Sven Birkerts tried to write a novel, but realized he had more success writing about fiction than writing fiction. He tells Steve Paulson how he became a literary critic.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
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What's the best way to fight the homogenization of America?
The legendary German filmmaker Werner Herzog talks about his career, truth in documentaries, and his constant quest for "the ecstatic truth."
Rosalind Wiseman and Rachael Simmons say that girls’ popularity with other girls is influenced by the politics of the social pecking order and that the effects of being ostracized can be devastating.
Yann Martel's novel "Life of Pi" is an adventure story and also a meditation on religious faith. He says a good religion is like a good story.
Film-maker Shu Kei tells Steve Paulson about his film, “A Queer Story.” It’s the story of a gay couple in Hong Kong, and created a lot of discomfort for its straight audiences.
William Aylward is an archaeologist at the University of Wisconsin who’s done extensive field work at the site of Troy in modern day Turkey.
Why do we have such an appetite for adventure? And why do many artists seem to spend so much time on the road? Those questions inspired philosopher Alain de Botton's book called "The Art of Travel."
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