What a thought-provoking interview. I find it fascinating (horrifying) to witness the unrelenting demand of Americans for 'normalcy' as though the country pre-pandemic with its political instability, rampant corruption, racial injustice, and massive income inequality was 'normal'. The pandemic could have served as a national 're-set' to reprioritize our values, to recognize the fragility of life and civilization. Instead, the opposite has occurred. We've become hardened to the loss of life and more concerned about the economy than the safety of our children. We are collectively as unprepared for the next wave of the pandemic as we are for a future pandemic or inexorable calamitous climate change. More and more we seem to be an irredeemable country, not the worst by any measure, but completely untethered from any of the values we once claimed to revere. Or perhaps I'm simply more pessimistic than usual.
I think this is one of my favorite special-guest editions you've published so far! Love to hear about process, especially from someone whose work I so admire. Thanks!
This was so interesting, thank you. I read Station Eleven when it first came out and loved it but almost never watch film or TV based on books I've read, I'm always disappointed. Based on this I'm going to go watch it!
The other thing that was fascinating was the conversation about homeschooling and the lack of math but the abundance of reading. My parents were both public school teachers so I grew up in CA public schools; they were also voracious readers as were all of us kids. there are many times through my life where I've realized how much more deep my education was because of reading. There's so much focus on STEM right now, which is fine (also I love math) but I don't think ever in my life I've seen a focus in education of just read more and I wish that existed.
What a thought-provoking interview. I find it fascinating (horrifying) to witness the unrelenting demand of Americans for 'normalcy' as though the country pre-pandemic with its political instability, rampant corruption, racial injustice, and massive income inequality was 'normal'. The pandemic could have served as a national 're-set' to reprioritize our values, to recognize the fragility of life and civilization. Instead, the opposite has occurred. We've become hardened to the loss of life and more concerned about the economy than the safety of our children. We are collectively as unprepared for the next wave of the pandemic as we are for a future pandemic or inexorable calamitous climate change. More and more we seem to be an irredeemable country, not the worst by any measure, but completely untethered from any of the values we once claimed to revere. Or perhaps I'm simply more pessimistic than usual.
Beautiful, Isaac. Thank you for the hope, the rose, the light.
I think this is one of my favorite special-guest editions you've published so far! Love to hear about process, especially from someone whose work I so admire. Thanks!
This was so interesting, thank you. I read Station Eleven when it first came out and loved it but almost never watch film or TV based on books I've read, I'm always disappointed. Based on this I'm going to go watch it!
The other thing that was fascinating was the conversation about homeschooling and the lack of math but the abundance of reading. My parents were both public school teachers so I grew up in CA public schools; they were also voracious readers as were all of us kids. there are many times through my life where I've realized how much more deep my education was because of reading. There's so much focus on STEM right now, which is fine (also I love math) but I don't think ever in my life I've seen a focus in education of just read more and I wish that existed.