Podcasts about our towns

James Fallows once served as chief White House speechwriter for Jimmy Carter and now writes 'Breaking the News' on Substack and has a new article about California's promising future in WIRED magazine. Fallows is a longtime book and magazine writer, whose most recent of 12 books, "Our Towns," co-authored with his wife Deborah Fallows, was a national best-seller and the basis of a 2021 HBO documentary. His perspective, the day after the 2024 election will be riveting conversation with Ashley and Paul and will be cathartic for us all! Nonpaywalled version of Jim's Wired piece: https://www.wired.com/story/californi... Today's Substack (non paywalled) https://fallows.substack.com/p/electi... Nick Lemann in the New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20... #Evangelicalish #ReligiousRightReligiouslyWrong #postevangelical #UnconventionalPastor #GodIsNOTmadAtYou #MindRenewal #Rethink @UnconventionalPastorPaul #WellBeing #Deconstruction #reconstruction

James Fallows once served as chief White House speechwriter for Jimmy Carter and now writes 'Breaking the News' on Substack and has a new article about California's promising future in WIRED magazine. Fallows is a longtime book and magazine writer, whose most recent of 12 books, "Our Towns," co-authored with his wife Deborah Fallows, was a national best-seller and the basis of a 2021 HBO documentary. His perspective, the day after the 2024 election will be riveting conversation with Ashley and Paul and will be cathartic for us all! - Nonpaywalled version of Jim's Wired piece: https://www.wired.com/story/california-will-keep-moving-the-world-forward/?utm_source=rfaf - Today's Substack (non paywalled) https://fallows.substack.com/p/election-countdown-the-day-after - Nick Lemann in the New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/11/04/bidenomics-is-starting-to-transform-america-why-has-no-one-noticed #Evangelicalish #ReligiousRightReligiouslyWrong #postevangelical #UnconventionalPastor #GodIsNOTmadAtYou #MindRenewal #Rethink @UnconventionalPastorPaul #WellBeing #Deconstruction #reconstruction

On October 10th —25 days ahead of the 2024 presidential election—Ten Across founder Duke Reiter and veteran political correspondent James Fallows sat down to discuss journalism's role in American democracy today. Fallows has been a notable observer of this dynamic since at least 1996, when he published Breaking the News, a book which described the origins of the public's mistrust of the news media.  Fallows believed as much then as now that most political journalism is a source of entertainment focused on the gamesmanship of policymaking, rather than practical information for civically engaged citizens. This disconnect has only grown as many local news publications have proven unable to adapt to the digital age, leaving many communities to become ‘news deserts.' Together with his wife Deborah, both have sought to alleviate distrust of the media and the related knowledge gaps by reporting from small towns in their book and HBO documentary Our Towns. Their work has led them to conclude that the national media lacks sufficient capacity or interest to provide a platform for all the complexity and ideological nuance found among the voting populace. They now operate the Our Towns Civic Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to uncovering stories of civic renewal and local success.  In this live conversation recorded at the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Duke Reiter and James Fallows discuss how the imperfect barometer of national-scale journalism can shape citizen behaviors and tensions between the major parties, especially in an election year.  WATCH THIS DISCUSSION on the Ten Across YouTube channel.Fact check of today's episode:The Barry Goldwater Range Complex located in Arizona's Gila Bend is incorrectly referred to as the John McCain Bombing Range in this discussion.  Relevant links and resources:  James Fallows | Substack: Breaking the News  Breaking the News (Fallows, 1996)  Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America (Fallows, James and Deborah Fallows, 2018)  “A Kansas town offers transportation for voters but many are unaware” (NBC News, 2018) “Why Phoenix is the ‘Most American City' with George Packer” (Ten Across Conversations, 2024)

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Friday, Oct. 4, 2024  Businesses in southern West Virginia are invited to a free seminar centering on building tourism around the Hatfield-McCoy Trails…treat yourself to culinary delights from the New River and Greenbrier Valley region at Lewisburg's 38th annual Taste of Our Towns festival…and state officials and higher learning institutions gather to recognize key events in West Virginia that contributed to the American Revolution…on today's daily304. #1 – From BLUEFIELD DAILY TELEGRAPH – A free seminar, “The Hatfield-McCoy Effect: How to Expand Your Tourism Business” is coming Oct. 15 to the Bluefield Art Center Theater in downtown Bluefield.  The Hatfield-McCoy Trail system in southern West Virginia has seen increasing ridership each year. In 2023, the trail authority sold a record 92,500 trail passes and the goal this year is 95,000. Jeffrey Lusk, executive director of the Hatfield-McCoy Trail Authority, will speak about the trail system's impact, the industry's needs and how to grow tourism-related businesses. Mercer County has seen a lot of entrepreneurship with lodging investments in Bramwell, Bluewell and the Bluefield area, Lusk said. Besides lodging, there are opportunities for businesses offering ATV rentals, parts and services for off-road vehicles, restaurants and food services. The seminar is free and registration is not required. Read more: https://www.bdtonline.com/news/bluefield-looking-to-grow-businesses-near-atv-trails/article_4ffd14bc-7b52-11ef-a191-6bd4099130c8.html   #2 – From WV NEWS – Get set for the 38th annual Taste of Our Towns festival, which takes place Saturday, Oct. 12 in downtown Lewisburg. This popular event serves as a major fundraiser for Carnegie Hall, a prominent cultural institution in the Greenbrier Valley and New River regions, dedicated to promoting arts education, performances, and exhibitions. During the festival, downtown Lewisburg transforms into a lively culinary hub where attendees can explore food booths with a map that highlights ticket stations, tasting areas, entertainment spots, and art exhibits. The Davisson Brothers Band will perform a concert. To learn more or purchase tickets, visit www.carnegiehallwv.org/taste-of-our-towns Read more: https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/38th-annual-taste-of-our-towns-toot-festival-set-for-october-12-in-downtown-lewisburg/article_a7f4fcfe-7b87-11ef-98f1-271c5254cac1.html   #3 – From GAZETTE-MAIL – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History will partner with communities across the Mountain State and higher education institutions Oct. 9-11 to remember the state's history and recognize the key events that contributed to the American Revolution and the nation's independence. Activities kick off with a lantern convoy from the Greenbrier County Courthouse to Tu-Endie-Wei State Park in Point Pleasant, with waystations in Fayette and Kanawha counties. A conference at Marshall University, exploring West Virginia's impact, with participation from other state higher education institutions, will conclude the state's commemoration. Read more: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/metrokanawha/wvdach-events-to-note-w-va-s-contributions-to-american-revolution/article_2a1a17d4-7690-11ef-ae40-7b36602554a3.html   Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. NewForce coding school invests in training a budding West Virginia tech workforce…Cool off (-and satisfy your sweet tooth) with an ice cream road trip through Almost Heaven…and the Clay Center honors the late Charly Jupiter Hamilton, Charleston's beloved artist…on today's daily304. #1 – From PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE – Lindsey Crittendon describes Huntington as home, not only from a geographical perspective, but also to convey the general feeling of the small city that sits on the Ohio River. Thanks to NewForce, Crittendon can remain living and working in her hometown. Administered by Generation WV, the fully remote and tuition-free coding school is investing in training a budding West Virginia tech workforce, providing opportunities for a local population that sometimes has to look beyond state lines for employment, Crittendon landed a job right out of the academy and has since progressed to become a lead software engineer with a management consulting services company based in McLean, Virginia with an office right in Huntington. “The NewForce program has drawn a lot of attention to the talent that's in the area and has actually brought jobs here,” Crittendon said. “I can really see West Virginia becoming a second Silicon Valley. We have a lot of underappreciated, undervalued talent that I really think translates really well to tech.” Read more: https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2024-07-29/rural/program-creates-jobs-for-west-virginians-to-stay-in-their-communities/a91508-1   #2 – From WCHS-TV – West Virginia Tourism has introduced a sweet and cool way to spend your summer in the Mountain State. The Ice Cream Road Trip tour in West Virginia guides visitors through several beloved ice cream shops around the state, including Austin's Homemade Ice Cream in Ceredo, The Poky Dot in Fairmont and Creamy Creations in Harper's Ferry. Check out wvtourism.com for more fun road trip ideas in Almost Heaven! Read more: https://www.wchstv.com/news/local/wva-tourism-highlights-local-ice-cream-shops-in-new-ice-cream-road-trip   #3 – From THE CLAY CENTER –  The Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences presents an afternoon honoring the late Charleston artist Charly Jupiter Hamilton. The event takes place Aug. 24 at the Clay Center in Charleston. Jeff Pierson, director for the Office of Public Art, and Liz Simmons, curator for the Juliet Art Museum, will moderate a community conversation about Charly's artwork while listeners sit immersed in his retrospective exhibition. The event includes a screening of the HBO documentary “Our Towns,” featuring Charly. Based on the bestselling book, the film looks at how small towns and cities respond to setbacks to find their way forward.  Learn more: https://www.theclaycenter.org/events/charly-jupiter-hamilton-gallery-listen   Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.  

Join Host Donna Quinn on “Talk of Our Towns” to find out more about a Community Gathering on Friday, October 13th at 6 pm at the Netel Grange. This first event will explore ways to support Healthy Living and Aging for Vital Elders and Young Old Souls … in other words… everyone!  Licensed Clinical Social Worker...

