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Author: The Gray Area with Sean Illing

  • The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 1: Why did Putin go to war?

    The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 1: Why did Putin go to war?
    The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 1: Why did Putin go to war?

    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is one of the biggest and most confusing political events of our lifetimes. We aim to bring some clarity in this special four-part series from Vox Conversations and host Zack Beauchamp, The War in Ukraine, Explained.

    In part one, Zack speaks with political scientist Yoshiko Herrera about the country responsible for the war: Russia. They explore why Vladimir Putin decided to launch the invasion, what Russians think about the war, and how this conflict might change Russia’s future.

    Host: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), Senior Correspondent, Vox

    Guest: Yoshiko Herrera (@yoshikoherrera), professor of political science, University of Wisconsin-Madison

    References: 

    Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

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  • The Philosophers: Resisting despair

    The Philosophers: Resisting despair
    The Philosophers: Resisting despair

    Sean Illing talks with author and professor Robert Zaretsky about the French philosopher, novelist, and journalist Albert Camus (1913–1960). Though Camus might be best known for his novel The Stranger, Sean and Prof. Zaretsky explore the ideas contained in his philosophical essays “The Myth of Sisyphus,” The Rebel, and in the allegorical novel The Plague, which saw a resurgence in interest over the past two years. They discuss the meaning of “the absurd,” why one must imagine Sisyphus happy, and how the roots of mid-20th-century political nihilism (making sort of a comeback lately) can be found in one’s relationship to abstract ideas.

    This is the first episode of The Philosophers, a new series from Vox Conversations. Each episode will focus on a philosophical figure or school of thought from the past, and discuss how their ideas can help us make sense of our modern world and lives today.

    Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews writer, Vox

    Guest: Robert Zaretsky, author and professor, University of Houston

    Works by Camus: 

    • The Rebel (1951) ; The Stranger (1942) ; The Plague (1947) ; “The Myth of Sisyphus” (1942) ; “The Century of Fear” (in Neither Victims Nor Executioners; 1946) ; “The Human Crisis” (1946) ; The First Man (uncompleted manuscript, pub. 1960)

    Other References: 

    Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

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  • What happened to American conservatism?

    What happened to American conservatism?
    What happened to American conservatism?

    Vox’s Jamil Smith talks with Charlie Sykes — journalist, author, stalwart “never Trumper,” and a founder and editor-at-large of The Bulwark. They talk about the Republican response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the attraction of some self-professed conservatives to Vladimir Putin, the efforts by Republican lawmakers to ban books and topics from schools, and the devolution of conservative values within the post-Trump GOP.

    Host: Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith), Senior Correspondent, Vox

    Guest: Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie), editor-at-large, The Bulwark

    References: 

    Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Engineer: Cristian Ayala
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

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  • The limits of forgiveness

    The limits of forgiveness
    The limits of forgiveness

    Sean Illing talks with philosopher Lucy Allais about the nature, power, and limits of forgiveness. They talk about the role of forgiveness in the dissolution of apartheid in Allais’s native South Africa, the distinction between forgiveness and punishment, and the prospect of using forgiveness as a political tool in order to move forward as a polarized democracy.

    Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox

    Guest: Lucy Allais, professor of philosophy, University of Witwatersrand and Johns Hopkins University

    References: 

    Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Engineer: Sofi LaLonde
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

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  • The madness behind The Method

    The madness behind The Method
    The madness behind The Method

    Vox’s Alissa Wilkinson talks with cultural critic and author Isaac Butler about his new book, The Method. They discuss the transformation that the craft of acting underwent, tracing its origins from Konstantin Stanislavski in post-revolution Russia, through Hollywood in the mid-twentieth century, up to today. They talk about some of the lesser-known influences and practices associated with The Method, evaluate some touchstone performances in the history of cinema, and speculate about what might happen at this year’s Academy Awards.

    Host: Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie), film critic and senior culture reporter, Vox

    Guests: Isaac Butler (@parabasis), cultural critic, theater director, author

    References: 

    Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

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  • David Cross is disappointed in you guys

    David Cross is disappointed in you guys
    David Cross is disappointed in you guys

    Sean Illing talks with comedian David Cross, well-known for his decades-long stand-up career, as well as for his role on the cult hit TV show Arrested Development. They talk about the relationship between comedy and politics, whether comedy audiences are different than they used to be, what social media has done to us, and about his new special, I’m From the Future, which is available for streaming on David’s website.

    Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox

    Guest: David Cross (@davidcrosss), comedian & actor

    References: 

    Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

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  • Author Kiley Reid on why we read novels

    Author Kiley Reid on why we read novels
    Author Kiley Reid on why we read novels

    Vox’s Constance Grady talks with Kiley Reid, author of the critically-acclaimed novel Such a Fun Age. In this episode, which is a recording of a live Vox Book Club event, they discuss what novels are really for, the ways that we all craft stories in our relationships and personal lives, and the nuanced ways in which Reid takes on race, class, and friendship in her engaging, fast-paced literary debut.

    Host: Constance Grady (@constancegrady), staff writer, Vox

    Guests: Kiley Reid (@kileyreid), author

    References: 

    Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

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  • The conversation about guns we’re not having

    The conversation about guns we’re not having
    The conversation about guns we’re not having

    Sean Illing talks with firearms journalist Stephen Gutowski, founder of TheReload.com. They discuss the major barriers, principles, and blind spots on both sides of the largely stagnant national conversation on guns and gun control in the United States. The conversation touches on political, legal, and emotional arguments motivating both gun enthusiasts and gun opponents; the Dickey Amendment, and its effective twenty-year ban on federally-funded gun violence research, and whether or not guns are truly part of American identity.

    Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox

    Guest: Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski), firearms reporter and founder, TheReload.com

    References: 

    Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • Why does middle school suck?

    Why does middle school suck?
    Why does middle school suck?

    Hillary Frank, the creator of the podcasts The Longest Shortest Time and Here Lies Me, talks with journalist and author Judith Warner about middle school. They discuss the history of middle school in America and abroad, some of the formative social forces at play for middle schoolers, why the journey through middle school is akin to a kind of death, and why it is that children of this age — on the verge of adolescence — often act like such… jerks.

    Host: Hillary Frank (@hillaryfrank), podcast producer, author

    Guest: Judith Warner, author

    References: 

    Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • Russia’s war with Ukraine — and reality

    Russia’s war with Ukraine — and reality
    Russia’s war with Ukraine — and reality

    Sean Illing talks with journalist, author, and Russian disinformation scholar Peter Pomerantsev about the invasion of Ukraine. Recorded on Friday, Feb. 25th, they discuss the current state of the conflict, whether or not the warped rationales for Putin’s invasion are actually convincing to the Russian people, and what sanctions might possibly make a lasting difference for the future of both Russia and Ukraine.

    Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox

    Guest: Peter Pomerantsev (@peterpomeranzev), author; Senior Fellow, Agora Institute, Johns Hopkins University

    References: 

    Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices