Best Anarres Project Podcasts (2024)

1
The Radical Futurity of Dune: Javier Sethness-Castro 53:03

3h ago53:03

53:03

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we speak with author Javier Sethness Castro about his new review of Dune II (2024). Sethness Castro argues that the Frank Herbert's vision of humanity, as laid out in the novels, is one of a multicultural, multiracial, and religiously pluralistic human race spread out among the stars. The persistence of …

1
Is Humanity Worth Saving? The Philosophy of Battlestar Galactica 1:05:49

1M ago1:05:49

1:05:49

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we talk with Dr. Jason Eberl who is the editor of the book Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy. Dr. Eberl is a featured speaker at the celebration of the 20th anniversary of 2004 reboot of Battlestar Galactica in Chicago. This series begins by asking an existential question: "Does humanity deserve to exi…

1
Will Burrows and the Radical Future of Star Trek 45:42

2M ago45:42

45:42

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we interview artist Will Burrows. In the past few years, Burrows has become popular for his art that blends Star Trek with political themes and LGBTQIA pride.We wanted to talk to him about some of his best selling work in celebration of the Bell Riots--an event in Star Trek lore that sets the United Stat…

1
Guerilla to Grandmother: Katherine Ann Power 1:18:24

7M ago1:18:24

1:18:24

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we talk with Katherine Ann Power about her new memoir, "Surrender: My Journey from Guerilla to Grandmother". For over twenty years, Power was on the FBI Most Wanted List for her involvement in a revolutionary armed cell that sought the overthrown of the US government. After a bank robbery in which a poli…

1
Star Trek's Radical Hope: Una McCormack 1:19:52

9M ago1:19:52

1:19:52

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we speak with New York Times Best Selling author, Dr. Una McCormack. She has written over twenty science fiction novels, many of which are franchise novels that tie into the Star Trek, Firefly, and Dr. Who universes. We talk about how she prepares for writing her work and why she appreciates science fict…

1
DS9 and the Radical Imagination: David Seitz 57:20

10M ago57:20

57:20

In this Conversation on Anarres, we speak with Dr. David Seitz about his new book A Different Trek: Radical Geographies of Deep Space Nine. We talk about how Star Trek came to be part of his academic research project and why Deep Space Nine captured his imagination as a way to talk about radical politics in the world today. Our conversation touches…

1
Sex Work, Labor, Solidarity: Matilda Bickers 57:24

10M ago57:24

57:24

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we talk with Matilda Bickers, the co-editor of a new anthology, "Working It: Sex Workers on the Work of Sex" (PM Press, 2023), which is a collection of reflections by sex workers on the nature of their labor. She explains how she got into this form of advocacy and what similarities sex work has to other …

1
Best SciFi & Fantasy 2023 1:09:42

10M ago1:09:42

1:09:42

In this episode of TrekWars@OSU, we consider the sci-fi, fantasy, and other speculative fiction that helped us to imagine futures free of domination, exploitation, war, and empire.Our discussion panel included: Joseph Orosco, co-director of the Anarres Project; Randall Millstein, Robyn Morris, and Kaja Gjelde. Each of them mentioned their favorite …

1
De-Modernizing Anarchism: Dr. Jesse Cohn 51:57

1y ago51:57

51:57

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we talk with Dr. Jesse Cohn about his essay "Demodernizing Anarchism". This essay appears in Issue 33 of Perspectives on Anarchist Theory and you can read it here. For more information on the Institute for Anarchist Studies, check out their website here.

