Though names like Mother Ann Lee and Charles Fourier are not names that ring a bell for most today, they founded two of the most influential utopian movements in US history. 19th Century communes like the Shakers and Brook Farm are gone today their legacy – politically and culturally, are all around us. Chris Jennings is the author of “Paradise Now: The Story of American Utopianism.” Steve Paulson sat down with Jennings and asked him about what is now a dirty word, utopia.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
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Andrew Davidson is the author of "The Gargoyle." It's his debut novel and has been described as "an Inferno for our time."
Albert Glinsky is the author of “Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage.” The book is a biography of Leon Theremin and a history of the instrument that bears his name.
Anthony Harkins tells Steve Paulson about the stereotype of the hillbilly and what it has meant to American culture.
Amy Tan tells Anne Strainchamps about her family history and her mother's belief in fate and the power of their Chinese ancestors.
Worried about getting old? Amy Gorman was, so she went looking for inspiration among old women - some who were over 100.
Philosopher Lars Svendsen talks about how fashion--the search for the new, for the sake of novelty--was born during the early renaissance, with the rise of Modern individuality. He says fashion shapes not just the clothes we wear, but almost every part of our lives.
Alice Walker talks about some of the poems in her book “Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth,” inspired by the events of September 11th.
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