The Colbert Report, October 16, 2014
Selected Appearances
Give and Take podcast, June 2025
Wide-ranging conversation with a really smart host on liberal exhaustion, spirit vs. bureaucracy, being Jewish, etc.
A conversation on the exhaustion of the liberal establishment.
Eminent Americans podcast, March 2025
An hour-plus with the great Daniel Oppenheimer on the “not-left,” elite ed, rich people, Jewish intellectualism, etc.
Unlicensed Philosophy podcast, February 2025
A conversation about art and art criticism.
EdUp Provost podcast, January 2025
Higher ed: political extremism among professors, DEI, academic freedom, campus protests, the crisis in the humanities, etc.
American Jewish University, November 2024
A conversation about Young Judaea, the progressive Zionist youth movement in which I came of age.
A wide-ranging, big-question interview.
The Unspeakable podcast, May 2024
Time #4 with my pal Meghan Daum, this one on the occasion of the publication of the 10th-anniversary edition of Excellent Sheep.
Inside Sources (KSL Salt Lake City), October 2023
A short segment on “sides” versus “positions.”
The Unspeakable podcast, June 2023
My third time with the always interesting Meghan Daum. We talk about art, boring and AI.
Uncertain Things podcast, May 2023
The arts economy, solitude & sub/urbanism, the technocratic mentality. W/ two 30-something journalist-intellectuals. One of my all-time favorites.
The Good Fight podcast, May 2023
The liberal elite, the arts in the internet age, the inner life. With Yascha Mounk.
Not an Expert podcast, November 2022
Meritocracy, affirmative action, mental health, and more with a smart and thoughtful high school student.
American Purpose, November 2022
A conversation about The End of Solitude, with a good Q&A. Mostly about academia.
The Unspeakable podcast, August 2022
75 free-flowing minutes with the great Meghan Daum. An extra 20 minutes are available as bonus content on her Substack.
A half hour on The End of Solitude with the wonderful Tara Henley, Canadian journalist, author, and broadcaster.
Keen On podcast, November 2021
40+ minutes on The Dawn of Everything, the magisterial new history of humanity co-authored by the late, great David Graeber and reviewed by me in the Atlantic. A brisk and bracing conversation.
Center for Public Christianity (Australia), June 2021
A tight half hour on the themes of Excellent Sheep. Plus, Australian accents.
The Agenda, November 2020
A half hour on The Death of the Artist for TV Ontario with a really smart host.
The Unspeakable Podcast, November 2020
An hour-plus on The Death of the Artist, including lots of writer-talk, with the awesome Meghan Daum.
Humanize Me podcast, September 2020
An hour on The Death of the Artist with Bart Campolo, the great ex-evangelical writer and speaker.
City Club of Cleveland, August 2020
The Death of the Artist virtual book-tour event with Rebekah Modrak of the University of Michigan.
Keen On podcast, August 2020
Half an hour on The Death of the Artist with a brilliant host who sounds like Mick Jagger.
Velshi & Ruhle (MSNBC), March 2019
Short segment on the college admissions bribery scandal.
Unmistakable Creative Podcast, September 2018
My parents, neoliberal education, learning not to give a crap.
The Leadership Podcast, April 2018
Solitude, leadership, higher ed, the waitress principle, and Alan Dershowitz.
Talking to Teens podcast, December 2017
A conversation about talking with adolescents about their future.
Latino USA, May 2017
A short panel discussion about safe spaces on college campuses.
TEDxMtHood, June 2016
“The Best Education for All”: on the political significance of the liberal arts.
99U Conference, May 2016
A talk about creative entrepreneurialism.
Design Week Portland, April 2016
A short talk on food culture and food as culture.
Aspen Ideas Festival, June 2015
“What Is College For?”: a conversation with David Brooks.
The Colbert Report (Comedy Central), October 16, 2014
A segment on Excellent Sheep.
The Leonard Lopate Show (WNYC), September 17, 2014
A half hour on Excellent Sheep.
The Kelly File (Fox News), September 5, 2014
A segment on Excellent Sheep.
Think Out Loud (Oregon Public Broadcasting), August 12, 2014
A full hour on Excellent Sheep.
Creative Mornings Portland, July 2012
A talk on the entrepreneurial ideal among Millennials and others.
Midmorning (Minnesota Public Radio), September 16, 2011
A full hour on the cult of the uniform, with sociologist Jerry Lembcke.
Against the Grain (KPFA/Pacifica), July 26, 2011
A full hour on the crisis in higher education.
Here & Now (WBUR/PRI), June 27, 2011
A long segment on leadership, with a coda on Jane Austen v. VS Naipaul.
Callie Crossley Show (WGBH Radio Boston), May 18, 2011
A half hour on A Jane Austen Education.
Spark (CBC Radio), February 28, 2010
A discussion of friendship and social media with danah boyd.
Forum (KQED San Francisco), January 30, 2009
A full hour on solitude and social media.