Abe Greenwald, Seth Mandel, Matthew Continetti

Episode Overview

In this special summer episode, the Commentary team takes a break from political and cultural news to share travel and "site-seeing" recommendations. Their conversation meanders from recommendations for little-known physical destinations to a lighthearted discussion about memorable museums, unique American sites, and—due to some amusing confusion—their favorite internet websites. The episode is a mix of personal recollections, nostalgic musings on the changing nature of the web, and practical travel suggestions across the United States.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kicking Off: The Great "Site vs. Sight" Debate

• The episode begins with a comedic misunderstanding about the word "sites" (physical places) versus "sites" (websites) [02:39–04:19].
  • Memorable moment: Matt Continetti admits he prepared recommendations for internet sites, not physical locations, leading to good-natured ribbing from the group.

2. Hidden Gems in American Travel

Christine Rosen: Little Hunters Beach, Mount Desert Island, Maine
[Timestamps: 04:49–06:51]

• Christine shares her love for this family-friendly, less-traveled site in Acadia National Park.
  • "Most people go to Bar Harbor... but I wanted to recommend a place particularly for people who have kids … called Little Hunters Beach." – Christine [04:49]
  • Offers details about the rocky, tidal-pool-rich beach and the adventure of discovering "ghost trails" with old maps.
  • "...you can still find these secret places. But for little kids and even just adults who want a beautiful spot... go to Little Hunters Beach." – Christine [06:51]

John Podhoretz: Swiss Train Mishaps & the American Hiking Experience
[Timestamps: 06:51–09:48]

• Anecdote about a harrowing (and poorly marked) alpine descent in Switzerland and a humorous critique of Swiss trail maintenance.
  • "The Swiss... have terrible trail markers. That's all I'm saying." – John [09:48]

Abe Greenwald: Museum of Broadway, Times Square, NYC
[Timestamps: 10:47–14:08]

• Abe recommends this new (opened 2023) multi-story museum documenting Broadway's history.
  • Praises the museum’s chronological approach and engaging displays.
  • "It really works. It tells a story. And I have to say, almost uniquely, as a museum experience in the past 10 years, I didn't get any wokeness thrown at me." – Abe [13:33]
  • Mentions the treatment of early theater and minstrelsy, but says the museum offers history rather than ideology.

3. Museum Review: The Good and the Bad

John Podhoretz: Academy Museum in Los Angeles
[Timestamps: 16:41–19:14]

• Sharp critique of the Academy Museum for its "badly organized" and "politicized" curation, omitting the Jewish history of Hollywood.
  • "...the entire history of Hollywood was not being told because… they decided to leave out the inconvenient fact that Hollywood was created by Jews..." – John [16:56]
  • "It is a dreadful museum... It's a catastrophe of a museum undone by politics..." [17:52]

Seth Mandel: The Cloisters & Fort Tryon Park, Manhattan
[Timestamps: 20:02–23:31]

• Recommends this "secret garden" in northern Manhattan, highlighting its lush gardens, medieval art collection, and the spiritual aura of its architecture.
  • "It's like stepping into, you know, a kind of, you know, another dimension right there in Washington Heights, of all places." – Seth [22:30]
  • Personal note about a family hamster "buried" at the Cloisters, adding a touch of humor [23:02–23:31].

John Podhoretz: The Tale of the Dragon (US 129), Smoky Mountains, TN/NC
[Timestamps: 24:45–28:58]

• Describes the "Tail of the Dragon," an 11-mile mountain road with 318 curves.
  • "...it's one of the damnedest experiences you will ever have..." [27:47]
  • Emphasizes the thrill for drivers and motorcyclists, and the subculture surrounding it (including the coveted T-shirts).

