Alexander McCall Smith, was born in Africa and has written the immensely popular “No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency” series of novels.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Angus Trumble is Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the Yale Center for British Art, and is the author of “A Brief History of the Smile.” He tells Steve Paulson that the Julia Roberts-style toothy grin in a recent fashion that would have seemed improper centuries ago.
Philosopher Lars Svendsen talks about how fashion--the search for the new, for the sake of novelty--was born during the early renaissance, with the rise of Modern individuality. He says fashion shapes not just the clothes we wear, but almost every part of our lives.
Former Vice President Al Gore helped bring global warming into public consciousness. Despite the dire projections of rising temperatures, he says he's still an optimist.
Essayist Andre Aciman is fascinated by memory , though he says what we remember is rarely straightforward. He talks with Steve Paulson about memory and writing.
Though names like Mother Ann Lee and Charles Fourier are not names that ring a bell for most today, they founded two of the most influential utopian movements in US history. 19th Century communes like the Shakers and Brook Farm are gone today their legacy – politically and culturally, are all around us. Chris Jennings is the author of “Paradise Now: The Story of American Utopianism.” Steve Paulson sat down with Jennings and asked him about what is now a dirty word, utopia.
What kind of religion would ask a father to kill his son to prove his devotion to God? Religious scholar Bruce Chilton unpacks the Biblical story of Abraham and Isaac.
Parents and filmmakers Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson have just released an astounding documentary about their son's journey through an elite New York prep school. Here's our uncut interview with them.
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