A Conversation With

Noah Davis talks to CK Swett, a rising star in the auctioneering world, about the secret to raising millions of dollars, how he lands his gigs, and why auctioneering is a young man's game.

Paul Hiebert talks to psychologist Barry Schwartz about how modern trends—social media, FOMO, customer review sites—fit in with arguments he made a decade ago in his highly influential book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less.

Taxidermist Katie Innamorato talks to Noah Davis about learning her craft, seeing it become trendy, and the going-rate for a "Moss Fox."

Noah Davis talks to Wait But Why writer Tim Urban about the newsletter concept, the research process, and escaping "money-flushing toilet" status.

Three major players weigh in on the current state of the clown.

Noah Davis talks to the proprietor of I Quant NY. His methodology: a little something called "addition."

Noah Davis talks to Molly Crapabble about Michelangelo, the Medicis, and the tension between making art and making money.

What happens when the illicit product you've made your living off of finally becomes legal?

There's art theft, there's law enforcement, and, somewhere in between, there's Turbo Paul.

Francis Heaney talks to Noah Davis about the misconceptions and changing dynamics of the puzzling world.

According to Almaz Zelleke, it's not a crazy thought.

Coherence is a good movie, and its initial shoot cost about the same amount of money as a used Prius.

Kim O'Connor talks to Hillary Chute about comics as objects of criticism, the role of female cartoonists, and the art world's evolving relationship with the form.

On Bill Buckner, Doc Gooden, and the lost art of the triple.

Sorry, Russia. Establishing a moon colony would require no less than tens of billions of dollars and the cooperation of numerous countries.

Carolyn Chernoff talks about "The Sociology of Miley Cyrus: Race, Class, Gender, and Media," which she'll be teaching this summer at Skidmore College.

For John Todd: by owning a database of photos of the United States national soccer teams.

For starters: also be a sexy wedding photographer.

A conversation about the grim business of predicting mass atrocities.

A conversation about Picasso, Sigmund Freud, farm animals, and Hunter S. Thompson.

One compound word: Kickstarter.

Paul Hiebert talks to the moderators of the community that tries to keep the site's exchange free from marketers disguised as honest users.

Welcome to a new series in which we talk to creative people—artists, artisans, musicians, authors, entertainers—about making a living. Email us if you'd like to participate. First up: Jeff Deegan.

Noah Davis talks to Julie Keefe, Portland's creative laureate, about what that title means and why the U.S. could use one.