Crime Story
An appearance on the Eminent Americans podcast
Eminent Americans is one of my favorite podcasts. Produced by the writer Daniel Oppenheimer, the show mostly focuses on the work of leading American intellectuals. In recent years, I have found it to be an enormously valuable tool as I have tried to make sense of our current political moment.
On occasion, Oppenheimer will depart from his standard fare to indulge his idiosyncratic interests. This includes exploring topics like men’s fashion, psychotherapy, and prep school. He took one such side trip this week, inviting me on the show because he was curious to talk with someone about criminal justice.
I think I have been on a dozen or so podcasts over the years. If I’m honest, I find it fairly stressful — it is challenging to be simultaneously relaxed and on point, which is what I think the medium requires. In general, I prefer writing to talking.
It is a credit to Dan that he created an environment where I felt so comfortable that I sometimes forgot that I was being recorded. The result, for better or for worse, is a pretty unvarnished look at what I think about crime, politics, the nonprofit sector and more. Here’s the link. I hope you enjoy it.