Episodes

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Margaret D. Jacobs, the author of “After One Hundred Winters: In Search of Reconciliation on America's Stolen Lands”, to confront the harsh truth that the United States was founded on the violent dispossession of Indigenous people and asks what reconciliation might mean in light of this haunted history. Margaret D. Jacobs is professor of history and director of the Center for Great Plains Studies at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Her books ...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by W. Ralph Eubanks, the author of “A Place Like Mississippi”, to discuss how the South has produced some of America’s most celebrated authors, and no state more so than Mississippi W. Ralph Eubanks is the author of A Place Like Mississippi, which will be released on March 16, 2021 by Timber Press. A Place Like Mississippi takes readers on a complete tour of the real and imagined landscapes that have inspired generations of authors. This is a book ...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Josh Cohen, the author of “How to Live. What to Do: In Search of Ourselves in Life and Literature”, to explore a new way for us to understand ourselves from the perspective of iconic and historical fictional characters. Josh Cohen is Professor of Modern Literary Theory at Goldsmiths, University of London and a psychoanalyst in private practice. He is the author of books and articles on modern literature, cultural theory and psychoanalysis. Visi...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Sebastian Junger, the author of “Freedom”, to discuss the very human conflict between desiring self-reliance and our utter dependence on community. This interview was done in collaboration with the Miami Book Fair. Sebastian Junger is just one of the many hundreds of authors from around the world participating in Miami Book Fair 2021, the nation’s largest gathering of writers and readers of all ages. From Sunday, Nov. 14 through Sunday, Nov. 21,...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Ethan Lou, the author of “Once a Bitcoin Miner: Scandal and Turmoil in the Cryptocurrency Wild West”, to go on an epic quest through the proverbial cryptocurrency Wild West. Ethan Lou is a journalist and author. He writes a column in the Financial Post and also in publications around the world, including the Guardian and the Washington Post. Ethan was an early investor in Bitcoin. Visit our website: https://lithub.com/story-type/keen-on/ Email ...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Armand D'Angour, the translator and editor of the new collection, "How to Innovate: An Ancient Guide to Creative Thinking," to discuss what we can learn about fostering innovation and creative thinking from some of the most inventive people of all times—the ancient Greeks. Armand D’Angour is professor of classics and a fellow of Jesus College at the University of Oxford. He is the author of Socrates in Love: The Making of a Philosopher and The G...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Michael Lenox, the author of “The Decarbonization Imperative: Transforming the Global Economy by 2050”, to examine the clean technologies with the best chance of disrupting the status quo and the policy actions needed to accelerate their adoption. Michael Lenox is an American strategist and professor of business administration at the Darden School of the University of Virginia, particularly known for his work on business strategy, technology str...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Myisha Cherry, the author of “The Case for Rage: Why Anger is Essential to Anti-Racist Struggle”, to discuss why anger does not deserve its bad reputation and how it can be channeled to create change. Myisha Cherry is an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside. Her research interest lies at the intersection of moral psychology and social and political philosophy. More specifically she is interested in the rol...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Vanessa Veselka, the author of “Zazen”, to tell a story of activism, police violence, and white guilt in a not so distant dystopian America. Vanessa Veselka has been at various times, a teenage runaway, a sex-worker, a musician, a union organizer, and a student of paleontology. Her work appears in GQ, Bitch, The Atlantic, Tin House, Zyzzyva and Best American Essays. Visit our website: https://lithub.com/story-type/keen-on/ Email Andrew: a.keen...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Jean Becker, the author of "The Man I Knew: The Amazing Story of George H. W. Bush's Post-Presidency", to showcase a heartfelt portrait of President George H.W. Bush—and his post-presidential life - from a confidante who knew him well. Jean Becker has been chief of staff to former President George H. W. Bush since 1994. Previously, Jean served as deputy press secretary to first lady Barbara Bush from 1989 to 1992. A former journalist, she is als...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Mary Beard, the author of "Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the Ancient World to the Modern", to discuss how images of Roman autocrats have influenced art, culture, the representation of power for more than 2,000 years. Dame Winifred Mary Beard, DBE, FSA, FBA, FRSL is an English scholar of Ancient Roman civilization. She is Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge, a fellow of Newnham College, and Royal Academy of Arts Professor ...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Vladimir Alexandrov, the author of “To Break Russia's Chains: Boris Savinkov and His Wars Against the Tsar and the Bolsheviks”, to shine a light on the life of Boris Savinkov, an extraordinary man who tried to change Russian and world history. Vladimir Alexandrov received a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Princeton. He taught Russian literature and culture at Harvard before moving to Yale, where he is B.E. Bensinger Professor of Slavic Lang...