Postcolonial Derrida
In a talk accompanying the new open‑access book Postcolonial Derrida, the author frames Jacques Derrida’s Algerian‑French legacy as deeply entwined with postcolonial questions and reads Derrida alongside anti‑colonial, feminist, and diasporic thinkers. Using textual close readings and cultural snapshots—like colonial inscriptions in Edinburgh—the speaker argues that Derrida’s work both informs and is reshaped by postcolonial theory. Rejecting claims that theory (including deconstruction and postcolonial studies) is obsolete, the book holds Derrida and postcolonial thought in productive tension to recover analytic resources for debates about race, migration, law, and justice. The project aims to complicate simple claims that Derrida is either fully postcolonial or wholly outside that tradition.
Heather McGhee - The Sum of Us - S8 | E18
The podcast features Heather McGhee discussing her book The Sum of Us, which argues that America’s deep‑seated economic inequality is rooted in a racial bargain forged after Bacon’s Rebellion. That 1676 uprising of enslaved Africans and landless white indentured servants terrified the colonial elite, prompting...
Stolen John Keats Love Letters Found After 40 Years: Read by Luke Thompson | #sothebys
Eight love letters by English Romantic poet John Keats to his muse Fanny Brawne—thought lost for nearly 40 years—have been rediscovered and publicly read in a Sotheby’s presentation. The intimate handwritten notes, full of ardent language and personal details, offer...
Rest to Get More Done: REST by Alex Pang | Animated Summary
Rest by Alex Soojung Kim Pang reframes rest as an active, skillful partner to work, arguing that the brain consolidates, integrates and unconsciously solves problems during downtime. Pang suggests initiating rest deliberately—stop mid-task with a clear return time—to harness the...
Why Japan’s Youth Is Ditching Screens for Printed Zines｜TaiwanPlus News
In Kyoto, photographer Obara Khadima and other independent creators are finding editorial freedom and a young audience by self-publishing analog zines, tapping a renewed appetite for tactile, nostalgic print. A local printing factory reports rising demand from artists, and a...
I Published a Book... Am I Quitting YouTube?
Creator announces publication of her adventure memoir, The Wilder Way, now available in the U.S., UK, Canada and in several translations, and describes how writing the book changed her perspective on content creation. She recounts the memoir’s candid coverage of...
Writer Elif Shafak: Advice to the Young
Elif Shafak reflects on her experiences speaking to children across Turkey and the Middle East, noting a striking uniformity in confidence and self‑identification as artists among six‑ and seven‑year‑olds, regardless of cultural background. She contrasts this with the stark drop...
Annabel Monaghan Talks New Book, 'Dolly All the Time'
Annabelle Monahan’s latest novel, Dolly All the Time, debuted as a New York Times bestseller and was featured on GMA’s June book club. The story follows a hard‑working single mother who returns home, takes over a family business, and enters a fake relationship...
Examining The Downfall | The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
Mike examines the perceived decline of Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive, questioning whether the series has truly fallen or simply evolved. He frames the discussion around personal disappointment, fan expectations, and the broader context of Sanderson’s expanding Cosmere. The video highlights several...
Does the US Really Make the Dollar? Has It Ever?
In this Rhodes Center podcast, host Mark Blyth sits down with journalist‑turned‑historian Brendan Greeley to unpack the surprising origins of the U.S. dollar, as chronicled in Greeley’s new book, *The Almighty Dollar*. The conversation traces the currency’s lineage back to...
The Tunnel (El Túnel) by Ernesto Sabato - Translated by Margaret Sayers Peden
The video reviews Ernesto Sabato’s 1948 novella El túnel, focusing on the Margaret Sayers Peden translation and positioning the work within Argentina’s rich literary tradition. The host frames the book as a compact, symbol‑laden narrative that fuses detective‑novel mechanics...
The Atlantic Summer Reading Guide
Atlantic’s summer reading guide spotlights six eclectic titles, ranging from contemporary fiction to classic tragedy, each chosen for its ability to engage and expand readers during the season. The selections include Baba Bad’s “No God But Us,” praised for its humor...
Oliver Bullough - Everybody Loves Our Dollars - S8 | E17
Author Oliver Bullough previews Everybody Loves Our Dollars, tracing the rise of modern offshore finance from the 1950s–60s through London, Caribbean tax havens and U.S. states that enabled wealthy citizens to escape postwar tax regimes. He coins “naughty money” for...
In Conversation with Michael Sandel
In a high‑profile conversation at Oxford’s Blavatnik School, Nobel‑level philosopher Michael Sandel received the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture. The dialogue, hosted by Dean Nairi Woods and Berggruen Foundation director Nicole Grunwald‑Silver, explored Sandel’s lifelong mission to bring...
Introducing Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Host Hannah introduces a month-long series celebrating Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel Jane Eyre, outlining her personal connection to the book and a schedule of videos that will analyze major sections in parallel with fellow BookTuber Steve Donoghue’s read-aloud. She previews...
Why Commerce Depends on Character | The Common Reader
The conversation argues that having a personal code of conduct—even if imperfect—is morally valuable because it enforces standards and integrity, using examples from The Wire’s Omar and Austen’s Elizabeth Bennet. The speakers contend that codes should be honest and adjustable:...
Hay Festival 2026 – 11 Days of Wonder and Hope
At the Hay Festival 2026, a speaker closed with a hopeful reading envisioning a future “gylanic world” where children are no longer taught limiting myths of inherent human evil, violence, or fearful gender stereotypes. Instead, new stories would celebrate human...
Isabel’s Birthday Surprise Read by Debbie Zapata
Author Debbie Zapata reads her picture book Isabel’s Birthday Surprise, published by Magination Press, which follows young Isabel who fears her birthday will be ruined after a cake-ingredient mix-up. Disappointed after an egg breaks at school, she returns home to...
5 Great Books I Didn't Like the First Time
The video explores five celebrated novels that initially disappointed the host, Chris, but later became favorites after multiple readings. He argues that early judgments often stem from misplaced expectations and a lack of personal readiness, rather than flaws in the...
Everything I Read in May | Wrap Up
The video serves as a monthly wrap‑up, detailing every book the creator finished in May and previewing the reading slate for June. It covers a wide spectrum—from completing the six‑book Star Wars novelization series to diving into short fiction, classic...
The Surprising Science Behind Google Searches
The conversation centers on Simon Rogers’ new book, *What We Google*, which dives into the massive trove of Google search data to uncover what people actually ask online. Rogers, a former data editor at Twitter and now Google’s data editor,...
Why Is Our Love for Robots Inevitable?
The video argues that our growing fascination with robots is less about efficiency and more about emotional labor. While factories and AI automate tasks, the robots that capture our imagination are human‑like bodies designed to provide companionship, unconditional love, and...
Taitung Publishes Book on Traditional Indigenous Herbal Remedies | TaiwanPlus News
Taiwan’s Taitung government has released a new book, “Healing Plants Here All Along,” cataloguing traditional herbal remedies used by the island’s indigenous peoples. The volume documents 50 plant species, detailing their medicinal applications, proper identification, and preparation methods. The content stems...
Blavatnik Book Talk: Consent Laid Bare
Chanel Contos, author of Consent Laid Bare and founder of the Teach Us Consent campaign, outlines how pervasive ‘rape culture’ normalizes sexual violence through everyday behaviors and social expectations. Drawing on thousands of testimonies she collected and her own schooling...
The Princess Bride by William Goldman Delivers Enduring Magic Across Generations | Book Review
William Goldman’s 1973 novel The Princess Bride—presented as the edited “good parts” of S. Morgenstern’s tale—balances sharp satire, slapstick humor and a surprisingly earnest fairy‑tale revenge arc to create a fast‑paced, highly quotable adventure. The book’s metafictional narrator, iconic characters...
