Neuroscientist Richard Davidson is a leading expert on the science of mindfulness. He's teamed up with the Dalai Lama to put Buddhist monks in brain scanners, and he's developing a new scientific model for studying emotion.
You can also listen to the EXTENDED interview, and read the extended transcript.
Patricia Smith is an African American who's the four-time champion of the National Poetry Slam.
The French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, was presented with a Freedom on Expression award from the PEN American Center this week. Six high-profile writers boycotted the awards ceremony at PEN's big annual gala. Hundreds more protested, while others gave the magazine's editors a standing ovation. The chariman of the PEN World Voices Festival is Colm Toibin, the celebrated Irish novelist. Toibin shares his thoughs on the controversy.
Philip Freeman is the author of “Saint Patrick of Ireland: A Biography.” He says that Patrick was enslaved by Irish raiders, escaped back to England, then returned to Ireland because of a vision and devoted himself to converting the Irish.
This is a poem by Susan Avishai about a single elderly woman who lived next door for more than 25 years.She wrote it just a few months before her neighbor passed away.
The question isn't "seen any good movies lately?" but instead "experienced any good paratexts lately?"
Jayne Anne Phillips is the author of several novels and two collections of widely anthologized short stories...
Rabbi Harold Kushner tells Anne Strainchamps that people need to believe their lives are meaningful and that we can make a significant contribution by our everyday actions.
