A prize awarded annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
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From Krista: I was longing for a deep dive on the radiant and common-sense hope that Jason Reynolds embodies after I interviewed him at a Georgetown event last year. I got my chance at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival. Jason's perspective is so urgent for the world we've now walked into: on giving ourselves grace to be hopeless, the virtue of stamina, and the hope that stays strong in him from his life in relationship with the very young in our midst — "the arbiters and purveyors of the future" — as well as an occasional stranger in a bar. Jason himself is preternaturally wise as well as talented and kind and humble. He's become a friend across the years and is one of my favorite people in the world. — Find an excellent transcript of this show, edited by humans, on our show page. Sign yourself and others up for The Pause to be on our mailing list for all things On Being and to receive Krista's monthly Saturday newsletter, including a heads up on new episodes, special offerings, recommendations, and event invitations. Jason Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author of over 20 books for children and young adults. From 2020–2022, he served as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Among many honors, he has received the Newbery, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Awards, and was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2024. He is on the faculty at Lesley University for the Writing for Young People M.F.A. Program. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On this show we feature the late writer and activist Mike Davis, who dabbled as an “urban historian,” who took on geography, politics, economics, sociology and literature. His focus was the dislocation and separation brought on by capitalist society: people from land, work from ownership, individuals from each other, all in the service of profit. And he showed how this dislocation resulted in climate, environmental, and social disasters. His solution was communities connecting together and to the land. Mike Davis was a true intellectual visionary, who was down to get into the streets and walk his talk. I met Mike Davis as a graduate student when he taught at UCLA in the School of Architecture and Urban Planning. At the time, he was writing his incendiary and prophetic shadowing of the social and environmental calamities that the city of Los Angeles, and our world at large, continues to face. We begin with an introduction of Mike Davis and will come back to a question and answer by Vijay Prashad, an Indian Marxist historian and commentator. This is from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst History Department Feinberg Lecture Series from 2020. We also feature a lecture by Mike Davis about his book Planet of Slums, which investigates the increasing inequality of the urban world. According to the U.N., more than one billion people now live in extreme poverty in mega-cities facing environmental and social collapse from perpetual and worsening climate disruptions. Mike Davis explores the meaning and the future of this radically unequal and unstable urban world. The Planet of Slums lecture comes from a talk given at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, in 2015. For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Mike Davis, [https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/news/5214-the-works-of-mike-davis] who passed away in 2022, was a writer, political activist, urban theorist, and historian based in Southern California. Once a meat cutter and a truck driver, he was Professor Emeritus at University of California, Riverside, a Macarthur Fellow, and the author of more than 20 books. He is best known for his investigations of power and social class in works such as City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles (1990) and Late Victorian Holocausts (2001). Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He writes for a PBS SoCal Artbound project called High & Dry [https://www.pbssocal.org/people/high-dry]. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs. He also publishes articles and podcasts on Substack [https://jackeidt.substack.com/]. MORE INFO https://www.perennialroots.com/media Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 171 Photo credit: Annie Wells, LA Times
In this episode, Lauren Williams, professor of mathematics at Harvard University and a 2025 MacArthur Fellow, speaks about the surprising and often messy reality of mathematical research. The conversation begins with a turbulent moment in academia, when federal grants supporting her work were suddenly canceled—only months before she received the MacArthur “Genius Grant,” an unexpected recognition that allowed her to continue her research. Williams explains her work in algebraic combinatorics, illustrating how abstract mathematics can connect to real-world systems. The discussion also explores the human side of discovery, from collaborations that span continents to the strange coincidence of research papers and babies arriving the same week. Finally, the episode dives into one of the most intriguing experiments in modern mathematics: the First Proof project, which tests whether artificial intelligence can produce genuine mathematical proofs, revealing both the promise and the current limitations of AI-generated reasoning.Chapters01:27 Winning the MacArthur Genius Grant01:43 Becoming a Woman in Mathematics at Harvard04:25 Research Applications10:04 The Human Side of Research12:20 The First Proof Project18:29 Advice for Young Mathematicians22:51 The Intersection of Mathematics and AIFollow Lauren Williams on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/laurenkwilliams42/ )Website (https://people.math.harvard.edu/~williams/)Follow Breaking Math on Substack (https://breakingmath.substack.com/) Twitter (https://x.com/breakingmathpod) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/breakingmathmedia/) Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/breakingmath.bsky.social) Website (https://www.breakingmath.io/) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@BreakingMathPod) Follow Noah on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/profnoahgian/) Twitter (https://x.com/ProfNoahGian) Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/profnoahgian.bsky.social) Follow Autumn on Twitter (https://x.com/1autumn_leaf) Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/1autumnleaf.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/1autumnleaf/) email: breakingmathpodcast@gmail.com
Portland Book Festival has been a proud partner of the National Book Foundation Presents program for many years now, and at the 2025 festival we featured a program called “The Cost of Hope,” moderated by National Book Foundation executive director Ruth Dickey, and featuring 2024 National Book Award in Nonfiction winner Jason De Leon, author of Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling, and 2025 National Book Award finalist in Fiction Megha Majumdar, author of A Guardian and a Thief. The intersections between Jason's book, in which he embeds with a group of smugglers moving migrants across Mexico over the course of seven years, and Megha's novel, about two families in a climate-ravaged near-future Kolkata, are abundant. In fact, the two authors share a background in anthropology, and talk about how that education has shaped the way they interpret the world. Their wide-ranging conversation starts with a discussion of how hope can be “snarling and aggressive,” and idea of hope as a refusal to back down. They also talk about the ways both of their stories connect climate change and migration, and how inescapable that connection is. In different ways; for Jason, through reporting, and for Megha, through fiction, both books are able to interrogate huge systems through the individual lives, making these incomprehensible forces in the world legible by finding the storytelling. This is a conversation between two artists thinking deeply about some of the most pressing issues of the day, and approaching them from places of care and, indeed, ultimately, from places of hope. Jason De León is professor of Anthropology and Chicana/o Studies and Director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is also Executive Director of the Undocumented Migration Project, a 501(c)(3) research, arts, and education collective that seeks to raise awareness about migration issues globally while also assisting families of missing migrants reunite with their loved ones. He is a 2017 MacArthur Fellow and author of the award–winning books The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail and Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling, Winner of the 2024 National Book Award for Nonfiction. Megha Majumdar is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel A Burning, which was Longlisted for the National Book Award, nominated for the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Prize, and a finalist for the American Library Association’s Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence. It was named one of the best books of the year by media including The Washington Post, the New York Times, NPR, The Atlantic, Vogue, and TIME Magazine. A 2022 Whiting Award winner, she was born and raised in Kolkata, India, and holds degrees in Anthropology from Harvard and Johns Hopkins. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of Catapult Books, and lives in New York. A Guardian and A Thief is her second novel. Ruth Dickey has spent 30 years working at the intersection of community building, writing, and art, and is the Executive Director of the National Book Foundation. The recipient of a Mayor's Arts Award from Washington DC, and a grant from the DC Commission and Arts and Humanities, Ruth is the author of Our Hollowness Sings (Unicorn Press, 2024), and Mud Blooms (Harbor Mountain Press, 2019), and an ardent fan of dogs and coffee. CW: The podcast version of this episode is uncensored and contains strong language. Listener discretion is advised!
