On this episode of the Deerfield Public Library Podcast, we had the pleasure of talking to cartoonist Ken Krimstein. He’s the author of the recent book, The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt, a comics biography of the Jewish-German philosopher. Ken is also a frequent cartoonist for The New Yorker and other publications—and he grew up in Deerfield!
Ken tells us how he became a cartoonist and how a cartoonist approaches the difficult life and ideas of Hannah Arendt. In The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt, her life reads like a thriller as she escapes Nazi Germany and occupied France and eventually settles in America. The book is also an engaging introduction to some big philosophical ideas of one of the 20th century’s most interesting thinkers. And—no surprise—it’s full of humor.
You can check out The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt here at the library. Ken’s book will be celebrated in an upcoming exhibition of his drawings at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership in Chicago next month.
We hope you enjoy our 24th episode with Ken Krimstein! Each month we’ll be releasing an episode featuring a conversation with a dynamic guest with a Deerfield connection. Learn more about the podcast on our podcast page.
You can listen to all of our episodes in the player below or on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts. We welcome your comments and feedback—please send to podcast@deerfieldlibrary.org.
