Fantasyland: Kurt Andersen in Conversation with Kwame Anthony Appiah

October 2, 2017

Viewing videos on NYPL.org requires Adobe Flash Player 9 or higher.

Get the Flash plugin from adobe.com

Embed

Copy the embed code below to add this video to your site, blog, or profile.

Fantasyland Cover

Fantasyland, the latest book by Kurt Andersen, bestselling author and co-creator of the public radio show Studio 360, is a comprehensive examination of our post-truth world and the history of the American instinct to believe in make-believe.

Andersen argues that the tendency to see our current “alternative-facts” moment as a new phenomenon belies four centuries of magical thinkers and true believers, hucksters and suckers, who have embedded an appetite for believe-whatever-you-want fantasy into our national DNA. From the Salem witch trials to P. T. Barnum to extraterrestrial conspiracy theories, Fantasyland suggests that America’s love of the fantastic has made this country exceptional in a way that has yet to be explored.

Andersen will speak with writer, philosopher, and NYU professor Kwame Anthony Appiah. A book signing will follow the program.

FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED
Registration does not guarantee admission. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. All registered seats are released 15 minutes before start time, so we recommend that you arrive early.

Watch the live stream here.