Podcast appearances and mentions of ted conover

Called the “master of experience-based nonfiction,” award-winning author Ted Conover has worked as a prison guard at Sing Sing, crossed borders with migrant workers, and lived off the grid in the American West. We speak with Ted about his extraordinary life and career as a writer.

Conover is embarking on a book tour throughout Colorado, with a stop planned in Aspen on Saturday. It will be a return to the place he once spent two years, documenting the town's cult of celebrity and quirky worker bees.

Listen in as Stephanie discussed:How she found the Land Geek.What her corporate job before Flight School. Why the land business?The stories that inspired her to keep going. Her favorite deals.Her most challenging part of the land business.Stephanie also shares her advice to new land investors planning to join the land business.  TIP OF THE WEEKStephanie: Embrace your zone of genius: read The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks to understand the four zones of performance. Focus on transitioning from your zone of excellence to your zone of genius, where your true passion and exceptional abilities align, leading to greater fulfillment and success. Also, explore land opportunities: check out Cheap Land Colorado by Ted Conover to gain insights into Costilla County and its off-grid living. This book can help you understand the area better and make informed decisions about investing in land there, aligning with your business goals.Mark: Check out openairproperties.net WANT TO LISTEN MORE? Did you like this episode? If so, listen to another AOPI episode to hear more about the land investing stories of people who've taken the leap."Are you ready to learn more about land investing? Just click HERE to schedule a call.""Isn't it time to create passive income so you can work where you want when you want, and with whomever you want?"

Drösser, Christoph www.deutschlandfunk.de, Andruck - Das Magazin für Politische Literatur

"Il était une fois…" de Nicolas Herman : Il était une fois Voltaire, qui rencontre Dali, qui rencontre Alice Cooper. Le 7 juin (le 7 juin 1954), c'était les 70 ans de la disparition d'Alan Turing, mathématicien et cryptologue britannique, inventeur de l'ordinateur et pionnier de l'intelligence artificielle, héros de la Seconde Guerre mondiale en contribuant à déjouer les plans des Allemands en déchiffrant les messages cryptés de leur célèbre machine cryptographique "Enigma". Il fût aussi poursuivi en justice en 1952 pour son homosexualité. On en parle avec Maxence Collin et François Rivière, qui publient une BD sur Alan Turing chez Casterman. Alan Turing est surtout connu pour avoir réussi à décoder les messages cryptés par la machine nazie Enigma. Mais que sait-on réellement de l'homme derrière le savant ? Élevé loin de ses parents, Alan Turing est peu adapté aux rapports humains. C'est la rencontre à l'adolescence de son premier amour, Chris, qui l'ouvre au monde. Autour de leur passion partagée pour la science se noue une complicité fusionnelle. Mais lorsque Chris disparaît quelques années plus tard, Alan se lance corps et âme dans la recherche et deviendra un atout majeur pour les Alliés. Rythmé par le procès qui finira par condamner son homosexualité, Alan Turing retrace de manière intime la vie d'un génie qui a marqué notre Histoire. Le coup de coeur de Gorian Delpâture : « Là où la terre ne vaut rien » de Ted Conover (Éditions du Sous-Sol). En mai 2017, Ted Conover se rend dans la vallée de San Luis (Colorado) afin d'étudier un mode de vie particulier qui consiste à vivre de peu, et à se tenir à l'écart des courants dominants. Les lotissements de l'énorme vallée rendent cela possible. Des terrains de cinq hectares dans la plaine peuvent être achetés pour cinq mille dollars, parfois moins. Après une première exploration l'auteur devient bénévole pour une association locale venant en aide aux habitants et aux sans-abris. Il rencontre ainsi la population de ce lieu : des vétérans, des familles repliées sur elles-mêmes, des toxicomanes, des amateurs d'armes à feu et de marijuana, des personnes souffrant d'anxiété sociale – la plupart rejettent la charité et cherchent l'autonomie. Dans un second temps, Ted Conover achète un terrain et s'immerge pendant près de quatre ans dans cette culture controversée de l'extrême périphérie. Il découvre un monde et ses contradictions : ne pas aimer le gouvernement mais dépendre de ses subventions ; aimer son espace propre mais se retrouver toutefois mêlé aux affaires des autres ; être généreux mais se méfier des voleurs ; endurer la misère mais apprécier la beauté des lieux. Il nous parle de ces hommes et ces femmes, de leur lutte pour s'entendre et survivre, au coeur d'une Amérique déchirée par la différence. Une Amérique des laissés-pour-compte et de ceux qui ont décidé de quitter la société pour solde de tout compte. Le talk-show culturel de Jérôme Colin. Avec, dès 11h30, La Bagarre dans la Discothèque, un jeu musical complétement décalé où la créativité et la mauvaise foi font loi. À partir de midi, avec une belle bande de chroniqueurs, ils explorent ensemble tous les pans de la culture belge et internationale sans sacralisation, pour découvrir avec simplicité, passion et humour. Merci pour votre écoute Entrez sans Frapper c'est également en direct tous les jours de la semaine de 11h30 à 13h sur www.rtbf.be/lapremiere Retrouvez tous les épisodes de Entrez sans Frapper sur notre plateforme Auvio.be : https://auvio.rtbf.be/emission/8521 Et si vous avez apprécié ce podcast, n'hésitez pas à nous donner des étoiles ou des commentaires, cela nous aide à le faire connaître plus largement.

