Ulrich Baer is an author, editor, and a professor of photography at NYU.

I wanted to chat with someone about photography in the “iPhone” age (along with a bunch of other things!), and Uli was kind enough to indulge me.

I was dazzled by his breadth of learning and the expertise he has in so many different fields (poetry, philosophy, and literature, to name just a few).

In this wide-ranging conversation, Uli and I discuss:

Photography; Art; Nostalgia for Film; The iPhone Age; Mary Shelley; Frankenstein; Oscar Wilde; Being a “Perpetual Beginner”; How to approach the “Great Works”; Reading; Laughing; Loving; Connecting with our fellow humans; Kung Fu; And much more!

Links to Uli’s stuff:

Website:

https://www.ulrichbaer.com/

Podcasts:

https://www.ulrichbaer.com/podcasts

Think About It

The Proust Questionnaire

Books:

https://www.ulrichbaer.com/books-by-ulrich-baer

Links to my stuff:

Instagram, on which I post shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/

X: @DanielEFinneran

Message me on X, or send me an email at daniel.ethan.finneran@gmail.com (especially if you have in mind someone whom I can interview!)

My sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, and mindfulness content. Search “Pneuma meditations” on any podcast streaming platform.

If you enjoy these conversations, please share them with family and friends!

Thank you.

Joseph Pearce is an educator, essayist, and author of over two dozen books.

I reached out to Joseph because I wanted to learn more about the great Irish playwright and wit, Oscar Wilde, about whom he has written extensively.

Joseph’s excellent biography of Wilde, “Unmasking Oscar Wilde” is linked below.

Using Wilde as a springboard, Joseph and I leapt into a variety of topics, including:

The different forms of Tragedy: Pagan v. Christian; Oedipus; Macbeth; Shakespeare’s religion; Catholicism; GK Chesterton; Oscar Wilde; How one develops a sense of wonder; Art for whose sake?; Self-destructive spirals; God; Transcendentalism; Walking; Henry David Thoreau;

And much more!

I hope that you enjoy this episode.

A link to Joseph’s website, on which you’ll find an abundance of beautifully-composed, thoughtful essays:

https://jpearce.co/

Do consider joining his “Inner Sanctum” membership bloc, through which you’ll be given access to even more content.

Book: “Unmasking Oscar Wilde” - https://ignatius.com/the-unmasking-of-oscar-wilde-uowp/

Links to my stuff:

My Instagram page, on which I post shorts from this and prior episodes:

Instagram: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/

X: @DanielEFinneran

Message me on X, or send an email to daniel.ethan.finneran@gmail.com (especially if you have someone I can interview in mind!)

My sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, and mindfulness content. Search “Pneuma meditations” on any podcast streaming platform.

If you enjoy these conversations, please share them with family and friends!

Thank you.

Yasheng Huang is a professor at MIT and the author of many books, including his most recent work, “The Rise and Fall of the EAST”.

I reached out to Professor Huang because, after reading his book, I wanted to learn more about Chinese history.

In this episode, Yasheng and I discuss:

Imperial China v. The Roman Empire; Keju; The origin of Civil Service Exams; Purges: Hard and Soft; Meritocracy v Aristocracy; Enlightenment Thinkers; The American Founding; Stalin and Mao; Xi Jinping; Autocratic “Stickiness”; Liberal Democracy; Global Economics; Anthony Fauci; Robert F. Kennedy; Public Health; COVID; Planning for Future Pandemics; Tiananmen Square; Taiwan; Donald Trump; Student Protests;

And much more!

I hope that you enjoy this chat.

Links to Professor Huang’s content:

X: @YashengHuang

Book: The Rise and Fall of the EAST - https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300281934/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-east/

Links to my content:

Instagram, on which I post shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/

X: @DanielEFinneran

Message me on X, or send me an email at daniel.ethan.finneran@gmail.com (especially if you have in mind someone whom I can interview!)

My sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, and mindfulness content. Search “Pneuma meditations” on any podcast streaming platform.

If you enjoy these conversations, please share them with family and friends!

Thank you.