John Podhoretz: The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA
[Timestamp: 28:58–31:20]

• Praises this "brilliantly curated" museum, with special mention of its American and French collections and standout special exhibitions.
  • "And the Clark is unlike the Academy Museum is a genuinely brilliantly curated and run museum..." [29:59]

4. Internet Sites: Old School Web, Linkers & Loss of Serendipity

Matthew Continetti shares three favorites:
[Timestamps: 31:20–35:25]

• Recommendo: A weekly newsletter of wide-ranging recommendations by Kevin Kelly.
• Arts & Letters Daily: A long-running aggregator of intellectual and literary writing; discussed for its cultural impact, decline and legacy.
  • "I've been visiting Arts and Letters Daily every day for about 25 years now." – Matt [33:09]
• Pirate Wires: A tech/culture newsletter with "anti-woke" but humorous takes.
  • "My favorite part though is...their daily email which I find just hilarious...very glib, very pithy, sometimes a little bit risque." – Matt [34:44]

Panel Discussion: The Glory Days of Web Linking
[Timestamps: 37:25–47:48]

• Christine, John, and Seth reminisce about Arts & Letters Daily’s impact on small publications and the era when "linkers" (e.g., Instapundit, Romanesco, Drudge, RealClearPolitics) shaped the early web.
  • "Nobody understands this now in the era of social media...but it was transformative." – Christine [37:44]
  • "...it got ruined because it was purchased by the Chronicle of Higher Education. That is how Art Daily got ruined." – John [38:28]
• Discussion on the shift from curated linking to algorithmic content surfacing, and its narrowing effect:
  • "Whereas now everything on social media is surfaced by an algorithm. So it's less, it's actually less creative and more narrowing..." – Christine [42:51]

Tyler Cowen and Marginal Revolution
[Timestamps: 44:29–47:48]

• Cited as a still-active example of polymathic blog curation—a "great equalizer" who famously leaves finished books in public places (“liberation”).
  • “If you have ever been in an airport lounge and seen a book just lying there, it might have been Tyler Cowan’s book…” – Seth [46:52]

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• The word 'site' misunderstanding:
  • "I thought you meant Internet sites." – Matt [02:49]
  • "Christine, you are a person well-traveled... So what would you recommend?" – John [04:19]
• On the Museum of Broadway’s approach:
  • "Almost uniquely, as a museum experience in the past 10 years, I didn’t get any wokeness thrown at me." – Abe [13:33]
• On the Academy Museum’s failures:
  • "It is a dreadful museum…it is designed to repel you and not to invite you in." – John [19:14]
• On Fort Tryon & Cloisters:
  • "It's like stepping into...another dimension right there in Washington Heights." – Seth [22:30]
• On the Forge of Early Web Curation:
  • "It was like a form of editing that which was already edited...it was really great for like 15 years." – John [41:28]
  • "It was basically a forerunner to social media, we should say too..." – Seth [42:17]
• On Tyler Cowen’s 'liberating' books:
  • "The world is littered with Tyler Cowan...the things that have contributed to Tyler Cowan’s polymathic mind." – Seth [47:48]
• On the best travel T-shirts:
  • "Only get a tourist T-shirt from a place that nobody...you have ever met will ever have the same T-shirt of." – John [24:45]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Intro & site/sight mix-up: 00:04–04:19
• Christine’s Maine recommendation: 04:49–06:51
• John’s Swiss hiking story: 06:51–09:48
• Abe: Museum of Broadway: 10:47–14:08
• John: Academy Museum critique: 16:41–19:14
• Seth: The Cloisters & Fort Tryon Park: 20:02–23:31
• John: Tale of the Dragon: 24:45–28:58
• John: Clark Art Institute: 28:58–31:20
• Matt: Online sites (Recommendo, AL Daily, Pirate Wires): 31:20–35:25
• Group on early web/linking: 37:25–47:48
• Rapid recap of physical site recommendations: 47:48–end

Recommendations Recap

Travel & Sights:

• Little Hunters Beach, Acadia National Park, ME (Christine)
• Museum of Broadway, Times Square, NYC (Abe)
• Cloisters & Fort Tryon Park, Manhattan, NYC (Seth)
• The Tail of the Dragon, US 129, TN/NC (John)
• The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA (John)
• Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA (Matt)

Websites:

• Recommendo
• Arts & Letters Daily
• Pirate Wires
• Marginal Revolution

Final Thoughts & Tone

The episode is defined by affectionate banter, deep appreciation for both little-known travel gems and old-school web culture, and a gentle nostalgia for a more serendipitous, less algorithmic internet. The hosts’ recommendations are infused with personal memories and a touch of irony, keeping the tone witty and warm throughout.

For those who missed the episode: Expect a lively, laughter-filled discussion that blends travel advice, historical anecdotes, and sharp observations about American culture—both digital and physical. Perfect for planning your next off-the-beaten-path trip or for someone seeking a glimpse into the vanishing world of scholarly web curation.