This is a real life story set in a vast land, the San Luis Valley of Colorado. It's a huge flat prairie flanked by mountains, and it's far off the beaten path. Author Ted Conover takes us there in this Desideratum. A desideratum is an essential thing and this story got me thinking about lots of essential things - like wide open spaces, what to do with a rattlesnake, the peace you find in silence, and the need for connection. Ted Conover is perhaps best known for spending a year as a prison guard at the maximum security prison Sing Sing in New York. The book he wrote about that experience was called Newjack and it earned a National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction and made Ted a Pulitzer Prize Finalist. His work expands and deepens what we think of as Journalism.  He submerges himself in often uncomfortable situations and then takes readers along with him. Today we're talking about his latest immersive experience and book called Cheap Land Colorado. In his observation of small details side by side with his big picture perspectives, he paints a very complete picture with his own voice as narrator in your ear. I hope you enjoy getting to know Ted Conover as much as I have. I want to thank The Colorado Sun for shining their light on Ted's work. I listen to the Sun's podcast called The Daily Sun-Up, and every Sunday I check out their SunLit feature for author spotlights. Sunlit editor Kevin Simpson often talks to authors on The Daily Sun-ups Friday podcast. Check it out at coloradosun.com or wherever you're listening to this podcast.  Ted will be in Denver for the Colorado Sun's SunFest ideas conference. Here's a link for tickets: https://coloradosun.com/sunfest/ And here's a link to the La Puente organization Ted volunteers with so you find out more about the good work they do. https://lapuentehome.org/ One more big thank you to the audio publisher Random House Audio for the excerpt from Cheap Land Colorado.  And, as always, thank you for listening.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theresa-bakken/support