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Dorottya Rédai, the author of “A Fairy Tale for Everyone”, to discuss both the journey and the reaction to retelling traditional fairy tales, updated with more diverse, inclusive and LGBTQ characters in contemporary settings. Dorottya Rédai is an independent scholar affiliated with the Central European University and Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary. She is also an activist and an education specialist, focusing on gender and sexualities. Visit...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Max Chafkin, the author of “The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power”, to share a consistently shocking biography of Peter Thiel, as well as to shine a light on the disturbing history of Silicon Valley. Max Chafkin is a features editor and a tech reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek. His work has also appeared in Fast Company, Vanity Fair, Inc., and The New York Times Magazine. He lives in Queens, New York with his wife, t...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Fiona Hill, the author of “There is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century”, to reveal how declining opportunity has set America on the grim path of modern Russia. Fiona Hill is the Robert Bosch senior fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings. She recently served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for European and Russian affairs on the Na...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Robbie Bach, the author of “The Wilkes Insurrection: A Contemporary Thriller”, to tell a fictional story of revenge and hope, guilt and redemption, separation and family; all set against a backdrop of modern-day events. Robbie Bach joined Microsoft in 1988 and over the next 22 years worked in various marketing, general management and business leadership roles. Beginning in 1999, as Chief Xbox Officer, he led the creation and development of the h...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Daniel Sokatch, the author of “Can We Talk About Israel?: A Guide for the Curi­ous, Con­fused, and Conflicted”, to have a supreme­ly nuanced dis­cus­sion of the Israeli-Pales­tin­ian con­flict, past and present. Daniel Sokatch has served as the CEO of the New Israel Fund since 2009. During the past decade of extraordinary challenges, NIF has risen to new heights as the great defender of justice, democracy and equality in Israel. Visit our websi...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Parag Khanna, the author of “Move: The Forces Uprooting Us”, to provide an illuminating and authoritative vision of the next phase of human civilization - one that is both mobile and sustainable. Parag Khanna is a leading global strategy advisor, world traveler, and best-selling author. He is Founder & Managing Partner of FutureMap, a data and scenario based strategic advisory firm. Visit our website: https://lithub.com/story-type/keen-on/ Emai...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Deborah Tuerkheimer, the author of “Credible: Why We Doubt Accusers and Protect Abusers”, to examine why we are primed to disbelieve allegations of sexual abuse—and how we can transform a culture and a legal system structured to dismiss accusers. Deborah Tuerkheimer is a professor at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. She earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard College and her law degree from Yale Law School. She served for five years...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Paul Bradley Carr, the author of “1414º”, to talk about his first novel and share a glimpse into the thrillingly unpredictable fate of protagonist Lou McCarthy. Paul Bradley Carr is a Scottish author who has also spent 20 years covering the dark side of Silicon Valley for publications including the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, Private Eye, PandoDaily, and Techcrunch. He was the founder and Editor in Chief of the infamous NSFWCORP in Las Vegas....

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Kyle Harper, the author of “Plagues Upon the Earth: Disease and the Course of Human History”, to discuss why infectious diseases are a fundamental dimension of human history, as well as to explain how human processes drive the evolution of our microbial pathogens. Kyle Harper is a historian of ancient Rome, with a unique interest in disease history, economic history, and environmental history. He teaches a range of courses on classical antiquity...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Jennifer Higgie, the author of “The Mirror and the Pallette - Rebellion, Revolution, and Resilience: Five Hundred Years of Women’s Self Portraits”, to tell the stories of extraordinary women artists from the 16th to the 20th centuries, as well as to examine what their self-representation reveals about the times in which they lived. Jennifer was frieze magazine reviews editor from 1998-2003; co-editor with Jörg Heiser and then Dan Fox until 2017;...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Helen Russell, the author of “How To Be Sad: Everything I've Learned About Getting Happier by Being Sad”, to discuss why we need our sadness: it’s a message. It can tell us what’s wrong and what to do about it. Helen Russell is a bestselling author, journalist and speaker. She writes for magazines and newspapers globally, including The Times and The Sunday Times, the Telegraph, the Independent, National Geographic, Wall Street Journal, the Obser...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Matthew Pearl, the author of “The Taking of Jemima Boone: Colonial Settlers, Tribal Nations, and the Kidnap That Shaped America”, to tell the little-known true story of the kidnapping of legendary pioneer Daniel Boone’s daughter and the dramatic aftermath that rippled across the nation. Matthew Pearl is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. He is the co-founder of the digital magazine Truly*Adventurous and his nonfiction writing has appeared in th...