Keen On America

EPISODE 1858: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the distinguished Israeli novelist Assaf Gavron about how the events of October 7 might be a game changer in a good way and on why we must "try again" to make peace in the Middle EastAssaf Gavron was Born in 1968, and published six novels (Ice, Moving, Almost Dead, Hydromania, The Hilltop and Eighteen Lashes), a collection of short stories (Sex in the cemetery), and a non-fiction collection of Jerusalem falafel-joint reviews (Eating Standing Up). His fiction has been translated into 12 languages. His latest English translation, The Hilltop, was published in 2014 by Scribner. Among the awards he won are the Israeli Prime Minister’s Creative Award for Authors, the Israeli Bernstein Prize for The Hilltop, the DAAD artists-in-Berlin fellowship in Germany, the Buch Fur Die Stadt award in Germany for CrocAttack and the Prix Courrier International award in France for the same novel. His fiction was adapted for the stage in Habima – Israel’s national theatre, and five of his novels were optioned for film or TV by Israeli and international film producers. As a translator of fiction, Gavron is responsible for the highly-regarded English-to-Hebrew translations of J.D. Salinger’s Nine Stories, Philip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint and Jonathan Safran Foer’s novels, among others.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1857: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Bethanne Patrick, book critic at the Los Angeles Times, about the mavens, mavericks and mythology determining our smart machine futureBethanne Patrick maintains a storied place in the publishing industry as a critic and as @TheBookMaven on Twitter, where she created the popular #FridayReads and regularly comments on books and literary ideas to over 200,000 followers. Her work appears frequently in the Los Angeles Times as well as in The Washington Post, NPR Books, and Literary Hub. She sits on the board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and has served on the board of the National Book Critics Circle. She is the host of the Missing Pages podcast.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1856:  In our weekly KEEN ON wrap of tech news with Keith Teare, author of  the THAT WAS THE WEEK newletter,  Keith talks about the beginning of the end of the pre AI ageKeith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank Corporation. Previously he was Executive Chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Ltd - A UK-based global investment company focused on startups at all stages. He was also previously the founder at the Palo Alto incubator, Archimedes Labs. Archimedes was the original incubator for TechCrunch and since 2011 has invested, accelerated or incubated many Silicon Valley startups including Around (sold to Miro), Millicast (Sold to Dolby), InFarm, Miles, Quixey; M.dot (sold to GoDaddy); chat.center; Loop Surveys; DownTown and Sunshine. Teare has a track record as a serial entrepreneur with big ideas and has achieved significant returns for investors.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1855: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Peter Slen, Executive Producer of the C-SPAN series BOOKS THAT SHAPED AMERICA, about Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God" (1937), an anthropological novel set at a particularly rough time in American historyPeter Slen is the senior executive producer and a host at C-SPAN, a television and radio network known for its unbiased coverage of government proceedings.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1854: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Neill Lochery, author of CASHING OUT, about the flight of Nazi treasure through "neutral" countries after the Second World WarProfessor Neill Lochery Ph.D., is the Catherine Lewis Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Mediterranean Studies at University College London. He has served as an adviser to political and economic leaders from both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is the author of nine books including The View from the Fence: The Arab-Israeli Conflict from the Present to its Roots (Continuum) and Lisbon: War in the Shadows of the City of Light 1939-1945.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1853: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Whitney Hanson, author of HARMONY, about the anxiety of her generation and how social media makes physical events more "real"Whitney Hanson is the author of Home and Climate. She self-published her first book in 2021. Home reached #1 in several categories and found its home in countries around the world. Whitney adds another dimension to her art by reading her poetry aloud on her social media platforms. Whitney's writing touches on love, loss, healing, and embracing both the light and heavy moments in life. Whitney adamantly believes that poetry is not a dead language; rather it is the key to unlocking true vulnerability which leads to deeper connection with one another. Whitney grew up in rural Montana and she now attends university in South Carolina.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1852: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Azam Ahmed, author of FEAR IS JUST A WORD, about he story of a missing daughter, a violent Cartel and a mother's quest for vengeanceAzam Ahmed is an international investigative correspondent for The New York Times. He is the former New York Times bureau chief in Mexico, and previously was the New York Times bureau chief in Afghanistan.