Keen On

EPISODE 1527: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of HERE BEGINS THE DARK SEA, Meredith F. Small, about Fra Mauro, the 15th century Venetian monk whose map of the world marked the beginning of our global ageMeredith F. Small is a professor of anthropology at Cornell University and the author of Our Babies Ourselves; What's Love Got to Do With It? and Inventing the World: Venice and the Transformation of Western Civilization, also available from Pegasus Books. She has written for Natural History Magazine, Discover, Scientific American, and is a commentator for National Public Radio's All Things Considered. She lives in Philadelphia. Her latest book is Here Begins the Dark Sea: Venice, a Medieval Monk, and the Creation of the Most Accurate Map of the World (2023)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

EPISODE 1526: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Jon Michaud, the author of LAST CALL AT COOGAN'S, about the life and death of one of New York's most beloved saloonsJON MICHAUD is the Collection Management Librarian at the Millburn Free Public Library. His debut novel When Tito Loved Clara (Algonquin) was named a best book of the year by The Barnes & Noble Review and was a finalist for the Writer’s Center First Novel Prize. Michaud was the head librarian at The New Yorker from 2003-2012 and the head librarian at the Center for Fiction from 2015-2017. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Tin House, LitHub, CrimeReads, and numerous other publications. The recipient of a 2022 fellowship from the New Jersey Council on the Arts, Michaud lives in Maplewood, NJ with his wife and two sons. An American citizen, he was nonetheless the Irish junior javelin champion in 1983. His latest book is LAST CALL AT COOGAN’S: The Life and Death of a Neighborhood Bar (2023)Named as one of the "100

EPISODE 1525: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Umut Ozkirimli, the author of CANCELLED offers a leftist alternative to what he sees as the intolerance of "woke" politicsUmut Özkırımlı is a Senior Research Fellow at IBEI (Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals), a professor at Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, and a Senior Research Associate at CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs). He is also the Academic Director of the Barcelona Summer School of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. He is the author of the acclaimed Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction, currently in its third edition. His writings appear frequently in The Guardian, openDemocracy, Times Higher Education, Huffington Post, Al Jazeera, 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 fou

EPISODE 1524: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Jessi Kneeland, the author of BODY NEUTRAL, about her revolutionary new guide to overcoming body image issuesJessi Kneeland (they/them) is a coach, writer, and speaker dedicated to helping people overcome the suffering associated with body anxiety, insecurity, and negativity, and to improve their relationship with their bodies. After working as a personal trainer for a decade in New York City, Kneeland became an iPEC certified life coach and launched a coaching practice centered around the meaningful work of self-acceptance. Their innovative approach allows them to partner with clients individually and in groups to help them find body acceptance, a strong sense of self-worth, and true confidence. They are committed to the pursuit of body neutrality—a philosophy predicated on the idea that how we look is the least interesting and important thing about us. Their work has been featured in Women’s Health, Shape, Pop Sugar, Refinery29, BuzzFeed, Hello Giggles, an

EPISODE 1523: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Jared Fishman, the author of FIRE ON THE LEVEE, about the New Orleans police murder of Henry Glover and the search for justice after Hurricane KatrinaJared Fishman is the founder and executive director of Justice Innovation Lab, an organization that designs data-driven solutions for a more equitable, effective, and fair justice system. Justice Innovation Lab uses a collaborative approach to help justice system decision-makers identify and fix inequities in their jurisdictions. Prior to founding Justice Innovation Lab, Mr. Fishman served for 14 years as a senior civil rights prosecutor at the US Department of Justice, where he led some of the most complex civil rights prosecutions in the country, securing convictions in high-profile cases involving police misconduct, hate crimes and human trafficking. He received multiple awards from the Department of Justice for distinguished service, including the Civil Rights Division’s highest award for excellence in lega

EPISODE 1522: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of WE CAN HEROES, Paul Burston, about his survival story as a prominent British gay activist, journalist and novelistPaul Burston was born in York, raised in South Wales and now divides his time between London and Hastings. From the age of 23, he was an AIDS activist with ACT UP London and also worked for the gay police monitoring group GALOP before becoming a journalist. For 20 years he edited what became known as the LGBT section at Time Out London, documenting the changing cultural and political landscape. In 1994 he co-founded Attitude Magazine. He has written for many other publications including the Guardian and the Times. He also wrote and presented documentaries for Channel 4. His books include 'Shameless' (shortlisted for the State of Britain Award 2001), 'Lovers and Losers' (shortlisted for the Stonewall Award 2007), 'The Gay Divorcee' (2009, optioned for television) and 'The Black Path' (long listed for the Guardian's Not The Booker Pri

