Entitled Opinions (about Life and Literature)

In this show Robert Harrison and Ato Quayson discuss tragedy and postcolonial literature (the topic of Professor Quayson’s 2021 book of the same title). Ato Quayson is the Jean G. and Morris M. Dolye Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and English at Stanford University, and chair of the Department of African and African American Studies. Songs in […]

In this show Robert Harrison and Dr. Miles Osgood from The Ho Center For Buddhist Studies discuss the figure of Ulysses as he appears in Homer and many subsequent incarnations, especially in literary modernism. Songs in this episode: “Nausicaa” by Glass Wave, and “Calypso” by Suzanne Vega.

In this show Robert Harrison and Adrienne Corn discuss the biology, psychology, and sociology of aging. Adrienne Corn earned a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in Leadership, Policy and Organizational Behavior. She is the founder of HumanTalented, a software and services company located in Nashville. Songs in this episode: “From the Beginning” by Emerson, Lake & […]

Mark Gonnerman received his Ph.D. in Religious Studies at Stanford University, has taught the comparative philosophy of religions, and is the author of “A Sense of the Whole: Reading Gary Snyder’s Mountains and Rivers Without End”. Songs in this episode: “On the Edge of Uncertainty” by Steve Hunter, and “Bold as Love” by Jimi Hendrix.

In this episode we re-broadcast a show that aired on Abby Walthausen’s podcast “A Lovely Wallpaper” in which she engages Robert Harrison on the meaning of the winter solstice and the generative power of darkness.

In this show Robert Harrison and Crystal Cassidy discuss the biology, spirit, and outcomes of meditation. Crystal Cassidy is a meditation master and founder of SoulPod. Songs in this episode: “Silence Must be Heard” by Enigma, and “The Voice of Enigma” by Enigma.

This episode features Robert Harrison’s conversation with Christy Wampole about Zeitgeist and the spirit of planet Earth, which took place at Princeton University on October 23, 2025.

A conversation between Robert Harrison and Christy Wampole about the origins and history of Entitled Opinions.

In this monologue Robert Harrison reflects on the differences between human intelligence, animal intelligence, and artificial intelligence. Songs in this episode: “From the Beginning” by Emerson, Lake & Palmer; “La Nuit du Rat” by La Féline; and “If” by Pink Floyd.

In this show Robert Harrison and Michaela Hulstyn discuss various experiences of unselfing, focusing on the nature of its shapeshifting and the knowledge that unselfing delivers. Michaela Hulstyn is a Lecturer at Stanford and Associate Director of Stanford’s Structured Liberal Education program. She is the author of Unselfing: Global French Literature at the Limits of […]