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I'm Stephen Metcalf, and this is the Slate Culture Gap Fest springtime for Tarantino edition.

This is also the daily podcast from slate.com for Wednesday, August 26th, 2009.

On today's program, we're going to talk about Quentin Tarantino's possible revival, the new season of Project Runway, and our in-house, out-house, whatever it was, competition to draw the mysterious Stephen Metcalf.

Joining me today, our Slate's deputy editor, Julia Turner.

Hello, Julia.

Hi, Steve.

And our film critic, Dana Stevens.

Hey, Dana.

Hi, Steve.

And we're very, very pleased, very grateful to have Slate columnist and author of Explaining Hitler, Ron Rosenbaum, joining us. Ron, if it's all right, can I start with you? Okay, sure. Terrific. First of all, I want to say you've completely forgotten this, but about 15 years ago, maybe than 20 years ago, I met you at a party, and you were in eminence, and I was a lowly pathetic

worm-like... say you've completely forgotten this, but about 15 years ago, maybe even 20 years ago, I met you

at a party, and you were in eminence, and I was a lowly pathetic, worm-like graduate student.

And now things have been reversed, are you about to say?

And I remember two things, we're both worms, and now, but I remember two things vividly

about the conversation. The first is, you were incredibly nice to me, which bold me over.

It was a room otherwise swimming with intellectual sharks,

but you were a total delight to talk to for not making me feel as though I were a lowly worm.

And the second thing I remember from it is you told me you were writing a book about Hitler.

This is one of the

reasons we have you on the show today. The Quentin Tarantino movie is a kind of career renaissance for

...