Join host Donna Quinn on “Talk of Our Towns” for a lively and thoughtful discussion about enhancing sensitive communication in our daily interactions with others during these challenging times.  Her guests for Thursday, September 7th are: Katelyn Staecker, a licensed clinical social worker/psychotherapist in private practice in Astoria and trainer of the healing method, IFS, Internal Family Systems ...

In this episode, Ian speaks with James Fallows how the symbiotic relationships between colleges and their communities have reaped rewards in Erie, Pennsylvania, Waterville, Maine, and all over the United States over the last few decades. James is a longtime correspondent for The Atlantic magazine and is the author of numerous books including “Our Towns” (2018), which was also made into an HBO documentary. Previous to that, James was the editor of U.S. News & World Report, and he served as President Jimmy Carter's chief speechwriter for 2 years. Want more higher ed perspectives? Subscribe to our weekly Higher Education News Brief for the latest insights. Or if you'd like to be a guest on the show, please visit UNINCORPORATED.com.

James Fallows, former White House speechwriter and co-author most recently of Our Towns, talks about ways colleges can play vital roles in reviving communities. This is especially critical in our rural areas. He urges a need to see colleges as places that can solve complex problems by engaging in their communities.

This weeks Talk of Our Towns discusses the upcoming Columbia River Shipwreck Conference at Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria which takes place on February 4, 2023. Guests will be Chris Dewey, Shipwreck Archaeologist and Bruce Jones, Deputy Director of the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

Join host Donna Quinn for this month’s Talk of Our Towns.  The topic is Resilient Clatsop County, a new network community initiative to help children suffering from various kinds of trauma … which have been an exacerbated since the pandemic. The main guest is Angel Escobeda Senior Program Director for Columbia Pacific CCO. Other guests...

Welcome to season 2 of the Determined to Dance podcast. I pray that you'll be uplifted, encouraged, and will move forward each and every day. Today's episode, Intercession for Our Towns and Cities, focuses on prayer for larger communities. Show Notes: Praying Like Jesus: Intercession for Our Towns and Cities “If you gotta start somewhere, why not here? If you gotta start sometime, why not now?” These words from Toby Mac's song, “City On Our Knees,” often move me to tears just with these words. I've often prayed the words: God, start here. God, start now. And when we consider the towns and cities, we either live in or near, it's a great place to focus our prayers. Cities or towns can be small, like my nearest town's population of 3000 or the largest city in Alabama, Huntsville, with approximately 222,000 citizens. Regardless of size, we talk to God about our towns and cities like we did our small communities in some ways. We pray for our schools, churches, civic organizations, businesses, and families. We then add in: Government Transportation networks Housing Utilities Emergency services Sanitation Entertainment Retail businesses We could take one of these a week to lift to God during our prayer time. Let's look at emergency services, for example. We can pray for our fire and rescue teams, police personnel, ambulance services, and hospitals. Emergency services need to be fully staffed, with working equipment, and be well-connected within the town or city to the people. When it comes to large cities, we never run out of requests to share with our heavenly Father. In the book of Daniel, the king has had a dream and he wanted someone to not only interpret it but also tell him what it was. The wise men of the city cried that it couldn't be done. But Daniel prayed to God, along with others, and that night, God revealed it to him: “Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.” Daniel 2: 20-22 NKJV Daniel realizes that he doesn't have to figure it all out himself. God has promised to be with him and reveal deep and secret things that he needs to know. God will do the same for us. As we develop a relationship with Him and speak with Him often, He will show us specific ways to pray for our city. And it will be different for each individual. He might lay on one person's heart to pray for growth in the city. Another might intercede often for the fire departments, while another could pray for homeless shelters and food kitchens. If you ask, believing, God will bring the needs to your attention. One specific prayer that's been on my heart for cities and towns around me is whenever I see an empty building or one that's went of business. I pray for God to bring new businesses into our area that are necessary and helpful to its citizens and not harmful or derogatory. I love the feeling of dancing with God that I get when He points out areas for me to pray in agreement with Him. Often, I'll mention it to others and we'll pray together, believing God will move. God is no respecter of persons. You have the same ability to pray as I do. God is always listening for us to intercede on behalf of others. Listen to how Daniel prays in Daniel 9:18-19 in the New Living Translation: “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy. O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name.” What a beautiful cry for help from Daniel's heart for his ci...

In this episode of Talk of Our Towns, Donna Quinn interviews Portland author Lara Messersmith-Glavin whose latest book “Spirit Things” is a collection of essays exploring the secret histories, science, and mythology of objects on a fishing boat in Alaska. The Anchorage Daily News named it “a book to love and cherish”. Today Lara is...

My guest tomorrow on “Talk of Our Towns” at 9 am is Lexie Hallahan.  She is the visionary and Director of Northwest Women's Surf Camps based in Seaside, Oregon.  We will be discussing her upcoming events, camps, programs and how her business has grown, changed to now offer family friendly and co-ed experiences, adapted and...

This week on Skip Intro we discuss the new drama series Irma Vep which is a remake of a movie about remaking a movie, and explore the life and legacy of an iconic comedian in George Carlin's American Dream. John talks at length about his love of Canberra thanks to the HBO documentary Our Towns and Ali has the need for speed (and all things Tom Cruise) with Top Gun.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deborah and James Fallows are experienced, accomplished journalists who have influenced culture through their insights on politics, foreign affairs, and life in America. Together, the Fallows wrote Our Towns, a best-selling book that was published in 2018. Our Towns describes how they spent four years traveling 100,000 miles in their single-engine plane. The couple reported from dozens of cities and towns across America, and their book celebrates how these communities are successfully navigating the socio-economic challenges in America in the 21st century. In this episode, Deb and Jim talk about their life story and share some of the defining attributes of cities and towns that are on the rise.They also share observations from their visits to Muncie and why they believe Ball State's partnership with Muncie Community Schools is “unprecedented in modern American history.” If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show.  

James Fallows has been a national correspondent for The Atlantic for more than thirty-five years, reporting from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe, and across the United States. Winner of the National Book Award and National Magazine Award, he's the author of twelve books and his work has appeared in numerous publications and on public-radio. For two years he was President Jimmy Carter's chief speechwriter.Deborah Fallows is a linguist and writer. The author of Dreaming in Chinese and A Mother's Work, she has written for The Atlantic, National Geographic, and The New York Times, among others and has worked at the Pew Research Center, Oxygen Media, and Georgetown University.Following the success of their NYTimes bestselling book Our Towns and HBO documentary based on their reporting on around 50 towns around the country, they formed the Our Towns Civic Foundation to promote reporting from under-served areas across the US, connect innovators and give Americans a fuller and more realistic picture of their country's challenges and opportunities.Our Towns (HBO Movie): https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/our-townsOur Towns (book): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550194/our-towns-by-james-fallows-and-deborah-fallows/ Our Towns Civic Foundation: https://www.ourtownsfoundation.org/ Our Towns Civic Foundation is a new non-profit organization that promotes reporting from under-served areas across the United States, to connect innovators dealing with the problems of this era, and gives Americans a fuller and more realistic picture of their countries challenges and opportunities."Deb Fallows, Dreaming in Chinese https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/dreaming-in-chinese-9780802779144/Deb Fallows, A Mother's Work https://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Work-Deborah-Fallows/dp/0395362180Jim Fallows, More Like Us https://www.amazon.com/More-like-Strengths-Traditional-Challenge/dp/B0010HBVYQOther books https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/8383/james-fallows/ Substack: https://fallows.substack.com/Photo © Michael Shay Polara Studio

James Fallows has been a national correspondent for The Atlantic for more than thirty-five years, reporting from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe, and across the United States. Winner of the National Book Award and National Magazine Award, he's the author of twelve books and his work has appeared in numerous publications and on public-radio. For two years he was President Jimmy Carter's chief speechwriter.Deborah Fallows is a linguist and writer. The author of Dreaming in Chinese and A Mother's Work, she has written for The Atlantic, National Geographic, and The New York Times, among others and has worked at the Pew Research Center, Oxygen Media, and Georgetown University.Following the success of their NYTimes bestselling book Our Towns and HBO documentary based on their reporting on around 50 towns around the country, they formed the Our Towns Civic Foundation to promote reporting from under-served areas across the US, connect innovators and give Americans a fuller and more realistic picture of their country's challenges and opportunities.Our Towns (HBO Movie): https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/our-townsOur Towns (book): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550194/our-towns-by-james-fallows-and-deborah-fallows/ Our Towns Civic Foundation: https://www.ourtownsfoundation.org/ Our Towns Civic Foundation is a new non-profit organization that promotes reporting from under-served areas across the United States, to connect innovators dealing with the problems of this era, and gives Americans a fuller and more realistic picture of their countries challenges and opportunities."Deb Fallows, Dreaming in Chinese https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/dreaming-in-chinese-9780802779144/Deb Fallows, A Mother's Work https://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Work-Deborah-Fallows/dp/0395362180Jim Fallows, More Like Us https://www.amazon.com/More-like-Strengths-Traditional-Challenge/dp/B0010HBVYQOther books https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/8383/james-fallows/ Substack: https://fallows.substack.com/Photo © Michael Shay Polara Studio

