10 Best Literary TED Talks of the Year

10 Best Literary TED Talks of the Year While we at the Riot take some time off to rest and catch up on our  reading, were re-running some of our  favorite posts from the last several months. Enjoy our highlight reel, and well be back with new stuff on Monday, January 5th. This post originally ran October 6, 2014. _________________________ Every year on Book Riot weve put together a round-up of our favorite literary TED talks.  Since our last post, there have been  ten that deserve mention, ranging from inspirational stories about sight and connection to really random dog poems from Billy Collins and erotic fantasies from Isabel Allende.  Because its TED. Zany is bound to happen. Isabel Allende: How to live passionatelyno matter your age [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ifMRNag2XU[/youtube] What I love about this one is that Allende doesnt talk specifically about her novels, but so much of the stuff that makes up  her novelspassion, lust for lifeis covered in this talk. She also talks about her sexual fantasies  about Antonio Banderas, which is almost kind of literary. Mac Barnett: Why a good book is a secret door   [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPrS7-kx9Y0[/youtube] Barnett, childrens book author and founder of the Echo Park Time Travel Mart,  encourages creators to allow the magic of a story out into the real world, especially for child readers. (It also features the cutest phone message to  a blue whale ever.) Lisa Bu: How books can open your mind   [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ibCtsHgz3Y[/youtube] When Bu left China for the U.S. (and subsequently her dream to be a Chinese opera singer), she found that she could find truth and meaning for her life in books. Its a fascinating look at cross-cultural, comparative reading. Stephen Burt: Why people need poetry   [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08ZWROqoTZo[/youtube] If youre one to sigh over beats and the muddled truth about life that poetry presents, definitely watch this exuberant, love letter to poetry from literary critic, Stephen Burt. Matthew Carter: My life in typefaces [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjxyEwjG2Es[/youtube] Likewise, if you geek  out over the simplistic majesty of Helvetica or have long-winded discussions about the cultural legacy of Gotham, youll find much to love in this crazy-technical talk. Carter, a long-time typeface designer who designed Verdana and Georgia, discusses technical limitations, freedoms, and revolutions  during  his years in the industry. Billy Collins: Two poems about what dogs think (probably)   [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOvbl3ZPPV4[/youtube] As noted earlier, this is a strange one. As a dog lover and fan of Collins previous works, Im still not sure how much I enjoyed these poems, but theyre certainly interesting. Anne Curzan: What makes a word real?   [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6NU0DMjv0Y[/youtube] A language historian and member of the American Heritage Dictionaries Usage Panel, Curzan argues that language is a fluid, changing thing that should be enjoyed rather than sanctified. And she also totally supports the use of the word hangry. Jamila Lyiscott: 3 ways to speak English   [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9fmJ5xQ_mc[/youtube] In this weaving, fast-paced spoken word essay, Broken English, Lyiscott talks about  what it means to speak articulately at home, with friends, and as an academic. It takes a look at the cultural  assumptions inherent in word choice/rhythm/tone and why Lyiscott now considers herself a tri-tongued orator. Bob Mankoff: Anatomy of a  New Yorker  cartoon [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKxaL8Iau8Q[/youtube] Another one for the geekscomics geeks that is!  The  New Yorker  cartoon editor, Mankoff, dissects exactly how he defines The  New Yorker humor and its place in our current culture. Ron McCallum: How technology allowed me to read [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoTSdOkjEVs[/youtube] In what is perhaps the most earnest and inspirational talk on this list, McCallum discusses the way reading has changed for the blind since the 1950s. It will make you want to hug your booksand your laptops too. What are your favorite literary TED talks?   ____________________ Did you know that Book Riot has a  YouTube channel? We do. It’s new and we are having fun with it. Check it out  here. 10 Best Literary TED Talks of the Year Every year on Book Riot weve put together a round-up of our favorite literary TED talks.  Since our last post, there have been  ten that deserve mention, ranging from inspirational stories about sight and connection to really random dog poems from Billy Collins and erotic fantasies from Isabel Allende.  Because its TED. Zany is bound to happen. Isabel Allende: How to live passionatelyno matter your age [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ifMRNag2XU[/youtube] What I love about this one is that Allende doesnt talk specifically about her novels, but so much of the stuff that makes up  her novelspassion, lust for lifeis covered in this talk. She also talks about her sexual fantasies  about Antonio Banderas, which is almost kind of literary. Mac Barnett: Why a good book is a secret door   [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPrS7-kx9Y0[/youtube] Barnett, childrens book author and founder of the Echo Park Time Travel Mart,  encourages creators to allow the magic of a story out into the real world, especially for child readers. (It also features the cutest phone message to  a blue whale ever.) Lisa Bu: How books can open your mind   [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ibCtsHgz3Y[/youtube] When Bu left China for the U.S. (and subsequently her dream to be a Chinese opera singer), she found that she could find truth and meaning for her life in books. Its a fascinating look at cross-cultural, comparative reading. Stephen Burt: Why people need poetry   [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08ZWROqoTZo[/youtube] If youre one to sigh over beats and the muddled truth about life that poetry presents, definitely watch this exuberant, love letter to poetry from literary critic, Stephen Burt. Matthew Carter: My life in typefaces [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjxyEwjG2Es[/youtube] Likewise, if you geek  out over the simplistic majesty of Helvetica or have long-winded discussions about the cultural legacy of Gotham, youll find much to love in this crazy-technical talk. Carter, a long-time typeface designer who designed Verdana and Georgia, discusses technical limitations, freedoms, and revolutions  during  his years in the industry. Billy Collins: Two poems about what dogs think (probably)   [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOvbl3ZPPV4[/youtube] As noted earlier, this is a strange one. As a dog lover and fan of Collins previous works, Im still not sure how much I enjoyed these poems, but theyre certainly interesting. Anne Curzan: What makes a word real?   [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6NU0DMjv0Y[/youtube] A language historian and member of the American Heritage Dictionaries Usage Panel, Curzan argues that language is a fluid, changing thing that should be enjoyed rather than sanctified. And she also totally supports the use of the word hangry. Jamila Lyiscott: 3 ways to speak English   [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9fmJ5xQ_mc[/youtube] In this weaving, fast-paced spoken word essay, Broken English, Lyiscott talks about  what it means to speak articulately at home, with friends, and as an academic. It takes a look at the cultural  assumptions inherent in word choice/rhythm/tone and why Lyiscott now considers herself a tri-tongued orator. Bob Mankoff: Anatomy of a  New Yorker  cartoon [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKxaL8Iau8Q[/youtube] Another one for the geekscomics geeks that is!  The  New Yorker  cartoon editor, Mankoff, dissects exactly how he defines The  New Yorker humor and its place in our current culture. Ron McCallum: How technology allowed me to read [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoTSdOkjEVs[/youtube] In what is perhaps the most earnest and inspirational talk on this list, McCallum discusses the way reading has changed for the blind since the 1950s. It will make you want to hug your booksand your laptops too. What are your favorite literary TED talks?   _________________________ Expand your literary horizons with New Books!, a weekly newsletter spotlighting 3-5 exciting new releases, hand-picked by our very own Liberty Hardy. Sign up now!