Stride & Saunter

Language has a clear impact not only on how others perceive and react to us, but on how we treat and see ourselves. What are our internal narratives of who we are and how we live? How do linguistic distinctions affect these perceptions? This week, we welcome Dan Farina to explore one such verbal line: the difference between using "can be" and "am". How do these and associated terms represent a spectrum of being? Where does language fail to capture the nuances and potential within lived experience?

Philosophy and introspection present us with numerous questions, concepts and theories, some of which are far more applicable than others. One such practical question asks "Which is better: To say something and wish you hadn't or say nothing and wish you had?" How do we judge worth in the subjective spaces of conversation and silence? How do social factors judge our speech as we might not? How do different spaces and circumstances treat silence differently?

Many of us approach the realm of art history with degrees of apprehension, uncertainty and intellectual dread. We treat its topics as pedantic and its concepts as cumbersome, but why? This week, we welcome Tamar Avishai to discuss the study of art history and how it might inform the world beyond the field. What can the subject teach us about storytelling or the detachments of the ivory tower? How do we make art history and other topics unnecessarily distant because of our perceptions?

Of all that defines America, our history as a democratic nation that places faith in the people is quite possibly our brightest beacon and most ambitious goal. As recent years have shown us, we are often vocally and sharply positioned against one another in discussions of politics and logistics. Despite the clashes and rancor there are those like Pete Davis, this week's guest, who believe wholeheartedly in the mission of democracy. Specifically, we took the opportunity this week to explore how we might deepen our democracy. Why is that important? How does democracy exist and manifest outside the realm of politics?

Although vulnerability and openness offer rich and meaningful connection to the world, mainstream Western culture appears directly opposed to its philosophy. Concerns about appearances, status, and fame treat vulnerability as a weakness and a non-essential element to life. This week, we welcome Kate Krosschell to discuss the dichotomy and cultural divide. How are these perspectives not only different, but in sharp contrast to one another? What can each worldview learn from the other?

A breadth of paradox:

Loss and recollection

Light amidst shadow

End and origin

Sound against silence

Many thoughts and one,

Peace from pain.

For all the time many of us will spend with others in a workplace, circumstances aren't always positive or healthy. Some work environments deteriorate so thoroughly that health, productivity and interpersonal trust collapse as a result. This week, Ina Coveney joins us to share her insights on the topic of toxic workplaces. How to destructive habits become silently interwoven into work culture? How does work culture make it difficult to change problems we observe and experience?

As long as art has helped human beings go beyond traditional limits, understandings and perceptions, legal systems have attempted to impose order, rules and confines within which to live. At their intriguing intersection, among other concepts, exists Fair Use and other approaches to regulating some artistic practices. But how do limits interact with the realm of the boundless? How do terms like parody and satire muddy the waters and complicate our understanding of unfair duplication or artistic augmentation?

Although friendships often promote compassion, shared perspectives and overall understanding, getting there from a state of non-acquaintance isn't always straightforward. Younger years offer more chances to tumble into lifelong bonds, but as we grow older, the transition from stranger to friend can become more rocky. This week, we welcome Sarah Pruski to explore the nuances of the question "Can we be friends?" What vulnerabilities does it illuminate? How is it uncomfortable for some and appealing for others? How does it create attention where some might prefer subtlety?

The concept of a celebrity crush has become commonplace in our culture - the famed folks after whom we pine, lust and dream. Many of us look to celebrities as icons of romantic or sexual interests. Their fame helps us describe our feelings and attractions. But why does the term have traction? Why do we find it so appealing and accessible? How does the term reflect a tendency towards or preference of the visible?