Month: March 2013

Longtime Harper’s Editor Lewis Lapham on The Flaws of Journalism and Excesses of The American Ruling Class

March 27, 2013UncategorizedAmerica, American Politics, author, climate, Clinton, Culture, editor, George Bush, Harper's Magazine, history, Interview, Ira Glass, Journalism, Lapham, Lapham's Quarterly, Lewis Lapham, manhattan, Mark Twain, media, Philosophy, politics, Radio, ruling class, San Francisco, Society, This American Life, writer, Yalekevincaners Leave a comment

Lewis Lapham editor of Lapham’s Quarterly

Whenever anyone happens to mention the name Lewis Lapham – the renowned American writer, and social thinker – chances are that a reference to Harper’s Magazine isn’t too far away. Over the course of the almost 30 years he spent in the role as editor of the influential magazine, Lapham and Harper’s became virtually synonymous.

Although he left his day-to-day role at Harper’s in 2006, the magazine still bears many of his distinctive marks; from its layout, to the style of writing – even the Index and Readings sections which were created in a 1984 redesign he spearheaded – Lapham in many ways shaped the magazine into what it is today. And although the circulation of Harper’s has never rivaled that of more mainstream publications, an impressive number of people, from Ira Glass to Thomas Frank, credit Lapham and the magazine with influencing their journalistic sensibilities.

Harper’s Magazine

But it’s not just for his role as an editor that Lapham become widely known. He is also by many considered one of the most prescient voices in America today. For decades through his columns and books, Lapham, with sharp wit and fierce independence, has been deconstructing the social-cultural landscape of America – traits which have seen him compared with both H.L Menken, and Mark Twain.

He came from a privileged background –attending both Yale and Cambridge, but Lapham has never been shy in criticizing what he sees as the excess, greed and short-sightedness of the ruling elite. He vocally argued for the impeachment of George W. Bush for launching the Iraq War, was openly critical of the Clinton’s, and regularly has taken to task the mainstream media and press for their subservience to power and unwillingness to tackle the important issues.

Lapham’s Quarterly

While he left Harper’s in 2006, Lapham has by no means slowed down. Having long been passionate about the wisdom that can be gleaned from examining history, he immediately went to work founding and editing Lapham’s Quartery a unique publication that takes an issue or topic of current interest and concern—War, Religion, Money, – and examines it in a historical context using the voices and events of the past to bring the topic to light.

I spoke to Lewis Lapham at his office in downtown Manhattan.

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Political Activist & Intellectual Noam Chomsky on Confronting Reality and Speaking Out

March 24, 2013UncategorizedActivist, American Politics, Chomsky, Climate Change, Conversation, dissident, father of modern linguistics, Foreign Policy, Interview, Keystone XL, Linguistics, MIT, Noam Chomsky, noam chomsky on climate change, Obama, Occupy, Professor, professor noam chomsky, Vietnam War, young noam chomskykevincaners Leave a comment

This week, an episode we’re very excited about- an interview with renowned public intellectual Noam Chomsky!

From his activism during the Vietnam War and overcoming self-deceit, to the Keystone Pipeline and the looming threat of climate change.

The Public interviewing Political Activist and MIT Professor Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is widely considered the most important intellectual alive today. In the academic world he is heralded as “father of modern linguistics” thanks to ground breaking theory of syntactic structure which revolutionized the field, as well as for his significant contributions to disciplines from psychology to computer science.

But to ordinary people around the world he better known and admired for his willingness to speak truth to power. For decades he has served as a constant thorn in the side of the U.S. elite and political establishment, delivering lectures, publishing books and writing articles that take on everything from U.S. foreign policy, and state capitalism to distortion in the news media.

Young Noam Chomsky

In the 1960’s he was one of the most prominent figures opposing the Vietnam War and became heavily involved in resistance efforts, leading a tax revolt against the state, and helping students avoid the draft. But his activism didn’t stop with the end of the war, And throughout the 70’s 80s and 90s Chomsky continued devoting his time and speaking out on political issues ranging from the U.S. overthrowing democratic governments Latin America, to corporate attacks on the working class.

And it continues right up to today. He has rallied against the Obama administration for their extrajudicial use of drones strikes and policy of targeted assassinations, and he continues to warn of the environmental and climate crisis currently facing humanity.

He has published upwards of 100 books, and despite his age, he doesn’t seem to show any signs of slowing dow. At 84 he maintains a gruelling schedule, regularly traveling around the world to for political talks and lectures, writing a constant stream of articles, and sitting down for hundreds of interviews a year.

For our interview, I sat down with Noam Chomsky at his office at MIT in Boston.

If you’re interested in checking out more of Noam Chomsky’s articles and interviews a great resource is www.chomsky.info

Thomas Frank of Harper’s Magazine on Obama, Wall Street, and Pitying The Billionaire

March 24, 2013UncategorizedCulture, Easy Chair, Election 2012, Harper's Magazine, Harpers, Interview, Journalism, Obama, Obama's second term, Pity The Billionaire, Radio, The Baffler, Thomas Frank, Wall Street Journal, Writekevincaners Leave a comment

Thomas Frank is probably best known for his regular easy chair column in Harper’s Magazine – the opening essay in which he draws together elements from history culture and politics to make insightful, often unexpected observations into the social-political landscape of our time.

In his columns he has taken on everything from the high cost of tuition and the obsession with austerity in Washington D.C, to the culture of gun violence in America.

Thomas Frank, Easy Chair columnist at Harper’s Magazine

He was born in Kansas City Missouri in 1965, and attended the University of Virginia to study history. Although he originally was conservative, and was even briefly involved with the campus Republicans, soon he discovered his interest in writing, and while still an undergrad, he along with a group of friends founded THE BAFFLER magazine, a journal of cultural criticism.

In 1988 he began studying American history at the University of Chicago, from which he received a PhD in 1994. His dissertation was eventually turned into THE CONQUEST OF COOL a book about how industry had successfully commercialized the idea of rebellion and 60’s counterculture. After leaving academia, he became a full time journalist, although his main interest was culture, while writing for the Chicago Reader he became increasingly drawn to political and economic topics from investigating the advertising efforts of Enron, to challenging the dominant free market ideology of the day.

During his career as a newspaper and magazine columnist He also has written four best selling books – His most recent is called Pity the Billionaire: The Hard-times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right.

Humanitarian Jean Vanier on Becoming Human and Documentary Filmmaker Liz Marshall tackles Animal Rights in Ghosts In Our Machine

March 24, 2013Uncategorizedanimal rights, animals, Becoming Human, Canada, CBC, documentary, Documentary Film, film, Film Festival, filmmaker, Finding Peace, France, Hot Docs, Humanitarian, Interview, Jean Vanier, L'arche, Liz Marshall, Massey Lecture, Philosopher, Philosophy, social justice, The Ghosts In Our Machine, The Public, toronto, vegan, veganism, vegetarianismkevincaners Leave a comment

First up on today’s show, famed Canadian philosopher, author and humanitarian, Jean Vanier, on spirituality, community, and on the philosophy of becoming human. He is the founder of L’arche, a series of supportive community with branches around the world, where those with developmental disabilities and those who come to assist them, share life together in welcoming and friendly settings that are integrated into local neighbourhoods.

To find out more about L’arche you can visit them here

Philosopher and Humanitarian Jean Vanier

And in the second half of the program, I speak with award-winning documentary filmmaker Liz Marshall on her upcoming film The Ghosts in our Machine, in which she turns her lens to how we treat animals in our modern industrial society.

Documentary Filmmaker Liz Marshall

The Ghosts in our Machine will be premiering at the 2013 Hot Docs Documentary Film Festival in Toronto this May.

The Ghosts in our Machine, the upcoming documentary by Liz Marshal explores how we treat animals

To find out more about the film and to keep abreast of upcoming screenings, visit www.theghostsinourmachine.com

Journalist Doug Saunders, on ‘The Myth of the Muslim Tide’

March 24, 2013UncategorizedCanada, Doug Saunders, Immigration, Immigrats, Interview, Journalist, Muslims, Myth of the Muslin Tide, politics, The Globe and Mail, The Myth of the Muslin Tidekevincaners Leave a comment

It’s an argument that is becoming increasingly common in the mainstream media throughout the west, that immigration by Muslims is undermining the liberal and progressive values of modern democracies around the world.

But in his new book “The Myth of the Muslim Tide”, Globe and Mail journalist questions this argument. And through a compelling look into the history of other waves of immigration, and by bringing to light some compelling statistics, Doug Saunders challenges this idea that western values are being threatened by a wave of Muslim immigration, and digs deeper into the issue.

