Encountering Steven Paulson
In an interview with Barack Obama, Steve Paulson found the former President to be grounded and accessible, avoiding the typical "politician speak" that one might expect from someone in his position. This approach is a testament to Paulson's style, as he delves into deep and thought-provoking conversations without resorting to jargon or complexity.
Paulson's latest venture is a collection of interviews titled "Atoms and Eden," which includes 20 conversations, most of which originally ran as cover stories in Salon. The collection showcases Paulson's unique ability to bring science and religion into dialogue, a subject he finds to be one of the great intellectual dramas of our time.
Paulson's interest in this topic stems from his personal background. His parents spent time at Findhorn, the famous spiritual community in Scotland, and later founded an eco-spiritual community in Wisconsin. Despite this, Paulson considers himself a spiritual seeker, though not in any conventional sense.
Paulson values interviews that go off script and take the interviewee into uncharted territory. He finds a sense of humor, emotional openness, intellectual adventurousness, and passion in the interviewee to be beneficial for a great interview. Interviews with individuals who carry a "small chip on their shoulder," such as Maurice Sendak or Sherman Alexie, are among his favorites.
Paulson's career began in public broadcasting after studying the rare golden lion tamarin in high school and majoring in European literature in college. He has since interviewed a variety of individuals, including Nobel prize winners, scientists, novelists, politicians, artists, musicians, and potentially Barack Obama, who may be the most famous person he has interviewed.
If Paulson could interview five people, living or dead, he would choose some of the founders of modern physics, including Einstein, Wolfgang Pauli, and David Bohm, because they were fascinated by the philosophical implications of their science. He also has a soft spot for jazz legends, including Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and Keith Jarrett.
Paulson's library is the source of TTBOOK interviews. His office, often compared to that of the Collyer Brothers, famous book hoarders, is a testament to his love for books. Despite not having a book fetish, he has a large collection of books. His co-workers tease him about fire hazards due to his disorganized stacks of books.
Paulson's work often reflects an interest in how science influences spirituality and the human quest for understanding life's deeper purposes. He believes that the questions about the relationship between science and religion are ultimately questions about how we construct meaning in our lives. His ongoing commitment to exploring the interplay between science, religion, and broader cultural questions makes him a valuable voice in public enlightenment and personal reflection.
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