Welcoming you to the conversation

To those of you who’ve been reading 7 Bridges for a while, thanks for that — I hope these essays and ideas might have encouraged some different perspectives and maybe sparked new conversations in your communities. To all of those who are new, welcome to the conversation, and I wanted to give you a little background.

I started this Substack in 2020 as a place to explore new directions in an increasingly tense, frustrated (and frustrating) civic conversation in America. That moment came a few years into my own exploration of these ideas after a decade in campaigns, government, media, digital transformation while finishing my first book. That moment also corresponded with the beginning of a pandemic that we had no idea we would still be in yet a new phase three years later.

Much like this complex moment in human history, this conversation has covered a lot of ground. Many of us are clamoring for clarity and a sense of stability in our perspective on both present and future. For me that has meant a little occasional wandering, some study, and a lot of conversations with a lot of different kinds of folks. Because this week a bunch of you all are new to this for the new year (many thanks to the recommendations of my friend Steve who I might need to have a conversation with about managing expectations), so I wanted to say welcome and share a few pieces that might give you a shortcut to catching up and a little context without having to wade through a two-year archive (although it's all open and you're welcome to wander).

• A longer view on the moment of the 2022 Midterms

• Reexamination of our culture of innovation as a gateway to the future

• Gerrymandering and public trust

• Four-part series on polarization in America… and what we can do about it

• The post that started this conversation about our future

Much more to come. Thanks for being here.