Stephen Thompson is the founder of the A.V. Club, the arts section of the satirical newspaper, "The Onion," originally based in Madison, Wisconsin. Thompson eventually left Madison for Washington DC, to work at NPR as an editor and reviewer at NPR Music. In this interview, Thompson tells Steve Paulson about the forces that drew "The Onion" staff to New York, and what it means to be an artist in the Heartland.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Senator John McCain says being respected is more important than being liked in Washington. He talks about his role models with Steve Paulson.
John Flansburgh and John Linnell comprise the musical duo “They Might Be Giants.” They talk with Steve Paulson about their music, and their obsession for old pop songs.
Wendy Burden is the author of "Dead End Gene Pool," a memoir of her childhood among wealthy but highly dysfunctional remnants of the Vanderbilt fortune.
As a young man, Russell Razzaque was recruited by a militant Islamic student group. He left and today he's a psychologist and authority on suicide bombers.
David Gessner discovered the American West as a young man, and the huge mountains and wide open spaces changed his life. He recently took a road trip through the West, following in the footsteps of two literary heroes, Edward Abbey and Wallace Stegner. Gessner says their books help us see the West in all its complexity.
Will Birch talks to Doug Gordon about the musical movement in Britain that set the stage for punk rock.
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