212. Downton Abbey film director Michael Engler – the best idea in the room
Like too many of us, I hated history classes throughout my school career, and only realized as an adult that there are few things more interesting to ponder than the ways people lived and thought in d...
21 Sep 201959min
211. Etgar Keret (writer) – a tunnel dug under the prison floor
“A conversation is like a tunnel dug under the prison floor that you—patiently and painstakingly—scoop out with a spoon. It has one purpose: to get you away from where you are right now.” That is fro...
14 Sep 201955min
210. one night in Istanbul, with chef Musa Dağdeviren
There’s a pattern that happens with any new thing. First it’s scary, then you settle in to a rhythm, then you hit your stride, then you get too attached to things being the way they are. For a while t...
7 Sep 20191h 4min
209. a mixtape for 2019
When I was a teenager and music was still on cassettes, a mixtape was an act of love. The selection and sequence of songs were a kind of message to the listener that left plenty of space for their own...
31 Aug 201957min
208. Antonio Damasio (biologist) – this incredibly rich machinery
Quick question. Answer without thinking too hard. Ready? Where is your mind? What is your mind? Ok, Raise your hand if you thought of your brain. If you did, you’re in good company. For centuries, We...
24 Aug 201940min
207. Lisa Brennan-Jobs (writer) – on growing up without, with, and in spite of her dad
The first computer I ever had was the first Apple Macintosh, back in the mid 80’s. I can still remember the sense of friendly reassurance from that smiling little icon that popped up on the screen whe...
10 Aug 201947min
206. Jenny Odell (artist) – attention as an act of resistance
When I think of my childhood home in Bethesda, Maryland, depending on what kind of mood I’m in, I think either of the mall or of the woods. Although there were some fun moments looking at the inapprop...
3 Aug 201952min
205. Jeffrey Israel (religious studies scholar, old friend) – Private hate, public love, and everything in between
A Rabbi, a Priest, and an Imam walk into a bar. No, wait. Imams don’t drink. Most rabbis don’t drink much either, come to think of it. Priests drink—at least in the movies—but mostly not in bars . . ....
27 Jul 20191h 7min