James Fallows has been a national correspondent for The Atlantic for more than thirty-five years, reporting from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe, and across the United States. Winner of the National Book Award and National Magazine Award, he's the author of twelve books and his work has appeared in numerous publications and on public-radio. For two years he was President Jimmy Carter's chief speechwriter.Deborah Fallows is a linguist and writer. The author of Dreaming in Chinese and A Mother's Work, she has written for The Atlantic, National Geographic, and The New York Times, among others and has worked at the Pew Research Center, Oxygen Media, and Georgetown University.Following the success of their NYTimes bestselling book Our Towns and HBO documentary based on their reporting on around 50 towns around the country, they formed the Our Towns Civic Foundation to promote reporting from under-served areas across the US, connect innovators and give Americans a fuller and more realistic picture of their country's challenges and opportunities.Our Towns (HBO Movie): https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/our-townsOur Towns (book): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550194/our-towns-by-james-fallows-and-deborah-fallows/ Our Towns Civic Foundation: https://www.ourtownsfoundation.org/ Our Towns Civic Foundation is a new non-profit organization that promotes reporting from under-served areas across the United States, to connect innovators dealing with the problems of this era, and gives Americans a fuller and more realistic picture of their countries challenges and opportunities."Deb Fallows, Dreaming in Chinese https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/dreaming-in-chinese-9780802779144/Deb Fallows, A Mother's Work https://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Work-Deborah-Fallows/dp/0395362180Jim Fallows, More Like Us https://www.amazon.com/More-like-Strengths-Traditional-Challenge/dp/B0010HBVYQOther books https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/8383/james-fallows/ Substack: https://fallows.substack.com/Photo © Michael Shay Polara Studio

This episode features my conversation with James Fallows, a legendary journalist whose work Our Towns is one of the inspirations for Everyday Anarchism. James and his wife Deb flew all over the country in their small airplane, documenting the ways that American democracy works at the grassroots level. In this conversation, James and I discuss the dysfunction of the federal government, the historically reactionary nature of the federal government, and the way that our towns offer a grassroots alternative to that reactionary system. Plus I try to convince James that his efforts against leaf blowers will save the world. For more context on the federal dysfunction of right now, see https://www.theringer.com/2022/1/21/22894531/2022-is-off-to-a-terrible-start-for-democrats (James's interview on Plain English). For more from James and Deb, check out their foundation: https://www.ourtownsfoundation.org/ (https://www.ourtownsfoundation.org/) or watch the HBO Documentary about their work https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/our-towns (https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/our-towns)

Flying a small airplane is “like being in a skyscraper that moves,” according to award-winning author James Fallows. He used that view to research his latest book, Our Towns, flying his Cirrus SR22 to more than 50 American cities that lie beyond the airline routes and highways. He explains how small airports can be a point of connection for these communities and why safety is so important for general aviation's image. Jim also talks about why Cirrus has survived while other airplane companies have failed, and how being a pilot has changed his behavior, from everyday conversations to his assessment of risk. In the "Ready to copy" segment, Jim shares his pick for best aviation book, his favorite airport craft brewery, and why leaf blowers are so bad. Our Towns book: https://www.amazon.com/Our-Towns-000-Mile-Journey-America/dp/1101871849 Our Towns on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/our-towns Jim's Substack newsletter: https://fallows.substack.com/ Sporty's Pilot Training app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sportys-pilot-training/id1272775528

James and Deborah Fallows spent four years crisscrossing the United States in a small plane, visiting dozens of small towns. The stories they found were surprising—and entirely contrary to the narrative we've all read about in the news. They saw communities engaged in a vigorous process of economic renewal—a stunning portrait, in sum, of an America reinventing itself, literally from the ground up. They published their findings in “Our Towns: a 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America,” (Penguin Random House, 2018) and produced an HBO documentary of the same name in 2021. They also founded Our Towns Civic Foundation, a nonprofit initiative that continues their work. Because their story overlaps so forcefully with the theme of our Winter 2022 issue, “Reviving Our Abandoned Small Towns”, we snagged Jim and Deb for a sit-down interview with Todd Oppenheimer, founder and executive director of The Craftsmanship Initiative. This episode is part of the series of “Artisan Interviews,” produced by Craftsmanship Quarterly, in which we bring you conversations with the artisans behind the stories, and with those who write about them. Written by CRAFTSMANSHIP EDITORS Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA Narrated by TODD OPPENHEIMER WITH JAMES & DEBORAH FALLOWS Produced by CHRIS EGUSA

Today, we're going to speak with a couple that has traveled over 100,000 miles into the heart of America over discover what those stories would be. Jim and Deb Fallows are the writers and researchers behind the Our Towns book, documentary, and series for The Atlantic. We'll also be joined by Bridget Jancarz, chief of staff at StriveTogether.   Together, we'll unpack some of those stories and the lessons that can be learned for changemakers across the country. 

Special Guest Hon John Carey Housing Minister of Western Australia shares insight into social housing strategies moving forward and the importance of property and construction technology. As well as guests Iain Shields from Home Hub and Marc Drexel from Our Towns.Brought to you by Land Services WA, Highbury Group, HMO Property Co and JNG Property Group.

James (Jim) Fallows has been a contributing writer at The Atlantic since 1979. He has extensive write-ups on topics pertaining to US politics, including international relations and war. He has earned many accolades, including a designation as Chief Speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter. Jim is the author of More Like Us: Making America Great Again, where he provides an argument against the past trend of copying Japanese post-war economic solutions. In this episode, you'll hear about Jim's vast experience as a writer and political activist. He talks about his childhood, his interest in writing, and his passion for flying planes. He describes the significant events he witnessed in the 70s and 80s and his experience as the President's speechwriter. He cites some of the failures of modern journalism. Jim also discusses some of his best works, including his HBO Max documentary, Our Towns. "If you ask anybody about national politics, almost everybody sounds dumb."  - James Fallows This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores: Why Jim's family moved from Philadelphia to Redlands Why Jim chose Harvard over other prestigious universities in the US Remembering riots, assassinations, and other historical events Jim's draft experience and the events he witnessed What it was like being the speechwriter for President Carter The amount of statements writers prepare for presidents on a daily basis Why speeches are easier to write than other forms of text How fact-checking and research were conducted before the internet Jim's contributions to modern writing software Jim's passion for flying and traveling and his favorite plane China's economy and visions for the future and what Jim thinks of current US-Chinese relations The experience of being a white man in Japan The moral lesson of flying a small airplane in China Jim's opinions on modern journalism and its failures Jim's predictions for America's future Connect with James Fallows: The Atlantic Our Towns Foundation Book: More Like Us: Making America Great Again Book: Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America Essay: “What Did You Do in the Class War, Daddy?” Documentary:Our Towns James Fallows on Twitter James Fallows on LinkedIn Spaceship Not Required I'm Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean. I'm an explorer, and that doesn't always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action. In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are--spaceship not required. Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores. Visit my website atkathysullivanexplores.com to sign up for seven astronaut tips to improving your life on earth and be the first to discover future episodes and learn about more exciting adventures ahead! Don't forget to leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts! Spotify IStitcher IApple Podcasts I iHeart Radio ITuneIn IGoogle IAmazon Music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The South Dakota Democratic Party has hired a new executive director. Beginning Monday June 28, Berk Ehrmantraut will lead the party into the future. Today we discuss his vision for the party. Marcy Drew is the new education director for South Dakota Public Broadcasting. We explore what it means to be an early learner community. Is Governor Kristi Noem more concerned about fireworks than she is about South Dakota's vaccination rate? The Dakota Political Junkies analyze the messaging from the governor's office. We hear from members of the Rosebud Tribe as they discuss community as part of the SDPB Coming Home Initiative. The story of your town is the story of America. The documentary "Our Towns" shows at the historic State Theatre. We talk about the documentary and South Dakota's role in shaping it. SDPB's Nate Wek joins us for a sports update. We'll talk about the new Division 1 hockey program at Augustana University and South Dakota baseball athletes on Major League Baseball's Top 250

Join us for your weekly happy news fix! [04:19-08:09] New species? [08:09-10:50] Thriving Rhinos [10:50-14:56] Mental Health at CVS [14:56-17:59] HBO's "Our Towns" [17:59-22:47] C-Lash [22:47-24:25] HyperloopTT Become a Patron: patreon.com/HNNPodcast Links: linktr.ee/HNNPodcast Video: Youtube Social Media: @HNNPodcast Email: HNNPodcast@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/happynewsnetwork/support

Our Towns is well-intentioned, but incomplete. Read more at: https://scottsself-indulgentmovieblog.blogspot.com/

May’s Talk of Our Towns focuses on the Wildlife Center of the North Coast.  Host Donna Quinn’s guest is Executive Director Josh Saranpaa.  They discuss the Wildlife Center’s Spring Open House and Native Plant Sale happening Saturday, May 8 from 10 am to 4 pm with guided tours (hoping to get folks to register for those...