EPISODE 1521: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Kate Strasdin, the author of THE DRESS DIARY OF MRS ANNE SYKES, about fashion, fabric and femininity in 19th century EnglandKate Strasdin is a dress historian who has been fascinated by old clothes since she was a child. She is a lecturer in Cultural Studies at Falmouth University and is a freelance consultant for dress and textile exhibitions. She has appeared on The Great British Sewing Bee as an expert. In 2016 she was given an anonymous album full of annotated dress swatches that had been kept in a trunk for over fifty years, its original keeper unknown. She spent the next six years unlocking its secrets. She lives in Devon with her husband and two children. Her latest book is The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes: Secrets from a Victorian Woman’s Wardrobe (2023)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

EPISODE 1520: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Matthew Clavin, the author of SYMBOLS OF FREEDOM, about the way in which African American slaves were inspired by the American symbols of independence in their fight for true freedomMatthew J. Clavin is Professor of History at the University of Houston and the author of The Battle of Negro Fort: The Rise and Fall of a Fugitive Slave Community, Aiming for Pensacola: Fugitive Slaves on the Atlantic and Southern Frontiers, and Toussaint Louverture and the American Civil War: The Promise and Peril of a Second Haitian Revolution. His latest book is Symbols of Freedom: Slavery and Resistance Before the Civil War (2023)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 INT

EPISODE 1519: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Siena Sterling, the author of THE GAME SHE PLAYS CAN TURN DEADLY. about twisted plots, twisted people and twisted writers like Patricia Highsmith and Fyodor DostoievskiSiena Sterling is an American living in London. Before moving to England, she worked at Doubleday bookstore in New York, in political campaigns, and for the Federal Railroad Administration. She has two children. She plays poker and tennis, and has a passion for Jack Russell terriers. Her latest thriller is THE GAME SHE PLAYS CAN TURN DEADLY (2023)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 Cassand

EPISODE 1518: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of the ITALIAN SQUAD, Paul Moses, about the true story of the early 20th century New York cops who fought the rise of the MafiaPaul Moses is Professor Emeritus of Journalism at CUNY-Brooklyn College and a former reporter and editor at Newsday. He is the author of An Unlikely Union: The Love-Hate Story of New York's Irish and Italians and The Saint and the Sultan: The Crusades, Islam and Francis of Assisi's Mission of Peace. His latest book is The Italian Squad: The True Story of the Immigrant Cops Who Fought the Rise of the Mafia (2023)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

EPISODE 1517: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of THE PALESTINE LABORATORY, Antony Loewenstein, about how, in his view, Israel exports the technology of occupation around the worldAntony Loewenstein is an independent journalist, best-selling author, filmmaker and co-founder of Declassified Australia. He's written for The Guardian, The New York Times, The New York Review of Books and many others. His books include Pills, Powder and Smoke, Disaster Capitalism and My Israel Question. His documentary films include Disaster Capitalism and the Al Jazeera English films West Africa's Opioid Crisis and Under the Cover of Covid. He was based in East Jerusalem 2016-2020.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 VERT

EPISODE 1516: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of THE HEARTBEAT OF THE WILD, David Quammen, about how to write with both appropriate spiritual reverence and scientific accuracy about the wildernessDavid Quammen is an author and journalist whose eighteen books include Breathless (2022), The Tangled Tree (2018), Spillover (2012), The Song of the Dodo (1996) and, most recently, The Heartbeat of the Wild (2023). Though he began his career as a novelist (To Walk the Line, 1970, and three other works of fiction), in recent decades he has written only nonfiction, focused mainly on science, history of science, and the relationships of humans to landscape and biological diversity. In the past forty years Quammen has also published a few hundred pieces of short nonfiction—feature articles, essays, columns—in magazines such as The New Yorker, National Geographic, Harper’s, Outside, Esquire, The Atlantic, Powder, and Rolling Stone.  He writes occasional Op Eds for The New York Times and other newspapers,

EPISODE 1515: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Jordan Crandall, the author of AUTODRIVE, about the imminent age of superintelligence in which we will won't be able to distinguish man and machineJordan Crandall is Professor of Visual Arts at University of California, San Diego. He is the author of five books, including Drive, an anthology of his artworks, media installations, and theoretical writings published by Neue Galerie Graz and ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe. In 2011 he was the recipient of the Vilém Flusser Theory Award for outstanding research in media art and digital culture. Autodrive is his first work of fiction.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

EPISODE 1514: In this regular weekly show with THAT WAS THE WEEK newsletter author Keith Teare, Andrew and Keith discuss the upcoming Apple virtual reality headset, the supposed investment boom in AI and Elon Musk's ambition of reinventing Twitter as XKeith 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 founder at the Palo Alto incubator, Archimedes Labs. Archimedes was the original incubator for TechCrunch and since 2011has invested, accelerated or incubated many Silicon valley startups including 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 commen

EPISODE 1513: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Stephen Games, the publisher of BookLaunch Quarterly & EnvelopeBooks, about the Big Book industry, the importance of rigorous editing and why literary agents serve no real purposeStephen Games is the founder of EnvelopeBooks, the British publishing house set up to help authors who have struggled to find a mainstream publisher or agent.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 t

EPISODE 1512: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Alex Ryvchin, author of THE 7 DEADLY MYTHS, about antisemitism from the time of Christ to Kanye West and the Ashburton ArmyAlex Ryvchin is co-Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the author of internationally acclaimed books of history and politics, and a best-selling children’s author. He writes for leading publications and speaks, debates and teaches around the world on the Arab-Israeli conflict, foreign and national affairs, antisemitism and the Holocaust, and religion and identity, and is a regular commentator on TV and radio. Alex was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. His family left the Soviet Union as refugees and refuseniks in 1987, when Alex was 3 years old. He attended Sydney Boys High School and went on to study law and politics at the University of New South WalesHe worked for a member of the state legislature as a researcher and speechwriter before practising law at two of the world's largest law firms, first in Sydney and

EPISODE 1511: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Chad Williams, the author of THE WOUNDED WORLD, about W.E.B. Du Bois and the First World WorldChad Williams is the Samuel J. and Augusta Spector Professor of History and African and African American Studies at Brandeis University. Chad earned a BA with honors in History and African American Studies from UCLA, and received both his MA and Ph.D. in History from Princeton University. He specializes in African American and modern United States History, African American military history, the World War I era and African American intellectual history. His first book, Torchbearers of Democracy: African American Soldiers in the World War I Era, was published in 2010 by the University of North Carolina Press. Widely praised as a landmark study, Torchbearers of Democracy won the 2011 Liberty Legacy Foundation Award from the Organization of American Historians, the 2011 Distinguished Book Award from the Society for Military History and designation as a 2011 CHOICE Outst

EPISODE 1510: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Eliot Ackerman, the author of the novel HALCYON, which imagines an America where Al Gore becomes President and there is technology that can resurrect dead peopleELLIOT ACKERMAN is the author of the novels Red Dress in Black and White, Waiting for Eden, Dark at the Crossing (a finalist for the National Book Award), and Green on Blue (a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize), as well as the memoir Places and Names, and is the coauthor with Admiral James Stavridis of the best seller 2034: A Novel of the Next World War. Ackerman is both a former White House Fellow and Marine, and served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. His latest novel is Halcyon (2023)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 T

EPISODE 1508: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the CEO and President of Democracy Forward, Skye Perryman, about the existential crisis of American Democracy and what we can do to save itSkye Perryman is a lawyer, advocate, and leader with a track record of taking on and winning critical fights that advance democratic values, stop abuses of power, and improve the wellbeing of people and communities. She was named President and CEO of Democracy Forward Foundation in June 2021, returning to the organization where she was on the founding litigation team. She most recently served as the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, where she oversaw its broad portfolio of legal, policy, and public affairs work and led a number of groundbreaking initiatives that enhanced access and equity in health care. Prior to ACOG, Skye was a Senior Counsel at Democracy Forward Foundation where, as one of the organization’s founding litigators, she developed and filed s

EPISODE 1508: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Andrew Krivak, author of LIKE THE APPEARANCE OF HORSES, about war, language, memory and why, in his opinion, AI algorithms like ChatGPT will never understand beautyAndrew Krivak is the author of three novels, two chapbooks of poetry, and two works of nonfiction. His 2011 debut novel, The Sojourn, was a National Book Award finalist and winner of both the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for fiction and the inaugural Chautauqua Prize. He followed The Sojourn, in what would become the Dardan Trilogy, with The Signal Flame, a novel The New York Times said evoked “an austere landscape, a struggling family, and a deep source of pain.” His novel The Bear received the Banff Mountain Book Prize for fiction, and is a National Endowment for the Arts Big Read title. Like the Appearance of Horses, the third novel in the Dardan Trilogy, is forthcoming in 2023. As a poet, Andrew has published the short collections Islands, and Ghosts of the Monadnock Wolves. He is also author o