The CANTOS of Ezra Pound + The Pound Era (Kenner) + Questioning Minds (Kenner and Davenport)
The video is a close-reading appreciation of Ezra Pound’s The Cantos, framed through Hugh Kenner’s The Pound Era and Kenner–Guy Davenport correspondence which the presenter credits with deepening his understanding. He positions The Cantos as the New World’s epic: polyglot,...
Writer Elif Shafak: ”Sometimes There’s a Nagging Voice Inside that Judges What We Do.”
Writer Elif Shafak reflects on her experiences touring schools across Turkey and the Middle East, noting a striking contrast between the unbridled confidence of young children and the growing self‑doubt of teenagers. She observes that six‑ and seven‑year‑olds, regardless of...
How To Raise an Emotionally Mature Kids With Lindsay Gibson
Clinical psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Lindsay Gibson contrasts emotional immaturity—marked by egocentrism, poor emotion regulation and a tendency to deny reality—with emotional maturity, which involves self-awareness, empathy, emotional regulation and engagement with reality. Drawing on her prior work about...
How Stoicism Changed Ryan Holiday's Life
The video explores how the ancient philosophy of Stoicism reshaped Ryan Holiday’s outlook after he first encountered Marcus Aurelius’s *Meditations* at nineteen. Holiday describes the moment as gaining direct access to the private thoughts of the most powerful man in...
Who We Are: On Therapy (with Abigail Shrier)
Abigail Shrier, a Manhattan Institute senior fellow and bestselling author, critiques modern therapeutic practices in her books "Irreversible Damage" and "Bad Therapy." The City Journal interview explores her shift from law to journalism and her data‑driven challenge to medical narratives...
Steven Johnson - The Infernal Machine
Steven Johnson discusses his new book, *The Infernal Machine*, which uncovers a forgotten era of political bombings in early‑20th‑century New York City and ties it to the evolution of modern policing and radical thought. The narrative weaves three strands—Joseph...
James Comey Talks New Book 'Red Verdict'
Former FBI Director James Comey sat down for an ABC interview, where he addressed the twin indictments brought by the Trump‑appointed Justice Department and introduced his latest crime novel, “Red Verdict.” Comey reiterated his innocence, noting his daughter’s wrongful‑termination suit and...
Laboring in the Shadows & Now We Are Here | Gutman Library Hybrid Book Talk
At a Gutman Library hybrid book talk, anthropologist Gabrielle Oliveira and sociologist Bianca Baldridge discussed their complementary new books—Oliveira’s Now We Are Here, an award‑winning study of family migration and immigrant children’s educational trajectories, and Baldridge’s Laboring in the Shadows,...
New Book Details Silicon Valley's Grip on College Campuses
The interview spotlights Theo Baker’s new book, *How to Rule the World and Education in Power at Stanford University*, which chronicles his investigative reporting that led to the ouster of Stanford’s president over alleged research misconduct. Baker, a senior at...
Book Club Edition: Diane Ackerman and “The Planets: A Cosmic Pastoral”
The Planetary Radio Book Club featured poet‑scientist Diane Ackerman discussing the newly reissued edition of her 1976 collection, The Planets: A Cosmic Pastoral. Hosted by Planetary Society senior adviser Matt Kaplan, the conversation highlighted the book’s revival through Maria Popova’s...
5 Books You Probably Shouldn't Try to Explain
The video explores a niche of literature that deliberately defies clear articulation, arguing that certain works lose their power when forced into conventional explanation. Host Chris frames these books not as incomprehensible, but as intentionally unstable, thriving on the tension...
Brigitte Giraud - Live Fast Q&A
Brigitte Giraud, acclaimed French novelist, participated in a live Q&A after being unexpectedly shortlisted for a prestigious literary prize celebrating its 30th anniversary. She reflected on the honor, noting the lineage of past laureates she has long admired. Giraud emphasized the...
