EP 225: Amanda Fortini on Jan Kerouac and the legacy of the Beat Generation

The Lean Out podcast has just celebrated its 50th episode. So, today, for episode 51, we have a special Canada-themed show for you. We’re going to be hearing from a much-respected Canadian broadcaster who’s written a riveting biography about a much-discussed Canadian politician, former Prime Minister John Turner, Canada’s version of JFK. As we take a trip back in time — hearing about John Turner’s role in the invocation of the War Measures Act, and his liaisons with Princess Margaret an...

19 Loka 202239min

It’s hard to believe that it has been five years since #MeToo. The culture has moved on many times since then. But it’s worth returning to the movement, to take stock of what it did, and did not, accomplish — and how it’s influenced the moment we now find ourselves in.Tara's guest on the podcast today does just this in a new piece for The Spectator, “So much for #MeToo.” Phoebe Maltz Bovy is a Toronto writer, editor, and contributing columnist at The Globe and Mail. She’s also co-host of the ...

14 Loka 202220min

Washington is known to be a city of secrets. And, for many decades, one of the most dangerous secrets was that of homosexuality. Its spectre haunted the halls of power, and the true stories are only now coming to light. Tara's guest on today’s podcast has written a sweeping history of gay involvement in government. And he has much to say about the past’s lessons for the present moment — for free speech, for open debate, and for a free press. James Kirchick is an American journalist and a col...

12 Loka 202238min

The American journalist H. L. Mencken once said that “puritanism is the haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy.” This comment resonates now more than ever, with the emergence of a new sanctimonious, humourless movement that targets all of the things that make life most worth living, from sports and comedy to art and food and special occasions. Tara's guest on the podcast today argues that history will likely not remember these “woke” zealots well — and that, at the heart of their ...

5 Loka 202231min

We talk a lot on this podcast about the ascendent woke ideology. But there is not yet anything like consensus on what this political movement actually is, what values define it — and who advances its agenda. Tara's guest on the podcast today has tackled these questions in a new book. She argues that woke ideology is an elite phenomenon. That it has breathed new life into old prejudices like sexism, racism, and homophobia. And that elites are unaware how unpopular these ideas are with th...

28 Syys 202232min

One of the big debates in journalism right now is over the role of objectivity. Is this an ideal worth upholding — or should we be moving on to other models, like the “moral clarity” ideal recently proposed in the New York Times? This debate resurfaced last week at a panel discussion hosted by the Columbia Journalism School, “The Objectivity Wars.” Tara's guest on the program today was on that panel. David Greenberg is a professor of history and of journalism and media studies at Rutgers Univ...

21 Syys 202233min

Advocates against pandemic school closures have been ringing the alarm for some time. They were all but ignored two years ago. But the tide is now starting to turn, with mainstream media outlets reporting on the impacts of these closures on children. Tara's guest today has been speaking out about these policies since 2020. And he recently published a powerful paper arguing that extended school closures were, in fact, a moral catastrophe — and one that we must ensure never happens again. Shami...

16 Syys 202233min

With school back in session for the year, it’s a good time to take a look at the lessons that we’re passing on to the next generation of children. Are we giving them the tools that they need to succeed in life? Tara's guest on the program today thinks there’s room for improvement. And his new book takes aim at the “blame the system” and “blame the victim” cultural narratives that he believes impede kids’ ability to recognize, and harness, their own agency. Ian Rowe is an educator ...

14 Syys 202234min