January 28, 2025 by
Scott Anderson - U of T Magazine
In his book What I Mean to Say: Remaking Conversation in Our Time (2024), Ian Williams, a professor of the Department of English at the University of Toronto, argues that polarized politics and online echo chambers are devaluing how we speak — and listen — to each other. In this Q&A with U of T Magazine's editor-in-chief Scott Anderson, he reflects on the importance of conversation to the human spirit, the challenge of listening in a distracted world and the role universities can play in elevating the tone of debate.