29. John Lanchester, Frans de Waal and Jonathan Shipley

Correspondent Katy Sewall talks with John Lanchester about the dream that inspired his frighteningly timely novel The Wall, exploring the purpose of walls as a tool for safety and security, but whose very existence can promote exclusion and "othering" (3:58). Chief Correspondent Steve Scher interviews renowned biologist Frans de Waal about the widely unacknowledged capacity for animals to experience empathy and emotion (12:20). Host Jini Palmer sits down with Town Hall's own Jonathan Shipley to discuss his writing process for the Town Crier, Town Hall's blog, and explore Shipley's experiences interviewing literary translator Michael Straus (21:44). Get an insider's look and stay in the know about what's going on in this moment at Town Hall.