Professor Catherine Spooner on Dracula’s Enduring Cultural Appeal.
Professor Catherine Spooner explains why Dracula endures as a cultural touchstone, tracing its roots to a novel that reads like a pre‑cinematic storyboard. She argues that Bram Stoker’s descriptive landscape and shifting perspectives functioned as an early film script, making...
Emma Grede "Start with Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life": Author Talk | Global Conference 2026
Emma Grede, serial entrepreneur behind Skims, Good American and Off Season, launched her memoir‑business hybrid "Start With Yourself" at the Global Conference 2026. The talk centered on how her East London upbringing forged a no‑nonsense ethic, a low tolerance for...
I Read Hunt Gather Parent — Here's the One Idea I Can't Stop Thinking About
The video reviews NPR correspondent Michaeleen Doucleff’s book *Hunt, Gather, Parent*, which examines parenting practices among Inuit, Maya and Hadzabe families to explain why children in those cultures tend to be calmer and more socially adept. The host frames the...
The Lord of The Flies Adaptation Surprised Me With How Faithful It Was | In Case You Missed It
The video reviews Netflix’s new Lord of the Flies series, produced by the BBC, highlighting its unexpected fidelity to William Golding’s 1954 novel. The reviewer, a longtime fan who first read the book in high school, notes that the adaptation...
I Won't Apologize For My Love of This Book | Nothing But Blackened Teeth
The video reviews "Nothing But Blackened Teeth," a short horror novel featured in the creator’s “Haters Book Club” on Patreon. While the community overwhelmingly panned the work, the reviewer awarded it four stars, explaining that the book’s core ghost story...
Eight of the Most Fascinating Biographies to Read
The video features author Nicholas Bogs discussing eight biographies that informed his own work, highlighting how different forms bring subjects to life. He cites Ilon Woo’s “Master Slave, Husband Wife,” a Pulitzer‑winning narrative that reads like fiction, Honor Jeffers’s poetic “The...
Murderbot, a Sanderson Review — Intentionally Blank EP. 258
The episode is a conversational review of Apple’s Murderbot television adaptation, where the hosts compare the series to Martha Wells’s original novellas and discuss its place in the streaming landscape. They note that the ten‑episode run follows the source material point‑for‑point,...
Atlantic Reads: How to Be a Dissident with Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic interview spotlights Gal Beckerman’s new book How to Be a Dissident, a timely guide that emerged from the early‑Trump era’s surge of executive overreach. Beckerman argues that modern institutions lack trained dissenters, leaving many to acquiesce to questionable directives. Beckerman...
April 2026 Book Haul | My Latest Library Additions
Mike’s April 2026 Book Haul video opens with a quick thank‑you to patrons before diving into his latest digital acquisitions. He emphasizes that most new titles arrive as e‑books, noting that his physical shelves are overflowing and that space constraints now...
Laurent Binet - Perspective(s) Q&A
In a recent Q&A, French author Laurent Binet explored the cultural bridge that links Paris and Dublin, attributing it to the enduring influence of James Joyce. He expressed a personal longing to visit Dublin, a city he imagines through the...
How to Reclaim the Internet
The video argues that the internet can be reclaimed from the current screen‑centric, outrage‑driven landscape by consciously restoring the cultural practices that existed before the dominance of social‑media platforms. It urges viewers to catalog what they loved about early online culture—open...
Why First Person POV Is so Popular Today
The video argues that first‑person point of view is surging in popularity because it delivers a level of psychological intimacy that other narrative forms cannot match. Unlike third‑person storytelling, which keeps audiences at a visual and emotional distance, first‑person places readers...
Am I Hoid? | #writing #cosmere #thewayofkings
The video addresses a frequent fan question: whether Brandon Sanderson is the character Hoyd, the recurring narrator who appears across several Cosmere works. Sanderson clarifies that Hoyd is a fictional construct, not a self‑insert, and explains the distinction between author...