Join Travis and Ted Conover for a fascinating conversation about Ted's latest book, his writing style, and the people, land, and unexpected commonalities that make our country great.From the author's website:My first book (Rolling Nowhere), began as research for a senior anthropology thesis. A transcendant moment occurred in a freight yard in Bakersfield, California, where, as I spoke with a guy my age named Enrique Jarra, it dawned on me that Mexican migrants were the true, modern-day incarnation of the classic American hobo. Coyotes, my second book, recounts a year of work and travel with these migrants.A smart guy I met in New York introduced me at a party as a writer who “made a living sleeping on the ground,” which got me worried and led me to Aspen and Whiteout, a very different sort of first-person ethnography. Then I moved to New York and wrote Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, an account of immersion in a world that is tough and dangerous and–if a person's not careful–soul-shrinking. That research was my hardest ever, but also paid an enduring dividend.In The Routes of Man, I link a series of challenging first-person passages down roads with reflections on how this most extensive man-made artifact changes us all, both intentionally and not. It's a book about roads but I'm in it as well. Immersion: A Writer's Guide to Going Deep is an attempt to share what I've learned about this sort of writing. My most recent book, Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America's Edge, recounts a passage into a landscape and community that in truth I haven't left yet. It may be the closest I've come in any of my books to “going native.”I admire writing where writers have something at stake; where they don't just depend on experts but rather take time to think and research and participate, thereby transforming themselves into experts; where caring and the urgency of the subject transform the writing into something that matters.Reserve a spot for Ted's talk in Buena Vista, CO on 8/2Ted Conover WebsiteThanks to our sponsors:NeuroReserve: www.neuroreserve.com/travismacy | Use code TRAVISMACY for 15% off RELEVATE by NeuroReserve: Core Dietary Nutrients for Lifelong Brain HealthThe Feed Instagram | Website- - - - - - - - - - -If you like this podcast, please consider our book, A Mile at A Time: A Father and Son's Inspiring Alzheimer's Journey of Love, Adventure, and Hope*30% off with discount code MACESubscribe: Apple Podcast | SpotifyCheck us out: Instagram | Twitter | Website | YouTubeThe show is Produced and Edited by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

From Pulitzer Prize finalist and National Book Critics Circle Award–winning author Ted Conover comes "Cheap Land Colorado," a passage through an America lived wild and off the grid, where along with independence and stunning views come fierce winds, neighbors with criminal pasts, and minimal government and medical services.

Ted Conover decided to give it a try. This award-winning journalist and New York resident spent parts of four years living off the grid on five acres of Colorado land. There, he encountered an unexpected diverse population and learned much about a culture that steers clear of the mainstream. He speaks with Alan and Russell about his experiences and his new book “Cheap Land Colorado.”

Welcome to another season of Book Chatter! This month, Jana, Barb, and Josie discuss Cheap land Colorado: off-gridder's at America's edge by Ted Conover. Library Journal calls it a "raw, revealing, and effective look at life on the rural perimeters of society." Jana gave it 4.5 stars, Barb 4, and Josie only 3.What did you think? We'd love to know. Submit your questions, reactions, or comments about the month's book in one of these ways:By emailing us at longmontadult.programs@longmontcolorado.gov, Facebook comments, or by leaving a recorded voicemail message at 303-774-4875. Or stop by the Reference desk on the 2nd floor and letting us know in person. Sign up for our monthly podcast newsletter and get links, reading suggestions, and comments from hosts in your inbox. Go here to sign up.The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the podcast hosts and do not reflect or represent the views or opinions of the Longmont Public Library, The City of Longmont or the Friends of the Longmont Library. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Pulitzer Prize finalist and National Book Critics Circle Award–winning author Ted Conover comes "Cheap Land Colorado," a passage through an America lived wild and off the grid, where along with independence and stunning views come fierce winds, neighbors with criminal pasts, and minimal government and medical services.

“I feel lucky to do what I do. I write about real people, often by living their lives for a while—visiting their lives, you might say. Trying them on for size. Though there are easier ways to make a living, I suppose, none strike me as a fraction so interesting.” T.C. In Ted Conover's 7th book, CHEAP LAND COLORADO, he introduces us to the off-gridders and their families who live in an isolated part of southern Colorado's enormous San Luis Valley. In our conversation today Ted talks about why these folks seek out this difficult life, how they manage the bitter high-altitude winters, and the skills homeowners learn when there are no city services or utilities. Ted has ridden the rails with hoboes, crossed the border with Mexican immigrants, and butchered beef in a meat-packing plant in Nebraska. His day job is teaching at New York University. He's also the author of six other books and numerous articles published in The New Yorker, Harper's and The Atlantic, among many others. Perhaps his best-known book is “Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing,” an account of his ten months spent working as a corrections officer at New York's Sing Sing Prison. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/booktalk-diana-korte/message

