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In the latest installment of the ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein, Mark Edmundson joins in to discuss his new book, “The Age of Guilt: The Super-Ego in the Online World.” Music by Jack Bauerlein.
In the latest installment of the ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein, Mark Edmundson joins in to discuss his new book, “The Age of Guilt: The Super-Ego in the Online World.” Music by Jack Bauerlein.
Two quick opening notes on this episode of the Eminent Americans podcast:* According to some post by some guy that I read somewhere once, most podcasts don't make it past 20 episodes. This is episode 21, which I take to mean not only that I'm more stubborn and self-absorbed than all those sub-21-ep scrubs—who have appropriately realized by episode 20 that the world doesn't need another podcaster in it—but that this is surely one of those tipping point situations where if you make it past 20, then the next few hundred are all but assured. So I'll be in your life for a while, or at least until you unsubscribe. * This is the second episode in a row in which I flamboyantly refuse to pay any attention to the text that my guest has selected as our topic of conversation. I should probably reconsider my approach to these State of the Discourse episodes. * The opening clip is from Beanie Siegel's “The Truth.”My guest on this episode of the podcast is James Livingston, professor emeritus of history at Rutgers and the author of, among other books, The World Turned Inside Out: American Thought and Culture at the End of the 20th Century and Origins of the Federal Reserve System: Money, Class, and Corporate Capitalism, 1890-1913. He's currently hard at work on a new book on pragmatism, provisionally titled The Intellectual Earthquake: How Pragmatism Changed the World, 1898-2008.The Mark Edmundson essay we discuss is “Truth Takes a Vacation: Trumpism and the American philosophical tradition.” James's response to it, published on his Substack newsletter Politics, Letters, Persons, is “Pragmatism: An Old Name for a New Kind of Nihilism?”Here's how the AI software Claude describes our conversation. It's basically accurate, but I feel as though it fails to capture the unique essence of our charm and brilliance.This conversation is between Daniel Oppenheimer, the host of the podcast Eminent Americans, and his guest James Livingston, an intellectual historian and professor emeritus at Rutgers University. The main focus of their discussion is pragmatism, the philosophical tradition associated with thinkers like William James, Charles Sanders Peirce, and Richard Rorty.Livingston argues that pragmatism is still very relevant to American culture and politics. He sees it as a perspective that dismantles traditional dualisms and binary oppositions in favor of more fluid, constructed notions of truth. A key pragmatist idea they discuss is that truths are made by humans rather than existing independently, and that facts cannot be separated from the values and purposes that shape them.They then apply this pragmatist lens to the current polarized political climate in the US. Livingston suggests that the contemporary right-wing, characterized by the "MAGA nation," is motivated by a desire to defend traditional hierarchies and values like male supremacy that are threatened by more egalitarian social changes. He and Oppenheimer debate whether directly confronting this regressive impulse is necessary and desirable.While Oppenheimer is skeptical that heightened politicization and polarization is productive, Livingston argues it is clarifying essential conflicts in American society around issues like racism and sexism. However, they agree that approaching political opponents with empathy and an attempt to understand the experiences and values motivating them is important.Throughout, they reflect on the role of intellectuals and the nature of progress. The conversation showcases the continued relevance of pragmatist ideas for making sense of truth, politics and social change in the United States today. Get full access to Eminent Americans at danieloppenheimer.substack.com/subscribe
