Episodes

EPISODE 1578: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Deborah Bonello, author of NARCAS, about the secret rise of women in Latin's America's drug cartels Deborah Bonello is a journalist, a writer, an editor, and an investigator based in Mexico City. Born in Malta and brought up in the UK, she moved to Latin America to work as a foreign correspondent in 2005. Deborah is senior editor for Latin America at VICE World News and has nearly two decades of experience covering organized crime and criminal ...

EPISODE 1577: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to John K. Roth, co-author of WARNINGS, about the Holocaust, the Ukraine and an endangered American democracy JOHN K. ROTH was named the 1988 U. S. National Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. He is the Edward J. Sexton Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Claremont McKenna College (CMC) in Claremont, California, where he taught from 1966 t...

EPISODE 1576: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Sonali Kolhatkar, author of RISING UP, about the power of narrative in pursuing racial justice in America Sonali Kolhatkar is the host and creator of Rising Up with Sonali , a weekly television and radio program that airs on Free Speech TV and Pacifica Radio stations and affiliates around the United States. She has won numerous awards, including Best TV Anchor and Best National Political Commentary from the LA Press Club, and has been nominated...

EPISODE 1575: In this regular weekly show with THAT WAS THE WEEK newsletter author Keith Teare, Andrew and Keith discuss an astonishing week in tech when Apple reached a three trillion dollar valuation and AI ate the internet Keith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank Corporation. Previously he was Executive Chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Ltd - A UK based global investment company focused on startups at all stages. He was also previously founder at the Palo Alto incubator, Archimed...

EPISODE 1574: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Nate Halverson, the producer and lead reporter on the new documentary movie THE GRAB, about the money, influence and rationale behind covert efforts to control the planet's most vital resource Nate Halverson is an Emmy Award-winning senior reporter and producer at The Center for Investigative Reporting, covering business and finance with an emphasis on the global food system. Halverson broke the international news that California was literally ...

EPISODE 1573: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Peace Adzo Medie, author of NIGHTBLOOM, about how to get beyond the shame of sexual violence in Africa Peace Adzo Medie is a scholar and writer. She is Senior Lecturer in Gender and International Politics at the University of Bristol. Her research addresses gender, politics, and conflict in Africa. Her book, Global Norms and Local Action: The Campaigns to End Violence against Women in Africa, was published in March 2020 by Oxford University Pre...

EPISODE 1572: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Patrick Dean, the author of NATURE'S MESSENGER, about Mark Catesby, America's First Great Naturalist Patrick Dean writes on the outdoors and the environment. He has worked as a teacher, a political media director, and is presently the executive director of a rail-trail nonprofit. An avid trail-runner, paddler, and mountain-biker, he lives with his wife and dogs on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, and is the author of A Window To Heaven, abo...

EPISODE 1571: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Bill Boggs, the author of SPIKE UNLEASHED, about an America addiction to celebrity, drugs, sex and food Bill Boggs, author of SPIKE UNLEASHED, is an Emmy Award–winning TV talk show host, producer, and writer who began his career in comedy. His earlier books include the novel The Adventures of Spike the Wonder Dog; a self-help book, Got What It Takes?; and At First Sight, a love story optioned by Hollywood. His TV credits include the long-runnin...

EPISODE 1570: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of THE QUIET TENANT, about American serial killers and why fiction writing, in contrast with non-fiction, needs to be realistic and "make sense" CLÉMENCE MICHALLON was born and raised near Paris. She studied journalism at City University of London, received a master’s in Journalism from Columbia University, and has written for The Independent since 2018. Her essays and features have covered true-crime, celebrity culture, and literatu...

Episode 1569: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Aisha Harris, author of WANNABE, about the pop culture that shaped both her and her generation From 2012 to 2018, Harris covered culture for Slate Magazine as a staff writer, editor and the host of the film and TV podcast Represent, where she wrote about everything from the history of self-care to Dolly Parton's (formerly Dixie) Stampede and interviewed creators like Barry Jenkins and Greta Gerwig . She joined The New York Times in 2018 as the ...

EPISODE 1568: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Anya von Bremzen, author of NATIONAL DISH, about popular foods ,like pizza and borscht, as forms of oppression and symbols of resistance Anya von Bremzen is a three-time James Beard Award–winning author and a contributing writer at AFAR. Anya has published seven acclaimed cookbooks and a memoir, Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking . Her new book National Dish will come out in June 2023. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazin...

EPISODE 1567: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to David Neiwert, the author of THE AGE OF INSURRECTION, about the radical right's assault on American democracy David Neiwert is a journalist and author and an acknowledged expert in American right-wing extremism. He has appeared on Anderson Cooper 360, CNN Newsroom, and The Rachel Maddow Show and is the managing editor of the popular political blog Crooks and Liars . His work has also appeared in The American Prospect, The Washington Post , MSNB...

