R. John Williams
Biography
R. John Williams holds a PhD and serves as Professor of English and Film and Media Studies at Yale. He authored "The Buddha in the Machine: Art, Technology, and the Meeting of East and West" and has written extensively on religion, futurology, systems theory, psychoanalysis, and film/television. His forthcoming work "Out of Mind: Media, Meditation, and the Problem of the Inner Self" (University of Chicago Press) explores how communication technologies have shaped contemplative practices during the twentieth century.
Sample Works
Roundtable Appearances
October 4, 2025 · ▶ Video
See Memory
An afternoon exploring art, neuroscience, and storytelling featuring the New York premiere of the expanded 2025 edition of See Memory. This Bronze Telly Award-winning hand-painted...
Viviane Silvera, Daniela Schiller, Cheryl Dolinger Brown, Maura Spiegal, R. John Williams
February 24, 2024 · ▶ Video
The Effects of Media
What are the effects of media today? What exactly is 'social' about social media? How do media shape reality? Are developments in AI changing media as we understand communications...
Daniel Czitrom, Paula McDowell, Erica Robles-Anderson, Anna Shechtman, R. John Williams
March 18, 2023 · ▶ Video
The Techne of Memory
The roundtable explores fundamental questions about memory: "What is memory? How does it determine our experience and identity?" The panel examines memory as a process occurring...
Victoria Loustalot, Sam McDougle, Daniela Schiller, Viviane Silvera, R. John Williams
November 19, 2022 · ▶ Video
Living in Difficult Times
The roundtable addressed contemporary crises including pandemic impacts on life expectancy (particularly affecting Black and Hispanic Americans), increased homelessness, climate...
Jon Chun, Katherine Elkins, Farzad Mahootian, Edward Tenner, Steven Wein, R. John Williams