Walt Whitman knew a great deal about democracy that we don't. Most of that knowledge is concentrated in one stunning poem, Song of Myself. In Song of Ourselves: Walt Whitman and the Fight for Democracy (Harvard UP, 2021), esteemed cultural and literary thinker Mark Edmundson offers a bold reading of the 1855 poem, included here in its entirety. He finds in the poem the genesis and development of a democratic spirit, for the individual and the nation. Whitman broke from past literature that he saw as “feudal”: obsessed with the noble and great. He wanted instead to celebrate the common and everyday. Song of Myself does this, setting the terms for democratic identity and culture in America. The work captures the drama of becoming an egalitarian individual, as the poet ascends to knowledge and happiness by confronting and overcoming the major obstacles to democratic selfhood. In the course of his journey, the poet addresses God and Jesus, body and soul, the love of kings, the fear of the poor, and the fear of death. The poet's consciousness enlarges; he can see more, comprehend more, and he has more to teach. In Edmundson's account, Whitman's great poem does not end with its last line. Seven years after the poem was published, Whitman went to work in hospitals, where he attended to the Civil War's wounded, sick, and dying. He thus became in life the democratic individual he had prophesied in art. Even now, that prophecy gives us words, thoughts, and feelings to feed the democratic spirit of self Jonathan Najarian is Lecturer of Rhetoric in the College of General Studies at Boston University. He is the editor of Comics and Modernism: History, Form, Culture, a collection of essays exploring the connections between avant-garde art and comics. He is also at work on a biography of the visual artist Lynd Ward, titled The Many Lives of Lynd Ward. He can be reached at joncn@bu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Walt Whitman knew a great deal about democracy that we don't. Most of that knowledge is concentrated in one stunning poem, Song of Myself. In Song of Ourselves: Walt Whitman and the Fight for Democracy (Harvard UP, 2021), esteemed cultural and literary thinker Mark Edmundson offers a bold reading of the 1855 poem, included here in its entirety. He finds in the poem the genesis and development of a democratic spirit, for the individual and the nation. Whitman broke from past literature that he saw as “feudal”: obsessed with the noble and great. He wanted instead to celebrate the common and everyday. Song of Myself does this, setting the terms for democratic identity and culture in America. The work captures the drama of becoming an egalitarian individual, as the poet ascends to knowledge and happiness by confronting and overcoming the major obstacles to democratic selfhood. In the course of his journey, the poet addresses God and Jesus, body and soul, the love of kings, the fear of the poor, and the fear of death. The poet's consciousness enlarges; he can see more, comprehend more, and he has more to teach. In Edmundson's account, Whitman's great poem does not end with its last line. Seven years after the poem was published, Whitman went to work in hospitals, where he attended to the Civil War's wounded, sick, and dying. He thus became in life the democratic individual he had prophesied in art. Even now, that prophecy gives us words, thoughts, and feelings to feed the democratic spirit of self Jonathan Najarian is Lecturer of Rhetoric in the College of General Studies at Boston University. He is the editor of Comics and Modernism: History, Form, Culture, a collection of essays exploring the connections between avant-garde art and comics. He is also at work on a biography of the visual artist Lynd Ward, titled The Many Lives of Lynd Ward. He can be reached at joncn@bu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history
Walt Whitman knew a great deal about democracy that we don't. Most of that knowledge is concentrated in one stunning poem, Song of Myself. In Song of Ourselves: Walt Whitman and the Fight for Democracy (Harvard UP, 2021), esteemed cultural and literary thinker Mark Edmundson offers a bold reading of the 1855 poem, included here in its entirety. He finds in the poem the genesis and development of a democratic spirit, for the individual and the nation. Whitman broke from past literature that he saw as “feudal”: obsessed with the noble and great. He wanted instead to celebrate the common and everyday. Song of Myself does this, setting the terms for democratic identity and culture in America. The work captures the drama of becoming an egalitarian individual, as the poet ascends to knowledge and happiness by confronting and overcoming the major obstacles to democratic selfhood. In the course of his journey, the poet addresses God and Jesus, body and soul, the love of kings, the fear of the poor, and the fear of death. The poet's consciousness enlarges; he can see more, comprehend more, and he has more to teach. In Edmundson's account, Whitman's great poem does not end with its last line. Seven years after the poem was published, Whitman went to work in hospitals, where he attended to the Civil War's wounded, sick, and dying. He thus became in life the democratic individual he had prophesied in art. Even now, that prophecy gives us words, thoughts, and feelings to feed the democratic spirit of self Jonathan Najarian is Lecturer of Rhetoric in the College of General Studies at Boston University. He is the editor of Comics and Modernism: History, Form, Culture, a collection of essays exploring the connections between avant-garde art and comics. He is also at work on a biography of the visual artist Lynd Ward, titled The Many Lives of Lynd Ward. He can be reached at joncn@bu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies
