27 Rouge:

XIX: The End of Solitude with Bill Deresiewicz

Bill Deresiewicz is one of the sharpest cultural critics of our time. I may not agree with everything he says, but I have to hand it to the guy. He’s a powerhouse of incisive, piercing insight into all things culture. His books include A Jane Austen Education and The Death of the Artist as well as my personal favorite Excellent Sheep. And now he’s got a new one on the way. In July, we sat down and talked about The End of Solitude, an exceptionally well curated set of essays that I’d recommend to anybody. For those interested, the book drops on August 23rd and can be snagged here. Be sure to check out the Quillette website soon for an exclusive excerpt from The End of Solitude. And while you’re there, throw in a subscription and join the club. You can thank me later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

XVIII: Our Tango World with Iona Italia

 Iona Italia is the editor in chief of Areo, host of of the Two for Tea podcast, and the writer of The Second Swim Substack newsletter. She’s also the author of a two-part book: Our Tango World, published by Milonga Press in 2018. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

XVII: Superfly - Sitting down with Phoebe Gardner

Bardee is a Melbourne-based tech startup in the circular economy space. They take food waste and feed it to black soldier flies who gorge themselves on it and blow up to the proportions of William Boss Tweed. This week, I sit down with founder & CEO: Phoebe Gardner, who has earned a spot on The Australian’s top 100 innovators list two years running Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

XVI: Classical Music's Suicide Pact feat. Heather Mac Donald

The Manhattan Institute’s Thomas W. Smith Smith Fellow, Heather McDonald is a tour de force. One of the most incisive voices of our time, her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the New Republic, and the New Criterion, among others. This week’s episode comes on the heels of two terrific but worrisome City Journal essays from Heathers: Classical Music’s Suicide Pact and Making Beethoven Woke. While we focus mainly on music, museums, art galleries, and cultural commentary on higher education and moral cowardice also feature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

XV: A Far Shore-Masaaki Kudo at KVIFF

At the Karlovy Vary Inernational Film Festival, I interviewed Japanese director Masaaki Kudo about his forthcoming film A Far Shore. Raw, visceral, and unapologetic about its bleak subject matter—the film explores what it is to be broken by a cruel world—which, in this case, is the seedy underbelly of Okinawa. Drawing on Francois Truffaut and Ken Loach, Masaaki delivers a third feature film that captivates, enchants, and disgusts. This interview was conducted with the help of a translator. To preserve authenticity, I include both the Japanese and the English. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices