Conversations with People Who Hate Me: 12 Things I Learned from Talking to Internet Strangers

“Hate is not the only type of seed. A question can be a seed, too,” writes Marron in this enlightening debut based on his popular podcast of the same name. When, in 2016, he was inspired to create a podcast based on hate messages he’d received from strangers on Facebook in response to videos he was creating for a progressive digital news network, Marron discovered his “detractors” weren’t as one-dimensional as he’d thought. With the presidential primaries underway and social media acting as the “new public square” for the culture war, he’d become accustomed to being attacked online. But, as he recalls, when he began interviewing his antagonists, things shifted: “By seeing those I disagreed with as my ‘opponents,’ I was... pushing them away from the very topics I wanted to discuss with them.” He learned that Josh, a high schooler who harassed him online, had been bullied in school; another interview with a man who had a history of homophobia became an opportunity to discuss the nuances of sexuality. With compassion, Marron reveals how these discussions led to surprising moments of empathy, and sometimes even reconciliation between both sides. But he’s also careful to clarify that while “it is brave to have [these] difficult conversations... it’s brave to... know your limits.” In a time rife with divisiveness, this opens up an intriguing dialogue about finding ways to connect. (Mar.)