Stories

From his early days interviewing national leaders on C-SPAN, Brian has spent four decades in conversation with artists, activists, public intellectuals, and everyday people on six continents.

Stories brings that work together: interviews, essays, travel writing, and book excerpts from Brian’s ongoing explorations of politics, culture, and history.

For new stories, essays, and reporting, subscribe to Brian’s Substack, Taxiing the Planet.

Unlocked: How Germany Battles Neo-Nazi Activism

Unlocked: How Germany Battles Neo-Nazi Activism

From the expanded second edition of "My Fabulous Fascist Summer Vacation"
Read More
"Stop Stealing the Future" Now on Amazon

“Stop Stealing the Future” Now on Amazon

The book is part of the new expanded edition of "My Fabulous Fascist Summer Vacation"
Read More
Unlocked: What America's Leading Fascism Scholar Says About Donald Trump

Unlocked: What America’s Leading Fascism Scholar Says About Donald Trump

From the new expanded edition of My Fabulous Fascist Summer Vacation
Read More
How Spain Shed its Fascist Past

How Spain Shed its Fascist Past

Interview with Adam Hochschild, author of "Spain in Our Hearts: Americans in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939"
Read More
Spain: Franco Kills the Republic

Spain: Franco Kills the Republic

From the new second edition of My Fabulous Fascist Summer Vacation
Read More
My Interview with Ron Carter

My Interview with Ron Carter

The greatest living jazz bassist coming to the Hollywood Bowl
Read More

Featured Series

Stop Stealing the Future: Chronicles of the Ukrainian Resistance

Interviews, reporting, and stories from Brian's 2025 journey across Ukraine.
Read the series on Substack

From the Archives

Fredrik Brannlund, Finally Together Founder

Electric Memories

Åre, Sweden

“We have the technology, perhaps more expensive than sustainable at this point, to be able to build a city which demonstrates this same thing. That is, giving back more than it takes from nature. The idea is to build a little city knowing that you’re surrounded by other people living on the premise of giving back and contributing. And knowing that’s what’s going to fulfill my neighbor and myself.”

Read More

Lakota Historian, LaDonna Brave Bull Allard

Surmountable

Standing Rock

“I’m not a frontline person. Before the camps, I was doing historic tours, lectures about the history of Sitting Bull, about all the chiefs, about our culture, our way of life. When the camp started, I contacted everybody I knew from all parts of the world that, “Hey, this is happening.”

Read More

Jazz Musician, Ron Carter

Six Days at Ronnie Scott's

London, England

“When Bill plays with a trio, or quartet – me, Herbie and him, or Donald Harrison, him and I – he uses a smaller drum set. I admire him for realizing his normal kit is not necessary for this trio gig. Don’t need that stuff for certain size ensembles.”

Read More

Leading Islamic scholar and mullah, Dr. Ayaz Niazi

WAR: The Afterparty

Kabul, Afghanistan

“You started our conversation by asking me about Islam. Islam totally differs from what these Muslims are doing today. Those Taliban, radical groups, they have their personal ideas. You should ask them why are they doing such things. Is what they are doing in the holy Quran, did Allah say so, to kill people, to murder non-Muslims?”

Read More

Lonely Planet’s longtime guide author, Joe Cummings

Full Moon over Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan, Thailand

“It was the first series for those who traveled on a budget and off the beaten track. You could use any guide and figure out a way to make it, but this was going to obscure places, not the main tourist routes, and closer to local cultures.”

Read More

Activist and Adbusters co-founder, Kalle Lasn

Surmountable

Vancouver, Canada

“It was the time of the Arab Spring and we decided that the moment was right for something to happen in America as well. A special moment after the 2008–2009 financial troubles. Young people were really disillusioned. They had their university degrees and were still getting nowhere. They felt the future doesn’t compute for them. So, Occupy was a very special sort of one off-kind of an event. It was…

Read More

For those who feel their life or work deserves a deeper, lasting record.

A small number of projects are accepted each year.
Start a Conversation