Vauhini Vara’s “Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age”
Eric Newman speaks with journalist and author Vauhini Vara about her new book “Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age.”
By LARB Radio HourMay 23, 2025
:quality(75)/https%3A%2F%2Fassets.lareviewofbooks.org%2Fuploads%2FRH_Vara.png)
Listen to the episode
Vauhini Vara’s “Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age”
00:00/00:00
Double your support for LARB.
Every donation between now and December 31 will be matched up to $100,000. Donate today to double your support.
Subscribe on Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud
Do you love listening to the LARB Radio Hour? Support the production of this weekly podcast on books, art, and culture. Donate today.
Eric Newman speaks with journalist and author Vauhini Vara about her new book Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age. The book hybrid blend of memoir and modern tech history explore how the internet, AI, and the corporate tech giants behind them have shaped the way we see ourselves and connect with others. Through Vara’s personal anecdotes and digital history deep dives—including a nostalgic look at AOL chat rooms, a rundown of her Google search history and prolific Amazon product reviews, and her reporting on the rise of AI and how an early version of ChatGPT helped her write an essay about her sister’s death—Searches shows how our search for meaning and identity online defines life in the digital age in ways both fascinating and concerning.
LARB Contributor
The LARB Radio Hour is hosted by Eric Newman, Medaya Ocher, and Kate Wolf.
LARB Staff Recommendations
AI Nightmares: Rise of the Dead Souls
Michael Berry sees warning signs of the creep of AI into education and translation work.
Coconuts, Corporations: On Vauhini Vara’s “The Immortal King Rao”
Lauren Nelson takes on “The Immortal King Rao,” the new novel by Vauhini Vara.