David Blight tells Jim Fleming that Americans on both sides played a role in whitewashing the history of the Civil War, in favor of a more unified nation.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
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Ben Greenman is the author of a book called “Superbad: Stories and Pieces.” One of the stories it contains is called “Blurbs” which is nothing but a collection of blurbs.
Christian Wiman is a poet and editor of Poetry Magazine. His latest book of poems, Every Riven Thing, is a celebration of life and an exploration of mortality.
Dean Hamer tells Steve Paulson about the gene that regulates brain activity that we perceive as an affinity for spiritual matters.
Novelist Michel Faber recommends one of his favorite books: "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater," by Kurt Vonnegut.
John Cheever wrote hundreds of short stories and kept an extensive private journal, fabricated his accent and was primarily gay despite siring three children and remaining in a long marriage. We hear about his life from Blake Bailey, who wrote a biography on the great author.
Science researcher and author Clifford Pickover tells Steve Paulson that God may exist on the fringes of human perception.
Long before the discovery of water on Mars or Matt Damon's star turn in The Martian, Robert Zubrin has been advocating for a human mission to mars. His book, The Case for Mars, made a splash when it was first published in 1996, and has continued to be influential in both scientific and science fiction circles. Zubrin calls Mars "the Rosetta Stone" for understanding life in the universe. But he's not just interested in science. He also thinks the sheer challenge would bring positive and uplifting change to all of humankind.
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