Our Towns - Co-directors Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan From Academy Award nominated filmmakers Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan's comes Our Towns. It is a moving and uplifting portrait of America and how the rise of civic and economic reinvention is transforming small cities and towns across the country. Based on the bestselling book “Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America” by journalists James and Deborah Fallows, the visually stunning feature documentary spotlights ingenious local initiatives and explores how a sense of community and common language of change can help people and towns find a different path to the future. In 2011, the Fallows created a blogpost for The Atlantic asking their readers to share compelling stories about their towns – from economic setbacks to local struggles or achievements – that have been overlooked by the national press. Within a week, they received over 1,000 responses. For the next five years, they traveled the United States exploring the changes taking place across small town America for what would become their bestselling book. In 2018, Ascher and Jordan joined them to revisit eight of those cities, including San Bernardino, CA; Sioux Falls, SD; Columbus, MS; Eastport, ME; Charleston, WV; and Bend, OR. Our Towns introduces us to a wide range of civic leaders, immigrants, educators, environmentalists, artists, students, and more, witnessing their love for their communities and the innovative ways they are improving them. The film provides an expansive perspective on America that finds unexpected connections between personal stories, community actions, and the arc of history. Although filmed before the pandemic, OUR TOWNS speaks to how the country, and by extension the world, can find a way forward. For more on the April 13 HBO premiere go to: hbo.com/our-towns For news and updates go to: westcityfilms.com/ourtowns

At the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, the union lost the vote by more than 2 to 1. What happened? Harold Meyerson has our analysis—also comment on hazard pay for grocery store workers, and corporations for voting rights. Plus: Should Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer retire? That would give Biden a chance to nominate a younger replacement – he's promised a Black woman. Also, our TV critic Ella Taylor comments on “Our Towns,” a documentary about good things in smaller cities across America; plus “Another Round,” the Danish film by Thomas Vinterberg about four high school teachers bored with their work who come up with an unusual solution. And “Shiva Baby.”

Directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan, the HBO documentary OUR TOWNS is a remarkable portrait of America and how the rise of civic and economic reinvention is transforming small cities and towns across the country. Based on the bestselling book “Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America” by journalists James and Deborah Fallows, the visually stunning feature documentary spotlights ingenious local initiatives and explores how a sense of community and common language of change can help people and towns find a different path to the future. In 2011, the Fallows created a blogpost for The Atlantic asking their readers to share compelling stories about their towns – from economic setbacks to local struggles or achievements – that have been overlooked by the national press. Within a week, they received over 1,000 responses. For the next five years, they traveled the United States exploring the changes taking place across small town America for what would become their bestselling book. In 2018, filmmakers Ascher and Jordan joined them to revisit eight of those cities, including San Bernardino, CA; Sioux Falls, SD; Columbus, MS; Eastport, ME; Charleston, WV; and Bend, OR. The film introduces us to a wide range of civic leaders, immigrants, educators, environmentalists, artists, students, and more, witnessing their love for their communities and the innovative ways they are improving them. The film provides an expansive perspective on America that finds unexpected connections between personal stories, community actions, and the arc of history. Although filmed before the pandemic, OUR TOWNS speaks to how the country, and by extension the world, can find a way forward. Premieres on HBO April 13, 2021.  Continues on HBO MAX.97 minutes.  A West City Films production for HBO.

At the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, the union lost the vote by more than 2 to 1. What happened? Harold Meyerson has our analysis—also comment on hazard pay for grocery store workers, and corporations for voting rights. Plus: Should Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer retire? That would give Biden a chance to nominate a younger replacement – he’s promised a Black woman. Also, our TV critic Ella Taylor comments on “Our Towns,” a documentary about good things in smaller cities across America; plus “Another Round,” the Danish film by Thomas Vinterberg about four high school teachers bored with their work who come up with an unusual solution. And “Shiva Baby.”

On this week’s Millions of Screens, Libby, Ben, and Leo talk through the results of this past weekend’s DGA Awards and where that leaves the various races for the fall’s Emmy ceremony. Additionally, Ben regales Leo and Libby with just what HBO Max’s “The Nevers” is, which is to say not a Victorian superhero team. And finally, Ben and Libby, each from a small town, talk about the HBO documentary “Our Towns” and how accurately it captures life in rural America.