Walt Whitman knew a great deal about democracy that we don't. Most of that knowledge is concentrated in one stunning poem, Song of Myself. In Song of Ourselves: Walt Whitman and the Fight for Democracy (Harvard UP, 2021), esteemed cultural and literary thinker Mark Edmundson offers a bold reading of the 1855 poem, included here in its entirety. He finds in the poem the genesis and development of a democratic spirit, for the individual and the nation. Whitman broke from past literature that he saw as “feudal”: obsessed with the noble and great. He wanted instead to celebrate the common and everyday. Song of Myself does this, setting the terms for democratic identity and culture in America. The work captures the drama of becoming an egalitarian individual, as the poet ascends to knowledge and happiness by confronting and overcoming the major obstacles to democratic selfhood. In the course of his journey, the poet addresses God and Jesus, body and soul, the love of kings, the fear of the poor, and the fear of death. The poet's consciousness enlarges; he can see more, comprehend more, and he has more to teach. In Edmundson's account, Whitman's great poem does not end with its last line. Seven years after the poem was published, Whitman went to work in hospitals, where he attended to the Civil War's wounded, sick, and dying. He thus became in life the democratic individual he had prophesied in art. Even now, that prophecy gives us words, thoughts, and feelings to feed the democratic spirit of self Jonathan Najarian is Lecturer of Rhetoric in the College of General Studies at Boston University. He is the editor of Comics and Modernism: History, Form, Culture, a collection of essays exploring the connections between avant-garde art and comics. He is also at work on a biography of the visual artist Lynd Ward, titled The Many Lives of Lynd Ward. He can be reached at joncn@bu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history
Walt Whitman knew a great deal about democracy that we don't. Most of that knowledge is concentrated in one stunning poem, Song of Myself. In Song of Ourselves: Walt Whitman and the Fight for Democracy (Harvard UP, 2021), esteemed cultural and literary thinker Mark Edmundson offers a bold reading of the 1855 poem, included here in its entirety. He finds in the poem the genesis and development of a democratic spirit, for the individual and the nation. Whitman broke from past literature that he saw as “feudal”: obsessed with the noble and great. He wanted instead to celebrate the common and everyday. Song of Myself does this, setting the terms for democratic identity and culture in America. The work captures the drama of becoming an egalitarian individual, as the poet ascends to knowledge and happiness by confronting and overcoming the major obstacles to democratic selfhood. In the course of his journey, the poet addresses God and Jesus, body and soul, the love of kings, the fear of the poor, and the fear of death. The poet's consciousness enlarges; he can see more, comprehend more, and he has more to teach. In Edmundson's account, Whitman's great poem does not end with its last line. Seven years after the poem was published, Whitman went to work in hospitals, where he attended to the Civil War's wounded, sick, and dying. He thus became in life the democratic individual he had prophesied in art. Even now, that prophecy gives us words, thoughts, and feelings to feed the democratic spirit of self Jonathan Najarian is Lecturer of Rhetoric in the College of General Studies at Boston University. He is the editor of Comics and Modernism: History, Form, Culture, a collection of essays exploring the connections between avant-garde art and comics. He is also at work on a biography of the visual artist Lynd Ward, titled The Many Lives of Lynd Ward. He can be reached at joncn@bu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies
Walt Whitman knew a great deal about democracy that we don't. Most of that knowledge is concentrated in one stunning poem, Song of Myself. In Song of Ourselves: Walt Whitman and the Fight for Democracy (Harvard UP, 2021), esteemed cultural and literary thinker Mark Edmundson offers a bold reading of the 1855 poem, included here in its entirety. He finds in the poem the genesis and development of a democratic spirit, for the individual and the nation. Whitman broke from past literature that he saw as “feudal”: obsessed with the noble and great. He wanted instead to celebrate the common and everyday. Song of Myself does this, setting the terms for democratic identity and culture in America. The work captures the drama of becoming an egalitarian individual, as the poet ascends to knowledge and happiness by confronting and overcoming the major obstacles to democratic selfhood. In the course of his journey, the poet addresses God and Jesus, body and soul, the love of kings, the fear of the poor, and the fear of death. The poet's consciousness enlarges; he can see more, comprehend more, and he has more to teach. In Edmundson's account, Whitman's great poem does not end with its last line. Seven years after the poem was published, Whitman went to work in hospitals, where he attended to the Civil War's wounded, sick, and dying. He thus became in life the democratic individual he had prophesied in art. Even now, that prophecy gives us words, thoughts, and feelings to feed the democratic spirit of self Jonathan Najarian is Lecturer of Rhetoric in the College of General Studies at Boston University. He is the editor of Comics and Modernism: History, Form, Culture, a collection of essays exploring the connections between avant-garde art and comics. He is also at work on a biography of the visual artist Lynd Ward, titled The Many Lives of Lynd Ward. He can be reached at joncn@bu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/poetry
Walt Whitman knew a great deal about democracy that we don't. Most of that knowledge is concentrated in one stunning poem, Song of Myself. In Song of Ourselves: Walt Whitman and the Fight for Democracy (Harvard UP, 2021), esteemed cultural and literary thinker Mark Edmundson offers a bold reading of the 1855 poem, included here in its entirety. He finds in the poem the genesis and development of a democratic spirit, for the individual and the nation. Whitman broke from past literature that he saw as “feudal”: obsessed with the noble and great. He wanted instead to celebrate the common and everyday. Song of Myself does this, setting the terms for democratic identity and culture in America. The work captures the drama of becoming an egalitarian individual, as the poet ascends to knowledge and happiness by confronting and overcoming the major obstacles to democratic selfhood. In the course of his journey, the poet addresses God and Jesus, body and soul, the love of kings, the fear of the poor, and the fear of death. The poet's consciousness enlarges; he can see more, comprehend more, and he has more to teach. In Edmundson's account, Whitman's great poem does not end with its last line. Seven years after the poem was published, Whitman went to work in hospitals, where he attended to the Civil War's wounded, sick, and dying. He thus became in life the democratic individual he had prophesied in art. Even now, that prophecy gives us words, thoughts, and feelings to feed the democratic spirit of self Jonathan Najarian is Lecturer of Rhetoric in the College of General Studies at Boston University. He is the editor of Comics and Modernism: History, Form, Culture, a collection of essays exploring the connections between avant-garde art and comics. He is also at work on a biography of the visual artist Lynd Ward, titled The Many Lives of Lynd Ward. He can be reached at joncn@bu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day
NB: In case you do live in North Carolina and are for some reason interested in taking a writing class with me (or someone else), the company for which I'm going to be teaching is called Redbud Writing Project.Some of the topics mentioned in this episode:– Robert Kolker's article Who Is the Bad Art Friend?– Teaching creative writing– The 2021 Chess World Championship– Garry Kasparov versus Deep Blue– SLEERICKETS is kind of on Twitter, but mostly on Chess.com– A rather tart listener email about Red Scare and Cum Town– The William Logan dilemma– The health of poetry– Mark Edmundson's essay Poetry Slam– Amiri Baraka's poem Somebody Blew Up America– Michael Dickman's poem Scholls Ferry Rd.– The downfall of Don Share– Anders Carlson Wee's poem How-To– Kirk Nesset's poem One Place Is as Good as the Next– Sherman Alexie's selection of Yi-Fen Chou's/Michael Derrick Hudson's poem The Bees, the Flowers, Jesus, Ancient Tigers, Poseidon, Adam and Eve for the 2015 edition of The Best American Poetry– Roger Dodger– Catullus ii & iii– Kevin Young's poem InterludePlease rate, review, and subscribe! Or just recommend the show to a friend!Send questions, comments, and suggestions to sleerickets@gmail.com. Music by ETRNLArt by Daniel Alexander Smith
On this episode, Mark Edmundson joins contributing editor Mark Bauerlein to discuss his recent book “Song of Ourselves: Walt Whitman and the Fight for Democracy.”
