Joan Didion, who died last week at the age of 87, helped shape a highly personal brand of nonfiction that came to be known as the New Journalism. Her early essay collections "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" (1968) and "The White Album" (1979) influenced generations of writers. Her later memoirs, "The Year of Magical Thinking" and "Blue Nights," chronicled the deaths of her husband and daughter. In 2011 Didion talked with Steve Paulson about illness and growing old in the wake of the death of her daughter, Quintana.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Philosopher Judith Butler took a rigorous look at gender in her 1990 book, “Gender Trouble.” In this EXTENDED conversation, Steve asks her - with transexual and gender queer people more visible than ever - what can we say about the state of gender in North America?
According to psychologist Meagan Curtis, the inherent sadness of the minor third is what we hear in music.
Rachel Fershleiser and Larry Smith tell Anne Strainchamps how they got started soliciting six-word memoirs, recite some of their favorites, and say that crafting them can become an addiction.
Alan Turing was only 41 when he committed suicide. Filmmaker Patrick Sammon's film, Codebreaker, tells the story of Turing's brilliant life and of his persecution by British authorities for the crime of being homosexual. When he spoke to Anne Strainchamps a few years ago, he said Turing was a victim of the prejudice and paranoia of the time.
We present two takes on the question of whether or not the world's supply of oil is drying up. Princeton's Ken Deffeyes says production has peaked. Danish statistician Bjorn Lomborg says that's just crying wolf.
Celtic historian John Matthews tells Steve Paulson that Merlin probably was a real person and that wizards are related to our ancient shamans.
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