@BestflixRickyD@SuddenButTwistmyarmpodcast.com April 1:A Shock To The System, 1990 (HBO) – This sounds really gritty and cool.  Starring Michael Caine as head of an Advertising department.  He gets passed up for a promotion in favor of a younger employee and kills a homeless man in frustration.  Accidentally.  He ends up faving no consequences. This leads him to acting out revenge on anyone who has wronged him.  Possibly going so far as to hurt his wife.Abandon, 2002 (HBO) – 16% on RT.  This one looks pretty bad. Starring Katie Holmes as a senior in college.  Her old boyfriend died a few years ago and that is causing her issues moving on.Adam's Rib, 1949 – This is an old one.  1949.  96% on RT which sends it in Classics territory.  Husband and wife are a lawyer and defense attorney and end up in the same court room on opposing sides of a case.  The work finds its way home and comedy ensues.All Is Lost, 2013 (HBO) – Robert Redford movie. 94% on RT. Robert Redford goes out on his own boat.  One night while asleep his boat is damaged and is taking on water.  Now Robert Redford is alone in the ocean with failing equipment and dwindling supplies and will have to draw upon himself to get out of this situation.Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl – Robert Wuhl(Arli$$) takes a comedic look at the facts and myths of American history.  Only other actor credited is David Cross(Tobias, Arrested Development.)Barbarosa, 1982 (HBO)  Old western style movie.  A Young cowboys meets up with a legendary outlaw and before long, both are on the run from the law.Black Dynamite, 2009 – Reverse Blaxploitation filmBlindness, 2008 (HBO) – A whole city goes blind all at once.  What would the fallout of that be?The Bodyguard, 1992 – Whitney Houston is a pop diva that needs personal security.  Then she falls in love with Kevin Costners “Frank Farmer”(producer)Boogie Nights, 1997 – Markie Mark has a giant schlong and is hired to be a porn actor.  He goes by Dirk Diggler.  This is when Heather Graham was “Roller Girl” .  Dirk lives his best life but eventually it all comes crashing downBringing Up Baby, 1938 – Old black and white film.  Super high rated. Baby is the name of a pet leopard?Caddyshack, 1980 – Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield.  This is a raucus comedy set on the golf course.  The Collection, 2012 (HBO) – There is a criminal on the loose known as The Collector.  Our protagonist ends up getting captured by the Collector when she finds and tries to loose one of his captives.The Color Purple, 1985 Starring Oprah and Whoopi Goldberg. The 40 year story of Celie and her difficult life and its representation of the African American struggle in America.  Abusive father figures, everyday racism, 2nd class citizenship.Dante's Peak, 1997 (HBO) – Starring Pierce brosnan as a volcanologist.  He believes this is the big one!  Doomsday volcano!Dark Shadows, 2012 (HBO) – Directed by Tim Burton.  Hes got his whole crew here, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green.  I didn’t know this even existed but it looks like a cool Tim Burton thing.Dead Silence, 2007 (HBO) – This si a pretty bad looking horror film with a Dummy as the main killer.  The dummy looks identical to the dummy on the old Goosebumps book.Dirty Harry, 1971 – Wretching noises.  This is a highly regarded classic film starring Clint Eastwood with narrative and themes that would NOT go over well in todays society.  Not with most at least.  A cop has to reach into unconstitutional means to apprehend a suspect.The Eagle Has Landed, 1977 (HBO) – British War Film starring Michael Caine.  This is a fictional story about germans trying to kidnap Winston Churchill near the end of WWII.Early Man, 2018 (HBO) – British animated program(think Shaun The Sheep, pseudo claymation esque) for kids.  81% on Rotten Tomatoes.  Starring Maisie Williams.Easy Rider, 1969 – Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper play the main characters.  The get some money from a drug deal in SoCal and ride across the country on their motorcycles to do some soul searching.  They run into problems and friends along the way and its just a film about self discovery.Ella Enchanted, 2004 (HBO) – This is one of those Live Action takes on old fairy tales.  I believe this one is Cinderella.  The main character is visited by the Fairy Godmother and all of a sudden her real life starts morphing into a fairy taleThe Evil That Men Do, 1984 (HBO) – A professional killer is retired and living a peaceful life.  Then he learns that there is a doctor torturing people in South Africa and feels he must intervene.  Not a super original story.Eye For An Eye, 1996 (HBO) – 8% RT – A woman is on the phone with her teenage daughter at home.  She hears someone break into her home and murder her daughter.  Then the murderer gets off on a technicality and mom is obsessed with revenge.Fear, 1996 (HBO) – Mark Wahlberg is a 23 year old dating 16 year old Reese Witherspoon.  Turns out 23 year olds dating 16 year olds are flawed.  He ends up being a violent sociopath that the girl brought into he family.genera+ion, Season 1 Part One Finale – Documentary style program about high school students exploring modern takes on sexuality and testing deeply entrenched beliefs about life.Ghost Rider, 2007 – Nicolas Cage.  Super expensive movie, when they were still poking at the superhero thing rather than drowning us in it.  Super poor reviews and return on investment, one of the movies that was a nail in the coffin for Nic Cage.Goodfellas, 1990 – Now go home and get your fuckin shineboxThe Great Pottery Throwdown, Max Original Season 4 Premiere -It’s a pottery based competition reality show.  Think Blown Away or Forged in Fire.  Or even Nailed It!m,Green Lantern, 2011 – The Green Lanterns are a cosmic society to do good on the universe.  Ryan Reynolds is the first human to join the Green Lantern Society – and just in time because evil is coming to earth!  Probably launched Ryan Reynolds into Deadpool.Hardball, 2001 (HBO) – Tough guy drawn into family comedy.  Keanu Reeves has to pay off gambling debts by getting this little league team a corporate sponsorship… then he gets involved in their lives.Happy Endings – 3 season show about a couple that split up on their wedding day forcing their friends to decide who to remain friends with.  I’m sure the friends still want to be friends with everyone and this complicates the easy breakHaywire, 2012 (HBO) – Starring Gina Carrano.  She is a secret agent who goes to save a hostage group when she is double crossed by her own teammate.  Now she has to rely on her training to survive behind enemy lines and also find out who betrayed her and why.In & Out, 1997 (HBO) – Sounds kind of interesting.  Labeled on Google as Comedy/LGBT which I didn’t know was something happening in 1997.  One of the main characters wins an Academy Award and while he is thanking people from his life he Outs his teacher from high school for being gay. This causes all kinds of issues with the teachers family, his fiancé, his family to be, etc.Kicking & Screaming, 2005 (HBO) – One of Will Ferrells forays into family comedy.  Will Ferrell plays himself as a soccer coach for little leagueKing Arthur: Legend Of The Sword, 2017 (HBO) – I don’t remember a King Arthur movie coming out in 2017.  And that makes sense.  30% on RT and a box office loss.Leatherface Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, 1990 (HBO) – 19% on RT.  Back when horror movies would make crazy amounts of sequels.Let's Go To Prison, 2006 (HBO) – Oof.  13% on RT.  Excellent cast, Dax Shepherd, Will Arnett, Bob Odenkirk.  Some criminal wants revenge on a dead judge.  The dead judges son is put in jail over a bad trial and the criminal commits a crime to end up back in prison in a place where he can get his revenge.  HILARIOUS.The Longest Yard, 1974 (HBO) – The older one starring Burt Reynolds.  Pickup football game of prisoners vs guards.Made For Love, Max Original Series PremiereIt follows Hazel Green (Cristin Milioti), a thirty-something woman on the run after 10 years in a suffocating marriage to Byron Gogol (Billy Magnussen), a controlling tech billionaire.Man Up, 2015 (HBO) Starring Cristin Milotti who recently starred in Palm Springs and Wolf of Wall Street. Ray Romano is also in this.  A Woman is on the run from a long time marriage to a tech billionaire.  He has implanted a monitoring device in her head allowing him to track her location, emotional data, etc.  Sounds pretty good. Currently 93% on RTThe Mask of Zorro, 1998 – This was the really good Zorro movie starring Antonio banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones.  This is where Zorro is being trained by the old Zorro to be the new Zorro.The Man With The Iron Fists, 2012 (Unrated Version) (HBO) – Not related to Man in the Iron Mask. RZA plays blacksmith in a Chinese jungle.  There are factions at war in his living area and he is being asked to make more and more elaborate weapons for his customers.  Eventually he makes a suit that turns him into a human weapon. Missing In Action 2 - The Beginning, 1985 (HBO) – These were a pretty generic Chuck Norris vehicle.  Lots of action and martial arts and explosionsMissing In Action, 1984 (HBO) SAMESIESMy Super Ex-Girlfriend, 2006 (HBO) – I’m not the worlds biggest marvel fan but boy… Superhero movies were pretty awful just a little over a decade agoThe Natural, 1984 – Robert redford plays a star baseball player who is shot on the way to tryouts.  16 years later he has recovered and is trying out for his rookie yearOne Day, 2011 (HBO) – Very generic romance movie.  Two people from opposite sides of the track meet on College graduation day.  From then on they meet one day of the year every year for the next 20 years to exchange stories and experiences until they finally discover what they’ve been missing.  Each other.Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, 1985 (HBO)Police Academy 3: Back In Training, 1986 (HBO)Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol, 1987 (HBO)Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach, 1988 (HBO)Police Academy 6: City Under Siege, 1989 (HBO)Police Academy: Mission To Moscow, 1994 (HBO) – The entire police academy series is on HBOPrimal Fear, 1996 (HBO) – Richard Geere plays a sleezebag lawyer who is more interested in power money and fame than the outcome of justice.  Until he ends up on a case with an ex pupil of his and realizes he is defending some very dark secrets if the ChurchReasonable Doubt, 2014 (HBO) A lawyer is in a hit and run accident.  He finds the trial for the man that was blamed for this hit and run and gets him out of any legal consequences because he knows that man didn’t commit the murder.  But it turns out hes still a dirtbag.Red Dawn, 1984 (HBO) – Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen star.  This is kind of a Cable Movie heavy hitter.  In an alternate world where communism is taking over and the US is the only safeguard against communism.  Our heros mount a defense of their little Colorado townThe Return, 2006 (HBO) – Sarah Michelle Gellar and Adam Scott are in a movie together? Murder Mystery teen horror flick.  Boy, SMG had a rough time of things after Buffy. Box Office LoserRisky Business, 1983 (HBO) 92%.  Tom Cruise sliding across the wood floor in his socks.  Tom Cruise plays teenager whose parents are going out of town.  He invites his buddies over for a party, tries to hire a prostitute and crashes his fathers car.Roger & Me, 1989 – Michael Moore’s first movie.  100% on RT!!!! Michael Moore and his muckraking ways go to a GM plant in Flint, MI and tries to figure out why 30,000 people lost their jobSpace Jam, 1996 – SPACE JAMSpeed 2 Cruise Control, 1997 (HBO) – legendary – 4%Spellbound, 2003 (HBO) – Documentary about the 1999 Scripps national spelling bee.  97% on RTStuart Little, 1999 – I saw this in theatres.  Stuart Little gets adopted by a family as their child – not pet, and its about a mouse living the life of a human and what antics that would createThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, 2006 (Extended Version) (HBO) – If you want a popular and generic horror film, this is one of many.Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family, 2011 -  Don’t get Tyler PerryWanderlust, 2012 (HBO) – Its got a decent cast with Paul Rudd and Jennifer Anniston at the head. They are struggling with everyday problems when they stumble upon this counterculture community called Elysium and think they found the solution.  But they are just trading problems for problemsThe Warriors, 1979 (Director's Cut) (HBO) – 88%??  There is a turf battle in NYC and the Warriors are fingered for killing a gang leader.  Soon every gang in new York is looking for the Warriors.  I might have to watch this one.The Watch, 2012 (HBO) – This is one of the movies Seth Rogen wrote and he just hopes everyone forgot about it.  Cast of Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and others.  They are a neighborhood watch getting into zany antics.White Noise, 2005 (HBO) – Main character Michael Keatons wife has recently passed.  Now he thinks he is receiving transmissions from the afterlife in White Noise on his television and electronics. PLLLLBBBBTTTT thumbs down.The Wild Life, 2016 (HBO)  Red Hot rotten tomatoes score of 93% but it sounds a bit underwhelming to me.  There is a child of a housewife and golf pro.  When his father loses his job as a pro golfer(??) his father goes off to fight forest fires.  Now the son of the family must be the man of the house and he witnesses his mother in very adult struggles.Within, 2016 (HBO) – Another haunted house movieApril 2:On the Spectrum – Scripted, not documentaryesque.  3 twenty something year olds that are on the autistic spectrum learn what its like to live together.April 3:Ted, 2012 (Unrated Version) (HBO) – You know.  The movie with Mark Wahlberg and the teddy bear smoking out of a bong.  Directed by Seth McFarlaneApril 4:Q: Into The Storm, Documentary Series Finale (HBO) - WWHOOOOOOOOOOOOApril 5:Hard, Season 2 Finale (HBO) – Main character Sofia’s husband recently died.  He was a porn mogul.  Now sofia has to run the company if she doesn’t want to lose her home. She also falls in love with a dude with a giant honkerApril 6:Genndy Tartokovksy's Primal, Season 1B – adult animated series. It is a part of adult swim.  A caveman befriends a t rex and they struggle with prehistoric life.April 7:Exterminate All The Brutes, Documentary Series Premiere (HBO)Exterminate All The Brutes, by acclaimed filmmaker Raoul Peck (“I Am Not Your Negro,” HBO’s “Sometimes in April”), is a four-part series that pushes the boundaries of traditional documentary filmmaking, offering an expansive exploration of the exploitative and genocidal aspects of European colonialism, from America to Africa and its impact on society todaySouth Side, Season 1April 9:The Other Two, Season 1 – fromer SNL head writers created this series.  The two main siblings are struggling to find their way in life.  The boy of the partnership is trying to find better acting parts than, (guy at party who smells like fart) and his sister is just struggling in general.  To further complicate things their younger brother became a youtube star overnight.A Tiny Audience, Season 2 Finale (HBO) – Latin musicians sit down with small, intimate  groups and explain their personal secrets and perform songs.April 10:The New Mutants, 2020 (HBO) – Five teenage mutants – Mirage, Wolfsbane, Cannonball, Sunspot and Magik are undergoing treatments at a secret institution that will cure them of their powers.  But revealing dreams tell them that they might be trapped and having their powers extracted rather than voluntarily being in the institution.  Maisie Williams is main character.April 11:The Nevers, Drama Series Premiere (HBO)August, 1896. Victorian London is rocked to its foundations by a supernatural event which gives certain people - mostly women - abnormal abilities, from the wondrous to the disturbing. But no matter their particular “turns,” all who belong to this new underclass are in grave danger. It falls to mysterious, quick-fisted widow Amalia True (Laura Donnelly) and brilliant young inventor Penance Adair (Ann Skelly) to protect and shelter these gifted “orphans.” To do so, they will have to face the brutal forces determined to annihilate their kind.April 13:Our Towns, Documentary Premiere (HBO) – A couple travel to different small cities across America and explain what makes them special.  DocApril 15:Infinity Train, Max Original Season 4 Premiere – Animated show targeted at young adults.  Main character is 13 year old girl with a robot companion that wants to be a computer programmer.April 17:The Dark Knight Rises, 2012 (HBO) - FINALLYApril 18:Mare of Easttown, Limited Series Premiere (HBO)Starring Kate Winslet, an exploration into the dark side of a close community and an authentic examination of how family and past tragedies can define our present.April 20:Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO) – I didn’t know this was still going on.  20/20 for the sports scene.  Monthly episodes.  Every episode covers 4 topicsApril 22:1,2,3 All Eyes On Me, 2020(HBO) – movie about a crisis at an elementary school where a teacher has to keep her kids calm and safeFirst Ladies, 2020 – 6 episodes. Documentary.  Looks at personal and political lives of first ladies throughout histroyApril 23:Mortal Kombat, Warner Bros. Film Premiere, 2021 – Probably either excited about this one or its off your radar.  One of the WB big release movies, arguably the biggest of the monthA Black Lady Sketch Show, Season 2 Premiere (HBO)Created by and starring Robin Thede, A Black Lady Sketch Show is an Emmy® nominated narrative sketch comedy series featuring a core cast of Black women living relatable, hilarious experiences in a magical reality that subverts traditional expectations.April 24:Dreamgirls, 2006 (HBO) – This was a heavy hitter when it came out.  Lots of singing which many people love.  The three Dreammettes get noticed at a talent competition and roped into being Eddie Murphy’s backup singers. Eventually one of them gets thrust into the spotlight and another is pushed back behind the curtain and these friends learn the high cost of fameApril 26:The Artist, 2011 – Came out in 2011 but meant to play like a 30’s era Hollywood film. It could be seen as a mostly silent movie with almost no dialogue being spoken and the score of the film being in charge of directing the viewers emotionsApril 29:Looney Tunes Cartoons, Season 1D – New Age looney tunes episodes.  The cover is bugs bunny talking on a smartphone

