Discover these great live classes coming soon to Five Things I’ve Learned. Join live and enjoy unlimited access to the class archive you can view later, whenever you like.
Upcoming Classes
Matthew Zapruder
Five Things I've Learned About
Honoring Family as a Source of Creativity
Join celebrated poet, writer, and professor Matthew Zapruder in this live, 90-minute class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about honoring family as a source of creative inspiration – about being truthful...
Grant Faulkner
Five Things I've Learned About
The Art of Brevity
Join writer and Executive Director of National Writing Month Grant Faulkner in this live two-hour class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about what happens when you apply principles and aesthetic of brevity...
Matt Strain
Five Things I've Learned About
The Ways A.I. is Revolutionizing the Writing Process
Join Adobe Research Lab veteran Matt Strain in this live, two-hour class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the ways artificial intelligence is helping writers find new ways to develop their ideas and...
Julianna Baggott
Five Things I've Learned About
Balancing Family, Writing, and the Work/Life Blur
Join writer, producer, and mother Julianna Bloggett in this live 90-minute class and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the good, beautiful, weirdly-efficient blur that can streamline your life and...
Richard Panek
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing What You Don’t Know
Join best-selling writer and teacher Richard Panek in this live, two-hour class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the spirit of discovery and exploration – and the process by which great writing...
Camille Dungy
Five Things I've Learned About
Tending the Gardens of Creativity and Motherhood
Join celebrated poet, writer, editor, and scholar Camille Dungy in this live, 90-minute class and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the ways that creativity arises from the soil of our most fundamental...
Valerie June
Five Things I've Learned About
Cultivating Music, Creativity, and Your Own Badass Self – in Five Songs
Join critically-acclaimed singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Valerie June in this live two-hour class and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about maintaining music’s connection to all we need to...
Joseph Fasano
Five Things I've Learned About
The Craft and Magic of Poetry
Join poet, novelist, songwriter, and teacher Joseph Fasano and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how poetry works – and how poetry helps us all become better listeners to the world around us, to the...
Cheryl Strayed
Five Things I've Learned About
Nurturing Your Artistic Life (While Keeping the Almighty List)
Join New York Times best-selling author Cheryl Strayed in this live, two-hour class and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about how to honor your desire to create and see your projects through – even when...
Greg Sandow
Five Things I've Learned About
The Death of Classical Music
Join classical music composer, critic, teacher, and thought leader Greg Sandow in this live 90-minute class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the contemporary cultural shifts reshaping classical music...
Steve Almond
Five Things I've Learned About
The Wisdom of Failure
Join bestselling writer and teacher Steve Almond in this live, two-hour class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about accepting failure as a necessary step to success – and about reframing creative failures...
Maya C. Popa
Five Things I've Learned About
Poetic Form
Join writer, editor, and teacher Maya C. Popa in this live two-hour class and discover the Five Things I’ve Learned about the ways that poetic form both organizes and conveys our essential emotions and insights.
Andre Dubus III
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing as Dreaming
Join award-winning writer and teacher Andre Dubus III in this live, two-hour class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about why writing happens best when we summon the faith and the nerve to get out of our own...
View On Demand
Holly Lynn Payne
Five Things I've Learned About
The Power of Page One
View the archive of this two-hour class from novelist and host of “The Page One Podcast” Holly Payne, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about a book’s critical first page – and about how you can ensure...
Andrew Penn
Five Things I've Learned About
Psychedelic Science and Psychedelic Assisted Therapy
Join speaker, researcher, and UCSF Clinical Professor Andrew Penn in this live 90-minute class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the ways that psychedelic-assisted therapy is revolutionizing medical...
Discover more than 80 classes first offered during our first three seasons now available on demand anytime.
Every class from Seasons One, Two and Three is available for individual purchase – and for discounted purchase via our Three- or Six-Class Multipass.
Rabih Alameddine
Five Things I've Learned About
Being Grumpy
Join internationally-acclaimed writer Rabih Alameddine, and discover the few things he’s learned about the elasticity of identity and imagination.
Isabel Allende
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing Fiction
Join Isabel Allende, one of the most widely read and acclaimed authors in the world, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about writing fiction, discovering your voice, and writing the work you were born to...
Steve Almond
Five Things I've Learned About
Where Stories Come From
Join bestselling writer and teacher Steve Almond, and discover the Five Things he’s Learned about the powerful emotions that serve as the engines of our storytelling – and about the ways that these emotions show...
Ashton Applewhite
Five Things I've Learned About
Ageism
Join author and activist Ashton Applewhite and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about ageism – and about cheering up, pushing back, and living the life you want to live.
Louise Aronson
Five Things I've Learned About
Elderhood
Join doctor, educator, professor of medicine, and Pulitzer Prize Award finalist Louise Aronson and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about improving our shared healthcare system, aging, and the decades of old...
Steven Austad
Five Things I've Learned About
What Nature Can Teach Us About Living Longer, Healthier Lives
Join distinguished biologist, professor, and author, Steven Austad, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned from researching the lives of animals in the wild about human health and our own aging process.
Nir Barzilai
Five Things I've Learned About
The New Science of Longevity
Join acclaimed scientist, professor, and author Dr. Nir Barzilai and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the scientific hacks that can improve your health, increase your life span, and make it possible for...
Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson
Five Things I've Learned About
The Two Hollywoods
Join celebrated film historians and writers Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson and discover the Five Things They’ve Learned about the people and values that shaped the movie business – and all they uncovered while...
