Charlie Rose is the consummate interlocutor: inquisitive, articulate, and well-versed in a wider range of subjects than it seems possible for any one human being to be. Each episode of his show is a simple conversation, usually one-on-one, shot against a stark black backdrop, with the focus on nothing but the two intellects at the table and their ideas. Archived on this site are hours and hours of thought-provoking conversation with luminaries in every field from art and architecture (Chuck Close, Richard Serra, Philip Johnson) to politics (Kofi Annan, Bill Clinton) to spirituality (the Dalai Lama). My personal favorite is a 2002 interview with Kirk Varnedoe, former Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the MoMA, the man who made the museum what it is. Varnedoe was certainly the most articulate and passionate intellect within the contemporary art world. The interview took place at a time when Varnedoe was fighting a losing battle to cancer and was aware that he had a limited amount of time left to live (he passed away six months later). The conversation between the two men, who were old friends, begins with the subject of what makes modern art modern, but becomes a reflection on the power of art to overcome mortality.