Albert Camus (1913-1960) was born in Algeria to French parents. After his father died in World War I, when Albert was still an infant, the family was reduced to impoverished circumstances, forced to move in with relatives in an apartment without electricity or running water. From these humble beginnings, Camus became one of the most famous and celebrated wri ... Show More
Nov 5
841 Caribbean Romanticism (with Kir Kuiken) | My Last Book with Jonathan Gross
How do we think about planet Earth? What's our relationship with it? Humans since the Enlightenment have been tempted to believe we've transformed and even - perhaps - tamed it. And yet, Earth is independent of us, and indifferent. In this episode, Jacke talks to Kir Kuiken, whos ... Show More
1h 3m
Nov 2
840 A History of the Romance Novel (with Dale DeBakcsy)
Dale DeBakcsy is an author, illustrator, essayist, instructor, and the creative mind behind the popular Women in Science column. He's also a lifelong fan of romance novels. In this episode, Jacke talks to Dale about his book A History of Romance Novels: From Trembling Innocents t ... Show More
34m 27s
Sep 2019
Albert Camus: Embracing life’s absurdity
‘There is no sun without shadows, and it is essential to know the night,’ the words of Albert Camus, a writer whose exploration of the absurd nature of the human condition made him a literary and intellectual icon. Camus was born in Algeria but is celebrated in France as one of i ... Show More
39m 40s
Jul 2025
Albert Camus: The Absurdity Of It All
Albert Camus was a literary giant of the 20th century, known for his philosophy of absurdity in the human quest for the meaning of life. His personal life and North African roots helped shape his writing. In philosophy circles, many called him a prominent voice of existentialism, ... Show More
47m 11s
Jun 2024
Gaza, Camus, and the logic of violence
Albert Camus was a Nobel-winning French writer and public intellectual. During Algeria’s bloody war for independence in the 1950s, Camus took a measured stance, calling for an end to the atrocities on each side. He was criticized widely for his so-called “moderation.” Philosophy ... Show More
54m 56s
Mar 2022
The Philosophers: Resisting despair
Sean Illing talks with author and professor Robert Zaretsky about the French philosopher, novelist, and journalist Albert Camus (1913–1960). Though Camus might be best known for his novel The Stranger, Sean and Prof. Zaretsky explore the ideas contained in his philosophical essay ... Show More
54m 48s