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1851: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Moshik Temkin, author of WARRIORS, REBELS, & SAINTS, about the art of leadership from FDR, Malcolm X and MLK to Trump and BidenMoshik Temkin is a fellow at the Middle East Initiative and the Johnson and Johnson Chair in Leadership and History at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University. He is a specialist in international history and the author of The Sacco-Vanzetti Affair: America on Trial (Yale University Press, 2011), which was a finalist for the Cundill International Prize. His book, Undesirables: Travel Control and Surveillance in an Age of Global Politics, is forthcoming from Harvard University Press. While at MEI, his work will examine the Camp David Peace Summit of 1977. His research primarily addresses the interaction between Americans and non-Americans, such as the effects that American politics have had on the wider world, the roles that international politics have played in American society and policymaking in the United States, and the dynamics created when American and international politics come into contact or conflict. His current research interests include: the history of the death penalty in comparative perspective; the impact of war on public policy intellectuals since World War I; Malcolm X's career and politics in a global context; the relationship between American civil rights and global human rights; and the contest between global political activism and travel control since the Cold War. Temkin, formerly an Associate Professor of History and Public Policy, joined the Harvard Kennedy School faculty from 2008-2019. At Harvard, he was affiliated with the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History, the Center for European Studies, and the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. At the Harvard Kennedy School, he convened the Harvard Seminar on History and Policy and was the co-founder and co-director of the Initiative on History and Public Policy. In 2010-2011, he co-convened the Harvard International and Global History Seminar. As of 2011, he is a Big Think Inaugural Delphi Fellow. Previously, he taught at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris and at Columbia University. He received his B.A. at the Hebrew University and his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in History at Columbia University.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1850: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to David J. Helfand, author of THE UNIVERSAL TIMEKEEPERS,  about the power of atomic science to unveil the mysteries of unreachably remote time and spaceDavid J. Helfand has served on the Columbia faculty for forty-five years, nearly half that time as Chair of the Department of Astronomy. He has also spent three years at the University of Cambridge, most recently as the Sackler Distinguished Visiting Astronomer, and earlier was a visiting scientist at the Danish Space Research Institute. He has mentored 22 PhD students in high energy astrophysics projects ranging from supernova remnants and neutron stars to the cosmic X-ray background and various areas of radio astronomy. He was a principal in two large radio surveys using the VLA, the FIRST survey of the 10,000-square-degree Sloan Digital Sky Survey footprint, and the MAGPIS survey of the Galactic plane that complements the Spitzer GLIMPSE IR survey. Most of his pedagogical efforts have been aimed at teaching science to non-science majors; in 2004, Columbia’s 250th year, he finally succeeded in implementing a vision he began working on in 1982 that has all Columbia first-year students taking his science course, Frontiers of Science, as part of the University’s famed Core Curriculum. He received the University's 2001 Presidential Teaching Award and the 2002 Great Teacher Award from the Society of Columbia Graduates.In 2005, he became involved in the effort to create Canada's first independent, non-profit university, Quest University Canada. He was a Visiting Tutor in the University's inaugural semester and served as President & Vice-Chancellor from the Fall of 2008 through 2015. From 2011-2014, Prof. Helfand served as President of the American Astronomical Society and was named a Society Legacy Fellow in 2020. His is currently Chair of the Boards of the American Institute of Physics and of AIP Publishing. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Science Counts, an organization formed to communicate with the public about the importance and impact of publicly funded fundamental research. His first book, entitled “A Survival Guide to the Misinformation Age”, provides essential tools any informed citizen must have to combat the tsunami of mis- and dis-information that threatens to drown all rational approaches to personal decision-making and the formation of good public policy.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1849: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Lisa Gornick, author of ANA TURNS, about writing a New York City novel in the philistine age of the Taliban and Donald TrumpLisa Gornick has been hailed by NPR as “one of the most perceptive, compassionate writers of fiction in America…immensely talented and brave.” She is the author of four previous novels—most recently The Peacock Feast and Louisa Meets Bear, both published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, as well as Picador—and an upcoming novel, Ana Turns, to be published by Keylight Books in November, 2023.  Her stories and essays have appeared in the New York Times, the Paris Review, Prairie Schooner, the Wall Street Journal, and Real Simple, and have received many honors, including Distinguished Story by the Best American Short Stories. With the publication of her first novel, A Private Sorcery, Lisa Gornick was described by National Book Award Winner Colum McCann as “a new voice…that makes sense of our deep need for stories and their tellers.” Her second novel, Tinderbox, was awarded Four out of Four Stars from People and deemed “an extraordinary book, written for adults” by National Book Critics Circle Winner Joan Silber. Louisa Meets Bear received Starred Reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist and an “A” from Entertainment Weekly, and was chosen as a “Fresh Pick” for book clubs by Oprah.com, the Long List for The Story Prize, and a Finalist for The 2016 Paterson Fiction Prize.   The Peacock Feast was proclaimed “truly mighty” by Newsday, a “glorious chronicle” by the BBC, a “perfect novel” by the New Jersey Star-Ledger, and a “masterpiece” by Writers on Writing. Lauded by Rebecca Makkai as “Exactly the book I needed,” Meg Wolitzer described it as “One of those rare books that feel both grand and intimate.” Lisa Gornick earned a doctorate in clinical psychology at Yale and is a graduate of the writing program at NYU and the psychoanalytic training program at Columbia, where she is on the faculty. For many years, she worked in clinics, hospitals, and private practice as a psychotherapist, a profession she has depicted in various essays as based on “sacred trust.” She lives in New York City with her family.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe