Lewis Hyde

Lewis Hyde, a renowned scholar and poet, dives deep into gift economies and cultural commons. He contrasts the relational ties of gift exchange with the anonymity of cash transactions. Hyde reflects on the contributions of Benjamin Franklin to communal knowledge and critiques the decline of public arts funding. He also discusses how gift dynamics foster creativity, the exploitation risks of openness, and the cultural implications of AI. Throughout, he emphasizes the need for solidarity in addressing climate crises and redefining community values.