Kurt Andersen
American writer Kurt Andersen traces America's long history of magical thinking, from the 1600s to the Trump presidency.
As he unpicks the fantastical beliefs that run through America's past and present, the writer and broadcaster Kurt Andersen asks if the US is now entering a post-truth era.
The author of Fantasyland and co-founder of Spy magazine, Kurt has spent many decades separating fact and fiction and in this essay he explores the historical roots of America's weakness for alternative realities.
From the religious visions of the Pilgrim Fathers and Joseph Smith, to the showbiz dreams of PT Barnum and Walt Disney, the proliferation of conspiracy theories and the new age of virtual reality and internet chat rooms, Kurt tells the story of a nation in which fantasy and reality have long been intertwined.
Producer: Julia Johnson.
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- Tue 18 Sep 2018 09:45麻豆社 Radio 4 FM
- Wed 19 Sep 2018 00:30麻豆社 Radio 4
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