This month, Jana, Denise, and Barb will discuss Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley. Next month we will discuss Cheap land Colorado: off-gridder's at America's edge by Ted Conover. Library Journal calls it a "raw, revealing, and effective look at life on the rural perimeters of society."Sign up for our monthly podcast newsletter and get links, reading suggestions, and comments from hosts in your inbox. Go here to sign up.You can participate! Read the book, send us your thoughts, and then listen in as we share our thoughts and perspectives. To participate in Book Chatter: Submit your questions, reactions, or comments about the month's book in one of these ways:By email, Facebook comments or Messenger, Twitter direct message; or by leaving a recorded voicemail message at 303-774-4875.The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the podcast hosts and do not reflect or represent the views or opinions of the Longmont Public Library, The City of Longmont or the Friends of the Longmont Library. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I talked to Ted Conover, author of Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America's Edge (Knopf, 2022) In May 2017, Conover went to Colorado to explore firsthand a rural way of life that is about living cheaply, on your own land—and keeping clear of the mainstream. The failed subdivisions of the enormous San Luis Valley make this possible. Five-acre lots on the high prairie can be had for five thousand dollars, sometimes less. Conover volunteered for a local group trying to prevent homelessness during the bitter winters. He encountered an unexpected diversity: veterans with PTSD, families homeschooling, addicts young and old, gay people, people of color, lovers of guns and marijuana, people with social anxiety—most of them spurning charity and aiming, and sometimes failing, to be self-sufficient. And more than a few predicting they'll be the last ones standing when society collapses. Conover bought his own five acres and immersed himself for parts of four years in the often contentious culture of the far margins. He found many who dislike the government but depend on its subsidies; who love their space but nevertheless find themselves in each other's business; who are generous but wary of thieves; who endure squalor but appreciate beauty. In their struggles to survive and get along, they tell us about an America riven by difference where the edges speak more and more loudly to the mainstream. Ted Conover is the author of several books, including Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, and National Geographic. He is a professor at, and the former director of, New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Daniel Moran earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found at https://fifteenminutefilm.podb... and on Twitter @15MinFilm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Today I talked to Ted Conover, author of Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America's Edge (Knopf, 2022) In May 2017, Conover went to Colorado to explore firsthand a rural way of life that is about living cheaply, on your own land—and keeping clear of the mainstream. The failed subdivisions of the enormous San Luis Valley make this possible. Five-acre lots on the high prairie can be had for five thousand dollars, sometimes less. Conover volunteered for a local group trying to prevent homelessness during the bitter winters. He encountered an unexpected diversity: veterans with PTSD, families homeschooling, addicts young and old, gay people, people of color, lovers of guns and marijuana, people with social anxiety—most of them spurning charity and aiming, and sometimes failing, to be self-sufficient. And more than a few predicting they'll be the last ones standing when society collapses. Conover bought his own five acres and immersed himself for parts of four years in the often contentious culture of the far margins. He found many who dislike the government but depend on its subsidies; who love their space but nevertheless find themselves in each other's business; who are generous but wary of thieves; who endure squalor but appreciate beauty. In their struggles to survive and get along, they tell us about an America riven by difference where the edges speak more and more loudly to the mainstream. Ted Conover is the author of several books, including Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, and National Geographic. He is a professor at, and the former director of, New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Daniel Moran earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found at https://fifteenminutefilm.podb... and on Twitter @15MinFilm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