Doug Saunders, Author of The Myth of the Muslim Tide

The Myth of the Muslim Tide

To find out more about the book, or to purchase a copy, visit muslimtide.com
HyperSmash

Journalist and Political Force Chris Hedges on The Corporate Coup D’Etat

March 24, 2013UncategorizedActivism, America, American Politics, Chris Hedgs, days of destruction days of revolt, inequality, Interview, Joe Sacco, Journalism, Obama, Occupy, social justice, Wall Streetkevincaners Leave a comment

This week, a conversation with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, and outspoken public intellectual Chris Hedges on his latest book Days of Destruction Days of Revolt (co-authored with Joe Sacco) and his life spent fighting for political and social justice.

Journalist, writer, and outspoken public intellectual Chris Hedges

Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt the new graphic book by Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco

CBC’s Sook-Yin Lee on Her Life and Career

March 24, 2013Uncategorizedacting, CBC, Definitely not the opera, DNTO, film, Interview, Jack, Jack Layton, Much Music, Olivia Chow, Radio, Sook Yin, Sook-Yin Lee, Toronto Stories, Vancouver, VJkevincaners Leave a comment

This week! An interview with host of CBC’s Definitely Not The Opera, and all around Canadian renaissance woman, Sook-Yin Lee. From her tumultuous childhood in Vancouver, and early interest in the arts, to her days as a Much Music VJ, and her work with film and acting.

Host of DNTO on CBC Radio, Sook-Yin Lee

In the interview, Sook-Yin Lee also speaks about the experience playing the role of Olivia Chow in Jack, the CBC biopic of the late Jack Layton, leader of the federal NDP.

Sook-Yin Lee with Olivia Chow. Sook-Yin played Olivia in the CBC biopic on Jack Layton.

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Canadian Music Icon, Bernie Finkelstein: A Life In The Music Industry

March 24, 2013Uncategorized1960s, Bernie Finkelstein, Bruce Cockburn, Canadian Music, Cancon, Culture, Drugs, Industry, Interview, Memoir, Murray McLauchlan, Music Business, Producer, Records, Scene, True North, Yorkvillekevincaners Leave a comment

Founder of True North Records and icon of the Canadian music industry Bernie Finkelstein has just published an exciting memoir of his life and times in the music business. It’s called True North: A Life in the Music Business, and it is brimming with fascinating stories and interesting insights into the early days of the Canadian music industry, when, with no laws to promote Canadian content, there was hardly an industry to speak off.

Legendary Producer and Icon of Canadian Music, Bernie Finkelstein

A life in the music business

I sat down with Bernie to discuss his checkered youth, his beginnings as a producer, the Toronto Yorkville scene of the 1960s (which was a creative breeding ground for some of the most famous musicians of the era including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell), and his life spent celebrating and fighting for homegrown Canadian musical and cultural talent.

To find out more, and to purchase a copy of his memoir, you can head to www.berniefinkelstein.com

And as always, to get The Public’s new episode each week, you can subscribe to our podcast or visit our page in iTunes

David Miller Former Mayor of Toronto on Sustainability and the Future of Cities

March 24, 2013UncategorizedCity Hall, Climate Change, David Miller, environment, Harvard, Interview, Mayor of Toronto, Policy, Sustainability, toronto, Transit, TTCkevincaners Leave a comment

Well it can almost be hard to believe it now, but before “Gravy Train” Rob Ford took the helm at city hall, Toronto had a decidedly different mayor in David Miller. One who spearheaded many transit and environmental initiatves while he was in office.

David Miller, former mayor of Toronto

So this week on The Public a full hour conversation with former mayor of Toronto David Miller – on growing up with his single mom in England and Ontario, his days as a student at both the University of Toronto and Harvard, his jump into politics and time at city hall, as well as his ongoing work on finding ways to make our cities truly sustainable for the future.

Remember, for the entire archive of our interviews subscribe to our podcast or visit us in iTunes

Writer and Philosopher Mark Kingwell on Solitude and The Examined Life

March 24, 2013Uncategorizedauthor, Canada, canadian democracy, Harper's Magazine, Harpers, Interview, intrinsic, Mark Kingwell, Philosopher, Philosophy, Professor, solitude, The Globe and Mail, The Public, University of Toronto, writerkevincaners Leave a comment

This week a conversation with writer, journalist and University of Toronto Professor of Philosophy Mark Kingwell. We had a wide ranging conversation, and over the course of the hour Mark shares his thoughts and insights on topics including solitude, the importance of the intrinsic, the state of Canadian democracy, as well about some of the early influences that shaped him as he was growing up and which opened his eyes to the worlds of literature and philosophy.

Writer and Professor of Philosophy Mark Kingwell