Writer Joshua Wolf Shenk

He Leaves Fantastic Voicemails

Joshua Wolf Shenk is an essayist, curator, and author—most recently of the book Powers of Two: Seeking the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs. When he’s not reporting or writing, he works with the storytelling nonprofit The Moth and Arts in Mind, a conversation series on the intersections of the creative arts and psychology. Before talking about the chemistry of great collaborations, he shared where he comes up with good ideas, what food should always go with french fries, and the day his life came right out of Die Hard in …

Teamwork Doesn’t Mean We’re All Equal

A Collaboration Expert Tells Us What Goes Into Successful Partnerships

I’ve been in the collaboration business for a dozen years now. Most people (including my parents) have no idea what that actually means. Fortunately, they assume that if I’ve been …

That Time Mozart Jammed with Michael Jackson

Which Creative Greats Would You Pick for a Dream Collaboration?

Even as teenagers, John Lennon and Paul McCartney saw themselves as “the next great songwriting team.” Sitting in McCartney’s living room with their guitars, they jotted down ideas in a …

You’ve Got to Accentuate the Diaological

Richard Sennett, Winner of the 2012 Zócalo Book Prize, Has Some Thoughts on How to Get Along

The Second Annual Zócalo Public Square Book Prize was made possible by the Southern California Gas Company with additional support from the Shepard Broad Foundation.

“Everybody in principle is for communal …