Dorothy Roberts joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about her father's interviews beginning in the 1930s with over 500 back-white couples who crossed the color line in Chicago, moving to memoir to explore more personal experiences and feelings, growing up in a mixed race family, shifting the lens onto herself, thinking about identity, finding answers via the writing process, staying motivated and organized while working with heaps of material, the mystery in memoir, bringing the reader into the discovery process, the adventure of not knowing, looking for evidence people can love across racial boundaries, and her new book The Mixed Marriage Project: A Memoir of Love, Race and Family. Info/Registration for Ronit's 10-Week Memoir Class Memoir Writing:Finding Your Story https://www.pce.uw.edu/courses/memoir-writing-finding-your-story Also in this episode: -taking breaks -working with source material -the possibility of racial harmony in America Books mentioned in this episode: -The Color of Water by James McBride -South to America by Imani Perry -The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson -The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom Dorothy Roberts is the George A. Weiss University Professor of Law and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she directs the Penn Program on Race, Science, and Society. The author of five books, including Killing the Black Body, a MacArthur Fellow, and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Connect with Dorothy: Website: https://www.dorothyeroberts.com/ Get the book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Mixed-Marriage-Project/Dorothy-Roberts/9781668068380 – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories. She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social
"Instead of asking what's broken, we shine a spotlight on what's already good in people's lives" - Elena Fairley, Mission Asset Fund & Crankstart Foundation In part 5 of our Highlight Episodes from our Covid-19 Special Series, we reveal the hidden fault lines cracking San Francisco's foundation — from a downtown office vacancy rate that's the highest in the nation to a business tax structure so complex that one company slashed its city bill by 88% simply by going remote. You will learn how local governments in San Jose and San Rafael reinvented their operations overnight, how Mission Asset Fund is rebuilding financial access for undocumented immigrants through community-centered lending circles and micro-loans, and why the city's much-debated office-to-housing conversions remain largely theoretical. We also decode the 2022 ballot propositions that put the future of affordable housing, homelessness oversight, and public libraries directly in voters' hands. KEY TAKEAWAYS / TIMESTAMPS [01:23] - Local governments forced to digitize overnight: lessons from San Jose & San Rafael. [13:04] - 72% of SF's GDP was concentrated in the downtown core — here's what happened to it. [20:01] - The tax loophole that's incentivizing companies to quietly abandon San Francisco. [28:15] - Office-to-housing conversions: why costs, developers, and city hall are all pointing in different directions. [35:10] - How lending circles are rebuilding financial lives for San Francisco's most invisible residents. GUESTS Fifteen thought leaders shape this conversation, including Joaquin Torres, San Francisco's Assessor-Recorder, who led a $92M economic development office; Jeff Bellisario of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, whose research tracks the 10 trends driving post-COVID recovery; and Jose Quinonez, CEO of Mission Asset Fund, a MacArthur Fellow pioneering financial inclusion for immigrant communities. RESOURCES & LINKS Covid-19 Series highlights, Part 5 guest profiles: Covid-19's Impact on our communities Special Series Resource Directory SUPPORT VOICES OF THE COMMUNITY Donate Now to support the making of shows like this one Sign up for Voices of the Community's Newsletter Subscribe to Voices of the Community on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode — and if this conversation moved you, share it with one person who cares about the future of your city.
Let yourself be drawn into the world of one of the most prolific, shape- shifting presences in 21st century music. Vijay Iyer is a Grammy-nominated composer, pianist, bandleader, and the Franklin D. and Florence Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts at Harvard University. He is a MacArthur Fellow, described by The New York Times as “a social conscience, multimedia collaborator, system builder, rhapsodist, historical thinker and multicultural gateway.” In a profound conversation, Vijay Iyer takes us on a journey of discovery, into what embodied cognition truly means and where music begins. He invites us to explore the extraordinary phenomenon of synchrony: how musicians lock into pulse together, and how an entire audience can exhale as one at the close of a performance. Iyer speaks of live music as a form of ritual, a collective agreement to step out of everyday life and into something else, together. He also reflects with great warmth on his collaborations with artists such as the drummer Tyshawn Sorey and the legendary trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, describing the deep listening, humility, and compassion that make their music possible. He opens our eyes to think deeply about jazz, “not as style of music but an act of freedom.” Music, he insists, should truly be listened to as a human action, asking ourselves who made it, where they were, and how they found each other. This episode is a powerful and loving reminder that music is, first and foremost, a live, shared, visceral, mutually embodied experience, and that within it lies the recognition of a deep longing we carry always: to come back to the experience of that timeless space where two souls meet in the act of listening.
The term "classical music" includes a wide variety of music and artists. This hour we take a look at what that category really means. We celebrate the form and help you figure out how to start listening to the genre. Plus, how video game music is bringing new listeners to classical music and live orchestras. GUESTS: Matthew Aucoin: American composer, conductor, writer, pianist, and a 2018 MacArthur Fellow. He is author of “The Impossible Art: Adventures in Opera” and is co-founder of the American Modern Opera Company. His opera “Euridyce” was produced by the Metropolitan Opera in 2021, making him the youngest composer in nearly a century to have an opera produced by The Met Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch: Author of “Declassified: A Low-Key Guide to the High-Strung World of Classical Music”. She is also a violinist who has performed in venues around the world Carolyn Kuan: Music Director of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. In 2025, she led the acclaimed world premiere of Huang Ruo’s "The Monkey King" at San Francisco Opera. Her recording of Huang Ruo’s "An American Soldier" with the American Composers Orchestra received a 2026 Grammy nomination J. Aaron Hardwick: An internationally active professional conductor, professor of music at Wake Forest University, and Director of the Wake Forest University Symphony Orchestra, recognized for his work in classical and contemporary repertoire and innovative orchestral programming, including video game music MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Symphony No. 5 I. Trauermarsch – Gustav Mahler, Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic 21 Hungarian Dances No. 5 – Johannes Brahms, Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic Revolucion Diamantina Act IV: Speaking the unspeakable – Gabriela Ortiz, Gustavo Dudamel, LA Phil Don’t Look Down I. Hammerspace – Christopher Cerrone, Sandbox Percussion Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter” IV. Molto Allegro – W.A. Mozart, Seiji Ozawa, Mito Chamber Orchestra String Quartet No. 8 II. Allegro molto – Dmitri Shostakovich, Dover Quartet 6 Bagatelles for Wind Quintet III. Allegro grazioso – Gyorgy Ligeti, Claudio Abbado, Chamber Orchestra of Europe Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Felix Mendelssohn, Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra An American Soldier Act II Scene 1: Hey Danny – Huang Ruo, Carolyn Kuan, American Composers' Orchestra Hi – Caroline Shaw CUT FOR TIME The Monkey King Act II Scene 3 – Huang Ruo, Carolyn Kuan, San Francisco Opera Tears of the Kingdom Main Theme – Manaka Kataoka Temple of Time Theme Montage – The Legend of Zelda NES (1986) Style – Loeder Music Ocarina of Time (1998) – Koji Kondo Breath of the Wild (2017) – Yasuaki Iwata Planetrise – Inon Zur (Starfield) Lumiere – Lorien Testard (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) CUT FOR TIME Atsu’s Theme – Toma Otowa (Ghost of Yōtei) CUT FOR TIME The Perfect Wave – Austin Wintory Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There is a primal drive that in our species alone has been transformed into one of our most persistent and universal motivations: The longing to matter.In her revelatory new book: The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us, MacArthur Fellow, National Humanities Medalist, and bestselling author, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, Weaves powerful insights from biology, psychology, and philosophy,To persuasively argue that our need to matter―and the various “mattering projects” it inspires,from parenting, to scientific discovery, to transcendence, art, creative work, or the pursuit of mastery―is simultaneously the source of our greatest progress and our deepest conflicts: the very crux of the human experience.Leveraging her gifts as a storyteller,Rebecca elevates the stories of people pursuing their unique mattering projects: From the pioneering psychologist William James, who rose above the depression of his young adulthood to become perhaps the first great theorist of mattering; To an impoverished Chinese woman who rescued abandoned newborns from the trash; To a neo-Nazi skinhead who as a young man dealt racial violence to feel he mattered but ultimately renounced that hateful past after realizing that mattering isn't a zero-sum game.In offering these portraits Rebecca illuminates how our shared instinct for significance shapes identity, relationships, culture, and conflict - But, perhaps most importantly, They point the way to a future where we all might see that there is, fundamentally, enough mattering to go around.Through her work, and today's conversation, Rebecca invites us to considerhow our universal longing to matter - The primal instinct that so often drives us apart -may actually be the key to finally understanding each other. For more on Rebecca, the Mattering Instinct, her other books and writing, please visit rebeccagoldstein.comEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:On the Healing Power of Love | Stephen G. PostOn How the Arts Transform Us | Susan Magsamen & Ivy RossOn Wisdom and Love in Troubling Times | Mark Nepo & Elizabeth LesserThanks for listening!Support the show
