On January 7, 2017, The Associated Press announced that
“Free-thinking author and columnist Nat Hentoff is dead at 91.”
For well over 60 years, Hentoff was a one of America’s
foremost public intellectuals and a familiar byline to free speech
advocates and jazz aficionados.
The First Amendment was a way of life for Nat Hentoff.
He would have been 100 years old this year. To reflect on his life
and legacy, we are joined by his son Nick Hentoff and filmmaker
David Lewis, whose 2013 documentary, “The Pleasures of Being Out
of Step,” explored Nat Hentoff’s embodiment of free
expression as the defining characteristic of the individual.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:52 Who was Nat Hentoff
03:48 Nat’s early life & influences
18:20 Jazz, writing, & finding his voice
31:24 Free speech as a way of being
35:15 Being out of step: Controversy, courage, and
consequences
41:56 Rage, compassion, & moral clarity
51:53 Nat Hentoff’s legacy of dissent
55:20 Outro
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