Perla Batalla
Five Things I've Learned About
Leonard Cohen: His Women, Onstage and Backstage
Join singer-songwriter Perla Batalla, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the essential role women played again and again in Leonard Cohen’s life and music.
Cara Black
Five Things I've Learned About
Crafting a Sense of Place
Join New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cara Black, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the ways that a strong sense of place anchors readers and draws them into the story.
David W. Blight
Five Things I've Learned About
The Challenges and Triumphs of Writing Biography
Join acclaimed teacher, scholar and public historian David W. Blight and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the ways that biography can help us better learn about thinking, writing, and living well.
Nicholas Buccola
Five Things I've Learned About
Freedom, from Frederick Douglass
Join award-winning author and professor Nicholas Buccola and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the meaning and value of freedom by studying the life and writing Frederick Douglass.
Nicholas Buccola
Five Things I've Learned About
Love, from James Baldwin
Join award-winning author and professor Nicholas Buccola, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the meaning of love from the life and thought of James Baldwin.
Hayes Carll
Five Things I've Learned About
Songwriting – in Five Songs
Join this two-hour class and discover the Five Things singer-songwriter Hayes Carll has learned about songwriting – through five great songs that helped give voice to his heartaches, joys, and aspirations.
Myisha Cherry
Five Things I've Learned About
The Social Uses of Anger
Join writer, author, and professor Myisha Cherry and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the essential roles that rage and anger play in public life – and in our principled responses to all forms of...
Judy Collins
Five Things I've Learned About
Leonard Cohen: The Man and His Music
Join legendary singer-songwriter Judy Collins, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about Leonard Cohen – from her unique position at start of his music career to her current-day view of his enduring...
Nina Collins
Five Things I've Learned About
Women and Aging
Join writer, speaker, and founder Nina Collins, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the richness and promise that shape the second half of women’s lives.
Judith Curr
Five Things I've Learned About
How Publishing Works
Join celebrated President and Publisher of the HarperOne Group, Judith Curr, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the power of storytelling and the joys of publishing – plus the behind-the-scenes...
Aaron Dworkin
Five Things I've Learned About
How Social Change Really Happens
Join entrepreneur, professor, MacArthur Fellow, and President Obama’s first appointment to the National Council on the Arts, Aaron Dworkin, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the life-changing power...
Thomas Dyja
Five Things I've Learned About
How to Live in a City
Join acclaimed writer and historian Thomas Dyja and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how we can use our city’s structures and energies to improve our well-being and help create a better place for all.
Elissa Epel
Five Things I've Learned About
Stress and Aging
Join author, professor, and Director of the Aging Metabolism Emotions Center at UCSF, Elissa Epel, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the ways that transforming stress can improve you health and add...
Grant Faulkner and Brooke Warner
Five Things I've Learned About
What It Takes to Finish a Book
Join Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and Brooke Warner, Publisher of She Writes Press, and discover the Five Things They’ve Learned about the essential mindsets that...
James Fox
Five Things I've Learned About
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena: What Our Government Still Doesn’t Know – and All It Does.
Join film-maker and producer James Fox, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about all that’s certain – and all that remains unknown – in light of the U.S. Defense Department’s continuing investigation...
Marc Freedman
Five Things I've Learned About
The Power that Comes from Connecting Generations
Join social entrepreneur and author Marc Freedman and discover Five Things He’s Learned about the great things that happen when generations come together.
Pauline Frommer
Five Things I've Learned About
The Power of a Life-Changing Vacation
Join writer, editor, speaker, and broadcaster Pauline Frommer, and discover Five Things She’s Learned about the ways in which new places and experiences teach us that the person we are at home isn’t the only being...
Robbie Fulks
Five Things I've Learned About
The Nature of Songs
Join singer, recording artist, instrumentalist, composer, and songwriter Robbie Fulks and discover Five Things He’s Learned about some of the essential elements that enable music to communicate, cohere, and endure.
Mary Gauthier
Five Things I've Learned About
The Healing Power of Songwriting – in Five Songs
Join singer-songwriter, troubadour, and author Mary Gauthier, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about song’s unique power to bring hope in the face of deep trauma – inspiring lessons from her own life...
Elizabeth George
Five Things I've Learned About
Editing My Own Work
Join New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George, and discover how the Five Things She’s Learned about self-editing can help you to recognize what works in your own writing – and to fix what doesn’t.
Don George
Five Things I've Learned About
How to be a Travel Writer
Join the author of How to Be a Travel Writer, Lonely Planet’s best-selling guide to travel writing, Don George, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about what makes a great travel story — and how to...
Janine di Giovanni
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing Narrative Non-Fiction
Join multi-award winning journalist and author Janine di Giovanni, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about writing — and appreciating — narrative non-fiction and memoir.
Janine di Giovanni
Five Things I've Learned About
Moral Injury and its Personal Consequence
Join multi-award winning journalist and author Janine di Giovanni, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about understanding and surviving the moral injury individuals suffer when forced to witness an event...
Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr.
Five Things I've Learned About
America’s Past, and Its Urgent Lessons for Today
Join writer, author, and professor Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about keeping connected to the voices and visions of our country’s past – and about James Baldwin’s America...
James Gray
Five Things I've Learned About
Craft, and the Movies
Join award-winning writer and director James Gray, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the personal and professional craft of moviemaking.
