The Lannan Foundation was founded in 1960 by J. Patrick Lannan, Sr., a self-educated scholar and financier who believed in the cultural importance of innovative and controversial forms of visual and literary art. As the mission statement notes, the Foundation supports these types of long-term projects, along with "inspired Native activists in rural indigenous communities." Specifically, the program areas supported by the Foundation include the visual arts, literature, indigenous communities, and cultural freedom. At the homepage, visitors may learn about these various initiatives, along with the readings and programs sponsored by the Foundation, many of which take place in Santa Fe, where the Foundation is located. There are two very valuable resources on the site for the general public, namely the audio archives section and the Bookworm area. The audio archives contain over 65 audio programs that feature some of the many writers that have been part of the Reading & Conversations series sponsored by the Foundation. Visitors can listen to any of these recordings, which feature such individuals as Arundhati Roy, Edward Said, Mark Strand, Eduardo Galeano, and Billy Collins. The Bookworm section contains archived programs from the nationally syndicated radio interview program, and features such writers as Kurt Vonnegut, Alice Walker, and Oliver Sacks.