Our Favorite Interviews of 2024
To celebrate 2024 coming to a close, we’ve asked our hosts to share their favorite interviews from last year. Each host selected only one interview, so the list below represents just around 1% of the more than 3,000 interviews published this year. If you don’t see your favorite interview listed, please comment and share!
Bernardo Batiz-Lazo
Professor of Fintech History and Global Trade (Northumbria, UK) and Research Professor (Anahuac, Mexico)
“It is a fascinating story. The interview is sharp, crisp, to the point, and informative.”
Rounak Bose
PhD student in History at the University of Delaware
“I felt like this interview was the most perfect example to understand the confluence of anthropology and history, which is so crucial at this juncture in the social sciences where we are trying to reassess the implications of studying the complementarity of the two fields.”
Carmen Gomez-Galisteo
Lecturer in American Literature at Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia in Spain
“I think the author of this book brings enthusiasm to his talk, giving precise and clear answers that are most engaging.”
Blair Hodges
Independent journalist
“Richard Bushman sheds new light on the cultural work that Joseph Smith's ‘golden plates’ have done.”
Jen Hoyer
Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology
“I was really engaged while reading this book, and chatting with Laura Helton for this interview gave even more clarity to the research she has done and the important topic she's writing about. I think this interview does a terrific job of captivating future readers.”
Christopher Russell
Psychoanalyst
“Avgi is the one of the leading psychoanalytic thinkers writing and practicing today. It was a privilege to speak with her. Engaging with her work has helped me practice.”
Greg Soden
Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at the University of Missouri
“Waubgeshig Rice is a formidable presence in Indigenous Canadian literature. It is so important to me to understand the history of the grounds the citizens of North America walk upon, and Rice's work stands out a great deal for those purposes.”
Tyler Thier
Writing Proficiency Coordinator and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Hofstra University
“Melissa has the same restless, critical eye and unfiltered passion for cinema as myself but with a lot more experience! What a pleasure to chat with her, to plumb the depths of David Lynch's career and specifically his most enigmatic film, not to mention her process when it came to articulating the inarticulable in a monograph-length work of criticism."
Steve Hausmann
Mellon National Park Service Research Fellow, Mount Rushmore National Monument
“Sarah did a great job of meeting the NBN's goal: making her work accessible to laypeople through conversation.”
Kendall Dinniene
PhD Candidate at Southern Methodist University
“Dr. Jenkins is a truly delightful person to talk with, and his work is so interesting and important. I had a blast getting to chat with him and found his book very helpful in thinking about my own project.”
Vladislav Lilic
Assistant Professor of Modern European History, Florida International University
“Super important book with an on-point message about the promises and pitfalls of national liberation and decolonization that is of enormous resonance today in 2024! Also, an incredibly generous and modest guest.”
Jingyi Li
Assistant Professor of Japanese Studies at Occidental College
“This interview encapsulated a great book that shed light on aspects of Japanese history that had been overlooked for a long time. The author connected dots from historical, economic, political, and transnational perspectives and mapped out a unique version of medieval Japan's geopolitical landscape. Despite the depth of this book, the interview was easily understandable and accessible to a non-academic audience.”
Rebekah Buchanan
Professor of English and Director of English Education at Western Illinois University
“It's so hard to pick one interview, but this book was one of my favorite reads of the year. The book and interview connected many of my interests— punk, Brit pop, narrative— and brought me back to music I loved as a teen.”
Ibrahim Fawzy
Fellow at the Center on Forced Displacement, Boston University
“Because I interviewed Muhammad Zaman about the healthcare experiences of refugees, and the power of storytelling. Those topics are truly timely and needed.”
Rudolf Thomas Inderst
Professor of Game Studies at IU International University
“This is my favourite episode because I got the handbook twice and was able to give away a copy and because it worked out wonderfully with THREE interview partners despite the time limit on Zoom.”
Reighan Gillam
Associate Professor at Dartmouth College
“Eziaku Nwokocha was a very spirited person to interview. Her personality and liveliness comes shining through her voice. The audience will learn about Vodou, a commonly misunderstood religion.”
Dave O'Brien
Professor of Cultural and Creative Industries, University of Manchester
“A brilliant and insightful critique of a key issue facing the cultural and creative industries by a leading early career researcher.”