Timothy Hampton
Five Things I've Learned About
Cheerfulness
Join professor Timothy Hampton, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the historic roots of cheerfulness, and about how our control this essential tool of emotional life lies not in our deepest selves but...
Timothy Hampton
Five Things I've Learned About
Listening to Bob Dylan
Join writer, scholar, and teacher Timothy Hampton, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned from a lifetime of listening to the greatest songwriter of our time: How some of Bob Dylan’s most famous songs work,...
Molly Haskell
Five Things I've Learned About
Movie Love in the Sixties and Seventies
Join acclaimed author and film critic Molly Haskell, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about loving film and film criticism during the golden age of film appreciation.
Paul Irving
Five Things I've Learned About
The Upside of Aging
Join author and senior fellow at the Milken Institute Paul Irving and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how each of us can make the most of the unprecedented potential and possibility that awaits our...
Pico Iyer and Michael Shapiro
Five Things I've Learned About
The Art of the Interview
Join acclaimed writers and interviewers Pico Iyer and Michael Shapiro, and discover the Five Things They’ve Learned from experience about the Art of the Interview.
Pico Iyer
Five Things I've Learned About
The Art of Stillness
Join internationally-acclaimed writer Pico Iyer and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about opening up space in our heads, and in our days.
Pico Iyer and Michael Shapiro
Five Things I've Learned About
Deepening the Creative Flow
Join acclaimed writers and interviewers Pico Iyer and Michael Shapiro, and discover the Five Things They’ve Learned from their own experience — and from the experience of the many creative figures they’ve met...
Steven Johnson
Five Things I've Learned About
Where Creativity Comes From
Join best-selling author Steven Johnson, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the critical tools innovative thinkers use to nurture their creative practice – and the five key questions consistently...
Catherine Grace Katz
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing the History We Think We Know
Join acclaimed historian and writer Catherine Grace Katz, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about how to uncover and share the stories that challenge our ideas of history.
Laurie R. King
Five Things I've Learned About
What Makes Mysteries Great
Join best-selling writer Laurie R. King, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the essential elements of a great mystery, and the rewards they make possible for readers and writers.
Laurie R. King
Five Things I've Learned About
How Characters Come to Life
Join New York Times bestselling author Laurie R. King, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about creating memorable characters who come to life for her readers.
Phil Klay
Five Things I've Learned About
Thinking and Writing about Citizenship
Join U.S. Marine Corps veteran, writer, and teacher Phil Klay and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about American citizenship – what it means, the obligations it places upon us, and the uglier way our shared...
Elizabeth Lesser
Five Things I've Learned About
How the Hero’s Journey Changes When Women are the Storytellers
Join New York Times bestselling author and Omega Institute co-founder Elizabeth Lesser, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about what happens when women trust their instincts, dignify their values, and...
John Lissauer
Five Things I've Learned About
Leonard Cohen: The Songwriter and the Secret Chord
Join acclaimed songwriter, producer, and arranger John Lissauer, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the inspiration, writing, and recording of some of Leonard Cohen’s most unforgettable songs.
Gordon Lithgow
Five Things I've Learned About
How to Live Better Longer
Join distinguished scientist, researcher, and professor Gordon Lithgow and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about scientists’ remarkable recent efforts to slow aging and improve our chances of a healthy late...
Phillip Lopate
Five Things I've Learned About
Reading and Writing the Essay
Join acclaimed author and editor Phillip Lopate — the celebrated central figure in the revival of the American essay —, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the powerful legacy and continuing...
Julie Lythcott-Haims
Five Things I've Learned About
Making Love Work
Join bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about deepening her ability to love others, and the practical steps that help her build, maintain, and celebrate her most...
Rebecca Makkai
Five Things I've Learned About
Getting Unstuck
Join best-selling novelist and teacher Rebecca Makkai, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about breaking free of the ideas, fears, and ambitions that can block creativity – and about how artists of all...
Anne Midgette
Five Things I've Learned About
The Women Who Shaped Classical Music
Join acclaimed music critic Anne Midgette, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the women whose important work provides new ways to understand and enjoy the pleasures of classical music.
Anne Midgette
Five Things I've Learned About
How to Love Opera Like an Insider
Join acclaimed music critic and opera insider Anne Midgette, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned that make it easy to appreciate and enjoy this essential art form.
BJ Miller
Five Things I've Learned About
Living and Dying During the Pandemic
Join hospice and palliative care specialist Dr. BJ Miller, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned anew about living and preparing for death after this year of shared loss, challenge, and renewal.
Roosevelt Montás
Five Things I've Learned About
Self-Transformation, by Reading Ancient Books
Join writer, author, and professor Roosevelt Montás and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the transforming power of the Great Books—and why the ideas and passions within these ancient sources still...
Allison Moorer
Five Things I've Learned About
What Memoir Demands. And All it Makes Possible.
Join singer/songwriter, producer, and author Allison Moorer, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about sharing her family’s stories in prose and in song – and about all that taking ownership of our most...
Peter Orner
Five Things I've Learned About
Prose Momentum – in Five Great Paragraphs
Join celebrated novelist, essayist, short-story writer, and professor Peter Orner, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how great writers create remarkable movement and energy within a single paragraph –...
Peter Orner
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing (by Not Writing)
Join celebrated novelist, essayist, short-story writer, and professor Peter Orner and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how worrying less, chilling out, and reveling (a little) in not writing makes all...
