For this episode we welcome the immanently estimable and multi-talented Dr. Miles White. Dr. White is both an accomplished jazz artist and a scholar of music and music culture. We use his exceptional book From Jim Crow to Jay-Z: Race, Rap, and the Performance of Masculinity (Univ. of Illinois Press) to dig into hip-hop culture, its politics, and evolution over the past several decades. It is a true honor to have such an authority on these matters grace our humble caverns with his presence. Whether you're a hip-hop devotee or not, I think you'll really enjoy hearing the insight Dr. White brings to the conversation.

link to Dr. White's book: https://www.amazon.com/Jim-Crow-Jay-Z-Performance-Masculinity/dp/0252078322

link to my newsletter, The Interesting Times:

theinterestingtimes.substack.com

We welcome George Khoury and Chris Tharp back down into the friendly confines of The Caves of Altamira. Beginning with a discussion of the recent elections we leave no stone unturned during our journey into the ever-widening chasm that is U.S. politics and society more generally. This one is a real humdinger nested in a doozy with nary a shred of poppycock, so stretch your ears, suit up, and hit the field.  

After a summer respite The Caves of Altamira is back. For this inaugural episode of what we are dubbing Season II, the good Dr. James Batcho once again drops into the caves. Fresh off completing the manuscript for his latest book James sketches out a set of perspectives that help make us sense of the ongoing interplay between compounding  social ruptures and the ever-accelerating sphere of social media 'knowledge' production. It’s a doozy of a convo, so be sure to buckle up, and drop in.  

James’ personal website: www.jimbatcho.com

Link to James’ book published a few years back: Terrence Malick’s Unseeing Cinema: Memory, Time and Audibility https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783319764207

Links to a few of the books referenced in the episode:

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman https://www.amazon.com/Amusing-Ourselves-to-Death-audiobook/dp/B000MQ54BC/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Amusing+Ourselves+to+death&qid=1632138989&sr=8-1

The Consequences of Modernity by Anthony Giddens https://www.amazon.com/Consequences-Modernity-Anthony-Giddens/dp/0804718911/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+consequences+of+modernity&qid=1632138770&sr=8-1

In the Shadow of Justice: Postwar Liberalism and the Remaking of Political Philosophy by Katrina Forrester [this is the book I refer to a few times, as a critique of Rawls, but forgot the name] https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Justice-Liberalism-Political-Philosophy/dp/0691216754/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=In+the+Shadow+of+Justice&qid=1632138948&sr=8-1