Synopsis: In a powerful tribute to a fearless leader, friends and collaborators share stories of Alice Wong's unwavering commitment to centering disabled voices and challenging systemic inequality in all its forms.This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donateDescription: Alice Wong lived longer than she expected, but not long enough. The celebrated disability activist lived by the principle that disability justice is integral to all liberation movements, and centered disabled stories with the Disability Visibility Project. When Alice Wong died on November 14 at the age of 51, people across social movements shared their grief and awe for her work, such as her bestselling 2022 memoir, “Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life”. She has been called an oracle, visionary, unapologetic and fearless, and our guests, Wong's dear friends and collaborators, are committed to lifting up her legacy. Sandy Ho is the Executive Director of the Disability & Philanthropy Forum and partner with Alice Wong and Mia Mingus in the Access is Love campaign. She was asked by Alice Wong to post her letter after she passed, where Wong writes “. . . our wisdom is incisive and unflinching.” Steven Thrasher is an acclaimed journalist, professor and author of “The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality & Disease Collide”. He was suspended from teaching classes after speaking out — as Wong also did — on Palestine. Join us as we celebrate Alice Wong and ask what is the work to be done when it comes to healthcare and civil rights for disabled people. Plus a commentary from Laura on imagining the next 100 years.“A lot of Alice's advocacy was focused around the systems that force disabled people to be at the margins . . . Whether it is the Black Lives Matter movement or the pandemic, we see the ways in which our society and political systems respond, and not in ways that prioritize those who are least privileged and have the least amount of power.” - Sandy Ho“I remember talking to [Alice Wong] about the ways she had been conditioned as a disabled Asian American woman to try to accept crumbs, to not complain, to be very docile. I thought that she was really brilliant in bridging together not just Asian American communities, but queer communities, LGBTQ communities, all the communities where your body is made to feel like it doesn't belong.” - Steven ThrasherGuests:• Sandy Ho: Executive Director, Disability & Philanthropy Forum• Steven Thrasher: Daniel Renberg Chair of Social Justice in Reporting, Northwestern University; Author, The Viral Underclass & The Overseer Class*Recommended books:“Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life” by Alice Wong, *Get the book“The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide” by Steven Thrasher, *Get the book(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.) Watch the episode released on YouTube; PBS World Channel 11:30am ET Sundays and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast January 14th, 2026.Full Episode Notes are located HERE.Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. Music Credit: Kibir La Alma rework of “Until Tomorrow Comes” by Marysia Osu from her full length remix ep ‘harp, beats & dreams,' courtesy of Brownswood Recordings; 'Steppin' by Podington Bear, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper Support Laura Flanders and Friends by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/lauraflandersandfriends RESOURCES:Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:• “The Future is Disabled”: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha: Watch / Listen: Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversation• The New Disabled Population in Gaza: Comedian & Disability Advocate Maysoon Zayid: Watch / Listen: Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversation• Anita Cameron & Keith Jones on The Americans with Disabilities Act: A Civil Rights Milestone With Miles To Go: Watch / Listen: Episode CutRelated Articles and Resources:• Disability Visibility Project, Founder: Alice Wong• DisabledWriters.com• Access Is Love• A Tribute to an Oracle, Alice Wong, by Rebecca Cokley, November 26, 2025, The Nation• Trump Gutted AIDS Health. Care at the Worst Possible Time, by Steven W. Thrasher & Afeef Nessouli, December 1, 2025, The Intercept• On Valentine's Day, Let's Recognize Why #AccessIsLove, by Alice Wong, February 14, 2019, Rooted In Rights• Remembering Alice Wong: Writer, Advocate, Friend, by Steven W. Thrasher, November 17, 2025, LitHub• Crips for eSims for Gaza, chuffed.org• Alice Wong Interview with Steven Thrasher with subtitles, Watch• Alice Wong, 2024 MacArthur Fellow, MacArthur Foundation Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
Americans have been told that working harder is the path to dignity, security, and success. But what if that promise was hijacked? This week, we're revisiting our episode with Professor Elizabeth Anderson, where she exposes how neoliberalism weaponized the “work ethic” — transforming a moral tradition that once honored workers into a system that blames them, exploits them, and rewards extraction over contribution. Drawing from her new book Hijacked, Anderson traces how today's economy punishes labor, glorifies predatory wealth, and rigs the rules against working people — and what it would take to take the work ethic back. Elizabeth Anderson is the Max Mendel Shaye Professor of Public Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at University of Michigan. She is the author of Value in Ethics and Economics, The Imperative of Integration, and Private Government: How Employers Rule Our Lives (and Why We Don't Talk about It). She is a MacArthur Fellow and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Social Media: @UMPhilosophy Further reading: Hijacked: How Neoliberalism Turned the Work Ethic Against Workers and How Workers Can Take It Back Private Government: How Employers Rule Our Lives (and Why We Don't Talk about It) Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Facebook: Pitchfork Economics Podcast Bluesky: @pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Threads: pitchforkeconomics TikTok: @pitchfork_econ YouTube: @pitchforkeconomics LinkedIn: Pitchfork Economics Twitter: @PitchforkEcon, @NickHanauer Substack: The Pitch
******Support the channel******Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenterPayPal: paypal.me/thedissenterPayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuyPayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9lPayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpzPayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9mPayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ******Follow me on******Website: https://www.thedissenter.net/The Dissenter Goodreads list: https://shorturl.at/7BMoBFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/Twitter: https://x.com/TheDissenterYT This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Dr. Rebecca Newberger Goldstein is an American philosopher, novelist, and public intellectual. She is a MacArthur Fellow and has received the National Humanities Medal of the US, the National Jewish Book Award, and numerous other honors. She's the author of ten books, both fiction and nonfiction, including The Mind-Body Problem, Betraying Spinoza, and Plato at the Googleplex. Her latest book is The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us. In this episode, we focus on The Mattering Instinct. We start by discussing what it is to matter, the mattering instinct, the social aspects of mattering, and four mattering types: socializers, transcenders, competitors, and heroic strivers. We talk about cosmic and biological mattering. We discuss whether mattering can be universalized, and an objective standard to distinguish between better and worse ways to respond to the mattering instinct. Finally, we talk about nihilism and absurdism, and whether the unexamined life is worth living.--A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, BERNARDO SEIXAS, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, PHIL KAVANAGH, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, YANICK PUNTER, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, HEDIN BRØNNER, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, DIOGO COSTA, ALEX CHAU, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, MARK CAMPBELL, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, KIMBERLY JOHNSON, JESSICA NOWICKI, LINDA BRANDIN, VALENTIN STEINMANN, ALEXANDER HUBBARD, BR, JONAS HERTNER, URSULA GOODENOUGH, DAVID PINSOF, SEAN NELSON, MIKE LAVIGNE, JOS KNECHT, LUCY, MANVIR SINGH, PETRA WEIMANN, CAROLA FEEST, MAURO JÚNIOR, TONY BARRETT, NIKOLAI VISHNEVSKY, STEVEN GANGESTAD, TED FARRIS, HUGO B., JORDAN MANSFIELD, CHARLOTTE ALLEN, PETER STOYKO, DAVID TONNER, LEE BECK, PATRICK DALTON-HOLMES, NICK KRASNEY, RACHEL ZAK, DENNIS XAVIER, CHINMAYA BHAT, RHYS, AND ALEX MACLEOD!A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, NICK GOLDEN, CHRISTINE GLASS, IGOR NIKIFOROVSKI, AND PER KRAULIS!AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER,SERGIU CODREANU, AND GREGORY HASTINGS!