EPISODE 1566: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Dan Schreiber, the author of THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING ELSE, about alien abductions, the importance of having celebrity hairdresser parents and the exorcism of Ringo Starr (by his grannie) Dan Schreiber is a Hongkonger-Australian radio producer, writer, podcaster, and comedian based in London. He co-created the BBC Radio 4 panel show The Museum of Curiosity with host John Lloyd and co-producer Richard Turner and co-hosts the podcast No Such Thin...

EPISODE 1565: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Wesley Lowery, the Pulitzer prize winning journalist and author of AMERICAN WHITELASH, about the cost of progress in an increasingly multiracial America WESLEY LOWERY is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author and on-air correspondent. He currently works as a contributing editor at The Marshall Project and a Journalist-in-Residence at the CUNY Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. In nearly a decade as a national correspondent, Lowery has ...

EPISODE 1564: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Luma Mufleh, author of FROM HERE, about reconciling her identity as a gay Muslim woman with an Arab-turned-American refugee LUMA MUFLEH is the founder of Fugees Family, with schools now in Georgia and Ohio and an expanding footprint bringing educational equity to refugee resettlement communities across America. Her TED Talk on educational justice for refugee families was viewed more than 1.7 million times. Named as one of the "100 most connecte...

EPISODE 1563: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Richard Langlois, author of THE CORPORATION AND THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, about the cultural and economic history of the modern American business enterprise Richard N. Langlois was born and raised in eastern Connecticut. Before coming to UConn in 1983, he was affiliated with the Center for Science and Technology Policy and the C. V. Starr Center for Applied Economics at New York University. Professor Langlois’s principal research areas are the eco...

EPISODE 1562: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Paula DiPerna, author of PRICING THE PRICELESS, about how to quantify the planet, solve the climate crisis and protect our most precious assets Paula DiPerna is widely published, a frequent global public speaker, media commentator, guest lecturer, and panelist. She has written numerous books and articles, including the novel, “The Discoveries of Mrs. Christopher Columbus” published in the US, Germany and Turkey and to be published in Portugal a...

EPISODE 1561: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Matt Higgins, the author of BURN THE BOATS, about how the publishing industry and writers will be impacted by the coming AI storm Matt Higgins is a noted serial entrepreneur and growth equity investor as Co-founder and CEO of private investment firm, RSE Ventures. He is also an Executive Fellow at the Harvard Business School where he co-teaches the course “Moving Beyond Direct-to-Consumer.” Mr. Higgins’ deep operating experience spans multiple ...

EPISODE 1560: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Itamar Rabinovich, the author of MIDDLE EASTERN MAZE, about the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict between 1948 and 2023 Itamar Rabinovich is a distinguished nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution. A professor and president emeritus at Tel Aviv University, he served as Israel’s ambassador to the United States and chief negotiator with Syria. He’s also the president of the Dan David Foundation, which administers the Dan David Prize , ...

EPISODE 1559: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Adam Bessie, the author of GOING REMOTE, about his dystopian journey during COVID, as a community college teacher, from the physical to the virtual classroom ADAM BESSIE is a community college English professor in the San Francisco Bay Area and writes comics which have been published in many national outlets, including the New Yorker , the Atlantic , the Boston Globe , and the Los Angeles Times . He won the New York Association of Black Journal...

EPISODE 1558: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Beth Raymer, the author of FIREWORKS EVERY NIGHT, about her delusionally delightful father, male homelessness and why Florida "just is America" Beth Raymer is the author of Lay the Favorite , a memoir about her years in Las Vegas and her work in the sports betting industry, which was made into a feature film. She received an MFA from Columbia University and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship. Her latest book is Fireworks Every Night (2023) Nam...

EPISODE 1557: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the South African based photographer artist Roger Ballen about the existential ecological psychodrama of the destruction of African wildlife lRoger Ballen is known for his disquieting psychological portraits of rural inhabitants on the fringes of South African society. Ballen, who worked as a geologist and mining consultant before starting his career as a photographer, found inspiration for his work in the people he encountered as a mining pros...

EPISODE 1556: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks Bethanne Patrick, the author of LIFE B, about how she escaped her double depression and wrote a memoir about it Bethanne Patrick maintains a storied place in the publishing industry as a critic and as @TheBookMaven on Twitter, where she created the popular #FridayReads and regularly comments on books and literary ideas to over 200,000 followers. Her work appears frequently in the Los Angeles Times as well as in The Washington Post, NPR Books, and ...

EPISODE 1554: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Christian Cooper, author of BETTER LIVING THROUGH BIRDING, about his lifelong love affair with birds, the flight of freedom and how to positively bend MLK's arc of justice Christian Cooper is a science and comics writer and editor and the host and consulting producer of Extraordinary Birder on National Geographic. One of Marvel’s first openly gay writers and editors, Cooper introduced the first gay male character in Star Trek , in the Starfleet...