James Fallows is an American writer and journalist. He has been a national correspondent for The Atlantic for many years. His work has also appeared in Slate, The New York Times Magazine, The New York Review of Books, The New Yorker and The American Prospect, among others. He is a former editor of U.S. News & World Report, and as President Jimmy Carter's chief speechwriter for two years was the youngest person ever to hold that job. Fallows has been a visiting professor at a number of universities in the U.S. and China, and holds the Chair in U.S. Media at the United States Studies Centre at University of Sydney. He is the author of eleven books, including National Defense, for which he received the 1983 National Book Award, Looking at the Sun (1994), Breaking the News (1996), Blind into Baghdad (2006), Postcards from Tomorrow Square (2009), China Airborne (2012), and Our Towns.

The advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate had already documented more than 3,000 anti-Asian incidents of racism before the Atlanta murders. Worse, the March 16 murders of eight spa workers - six of them Asian women - did not stem the tide of anti-Asian racist animus. Instead, the reported episodes of physical and verbal assaults spiked. Now, Asian Americans and allies are pushing for increased awareness and demanding legal protections. Is this recent spate of racist attacks against Asians, history repeating itself? And after years of xenophobia amplified by COVID 19, which way forward? Guests: Cecilia Lei – associate producer for Vox's “Today, Explained,” and board president of the Asian American Journalists Association's San Francisco chapter. Janelle Wong – professor of American Studies and core faculty member in the Asian American Studies Program at the University of Maryland. Rev. Young Ghil Lee – senior pastor at The Korean Church of Boston. Later in the Show: How do the Americans who live in small towns and cities see the places they live? Thousands of residents eagerly answered that question, posed by award-winning Atlantic magazine journalist James Fallows. Fallows and his wife Deborah traveled across the country for five years, visiting with local residents. What the Fallows documented in their travels resulted in a 2019 book, “Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America.” Eight of the towns and cities they highlighted in their book are featured in a new HBO documentary, called “Our Towns,” which premieres on HBO and HBO Max, on Tuesday, April 13, at 9 p.m. Guests: Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan - Academy Award-nominated filmmakers, who directed, produced, shot and edited Our Towns. SHOW CREDITS: Under the Radar with Callie Crossley is a production of GBH, produced by Wes Martin and engineered by Dave Goodman. Angela Yang is our Intern. Our theme music is FISH AND CHIPS by #weare2saxys', Grace Kelly and Leo P.

On this episode of Talk of Our Towns, host Donna Quinn interviews John Goodell, Director of Science & Policy of the Elakha Alliance. They discuss a prospective sea otter reintroduction to the Oregon Coast and related connections to coastal tribes, kelp conservation and more for this keystone species.

Mayor Dan Hall was no stranger to public service when he ran for the mayoral seat in 2017. You won't hear him boast about personal accomplishments here, though. Mayor Hall is quick to give others credit, noting it's the people that make Glens Falls one of America's favorite small towns.Tributes in remembrance of Edward M. Bartholomew, JrCommunity Gardens:email: mayor@cityofglensfalls.com or call 518-761-3805.Books:Curios about the book that changed his mind. Get your copy of The Well-Tempered City by James F. Rose and let us know what you think.Our Towns by Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America by James FallowsSkiing:West MountainGore MountainVisiting Glens Falls:Considering visiting the Glens Falls region? Email Christy at justoffglen@gmail.com to learn about all the best places to eat, outdoor recreation favorites or where you can plug-in and work remotely.Would you like your questions featured on the podcast? Email us at justoffglen@gmail.com Just Off Glen is recorded in the podcast studio of WorkSmart Coworking and Meeting Space and it's produced by Black Mountain Visuals in Glens Falls, NY.Don't work alone! WorkSmart provides a ready-to-be-productive space with a supportive community to help YOU do your best work. Book a tour today!Subscribe to the podcast and join us next time Just Off Glen!

Mayor Dan Hall was no stranger to public service when he ran for the mayoral seat in 2017. You won’t hear him boast about personal accomplishments here, though. Mayor Hall is quick to give others credit, noting it’s the people that make Glens Falls one of America’s favorite small towns. Tributes in remembrance of Edward M. Bartholomew, JrCommunity Gardens:email: mayor@cityofglensfalls.com or call 518-761-3805. Books:Curios about the book that changed his mind. Get your copy of The Well-Tempered City by James F. Rose and let us know what you think. Our Towns by Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America by James FallowsSkiing:West MountainGore MountainVisiting Glens Falls:Considering visiting the Glens Falls region? Email Christy at justoffglen@gmail.com to learn about all the best places to eat, outdoor recreation favorites or where you can plug-in and work remotely.Would you like your questions featured on the podcast? Email us at justoffglen@gmail.com Just Off Glen is recorded in the podcast studio of WorkSmart Coworking and Meeting Space and it’s produced by Black Mountain Visuals in Glens Falls, NY. Don’t work alone! WorkSmart provides a ready-to-be-productive space with a supportive community to help YOU do your best work. Book a tour today!Subscribe to the podcast and join us next time Just Off Glen!

On this weeks Talk of Our Towns, host Donna Quinn is joined by Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program Manager Chelsea Harper and CASA volunteer Sarah Jones.

This month’s “Talk of Our Towns” explores the theme “Crossing the Divide With Heartfelt Compassion”.   Can we learn new ways of being with each other in today’s world, a world which seems more divided than ever before?  How can we cultivate kindness and generosity of spirit in ourselves and in others?  Today my guests are...

On this weeks episode of Talk of Our Towns, host Donna Q interviews Dick Basch, Vice-Chairman of the Clatsop Nehalem Tribal Council, and Dick’s daughter Charlotte Basch, who is a member of the Clatsop Nehalem and Puyallup communities and is the community education coordinator for the Puyallup tribe.  Learn more about the Clatsop-Nehalem tribe, recently...

This Talk of Our Towns host Donna Quinn features Margaret Minnick, Coordinator of the Friends of Cape Falcon Marine Reserve and Joe Liebezeit (pronounced Leeb-uh-zite), Staff Scientist and Avian Conservation Manager for the Portland Audubon Society.  On the table for discussion is the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve, shorebirds and seabirds, upcoming online events and how...

Writers Tara Westover and Sarah Smarsh grew up in rural parts of the mid-section of America and chronicled the stories of their childhoods in best-selling books. While the books vary in emphasis, structure, and theme, both writers agree that people in the Heartland are easily stereotyped by the national media and politicians. “There’s a real gulf between the story we tell ourselves about a country and those conflict- and ratings-driven conversations in New York City studios, and what happens on-the-ground in local communities,” says Smarsh. They tell James Fallows, author of Our Towns, about what needs to change to eliminate these damaging stereotypes. Smarsh and Westover also describe how they’re using their platforms to address some of the most complex challenges that rural communities face today. Smarsh is the author of Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Riches Country on Earth. Westover wrote the book, Educated. The views and opinions of the podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

There are few couples like Deborah and James Fallows, who have spent more than half a decade talking to people and visiting communities across America to produce "Our Towns," a New York Times bestseller, published last year, and an online series for The Atlantic. They're some of the smartest, most diligent people reporting on the state of the country today and they joined Jacob for a two-in-one SLR podcast to discuss their distinct reporting styles, the power of positive reporting, and the lessons they've learned from their travels.

