Curated playlist

American critics of religions

H. P. LovecraftH. P. Lovecraft died in 1937 virtually unknown to readers. His monsters later became global touchstones.
Kurt VonnegutKurt Vonnegut survived the bombing of Dresden by hiding in an underground meat locker.
Layne StaleyLayne Staley was nine years old when he wrote in his Dr. Seuss book, All About Me, that he wanted to be a singer. He got his wish. As the original lead vocalist of Alice in Chains, he helped carry Seattle's grunge movement to international…
Rob ZombieRob Zombie was twelve years old in 1977 when a riot broke out at the carnival where his parents worked. Gunfire cracked through the crowd, tents went up in flames, and a man the family knew was struck in the face with a hammer. His parents…
Ayn RandWhen Ayn Rand died in New York City on the 6th of March 1982, her funeral included a six-foot floral arrangement shaped like a dollar sign. The tribute suited a woman who had turned self-interest into a moral code. She was born Alisa…
Frank ZappaAs a boy, Frank Zappa spread mercury across his bedroom floor with a hammer. His father brought it home from work.
Upton SinclairUpton Sinclair aimed his novel The Jungle at the public's heart and hit its stomach instead. Meat sales fell by half.
Seth MacFarlaneSeth MacFarlane was handed $50,000 by Fox and a strange deal. Make a pilot for a prime-time cartoon on a budget that barely resembled a real one. Most animated prime-time episodes of the era cost at least $1 million each. He later…
Isaac AsimovIsaac Asimov coined the word "robotics" in a 1941 story, thinking it was just a natural term.
Walter Kaufmann (philosopher)At eleven, Walter Kaufmann converted from Lutheranism to Judaism. He later learned all four grandparents were Jewish.
Christopher HitchensOn the 8th of October 2011, Christopher Hitchens collected the Richard Dawkins Award at the Texas Freethought Convention. It was his final public appearance. Christopher Eric Hitchens, a British and American author and journalist, had been…
Jesse VenturaJesse Ventura, born James George Janos, stood before a crowd in November 1998 and declared, "We shocked the world!" He had a point. A man known to millions as a loud, villain-loving wrestling announcer had just won the governor's office of…