School of the Unconformed

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I write as a nonconformist. The domination of tech and the inversion of traditional values makes me bristle and respond with a commitment to stay grounded in reality, to nurture Truth and beauty, and hope that the seeds I sow for my children and community will find fertile ground to grow. I do not own a cell phone, I love reading especially long classic novels, I make most of my bread by hand, I don’t have a big screen TV, and my husband and I home-educate our three children. Yet I am under no illusion that I am unaffected by the lure of technology. I grew up as a polyglot in Switzerland until I was 18 and was able to spend my youth in a country rooted in traditional values, natural beauty, and academic rigour. For more than a decade I have founded and coordinated various homeschool programs in my community including an early education co-op, hands-on science classes for middle and high school students, spelling bees, speed math, Charles Dickens and classical vocabulary, Latin, and public speaking programs. Since 2021, I have a weekly live radio spot on the Richard Syrett Show as homeschool advisor, where I report on homeschool and educational news in the context of of the rapid changes and upheaval in our society. In my daily life, I love bringing people from all backgrounds together, offering support and guidance to new homeschoolers, and encouraging students and families on their educational journeys. I always keep books nearby (concurrent ones for breakfast, couch, and bedtime), and enjoy being outdoors with my family. You can gain some more insights into my life as mother, homemaker, and educator in my interview on The Home Front. I am married to Peco and through our writings on Pilgrims in the Machine and The School of the Unconformed, and now Peco’s novel Exogenesis, you will gain glimpses of a husband and wife trying their best to point a way through the Machine for their children and others striving to find anchors of hope. Source

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Substack Voices You Can Trust: An AI-mish Writers Directory

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By Ruth Gaskovski
| School of the Unconformed
Switchboard operators ca. 1950s, photo by Bettmann Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published For those of you who prefer to read off paper rather than the screen, we have converted the post into an easily printable pdf below. Please consider supporting us with a paid subscription if you download it. Thanks :) Substack Voices You Can Trust 6.35MB ∙ PDF file You must trust and believe in people or life becomes impossible.
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The Eating Rebellion: Recapturing the common art of cooking

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By Ruth Gaskovski
| School of the Unconformed
Of mice, men, and love; how (and what) to cook; booklegging for your kitchen The Little Potato Peeler by Albert Anker, 1886 For those of you who prefer to read off paper rather than the screen, we have converted the post into an easily printable file below. Please consider supporting us with a paid subscription if you download it.
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Pocket Stack: Launching "trust entrepreneurship"

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By Ruth Gaskovski
| School of the Unconformed
Before we pivot to the big surprise, consider this: Cottage industries are churning out “humanized” AI-generated books. Writers are co-authoring books with AI.1 Writers claim not to use AI, but end up with editors who do.2 Writing professionals are increasingly relying on AI to brainstorm, generate text, analyze, polish, edit, and tweak, among many other previously human tasks.
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An Inventory of Books to Shape Young Minds

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By Ruth Gaskovski
| School of the Unconformed
Werner Reading by Erik Theodor Werenskiold, 1890 What is our defense against this sort of language—this language-as-weapon? There is only one. We must know a better language. We must speak, and teach our children to speak, …
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Random acts of anachronism: How to carry on the digital fast

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By Ruth Gaskovski
| School of the Unconformed
Odysseus and the Sirens by John William Waterhouse, 1891 Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are. We’ve been using them not because we needed them but because we had them. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca At the beginning of Lent mid-February, we invited readers to join us on our Communal Digital Fast, an annual collective effort to restore our cognitive liberty.
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The Sacred Triad: Where (and why) to draw the AI-mish line

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By Ruth Gaskovski
| School of the Unconformed
Alley Near Pourville by Claude Monet, 1882. Leading lines by Dan Scott For those of you who prefer to read off paper rather than the screen, we have converted the post into an easily printable pdf file here.
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The Sacred Triad: Where (and why) to draw the AI-mish line -PDF version

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By Ruth Gaskovski
| School of the Unconformed
“The greatest hazard of all, losing one’s self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all.” - Søren Kierkegaard You can download an easily printable pdf file here: The Sacred Triad: Where (and why) to draw the AI-mish line 1.07MB ∙ PDF file Download Download
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The Reading Rebellion 2026: A complete guide

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By Ruth Gaskovski
| School of the Unconformed
National Association of Book Publishers 1920s; Gustaw Majewski,1955; Library of Congress, 1961 For those of you who prefer to read off paper rather than the screen, we have converted the post into an easily printable pdf file here. Reading is an act of resistance in a landscape of distraction. David L. Ulin “I did it!” our 17-year-old son announces, hurtling down the stairs teenage-style with a beaming smile.
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The Reading Rebellion 2026 - PDF version

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By Ruth Gaskovski
| School of the Unconformed
The Reading Rebellion Book List 158KB ∙ PDF file Here is a PDF of the short novel book list (200 pg to 400 pg), categorized into four seperate eras: The Reading Rebellion Book List 158KB ∙ PDF file Here is a Reading Rebellion note page on which you can record your favorite reads: Reading Rebellion Book List Note Page 59.9KB ∙ PDF file Let me know if you have any questions or difficulties with the downloading.
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The Annual Digital Fast: How to regain cognitive liberty, and keep it

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By Ruth Gaskovski
| School of the Unconformed
Mont Saint-Michel, Setting Sun by Paul Signac, 1897 For those of you who prefer to read off paper rather than the screen, we have converted the post into an easily printable pdf file: The Annual Digital Fast 1.34MB ∙ PDF file If at first you do what is necessary, and then do what is possible, soon you find you are achieving the impossible. (attributed to) St. Francis of Assisi On March 1st 2023 the first “Lenten fast with a tech twist” on School of the Unconformed went out to 73 subscribers.
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