Somalia didn’t have a written language until the 1970's, and today, many if not most Somalis still live within an oral tradition. And in that tradition the poet is king.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
When evangelical Christians say they talk to God, what do they mean? Anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann wanted to find out, so she spent two years as a participant observer in a Charismatic church, talking to the congregation and even praying herself. She says prayer involves cultivating the imagination. Luhrmann also describes her cross-cultural study of schizophrenics who hear voices.
The celebrated poet Edward Hirsch says the history of poetry is the history of poetic forms. And to prove it he wrote a 700-page compendium about all things poetry.
Playwright and actress Anna Deveare Smith tells Steve Paulson about her book “Talk To Me: Listening Between the Lines.” Smith did over 400 interviews with Washington residents, including President Clinton.
Alaa Al Aswany is one of the top-selling novelists in the Arab world, but because copyright protections are weak there, he still works part-time as a dentist.
Alister McGrath, a historical theologian at Oxford, shares Dawkins' interest in science, but little else. He and Steve Paulson talk about the role of religious zealotry.
Kevin Powers served as a machine gunner in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. His novel “The Yellow Birds” was a finalist for the National Book Award.
Pages
