In Episode 24 of A Culture of Possibility, François Matarasso and Arlene Goldbard talk about Arlene’s forthcoming book. In The Camp of Angels of Freedom: What Does It Mean to Be Educated? comes at its subject from three angles: paintings, including portraits of of eleven individuals whose work helped Arlene understand and become herself; a short memoir about each person, from James Baldwin to Paulo Freire to Alice Neel to Jane Jacobs; and essays that look at the harm that’s been done by privileging credentialed expertise and devaluing lived knowledge.

Tune in for the book’s backstory including family drama, fifties cultural alienation, outrage at the conversion of social goods to profit centers, a visit to a psychic, a pandemic silver lining, plus Arlene reading excerpts about Nina Simone, museum trustees’ elitism, and Isaiah Berlin!