On this episode of the Mississippi Arts Hour, Leslie talks with the 2026 Governor's Arts Award recipient for Excellence in Music Composition, Heather Christian. Heather is a composer, lyricist, playwright and performer creating music centered shows and rituals. She is a Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, and two-time Obie Award winner. Most recently, Heather was named a MacArthur Fellow, an honor commonly known as the “Genius Grant.” The interview was recorded in September at the Signature Theatre in New York City where Heather is currently an artist in residence. Join us for our conversation as Heather shares stories about growing up in Natchez, ghosts, sacred spaces, and of course, her creative process. To hear the songs mentioned in this episode, visit: https://heatherchristian.bandcamp.com/album/animal-wisdom-soundtrack-and-live-requiem Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Synopsis: In a powerful tribute to a fearless leader, friends and collaborators share stories of Alice Wong's unwavering commitment to centering disabled voices and challenging systemic inequality in all its forms.This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donateDescription: Alice Wong lived longer than she expected, but not long enough. The celebrated disability activist lived by the principle that disability justice is integral to all liberation movements, and centered disabled stories with the Disability Visibility Project. When Alice Wong died on November 14 at the age of 51, people across social movements shared their grief and awe for her work, such as her bestselling 2022 memoir, “Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life”. She has been called an oracle, visionary, unapologetic and fearless, and our guests, Wong's dear friends and collaborators, are committed to lifting up her legacy. Sandy Ho is the Executive Director of the Disability & Philanthropy Forum and partner with Alice Wong and Mia Mingus in the Access is Love campaign. She was asked by Alice Wong to post her letter after she passed, where Wong writes “. . . our wisdom is incisive and unflinching.” Steven Thrasher is an acclaimed journalist, professor and author of “The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality & Disease Collide”. He was suspended from teaching classes after speaking out — as Wong also did — on Palestine. Join us as we celebrate Alice Wong and ask what is the work to be done when it comes to healthcare and civil rights for disabled people. Plus a commentary from Laura on imagining the next 100 years.“A lot of Alice's advocacy was focused around the systems that force disabled people to be at the margins . . . Whether it is the Black Lives Matter movement or the pandemic, we see the ways in which our society and political systems respond, and not in ways that prioritize those who are least privileged and have the least amount of power.” - Sandy Ho“I remember talking to [Alice Wong] about the ways she had been conditioned as a disabled Asian American woman to try to accept crumbs, to not complain, to be very docile. I thought that she was really brilliant in bridging together not just Asian American communities, but queer communities, LGBTQ communities, all the communities where your body is made to feel like it doesn't belong.” - Steven ThrasherGuests:• Sandy Ho: Executive Director, Disability & Philanthropy Forum• Steven Thrasher: Daniel Renberg Chair of Social Justice in Reporting, Northwestern University; Author, The Viral Underclass & The Overseer Class *Recommended books:“Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life” by Alice Wong, *Get the book“The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide” by Steven Thrasher, *Get the book(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.) Watch the episode released on YouTube; PBS World Channel 11:30am ET Sundays and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast January 14th, 2026.Full Episode Notes are located HERE.Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. Music Credit: 'Thrum of Soil' by Bluedot Sessions, 'Steppin' by Podington Bear, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper Support Laura Flanders and Friends by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/lauraflandersandfriends RESOURCES:Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:• “The Future is Disabled”: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha: Watch / Listen: Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversation• The New Disabled Population in Gaza: Comedian & Disability Advocate Maysoon Zayid: Watch / Listen: Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversation• Anita Cameron & Keith Jones on The Americans with Disabilities Act: A Civil Rights Milestone With Miles To Go: Watch / Listen: Episode CutRelated Articles and Resources:• Disability Visibility Project, Founder: Alice Wong• DisabledWriters.com• Access Is Love• A Tribute to an Oracle, Alice Wong, by Rebecca Cokley, November 26, 2025, The Nation• Trump Gutted AIDS Health. Care at the Worst Possible Time, by Steven W. Thrasher & Afeef Nessouli, December 1, 2025, The Intercept• On Valentine's Day, Let's Recognize Why #AccessIsLove, by Alice Wong, February 14, 2019, Rooted In Rights• Remembering Alice Wong: Writer, Advocate, Friend, by Steven W. Thrasher, November 17, 2025, LitHub• Crips for eSims for Gaza, chuffed.org• Alice Wong Interview with Steven Thrasher with subtitles, Watch• Alice Wong, 2024 MacArthur Fellow, MacArthur Foundation Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
Synopsis: In conversation with Laura Flanders, ecologist and activist Professor Robin Wall Kimmerer discusses how embracing ecological grief can be a powerful catalyst for change in restoring balance between humans and the Earth they inhabit.Make a tax deductible YEAR END DONATION and become a member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate. This show is made possible by you! Description: When was the last time you listened to the plants? Plant ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer, a self-proclaimed “student of the plants,” has dedicated her life to helping people of all ages understand the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature. Her latest initiative “Plant Baby Plant” does exactly that, by mobilizing communities to restore plants while building collective power for the Earth. Kimmerer is a distinguished professor, MacArthur Fellow, mother and an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Her 2013 book “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants” emerged as a surprise bestseller with almost three million copies sold across 20 languages. In this enlightening episode, Robin Wall Kimmerer and Laura Flanders explore how nature can inform our language, our economy, our movements and more. As you'll hear, our survival depends on it. Plus, a commentary from Laura on what it took to separate people from nature. Hint: it wasn't peaceful.“I think it is so important that we embrace ecological grief rather than look away . . . When we recognize that pain we feel for our relationships with the natural world is also the measure of our love for the living world. It's that love which is mirrored in the grief that makes you get back up and say, ‘Not on my watch.'” - Robin Wall Kimmerer“. . . We have to kind of decolonize our minds from this industrial revolution concept that the Earth belongs to us as a source of nothing more than belongings, natural resources that are our property . . . There is this notion in many Indigenous worldviews that human beings play a critical role in maintaining balance, that the way we take from the living world can actually be regenerative.” - Robin Wall KimmererGuest: Robin Wall Kimmerer: Plant Ecologist, Writer, Professor; Founder, Plant Baby Plant; Author, Braiding Sweetgrass*Recommended book:Bookshop: “The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World” by Robin Wall Kimmerer: Get the book* And to accompany the book:(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)Watch the episode released on YouTube; PBS World Channel Sundays at 11:30am and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast January 7th, 2026.Full Episode Notes are located HERE.Related Podcast: Full uncut conversation is available in the podcast feed.Music Credit: “Ode to Nature” by Hover Fly from the Climate Soundtrack Compilation produced by DJ's for Climate Action, "Steppin" by Podington Bear, and original sound design by Jeannie HopperSupport Laura Flanders and Friends by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/lauraflandersandfriends RESOURCES:Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:• Survival Guide for Humans Learned from Marine Mammals with Alexis Pauline Gumbs: Watch / Listen: Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversation• Ecology: The Infrastructure of the Future?: Watch / Listen: Episode Cut• Peter Linebaugh on International Workers' "May Day" Origins. Plus, Commentary: 19th Century Anarchist Lucy Parsons, Listen• Yellowstone at 150: Can Indigenous Stewardship Save Our Parks?: Watch / Listen: Episode CutRelated Articles and Resources:• Speaking of Nature: Finding language that affirms our kinship with the natural world, by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Orion Nature and Culture• Watch: Gifts of the Land: A Guided Nature Tour with Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Commons KU• The Braiding Sweetgrass' Author Wants Us to Give Thanks Everyday, by Alexander Alter, November 29, 2024, New York Times• Fishing in a superfund site: Onondaga Lake's road to recovery, by Bee Kavanaugh, SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry, January 2, 2025, Planet Forward Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
On episode 248, we welcome Dorothy Roberts to discuss the history of interracial marriage in the US, how it was used to help sustain Black slavery, Dorothy's resistance to and eventual acceptance of being biracial, her disagreements with her father (a fellow researcher) on the benefits of interracial marriages, defining race and why Nazis and white supremacists both struggled to define whiteness, whether love can overcome social injustice on its own, the Black Belt being populated with whites, and how culture and power influence whom we feel attracted to and love. Dorothy Roberts is the George A. Weiss University Professor of Law and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she directs the Penn Program on Race, Science, and Society. The author of five books, including Killing the Black Body, a MacArthur Fellow, and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her newest book is called, The Mixed Marriage Project: A Memoir of Love, Race, and Family. | Dorothy Roberts | ► Website | https://www.dorothyeroberts.com/ ► Website 2 | https://www.law.upenn.edu/faculty/roberts1 ► Twitter | https://x.com/dorothyeroberts ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/dorothyeroberts ► The Mixed Marriage Project Book | https://bit.ly/TheMixedMarriageProject Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment ► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast
Synopsis: Plant ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer, a self-proclaimed “student of the plants,” has dedicated her life to helping people of all ages understand the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature. Her latest initiative “Plant Baby Plant” does exactly that, by mobilizing communities to restore plants while building collective power for the Earth.Make a tax deductible YEAR END DONATION and become a member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate. This show is made possible by you! Description: When was the last time you listened to the plants? Plant ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer, a self-proclaimed “student of the plants,” has dedicated her life to helping people of all ages understand the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature. Her latest initiative “Plant Baby Plant” does exactly that, by mobilizing communities to restore plants while building collective power for the Earth. Kimmerer is a distinguished professor, MacArthur Fellow, mother and an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Her 2013 book “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants” emerged as a surprise bestseller with almost three million copies sold across 20 languages. In this enlightening episode, Robin Wall Kimmerer and Laura Flanders explore how nature can inform our language, our economy, our movements and more. As you'll hear, our survival depends on it. Plus, a commentary from Laura on what it took to separate people from nature. Hint: it wasn't peaceful.“. . . We have to kind of decolonize our minds from this industrial revolution concept that the Earth belongs to us as a source of nothing more than belongings, natural resources that are our property . . . There is this notion in many Indigenous worldviews that human beings play a critical role in maintaining balance, that the way we take from the living world can actually be regenerative.” - Robin Wall KimmererGuest: Robin Wall Kimmerer, Plant Ecologist, Writer, Professor; Founder, Plant Baby Plant; Author, Braiding Sweetgrass*Recommended book:Bookshop: “The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World” by Robin Wall Kimmerer: Get the book* And to accompany the book:The Serviceberry Discussion Guide(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)Watch the episode released on YouTube; PBS World Channel December 4th, 2026 and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast December 7th, 2026.Full Episode Notes are located HERE.Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. Music Credit: 'Thrum of Soil' by Bluedot Sessions, 'Steppin' by Podington Bear, and original sound design by Jeannie HopperSupport Laura Flanders and Friends by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/lauraflandersandfriends RESOURCES:Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:• Survival Guide for Humans Learned from Marine Mammals with Alexis Pauline Gumbs: Watch / Listen: Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversation• Ecology: The Infrastructure of the Future?: Watch / Listen: Episode Cut• Yellowstone at 150: Can Indigenous Stewardship Save Our Parks?: Watch / Listen: Episode CutRelated Articles and Resources:• Speaking of Nature: Finding language that affirms our kinship with the natural world, by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Orion Nature and Culture• Watch: Gifts of the Land: A Guided Nature Tour with Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Commons KU• The Braiding Sweetgrass' Author Wants Us to Give Thanks Everyday, by Alexander Alter, November 29, 2024, New York Times• Fishing in a superfund site: Onondaga Lake's road to recovery, by Bee Kavanaugh, SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry, January 2, 2025, Planet Forward Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
In this partnership episode between Hanselminutes and the ACM Bytecast, Scott talks with Dr. Dawn Song, MacArthur Fellow and leading researcher in computer security and AI and co-director at the Berkeley Center for Responsible Decentralized Intelligence about how privacy-preserving computation, fairness, and accountability can help us design intelligent systems we can actually trust.https://agenticai-learning.org
Host Jason Blitman sits down with Reginald Dwayne Betts—poet, lawyer, and founder of Freedom Reads—for an intimate conversation about transforming America's prison system one library at a time. In an extraordinary turn of events, Dwayne receives a live call from Jermaine, a friend currently incarcerated at Lawrenceville Correctional Facility. Jermaine joins the conversation to share how not having a Freedom Reads library has impacted his own journey, offering rare, unfiltered insight into what literature means inside the prison system. Reginald Dwayne Betts is a poet and lawyer. A 2021 MacArthur Fellow, he is the Executive Director of Freedom Reads, a not-for-profit organization that is radically transforming the access to literature in prisons through the installation of Freedom Libraries in prisons across this country.For more than twenty-years, he has used his poetry and essays to explore the world of prison and the effects of violence and incarceration on American society. The author of a memoir and three collections of poetry, he has transformed his latest collection of poetry, the American Book Award winning Felon, into a solo theater show that explores the post incarceration experience and lingering consequences of a criminal record through poetry, stories, and engaging with the timeless and transcendental art of paper-making. His book Doggerel: Poems is available now.In 2019, Betts won the National Magazine Award in the Essays and Criticism category for his NY Times Magazine essay that chronicles his journey from prison to becoming a licensed attorney. He has been awarded a Radcliffe Fellowship from Harvard's Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study, a Guggenheim Fellowship, an Emerson Fellow at New America, and most recently a Civil Society Fellow at Aspen. Betts holds a J.D. from Yale Law School.Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Birth Wars — How Photojournalist Janet Jarman Uses Visual Storytelling to Transform Maternal Health Meta Description: Janet Jarman, award‑winning photojournalist and MacArthur Fellow, reveals how she moved from analog photography to long‑term multimedia projects, culminating in the powerful documentary Birth Wars and its companion book. Learn about her early career, the role of midwives in Mexico & Guatemala, grant‑writing tips, and why visual storytelling matters for social change. Primary Keywords: photojournalism, Janet Jarman, Birth Wars, maternal health, midwives, placenta prints, MacArthur Foundation, documentary filmmaking, long‑term projects, analog photography, multimedia journalism
The Author Events Series presents The Aeneid: Translating the Classics with Emily Wilson, Scott McGill, and Susannah Wright Crafted during the reign of Augustus Caesar at the outset of the Roman Empire, Virgil's Aeneid is a tale of thrilling adventure, extreme adversity, doomed romance, fateful battles, and profound loss. Through its stirring account of human struggle, meddling gods, and conflicting destinies, the poem brings to life the triumphs and trials that led to one of the most powerful societies the world has ever known. Unlike its Homeric predecessors, which arose from a long oral tradition, the Aeneid was composed by a singular poetic genius, and it has ever since been celebrated as one of the greatest literary achievements of antiquity. This exciting new edition of the Aeneid, the first collaborative translation of the poem in English, is rendered in unrhymed iambic pentameter, the English meter that corresponds best, in its history and cultural standing, to Virgil's dactylic hexameter. Scott McGill and Susannah Wright achieve an ideal middle ground between readability and elevation, engaging modern readers with fresh, contemporary language in a heart-pounding, propulsive rhythm, while also preserving the epic dignity of the original. The result is a brisk, eminently approachable translation that captures Virgil's sensitive balance between celebrating the Roman Empire and dramatizing its human costs, for victors and vanquished alike. This Aeneid is a poem in English every bit as complex, inviting, and affecting as the Latin original. With a rich and informative introduction from Emily Wilson, maps drawn especially for this volume, a pronunciation glossary, genealogies, extensive notes, and helpful summaries of each book, this gorgeous edition of Rome's founding poem will capture the imaginations and stir the souls of a new generation of readers. Emily Wilson is a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been named a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome in Renaissance and early modern studies, a MacArthur Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow. In addition to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, she has also published translations of Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca. She lives in Philadelphia. Scott McGill is Deedee McMurtry Professor in Humanities at Rice University. He lives in Houston, Texas. Susannah Wright is an assistant professor of classical studies and Roman history at Rice University. She lives in Houston, Texas. Because you love Author Events, please make a donation when you register for this event to ensure that this series continues to inspire Philadelphians. Books will be available for purchase at the library on event night! All tickets are non-refundable. (recorded 10/14/2025)
Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón.A MacArthur Fellow, Guggenheim recipient, and Grammy winner, Miguel has spent over two decades creating music that connects jazz tradition with Puerto Rican rhythms and modern composition.He's here to talk about his latest release, Vanguardia Subterránea - his quartet's first live album, captured at the Village Vanguard with musicians he's played with for twenty years. Miguel and I first spoke in 2011 about his role as both an artist and an educator. Now, fourteen years later, we pick up that conversation as he reflects on what it means to document this long-running musical partnership in one of jazz's most sacred spaces.(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Miguel Zenón's album Vanguardia Subterránea)–Dig DeeperArtist and AlbumVisit Miguel Zenón at miguelzenon.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and BandcampPurchase Miguel Zenón Quartet's Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choiceMiguel Zenón Quartet MembersLuis Perdomo (piano) - Visit luisperdomojazz.comHans Glawischnig (bass) - Visit hansglawischnig.comHenry Cole (drums) - Visit henry-cole.com–• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice.• Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón.A MacArthur Fellow, Guggenheim recipient, and Grammy winner, Miguel has spent over two decades creating music that connects jazz tradition with Puerto Rican rhythms and modern composition.He's here to talk about his latest release, Vanguardia Subterránea - his quartet's first live album, captured at the Village Vanguard with musicians he's played with for twenty years. Miguel and I first spoke in 2011 about his role as both an artist and an educator. Now, fourteen years later, we pick up that conversation as he reflects on what it means to document this long-running musical partnership in one of jazz's most sacred spaces.(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Miguel Zenón's album Vanguardia Subterránea)–Dig DeeperArtist and AlbumVisit Miguel Zenón at miguelzenon.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and BandcampPurchase Miguel Zenón Quartet's Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choiceMiguel Zenón Quartet MembersLuis Perdomo (piano) - Visit luisperdomojazz.comHans Glawischnig (bass) - Visit hansglawischnig.comHenry Cole (drums) - Visit henry-cole.com–• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice.• Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Heather Christian is a singer, playwright, composer and recent winner of a MacArthur "genius grant." Her compositions use spiritual music forms to explore themes as varied as ghosts, grief, the Odyssey and the Big Bang. She describes them as " choral-based complex music theater works." They are often presented in the round, in part to obliterate the hierarchy between audience and performers. "I'm interested in existence. I'm interested in unanswerable questions," she says in our interview. "Our lives have become so much about the in and out business of our civilization. The email, the phone alerts, the economy. When you zoom way way out, all of those things seem so arbitrary and small. I wanted [to] imagine what it would be like if we had the time, space and bandwidth to ask the big questions - like why and how we are here." Heather's two best known works are Animal Wisdom, which was staged in 2017, and Oratorio for Living things, which has been staged three times, including a string of extremely sold-out performances in 2022. Originally from Natchez, Mississippi, Heather has lived in Beacon for 13 years, largely under the radar. "I've tried to keep a separation of church and state. Beacon is church," she says. "Beacon reminded me a lot of my hometown. There's something about river people. There's a reverence to the landscape you're inhabiting. We use it, it grounds us."
