Anne here. My conversation with Turkish writer Elif Şafak back in April still sticks with me as the year comes to a close. In many parts of the world, 2016 was the year of the populist leader—especially in Turkey, where Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched a crackdown on free speech and all forms of opposition. 120 journalists have been jailed, more than 2,000 academics have been dismissed from universities, and more than 100,000 public workers have been fired. How did Turkey—once a model of new democratic nations—become such a different place? Not only did Şafak see this coming, she warned that the West should not consider itself immune.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgaard recommends a chilling read: "The Flame Alphabet" by Ben Marcus.
Danny Wallace is the author of “Join Me.” He’s also the leader of a cult of the same name.
Producer Cynthia Woodland introduces us to "The Bid Whist Ladies" - a small group of African American women in Madison, Wisconsin who've been meeting once a week to play cards for over 25 years.
Donald Kraybill tells Steve Paulson that Amish attitudes towards technology are nuanced and complex. He says they prefer to think through the implications of new technology before they adopt it.
David Rieff has written a sobering account of his mother's last days. It's called "Swimming in a Sea of Death," and tells how he tried to do the right thing by his mother - Susan Sontag - while also being true to himself.
Listen in on this UNCUT interview from the Into the Woods show. He tells Jim Fleming about what twigs have to teach us about climate change, and the poetry of the forest.
Christopher Phillips tells Jim Fleming what happens at Socrates Café, and explains how he reveals the deep philosophical implications of everyday events.
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