Alexander Payne
Five Things I've Learned About
Film Making and Film Watching
Join Academy-Award-winning writer and director Alexander Payne in conversation with Richard Peña, and discover the Five Things He Thinks He’s Learned about writing, directing, and editing films — as well as the...
Richard Peña and Phillip Lopate
Five Things I've Learned About
Cinema’s Past, Present, and Future
Join global-film community tastemakers Richard Peña and Phillip Lopate, and discover the Five Things They’ve Learned about cinema’s rich history — and about the many ways to love the movies.
Jerry Saltz
Five Things I've Learned About
Where Art and the Art World are Right Now
Join Pulitzer Prize winning critic and author Jerry Saltz, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the remarkable advances that have refashioned art and the art world – and why today we’re living in one of...
Jerry Saltz
Five Things I've Learned About
How to Look at Art
Join Pulitzer-Prize winning art critic and New York magazine columnist Jerry Saltz, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how artists and art lovers become really good at art.
Russell Shorto
Five Things I've Learned About
How Manhattan Became “The Island at the Center of the World”
Join New York Times bestselling writer Russell Shorto, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how the Dutch founding of New York City shaped the world’s most dynamic metropolis – and continues to impact...
Russell Shorto
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing Family History
Join New York Times bestselling writer Russell Shorto, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about diving into your past and bringing the story you find there to life.
Sylvie Simmons
Five Things I've Learned About
The Life of Leonard Cohen
Join author, journalist, biographer, and singer-songwriter Sylvie Simmons, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about Leonard Cohen – and all she still learns from him five years after he passed away.
Matt Strain
Five Things I've Learned About
Getting Started with A.I. – for Real People
Join Adobe Research Lab veteran Matt Strain and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about getting started in the emerging, exciting world of artificial intelligence.
James Surowiecki
Five Things I've Learned About
How to Write about Ideas
Join journalist and author James Surowiecki and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how to write about ideas – how to take complicated concepts and make them accessible; and how, in the process, to...
James Surowiecki
Five Things I've Learned About
The Wisdom and Madness of Social Media
Join journalist and author James Surowiecki and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how the Internet is reshaping the way we learn and think – and why, for all of its promise, social media seems to be...
Jonathan Taplin
Five Things I've Learned About
The Future of Media and Democracy
Join acclaimed producer, executive, professor, and author Jonathan Taplin, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the tenuous link between media and democracy – and what the continuing convergence of...
Bob Thurman
Five Things I've Learned About
Wisdom, Bliss, and Openness
Join scholar, writer, translator, and teacher Bob Thurman, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about achieving reliable and lasting happiness during his lifetime learning and teaching the Buddha’s curriculum.
Nicole Tung
Five Things I've Learned About
Documenting Stories of Conflict
Join multi-award-winning photojournalist Nicole Tung, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about photos’ unique power to inform, to connect, and to document people’s lives.
Dr. Eric Verdin
Five Things I've Learned About
Covid-19, Aging, and the Immune System
Join President and Chief Executive Officer of the Buck Institute Dr. Eric Verdin, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about aging and immunity by studying Covid-19 – and all we can do to continue thriving in...
LTC (Ret.) Alexander Vindman
Five Things I've Learned About
Responding to Russian Aggression and the War in Ukraine
Join retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel Alexander Vindman and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about this critical time in history from his years engaging with Russia’s military and political leadership.
Lisa Immordino Vreeland
Five Things I've Learned About
Documenting the Lives I Admire Most
Join award-winning documentary filmmaker Lisa Immordino Vreeland — and her special guest Penelope Tree—, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about documenting and sharing the lives of some of the...
Brooke Warner
Five Things I've Learned About
What It Takes to Get Published
Join editor and publisher Brooke Warner, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about what agents, editors, and publishers look at when considering a new manuscript – and all they’re really looking for.
Brooke Warner
Five Things I've Learned About
How Women Writers Thrive
Join editor and publisher Brooke Warner, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned during her nearly two decades of leading and championing women-only publishing about the ways that women writers work,...
Brooke Warner
Five Things I've Learned About
Giving Voice to What Matters in the New Year
Join writer and publisher Brooke Warner, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about putting out the message you most want to share in the new year.
Sam Wasson
Five Things I've Learned About
The Last Time I Saw Hollywood
Join celebrated author Sam Wasson, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about Hollywood’s second golden age, and the ways that those few gorgeous years in the late sixties and early seventies illuminate the...
Lewis Watts
Five Things I've Learned About
Documenting Migration and Culture
Join photographer, archivist, curator, and teacher Lewis Watts, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about photography’s power to trace, preserve, and celebrate the people and communities of the African...
Rick Wilson
Five Things I've Learned About
How We Win the Messaging Wars and Save Democracy
Join ex-Republican political strategist, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, and best-selling author Rick Wilson, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about what we can do right away to ensure that America...
Simon Winchester
Five Things I've Learned About
The Joy of Dictionaries
Join celebrated writer and raconteur Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman and The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned...
Meg Wolitzer
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing about Family
Join New York Times–bestselling author Meg Wolitzer, and discover Five Things She’s Learned about the differences between real life families and the ones we invent – and how a writer might take experiences from...
Larissa Zimberoff
Five Things I've Learned About
What Will Be On Our Plate in Ten Years
Join investigative journalist Larissa Zimberoff, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about how technology is reshaping our food and reimagining our food system – and what these changes mean for people who...
