ASK A SANE PERSON
Michelangelo Signorile on the Perils of Complacency and “Victory Blindness”
November 2, 2020
“Too many people jump in, think they change laws, think it’s over. It’s never over.”
ask a sane person
The Poet Terrance Hayes Says Hope, Like Faith, Has Little to Do with Reason
November 2, 2020
“What’s the opposite of hope? Apathy? Cynicism? Despair? I choose to lean in the direction of hope.”
ASK A SANE PERSON
Kevin Young on the Righteousness of Voting Rights
October 30, 2020
“Emerson said civil disobedience is not a right, but a duty.”
ASK A SANE PERSON
Senator Ed Markey on Shooting Hoops and Saving the Planet
October 29, 2020
“I go into my driveway and shoot free throws. And then I get to work.”
ASK A SANE PERSON
Chris Jackson on Why the Status Quo is Killing Us
October 28, 2020
“There’s no way to MAGA our way back to a purer past.”
ASK A SANE PERSON
David Rothkopf Finds Hope in the History of Progress
October 27, 2020
“I’m more concerned about the root causes of our political problems than I am about the virus. We will manage that.”
ask a sane person
The Squad Is Expanding, and Jemele Hill Loves to See It
October 26, 2020
The podcaster, writer, and TV host on endless Zoom meetings, mourning the movies, and working toward a more equitable future.
ask a sane person
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio On Why She Avoids Anger (And Why White Men Should, Too)
October 9, 2020
“I think of anger as the wick that I light on the candle that is called F*ck White Supremacy, Save Our People.”
ask a sane person
Rebecca Traister Finds Hope In the Mixed-Up-ness of Humanity
September 21, 2020
The author and ‘New York’ writer on righteous rage, stubborn denialism, and the joys of a perfect pie crust.
ask a sane person
Justin Vivian Bond on the Inevitability of Assholes
September 17, 2020
“The ignorance of people never shocks me and I never underestimate it.”
ask a sane person
David Adler on the Decline of American Exceptionalism
September 8, 2020
“Our passports have turned from gold to garbage overnight.”
ask a sane person
Colm Tóibín on the Inefficacy of Political Conversation
September 1, 2020
Despite it all, the Irish author and essayist remains devoted to the United States.
ask a sane person
Naomi Fry’s High-Low Cultural Criticism Mirrors the Moment
August 25, 2020
“We can’t depend on people to solve every problem through individual initiative. Change needs to be structural.”
ask a sane person
And Now a Word From Mark Lynas, For Those of Us Who Forgot About The Climate Crisis
August 19, 2020
“We’re as smart as we need to be to fix this.”
Leon Neyfakh Takes On This Turning Point in American History
July 27, 2020
The “Fiasco” podcaster has made a career of our nation’s most tumultuous tides. Who better to consult for some much-needed guidance?
Ask A Sane Person: Marjorie Garber Questions America’s Character
July 22, 2020
A fitting cultural scholar to lead us through these tragic times.
Ask a Sane Person: Jack Halberstam Isn’t Here to Comfort You
July 14, 2020
The radical social thinker whose critiques have transformed our notions of queer theory and representation has never shied away from necessary battles.
Ask a Sane Person: Jia Tolentino on Practicing the Discipline of Hope
July 8, 2020
“I want the courage to need very little and demand a lot.”
Ask a Sane Person: David Shimer on the 2020 Election and Russian Interference
July 2, 2020
In his new book, the journalist paints a sweeping social-political panorama of the ways in which Russia has influenced American democracy.
Ask a Sane Person: Van Lathan on the Difference Between Racial Justice and Racial Equality
June 23, 2020
The cultural commentator and podcaster issues a battle cry, in all caps.