Podcast: Janna Levin in conversation with James Gleick

Pulitzer finalist James Gleick and theoretical physicist-cum-novelist Janna Levin discuss the tensions between science and art evidenced by her novel, "A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines." Why stray from the "facts," Gleick wonders, in telling a story of Alan Turing and Kurt Gödel, two of the 20th century's greatest abstract thinkers? Because, answers Levin, "there is something about the process of thinking on the absolute periphery of what's connected to ordinary human life that you can't describe just by stating the facts." Levin takes Gleick's incisive, nuanced, fraught questions and responds with a grace and power akin, commented Junot Diaz, to "Babe Ruth bombing home runs out the park." Levin fans will also enjoy her archived Colbert Report interview here. Click here to visit our podcast page and listen. --Arlo Haskell
LITTORAL is the year-round online voice of the Key West Literary Seminar. We write about literature, Key West, and the authors who have been or will be part of our annual Seminar. Throughout the year on LITTORAL, you'll find podcasts from our growing audio archives, interviews and book reviews, news about the Seminar, links, commentary, and arcana.
Arlo Haskell is editor-in-chief. Send email to arlohaskell [at] gmail [dot] com.
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