If regenerative agriculture is about rebuilding the foundations of our food system, then soil is where that story starts.Geologist and author David Montgomery has spent decades tracing how the health of our soil shapes everything else: the nutrition in our food, the resilience of our farms, and the long-term fate of entire civilizations. What he shows is both sobering and energizing. We have degraded our soils at an astonishing pace, yet we now understand enough about how they actually work to turn the tide.In this conversation, David helps us zoom out. He connects the collapse of ancient societies to the vulnerabilities we see in modern industrial agriculture, and he lays out what farmers around the world are doing to rebuild soil faster than it erodes. If regeneration is the goal, soil biology is the map.In this episode, we get into: • How soil degradation has shaped the rise and fall of societies • The real consequences of erosion, tillage, and synthetic nitrogen • Why soil microbes are central to nutrient density and farm resilience • What regenerative farmers are proving about soil recovery timelines • Three core principles that can rebuild fertility at scale • Why technology must complement, not replace, ecological understanding • The policies and incentives needed to make soil health the baseline, not the exceptionMore about David:David R. Montgomery is a MacArthur Fellow and professor of geomorphology at the University of Washington. He studies landscape evolution and the effects of geological processes on ecological systems and human societies. An author of award-winning popular-science books, he has been featured in documentary films, network and cable news, and on a wide variety of TV and radio programs. His books have been translated into ten languages. He lives in Seattle with his wife, and co-author, Anne Biklé. Their latest book What Your Food Ate: How to Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health was published summer 2022. Connect with them at www.dig2grow.com.Agrarian Futures is produced by Alexandre Miller, who also wrote our theme song. This episode was edited by Drew O'Doherty.
This episode of then & now features a panel from the “Future of History” conference moderated by UCLA Professor Brenda Stevenson, an award-winning historian of race, gender, slavery, and community. She introduces three UCLA historians whose work spans the U.S. and the globe: Professor Kelly Lytle Hernández, a MacArthur Fellow and leading scholar of race, immigration, and mass incarceration; Professor Sanjay Subrahmanyam, Distinguished Professor and global historian of the early modern world; and Professor Vivien Tejada, a rising scholar of 19th-century African American and Native American history. Lytle Hernández details her public-facing work, including Million-Dollar Hoods and Mapping Deportations, and her efforts with the Zinn Education Project to support teachers nationwide. Subrahmanyam draws on experiences teaching in Europe, South America, and India to outline global anxieties about the U.S. academy. Tejada emphasizes how the abrupt reversal of post-2020 hiring initiatives threatens future scholarship in Black, Native, and Latinx history.Together, the panelists explore the role of historians in shaping public narratives, covering topics such as “patriotic history,” big-data projects, archival access, controversy around AI, and the teaching of writing and critical literacy. They reflect on internal debates within the field: DEI backlash, community engagement, shrinking academic resources, objectivity, “woke-ism,” and the legacy of the Ginzburg–Hayden White debate. Brenda Stevenson holds the inaugural Hillary Rodham Clinton Chair in Women's History at St. John's College, Oxford University and the Nickoll Family Endowed Chair in History at UCLA. She is an internationally recognized scholar whose work bridges race, slavery, gender, family, and community in the United States and beyond. Her most recent book What is Slavery? was published by Cambridge University Press.Professor Kelly Lytle Hernández holds The Thomas E. Lifka Endowed Chair in History at UCLA. One of the nation's leading experts on race, immigration, and mass incarceration, she is the author of many award-winning books including Migra! A History of the U.S. Border Patrol and Bad Mexicans: Race, Empire, and Revolution in the Borderlands. For her historical and contemporary work, Professor Lytle Hernández was named a 2019 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow. Sanjay Subrahmanyam is the Distinguished Professor of History and Irving & Jean Stone Chair in Social Sciences at UCLA. A specialist of the early modern period (15th-18th centuries), his work ranges between studies of India and the Indian Ocean, the early modern European empires, and reflections on global history as a field of research. In 2024, he published Across the Green Sea: Histories from the Western Indian Ocean, 1440-1640 (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2024), with UK and Indian editions. Vivien Tejada is an Assistant Professor of U.S. history at UCLA. She is a scholar of the nineteenth-century United States with a focus on the Civil War era. Her research interests lie in the intersections between Native American history and African American history. Her current project, “Unfree Soil: Empire, Labor, and Coercion in the Upper Mississippi River Valley, 1812-1861,” examines the relationship between slavery and conquest in the Upper Midwest.
Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom – MacArthur Genius award winner and brilliant chronicler of our times – unmasks the American stories that got us to this place—and explains, with amazing precision and clarity, how we can imagine our way out. We discuss: - How the MAGA story broke through and became the winning story; - How money hijacked democracy; - The little-known history of the Black Panther party of the American South; - Why Responsibility is Freedom; - How to frame and reclaim the American story through radical humanity: art, truth, creativity, and community. Join us for this riveting, smart, funny conversation about power, hope, and writing a freer future. About Tressie: Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom is a professor and principal investigator with the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, NY Times columnist, and 2020 MacArthur Fellow. Her work has earned national and international recognition for the urgency and depth of its incisive critical analysis of technology, higher education, culture, media, class, race, and gender. Recent accolades include being named the 2023 winner of the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize by Brandeis University for her “critical perspective and analysis to some of the greatest social challenges we face today,” the recipient of the 2025 Thomas Wolfe Prize, and a 2025-26 National Humanities Center Fellow. Her most recent book, THICK: And Other Essays was listed as one the 30 best nonfiction books of the last 30 years by the L.A. Times Festival of Books. Two books are forthcoming with Random House Books. Follow Tressie: @tressiemcphd on Instagram @tressiemcphd.bsky.social on Bluesky Follow We Can Do Hard Things on: Youtube — @wecandohardthingsshow Instagram — @wecandohardthingsTikTok — @wecandohardthingshow
Host Dave Schlom visits with brand new MacArthur Fellowship award winner Kareem El-Badry, an astrophysicist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
In Everyday Guardians, the podcast series of the Securing the Future of Space campaign, we speak with people who are helping to build a more resilient, sustainable and secure orbital environment – whether through technology, policy or ethical leadership. Securing the Future of Space is underwritten by the American Space Exploration Fund. In the fifth episode, we hear from Moriba Jah, President and Co-founder of GaiaVerse. Moriba Jah is a world-leading space environmentalist, astrodynamicist, and social justice advocate, a MacArthur Fellow and Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, where he holds the Mrs. Pearlie Dashiell Henderson Centennial Fellowship. He directs the Jah Decision Intelligence Group at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences. He also serves as Chief Scientist at Privateer and Co-founder of Moriba Jah Universal.
Episode 2, First Environment: Katsi Cook, a Mohawk midwife, activist, created the Woman is the First Environment Collaborative, a program that uplifts community-based projects and empowers Native women across generations. Robin Wall Kimmerer, a MacArthur Fellow and author of the New York Times best-seller Braiding Sweetgrass. The Rematriated Voices series brings together some of the most influential Indigenous voices of our time to share knowledge, values, and solutions urgently needed in a world grappling with division, ecological crisis, and social upheaval. Each episode highlights how Haudenosaunee principles, rooted in matrilineal culture, ecological balance, and collective responsibility, offer powerful frameworks for addressing issues such as democracy, land justice, food sovereignty, and the societal obligations to future generations. This is Episode 2. Image: From left: Michelle Schenandoah, host of Rematriated Voices and founder of Rematriation. Katsi Cook, a Mohawk midwife, activist, and creator of the Woman is the First Environment Collaborative, a program that uplifts community-based projects and empowers Native women across generations. Robin Wall Kimmerer, a MacArthur Fellow and author of the New York Times best-seller Braiding Sweetgrass.
