Something New from Someone We Admire

Jonathan Taplin shared an extended excerpt from his upcoming book, The End of Reality, with Vanity Fair this week.

Slated for release on September 5, The End of Reality: How Four Billionaires are Selling a Fantasy Future of the Metaverse, Mars, and Crypto describes what Jonathan considers to be the great con job of the twenty-first century: the ways that the respective tech monopolies of...

Phil Klay profiled ongoing efforts to support Afghan refugees as they rebuild their lives in a new article in this week's TIME magazine, "A Talisman Against the Taliban." With his latest offering, Phil continues to make clear the continued, extended consequences for people on both sides of the Afghanistan war.

Phil, a National Book Award-winner and author most recently of the essential 

Aaron Dworkin appeared on Sunday's NBC's The TODAY Show in a video profile celebrating the continued impact of the Sphinx Organization, the social justice organization he founded to help transform lives through the power of diversity in the arts.

The report highlighted the Sphinx Organization's continuing success developing and supporting diversity and inclusion in classical music at...

Isabel Allende talked with Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman for an in-depth interview about her work, focusing her latest novel, The Wind Knows My Name, which looks at the trauma of child-family separation, from Nazi Germany to the U.S.-Mexico border, and those on the frontlines helping migrant children.

“That idea of separating the kids is extremely cruel, but it keeps happening,” Isabel...

Philosopher Myisha Cherry talked about our need to rethink the meaning and purpose of absolution in in last week's interview with Publisher's Weekly, detailing her view that the ways we think about and use forgiveness – personally and as a society – can often do more harm than good.

Myisha, associate professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside, began exploring...

Janine di Giovanni appeared Sunday on CNN's GPS, sharing details of The Reckoning Project's ongoing efforts to document war crimes against Vladimir Putin for his ongoing aggression in Ukraine. You can view Janine's conversation with host Fareed Zakaria right here.

Janine has nearly three decades of experience reporting from many of the most dangerous and volatile regions on the planet....

Larissa Zimberoff provides a real-time update about the future of technology-enabled meat in her recent Fast Company article, "Why You Won't be Eating Cell-Cutivated Meat Any Time Soon," explaining that although technologically-cultivated meat is inching closer to sale in the United States, production, cost, and formulation continue to compromise wide-spread delivery.

Larissa's 2021 book,

Meg Wolitzer recently talked with Rebecca Makkai, each reflecting on their work as best-selling novelists and their common growth as authors. The conversation, held in-person at Chicago's Newberry Library, launched a new series curated by Rebecca and Chicago's StoryStudio, which will pair major visiting authors in conversation with local discussion partners.

The conversation has just been...

Simon Winchester today released Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic – the latest in a remarkable run of fascinating narratives. This latest is an all-encompassing look at how humans acquire, retain, and pass on information and data, and how technology continues to change our lives and our minds.

Needless to say, the timing for such a...

Steve Almond's short story, "The Problem of Human Consumption," has been showcased on the WORDTheater Short Story Podcast, the weekly podcast that showcases a great actor performing a brilliant short story live in LA, NY or London.

In this week's episode, the much acclaimed, ever smooth-sounding Brian Cox delivers a powerful reading of Steve's story, which was first published almost 20...

Robbie Fulks today released his latest album, Bluegrass Vacation, a joyful, boundary-pushing collection of great variously-bluegrass-styled tracks, all very much in the tradition of Robbie's always joyful, boundary-pushing compositions.

The collection features bluegrass-inspired covers and original collaborations with musicians as Alison Brown, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Sierra Hull, John...

Marc Freedman was just celebrated on PBS Newshour, spreading the good news about the opportunity that attends to America's current multi-generational moment. Appearing on the program's "Brief But Spectacular take" segment, Marc advocated for us all to better bridge the divides between people of different ages.

"We need to hone our skills in working across generations," he explained. "And...

Steven Johnson's latest piece of essential writing appears in this coming weekend's New York Times Magazine. "The Brilliant Inventor Who Made Two of History’s Biggest Mistakes" is Steven's fascinating take on inventor Thomas Midgley Jr., who was responsible for two phenomenally destructive innovations – leaded gasoline and commercial chlorofluorocarbons.

Like everything Steven writes,...

Cara Black's sequel to her best-selling Night Flight to Paris arrives in bookstores today! Three Hours in Paris continues her story of American markswoman Kate Rees, who again must take the shot that just might win—or lose—World War II.

As those who follow Cara's writing know, Three Hours in Paris is the latest in a long line of masterful thrillers that have prompted comparison to...

Nicole Tung has been documenting the Russian invasion of Ukraine almost since its inception. As we approach the conflict's one-year anniversary, she continues to share remarkable, intimate dispatches of ongoing life and war in Ukraine for The New York Times – and also via her own social media postings.   

Nicole's work was recognized by The New York Times; and by TIME magazine as...

Joe Henry has a brand new release, All the Eye Can See, and like everything Joe's involved with, this new record is beautiful, elegant, intimate, and inspiring – 12 new songs framed by an instrumental prelude and prologue.

Joe is joined by more than 20 musicians, including long-time musical companions and friends including his son Levon Henry on saxophone & clarinet, David Piltch on...

Peter Orner’s recent Still No Word from You: Notes in the Margin is something great, and something you want to keep coming back to again and again. Just yesterday, Peter was named among the long-list recipients of the  2023 PEN/DIAMONSTEIN-SPIELVOGEL AWARD FOR THE ART OF THE ESSAY for this inspiring and unconventional memoir.

The PEN award specifically recognizes "seasoned writers whose...

Internationally-acclaimed writer Pico Iyer has just released The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise. This new collection of essays recounts visits to remarkable places as only Pico can, exploring ideas of utopia and personal peace in the midst of difficulty and suffering.

Check out this week's recent reviews of The Half Known Life in NPR, The New York Times, and The Financial Times. ...