Jessica Hopper is a rock critic with a secret. She hates music festivals. After more than a decade covering Lollapalooza, Bonaroo and all the rest, she finally called it quits.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Sven Birkerts tried to write a novel, but realized he had more success writing about fiction than writing fiction. He tells Steve Paulson how he became a literary critic.
Ever since the Cold War ended, we've largely forgotten about the threat of nuclear war. Ron Rosenbaum says that's a huge mistake. In fact, the threat is very real in today's world.
Stephen Asma teaches philosophy at Columbia College in Chicago. He talks to Anne Strainchamps about his book "On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears."
The first stories in "Thousand and One Nights" were written down in the ninth century. They’ve been added to over the years. In some ways, it’s not so much a book as a living river of stories. Some of the most recent additions come from the celebrated novelist Salman Rushdie.
You can also hear many more interviews with Rushdie.
What's the best way to fight the homogenization of America?
Film-maker Shu Kei tells Steve Paulson about his film, “A Queer Story.” It’s the story of a gay couple in Hong Kong, and created a lot of discomfort for its straight audiences.
Yann Martel's novel "Life of Pi" is an adventure story and also a meditation on religious faith. He says a good religion is like a good story.
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