The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie

Glenn Loury: Tales of Sex, Drugs, and Capitalism

Jun 12, 2024

Glenn Loury, economist and podcaster, shares his memoir 'Late Admissions' detailing self-invention, addiction, and redemption. Topics include being a black conservative, struggles with addiction and scandal, recovery journey, reflections on race, class, and conservatism, and navigating personal growth and challenges.

01:07:16

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Glenn Loury

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Quick takeaways

Glenn Loury's memoir delves into personal struggles with addiction and self-sabotage, offering a raw glimpse into his life's challenges.

Lowry's journey from a tenured black economist to a black conservative highlights libertarian principles, emphasizing market efficiency and individual responsibility.

Cultural identity and racial dialogues are crucial as Lowry critiques affirmative action while valuing African-American culture, advocating for unity through shared human experiences.

Deep dives

Glenn Lowry's Memoir: Late Admissions - Insights into Ideological Evolution and Personal Struggles

Glenn Lowry shares insights from his memoir, 'Late Admissions,' depicting his journey of ideological evolution and personal struggles. Initially planned as a reflection on shifting ideologies, the memoir evolves into a candid account of addiction, self-sabotage, and personal growth over the years. Lowry navigates through failures and successes, both publicly and privately, offering readers a raw glimpse into his life's challenges and triumphs.

Intro

2min

Journey of Writing Late Admissions

6min

Complex Family Dynamics and Struggles with Addiction

21min

Personal Account of Rehab, Recovery, and Addiction Triumph

5min

Journey through Substance Abuse, Recovery, and Redemption

5min

Exploring a Personal Narrative Involving Holiday Magic and 'Rise Above It'

4min

Analysis of Inequality, Affirmative Action, and Cultural Legacies

25min

My guest today is economist and podcaster Glenn Loury, whose new memoir is titled Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative. Born in 1948 and raised working-class in Chicago's predominantly African American South Side, Loury tells a story of self-invention, ambition, hard work, addiction, and redemption that channels Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, Richard Wright's Native Son, Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March, and Milton Friedman's Capitalism & Freedom. The first tenured black economist at Harvard, Loury emerged in the 1980s as a ubiquitous commenter on race and class and was offered a post in the Reagan administration. Then a series of scandals involving affairs, arrests, and addiction threatened the end of his personal and professional lives. Late Admissions is an unflinching look at Loury's failures and successes, written by one of the most popular academic presences on YouTube.

0:00— Introduction

1:34— Why write a memoir now?

4:17— What is a black conservative?

7:47— Glenn Loury's background

15:10— Addiction and self destruction

17:00— 'A hustler and a player'

21:34— Crack, Infidelity, and the remarkable Dr Linda Loury

25:44— Loury's downfall in the late 80s

28:38— Recovery, self-knowledge, and making amends

36:32— 'Rise Above It': a MLM scam with real lessons 40:40- Loury's career and legacy in Economics

45:08— College students and protests

49:00— Affirmative action and conservatives

52:30— Equality, childhood development, and cultural influences

57:21— The Black Experience and healthy cultural discourse

1:02:22— Immigrants as beacons of hope

Read more: A transcript from Nick Gillespie's conversation with Glenn Loury in the August/September 2024 issue of Reason

Previous appearance: Glenn Loury: 'We're Being Swept Along by Hysteria' About Racism in America, June 24, 2020

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Video Editor: Regan Taylor
Audio Production: Hunt Beaty

The post Glenn Loury: Tales of Sex, Drugs, and Capitalism appeared first on Reason.com.

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The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie

Glenn Loury: Tales of Sex, Drugs, and Capitalism

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Glenn Lowry's Memoir: Late Admissions - Insights into Ideological Evolution and Personal Struggles

From Harvard Economist to Conservative Identity: Lowry's Professional and Personal Transformation

Personal Origin Story: Growing Up in Chicago's South Side and Lessons Learned

Addiction, Recovery, and Self-Discovery: Lowry's Struggle and Redemption

Cultural Identity, Race, and Social Dynamics: Embracing Personal Heritage and Collective Experience

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts