William Deresiewicz: What News Sources Can I Trust?

In this episode of How My View Grew, essayist Bill Deresiewicz describes the moment he stopped trusting his go-to news sources and started listening to "heterodox" perspectives. This is a story about American journalism and culture. It's also a story about the humility and courage it takes to let go of deeply held ideas and create space for something new. **About the guest** Bill Deresiewicz is an award-winning essayist and critic and frequent speaker at colleges and high schools. He is the author of five books, including the New York Times's best-seller Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life. His latest book is The End of Solitude: Selected Essays on Culture and Society. **Key takeaways** 5:20 "Hate listening" to NPR and discovering the heterodox world 9:00 When an ideology from academia entered the mainstream 15:00 Realizing his attitude about art and money is BS 22:00 Growing up in a world of liberal Democrats and Orthodox Judaism—and making breaks from this world 27:00 Discovering the misery and despair of many students at elite colleges 31:00 Learning from Pride and Prejudice that feelings can be wrong 35:00 Bill's message to Antifa and other young people revolting against the system 39:00 Learning that he knew much less than he thought he did 41:00 Amiel's reflections on the conversation **Resources** Bill's web site "Escaping American Tribalism" in UnHerd "Why I Left Academia (Since You're Wondering)" in Quillette A Jane Austin Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship and the Things That Really Matter. The Death of the Artist **Share the love** Leave me a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. **Subscribe to the podcast** To hear the origin stories of more big ideas, subscribe to How My View Grew on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.