The Arts of Travel

I spoke to Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins of The Nation on Liberalism, a subject that despite its omnipresence, I find perplexing and mysterious. 

Daniel unpacks the history of liberalism, the many different strands and threads of this ideology,  engages with left wing critique of liberalism  and addresses if liberalism will soon (or already has) give way to fascism. 

It's a fascinating discussion, and while it did not (and never will) turn me from an anarchist to a liberal, it did help me better understand how pluralism and complexity of the liberal tradition.  

Daniel's work can be found in Dissent, The Baffler and he hosts a regular interview series for The Nation Magazine. His website can be found here: http://danieljenkins.me/ 

Music by Lethal Needle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5CdrLvoUfc

I spoke to the AP's Huizhong Wu on how the shocking images of a chained woman(小花梅, "Little Plum Blossom") in Feng County, Jiangsu has sparked unprecedented fury on China's heavily censored internet. 

Topics of our conversation include the vast class divide between the Eileen Gu's & rural women of China, Human trafficking, Mental Health Care, and why a global audience should care about Little Plum Blossom  

For more w. Huizhong, please follow her work at the Associated Press. She can also be found on Twitter @huizhong_wu

Music by Lethal Needle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B6HR7r94s0

I spoke to Joe Kassabian, a Yerevan based researcher on Armenia, Azerbaijan & the 2020 war for Artsakh (also known as Nagorno-Karabakh) 

Joe explains the long historical roots of Armenian/Azeri conflict, how geopolitical powers like Isreal, Turkey & Russia became involved, Armenia's future and what the global left can learn from centuries of non-violent & armed Armenian resistance. 

For more w. Joe you can check out his podcast Lions Led by Donkeys on Apple & Spotify: shorturl.at/lGOQY

Music by Lethal Needle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t--e1LqfZE

We spoke to Dr. Sabina Knight of Smith for a two-part conversation on her book: Chinese Literature: A Very Short Introduction. 

In part one, we discuss the historic & contemporary influence that Daoism, Confucianism & Anti-War Poetry have had on China's literature & literary culture. 

For more w. Dr. Knight you can find her book here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/chinese-literature-a-very-short-introduction-9780195392067?cc=us&lang=en&

And on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/SabinaKnight1

Music by Mist3r: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Z45wzwYSg 

I spoke to Dr. Jessica Namakkal on her book, Unsettling Utopia: The Making & Unmaking of French India.

This is Part 2 of our conversation,  we discuss the utopian community of Auroville. Located outside of Pondicherry (a former French colonial territory), we discuss Auroville's founding, if its practices constitute settler colonialism, and what Auroville represents about the idea of a utopian life.

 For more w. Jessica Namakkal her personal website is here: https://jessicanamakkal.com/

And her book Unsettling Utopia: The Making & Unmaking of French India, can be purchased from Columbia University Press: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/unsettling-utopia/9780231197694

Music by Prod Riddiman:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eKyjYOZ7yA

I spoke to Journalist Joanna Lillis for an update on Kazakhstan's protests, why Russia was involved in their suppression, protester violence as strategy or sabotage and the future of governance in the country. 

For more w. Joanna please follow her reporting in the Economist or Eurasianet, you can also read her book, Dark Shadows: Inside The Secret World of Kazakhstan. 

Music by Prod. Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzh0n6BI0N4

I spoke to Dr. Jessica Namakkal on her book, Unsettling Utopia: The Making & Unmaking of French India. 

In Part 1 of our conversation, we discuss the history of French India, its unique decolonial movement and the complex identities of its revolutionaries. 

Part 2 (out soon) we discuss the utopian community of Auroville. Located outside of Pondicherry (a former French colonial territory), we discuss Auroville's founding, if its practices constitute settler colonialism, and what Auroville represents about the idea of a utopian life. 

For more w. Jessica Namakkal her personal website is here: https://jessicanamakkal.com/

And her book Unsettling Utopia: The Making & Unmaking of French India, can be purchased from Columbia University Press: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/unsettling-utopia/9780231197694

  Music by Lethal Needle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd-ur7jyV30

I spoke to journalist Taylor Moore on her story for the Chicago Reader, 'A silence louder than words: How allegations of sexual abuse exposed cracks in the foundation of Young Chicago Authors, Free Write Arts & Literacy, and the city’s spoken word community' 

We discuss these allegations, the actors involved, the successes & failures of restorative justice in resolving these allegations, and where Chicago's creative writing scene will go from here. 

Taylor's Twitter is : @taylormooresays. For more of Taylor's journalism, you can check out her website: https://www.taylorgmoore.co/  

Music by LethalNeedle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jec26cgWrKM 

I spoke with Dr. Robert Nichols author of, 'Theft is Property: Dispossession & Critical Theory'.

I discuss w. Dr. Nichols how indigenous philosophy both augments and challenges her. How the concept of property & property law clashed with indigenous concepts of land and how these questions are realized in a present day context.

For those interested in learning more, Dr. Nichols book is available as an open-access text from Duke University press: https://www.dukeupress.edu/theft-is-property

Music by Prod Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9xKaM6IXMA

I spoke to Journalist Nga Pham on reporting the contemporary stories shaping Vietnam. We discuss the mysterious Billionaires behind VIETGROUP, how Covid and Climate Change are affecting Vietnam's populace, and what vision both young and old have for the future of the country. 

You can find more of Nga's breaking stories here:https://twitter.com/ngahpham

Music by Zach Sutton:  https://www.youtube.com/c/ZachSutton