Ground + Common

Nathan Tower

Ground + Common is a podcast about navigating the messy, complicated middle ground of culture, creativity, and everyday life. Through audio essays, stories, and unscripted thoughts, host Nathan Tower explores the threads that connect us—socially, creatively, and personally. Sometimes searching, sometimes sharp, always honest. All content is written and read by Nathan Tower unless noted otherwise. www.ground-common.com

Episodes

  1. The Subway Sandwichification of Everything

    12/22/2025

    The Subway Sandwichification of Everything

    My lips are chapped. The world is exhausted. And 2025 is nearly over. Anyhow, here are some magical this/thats that have caused sparks to fly in my tiny-little brain this year: Books * Things Become Other Things, Craig Mod * The Place of Tides, James Rebanks * The Bullet Swallower, Elizabeth Gonzalez James * John & Paul: A Love Story In Songs, Ian Leslie * Already Free: Buddhism Meets Psychotherapy on the Path of Liberation, Bruce Tift Podcasts * Team Human (Douglas Rushkoff) * Search Engine (PJ Vogt) * The Wes Cecil Podcast * Ezra Klein (let’s be honest, Ezra stepped into his bearded prime this year) Music * Steve Gunn - Daylight Daylight * Intuition & Equilibrium - Leave A Mark * Jeff Tweedy - Twilight Override * Aesop Rock - I Heard It’s A Mess There Too * Martin Luke Brown - man oh man ! * Foxwarren - 2 * Everything is Recorded - Richard Russell is Temporary This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ground-common.com

    17 min
  2. 007: Cars, phones, cheeseburgers & grown-up medication

    05/27/2025

    007: Cars, phones, cheeseburgers & grown-up medication

    Written and read by Nathan Tower. Original post can be found here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ground-common.com

    6 min
  3. 006: The robot takeover can wait

    02/19/2025

    006: The robot takeover can wait

    In a world driven by conflict and digital chaos, Is It Cake? offers a refreshingly stupid escape. The Netflix series, where bakers craft hyper-realistic cakes to fool celebrity judges, isn’t just absurd entertainment—it’s a reminder of the simple joys that unite us. With no political divisions or online outrage, just pure curiosity, the show proves that in an era of AI and deepfakes, we still marvel at handcrafted illusions made of sponge and fondant. Is It Cake? reassures us that, despite everything, we can still find joy in the most unexpected places… at least before the robots take over. Written and read by Nathan Tower. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ground-common.com

    4 min
  4. 005: Lace-up the old cleats in an unfair world

    02/07/2025

    005: Lace-up the old cleats in an unfair world

    Inspiration doesn’t always show up. Motivation is fickle, isn’t it? Resistance is constant. But here’s the thing—pushing through often matters more than waiting for the perfect moment. The weight of unfairness is real. The exhaustion, the frustration, the temptation to check out—it’s all there. But the only way out has always been through. So, when everything feels impossible, what if we laced up anyway? Written by Nathan Tower and read by Nicole Perri. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ground-common.com

    7 min
  5. 004: Welcome to the future. It’s the past

    02/05/2025

    004: Welcome to the future. It’s the past

    A century ago, technology brought us radio, Model T trucks, and the first traffic signals. Today, we have TikTok, Cybertrucks, and an AI race even experts can’t fully grasp. We live longer, but we’re sicker. We’re more connected, yet lonelier than ever. And while we celebrate ‘progress,’ we’re still drowning in debt, political chaos, and escalating crises—from climate disasters to mass shootings. But is it really progress—or just escalation? Written and read by Nathan Tower. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ground-common.com

    5 min
  6. 003: A masterclass on conviction: How the Telepathy Tapes draws you in

    01/31/2025

    003: A masterclass on conviction: How the Telepathy Tapes draws you in

    A well-crafted story can feel like a missing puzzle piece—satisfying, undeniable. Telepathy Tapes, hosted by filmmaker Ky Dickens, explores claims that non-verbal autistic children demonstrate telepathic abilities, blending compelling narratives, super sleek production, and controlled experiments. But here’s the catch: no skeptics are invited. It feels like Adnan Syed all over again. But when belief takes hold, do we lose our ability to question? Written and read by Nathan Tower. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ground-common.com

    7 min
  7. 002: Hello. Is this still available?

    01/23/2025

    002: Hello. Is this still available?

    Facebook Marketplace is chaos—a grammar-less land of dead ends, trades, and questionable deals. But somewhere between the bots and the lowballers, there’s an unexpected thread of humanity. In a world primed for division, what if we gave people the benefit of the doubt? Written and read by Nathan Tower. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ground-common.com

    7 min
  8. 001: Winter in Maine

    01/22/2025

    001: Winter in Maine

    By the time you finish your coffee, the sun is already setting. Winter lingers in the bones, but warmth—the kind we actually need—feels further away than ever. We chase convenience, curate self-improvement, and scroll past meaning, mistaking movement for progress. When did discomfort become the enemy? Maybe what we’re looking for isn’t something to buy but something to create. Written and read by Nathan Tower. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ground-common.com

    4 min
  • 8 Episodes

About

Ground + Common is a podcast about navigating the messy, complicated middle ground of culture, creativity, and everyday life. Through audio essays, stories, and unscripted thoughts, host Nathan Tower explores the threads that connect us—socially, creatively, and personally. Sometimes searching, sometimes sharp, always honest. All content is written and read by Nathan Tower unless noted otherwise. www.ground-common.com

Information

  • Creator
    Nathan Tower
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Nonsensible Productions LLC
  • Show Website
    Ground + Common