The Gist
The Gist
Peach Fish Productions
Benjamin Saltzman: The Art of Turning Away
41 minutes Posted May 8, 2026 at 11:06 pm.
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Show notes

Today on the Gist, why cruise ships are essentially floating vessels of exclusively bad news. Then, University of Chicago professor Benjamin A. Saltzman joins the show to discuss his book, Turning Away: The Poetics of an Ancient Gesture. He explores the artistic and emotional history of averting our gaze—and why looking away often signals profound engagement rather than indifference. Finally, in the Antwentig, a reality check on the gun control debate and the historical flaws in comparing it to the Civil Rights movement.

Produced by Corey Wara

Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig

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