“It is the certainty that they possess the truth that makes men cruel.” -Anatole France

Knowledge, they say, is power. But in this age of unlimited information, some knowledge – indeed some power – is rooted in nothing, born of non-truths and dangerous theories that have taken on a life of their own to become reality’s competing narrative. It is a song that will not stop, this relentless hum of misinformation cluttering every aspect of our movements in the world. The price of instant knowledge, it seems, is steep and threatens to unravel us with a tapestry of lies.

Gina Apostol joined us in early September from New York City where she had just returned the week we spoke after leaving in March 2020 when her school shut down. She spent the pandemic living with her partner in Massachusetts and teaching remotely. The stress of the pandemic made her more prolific in terms of work, allowing her to finish a novel during her time in lockdown. The novel began as one story, but it changed during a time of global mourning to being a book about the loss of Apostol’s mother. To hear more including an extensive discussion of the violent situation in the Phillippines, listen to the complete interview.

Adam Zaretsky spoke to us from Greece where he was in the midst of a personal pandemic curveball situation that has seen him bi-coastal between New York City and Corfu, Greece. After leaving his academic job, he embarked on a full-time art career, actively pursuing his own dreams. Zaretsky’s focus for the last 20 years or so is the cross-section of art and CRISPR babies. To hear his take on the topic of genetically modified fetuses and how it enters into his work, listen to the complete interview.