Paula Marantz Cohen comes from a family of loud and opinionated talkers. She said her mother was the “maestro of the dinner table” because of her ability to regale her family with colorful stories about her life.

Cohen believes in the importance of meaningful conversation because it gives us joy, surprise and insight, and engages us with others. In her new book Talking Cure, Cohen says that the art of conversation is under threat from partisanship, social media, conformity and censorship.

Honest conversation, Cohen says, is not about scoring points or even winning arguments. It’s about being vulnerable, honest, curious and authentic. It’s good for our mental health and good for civic engagement. Paula Marantz Cohen is an English Professor at Drexel University and joins us to talk about talking.