What does it take to keep creating, even after dozens of false starts? In this deeply insightful encore episode, I'm sharing my conversation with the legendary author Edwidge Danticat. Edwidge shares how she found her own voice as a writer and offers a candid look into her artistic practice today. We talk about the "dance with fear", and the "20 notebooks of false starts" for her current novel, and the practical mindset it takes to push through creative blocks. This is a powerful and reassuring conversation for any creator who has ever felt stalled by perfectionism or self-doubt. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to Edwidge Danticat 02:30 - The Oral Storytellers of a Haitian Childhood 04:30 - From Listening to Writing: Discovering the Power of Books 06:55 - Finding a Voice and First Publications 09:20 - Choosing Art Over a Prescribed Path 11:30 - The Dance with Fear: Navigating Self-Doubt and Perfectionism 14:50 - The 20 Notebooks: A Look into the Creative Process 18:10 - Learning to Trust Your Own Process 20:10 - A Message to Her Younger Self Connect with Edwidge: Edwidge's Website: https://edwidgedanticat.com/ Support the Show Website: http://www.martineseverin.comFollow on Instagram: @martine.severin | @thisishowwecreate_ Subscribe to the Newsletter: http://www.martineseverin.substack.com This is How We Create is produced by Martine Severin. This episode was edited by Daniel Espinosa. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Leave a review Follow us on social media Share with fellow creatives
Pioneer, MacArthur Fellow, and nurse-midwife Ruth Watson Lubic, EdD, RN, CNM, FAAN, FACNM opened the nation's first freestanding birth center in 1975, challenging a system where women often had little voice in their own maternity care. In this SEE YOU NOW Insight, she reflects on the movement that grew from one center in New York City to more than 350 across the country, and the transformational power of centering families in childbirth. To listen to this Insight clip's full episode visit SEE YOU NOW Podcast Episode 6: Empowering Childbirth at APPLE, SPOTIFY, YouTube, or at your favorite streaming platform. For more information on the podcast bundles, visit ANA's Innovation Website at https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/innovation/education. Have questions or feedback for the SEE YOU NOW team? Future episode ideas? Contact us at hello@seeyounowpodcast.com.
For Senate Democrats this is a big week for defiance. At last they are making popular demands as part of a deal to pass a budget and avoid a government shutdown. But Trump still holds a lot of cards. Harold Meyerson will comment.Also: None of us were prepared for the double whammy of last week's White House press conference, where Trump made false claims not only about vaccines but also about Tylenol causing autism. We'll have analysis from Gregg Gonsalves. He teaches at the Yale School of Public Health; he's been an AIDS activist for 30 years; and he's also a MacArthur Fellow—class of 2018. And he's The Nation's public health correspondent. And Steve Almond talks about the trouble with football - the thousands of concussions from "hits" that leave players with brain damage - for our entertainment. His book is "Against Football." (originally broadcast in 2015)
For the Senate Democrats this is a big week for defiance. At last they are making popular demands as part of a deal to pass a budget and avoid a government shutdown. But Trump still holds a lot of cards. Harold Meyerson will comment.Also: None of us were prepared for the double whammy of last week's White House press conference, where Trump made false claims not only about vaccines, but also about Tylenol causing autism. We'll have analysis from Gregg Gonsalves. He teaches at the Yale School of Public Health; he's been an AIDS activist for 30 years; and he's also a MacArthur Fellow -- class of 2018. And he's The Nation's public health correspondent. Our Sponsors:* this is a paid advertisement from BetterHelp. Check out BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/THENATIONAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
For the Senate Democrats this is a big week for defiance. At last they are making popular demands as part of a deal to pass a budget and avoid a government shutdown. But Trump still holds a lot of cards. Harold Meyerson will comment.Also: None of us were prepared for the double whammy of last week's White House press conference, where Trump made false claims not only about vaccines, but also about Tylenol causing autism. We'll have analysis from Gregg Gonsalves. He teaches at the Yale School of Public Health; he's been an AIDS activist for 30 years; and he's also a MacArthur Fellow -- class of 2018. And he's The Nation's public health correspondent. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Bio: Jim Fruchterman is a leading social entrepreneur, author, MacArthur Fellow, recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and Distinguished Alumnus of Caltech. After starting two successful for-profit AI companies, he went on to found Benetech, the award-winning tech nonprofit, building tools for people with disabilities and human rights defenders document and analyze abuses. His current nonprofit projects at Tech Matters include Aselo, a shared modern contact center for the crisis response field; Terraso, software for the people on the front line of the climate crisis; and the Better Deal for Data, a data governance reform movement. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Benetech site Bookshare site Aselo site Terrasoul site Tech for Good book Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode
What if the conventional narrative of the 1960s civil rights era, by its very nature, limits the success, legal achievements, and persistence of Black Americans for generations? In Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights, author Dylan C. Penningroth maintains that the fight for civil rights didn't begin with famous marches and courtroom cases of the 1960s. Instead, his research stretches from the last decades of slavery to the 1970s, and challenges nearly every aspect of our traditional understanding of civil rights history as we know it.rnrnDrawing on long-forgotten sources found in the basements of county courthouses across the nation, Penningroth centers the everyday lives of Black Americans and sheds light on their centuries-long tradition of legal knowledge to assert their rights, protect their families, and shape their communities.rnrnDylan C. Penningroth is a professor of law and Morrison Professor of history at the University of California, Berkeley. He specializes in African American history and legal history and is a MacArthur Fellow. Before the Movement won eleven book prizes and was shortlisted for four more. He is also the author of the award-winning book, The Claims of Kinfolk: African American Property and Community in the Nineteenth-Century South.
MacArthur Fellow and tap visionary Michelle Dorrance joins Conversations on Dance for a live podcast recording with hosts Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden. A festival mainstay, Dorrance shares insight into her newest work, The Center Will Not Hold, co-created with b-girl and choreographer Ephrat Asherie. Following last year's sold-out performance, this new evening-length piece blends rhythm tap with a wide range of street, club, and social dances—brought to life by an electric ensemble and live music by composer Donovan Dorrance and percussionist John Angeles. Gain a behind-the-scenes look into Dorrance's creative process, her collaborative spirit, and how she continues to expand the boundaries of tap dance. This episode is brought to you by Discover Vail and was recorded live from the Vail Dance Festival on July 28, 2025.Tickets to Conversations on Dance at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival on sale now! https://vaildance.org/conversations-on-dance/LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceMerch: https://bit.ly/cod-merchYouTube: https://bit.ly/youtube-CODJoin our email list: https://bit.ly/COD-email Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and 2024 MacArthur Fellow who writes books for young people – but he didn't finish a book until he was 17. Instead, Jason found his literary voice in the rap lyrics printed in cassette tape liner notes. In this episode, Jason traces his journey from a kid disconnected from his assigned reading in school to becoming one of the most influential voices in young adult literature. He opens up about his fraught relationship with his father, spinning Bob Marley records by hand on a broken turntable, and why he doesn't want to be a parent despite having “dedicated [his] life to kids.” Here are his songs. Queen Latifah - U.N.I.T.Y. Goodie Mob - Soul Food Tracy Chapman - Talkin' Bout a Revolution Bob Markey & The Wailers - Is This Love Camp Lo - Luchini AKA This Is it Billy Joel - Vienna Clarence Carter - Patches
This Flashback Friday and 10th show is from episode 340, published last Sep 25, 2013. Renowned author, physiologist, evolutionary biologist and bio geographer, Dr. Jared Diamond, joins Jason Hartman for a discussion of his newest book, The World Until Yesterday. Dr. Diamond's unique background has shaped his integrated version of human history. He posits that success – and failure – depends on how well societies adapt to their changing environment. Dr. Diamond is also a medical researcher and professor of physiology at the UCLA School of Medicine. His book "Guns, Germs and Steel" won a Pulitzer Prize and "The Third Chimpanzee" was a best-selling award winner. Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, Professor Diamond is a MacArthur Fellow who has published over 200 articles in Discover, Natural History, Nature and Geo magazines. In his books Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse (and the popular PBS and National Geographic documentaries they inspired), big-picture scholar Jared Diamond explores civilizations and why they all seem to fall. Now in his latest book, The World Until Yesterday, Diamond examines the traditional societies of New Guinea -- and discovers that modern civilization is only our latest solution to survival. Follow Jason on TWITTER, INSTAGRAM & LINKEDIN Twitter.com/JasonHartmanROI Instagram.com/jasonhartman1/ Linkedin.com/in/jasonhartmaninvestor/ Call our Investment Counselors at: 1-800-HARTMAN (US) or visit: https://www.jasonhartman.com/ Free Class: Easily get up to $250,000 in funding for real estate, business or anything else: http://JasonHartman.com/Fund CYA Protect Your Assets, Save Taxes & Estate Planning: http://JasonHartman.com/Protect Get wholesale real estate deals for investment or build a great business – Free Course: https://www.jasonhartman.com/deals Special Offer from Ron LeGrand: https://JasonHartman.com/Ron Free Mini-Book on Pandemic Investing: https://www.PandemicInvesting.com
