George Orwell wasn’t afraid to speak against totalitarianism – but what was he for? Colin Burrow joins Tom to unpick the cultural conservatism and crackling violence underpinning Orwell’s writing, to reassess his vision of socialism and to figure out why teenagers love him so much.
LRB Audio
Discover the LRB's subscription podcast, Close Readings, and audiob ... Show More
Jun 3
On Politics: Myths of Populism
The transformations of European politics over the past twenty years, including Britain’s vote to leave the EU and the rise of post-Soviet strongmen, are often explained as part of a ‘wave’ of populism. But as Jan-Werner Müller argues, populism is best understood as a form of poli ... Show More
1h 12m
Jul 2020
1984 Explained | George Orwell
<p>George Orwell depicts what a world could possibly look like under an authoritarian regime in his dystopian novel 1984, coining neologisms such as Big Brother, Thoughtcrime and Doublethink. </p>
<p>Published in 1949, it remains highly influential in popular cu ... Show More
11m 12s
Jun 2023
Noam Chomsky on Language, Left Libertarianism, and Progress
<p class="MsoNormal">Noam Chomsky joins Tyler to discuss why Noam and Wilhelm von Humboldt have similar views on language and liberty, good and bad evolutionary approaches to language, what he thinks Stephen Wolfram gets wrong about LLMs, whether he's optimistic about the future, ... Show More
50m 38s
Aug 2023
What Clarence Thomas really thinks
In this episode, which was originally published in August 2022, Sean Illing talks with Corey Robin, author of a 2019 book about the life and thought of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Robin discusses how Thomas — whose concurring opinion in the case that overturned Roe v. ... Show More
1h 3m
May 2019
E30. Andrew Doyle Discusses the Dangers of Well-Intentioned Authoritarianism
Andrew Doyle is the man behind satirical Twitter account Titania McGrath – a radical intersectionalist, feminist, and slam poet, who is constantly telling people how oppressed she is – and author of Woke: A Guide to Social Justice. He and Bridget have a fascinating and important ... Show More
1h 29m