Apocalyptic stories are more than just entertaining. Millions of Americans believe the world will soon end. Cultural critic Barry Vacker unpacks this end-of-world meme.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
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Rehman here. This story quite literally hit close to home for me. I grew up just about an hour away from the suburb it takes place in, and until working on this story, I never would have imagined that building a mosque could be so controversial, especially in a place as cosmopolitan as Chicago. Standing under its massive dome, I was struck by the odd realization that a building could simultaneously be a haven and source of community for some, and symbol of fear and hatred for others. Though the story took place more than a decade ago, it seems we’re still wrestling with many of the same questions around religious inclusion and American identity.
Chiori Miyagawa is a playwright in New York and teaches at Bard College. “Comet Hunter” is the story of Caroline Herschel who collaborated with her brother William during the 18th and early 19th centuries and made several important contributions to astronomy.
Bob Mankoff, cartoon editor of The New Yorker, recommends E.O. Wilson's "The Meaning of Human Existence."
Anthropologist Cynthia Mahmood is among the few Westerners who’s actually spent time talking with Islamic terrorists on their turf.
David Thomson is a film critic. His new book is called "‘Have You Seen...?': A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films." He tells Steve Paulson the book is not just a list of the thousand greatest films.
Christopher O'Riley chats with Jim Fleming about classical music's image problem among young people and how he makes the music seem cool.
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