Simon Majumdar is a world renowned broadcaster, author and cook who has dedicated the second half of his time on this planet to fulfill his ambition to “Go Everywhere. Eat Everything.” He also loves Fresno's food and has visited the Fresno Food Expo (now the California Food Expo) for the past several years. Hear our Craig Scharton and Paul Swearengin talk to Simon about his podcast Eat My Globe and his view of his love for Fresno. Sometimes it takes an outside view to see ourselves as good as we are and Simon Majumdar encourages Fresno to like itself!  Thanks to our Title Sponsor Terry's House and please support us on our Patreon Page and our Two Guys Facebook Page. If you haven't heard us talk to other outside voices of their view of Fresno, check out our conversation with Jim and Deborah Fallows, author of the book Our Towns.

We talk with James and Deborah Fallows, authors of the book Our Towns. The Fallows travel the country looking for cities where transformation is occurring and featured a chapter on Fresno and the amazing things they see happening here. What will it take to see Fresno become all it can be?  Paul Swearengin and Craig Scharton share their thoughts. You can buy the book Our Towns here. Or read James' latest articles at The Atlantic.

In a special edition of Primary Sources, James Fallows, national correspondent for The Atlantic, speaks about his book Our Towns, a vivid, surprising portrait of the civic and economic reinvention taking place in America, town by town and generally out of view of the national media.” This CALS’ J.N. Heiskell Distinguished Lecture for journalism took place Sept. 27, 2018. The event was also sponsored by the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.

We obsess over reports of chaos and dysfunction while stories of hope and revival quietly unfold in small towns and cities across the U.S. Jim & Deb Fallows, authors of Our Towns, join me on What Could Go Right? to explain what we can gain from their momentum. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the number and scope of crises we constantly see flashing across our phones and television screens. In fact, our brains – and our hearts – aren’t built to process conflicts on such a massive scale. In this episode, Arthur looks at ‘thinking small,’ the notion that by focusing on what is individual, local, and within our sphere of influence, we can paradoxically bring about more change, disagree more productively, and become happier people. Hear conversations with Paul Slovic, Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon, and James and Deborah Fallows, who share stories from their journey across the country for their book “Our Towns.”

On today's episode we feature two conversations with presenters from Week Two of the Chautauqua season, themed "American Identity." First is a discussion with James and Deborah Fallows, who took the Amphitheater stage on the Fourth of July to present on their new book, Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America. Then, Taína Caragol, who opened the week of lectures on July 2, joins us at the 47:00 mark to expand upon her work as a curator at the National Portrait Gallery. For the last five years, Jim and Deb have been traveling across America in a single-engine prop airplane and reporting on the people, organizations and ideas re-shaping the country. As part of their “City Makers: American Futures” project in partnership with The Atlantic and APM’s “Marketplace,” the Fallowses visited smaller and medium-sized cities, meeting civic leaders, factory workers, recent immigrants, and young entrepreneurs to take the pulse and understand the prospects of places that usually draw notice only after a disaster or during a political campaign. Our Towns is the story of their journey — and an account of a country busy remaking itself, despite the challenges and paralysis of national politics. Jim is a national correspondent for The Atlantic and was editor of the US News & World Report. He has also authored several books himself, including China Airborne and National Defense, which won the American Book Award for nonfiction. Jim also worked as the chief White House speechwriter for Jimmy Carter for two years. Deb is a linguist who speaks six languages, and the author of A Mother’s Work and Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Languages. Before her travels abroad she was an assistant dean at Georgetown University and wrote about education, travel, work and women in publications such as The Atlantic, National Geographic and Newsweek. Follow them on Twitter at @JamesFallows and @FallowsDeb, and read The Chautauquan Daily's recap of their Amphitheater lecture here: http://chqdaily.com…. Taína Caragol is the curator of painting and sculpture, and of Latino art and history, at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, where she and her colleagues tell the story of America through portraits of people who have shaped it. Regarding her role specific to Latino art and history, Taína has said, “When people are missing from a history museum, the visitor gets the sense that it’s because they haven’t made an impact on our history. My priority is to make sure that the Latinos who have had a significant role are well represented throughout our collections and in our exhibitions.” Among the many exhibitions Taína has curated are “Portraiture Now: Staging the Self,” and “One Life: Dolores Huerta,” which has been expanded and redesigned as a traveling exhibition this year. Taína previously worked as the curator of education at the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico, as consultant of art and archival collections for Lord Cultural Resources, and Latin American Bibliographer for the The Museum of Modern Art. She also co-curated an exhibition about the Young lords, Puerto Rican activists from the 1960s, for the Bronx Museum of the Arts. Follow her on Twitter at @Playacreciente, and read The Chautauquan Daily's recap of her Amphitheater lecture here: http://chqdaily.com….

Despite bitter partisanship and political paralysis in Washington, local democracy is alive in well in many towns and cities across the country.That's the surprising finding in "Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America," by journalist James Fallows of The Atlantic magazine and his wife, writer and linguist Deborah Fallows. In this episode, part two of our conversation with James, we look at the ways many local business owners, city planners, educators and citizens have worked in pragmatic and inventive ways to improve life in their communities.We discuss public/private partnerships, the enormous value provided by community colleges in the changing jobs market, infrastructure projects, and innovative ways downtown districts have been revived. “The good news is the solutions to our civic problems already exist,” said opinion writer David Brooks in a recent column, praising “Our Towns.” “We just need to take these civic programs and this governing philosophy and nationalize them. We need to transform these local stories into a coherent national story.” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dodge City, Kansas and Erie, Pennsylvania may have something in common. That's just one surprise in “Our Towns,” a new book by James and Deborah Fallows. The veteran Atlantic magazine correspondent and his scholarly wife spent two weeks in each of 25 different cities. Their search for America's character provides anecdotes, comparisons and distinctions after a journey of 100,000 miles.

Some feel these are the worst of times, that we’re living in an America fraught with political discord and governmental dysfunction. But how bad is it in American towns? Writers James and Deborah Fallows traveled 100,000 miles across the country to find out. Using a single-engine prop airplane, the husband-wife team visited dozens of towns from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Allentown, Pennsylvania. They interviewed civic leaders, immigrants, educators, artists and more, turning their interviews into a book, “Our Towns,” released this week by Pantheon Books. James Fallows joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang in this episode to discuss the book and an account of a country busy remaking itself. James Fallows has been a national correspondent for The Atlantic for more than 35 years, reporting from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe and across the United States. He is the author of eleven previous books. His work also has appeared in many other magazines and as public-radio commentaries since the 1980s. He has won a National Book Award and a National Magazine Award. For two years, he was President Jimmy Carter’s chief speechwriter. Deborah Fallows is a linguist and writer who holds a Ph.D. in theoretical linguistics and is the author of two previous books. She has written for The Atlantic, National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times and The Washington Monthly, and has worked at the Pew Research Center, Oxygen Media and Georgetown University. She and her husband have two sons and four grandchildren.

America is a treasured tapestry of towns and cities. On this week’s City Voice Podcast I’ve enlisted the help of James and Deborah Fallows. With their help, we hear about that tapestry. What does it really look like? Is it frayed? What does it's future look like? They spent the better part of five years immersing themselves in small and medium-sized town and cities across America. They did all this traveling in their small single engine airplane. The combination of both on the ground and birds-eye perspective gave them a unique look at America. The aerial insights inform how and why towns were built where they are and what their natural strengths are going forward. Getting to know the people on the ground gave them and now us a more immediate read on where America is and where it's likely headed.     They are the authors of, Our Towns, A 100,000-Mile Journey Into The Heart Of America. Our Towns reads like a modern-day Lewis and Clark single-engine airplane travel log for Cond'e Naste. It’s also bit of an urban planning enthusiasts guide to placemaking in small to medium size American cities and towns, it’s a keen observer’s take on the fabric of America, it’s a reporter's account of economic development in the heartland, and it’s an America political analysis during the times of Presidents Barak Obama and Donald Trump. James Fallows has been a national correspondent for The Atlantic for more than thirty-five years, reporting from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe, and across the United States. He is the author of eleven previous books. He has provided commentaries for NPR since the 1980s. For two years he was President Jimmy Carter’s chief speechwriter. Deborah Fallows is a linguist and is the author of two previous books. She has written for The Atlantic, National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times, and The Washington Monthly, and has worked at the Pew Research Center, Oxygen Media, and Georgetown University. Thanks and don’t forget to subscribe to City Voice and share with your friends. SHOW LINKS "Our Towns" Amazon Link To Purchase the book James Fallows Deborah Fallows Their blog American Futures

