To the Best of Our Knowledge: Boredom

BOREDOM: THE TEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE
To the Best of Our Knowledge (Wisconsin Public Radio)

SEGMENT 1:



Lars Svendsen teaches philosophy at the University of Bergen in Norway and is the author of "A Philosophy of Boredom." He talks with Anne Strainchamps about boredom's long, long history. Or maybe it just seems that way. Also Jon Winokur has compiled and edited a book called "Ennui To Go: The Art of Boredom." Doug Gordon combines some of the famous quotes about boredom with some songs about boredom. And the results are anything but boring. And, Ghita Schwartz wrote about "A Case of Boredom" for the February issue of "The Believer" magazine. She reads the opening paragraphs of her essay and tells Jim Fleming what inspired her to write it.



SEGMENT 2:

Augustin De la Pena is a psycho-physiologist who works at a sleep disorders center in South Texas, and a leading authority on boredom. He talks with Steve Paulson and says boredom is not a trivial problem and that it could doom us all.

SEGMENT 3:



Tom Lutz wrote "Doing Nothing: A History of Loafers, Loungers, Slackers, and Bums in America." He tells Steve Paulson it was his way of dealing with his teen-age son, who never left the couch.

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