Why do imagined stories feel so real to us? And what does it mean when art not only imitates life but actually guides how we live, love, and dream?

Jonathan Gilmore is Professor and Chair of Philosophy at the CUNY Graduate Center and co-editor of The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. A former NEH Fellow and award-winning author of Apt Imaginings, Jonathan’s work bridges art criticism, philosophy, cognitive science, and literature. He’s taught at Princeton and Yale, published widely in both academic journals and art magazines, and continues to challenge how we think about art, imagination, and the emotions they stir.

In this episode, we dive into the rich terrain of how fiction and art interact with our inner lives. Jonathan explains why certain stories feel real to us literally lighting up the same parts of our brain as real-life experiences and how that can be both a gift and a danger. We unpack why art matters so much culturally, even to people who rarely visit museums, and what it means when a society loses or commercializes these sacred spaces.

We also explore the blurred line between art and life: why love stories might do us a disservice, why kitsch (like certain feel-good films) manipulates rather than moves us, and how fiction teaches us not just about others, but about ourselves. With warmth and philosophical depth, Jonathan reflects on his own journey from aspiring painter to philosopher of art and shares hard-won insights about finding meaning, sustaining passion, and listening to what truly compels you.