On this episode, Mark Edmundson joins contributing editor Mark Bauerlein to discuss his recent book “Song of Ourselves: Walt Whitman and the Fight for Democracy.”
Mark Edmundson joins contributing editor Mark Bauerlein to discuss his recent book “Song of Ourselves: Walt Whitman and the Fight for Democracy.”
Never before has attention been such a precious resource. So on May 19, 2015, the New York Institute for the Humanities held a discussion titled, Distracted: Attention in the Digital Age. Moderated by Virginia Heffernan, the panelists were Winifred Gallagher, David Mikics, Mark Edmundson, and Matthew B. Crawford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Happy Belated All Hallow's Eve! Kinda Kyle puts on Halloween makeup and talks about our cultural obsession with the "GOTHIC," horror, and all things Halloween! How did we go from pretending to be ghosts and asking for winter fruits to dressing as Joe Exotic? Kinda Kyle thinks of an answer before the Fireball shots kick in.View the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OgKSHxJUguw Instagram: https://bit.ly/35VXpz3Outro Music by:Verano Sensual by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5049-verano-sensualLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Articles Referenced: "THE HORROR OF IT ALL! OUR OBSESSION WITH THE GOTHIC FEEDS THE BEAST OF HALLOWEEN" by Mark Edmundson. Washington Post. October 26, 1997. Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1997/10/26/the-horror-of-it-all-our-obsession-with-the-gothic-feeds-the-beast-of-halloween/fed62753-bdd6-4ecd-b010-72d0cc0ad32e/"Why Do We Like Watching Scary Films?" by Mark D. Griffiths. Psychology Today. October 29, 2015. Link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-excess/201510/why-do-we-watching-scary-films"The Psychological Reason Scary Movies Are Sometimes Oddly Comforting" by Kristine Fellizar. Bustle. September 30, 2019. Link: https://www.bustle.com/p/why-horror-movies-can-feel-comforting-according-to-experts-18814314
Question 1: From Cameron: I’m thinking of making a bench inspired by Mark Edmundson’s “Modern Danish Cord Bench” from issue #194-Nov/Dec 2007. I’m want to stretch the width to 6’ to use at my 7’ table. Will the front and rear rails be enough to support 4 well fed adults or will I have a hilarious story to tell for the next 30 year about the thanksgiving collapse of 2019? Mark Edmundson’s “Modern Danish Cord Bench” from issue #194-Nov/Dec 2007 Strategies For Building Stronger Furniture by Mike Korsak #269–July/August 2018 Issue Question 2: From Mark: I saw a video where Matt Wajda drew a tool chest, full scale by hand. Is this a common method? I draw Architecture for a living, I am tired of drawing. I’m not interested in SketchUp, I already spend way too much time with AutoCAD. Woodworking is my release. I completely understand that you can work issues out on paper long before you even touch a board. I am curious about designing without drawing. Does anyone you know use a design process that does not involve drawing? Behind the Design: Tim Coleman’s Arabesque by Tim Coleman and Ben Strano #270–Sep/Oct 2018 Issue Mike's post showing the 1/4-piece mirror trick Segment: Shop Resolutions Mike - Learn a new skill this year Anissa - Draw every day Ben - Finish working on his shop, and start working in his shop… by May Question 3: From Andy: Any idea how to go about achieving the finish in the attached image? I’ve never seen a finish like this one that’s pretty vibrant, yet maintains the appearance of the grain. Is it just a watered down paint? Real Milk Paint's Color Chart Old Fashioned Milk Paint's Color Chart Question 4: From Bob: I have some Japanese chisels that I’m starting to use. About 3/16” behind the edge of the blade is a cove. When you grind back to that cove, the back will no longer be flat. Do you have to toss the chisel out at that point? Tapping Out a Japanese Plane Blade with Andrew Hunter by Andrew Hunter #260–Mar/Apr 2017 Issue Every two weeks, a team of Fine Woodworking staffers answers questions from readers on Shop Talk Live, Fine Woodworking‘s biweekly podcast. Send your woodworking questions to shoptalk@taunton.com for consideration in the regular broadcast! Our continued existence relies upon listener support. So if you enjoy the show, be sure to leave us a five-star rating and maybe even a nice comment on our iTunes page.
