How to escape the cave of our ignorance

A conversation with Robin Reames, author of "The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself."

Jul 30 • Alexandra Vollman

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Throwing off our original condition

I used to think America was defined by the hardships we've faced. It turns out, I had it backwards.

Jul 20 • Alexandra Vollman

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June 2026

The myth-making muscle

How the stories our mind creates can either help or hurt us.

Jun 18 • Alexandra Vollman

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Survival of the synergistic

Despite our intelligence, humans’ capacity for collaboration is often outmatched by that of the animal kingdom.

Jun 11 • Alexandra Vollman

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Putting the public good over politics

Is building connections outside of "big P" politics a better way to maintain our democracy?

Jun 3 • Alexandra Vollman

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May 2026

Chaos or community?

How the stories we tell ourselves will shape the nation we become.

May 27 • Alexandra Vollman

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A break from the noise

A curated reading list for the exhausted majority — and those seeking calmness and connection.

May 22 • Alexandra Vollman

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The rationalization of beauty

When we assign beauty a purpose, do we begin to lose ours?

May 14 • Alexandra Vollman

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April 2026

‘A great fire in our soul’: The tragic irony of Vincent van Gogh

How a man with so much to give neglected his gift until it was nearly too late.

Apr 30 • Alexandra Vollman

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One artist's attempt to capture the 'struggle of life’ in nature

Stephen Eidson's own struggles have made him more attuned to those of nature.

Apr 9 • Alexandra Vollman

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March 2026

Swapping writing for a rifle

We can learn a lot by doing things we know little to nothing about.

Mar 27 • Alexandra Vollman

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Can local news save us?

We may have lost our faith in legacy news, but there's one news source that's continued to have our backs and our trust.

Mar 11 • Alexandra Vollman

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