Belief & Climate Change

Why are so many humans religious? Why do we daydream, imagine, and hope? Philosophers, theologians, social scientists, and historians have offered explanations for centuries, but their accounts often ignore or even avoid human evolution. Evolutionary scientists answer with proposals for why ritual, religion, and faith make sense as adaptations to past challenges or as by-products… Read more »

A Conversation With Penelope Trappes

“How would you describe myself,” Penelope Trappes says with a hint of irony as we begin a lengthy conversation. That modicum of irony is ever-present in Trappes work, from the visual imagery to the soundscapes she creates, consistently selecting a serious noir color palette. Yet, Penelope refuses to stay hidden behind a gloom and doom… Read more »

The Optimism Of Jared Yates Sexton. UFOs Or UAPs? New Music To Indulge In

Jared Yates Sexton – The Midnight Kingdom – A History Of Power, Paranoia, And The Coming Crisis “I realize people think of me as a doom-sayer” announces Jared Yates Sexton at the beginning of our conversation, Then, he admits, “After writing this book, I’m optimistic!” That’s quite a statement from a writer who is known… Read more »

Bradley Onishi, A Convincing Writer With A Warning. An Early Conversation With Arlo Parks. 

Stop by Bradley Onishi’s website and you’ll notice he’s not shy about proclaiming his abilities, “Scholar, Speaker, Thought Leader” shouts the headline. Then, in the first sentence of the first paragraph, Bradley adds he is “a social commentator, scholar, writer, teacher, coach, and podcast co-host”. All perfectly valid descriptors, of course, yet he doesn’t get… Read more »

A Peculiarly British Christmas

Christmas Pudding. Christmas Crackers. Pantomimes. Mince Pies. Boxing Day. Ah, yes, Boxing Day, if some of the other peculiarities of a British Christmas are explainable, Boxing Day remains a splendid conundrum. Christmas without Boxing Day is unthinkable in Britain. Forget what it’s really all about or where it originated from, December the 26th is certainly… Read more »

The Prophetic Lens With Phil Allen Jr. Idiosyncratic Opinions With Dr. Binoy Kampmark

In the introduction to his new book, The Prophetic Lens, Phil Allen Jr. quotes a performer who has had his share of notoriety in front of the camera, not least of all his extraordinary behavior live on TV at the Oscars, that performer is of course, Will Smith, who when asked on a late-night talk… Read more »

The Biggest Ideas In The Universe. Elton John @ 75.

Sean Carroll – The Biggest Ideas in the Universe The most trusted explainer of the most mind-boggling concepts pulls back the veil of mystery that has too long cloaked the most valuable building blocks of modern science. Sean Carroll, with his genius for making complex notions entertaining, presents in his uniquely lucid voice the fundamental… Read more »

The Visual Chronicler Of Our Times. Royalty In Movies. New Experimental Music.

The unstoppable cacophony of Manhattan’s ambient soundtrack – police sirens, a building’s gurgling water pipes, the banging and crashing of who-knows-what fail to stymie Steve Brodner’s gentle, yet acerbic comments. We are recording via Zoom, it’s around 8.30 pm, the famed political cartoonist appears to have the windows open, with no intention of allowing the… Read more »

Questions. And, Answers.

Carolyn Hays – A Girlhood: Letter To My Transgender Daughter One ordinary day, a caseworker from the Department of Children and Families knocked on the Hays family’s door to investigate an anonymous complaint about the upbringing of their transgender child. It was this knock, this threat, that began the family’s journey out of the Bible… Read more »

The Intractability Of Racism In American Politics

Barack Obama and his family have been the objects of rumors, legends, and conspiracy theories unprecedented in US politics. Outbreaks of anti-Obama lore have occurred in every national election cycle since 2004 and continue to the present day—two elections after his presidency ended. In Trash Talk, folklorist Patricia A. Turner examines how these thought patterns have… Read more »

A Comic Writer’s Funny Obsession

Mark Haskell Smith Rude Talk In Athens: Ancient Rivals, the Birth of Comedy, and a Writer’s Journey through Greece In ancient Athens, thousands would attend theatre festivals that turned writing into a fierce battle for fame, money, and laughably large trophies. While the tragedies earned artistic respect, it was the comedies—the raunchy jokes, vulgar innuendo,… Read more »

The Tragedy Of Slenderman. A Petition For Climate Protection

Environmental journalist, Robert Hunziker, a frequent contributor to Life Elsewhere shares his opinion on why temperatures across Europe are reaching record highs; why people in Seattle where home air-conditioning is unusual are suffering from extreme heat; how can Florida, already swelteringly hot half of the year, have a heat index that is the highest it… Read more »

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