Question 1: From Cameron: I’m thinking of making a bench inspired by Mark Edmundson’s “Modern Danish Cord Bench” from issue #194-Nov/Dec 2007. I’m want to stretch the width to 6’ to use at my 7’ table. Will the front and rear rails be enough to support 4 well fed adults or will I have a hilarious story to tell for the next 30 year about the thanksgiving collapse of 2019? Mark Edmundson’s “Modern Danish Cord Bench” from issue #194-Nov/Dec 2007 Strategies For Building Stronger Furniture by Mike Korsak #269–July/August 2018 Issue Question 2: From Mark: I saw a video where Matt Wajda drew a tool chest, full scale by hand. Is this a common method? I draw Architecture for a living, I am tired of drawing. I’m not interested in SketchUp, I already spend way too much time with AutoCAD. Woodworking is my release. I completely understand that you can work issues out on paper long before you even touch a board. I am curious about designing without drawing. Does anyone you know use a design process that does not involve drawing? Behind the Design: Tim Coleman’s Arabesque by Tim Coleman and Ben Strano #270–Sep/Oct 2018 Issue Mike's post showing the 1/4-piece mirror trick Segment: Shop Resolutions Mike - Learn a new skill this year Anissa - Draw every day Ben - Finish working on his shop, and start working in his shop… by May Question 3: From Andy: Any idea how to go about achieving the finish in the attached image? I’ve never seen a finish like this one that’s pretty vibrant, yet maintains the appearance of the grain. Is it just a watered down paint? Real Milk Paint's Color Chart Old Fashioned Milk Paint's Color Chart Question 4: From Bob: I have some Japanese chisels that I’m starting to use. About 3/16” behind the edge of the blade is a cove. When you grind back to that cove, the back will no longer be flat. Do you have to toss the chisel out at that point? Tapping Out a Japanese Plane Blade with Andrew Hunter by Andrew Hunter #260–Mar/Apr 2017 Issue Every two weeks, a team of Fine Woodworking staffers answers questions from readers on Shop Talk Live, Fine Woodworking‘s biweekly podcast. Send your woodworking questions to shoptalk@taunton.com for consideration in the regular broadcast! Our continued existence relies upon listener support. So if you enjoy the show, be sure to leave us a five-star rating and maybe even a nice comment on our iTunes page.
Football is often used as a metaphor for life. What is it about football that makes it so adept at providing lessons on living, what specific lessons can we gleam from the sport, and are those lessons worth the risk of physical injury that come with playing the game? My guest today takes a stab at answering these questions in his book "Why Football Matters: My Education in the Game." His name is Mark Edmundson and he’s a professor of English at the University of Virginia.
We’re back! Ken and Mike discuss the state of the race, make several archaic references to songs from their youth, and make broad sweeping generalizations about “these kids today”. The essay Ken referred to in today’s episode was originally published in Harper’s, and is called “On The Uses Of A Liberal Education” by Mark Edmundson. […]
One of my favorite books I read last year is called Self & Soul: A Defense of Ideals by a professor named Mark Edmundson. He makes the argument that in the West, our commitment to ideals (the Soul) is fading, and we're becoming a culture of the Self -- desiring comfort, safety, and materialism over the ancient ideals of courage, compassion, and contemplation. In today's podcast we discuss ancient ideals, the cultural history of the decline of ideals, and how we can revive Soul in the modern wold.