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 »
Author Archives: Randy Cohen
Episode 2: Jane Smiley
I first encountered her work in 1988, when my then-wife was captivated by The Greenlanders. We’d both just read Roland Huntford’s Scott and Amundson and were susceptible to things polar. My favorite remains A Thousand Acres, but I’m proud to live in a country where I needn’t choose between them. Person: Marguerite of Navarre … Continue reading »
Episode 1: Dan Savage
His sex-advice column, Savage Love, debuted in 1991. In 2010, he and his husband, Terry Miller, launched the It Gets Better Project to assist LGBT kids. Worthy endeavors, but he’d really rather talk about the Tudors, and he does in this re-edited version of our very first episode. Person: Caroline Mathilde Place: a house in … Continue reading »