Introduction by Sylvia Beach Paris in 1920 was not just a city—it was a heartbeat, a crossroads where artists, dreamers, and outcasts came to reimagine the world. I watched them pass through my bookshop, Shakespeare and Company, each carrying the weight of their own visions: Hemingway with his terse truths, Joyce with his labyrinthine words, Stein with her firm … [Read more...] about Paris 1920: Jazz, Salons, and Midnight Confessions
Lifestyle and Culture
Comedy Without Politics: How Humor Can Still Unite Us
Introduction — Johnny Carson Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. You know, for thirty years I stood behind a desk, told a few jokes, and tried to make America laugh before bedtime. What I learned is this: laughter is the one language that everybody understands. Politics may divide us, but waiting in line at the DMV, losing your luggage, or trying to put … [Read more...] about Comedy Without Politics: How Humor Can Still Unite Us
From Conflict to Connection: Israel and Foes in Japan
Introduction by Benjamin Netanyahu When I was first invited to Japan for this peace journey, I came with skepticism. For much of my life, I have lived in conflict — leading a nation that faces enemies on all sides. I have stood at podiums defending Israel, shaking my fist at those who vowed our destruction. The idea of sitting in silence with these … [Read more...] about From Conflict to Connection: Israel and Foes in Japan
Charlie Kirk on Japan: Lessons America Must Learn
Introduction by Charlie Kirk When I first set foot in Tokyo, I was struck not just by the dazzling skyline or the efficiency of the trains, but by the feeling that society itself still worked. People respected one another. Streets were clean. Crime was rare. It made me ask: what makes Japan different, and what can we learn from it?Over the next discussions, … [Read more...] about Charlie Kirk on Japan: Lessons America Must Learn
Top Podcasters Roundtable: Shaping the Future of Storytelling
Introduction by Ira Glass “Podcasting didn’t begin as an industry. It began as voices in rooms—people telling stories with nothing but their breath and a microphone. When This American Life first dipped into the medium, we didn’t know we were lighting a fuse. But look around: podcasts have become where people go for news, for laughter, for therapy, for … [Read more...] about Top Podcasters Roundtable: Shaping the Future of Storytelling
Conan Learns Why Women Deserve Endless Respect
Introduction by Conan [Conan walks on stage, the crowd cheers. He straightens his tie, does the awkward hair flip, and leans into the mic.]“Good evening, everybody! Normally, I come out here and make fun of myself for being pale, lanky, and shaped like a question mark. But tonight… tonight’s different. I had a revelation.See, I’ve spent most of my life … [Read more...] about Conan Learns Why Women Deserve Endless Respect
Laughing in the Dark: U.S. & Korean Comedians Tour North Korea
Introduction by Kim Jong-un Spotlight. A vast hall in Pyongyang. Kim Jong-un steps forward, dressed in his usual black suit, but wearing an expression halfway between stern and mischievous. A translator stands nearby, but Kim waves him off, speaking directly in English with surprising clarity.Welcome, comedians. You are very brave… or very foolish. Either … [Read more...] about Laughing in the Dark: U.S. & Korean Comedians Tour North Korea
Comedy Clash of Cultures: U.S. Boldness vs. Japanese Humility
Introduction by Naomi Watanabe Welcome, everyone! Tonight, we’re diving into something I know very well: what’s funny in one country doesn’t always land the same in another. In the U.S., words like unapologetic or unstoppable sound powerful, even glamorous. But in Japan, if I walk into a room and say, ‘I’m unapologetic!’ people might look at me like, ‘Are … [Read more...] about Comedy Clash of Cultures: U.S. Boldness vs. Japanese Humility
Loretta LaRoche’s 5 Inspiring Talks on Joy, Aging, and Letting Go
Loretta LaRocheOh, honey, let me tell you — life is too short to be walking around like you’ve been sucking on a lemon since 1974. We’re all running around like “human doings” instead of “human beings,” checking things off lists that no one will ever read. And for what? So our gravestones can say, She Had Great Laundry Skills? Please.Here’s the thing: joy doesn’t … [Read more...] about Loretta LaRoche’s 5 Inspiring Talks on Joy, Aging, and Letting Go
Echoes of the Maple Wind: A Mythic Tour Across Canada
Stan Rogers: Well now…Canada’s a hard thing to explain with just words.It’s a foghorn in the night.A prairie that hums like a hymn.A forest so quiet you can hear your heart change.I sang her rivers and her fishermen,her long winters and her stubborn hopes.But truth be told—this country’s made more of silence than song.And that’s why you’re here.Not to see … [Read more...] about Echoes of the Maple Wind: A Mythic Tour Across Canada