Michael O. Johnston
Assistant Professor of Sociology at William Penn University
“This was my favorite interview because I started listening to The Social Breakdown as my first sociology podcast. This was also the first podcast that I used in the classroom. It felt as if I came full circle when I had Ellen T. Meiser as a guest on New Books in Sociology.”
Carrie Figdor
Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Iowa
“A very accessible, insightful and perhaps surprising analysis of the ethical problems humanity faces with advanced artificial intelligences.”
Bayla Pasikov
Library Director, Van Leer Jerusalem Institute
Patrick Jory
Associate Professor of Southeast Asian History, University of Queensland
“Charles Keith turns around the usual narrative about the French in Indochina by examining the lives of Indochinese who studied, worked, and planned revolution in France during the colonial period, 1850s-1950s.”
Rameen Mohammed
Law Student at University of Wisconsin Law
“Reckoning with Restorative Justice is such an important read because it encapsulates the complexities of the carceral system. Dr. Trapedo Sims was such a kind soul to work with! You can see that compassion and empathy embedded in the project.”
Alisa Kuzmina
History Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Minnesota
“I appreciate it when scholars are willing to step out of their rigid academic cocoons and engage in honest, open conversations that extend beyond the project at hand. Lewis' kindness and candor allowed us to balance the book discussion with reflections on identity and mortality. I believe that the work of a historian is, to a great extent, philosophical, and I think our conversation captured that.”
Erika Monahan
Associate Professor of History, University of New Mexico. Author of The Merchants of Siberia: Trade in Early Modern Eurasia
“As a historian of early modern Russian Empire, I was quite grateful to talk with a courageous journalist who is committed to challenging long-standing historical Russo-centric myths that have gone too little examined and serve to abet and normalize Russian imperial perspectives.”
Dr. Christina Gessler
Producer and host of the Academic Life podcast
“It’s the true story of an incarcerated outcast creating art while planning for her own immortality.”
Nick Pozek
Educator, mediator, and strategist
“What made this interview special was how Danny's warmth and humor brought complex ideas about power and democracy down to earth, weaving in his family's moving story of leaving Sri Lanka alongside his vision for transformative civic change. His brilliant analysis of our democratic crisis, combined with a hard-won hope for the future, made this one of the most illuminating conversations I've had the pleasure of hosting.”
Julie Yu-Wen Chen
Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Helsinki in Finland
“It is rare to listen to researchers who have actually conducted fieldwork research on the Pacific islands. Maggio can speak both Chinese and local Pacific languages. His insights are well-grounded in deep understanding of local politics and culture, unlike typical Western criticism of China's presence in the Pacific.”
Bayla Pasikov
Library Director, Van Leer Jerusalem Institute
“I'd like to suggest an encore of this episode because of its timeliness.”
C. P. Lesley
Host, New Books in Historical Fiction
“I had so many good interviews in 2024, it's hard to pick just one, but for sheer fun (both the book & the conversation), this one stands out. Who wouldn't love the practical, clear-eyed daughter of Romeo & Juliet (yes, THAT Romeo & Juliet), navigating her own family & love life while trying to clear herself of suspicion for murder? And Christina Dodd is a wonderful guest, exactly the kind of person who would produce such a novel—a win-win!”
Jana Byars
Independent Scholar
“The book was fabulous, the author was fascinating, and the art exhibit upon which it was based was absolutely magnificent.”
Susan Liebell
Professor of Political Science at Saint Joseph's University
“This is a very bold book because scholars often narrate the legal cases confirming LGBTQ+ rights as a huge success story. But Wuest argues that the quick court recognition was won by relying on questionable science and psychology. The book is both a “celebratory and cautionary” story about the costs of relying on science to win impressive victories for queer rights. Joanna was a TERRIFIC guest -- explaining complex concepts with ease and in a way that is accessible to the listeners.”
Thomas A. Discenna
Professor of Communication at Oakland University
“Talking to Norman Hill was like a window into history. This book by Velma and Norman Hill is an extraordinary document of the civil rights movement, the labor movement as well as a moving and thoughtful love story all at the same time. Conducting this interview on the NBN was one of the great privileges my life.”
Dhouha Djerbi
PhD candidate in Political Science at the Geneva Graduate Institute
“Even months after its recording and release, the conversation with Maya remains as relevant as ever. When this episode was recorded, not a single university in Gaza remained standing. Addressing the role of Israeli academia in this devastation was and is still impossible to ignore.”