Aug 20 Watch 2:52 Why our culture is a seed, not a treasure Our culture and heritage is part of who we are. But if we treat it as something that can't change, if we feel threatened by other cultures, says award-winning children's books author Grace Lin, "we make our lives smaller." Lin… Continue watching
Aug 13 Watch 3:40 Next time you want to rage, try this act of radical imagination "If you’ve ever had a moment of road rage, or acted impulsively to fend off a pickpocket or bully, you know the feeling," says author Lauren Groff: " You feel as though you could breathe fire." But what if we… Continue watching
Aug 06 Watch 3:16 Are you a man who is interested in book clubs? Here are rules for starting your own Maybe you’re a guy. Maybe you like books. Maybe you like talking with people about books. So what's stopping you from having your own book club, a.k.a. “Literary Domination Society”? Author Nick Arvin shares his humble opinion on why men… Continue watching
Jul 30 Watch 3:22 Don’t let the obsession with precision obscure the beauty of imperfection From the innards of jet engines to the ingredients of the iPhone, precision is an awe-inspiring aspect of modern life. But how truly beneficial has it really been, author Simon Winchester has wondered: "Hasn’t it perhaps made us lose sight… Continue watching
Jul 23 Watch 2:40 Finding my way without role models gave me room to be When Terese Mailhot's book became a bestseller, a reader contemplated whether she was a good role model for indigenous people. But Mailhot says, “I hope that if people look up to me they understand that sometimes a role model’s job… Continue watching
Jul 16 Watch 3:49 David Sedaris says don’t confuse mistakes for microaggressions Indirect or subtle discrimination can be as hurtful as anything overt. But “not everything is a microaggression,” says satirist David Sedaris. “Sometimes people make mistakes.” Sedaris shares his humble opinion on what he sees as an overly sensitive world. Continue watching
Jul 11 Watch 2:57 Why we shouldn’t call midlife blues a ‘crisis’ As he interviewed subjects for a book on age and happiness, author Jonathan Rauch noticed a theme: people in their middle age felt dissatisfied with life, and they were ashamed of it. Indeed, recent studies have found happiness and contentment… Continue watching
Jul 03 Watch 3:19 We stigmatize accents, but language belongs to everyone Scholar and novelist Hernan Diaz was born in Argentina, grew up in Sweden, and spent most of his life in the United States. To some degree, he says, he has a foreign accent in every language he speaks. Diaz shares… Continue watching
Jun 22 Watch 3:47 This music critic says it’s time to update our art consumption ethical standards In this #MeToo era, can we still separate art from the person who made it? New Yorker music critic Amanda Petrusich says that according to the "old rules," how an artist behaves or believes should be off-limits. Petrusich offers her… Continue watching
Jun 11 Watch 3:06 Freedom is your companion when you travel solo By Stephanie Rosenbloom Have you ever wanted to travel to a faraway place, but lamented you had no one to go with? So what, says New York Times travel writer Stephanie Rosenbloom: "Travel alone, and you have the freedom to pursue your particular… Continue watching