Converging Dialogues

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alex Ross about Richard Wagner and his legacy. They discuss why he wrote a book on Wagner and what is Wagnerism, Wagner’s relationship with Nietzsche, and the many interpretations of Wagner. They talk about Wagner’s antisemitism, alternative Wagnerisms, Wagner’s impact on literature, Nazi Germany, and cinema. Alex Ross is a writer and music critic who has been writing for The New Yorker for over 25 years. He writes on classical music from opera to avant-garde and has published pieces on literature, history, and film. He is the author of the Pulitzer prize winning, The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century. He is also the author of the latest book, Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music. You can find his work here and here. Twitter: @alexrossmusic Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Michael Stein about healthcare vs. public health. They talk about the narratives around healthcare and public health, biopsychosocial model, and progress of health in the USA. They talk about how to get people to care about the health of their fellow citizens, global health vs. USA public health. They talk about preventative vs. reactionary care, pandemic issues, public health as process and practice, and many more topics. Michael Stein is a physician and health policy researcher in public health. He is the current Chair and Professor of Health, Law, Policy, and Management at Boston University School of Public Health. He has done research for over three decades on sleep, pain addiction, HIV/AIDS, and health care access. He is the author of eleven books including the more recent, Me Vs. Us. You can find his work here. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Kat Rosenfield about stories and culture. They discuss her process for writing novels and essays, writing a gothic mystery novel, and how she writes strong female protagonists. They also talk about the stories we tell in our society, outrage culture, and many more topics. Kat Rosenfield is a freelance pop culture writer. She is a former reporter for MTV News and has written articles for Entertainment Weekly, Unherd, Vulture, Wired, and many other places. She is the author of many books including Alliances: A Trick of Light with Stan Lee. Her newest novel is You Must Remember This and can be purchased here. You can find her at her website. Twitter: @katrosenfield Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Aynne Kokas about digital sovereignty and our data in the digital world. They discuss the US-China relationship with the tech industry. They define digital sovereignty and data trafficking, discuss ownership and management of personal data, and what are the three risks of data trafficking and three limitations of the US system for data. They also talk about China’s cyber sovereignty and China’s use of military for data surveillance. They discuss digital sovereignty and social media, the dangers of Tik Tok, and many more topics. Aynne Kokas is the C.K. Yen Professor at the Miller Center and associate professor of media studies at the University of Virginia. She is also a non-resident scholar at Rice University’s Baker Institute of Public Policy, a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a fellow in the National Committee on United States-China Relations’ Public Intellectuals Program. Her work mostly focuses on US media and technology relations. She is the author of Hollywood Made in China and her latest release, Trafficking Data: How China is Winning the Battle for Digital Sovereignty. Website: https://www.aynnekokas.com/ Twitter: @aynnekokas Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David Marchick about the presidential transfer of power. They discuss the podcast he hosted on the transfer of power and how the book was developed. They talk about presidential transitions, the importance of the Office of Presidential Personnel, and importance of the General Services Administration. They discuss four key features of leading in crisis and discuss the presidential transitions of Presidents Carter, Reagan, and other presidents. They talk about the importance of Chris Liddell, presidential transitions for the future, and many more topics. David Marchick is the Dean of the Kogard School of Business at American University. He has served as the Chief Operating Officer of the United States Development Finance Cooperation for the Biden Administration. He also held several positions in the Clinton Administration. He was also Director of the Center for Presidential Transition. He is the co-author of the book, The Peaceful Transition of Power: An Oral History of Presidential Transitions based on conversations he had on the podcast, Transition Lab. You can find his work here. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Christopher Ferguson about masculinity, homelessness, and mental health. They discuss his APA resignation letter and APA’s guidelines for boys and men. They also discuss the challenges and potential solutions for homelessness and institutionalization. They also review some of the political progress over the past two years and many other topics. Christopher Ferguson is a clinical psychologist, professor, and writer. He teaches psychology at Stetson University and continues to conduct research on mass media violence. He is the author of two non-fiction books. He is the author of a handful of books including the most recent book, Catastrophe! How Psychology Explains Why Good People Make Bad Decisions Worse. You can find many links to his various publications and articles at his website.  Twitter: @cjferguson1111 Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Peter Salmon about the life and philosophy of Jacques Derrida. They discuss Derrida’s place in philosophy and within deconstructionism, the culture and identity in Derrida’s upbringing, and the impact of Husserl, Heidegger, and Levinas on Derrida’s philosophical thought. They talk about Derrida’s emphasis on language, his interactions with Nietzsche’s thought, how he was received in society, his social circle and his enduring legacy.Peter Salmon is a writer and has taught at schools in Liverpool and Cambridge. His work has appeared in The Guardian, The Tablet, and Sydney Review of Books. He is the author of the biography on Jacques Derrida entitled, An Event, Perhaps. You can find his work at his website. Twitter: @petesalmon Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David Hoinski about different philosophical ideas and the importance of appreciation. They discuss the philosophy of the pre-socratics, logos, and the nature and role of philosophy. They also talk about immanence vs. transcendence, reality and the metaphysical, and the emotions of guilt and shame. They discuss Nietzsche’s idea about the death of god, universal and political implications of Nietzsche’s philosophy, capitalism, why appreciation is important and many more topics. David Hoinski is a philosopher and writer. He is an Assistant Professor of philosophy at West Virginia University where he emphasizes ancient philosophy, modern German philosophy, and ethical/political philosophy. David is an esteemed bibliophile and speaks German and Ancient Greek.  Twitter: @davidfahoinski Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

Xavier Bonilla interviews Merve Emre, a literature professor at Oxford University. They discuss the importance of literary criticism, different ways of reading, interpretation methods, genre boundaries, and the philosophical implications in novels like 'Heaven' by Mieko Kawakami. They also touch on film adaptations, favorite books like 'Crime and Punishment' and 'Lolita', and the themes of cruelty and love in literature.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Justin Gregg about animal intelligence. They discuss how one defines intelligence, g, and what intelligence means for humans and animals. They talk about animal minds, communication in animals, and concepts of deception. They discuss theory of mind, minimal concept of death, morality and norms in animals, torture and pain in animals, and many other topics. Justin Gregg is a science writer and communicator. He is Adjunct Professor at Saint Francis Xavier University and Senior Research Associate with the Dolphin Communication Project. He has a PhD from Trinity College, Dublin and has studied dolphin social cognition. He is the author of a few books including his most recent, If Nietzsche Were A Narwhal. You can find his work here. Twitter: @justindgregg Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe