Rabbi Steve Leder on the line between free speech and antisemitism

The senior rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles says "Jew hatred" is often promulgated by other marginalized communities – and ignores our common humanity.

• Dec 4, 2022

Giving thanks, through the joy of Mango Pie

This Thanksgiving holiday, musician and "Song Exploder" host Hrishikesh Hirway offers his thoughts on how food - including his mom's Mango Pie recipe - brings people together as an instrument of love.

• Nov 20, 2022

Douglas Brinkley: Our planet needs another "Rachel Carson moment"

The historian says Carson, whose writings helped spur the environmental movement of the '60s, should be remembered by voters - and politicians - who need to understand climate change is the primary challenge of our own time.

• Nov 13, 2022

Abraham Lincoln and the preservation of democracy

Historian Jon Meacham on how the 16th president faced an election during the Civil War, when the continuation of democracy was still an open question - and how it resonates with the first post-insurrection midterm election.

• Nov 6, 2022

Jim Gaffigan on the incessant texts from politicians asking for money

The comedian says he's being obsessively stalked by the Democratic and Republican Parties, who have one thing in mind.

• Oct 16, 2022

David Sedaris on coming out, all over again

The humorist has some thoughts about the term "queer" and how people today (or perhaps just humanities professors) identify themselves.

• Oct 16, 2022

Jim Gaffigan is baffled by the mania over pumpkins

The comedian says October (officially "pumpkin season") is the strangest of all made-up seasons – and that "pumpkin spice" isn't what you think it is.

• Oct 9, 2022

New Yorker writer Hua Hsu on maintaining family ties via fax

The author of the new memoir "Stay True" recalls his teen years as a time of overcoming great distances – both generational and global – one page at a time.

• Oct 2, 2022

Rachel Aviv on how the stories we tell about mental disorders shape patients' lives

The New Yorker writer and author of "Strangers to Ourselves" says we can increase our understanding of mental illness by paying more attention to the stories patients tell about their individual experience to find meaning for themselves.

• Sep 18, 2022

Commentary: Queen Elizabeth's epic reign, and why the monarchy matters

Historian and author Amanda Foreman offers her thoughts on the woman who embodied the spirit of a nation, as both a figurehead and a very relatable mother and grandmother.

• Sep 11, 2022

Diana the revolutionary: What we learned from her life and loss

Historian and author Amanda Foreman reflects on the enduring legacy of the "People's Princess," and how she continues to inspire us a quarter-century after her tragic death.

• Sep 4, 2022

David Sedaris on Alaska, land of eagles and no neckties

Returning from "America's Last Frontier," the humorist says he gained an appreciation for a state where people give you things (and not just COVID).

• Aug 7, 2022

All the president's apologists: Defending Trump by attacking the truth

John Dickerson says the former president's supporters have engaged in diversion, distraction and lying about witnesses at the January 6 hearings, demonstrating that they're OK with Trump's failure to protect the nation.

• Jul 24, 2022

"Don't Look Up" director Adam McKay on the climate crisis that's no joke

The effects of climate change are being felt more quickly than we thought possible, but the Academy Award-winning director says there are actions we can take now to deal with this existential threat.

• Jul 24, 2022

ER doctor on the aftermath of gun violence – on the body, and the community

Dr. Megan Ranney, the dean of public health at Brown University and an emergency room physician, talks about the importance of treating gun violence the same way we treat other public health crises – before it lands people in the ER.

• Jul 10, 2022

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