Give and Take

In this episode of Give and Take, Scott talks with essayist and cultural critic William Deresiewicz about his provocative piece Post Election, published in Salmagundi magazine. They explore the growing disaffection with the contemporary left among intellectuals, artists, and other traditional allies, and the emergence of what Deresiewicz calls the “not-left.” It's a wide-ranging conversation about politics, culture, class, and what it means to think independently in a polarized age.

You can find Bill's essay here.

Special Guest: William Deresiewicz.

In this episode of Give and Take, Scott talks with Justin Evans, author of The Little Book of Data. Justin has spent his career helping companies and creatives make sense of the numbers that shape our world. In his new book, he distills big ideas about data into bite-sized insights that are accessible, engaging, and surprisingly fun. We talk about how data can clarify rather than complicate, how it shapes decision-making in business and life, and why learning to read the "small print" of the digital age might just be a superpower. Whether you're a data skeptic or a spreadsheet junkie, this conversation will change how you think about the numbers that surround us.

Special Guest: Justin Evans.

In this episode, I’m joined by Todd McGowan, philosopher, psychoanalytic theorist, and author of Universality and Identity Politics. We explore the central argument of his book—that true political transformation requires a return to universality, not a retreat into particular identities. Todd challenges prevailing assumptions about identity-based movements and offers a compelling alternative grounded in psychoanalytic theory and Hegelian philosophy. It’s a provocative and timely conversation about how we understand solidarity, difference, and what it means to build a more just world.

My guest is Thane Rosenbaum. His latest book, Beyond Proportionality: Israel’s Just War in Gaza, challenges prevailing narratives surrounding Israel's military actions in Gaza, arguing that accusations of disproportionate force overlook the complexities of modern urban warfare and the legal standards governing armed conflict.

Drawing upon international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions and the U.N. Charter, Rosenbaum contends that Israel's military operations target legitimate threats such as terrorist infrastructure and weaponry, while taking measures to minimize civilian casualties. He emphasizes that the principle of proportionality should be assessed based on the intent and conduct of military actions, rather than solely on casualty figures

Special Guest: Thane Rosenbaum.

In this episode of Give and Take, Scott talks with Elizabeth MeLampy, author of Forget the Camel: Animals, Symbols, and the Stories We Tell. From rattlesnake roundups in Texas to lobster boils on the Maine coast, and the curious case of a certain Pennsylvanian groundhog, MeLampy explores the surprising ways animals help us build communities, confront our fears, and make meaning in a messy world. Together, they discuss how rituals involving creatures both wild and domestic reveal our deepest cultural myths—about nature, class, history, and ourselves.

What do sled dogs say about heroism? How does killing a rattlesnake become a rite of regional pride? And why do we still care what a groundhog sees in February? Tune in for a conversation that’s as thought-provoking as it is unexpected.

Special Guest: Elizabeth Melampy.

My guest is Kelsey Osgood. She is the author of Godstruck: Seven Women's Unexpected Journeys to Religious Conversion. Driven by a profound curiosity and anchored by intimate reporting, Godstruck is a provocative, insightful, and refreshingly nuanced exploration of both the joys and the challenges of faith that reveals what these seekers can teach all of us about modern life and our own searches for meaning.

Special Guest: Kelsey Osgood.

In this episode of Give and Take, I talk with journalist and author Benyamin Cohen about one of the most bizarre and largely forgotten chapters of World War II history—when dozens of high-ranking Nazis spent the war years not in prison camps, but in luxury at a West Virginia resort.

We’re talking about the Greenbrier Hotel, a grand, opulent resort nestled in the Allegheny Mountains, where captured German diplomats and their families were detained—if you can even call it that. They enjoyed gourmet meals, spa treatments, tennis matches, and more, all under the watchful but discreet eye of the U.S. government.

How did this happen? Why was it kept quiet? And what does this strange story reveal about America’s role in the war, diplomacy, and the narratives we choose to remember? I address these questions and more as I discuss this surreal piece of history with Benyamin Cohen.

You can find the article Benyamin Cohen wrote about the Greenbrier Hotel and its Nazi guests for The Forward here.

Special Guest: Benyamin Cohen.

My guest is Tamara Dean. In the midst of the environmental crises of the early twenty-first century, Tamara Dean sought a way to live lightly on the planet. Her quest drew her to a landscape unlike any other: the Driftless area of Wisconsin, a region untouched by glaciers, marked by steep hills and deeply carved valleys, capped with forests and laced with cold, spring-fed streams. There, she confronted, in ways large and small, the challenges of meeting basic needs while facing the ravages of climate change—an experience at once soul-stirring and practical that she recounts in Shelter and Storm.

If you're interested in connecting with Tamara during her book tour, you can find a list of events here.

Special Guest: Tamara Dean.

In this episode of the podcast I talk with David Zahl about his new book, The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace in a Worn-Out World. In a time when burnout, anxiety, and relentless pressure are everyday companions, Zahl offers a powerful case for why grace—real, honest, unconditional grace—is more urgent than ever. Drawing on personal stories, cultural analysis, and theological insight, The Big Relief explores how grace can meet us in our exhaustion and offer rest to our restless souls. David and I dive into the heart of the book, unpacking what it means to experience grace in a culture that often demands perfection and performance.

Special Guest: David Zahl.

My guest is Daniel Breyer. His debut novel is Smokebirds. In the near future, when every autumn is fire season in California, wealthy San Franciscans flee their city for smoke-free pastures. Among them are the Petersons, a family enriched by the lumber industry, who traditionally spend every August in Hawaii. This annual retreat, once a period of leisure and luxury with golf, hikes, and high-society mingling, takes a turn when 22-year-old Cole Peterson aligns himself with Aid For Earth, a climate justice organization. Cole and Aid For Earth proceed to mire the Peterson family in scandal, alleging that Peterson Lumber started a forest fire, covered up their culpability, and then profited off a government contract to extract the burnt lumber.

Smokebirds is not just a narrative about the complexity of familial bonds and the facade of integrity; it is a commentary on the enduring power of privilege against the backdrop of climate justice. It captures the tension between societal expectations of accountability and the reality of an elite untouched by the demands for change, reflecting on who truly bears the cost of our environmental crises.

Special Guest: Daniel Breyer.