Marcus Chown is agog at the wonder of the universe and tells Anne Strainchamps that we haven't begun to understand the strangeness of it all.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Robert Marshall says that the late Carlos Castaneda was a literary trickster who invented most of the teachings of Don Juan which made him famous in the sixties.
The massive protests in Ferguson, Missouri are on our minds this week. We explore the racial conflict and police violence with sociologist Alice Goffman.
Mark Lee was a war correspondent for the London Telegraph in East Africa. He barely made it back alive and has now written a novel called “Canal House.”
Ralph Stanley is one of the founding fathers of bluegrass or old-time mountain music. He talks with Steve Paulson about his family, his music and his concern with death, and we hear lots of his music.
Jim Gaffigan is an actor and standup comedian, who makes extensive use of his "inner voice."
Psychologist Michael Thompson consults with school systems about how to communicate with boys.
Lauret Savoy believes too many nature writers focus on pristine wilderness and neglect the gritty reality of the places where people actually live - in cities, for instance, maybe even near toxic waste sites - which forces us to grapple with questions about race and poverty.
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