David Quammen is an American non-fiction writer and the author of 17 books about the history of science, evolutionary biology, zoonotic diseases and the outdoors. His articles have appeared in Outside Magazine, National Geographic, Harper's, Rolling Stone, The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, and other periodicals. David Quammen’s highly acclaimed books include Spillover, The Song of the Dodo, The Tangled Tree and his most recent work, Breathless, about the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a conversation about David's lifelong journey into nonfiction writing and extensive field reporting. 

Laura Guido-Clark is an interior designer and material and color consultant. She has worked with a wide array of everyday products, from furniture, cars, electronics and chocolate. Her recent work includes an update of the iconic Aeron chair. In 2011 Laura founded Project Color, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing urban neighborhoods with paint and pattern. In 2017 she founded Love Good Color, a revolutionary color tool that fuses science with the senses.  

Alam Khan is a musician, composer and performer. The son of Mary Khan and sarode master, Ali Akhbar Khan, he began studies in Indian classical music at the age of seven. Alam has played alongside India’s tabla masters in venues throughout the world. His other collaborations include the Tedeschi Trucks Band the San Francisco Symphony, Bob Weir and his hip hop project, Grand Tapestry. Alam is a teacher of advanced instrumental instruction at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California.

Chris Blum is a graphic artist and art director who works in a variety of mediums, from product graphics and advertising to film and video production. He’s also a lifelong producer of art boxes: dimensional collages that combine wordplay and found objects to make a statement about current events and cultural affairs. Chris is an ardent student of pop culture and I collaborated with him for many years when communicating about issues of food and agricultural policyI spoke with Chris Blum about his ability to visualize his creative projects, working with Tom Waits, the art of making a wine label, and his great grandfather’s confectionary

J Henry Fair is a photographer and storyteller who works at the intersection of art, environmental science and the industrial economy. For decades he has been taking what he describes as “ironically beautiful images of terrible things.” His abstract and highly composed aerial photographs capture coal mining, factory farming, clearcut forestry and other activities. His work is featured in a new book, Human Nature: Planet Earth in Our Time published by Chronicle Books.

Shea Breaux Wells is a vocal artist, performer and songwriter. She was raised in Texas in an artistic household and later found her way to Los Angeles where she explored numerous musical styles, from art rock to jazz and electronic music. Shea is also a world class vocal instructor who teaches people to sing with intention and technique.