Hello!

I’m Tsh Oxenreider.*

I’m endlessly fascinated with stories — the ones we read, the ones we tell, the ones we tell ourselves. I think places matter, and that on this side of heaven there’s nothing better than meaningful conversations in meaningful places.

I believe we become more human — more who we’re made to be — when we live sacramentally. Which is to say, when we see things how they really are, thanks to the wisdom and creativity of our Maker.

I’m a writer of books and a newsletter, a travel guide, and a long-time podcaster.

I also spend several days a week convincing teenagers that classic great books are worth our attention. Thankfully, they are thoroughly nonplussed about anything I do online.

*Yep, it’s spelled correctly... Don’t ask me, ask my parents — it’s on my birth certificate and everything.

(You pronounce it as though there’s an i, like Tish, unless you’re a barista, in which you pronounce it Lucy because you give them a fake name to avoid the hassle.)

I’m part intrepid pilgrim and scrutinizer of cultural oddities, part whimsical homebody and old-soul troglodyte. I love traveling and staying home, guacamole and pad thai (but not together), the internet and the persnickety pulchritude of a really good pen, reading thick novels and a good old-fashioned British TV binge, my passport and morning walks.

After 30+ years of evangelicalism and five years as an Anglican, I became Catholic in early 2021. No one was more surprised than me. I’m still learning, but here are a few resources that led the way.

A Bit More…

  • I started a blog in 2008 when my family and I lived overseas and it took off like wildfire (right time + right content). What started as a hobby eventually became a full-time job, and I continued it when we moved back to the States (Oregon and Texas).

  • My online writing led to book writing, which I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl.

  • I added podcasting to my rack of hats, and I’ve loved that, too.

  • Our family is big fans of living light on our feet, and in 2014-15 we traveled around the world, living out of backpacks. What I learned about stability and belonging by exploring 30 countries with three kids under age 10 became the focus of one of my books.

  • Those kids are now all teenagers, one of whom is an adult and lives on her own. The cliché is true: it goes really, really fast.

  • I ended my long-running blog at the end of 2020 because it was the right time. I love being my own boss, yet deep down I consider myself a writer before an entrepreneur. It’s the heart of what I love doing best, where my deep gladness seems to meet some of the world’s deep need.

  • After many years of doing otherwise, I now keep my hair naturally gray and would recommend other 30- and 40-something women to do likewise. It’s delightfully freeing.

  • I’m currently writing more books (dipping my toes in fiction), podcasting, writing a weekly+ newsletter, and teaching English to high schoolers. Here’s where I collect stuff I appreciate.

  • I’m on Twitter and Instagram, but I only check a few times per week and exclusively follow my private lists. I’d rather be on the porch rocking chair next to my husband Kyle while my ever-growing children goof around in the yard.

If You’d Like to Connect

I’m grateful for all the kind letters sent from readers and listeners! Even though I can’t respond to them all, please know I read them and they make my day.

Once in a blue moon I’ll speak at a gathering, but it’s rare these days since my priority is with my family. If the circumstances allow, I might consider your idea.

If it’s a good fit, I’m more open to writing essays, articles, or short stories for your publication.

For any of the above, please use the form below. (Because I get so much email, please understand I’m unable to reply to most things in my inbox. Doing so would become my full-time job.)

For Media Use: Tsh’s Professional Bio

Tsh Oxenreider is the author of six non-fiction books, including At Home in the World, Shadow & Light, and Bitter & Sweet, and is currently writing her first novel. A long-time podcaster, she currently hosts the show A Drink With a Friend and writes the popular Substack newsletter The Commonplace. Her other hats include travel guide, high school humanities teacher, and mother to three teens (the oldest a thousand miles away in college). The rest of the family live in a small, historic town north of Austin, Texas.

Head here for current bio photos, all of which are taken by Caryn Werner.