So said the New York Times headline when geologist Marie Tharp discovered the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the gash in the earth that proved the theory of continental drift and helped establish the field of plate tectonics. Tharp made this discovery while producing the first comprehensive maps of the ocean floor. Author Hali Felt, who chronicled Tharp’s life in her book, Soundings, spoke to LQ about this remarkable and overlooked scientist.
Lewis Lapham talks with historian James Mather about a time when British foreign relations were more peaceful and diplomatic than they later became. More
Lewis H. Lapham speaks with the author of Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation. More
Lewis Lapham talks with Stephen Greenblatt, 2011 winner of the National Book Award in nonfiction. More
Lewis Lapham talks with author Earl Swift about the roads that connect America. More
Lewis H. Lapham speaks with the author of Churchill’s Shadow: The Life and Afterlife of Winston Churchill. More
Lewis H. Lapham talks with the author of The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775–1777. More
