Thecuriousmanspodcast Matt Crawford

Matt Crawford speaks with professor, historian and author Omer Bartov about his novel, The Butterfly and the Axe. Inspired by his own tragic family history Bartov takes us back to a Ukrainian village in the spring of 1944. A Jewish family is murdered but who were they, who were their killers and why did this take place? Three generation an unnamed narrator, an Israeli woman and a British man of Ukrainian origins set out to find out how their families were implicated and intertwined by this horrible event. This is a work of fiction that looks at the holocaust through a different lens that few have viewed before. We all think of the gas chambers when we think of extermination, but many Jews were killed where they lived and by their neighbors. I hope you will all give this powerful book a read.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Kai Thomas about his debut novel, In The Upper Country. In the 1800's in Dunmore, a Canadian town settled by people fleeing enslavement in the American South. Lensinda Martin works for a Black journalist, and she must recover the story of an old woman who has just shot a slave hunter after arriving to town via the Underground Railroad. The old woman has no interest in confessing but she is willing to trade a story for a story. What follows is an exchange of oral histories that pull the reader in deeper and deeper. Thomas has done extensive research from oral and written histories, even down to recipes from the era. The fruits of those labors are a book that will transport you back in time and personally connect with you. I was viscerally affected by this book, and it will stay with me for a while.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Sterling Watson about his new novel, Night Letter. Watson brings us back to rural Florida in the early 60's to check in on 18-year-old Travis Hollister after his release from detention. The characters in this novel are as diverse and nuanced as I have ever read, and this is a story that will pull you back in time. 

Matt Crawford speaks with writer, film maker, musician and artist Ian Svenonius about his latest book, Against the Written Word.  Ian and I talk about all the different projects he is working on as well as his 30 plus year career as an artist. We discuss the state of our society and how art is being hamstrung by the corporate model of ownership, as well as how the industry has shifted. I hope you will all give a listen and follow up with your own conversations.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Jared Yates Sexton about his book, The Midnight Kingdom. How did we get here? When talking about politics today I think all of us, regardless of political affiliation, ask ourselves. Sexton does the deep dive all the way back to Rome to show us that this dynamic is nothing new, and that when you know what to look for, is actually easy to identify and try to prevent. We discuss this as well as Jared's podcast The Muckrake. This book should be required reading by all and I hope you all will. Also, give a listen to his great podcast.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Dr. David Alfery about his book, Saving Grace. Those of us who have had surgery probably haven't paid much attention to the person who puts us under. The anesthesiologist is the person who brings us closest to death to protect us, then brings us back. You would think we should know more about them and the process of sedation. Dr. Alfery brings us along as he recounts some of his most touching cases in his 40+ years in medicine. A touching read that demystifies anesthesia and shares some of the most impactful and heart wrenching cases of Alfery's career.