Keen On America

Celeste Marcus, Liberties Quarterly managing editor, is in the news today. In the Winter 2024 volume of Liberties, she wrote “After Rape: A Guide for the Tormented” - a piece about her own experience of a 2021 rape. And today, she revealed the identity of her rapist on X. “I will not be raped with impunity”, she wrote today to explain why she’s gone public with his identity. As it happens, I sat down with Marcus last week at the Liberties office in Washington DC to talk about “After Rape”. Our conversation is as raw as the piece, particularly in the context of today’s news. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1949: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Scott Gac, author of BORN IN BLOOD, about why violence is the defining feature of American historyScott Gac is Director of American Studies and Associate Professor of American Studies and History at Trinity College and the author of Singing for Freedom: The Hutchinson Family Singers and the Nineteenth-Century Culture of Reform.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1948: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Nicholas B. Dirks, author of CITY OF INTELLECT, about why American universities need to reinvent themselves in our disruptive age of social media and AINICHOLAS B. DIRKS is an internationally recognized historian and anthropologist, and an important leader in higher education. Well-known for his commitment to and advocacy for accessible, high-quality undergraduate education, to the globalization of the university, and to interdisciplinary innovation and collaboration, he was named in November 2012 as the 10th Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, where he is still a Professor of History and Anthropology in the Graduate School. In June 2020, Dirks assumed leadership of the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) as President and Chief Executive Officer. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1947: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Ernest Scheyder, author of THE WAR BELOW, about the new economic war between China and the West to control critical minerals like lithium, copper and cobaltErnest Scheyder is a senior correspondent for Reuters covering the clean energy transition and critical minerals, as well as the author of the forthcoming book "The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power our Lives." Early reviewers are calling it an “illuminating” and “essential” narrative that reveals the complex choices facing our world as the energy transition accelerates. The book is available now for preorder: https://bit.ly/3R1kzNL. A native of Maine, Scheyder previously covered the U.S. shale oil revolution, politics, and the environment. His interest in journalism and writing began when he founded his high school newspaper. He is a graduate of the University of Maine and Columbia Journalism School.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1946: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Mike Chen, author of A QUANTUM LOVE STORY, about why scientific truth might be infinitely weirder than science fictionMike Chen is a critically acclaimed science fiction author based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. His debut novel HERE AND NOW AND THEN was a finalist for the Goodreads Choice, CALIBA Golden Poppy, and Compton Crook awards. His other novels include A BEGINNING AT THE END, WE COULD BE HEROES, LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME, and STAR WARS: BROTHERHOOD. He has also contributed to the STAR WARS: FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW anthology and covers geek culture for sites like Nerdist, StarTrek.com, and The Mary Sue. In previous lives, Mike worked as a sports journalist covering the NHL, DJ, musician, and aerospace engineer. He lives with his wife, daughter, and many rescue animals.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1945:  In our weekly KEEN ON wrap of tech news with Keith Teare, author of  the THAT WAS THE WEEK newletter,  Keith defends Elon Musk's decision to go to Auschwitz and bemoans the breakdown of civility in our social media ageKeith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank Corporation. Previously he was Executive Chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Ltd - A UK-based global investment company focused on startups at all stages. He was also previously the founder at the Palo Alto incubator, Archimedes Labs. Archimedes was the original incubator for TechCrunch and since 2011 has invested, accelerated or incubated many Silicon Valley startups including Around (sold to Miro), Millicast (Sold to Dolby), InFarm, Miles, Quixey; M.dot (sold to GoDaddy); chat.center; Loop Surveys; DownTown and Sunshine. Teare has a track record as a serial entrepreneur with big ideas and has achieved significant returns for investors.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1944: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Ehud Shapiro, a computer scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science, about the egalitarian architecture necessary to build genuine digital democracy Ehud Shapiro is a multi-disciplinary scientist, artist, entrepreneur and a Professor of Computer Science and Biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science. With international reputation, he made fundamental contributions to many scientific disciplines. Ehud was also an Internet pioneer, a successful Internet entrepreneur, and a pioneer and proponent of e-democracy. Ehud is the founder of the Ba Rock Band and conceived its original artistic program. He is a winner of two European Research Council Advanced Grants. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1943: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Kevin J. Mitchell, author of FREE AGENTS, about how evolution gave us free willMitchell is a neurogeneticist interested in the relationships between genes, brains, and minds. He is a faculty member at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, in the departments of Genetics and Neuroscience. He writes the Wiring the Brain blog (www.wiringthebrain.com) and is on Twitter @WiringtheBrain He received an AM and a PhD in economics from Harvard University. His research focuses on contract theory, organizational economics, law and economics, and political economy. He has written on topics including: network capital, political districting, the boundary of the firm, incentives in organizations, mechanism design, voting rules, and blockchain. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1942: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Keith Boykin, author of WHY DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO BE ABOUT RACE, about  Claudine Gay, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott and why the real function of racism is distractionKeith Boykin is a TV and film producer, national political commentator, New York Times best-selling author, and a former White House aide to President Bill Clinton. His latest books are Race Against Time: The Politics of a Darkening America (2021) and Quitting: Why I Left My Job to Live a Life of Freedom (2022). A graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, Keith has taught at American University in Washington, D.C., the Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia University, and City College of New York. He is a co-founder and first board president of the National Black Justice Coalition and a Lambda Literary Award-winning author of six books. Keith was a co-host of the BET talk show “My Two Cents,” starred on the Showtime reality television series “American Candidate,” worked as an associate producer of the film “Dirty Laundry,” and has appeared on numerous TV shows, including BET’s “Being Mary Jane.” Born in St. Louis, Keith has lived in 12 cities, visited 48 of the 50 United States, and traveled the world. He lives in Los Angeles.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1941: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Benjamin Herold, author of DISILLUSIONED, about the unravelling of both America's suburbs and the American dreamBenjamin Herold explores America's beautiful and busted public education system. His award-winning beat reporting, feature writing, and investigative exposés have appeared in Education Week, PBS NewsHour, NPR, the Hechinger Report, Huffington Post, and the Public School Notebook. Herold has a master's degree in urban education from Temple University in Philadelphia, where he lives with his family. Learn more at www.benjaminherold.com.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe