Converging Dialogues

convergingdialogues@substack.com

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

#495 - Rumination and Rumblings of the Mind: A Dialogue with Donna Jackson Nakazawa

June 11, 2026

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Donna Jackson Nakazawa about rumination. They define rumination, talk about belonging, the Default Mode Network, MIST framework, therapy, various techniques, and many more topics. Donna Jackson Nakazawa is the author and writer of many books that explore the intersection of neuroscience, immunology, and emotion, including The Angel and the Assassin, named one of the best books of 2020 by Wired magazine, and Childhood Disrupted, which was a f...

#494 - Contested Continent: A Dialogue with Peter C. Mancall

June 07, 2026

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Peter Mancall about the early years of North America. They discuss what is America, importance of Maize and landscape of pre-Columbian America, Native Peoples in the middle of the 15th century, Norse discoveries, Columbus, French in Canada, Cortes in Mexico, British involvement, religion, slavery, and the legacy of early North American history. Peter C. Mancall is Distinguished Professor; the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of the Humanities; Pro...

#493 - Athens & Sparta: A Dialgoue with Adrian Goldsworthy

June 02, 2026

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Adrian Goldsworthy about the history of Athens and Sparta. They provide an overview of Athens and Sparta, Aegean history, and city-states in Ancient Greece. They talk about why tyranny did not work in these early city-states, Persian War with Greece, Peloponnesian War, Alexander the Great, legacies of Athens and Sparta, and many more topics. Adrian Goldsworthy is a historian and author. He has his DPhil from Oxford University and has conduct...