Seeking the Roots of Talent: An Interview with Howard Gardner

What do we know about the origins of talent and its relationship to the artistic products of children? While a number of psychologists, philosophers, educators, and artists have taken diverse paths to locate the roots of talent, few have been as insightful or persistent in that quest as Howard Gardner. JEG interviewed Dr. Gardner in November, 1984, following the publication of his newest book, Frames of Mind, which argues the case for a theory of multiple intelligences (or talents). Dr. Gardner is a prolific writer and researcher who was named as a MacArthur Foundation Fellow in 1981. He continues to serve as Co-Director of Harvard Project Zero in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as research scientist in neuropsychology at the Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center, and as Professor of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine.