Isaac Ariail Reed isn’t your ordinary parachute intellectual. A sociology professor at the University of Virginia, he’s fascinated by Las Vegas — he’s writing at least one book about it. But unlike many with the Vegas bug, he visits frequently, has interviewed dozens of culture-shapers, and was delighted that his essay in The Hedgehog Review last fall generated local pushback. “I come from the Jewish dinner table school of conversation,” Reed says. “I tend to thrive on back-and-forth.” In this episode, Reed sits down with Desert Companion Editor-at-Large Scott Dickensheets to talk about Vegas architecture as a window into human nature, the city’s unique perspective on art, and why his favorite spot to hang is the Parlor Bar at the El Cortez.
RESOURCES CITED BY REED
David R. Dickens, “Is Las Vegas a ‘Real City’?” Gaming Research and Review Journal 15(2): 119-120, 2011.
Lolita Develay, “Defining the Las Vegas Artist” pp. 33-36 in Defining the Las Vegas Artist 2025-2026. Las Vegas: Art Report Today, 2026.
Dave Hickey, “A Home in the Neon,” Air Guitar: Essays on Art and Democracy. Art Issues Press, 18-23, 1997.
Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents: A Norton Critical Edition, translated by James Strachey, edited by Samuel Moon. Norton Critical Editions. New York: Norton, 2021.
