Access Utah

Once again we present great music and funny and heartwarming stories for the holidays. Guitarist Mike Christiansen plays music and playwright Tim Slover performs readings for the season.

We talk with USU researchers Beth Fauth and Heather Kelley. They are directors of the new Dementia Resource Ambassador program.

We talk with Travis Franks about his article "The Elusive John Rollin Ridge: The Afterlives of ‘An Indian's Grave' and His Ambiguous Literary Legacy" and much more.

Our guest is Bob Inglis. He is a former Republican congressman from South Carolina and executive director of RepublicEn.

We talk with Amy Bowers Cordalis about her new book "The Water Remembers: My Indigenous Family's Fight to Save a River and a Way of Life."

We talk with Tim McGrath, author of "Three Roads to Gettysburg: Meade, Lee, Lincoln, and the Battle That Changed the War, the Speech That Changed the Nation."

A terminal cancer patient rises from the grave. A medical marvel defies HIV. Two women with autoimmunity discover their own bodies have turned against them.

In honor of World Philosophy Day, which is this week, USU philosophy professors are inviting you to "Ask Us Anything!" The event is at the Logan Library Thursday at 5:00 p.m.

On this episode of Access Utah, a conversation with new Utah State University President Brad Mortensen, who is in the first week of his administration.

We talk with Todd Goddard, author of "Devouring Time," a new biography of Jim Harrison — one of America's most beloved writers and author of "Legends of the Fall," "Dalva," and "True North."

Colin Woodard, a bestselling author, historian, and award-winning journalist, directs the Nationhood Lab at Salve Regina University's Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy.

Martha Barnette has spent two decades as the co-host of "A Way with Words," lauded by Mary Norris in The New Yorker as “a virtual treasure house” and “‘Car Talk' for Lexiphiles.”

We revisit our conversation from November 2013 with Val Holley about his book "25th Street Confidential."

It's time again for us to compile another UPR community booklist. So we want to know what you're reading. What's on your nightstand or device right now?

Stokes Nature Center recently brought in writer Michael Kleber-Diggs to headline the kickoff event to their participation in the NEA Big Read.

We talk with Beth Macy about her new book "Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America."

On this episode, we're doing another non-profit spotlight. There are many needs in our communities and many step up to help.

We talk with Sarah Stein Lubrano about her new book "Don't Talk About Politics."

Craig Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Walt Longmire mystery novels, which are the basis for Longmire, the Netflix series.

Today we talk with Tony Juniper about his new book "Just Earth: How A Fairer World Will Save The Planet."

We talk with Sadie Webb, associate director of the College Debates and Discourse Alliance, a program that teaches students and faculty how to honor ideological diversity and foster civil discourse.

In 1893, Matilda Joslyn Gage was arrested for registering to vote. We talk about women's suffrage and Gage's connection to "The Wizard of Oz."

Today we talk with Caroline Fraser, author of the new book "Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers."

Salt Lake Tribune reporters Robert Gehrke, Julie Jag and Paighten Harkins talk about the week's top stories, including the Legislature picking Utah's new congressional map on Oct. 6.

On today's Access Utah, we highlight Top of Mind with Julie Rose, a show that's coming to UPR in October. And we talk with Nikki Bedi of BBC's The Arts Hour, a favorite program of ours.

On this fund drive special we talk with Utah Food Bank President and CEO Ginette Bott. We talk about food insecurity, the hunger cliff, the services the Utah Food Bank provides, and how to help.

We talk with Mark Sundeen about his book "Delusions and Grandeur: Dreamers of the New West."

As you know, public media is in a post-rescission world. With the loss of federal funding, public radio and television stations face big new problems and maybe new opportunities.

Jerome Charyn is the award-winning author of more than fifty works of fiction and nonfiction. Today we'll talk with him about his new book about opera singer Maria Callas titled, "Maria, La Divina."

Our guest today is folklorist Lynne McNeill. Lynne McNeill is an associate professor of folklore at Utah State University, as well as co-founder of and faculty advisor for the USU Folklore Club.

We talk with Jaxon Didericksen, Access to Justice program coordinator with the Transforming Communities Institute at USU, about the recent launch of their community justice advocate program.

We talk with historian Richard E. Turley Jr. about his Leonard J. Arrington Mormon History Lecture, titled "Team History: The Latter-day Saint Historical Enterprise, 1986–2025."

As a child in the foothills of the Himalayas, Priyanka Kumar was entranced by forest-like orchards of diverse and luscious fruit — especially apples.

"The Gift of Failure" focuses on the critical years when parents must learn to allow their children to experience disappointment and frustration so that they grow into successful, resilient adults.

"In a Rugged Land" examines the history and content of the two photographers' forgotten collaboration "Three Mormon Towns." We revisit our conversation from 2019 with author James Swenson.

Today we'll talk with Matthew Wappett, executive director of the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice at Utah State University.

We revisit our conversation from 2016 with James Balog about the film "Chasing Ice."

We revisit our conversation from November 2017 with author Ted Genoways about his book "This Blessed Earth: A Year in the Life of an American Family Farm."

We revisit our conversation from 2019 with H.W. Brands on his book "Heirs of the Founders: The Epic Rivalry of Henry Clay, John Calhoun and Daniel Webster, The Second Generation of American Giants."

James Bacchus says the path to global sustainable development is participatory democratic global governance — the only truly effective path to confronting military conflict, climate change, and more.

We talk with Colorado rancher and mother of five, Lara Richardson, about her memoir "The Table: Seasons on a Colorado Ranch."

Martha Barnette has spent two decades as the co-host of "A Way with Words," lauded by Mary Norris in The New Yorker as “a virtual treasure house” and “‘Car Talk' for Lexiphiles.”