David Denby of The New Yorker tells Steve Paulson that Pauline Kael was the most remarkable person he’s ever known.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
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Codebreaker, a new film by Patrick Sammon, tells the story of the brilliant life and tragic death of Alan Turing. He died at age 41, having revolutionized our world by inventing the first computer programs -- and then computers themselves.
Ever wonder why certain foods fall out of favor? In his book “The Gluten Lie” Alan Levinovitz argues that food has become akin to a modern religion for a lot of us, complete with its own set of rules, prohibitions and guiding beliefs.
Ersi Arvizu tells Jim Fleming about growing up longing to get involved in the sport of boxing. Her dad ran a boxing gym for boys in their backyard.
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.
Dominique Browning tells Anne Strainchamps that after her divorce, she took a perverse pride in letting her house fall apart. Eventually, she came back to life and started taking care of things again.
Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgaard recommends a chilling read: "The Flame Alphabet" by Ben Marcus.
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.
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