Gracy Olmstead

Gracy Olmstead is a writer and journalist located outside Washington, D.C. She's written for The American Conservative, The Week, Catholic Rural LifeNational ReviewThe Federalist, and The Washington Times, among others. You can follow her on Twitter @gracyolmstead

Abandoning vs. living in place

When should we move, and when should we “stay put”?

We weren’t made for endless work

To be fully human, we need to put down our phones for a while.

The Holy Church of CrossFit

With actual churches failing to provide community and sustenance, Millennials are turning to trendy workout classes.

A price tag on the American Dream

Conservatives must acknowledge that too many of the poor are staying poor, no matter how hard they work.

A renaissance of localism

The movement, once as small as the things it appreciates, is finding traction in our frenzied age.

How do we rebuild our fraying social fabric?

Our patriotism must latch onto a local sphere before it can (healthily) blossom into any sort of national allegiance.

Our troubled concept of commitment

Many see commitment as something that shackles, rather than as something that supports.

The urban-rural divide is more pronounced than ever

Polls find the politics of place has intensified—even though we are contending with the same problems.

The perils of innovation

For a philanthropy sector obsessed with “innovation,” it’s important to acknowledge that the work of conserving is as valuable as the work of creating.

Stuck in America’s struggling small towns

When it comes to being poor in America, geography is still destiny.