The virtues of transgressive, subversive, rule-breaking art, both as an aesthetic and as a way of life. Read more
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Episode Archives
Filmmaker Laura Stewart on how being filmed affects documentary subjects, and how that affects the truth you can tell.Read more
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June 01, 2017
The former Talking Heads frontman is one of those artists who just keeps reinventing himself.Read more
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May 25, 2017
When you’re hurt and the only way out of toxic bitterness and resentment is to let go, how do you summon the resolve to reach out to the person who hurt you most?Read more
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May 21, 2017
"Twin Peaks" co-creator Mark Frost takes a deep dive into the history of the strange Pacific Northwest town and its surreal residents in “The Secret History of Twin Peaks.”Read more
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May 18, 2017
Do chimpanzees have spiritual experiences? A remarkable discovery in West Africa suggests they might.Read more
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May 14, 2017
Is there an inherent conflict between science and religion? Jeff Schloss doesn’t think so. He’s a biologist who studies the evolutionary origins of religion. He’s also an observant Christian who’s had his own profound...Read more
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May 11, 2017
In this hour, we explore what the superpower of not giving a f--- might allow you to do. Read more
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May 07, 2017
Richard Blanco’s poem begins the day after the November election, as he struggles to make sense of a new political mood.Read more
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May 04, 2017
A near-accident has poet Laura Kasischke marveling at the fearlessness of young adults and also worrying about their future. Read more
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April 27, 2017
Whether it’s nail biting or handwashing, most of us have a compulsion we can’t give up. Maybe that’s a good thing?Read more
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April 23, 2017
Poet Nick Lantz has a darkly satirical take on American culture. Lately, he’s been thinking about political spin and how politicians speak. In this interview—the third in our series ...Read more
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April 20, 2017
How he transformed the iconic film into the critically-acclaimed, award-winning TV series.Read more
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April 18, 2017
Do scientists see the world in a different way? Not really. Just be curious.Read more
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April 16, 2017
In his new poem, Fady Joudah explores questions about exile, suffering and the language of nation states.Read more
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April 13, 2017
Maybe it’s nostalgia. Maybe it’s something more. But analog is back in style.Read more
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April 09, 2017
In this hour, we see how poetry can show us new ways to think about place and personal identity.Read more
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April 02, 2017
Quan Barry is writing a new poem each week in response to current events.Read more
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March 30, 2017
Wherever you turn, it seems like someone’s angry — on Facebook and cable news, in street marches and congressional town halls. It would seem that we’ve entered a new era of increased hostility. But how did we, as a nation, get here?Read more
Original Air Date:
March 26, 2017
Emily Temple-Wood has been an avid Wikipedia editor since she was pretty young. And early on, she noticed that Wikipedia has a serious gender bias problem, so she began recruiting more women editors to write more Wikipedia articles about notable women. And in return she got… rape and...Read more
Original Air Date:
March 23, 2017
Why do women have to put up with this? And how do they fight back?Read more
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March 19, 2017
We talk to two experts who think about the role empathy can play in tackling big problems.Read more
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March 16, 2017
What can science reveal about lust, romance, and compassion?Read more
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February 26, 2017
Forty years ago Richard Dawkins wrote the landmark book “The Selfish Gene,” where he argued that the gene is what drives evolution. But what if he got it all wrong?Read more
Original Air Date:
February 24, 2017