1
Really, Really Free Market-Corvallis 34:09

1+ y ago34:09

34:09

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we talk to Avery Jade, one of the organizers of the Really, Really Free Market in Corvallis, Oregon. The Really, Really Free Market movement is a global movement that creates space for mutual aid--making clothes, toiletries, literature, and other necessities available for free.We discuss the inspiration …

1
Anarchism and Star Trek: Picard 55:22

1+ y ago55:22

55:22

In this episode, Joseph Orosco talks with Maria Castro and Javier Castro, about their recent essay "Bibliophilia and Anarchism in Star Trek: Picard", published in October 2022 in Perspectives in Anarchist Theory. Maria and Javier argue that throughout Season One of Star Trek: Picard several books are mentioned that echo the radical themes and anti-…

1
Remembering the Radical Imagination of Staughton Lynd (1929-2022) 25:56

2y ago25:56

25:56

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, co-directors Joseph Orosco and Tony Vogt discuss their encounters with the work of Staughton Lynd, who passed away in 2022. They talk about the important ways in which Staughton Lynd, along with his wife Alice, devoted themselves to providing historical resources to spark our imagination about forms of a…

1
Remembering the Radical Imagination of Dave Forman (1946-2022) 11:28

2y ago11:28

11:28

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, co-directors Joseph Orosco and Tony Vogt discuss their encounters with the work of Dave Forman, who passed away in 2022. They talk about the importance of Forman's work in creating the radical environmental group, Earth First!, and the limitations of this approach to movement building. Music Credit: ––––…

1
Remembering the Radical Imagination of Barbara Ehrenreich (1941-2022) 18:39

2y ago18:39

18:39

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, co-directors Joseph Orosco and Tony Vogt discuss their encounters with the work of Barbara Ehrenreich, who passed away in 2022. They talk about the importance of Ehrenreich's works including Nickel and Dimed, Bait and Switch, and Witches, Midwives, and Nurses. Music Credit: ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––…

1
Remembering the Radical Imagination of Mike Davis (1946-2022) 15:28

2y ago15:28

15:28

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, co-directors Joseph Orosco and Tony Vogt discuss their encounters with the work of historian Mike Davis, who passed away in 2022. They talk about the importance of Davis' books including City of Quartz, Ecology of Fear, and Magical Urbanism. Music Credit: –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Track: Bubble — KV…

1
The Word for World is Forest Symposium: Christian Matheis 21:34

2y ago21:34

21:34

Christian Matheis presents the keynote presentation for The Word for World is Forest Symposium, honoring the 50th anniversary of the publication of Ursula Le Guin's anti-war novella. This talk was given in October 2022. It is entitled "Devious as Nerves: Teaching the Fine Balance of Reason and Dream." Image: Eileen Dunn…

1
The Word for World is Forest Symposium: Sean MacCracken 14:36

2y ago14:36

14:36

In this presentation from the October 2022 symposium honoring the 50th anniversary of Ursula K. Le Guin's novella, Sean MacCracken examines the way Le Guin depicts the colonialism of her intergalactic federation in the Hainish series and what lessons we might take for our political organizing today. He describes his talk: In the six-part documentar…

1
The Word for World is Forest Symposium: Ben Nadler 20:08

2y ago20:08

20:08

Highlights from our symposium in October 2022, honoring the 50th anniversary of the publication of Ursula K. Le Guin's anti-war novella, The Word for World is Forest. In this episode, Ben Nadler discusses the possibility of dreaming as a radical and collective act of liberation. He says: "I am interested in exploring the ways in which dreaming can …

1
The Word for World is Forest Symposium: Christopher Loughlin 20:08

2y ago20:08

20:08

Highlights from our symposium in October 2022, honoring the 50th anniversary of the publication of Ursula K. Le Guin's anti-war novella, The Word for World is Forest. In this episode, Christopher Loughlin discusses Le Guin's Hainish Cycle, in conjunction with Jacques Ranciere's aesthetic and political philosophy, to discuss the meaning of solidarit…

1
The Word for World is Forest Symposium: Sheryl Medlicott 17:37

2y ago17:37

17:37

The Word for World is Forest Symposium: Sheryl Medlicott Highlights from our symposium in October 2022, honoring the 50th anniversary of the publication of Ursula K. Le Guin's anti-war novella, The Word for World is Forest. In this episode, Sheryl Medlicott helps us to understand the book as an ecofeminist and utopian text with lessons about how to…

