James Decker
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jamesdecker2006.bsky.social
James Decker
@jamesdecker2006.bsky.social
Just a small town mayor with blue hair. #StamfordTexas propagandist. #Westof98 essayist/podcaster. Rural agitator. Alleged Methodist. Westof98.Substack.com
It shares what brought me to Wendell Berry and my top 3 reads:

Jayber Crow
The Unsettling of America
The Work of Local Culture

Read and subscribe here: westof98.substack.com/p/essays-fro...
Essays From West of 98: Reading Wendell, Part 1
Exploring West of 98's influences with a Wendell Berry reading list
westof98.substack.com
October 14, 2025 at 1:09 PM
It’s a tale involving yes, Wendell Berry, but there’s more: Aldo Leopold, Allan Savory, John Graves, Larry McMurtry, Wallace Stegner, Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, and Paul Kingsnorth.

Read it here: westof98.substack.com/p/essays-fro...
Essays From West of 98: A Restatement 2025
Affirming the principles of West of 98 and the reasons for its existence
westof98.substack.com
October 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
This essay explores my developing view of the world shaped by the 98th Meridian, the Gospel of Luke, and my dissatisfaction with toxic politics that took me on a different path for improving rural places.
Essays From West of 98: A Restatement 2025
Affirming the principles of West of 98 and the reasons for its existence
westof98.substack.com
October 2, 2025 at 2:20 PM
I haven’t had this problem, but I’ve had problems with Venmo in the past and their customer service could not be less helpful.

You practically have to scam their automated phone system to get to a life person, and then the outcome is almost guaranteed to be <shrugs>
September 2, 2025 at 5:44 PM
If Mike Leach was still around, he would devote 15 minutes in his weekly press conference to this. And like 10 more minutes to a random Sonny Dykes story.
September 2, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Rather than just gripe, I wrote a letter to my elected officials about our responsibility for public lands and a better solution to provide more housing in our nation.

You can read it and download the letter at #Westof98: westof98.substack.com/p/public-lan...
June 27, 2025 at 7:22 PM
There’s also a surprisingly large number of people in America who do not understand why a person might want to change their hair color and they NEED you to know that they DO NOT understand. As I recently discovered when dyeing my hair a bold new color for the first time.

@cait.bluesky.social
June 7, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Read about it, and a proclamation from 1868 that I chose for the reading, at #Westof98:

westof98.substack.com/p/essays-fro...
Essays From West of 98: A Memorial
Honoring those who laid down their lives
westof98.substack.com
May 29, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Haven’t fully invested yet, but checking it all out. Good to see you, buddy!
May 21, 2025 at 4:37 PM
For Mental Health Awareness Month, I explore the meaning of the scene and the importance of channeling romantic heroism in meaningful ways.

Read it at #Westof98: westof98.substack.com/p/essays-fro...
May 16, 2025 at 1:47 PM
This must be a new Adobe update because it just started on me too. It was doing it on 5 page PDFs.
May 14, 2025 at 1:09 AM