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What is the most personal work you’ve ever created? That was among the many questions novelist Paul Auster, known for exploring the paradoxes of identity in the New York Trilogy, […]
Thomas Hampson is a large man, with even bigger ideas. He stopped by Big Think to talk about his craft, as well as the current state of classical music. From […]
While John Irving has come to stand as the American novelist parexcellence, he is not particularly into the novel—in its modern form—nor, for that matter, America. In fact, as he […]
Writing for an academic journal? If your prose doesn’t sound importantly recondite enough, you could just let this auto-pedant do it for you.
Monday morning quarterbacks aren’t restricted to sports. The world is full of backseat drivers. And when it comes to how a country is run, there are plenty to choose from. […]
Augusten Burroughs, author of the bestselling memoirs “Running with Scissors” and “A Wolf at the Table,” as well as the new holiday-themed “You Better Not Cry,” returned to Big Think […]
French anthropologist Claude Levi Strauss, the founder of structuralist anthropology, has died aged 100.
A crucial round of climate change talks are underway in Spain, with a singular message shared widely among United Nations delegates: get ready to deliver big in Copenhagen.
Russell Simmons says no. Between Jay-Z, LL Cool J and Ice-T, all signs point upwards. Big Think also asked the business mogul if he thought the world has changed at […]
John Irving came by Big Think to discuss his latest book, “Last Night in Twisted River,” and the craft of fiction writing. He explained that for each of his 12 […]
“Nobody who’s ever been poor would ever use the phrase ‘selling out.'” So said Sherman Alexie, award-winning author of “War Dances,” “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,” and […]
National unity can be a very elusive concept, even in a country like the United States (just ask anyone at a healthcare reform town hall). Then again, anyone who has […]
Author Janet Malcom’s book discusses the “morally indefensible” career of journalism in an industry which turns guttings into a spectator sport.
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” comic Larry David is under fire from critics over a fictional incident where he urinates on a painting of Christ.
The Queen of England’s husband made a cringe-worthy gaffe at a reception for British Indians.
Banks have some of the largest collections of art. Since the bail out, should the public see an aesthetic return on investment?
Extracts from Sarah Palin’s ghost writer’s diary detailing her dealings with the former governor have been published in Salon.
Now that the US has an African American president what does civil rights activist Booker T. Washington still offer?
They may be known for the quality (and cost) of their education, but over the past three decades graduates from America’s Ivy League school’s have formed the foundation of contemporary […]
Comedian David Cross shockingly admitted to snorting cocaine at a White House dinner while only 40 feet away from the president
Innovative European theatre group Punchdrunk has brought its terrifying blend of lies, strange scents, whispers and bloody murder to Massachusetts.
Jason Christopher Hartley, a career member of the Army National Guard and author of “Just Another Soldier” came to Big Think today and told us about his 11 months serving […]
Nelson Mandela ‘has never read’ a biography by the president of Congo-Brazzaville which features a ‘faked’ glowing endorsement from him.
America has a long and storied history with Ford Motor’s F-Series pickup truck. Sold in America for over 60 years the line of pickups hasn’t just been a longtime symbol […]
A sustainability charity has thrown down the gauntlet in the battle against climate change.
The barren plains of Chile’s Valley of the Moon have been captured in a set of stunning new photographs.
Sky rocketing onto our screens, Japan’s Astro Boy cartoon is a classic tale with spectacular effects!
These are not particularly easy times for novelists. For one, they have to figure out how to stay focused on a single project or idea for a sustained period of […]
Online Forums at the Guggenheim billed as ‘innovative’ may be a bad idea in retrospect.