1
The Anarchist Ethics of Ricardo Flores Magon 49:30

2y ago49:30

49:30

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we talk with Dr. Sergio Gallegos, who teaches philosophy at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice for the City University of New York, about the anarchist ethics of Ricardo Flores Magon. A key figure in the development of the Mexican Revolution of 1910, Flores Magon was deeply inspired by anarchist th…

1
Dungeons & Dragons and Philosophy Part Two 50:06

2y ago50:06

50:06

The popularity of the role playing game Dungeons and Dragons has skyrocketed recently. Partly because of the COVID 19 pandemic and also because of the its prominent portrayal in the hit show "Stranger Things", more and more people have started to play this classic fantasy game where players imagine themselves as characters in far away mystical real…

1
Dungeons & Dragons and Philosophy Part One 51:21

2y ago51:21

51:21

The popularity of the role playing game Dungeons and Dragons has skyrocketed recently. Partly because of the COVID 19 pandemic and also because of the its prominent portrayal in the hit show "Stranger Things", more and more people have started to play this classic fantasy game where players imagine themselves as characters in far away mystical real…

1
TrekWars@OSU V: Refugees 1:14:25

2+ y ago1:14:25

1:14:25

In this episode, we celebrate five years of TrekWars@OSU by considering the issue of refugees and displaced persons. In 2021, the United Nations High Commission on Refugees estimated that there were 82 million people displaced because of war, conflict, and human rights violations around the world. Some 30% of those are children. Starting in 2022, t…

1
Race and Mental Health Representation in Picard Season 2 1:07:35

2+ y ago1:07:35

1:07:35

In this episode of TrekWars@OSU, Joseph Orosco, co director of the Anarres Project for Alternative Futures, and Dr. Jason Scully (Urban and Regional Planning, Eastern Washington University) discuss the ways in which race and mental health are represented in Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard. They talk about how the show depicts Black and Latinx charact…

1
FutureState Focus: Children of the Northern Lights 49:24

2+ y ago49:24

49:24

In this episode of FutureStates Focus, two philosophy professors, Joseph Orosco and Robyn Morris, review the sci-fi short film "Children of the Northern Lights" (2013). This short film is written and directed by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, who is now an Assistant Professor of Arts at New York University. His previous film "On the Ice" (2011) explores I…

1
What is Celtic Futurism? 1:09:08

2+ y ago1:09:08

1:09:08

On this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we talk with Irish historian, Dr. Christopher J.V. Loughlin, who has been examining ancient Irish tales of sea voyages, the immrama,-- which literally means tales of "rowing about". He finds within them the seeds of a unique brand of speculative thinking he calls Celtic Futurism. Many of these immrama st…

1
Star Trek's Philosophy of Peace and Justice Book Launch 1:16:55

2+ y ago1:16:55

1:16:55

In coordination with the Concerned Philosophers for Peace, the Anarres Project presents a discussion with the author (and co-director of the Anarres Project) Jose-Antonio Orosco about his new book "Star Trek and the Philosophy of Peace and Justice: A Global, Anti-Racist Approach". (London: Bloomsbury, 2022) The dialogue is moderated by Dr. Greg Mos…

1
Insights from Anarres: Susan DeFreitas 1:03:00

2+ y ago1:03:00

1:03:00

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we speak to writer Susan DeFreitas. She recently edited a collection of speculative fiction stories written in honor of Ursula K. Le Guin entitled: "Dispatches from Anarres: Tales in Tribute to Ursula K. Le Guin". While she worked on the project, she also read all of Le Guin's novels. We sat down with he…

1
Sci-Fi and Philosophy Illustrated: Helen De Cruz 57:26

2+ y ago57:26

57:26

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we talk with Dr. Helen De Cruz about science fiction, the radical imagination and the power of art to express philosophy. She is a philosopher, science fiction/fantasy author, and artist. Currently, she is the Danforth Chair of Philosophy and Humanities at St. Louis University where she teaches philosoph…