In a February 2017 column, David Brooks wrote about "the Fallows Question, which I unfurl at dinner parties: If you could move to the place on earth where history is most importantly being made right now, where would you go?” The Fallows question is based on the life and work of Jim and Deborah Fallows. Jim is a national correspondent at the Atlantic; Deborah is a writer and linguist. When Japan looked like the future, they moved there to watch it happen; when software was eating the world, they moved to Seattle and Jim dove inside Microsoft; when China was on the rise, that was where they made their home. It’s a reason, when asked, that I’ve always named Jim Fallows as one of my few must-read writers: His journalism is thick with a wisdom that only comes from having immersed himself in many, many different lives. Over the past few years, however, the Fallows have believed the story is happening, well, here. They came to believe that the story America is telling about itself to itself — a story of national decline, of bitter political polarization, of rural resentment and coastal elitism and tribal identity and spiritual malaise — is wrong. And so they got in their plane (yes, Jim is a pilot too), and they spent years traveling the country, trying to see it more clearly by seeing its places more precisely. It has left them with a sense of hope that feels almost alien in this age. Their new book, Our Towns, is a travelogue of this journey and what it revealed to them about America. In this conversation, we talk about the optimism it left them with, as well as what they’ve learned designing their lives around adventure and travel, why they spent their honeymoon in a work camp in Ghana, how to make life feel longer, whether our political identities are our true identities, why Americans hate the media, and the reason libraries are more important than ever. I’ve always admired the Fallowses’ for both their work and their wisdom, and it was a pleasure, in this interview, to get to explore both. Deborah's recommended books: Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville Journals of Lewis and Clark edited by Bernard DeVoto James's recommended books: Grant by Ron Chernow Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today in our current series, Colleges in the Spotlight, we want to look at a great article published in The New York Times by an award-winning journalist writing a very personal piece. Although the title of our episode is “No Harvard for You,” it is really about many colleges a lot like Harvard--highly selective, prestigious, private colleges, which have disappointed a lot of kids this March and April. This is an unusual perspective and a memorable one. Special thanks to my friend, Regina Rule, school board member in Manhasset, New York, who posted this article on Facebook. I probably never would have seen it without her. 1. Michael Winerip’s Article Let me quote first from The New York Times blurb about the article’s author, Michael Winerip, so you can see just how impressive he is: Mike Winerip hasn’t held every job at The Times, just most of them. Over nearly 30 years, he has written five different columns--Our Towns, On Sunday, On Education (three times), Parenting and Generation B. He has been a staff writer for the magazine, investigative reporter, national political correspondent, Metro reporter and a deputy Metro editor. . . . In 2000, he was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his exposé in the Times magazine of a mentally ill New York City man pushing a woman to her death on the subway. . . . In 2001, he played a leading role on the team of reporters that won a Pulitzer for the series “How Race Is Lived in America.” (quoted from the article) And there is plenty more. There is no doubt that Mike is a smart, perceptive, and accomplished guy. Clearly, he is someone worth listening to. You should go read his entire piece, entitled “Young, Gifted, and Not Getting Into Harvard,” published in The Times on April 29, 2007. Yes, 2007. It might as well have been yesterday. Perhaps his words are even more true now. Let’s listen to the beginning of his piece: On a Sunday morning a few months back, I interviewed my final Harvard applicant of the year. After saying goodbye to the girl and watching her and her mother drive off, I headed to the beach at the end of our street for a run.  It was a spectacular winter day, bright, sunny and cold; the tide was out, the waves were high, and I had the beach to myself. As I ran, I thought the same thing I do after all these interviews: Another amazing kid who won’t get into Harvard. That used to upset me. But I’ve changed.  Over the last decade, I’ve done perhaps 40 of these interviews, which are conducted by alumni across the country. They’re my only remaining link to my alma mater; I’ve never been back to a reunion or a football game, and my total donations since graduating in the 1970s do not add up to four figures.  No matter how glowing my recommendations, in all this time only one kid, a girl, got in, many years back. I do not tell this to the eager, well-groomed seniors who settle onto the couch in our den. They’re under too much pressure already. Better than anyone, they know the odds, particularly for a kid from a New York suburb. By the time I meet them, they’re pros at working the system. Some have Googled me because they think knowing about me will improve their odds. After the interview, many send handwritten thank-you notes saying how much they enjoyed meeting me. Maybe it’s true.  I used to be upset by these attempts to ingratiate. Since I’ve watched my own children go through similar torture, I find these gestures touching. Everyone’s trying so hard. (quoted from the article) Let me stop right there for a minute. Parents, how many of you had your seniors do one or more of these alumni interviews? Parents of juniors, many of you have these on your horizon. I used to do them years ago for Cornell, so I know a bit about the way Mike feels. A young friend of mine went through alumni interviews for her applications to Georgetown and Yale and Cornell just a few months ago.  To tell you the truth, I am not sure how I feel about alumni interviews and, for those of you who know me, you know that it is rare that I don’t have a strong opinion about something. I see why a college would use its alumni in this role, and I see why alumni would be willing to take on this task. I did myself, after all. But I am not sure how much alumni interviews really contribute to the admissions process or how valid those contributions are. In the old days, it seems to me that many more applicants were interviewed at the colleges by admissions officers. Maybe they weren’t any smarter or savvier than alumni, but they were trained in what they were doing. They likely knew what to look for, how to get the best from a nervous kid, and how to represent the college--and its admission process--accurately and fairly. I am not entirely sure that alumni interviewers--or, at least, not all alumni interviewers--can do all of those things. So why continue doing it, colleges? Here is what Mike says about why he continued to interview for his alma mater: It’s very moving meeting all these bright young people who won’t get into Harvard. Recent news articles make it sound unbearably tragic. Several Ivies, including Harvard, rejected a record number of applicants this year. Actually, meeting the soon-to-be rejected makes me hopeful about young people. They are far more accomplished than I was at their age and without a doubt will do superbly wherever they go. Knowing me and seeing them is like witnessing some major evolutionary change take place in just 35 years, from the Neanderthal Harvard applicant of 1970 to today’s fully evolved Homo sapiens applicant.  There was the girl who, during summer vacation, left her house before 7 each morning to make a two-hour train ride to a major university, where she worked all day doing cutting-edge research for NASA on weightlessness in mice. When I was in high school, my 10th-grade science project was on plant tropism--a shoebox with soil and bean sprouts bending toward the light. These kids who don’t get into Harvard spend summers on schooners in Chesapeake Bay studying marine biology, building homes for the poor in Central America, touring Europe with all-star orchestras. Summers, I dug trenches for my local sewer department during the day, and sold hot dogs at Fenway Park at night. (quoted from the article) Mike is right. The escalation in what kids now present as their credentials on college applications has continued in the decade since this piece was written. College applications have almost become parodies of themselves. What more could high school kids do? Is any kid just a kid anymore? Well, if so, that kid isn’t getting into Harvard--or any other very selective college--where even stellar kids aren’t being admitted. Mike continues this way:  What kind of kid doesn’t get into Harvard? Well, there was the charming boy I interviewed with 1560 SATs. He did cancer research in the summer; played two instruments in three orchestras; and composed his own music. He redid the computer system for his student paper, loved to cook and was writing his own cookbook. One of his specialties was snapper poached in tea and served with noodle cake.  At his age, when I got hungry, I made myself peanut butter and jam on white bread and got into Harvard.  Some take 10 AP courses and get top scores of 5 on all of them.  I took one AP course and scored 3. (quoted from the article) I wonder if this makes any kid who didn’t get into some Ivy or Stanford or MIT or the like this April feel any better. It probably doesn’t. But it does underscore just how crazy admissions at top schools can be. I keep saying to prospective applicants that these schools could fill their seats with kids with perfect SATs and perfect high school GPAs and incredible extracurricular activities. And I guess it’s true. Of course, these schools would be quick to say that they look for plenty of other things, too. And I hope that’s true, though I would like to see some evidence of it. One of Mike’s final comments is this:  I see these kids--and watch my own applying to college--and as evolved as they are, I wouldn’t change places with them for anything. They’re under such pressure. (quoted from the article) They are indeed, Mike. Parents, don’t forget that. Your kids are “under such pressure.” I have watched a number of kids go through this recently. Let me take one example of a smart and talented kid who did not get into her top Ivy-like choices, but did get into a fine private university and a fine public flagship university. She chose the private university and immediately applied to its honors program (she had already automatically been accepted into the honors program at the public flagship when they sent her the acceptance). But this private university required a separate honors program application--well, actually there were four different honors programs, each one more impressive than the last. She asked me to look over the FOUR essays she had to write for the honors application. Honestly, I would have had trouble writing the fourth one myself. I felt a bit like Mike as I sat there, with my two Ivy League degrees, staring at the essay and wondering what in the world I would have said. I did what I could to help her, but she did not get into the honors program she applied for (likely a result of her SAT scores, according to the honors program descriptions). Now, I think that is okay. She will do well at the university. She will probably have a great time there (which is actually an important part of the college experience, too, I think). I am fine that she didn’t get into the honors program, but I doubt she is, and I know her parents are disappointed. So, I will say one more time to you, parents: “They’re under such pressure.” At some point, you have to let that go. Once the acceptances are in and the college-going decision is made, it is time to be happy. No more disappointment. Look forward to the fall and a new adventure for your kid. I don’t want to have to remind you again! 2. Next Week We are going to take a break next week in honor of college graduations and Memorial Day. I am actually traveling to the U.K. to attend my daughter’s master’s degree graduation ceremony at Richmond, The American International University in London. Many of you are making or just made the same kind of trip if you have older kids graduating from college somewhere this month. It is a time for celebration, and we hope you have a great one! Find our books on Amazon! How To Find the Right College: A Workbook for Parents of High School Students (available as a Kindle ebook and in paperback) How To Explore Your College Options: A Workbook for High School Students (available in paperback) Ask your questions or share your feedback by... Leaving a comment on the show notes for this episode at http://usacollegechat.org/episode121 Calling us at (516) 900-6922 to record a question on our USACollegeChat voicemail if you want us to answer your question live on our podcast Connect with us through... Subscribing to our podcast on Google Play Music, iTunes, Stitcher, or TuneIn Liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter Reviewing parent materials we have available at www.policystudies.org Inquiring about our consulting services if you need individualized help Reading Regina's blog, Parent Chat with Regina