Nicholas Dames

Nicholas Dames, a Columbia University professor of English and editor of Public Books, explores the power of literature as political resistance. He discusses the vital role of political imagination in fostering community and empathy, using George Eliot's 'Middlemarch' as a guide for empathetic action. The conversation dives into students' anxieties about their futures, the contrast between stoicism and engagement during political upheaval, and the implications of parenthood on children's autonomy and beliefs. Dames challenges contemporary figures like Elon Musk, emphasizing the importance of imaginative richness.

Nicholas Dames, a Columbia University humanities professor and author of *Amnestic Selves*, joins Dan Chaon, renowned for his novel *Ill Will*, to delve into the intricate dance of memory in fiction. They discuss how nostalgia has evolved from a clinical condition to a tool for personal growth, highlighting literary portrayals, especially by Jane Austen. The duo explores memory's fallibility, particularly in the face of trauma and identity, and emphasizes how storytelling shapes our emotional narratives and perceptions of the past.