Is it OK for a teenager to prefer John Lennon’s tepid version of Money to Barret Strong’s hard-rocking original? Rickie Lee Jones says it is, making an elegant argument that we need different music at different phases of life. She should know: her 1979 debut album included the enormously popular Chuck E’s in Love; it … Continue reading »
Monthly Archives: November 2011
Episode 6: Sir Roger Bannister
A neurologist, he kept a phrenology head in his office as a reminder of human folly. “The human mind is filled with instances of ridiculous ideas which have taken hold.” And by the way, in the spring of 1954, he became the first man to run a four-minute mile. A conversation from our vault, refurbished … Continue reading »
Episode 4: Dave Cowens
Dave Cowens was born in Newport, Kentucky, and played college basketball at Florida State. Many people believed him to be too small, at 6’9″, to play center in the pros, but in 1970 he was drafted by the Boston Celtics on the recommendation of the great Bill Russell, the start of a long and glorious … Continue reading »
Episode 3: Michael Pollan
He is celebrated for his writing about the American diet, crystalized into his mantra: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” I assumed he’d revere Thoreau, but he declared, “Much of my work and my life has been an argument with Thoreau.” You think you know a guy (who you’ve never met). A re-edited version … Continue reading »