For this first episode in the Radicalism in the American Revolution series, historian Annette Gordon-Reed joins me to discuss her new book Jefferson on Race, a collection of writings by Jefferson on the topic of race from throughout his entire career. Anette and I grapple with a pair of irresolvable facts about Jefferson: he was a race radical and an enslaver.

You can find the link to Annette's book here: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691122069/jefferson-on-race

Here's the letter to Jefferson from "A Slave" that strikes an apocalyptic tone on slavery and uses Jefferson's own words: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-9200

Here's an introduction to a new series on Radicalism in the American Revolution, in honor of/in frustration with 250 years of America.

Soon to come: Jefferson on Race, the American constitutional tradition, Thomas Paine's basic income, and more!

How do you know your life is worthwhile? How do connect to the world around you? What sort of life is worth living?

In her new book, Transcendence for Beginners, the philosopher and biographer Clare Carlisle works through answers to these questions, answers inspired by the philosopher Spinoza and the novelist George Eliot. And those answers, rather than pointing to something beyond, point us to transcendence in the here and now. Plus we talk about tradwives.

Here's the link to the book at the publisher's website: https://www.nyrb.com/products/transcendence-for-beginners