In Part 2 of our discussion on Homer's Iliad, translator Emily Wilson returns to discuss the red and gold cover design of the Norton Library edition, recount her decision to recreate a new translation of the epic, and give a performance in the original ancient Greek. Emily Wilson is a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been named a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome in Renaissance and early modern studies, a MacArthur Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow. In addition to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, she has also published translations of Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca. She lives in Philadelphia.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Iliad, go to https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324102076. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
In Part 1 of our discussion on Homer's Iliad, we welcome translator Emily Wilson to discuss Homer's life as an "author," the meaning of free will in the context of intervention from gods, and how the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus shapes the climax of the epic. Emily Wilson is a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been named a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome in Renaissance and early modern studies, a MacArthur Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow. In addition to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, she has also published translations of Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca. She lives in Philadelphia.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Iliad, go to https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324102076. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
Here are some highlights from our episode with the #1 NYTimes bestselling, National Book Award-winning, former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jacqueline Woodson: Starting stories with questions Writing "quiet" books that speak loudly The wisdom of young people, especially before that wisdom is silenced Deconstructing “show don't tell” How to write about complicated topics with honesty and hope Separating yourself as a writer from the character and the story The questions Jackie is wrestling with right now Some things that have (and haven't) changed about publishing Jacqueline Woodson is an American writer of books for adults, children, and adolescents. She is best known for her National Book Award-Winning memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, and her Newbery Honor-winning titles After Tupac and D Foster, Feathers, and Show Way. Her picture books The Day You Begin and The Year We Learned to Fly were NY Times Bestsellers. After serving as the Young People's Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017, she was named the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Library of Congress for 2018–19. She was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2020. Later that same year, she was named a MacArthur Fellow. Links from the episode: Mychal Threet's “The Library Is for Everyone” shirt via Out of Print The Baldwin Fellowship Program Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
Edwidge Danticat joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “Two Men Arrive in a Village,” by Zadie Smith, which was published in The New Yorker in 2016. Danticat, a MacArthur Fellow and a winner of the Vilcek Prize in Literature, has published six books of fiction, including “Breath, Eyes, Memory,” “The Farming of Bones,” “Claire of the Sea Light,” and “Everything Inside.” Her memoir “Brother, I'm Dying” won the National Book Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, among others. She has been publishing fiction and nonfiction in The New Yorker since 1999. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Host Jason Blitman talks to Jonathan Van Ness and Julie Murphy (Let Them Stare) about astrology, the names of our teenage cars, and early inspirations for their book. And Crock Pots. And British accents. And Nobu. They talk about a lot. Jason is then joined by queer icon Alison Bechdel who shares what she's been reading and talks about her new graphic novel, Spent. Julie & JVN Publisher's Weekly ArticleJonathan Van Ness is an Emmy-winning television personality, 3x New York Times bestselling author, podcaster, comedian, celebrity hairstylist, and founder of JVN Hair. He stars on Netflix's Emmy Award–winning reboot series Queer Eye, where he shines as the hair guru and self-care advocate; and he hosts the popular podcast Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness.Julie Murphy splits her time between North Texas and Kansas with her husband, who loves her, and her cats, who tolerate her. When Julie isn't writing, she can be found watching movies so bad they're good, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, or planning her next great travel adventure. She is the author of the middle grade novels Dear Sweet Pea and Camp Sylvania as well as the young adult novels Ramona Blue, Side Effects May Vary, the Faith series, Pumpkin, Puddin', and Dumplin' (now a Netflix original film).Alison Bechdel's cult following for her early comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For expanded wildly for her family memoirs, the New York Times bestselling and Time magazine #1 Book of the Year graphic memoir Fun Home, adapted into a Tony Award–winning musical, and Are You My Mother? Most recently, The Secret to Superman Strength was named a New York Times Best Graphic Novel of 2021. Bechdel has been named a MacArthur Fellow, among many other honors.SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.com WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com
Host Mitch Jeserich reads excerpts of the Iliad by Homer and translated by Emily Wilson. Emily Wilson is a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been named a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome in Renaissance and early modern scholarship, a MacArthur Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow. In addition to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, she has also published translations of Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca. Support KPFA!! Ancient Tales 3-Pack $250 The post The Iliad: War, Rage, and Sorrow appeared first on KPFA.
A heavy complexity is on the shoulders of the young of our species in these years — humans growing up in this time. At the same time, from the digital revolution and AI to the ecology and society, they have wisdom and instincts in their bones that will be essential if we are all to flourish and not merely survive this century. In November 2024, the Georgetown University Collaborative on Global Children's Issues brought Krista together with esteemed children's and young adult writer Jason Reynolds and Georgetown student Kessley Janvier. The encounter between the three of them spans generations from the 20s to the 40s to the 60s and extended out to a room of people of all ages and walks of life. The wisdom that unfolded is as much about who we will be and how we will be as what we have before us to do, each in our own lives.Jason Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author of over 20 books for children and young adults. From 2020–2022 he served as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Among many honors, he has received the Newbury, Printz, and Coretta Scott King awards and in 2024 was named a MacArthur Fellow. He is on faculty at Lesley University for the Writing for Young People MFA Program.Kessley Janvier is a senior at Georgetown University, majoring in history. She's former president of the Georgetown University NAACP. She has organized around reparations, as part of Hoyas Advocating for Slavery Accountability, and she has also led efforts to promote climate justice, police accountability, and racial justice.Special thanks this week to Gillian Huebner, Ian Manzi, Rabbi Rachel Gartner and Derek Goldman. On Being Young in America was sponsored by the Culture of Encounter Project and was convened by the Collaborative on Global Children's Issues, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University in collaboration with The On Being Project.Find an excellent transcript of this show, edited by humans, on our show page. Sign yourself and others up for The Pause to be on our mailing list for all things On Being and to receive Krista's monthly Saturday morning newsletter, including a heads-up on new episodes, special offerings, recommendations, and event invitations.
In Connecting Dots: A Blind Life, inventor Josh Miele recounts his life story and path to becoming an accessibility designer.When inventor and scientist Josh Miele was 4 years old, a neighbor poured sulfuric acid on his head, burning and permanently blinding him. In his new book Connecting Dots: A Blind Life, Miele chronicles what happened afterwards, growing up as a blind kid, and how he built his career as an inventor and designer of adaptive technology.Host Flora Lichtman talks with Dr. Joshua Miele, an Amazon Design Scholar and MacArthur Fellow, or “Genius Grant” recipient. They talk about the inspiration for the book, how he grew into his career, and how disabled people need to be included in the technology revolution.Transcript for this segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.
Hanif Abdurraqib is a MacArthur Fellow, accomplished poet, and critically lauded author of numerous books, including There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension, which is now out in paperback. He's also a person who deals with major depressive disorder and numerous anxiety disorders. In a revealing, positive, and practical interview, Hanif talks about the numerous ways he cares for his mental health issues by both taking care of himself and building a strong community of other people around him to lean on.Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun.Check out our I'm Glad You're Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com!Hey, remember, you're part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.Depresh Mode is on BlueSky, Instagram, Substack, and you can join our Preshies Facebook group. Help is available right away.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALKCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
Reginald Dwayne Betts spent more than eight years in prison. Today he's a Yale Law graduate, a MacArthur Fellow, and a poet. His nonprofit works to build libraries in prisons so that more incarcerated people can find hope. SOURCES:Reginald Dwayne Betts, founder and director of Freedom Reads, award-winning poet, and lawyer. RESOURCES:Doggerel: Poems, by Reginald Dwayne Betts (2025).“The Poet Writing on Prison Underwear,” by Adam Iscoe (The New Yorker, 2023).The Voltage Effect, by John List (2022).“If We Truly Believe in Redemption and Second Chances, Parole Should Be Celebrated,” by Reginald Dwayne Betts (The Washington Post, 2021).Insurrections, by Rion Scott (2016).The Secret History of Wonder Woman, by Jill Lepore (2014).Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values, by Robert M. Pirsig (1974).The Black Poets, by Dudley Randall (1971).“For Freckle-Faced Gerald,” by Etheridge Knight (Poems from Prison, 1968).Felon: An America Washi Tale, by Reginald Dwayne Betts.Freedom Reads. EXTRAS:“Can a Moonshot Approach to Mental Health Work?” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).“Can Data Keep People Out of Prison?” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).“The Price of Doing Business with John List,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).“Why Do Most Ideas Fail to Scale?” by Freakonomics Radio (2022).