Show Notes
Richard Dawkins is best known as a formidable evolutionary biologist and biting critic of religion. But when he wants a break from polemics and proofs, he turns to P.G. Wodehouse for a belly laugh.
Wodehouse’s satire skewered British aristocrats, Hollywood phonies, and self-important moralists with surgical precision. In this episode, Shilo Brooks sits down with Dawkins to find out why the British humorist remains one of the sharpest writers in the English language.
The conversation ranges from Wodehouse’s outrageous similes and linguistic brilliance to his internment by the Nazis during World War II and to a larger question: why has humor been evacuated from modern intellectual life?
Old School is proudly brought to you by the Jack Miller Center. If you believe in the importance of civic education and want to help prepare the next generation to carry on our democracy, join us at JackMillerCenter.org.Become a paid subscriber to The Free Press today to enjoy exclusive bonus episodes and reduced ads. Click here to subscribe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Old School with Shilo Brooks
A message from our host. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For decades, the fight for gender equality has squarely focused on lifting women up—in the workplace, politics, and beyond.
If America has a mission statement, it is this:
In this special episode, Shilo Brooks is joined by Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Jon Meacham at the Jack Miller Center’s annual summit on civic education.
In this episode, Shilo sits down with veteran journalist Joe Nocera for a deep dive into the world’s best-selling novelist, Agatha Christie.