Culture, Consciousness, and Dreams of the Future

Earlier this month I spoke with Professor Bron Taylor of the University of Florida. Bron’s latest book, Dark Green Religion and the Planetary Future, talks about nature spirituality in the U.S., and the possibilities for a society organized around principles from environmental science such as kinship with all life. It was a lively, thought-provoking conversation, which you can listen to or download here.

The following week I sat down with a friend of mine, Gus DiZerega. Gus was recently interviewed by journalist Jane Mayer for her well-read article in the New Yorker about Charles and David Koch, the wealthy billionaires who are funding many far-right organizations in this country. Gus knew Charles Koch from back in Wichita where they met at a John Birch Society bookstore, and he told the whole story when we spoke.

We talked about the history of Libertarianism in the U.S. (Gus has been a professor of history and politics, and the Koch brothers are Libertarians), the current political landscape, and got into Gus’s critique of Bron Taylor’s book. It was a wide-ranging conversation, and fascinating if you want to hone your thinking on a number of issues. That interview is now up as well, and you can listen or download here.

Soon I will interview another friend and professor, Jonathan Soffer, who just published the definitive book on Mayor Ed Koch and the rebuilding of New York City. I am interested in talking to Jonathan particularly about how financial issues and social issues interact in cities, and what lessons drawn from NYC in the 1970s-80s can be applied to urban areas today.

Joseph Campbell famously said, “A myth is a public dream, a dream is a private myth.” Dream Talk Radio is going strong after almost three years of original weekly programming, and I am more excited than ever about the possibilities for bringing our private myths to bear on the larger cultural dream. Stay tuned for more provocative ideas and fascinating discussions with innovators in many different fields.