Discover every Five Things I’ve Learned class, each filled with essential lessons from someone we admire.
Rabih Alameddine
Five Things I've Learned About
Being Grumpy
Join internationally-acclaimed writer Rabih Alameddine, and discover the few things he’s learned about the elasticity of identity and imagination.
Isabel Allende
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing Fiction
Join Isabel Allende, one of the most widely read and acclaimed authors in the world, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about writing fiction, discovering your voice, and writing the work you were born to...
Steve Almond
Five Things I've Learned About
The Wisdom of Failure
Join bestselling writer and teacher Steve Almond in this live, two-hour class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about accepting failure as a necessary step to success – and about reframing creative failures...
Steve Almond
Five Things I've Learned About
Where Stories Come From
Join bestselling writer and teacher Steve Almond, and discover the Five Things he’s Learned about the powerful emotions that serve as the engines of our storytelling – and about the ways that these emotions show...
Ashton Applewhite
Five Things I've Learned About
Ageism
Join author and activist Ashton Applewhite and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about ageism – and about cheering up, pushing back, and living the life you want to live.
Louise Aronson
Five Things I've Learned About
Elderhood
Join doctor, educator, professor of medicine, and Pulitzer Prize Award finalist Louise Aronson and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about improving our shared healthcare system, aging, and the decades of old...
Steven Austad
Five Things I've Learned About
What Nature Can Teach Us About Living Longer, Healthier Lives
Join distinguished biologist, professor, and author, Steven Austad, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned from researching the lives of animals in the wild about human health and our own aging process.
Julianna Baggott
Five Things I've Learned About
Balancing Family, Writing, and the Work/Life Blur
Join writer, producer, and mother Julianna Bloggett in this live 90-minute class and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the good, beautiful, weirdly-efficient blur that can streamline your life and...
Nir Barzilai
Five Things I've Learned About
The New Science of Longevity
Join acclaimed scientist, professor, and author Dr. Nir Barzilai and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the scientific hacks that can improve your health, increase your life span, and make it possible for...
Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson
Five Things I've Learned About
The Two Hollywoods
Join celebrated film historians and writers Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson and discover the Five Things They’ve Learned about the people and values that shaped the movie business – and all they uncovered while...
Perla Batalla
Five Things I've Learned About
Leonard Cohen: His Women, Onstage and Backstage
Join singer-songwriter Perla Batalla, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the essential role women played again and again in Leonard Cohen’s life and music.
Cara Black
Five Things I've Learned About
Crafting a Sense of Place
Join New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cara Black, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the ways that a strong sense of place anchors readers and draws them into the story.
David W. Blight
Five Things I've Learned About
The Challenges and Triumphs of Writing Biography
Join acclaimed teacher, scholar and public historian David W. Blight and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the ways that biography can help us better learn about thinking, writing, and living well.
Nicholas Buccola
Five Things I've Learned About
Freedom, from Frederick Douglass
Join award-winning author and professor Nicholas Buccola and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the meaning and value of freedom by studying the life and writing Frederick Douglass.
Nicholas Buccola
Five Things I've Learned About
Love, from James Baldwin
Join award-winning author and professor Nicholas Buccola, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the meaning of love from the life and thought of James Baldwin.
Hayes Carll
Five Things I've Learned About
Songwriting – in Five Songs
Join this two-hour class and discover the Five Things singer-songwriter Hayes Carll has learned about songwriting – through five great songs that helped give voice to his heartaches, joys, and aspirations.
Myisha Cherry
Five Things I've Learned About
The Social Uses of Anger
Join writer, author, and professor Myisha Cherry and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the essential roles that rage and anger play in public life – and in our principled responses to all forms of...
Judy Collins
Five Things I've Learned About
Leonard Cohen: The Man and His Music
Join legendary singer-songwriter Judy Collins, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about Leonard Cohen – from her unique position at start of his music career to her current-day view of his enduring...
Nina Collins
Five Things I've Learned About
Women and Aging
Join writer, speaker, and founder Nina Collins, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the richness and promise that shape the second half of women’s lives.
Judith Curr
Five Things I've Learned About
How Publishing Works
Join celebrated President and Publisher of the HarperOne Group, Judith Curr, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the power of storytelling and the joys of publishing – plus the behind-the-scenes...
Andre Dubus III
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing as Dreaming
Join award-winning writer and teacher Andre Dubus III in this live, two-hour class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about why writing happens best when we summon the faith and the nerve to get out of our own...
Camille Dungy
Five Things I've Learned About
Tending the Gardens of Creativity and Motherhood
Join celebrated poet, writer, editor, and scholar Camille Dungy in this live, 90-minute class and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the ways that creativity arises from the soil of our most fundamental...
Aaron Dworkin
Five Things I've Learned About
How Social Change Really Happens
Join entrepreneur, professor, MacArthur Fellow, and President Obama’s first appointment to the National Council on the Arts, Aaron Dworkin, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the life-changing power...
Thomas Dyja
Five Things I've Learned About
How to Live in a City
Join acclaimed writer and historian Thomas Dyja and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how we can use our city’s structures and energies to improve our well-being and help create a better place for all.
Elissa Epel
Five Things I've Learned About
Stress and Aging
Join author, professor, and Director of the Aging Metabolism Emotions Center at UCSF, Elissa Epel, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the ways that transforming stress can improve you health and add...
Joseph Fasano
Five Things I've Learned About
The Craft and Magic of Poetry
Join poet, novelist, songwriter, and teacher Joseph Fasano and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how poetry works – and how poetry helps us all become better listeners to the world around us, to the...
Grant Faulkner
Five Things I've Learned About
The Art of Brevity
Join writer and Executive Director of National Writing Month Grant Faulkner in this live two-hour class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about what happens when you apply principles and aesthetic of brevity...
Grant Faulkner and Brooke Warner
Five Things I've Learned About
What It Takes to Finish a Book
Join Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and Brooke Warner, Publisher of She Writes Press, and discover the Five Things They’ve Learned about the essential mindsets that...
James Fox
Five Things I've Learned About
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena: What Our Government Still Doesn’t Know – and All It Does.
Join film-maker and producer James Fox, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about all that’s certain – and all that remains unknown – in light of the U.S. Defense Department’s continuing investigation...
Marc Freedman
Five Things I've Learned About
The Power that Comes from Connecting Generations
Join social entrepreneur and author Marc Freedman and discover Five Things He’s Learned about the great things that happen when generations come together.
Pauline Frommer
Five Things I've Learned About
The Power of a Life-Changing Vacation
Join writer, editor, speaker, and broadcaster Pauline Frommer, and discover Five Things She’s Learned about the ways in which new places and experiences teach us that the person we are at home isn’t the only being...
Robbie Fulks
Five Things I've Learned About
The Nature of Songs
Join singer, recording artist, instrumentalist, composer, and songwriter Robbie Fulks and discover Five Things He’s Learned about some of the essential elements that enable music to communicate, cohere, and endure.
Mary Gauthier
Five Things I've Learned About
The Healing Power of Songwriting – in Five Songs
Join singer-songwriter, troubadour, and author Mary Gauthier, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about song’s unique power to bring hope in the face of deep trauma – inspiring lessons from her own life...
Elizabeth George
Five Things I've Learned About
Editing My Own Work
Join New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George, and discover how the Five Things She’s Learned about self-editing can help you to recognize what works in your own writing – and to fix what doesn’t.
Don George
Five Things I've Learned About
How to be a Travel Writer
Join the author of How to Be a Travel Writer, Lonely Planet’s best-selling guide to travel writing, Don George, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about what makes a great travel story — and how to...
Janine di Giovanni
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing Narrative Non-Fiction
Join multi-award winning journalist and author Janine di Giovanni, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about writing — and appreciating — narrative non-fiction and memoir.
Janine di Giovanni
Five Things I've Learned About
Moral Injury and its Personal Consequence
Join multi-award winning journalist and author Janine di Giovanni, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about understanding and surviving the moral injury individuals suffer when forced to witness an event...
Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr.
Five Things I've Learned About
America’s Past, and Its Urgent Lessons for Today
Join writer, author, and professor Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about keeping connected to the voices and visions of our country’s past – and about James Baldwin’s America...
James Gray
Five Things I've Learned About
Craft, and the Movies
Join award-winning writer and director James Gray, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the personal and professional craft of moviemaking.
Timothy Hampton
Five Things I've Learned About
Cheerfulness
Join professor Timothy Hampton, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the historic roots of cheerfulness, and about how our control this essential tool of emotional life lies not in our deepest selves but...
Timothy Hampton
Five Things I've Learned About
Listening to Bob Dylan
Join writer, scholar, and teacher Timothy Hampton, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned from a lifetime of listening to the greatest songwriter of our time: How some of Bob Dylan’s most famous songs work,...
Molly Haskell
Five Things I've Learned About
Movie Love in the Sixties and Seventies
Join acclaimed author and film critic Molly Haskell, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about loving film and film criticism during the golden age of film appreciation.
Paul Irving
Five Things I've Learned About
The Upside of Aging
Join author and senior fellow at the Milken Institute Paul Irving and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how each of us can make the most of the unprecedented potential and possibility that awaits our...
Pico Iyer and Michael Shapiro
Five Things I've Learned About
The Art of the Interview
Join acclaimed writers and interviewers Pico Iyer and Michael Shapiro, and discover the Five Things They’ve Learned from experience about the Art of the Interview.
Pico Iyer
Five Things I've Learned About
The Art of Stillness
Join internationally-acclaimed writer Pico Iyer and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about opening up space in our heads, and in our days.
Pico Iyer and Michael Shapiro
Five Things I've Learned About
Deepening the Creative Flow
Join acclaimed writers and interviewers Pico Iyer and Michael Shapiro, and discover the Five Things They’ve Learned from their own experience — and from the experience of the many creative figures they’ve met...
Steven Johnson
Five Things I've Learned About
Where Creativity Comes From
Join best-selling author Steven Johnson, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the critical tools innovative thinkers use to nurture their creative practice – and the five key questions consistently...
Valerie June
Five Things I've Learned About
Cultivating Music, Creativity, and Your Own Badass Self – in Five Songs
Join critically-acclaimed singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Valerie June in this live two-hour class and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about maintaining music’s connection to all we need to...
Catherine Grace Katz
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing the History We Think We Know
Join acclaimed historian and writer Catherine Grace Katz, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about how to uncover and share the stories that challenge our ideas of history.
Laurie R. King
Five Things I've Learned About
What Makes Mysteries Great
Join best-selling writer Laurie R. King, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the essential elements of a great mystery, and the rewards they make possible for readers and writers.
Laurie R. King
Five Things I've Learned About
How Characters Come to Life
Join New York Times bestselling author Laurie R. King, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about creating memorable characters who come to life for her readers.
Phil Klay
Five Things I've Learned About
Thinking and Writing about Citizenship
Join U.S. Marine Corps veteran, writer, and teacher Phil Klay and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about American citizenship – what it means, the obligations it places upon us, and the uglier way our shared...
Elizabeth Lesser
Five Things I've Learned About
How the Hero’s Journey Changes When Women are the Storytellers
Join New York Times bestselling author and Omega Institute co-founder Elizabeth Lesser, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about what happens when women trust their instincts, dignify their values, and...
John Lissauer
Five Things I've Learned About
Leonard Cohen: The Songwriter and the Secret Chord
Join acclaimed songwriter, producer, and arranger John Lissauer, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the inspiration, writing, and recording of some of Leonard Cohen’s most unforgettable songs.
Gordon Lithgow
Five Things I've Learned About
How to Live Better Longer
Join distinguished scientist, researcher, and professor Gordon Lithgow and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about scientists’ remarkable recent efforts to slow aging and improve our chances of a healthy late...
Phillip Lopate
Five Things I've Learned About
Reading and Writing the Essay
Join acclaimed author and editor Phillip Lopate — the celebrated central figure in the revival of the American essay —, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the powerful legacy and continuing...
Julie Lythcott-Haims
Five Things I've Learned About
Making Love Work
Join bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about deepening her ability to love others, and the practical steps that help her build, maintain, and celebrate her most...
Rebecca Makkai
Five Things I've Learned About
Getting Unstuck
Join best-selling novelist and teacher Rebecca Makkai, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about breaking free of the ideas, fears, and ambitions that can block creativity – and about how artists of all...
Anne Midgette
Five Things I've Learned About
The Women Who Shaped Classical Music
Join acclaimed music critic Anne Midgette, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about the women whose important work provides new ways to understand and enjoy the pleasures of classical music.
Anne Midgette
Five Things I've Learned About
How to Love Opera Like an Insider
Join acclaimed music critic and opera insider Anne Midgette, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned that make it easy to appreciate and enjoy this essential art form.
BJ Miller
Five Things I've Learned About
Living and Dying During the Pandemic
Join hospice and palliative care specialist Dr. BJ Miller, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned anew about living and preparing for death after this year of shared loss, challenge, and renewal.
Roosevelt Montás
Five Things I've Learned About
Self-Transformation, by Reading Ancient Books
Join writer, author, and professor Roosevelt Montás and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the transforming power of the Great Books—and why the ideas and passions within these ancient sources still...
Allison Moorer
Five Things I've Learned About
What Memoir Demands. And All it Makes Possible.
Join singer/songwriter, producer, and author Allison Moorer, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about sharing her family’s stories in prose and in song – and about all that taking ownership of our most...
Peter Orner
Five Things I've Learned About
Prose Momentum – in Five Great Paragraphs
Join celebrated novelist, essayist, short-story writer, and professor Peter Orner, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how great writers create remarkable movement and energy within a single paragraph –...
Peter Orner
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing (by Not Writing)
Join celebrated novelist, essayist, short-story writer, and professor Peter Orner and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how worrying less, chilling out, and reveling (a little) in not writing makes all...
Richard Panek
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing What You Don’t Know
Join best-selling writer and teacher Richard Panek in this live, two-hour class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the spirit of discovery and exploration – and the process by which great writing...
Holly Lynn Payne
Five Things I've Learned About
The Power of Page One
View the archive of this two-hour class from novelist and host of “The Page One Podcast” Holly Payne, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about a book’s critical first page – and about how you can ensure...
Alexander Payne
Five Things I've Learned About
Film Making and Film Watching
Join Academy-Award-winning writer and director Alexander Payne in conversation with Richard Peña, and discover the Five Things He Thinks He’s Learned about writing, directing, and editing films — as well as the...
Richard Peña and Phillip Lopate
Five Things I've Learned About
Cinema’s Past, Present, and Future
Join global-film community tastemakers Richard Peña and Phillip Lopate, and discover the Five Things They’ve Learned about cinema’s rich history — and about the many ways to love the movies.
Andrew Penn
Five Things I've Learned About
Psychedelic Science and Psychedelic Assisted Therapy
Join speaker, researcher, and UCSF Clinical Professor Andrew Penn in this live 90-minute class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the ways that psychedelic-assisted therapy is revolutionizing medical...
Maya C. Popa
Five Things I've Learned About
Poetic Form
Join writer, editor, and teacher Maya C. Popa in this live two-hour class and discover the Five Things I’ve Learned about the ways that poetic form both organizes and conveys our essential emotions and insights.
Jerry Saltz
Five Things I've Learned About
Where Art and the Art World are Right Now
Join Pulitzer Prize winning critic and author Jerry Saltz, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the remarkable advances that have refashioned art and the art world – and why today we’re living in one of...
Jerry Saltz
Five Things I've Learned About
How to Look at Art
Join Pulitzer-Prize winning art critic and New York magazine columnist Jerry Saltz, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how artists and art lovers become really good at art.
Greg Sandow
Five Things I've Learned About
The Death of Classical Music
Join classical music composer, critic, teacher, and thought leader Greg Sandow in this live 90-minute class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the contemporary cultural shifts reshaping classical music...
