NYIH Conversations

NYIH Conversations

episodes

Since 1977, the New York Institute for the Humanities has brought together distinguished scholars, writers, artists, and publishing professionals to foster crucial discussions around the public humanities. Through weekly seminars and public events, the NYIH nurtures conversations and collaborations among its network of fellows to broaden the intellectual vision informing and enlivening public culture. For more information and to support the NYIH, visit nyihumanities.org.

The End of Books: A Lecture by Robert Coover

June 18, 2023

The End of Books

Robert Coover
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Robert Coover spoke at the Institute in the spring of 2006. Coover is the author of over a dozen postmodern novels, including The Public Burning and P…

Historian Laurence Stone on the Role and Revival of Narrative in History

December 27, 2022

The Role and Revival of Narrative in History

Laurence Stone

In this week’s episode from the Institute’s Vault, we hear a lecture on the revival of narrative in history by Laurence Stone. Professor Stone taught …

Eyal Press, "Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America" (Picador, 2022)

December 5, 2022

Dirty Work

In the episode of Conversations from the Institute, we hear from Eyal Press, who is the author of Absolute Convictions: My Father, a City, and the Con…

Kelefa Sanneh on "Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres"

December 8, 2021

Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres

Kelefa Sanneh

Institute fellow Ben Ratliff talks with Kelefa Sanneh about his new book, Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres, which tells the st…

Louis Menand on "The Free World: Art and Thought in the Cold War"

April 16, 2021

The Free World: Art and Thought in the Cold War

Louis Menand

The Free World: Art and Thought in the Cold War, is Luke Menand’s fourth book. His last, The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America, won the 2…

Caitlin Zaloom on "Indebted: How Families Make College Work at Any Cost"

November 20, 2020

Indebted: How Families Make College Work at Any Cost

Caitlin Zaloom

Caitlin Zaloom is a Professor of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University. Her first book, Out of the Pits: Traders and Technology From Chi…

Lee Gutkind on "My Last Eight Thousand Days: An American Man in His Seventies"

November 6, 2020

My Last Eight Thousand Days: An American Man in His Seventies

Lee Gutkind is the founder and editor of Creative Nonfiction, and teaches in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State Unive…

Ben Taylor on His Friendship with Philip Roth

May 19, 2020

On My Friend Philip Roth

Novelist and Institute Fellow Ben Taylor talks about Here We Are, a memoir of his friendship with Philip Roth. Taylor is the author of two previous me…

Honor Moore on "Our Revolution: A Mother and Daughter Mid-Century"

May 12, 2020

Our Revolution: A Mother and Daughter Mid-Century

In addition to three collections of poetry, NYIH fellow Honor Moore is the author of several celebrated works of nonfiction, including The White Black…

Ben Moser on Susan Sontag

May 5, 2020

On Susan Sontag

Biographer Benjamin Moser talks with Robert Boynton about the making of his 2019 biography of Susan Sontag, which was awarded to Pulitizer Prize. Mose…

Deirdre Bair on "Parisian Lives: Samuel Beckett, Simone de Beauvoir, and Me"

April 20, 2020

Parisian Lives: Samuel Beckett, Simone de Beauvoir, and Me

Deirdre Bair

This episode pays tribute to longtime fellow Deirdre Bair, who passed away on April 18, 2020. The author of six biographies and two memoirs, Bair rece…

Peter Filkins on H. G. Adler and Holocaust

April 1, 2020

H. G. Adler and Holocaust

Peter Filkins

Poet and NYIH Fellow Peter Filkins talks with Eric Banks about his exceptional involvement with the work of H.G. Adler, the Holocaust survivor who aut…

Joshua Jelly-Schapiro on Mardi Gras's Caribbean Roots

February 24, 2020

On Mardi Gras's Caribbean Roots

Joshua Jelly-Schapiro

NYIH Fellow Josh-Jelly-Schapiro is a geographer and writer whose last book, Island People, explored the Caribbean in all its complexities. On the occa…

Clifford Thompson on "What It Is: Race, Family, and One Thinking Black Man’s Blues"

February 19, 2020

What It Is: Race, Family, and One Thinking Black Man’s Blues

Clifford Thompson

NYIH Fellow Clifford Thompson joins us to discuss his latest book, written in the aftermath of the 2016 election, What It Is: Race, Family, and One Th…

Vivian Gornick on "Unfinished Business: Notes of a Chronic Re-reader"

February 11, 2020

Unfinished Business: Notes of a Chronic Re-reader

Vivian Gornick

Celebrated memoirist and critic (and NYIH fellow) Vivian Gornick discusses her newest book, Unfinished Business: Notes of a Chronic Re-reader, and tel…

André Aciman on "Find Me"

February 3, 2020

Find Me

André Aciman

André Aciman's 2007 novel Call Me By Your Name was the rare work of literary fiction that managed to develop an especially enthusiastic following, par…

Eliza Griswold on "Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America"

December 19, 2019

Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America

Eliza Griswold

Robert Boynton talks with Eliza Griswold, poet and author of Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America, which won the Pulitzer Pr…

Patrick Radden Keefe on "Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland"

November 27, 2019

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland

Patrick Radden Keefe

New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe is the author of Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, a New York Times Bes…

Lawrence Weschler on Oliver Sacks

November 12, 2019

On Oliver Sacks

Lawrence Weschler

Lawrence "Ren" Weschler is the former director of the New York Institute for the Humanities and a two-time winner of the George Polk Award and won the…

Jad Abumrad on Radiolab

January 29, 2019

Jad Abumrad on Radiolab

Jad Abumrad is the co-host and creator of Radiolab. He studied creative writing and music composition at Oberlin and, in 2011, was awarded a MacArthur…