1
25 Years of the Institute for Anarchist Studies 1:06:09

3y ago1:06:09

1:06:09

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we sat down with Chuck Morse and Lara Messersmith-Glavin to talk about the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Institute for Anarchist Studies. The IAS operates as a nonprofit organization that funds artists, writers and organizers to produce materials that explore anarchism as a social and political ideal. …

1
Are Police Forces Inherently Oppressive? Dr. Amelia M. Wirts 49:25

3y ago49:25

49:25

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we talk with Dr. Amelia M. Wirts who teaches philosophy at the University of Washington. In addition to being a philosopher, she is also a J.D., and has experience as a judicial clerk. We talk about her research into the idea of police as a kind of systemic oppression in the United States. Wirts examines…

1
Does the Billionaire Space Race Benefit Humanity? 37:02

3y ago37:02

37:02

On this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we talked with Dr. Randall Milstein. He is the Astronomer in Residence for Oregon’s NASA space Grant consortium, housed at Oregon State University. He is not a NASA employee, but he works regularly to further NASA’s mission. We sat down to talk to him about whether there are any benefits to humanity from…

1
TrekWars@OSU: Why the Science of Star Trek Matters with Dr. Mohamed Noor 49:14

3+ y ago49:14

49:14

Star Trek has always portrayed science and technology as positive tools for human progress, contrary to the way they are depicted in many modern science fiction stories. We're more likely to see technology creating a dystopia in many contemporary films or TV series. But we also live in an era in which many people are now skeptical of scientific dev…

1
TrekWars@OSU: Is Star Trek a Communist Utopia? 1:03:16

3+ y ago1:03:16

1:03:16

The political economy of the Star Trek Universe is obviously very different from our current capitalist, free market system. Is it a communist Utopia? Is the world of the Federation a fantasy or a realistic goal for human beings to work toward building? In this episode of TrekWars@OSU, Anarres Project co-director Dr. Joseph Orosco talks with Will N…

1
Dance as a Revolutionary Tool in the Struggle for Climate Justice 47:26

3+ y ago47:26

47:26

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, we sat down with dancer and filmmaker Shane Scopatz to talk about his new work "Steps and Strikes". Shane is a recent graduate of the Master’s Program in Environmental Humanities at Oregon State University. His film hopes to address the provocative question: Why did the environmental movement fail to pro…

1
People's Library ABQ: 37:38

3+ y ago37:38

37:38

In this episode of Conversations on Anarres, Dr. Joseph Orosco talks with Fiadh, the organizer of The People's Library ABQ, a radical lending library in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The library's growing collection contains radical history and theory, available for free to whomever wants it. The People’s Library ABQ describes itself as “a community pro…

1
TrekWars@OSU: Is the Federation in Star Trek an Empire? 30:33

3+ y ago30:33

30:33

Is the Federation in Star Trek really an empire any different from the Klingons, Romulans, or even the Mirror Universe Terran Empire? As part of TrekWars@OSU, Anarres Project co-director Dr. Joseph Orosco interviews Dr. Leigh McKagan, who teaches history at Virginia Tech University. Dr. McKagan completed her dissertation examining the ways in which…

1
Critical Race Theory Frenzy in US Schools: Interview with Dr. Mark Naison 30:07

3+ y ago30:07

30:07

Over the past few months, about a dozen states with Republican majority legislatures have passed laws banning the teaching of Critical Race Theory in public schools. Anarres Project co-director Dr. Joseph Orosco talked with Dr. Mark Naison to help us unpack what is going on with some of these bans. Mark Naison is Professor of History and African Am…

1
Bridge Toward Utopia: Kim Stanley Robinson 1:13:16

3+ y ago1:13:16

1:13:16

Before, we have only imagined utopia, the point now is to build it. The threat of looming climate catastrophe and the extinction of humanity demands that we use our radical imagination to find a bridge from the real to what is possible. In this conversation, Anarres Project co-directors Dr. Joseph Orosco and Dr. Tony Vogt interview the acclaimed sc…

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