Russell Shorto
Five Things I've Learned About
How Manhattan Became “The Island at the Center of the World”
Join New York Times bestselling writer Russell Shorto, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how the Dutch founding of New York City shaped the world’s most dynamic metropolis – and continues to impact...
Russell Shorto
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing Family History
Join New York Times bestselling writer Russell Shorto, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about diving into your past and bringing the story you find there to life.
Sylvie Simmons
Five Things I've Learned About
The Life of Leonard Cohen
Join author, journalist, biographer, and singer-songwriter Sylvie Simmons, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about Leonard Cohen – and all she still learns from him five years after he passed away.
Matt Strain
Five Things I've Learned About
The Ways A.I. is Revolutionizing the Writing Process
Join Adobe Research Lab veteran Matt Strain in this live, two-hour class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the ways artificial intelligence is helping writers find new ways to develop their ideas and...
Matt Strain
Five Things I've Learned About
Getting Started with A.I. – for Real People
Join Adobe Research Lab veteran Matt Strain and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about getting started in the emerging, exciting world of artificial intelligence.
Cheryl Strayed
Five Things I've Learned About
Nurturing Your Artistic Life (While Keeping the Almighty List)
Join New York Times best-selling author Cheryl Strayed in this live, two-hour class and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about how to honor your desire to create and see your projects through – even when...
James Surowiecki
Five Things I've Learned About
How to Write about Ideas
Join journalist and author James Surowiecki and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how to write about ideas – how to take complicated concepts and make them accessible; and how, in the process, to...
James Surowiecki
Five Things I've Learned About
The Wisdom and Madness of Social Media
Join journalist and author James Surowiecki and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about how the Internet is reshaping the way we learn and think – and why, for all of its promise, social media seems to be...
Jonathan Taplin
Five Things I've Learned About
The Future of Media and Democracy
Join acclaimed producer, executive, professor, and author Jonathan Taplin, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about the tenuous link between media and democracy – and what the continuing convergence of...
Bob Thurman
Five Things I've Learned About
Wisdom, Bliss, and Openness
Join scholar, writer, translator, and teacher Bob Thurman, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about achieving reliable and lasting happiness during his lifetime learning and teaching the Buddha’s curriculum.
Nicole Tung
Five Things I've Learned About
Documenting Stories of Conflict
Join multi-award-winning photojournalist Nicole Tung, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about photos’ unique power to inform, to connect, and to document people’s lives.
Dr. Eric Verdin
Five Things I've Learned About
Covid-19, Aging, and the Immune System
Join President and Chief Executive Officer of the Buck Institute Dr. Eric Verdin, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about aging and immunity by studying Covid-19 – and all we can do to continue thriving in...
LTC (Ret.) Alexander Vindman
Five Things I've Learned About
Responding to Russian Aggression and the War in Ukraine
Join retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel Alexander Vindman and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about this critical time in history from his years engaging with Russia’s military and political leadership.
Lisa Immordino Vreeland
Five Things I've Learned About
Documenting the Lives I Admire Most
Join award-winning documentary filmmaker Lisa Immordino Vreeland — and her special guest Penelope Tree—, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about documenting and sharing the lives of some of the...
Brooke Warner
Five Things I've Learned About
What It Takes to Get Published
Join editor and publisher Brooke Warner, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about what agents, editors, and publishers look at when considering a new manuscript – and all they’re really looking for.
Brooke Warner
Five Things I've Learned About
How Women Writers Thrive
Join editor and publisher Brooke Warner, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned during her nearly two decades of leading and championing women-only publishing about the ways that women writers work,...
Brooke Warner
Five Things I've Learned About
Giving Voice to What Matters in the New Year
Join writer and publisher Brooke Warner, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about putting out the message you most want to share in the new year.
Sam Wasson
Five Things I've Learned About
The Last Time I Saw Hollywood
Join celebrated author Sam Wasson, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about Hollywood’s second golden age, and the ways that those few gorgeous years in the late sixties and early seventies illuminate the...
Lewis Watts
Five Things I've Learned About
Documenting Migration and Culture
Join photographer, archivist, curator, and teacher Lewis Watts, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about photography’s power to trace, preserve, and celebrate the people and communities of the African...
Rick Wilson
Five Things I've Learned About
How We Win the Messaging Wars and Save Democracy
Join ex-Republican political strategist, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, and best-selling author Rick Wilson, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about what we can do right away to ensure that America...
Simon Winchester
Five Things I've Learned About
The Joy of Dictionaries
Join celebrated writer and raconteur Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman and The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary, and discover the Five Things He’s Learned...
Meg Wolitzer
Five Things I've Learned About
Writing about Family
Join New York Times–bestselling author Meg Wolitzer, and discover Five Things She’s Learned about the differences between real life families and the ones we invent – and how a writer might take experiences from...
Matthew Zapruder
Five Things I've Learned About
Honoring Family as a Source of Creativity
Join celebrated poet, writer, and professor Matthew Zapruder in this live, 90-minute class and discover the Five Things He’s Learned about honoring family as a source of creative inspiration – about being truthful...
Larissa Zimberoff
Five Things I've Learned About
What Will Be On Our Plate in Ten Years
Join investigative journalist Larissa Zimberoff, and discover the Five Things She’s Learned about how technology is reshaping our food and reimagining our food system – and what these changes mean for people who...