Today I talked to Ted Conover, author of Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America's Edge (Knopf, 2022) In May 2017, Conover went to Colorado to explore firsthand a rural way of life that is about living cheaply, on your own land—and keeping clear of the mainstream. The failed subdivisions of the enormous San Luis Valley make this possible. Five-acre lots on the high prairie can be had for five thousand dollars, sometimes less. Conover volunteered for a local group trying to prevent homelessness during the bitter winters. He encountered an unexpected diversity: veterans with PTSD, families homeschooling, addicts young and old, gay people, people of color, lovers of guns and marijuana, people with social anxiety—most of them spurning charity and aiming, and sometimes failing, to be self-sufficient. And more than a few predicting they'll be the last ones standing when society collapses. Conover bought his own five acres and immersed himself for parts of four years in the often contentious culture of the far margins. He found many who dislike the government but depend on its subsidies; who love their space but nevertheless find themselves in each other's business; who are generous but wary of thieves; who endure squalor but appreciate beauty. In their struggles to survive and get along, they tell us about an America riven by difference where the edges speak more and more loudly to the mainstream. Ted Conover is the author of several books, including Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, and National Geographic. He is a professor at, and the former director of, New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Daniel Moran earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found at https://fifteenminutefilm.podb... and on Twitter @15MinFilm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology

Today I talked to Ted Conover, author of Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America's Edge (Knopf, 2022) In May 2017, Conover went to Colorado to explore firsthand a rural way of life that is about living cheaply, on your own land—and keeping clear of the mainstream. The failed subdivisions of the enormous San Luis Valley make this possible. Five-acre lots on the high prairie can be had for five thousand dollars, sometimes less. Conover volunteered for a local group trying to prevent homelessness during the bitter winters. He encountered an unexpected diversity: veterans with PTSD, families homeschooling, addicts young and old, gay people, people of color, lovers of guns and marijuana, people with social anxiety—most of them spurning charity and aiming, and sometimes failing, to be self-sufficient. And more than a few predicting they'll be the last ones standing when society collapses. Conover bought his own five acres and immersed himself for parts of four years in the often contentious culture of the far margins. He found many who dislike the government but depend on its subsidies; who love their space but nevertheless find themselves in each other's business; who are generous but wary of thieves; who endure squalor but appreciate beauty. In their struggles to survive and get along, they tell us about an America riven by difference where the edges speak more and more loudly to the mainstream. Ted Conover is the author of several books, including Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, and National Geographic. He is a professor at, and the former director of, New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Daniel Moran earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found at https://fifteenminutefilm.podb... and on Twitter @15MinFilm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Today I talked to Ted Conover, author of Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America's Edge (Knopf, 2022) In May 2017, Conover went to Colorado to explore firsthand a rural way of life that is about living cheaply, on your own land—and keeping clear of the mainstream. The failed subdivisions of the enormous San Luis Valley make this possible. Five-acre lots on the high prairie can be had for five thousand dollars, sometimes less. Conover volunteered for a local group trying to prevent homelessness during the bitter winters. He encountered an unexpected diversity: veterans with PTSD, families homeschooling, addicts young and old, gay people, people of color, lovers of guns and marijuana, people with social anxiety—most of them spurning charity and aiming, and sometimes failing, to be self-sufficient. And more than a few predicting they'll be the last ones standing when society collapses. Conover bought his own five acres and immersed himself for parts of four years in the often contentious culture of the far margins. He found many who dislike the government but depend on its subsidies; who love their space but nevertheless find themselves in each other's business; who are generous but wary of thieves; who endure squalor but appreciate beauty. In their struggles to survive and get along, they tell us about an America riven by difference where the edges speak more and more loudly to the mainstream. Ted Conover is the author of several books, including Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, and National Geographic. He is a professor at, and the former director of, New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Daniel Moran earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found at https://fifteenminutefilm.podb... and on Twitter @15MinFilm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/geography

Today I talked to Ted Conover, author of Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America's Edge (Knopf, 2022) In May 2017, Conover went to Colorado to explore firsthand a rural way of life that is about living cheaply, on your own land—and keeping clear of the mainstream. The failed subdivisions of the enormous San Luis Valley make this possible. Five-acre lots on the high prairie can be had for five thousand dollars, sometimes less. Conover volunteered for a local group trying to prevent homelessness during the bitter winters. He encountered an unexpected diversity: veterans with PTSD, families homeschooling, addicts young and old, gay people, people of color, lovers of guns and marijuana, people with social anxiety—most of them spurning charity and aiming, and sometimes failing, to be self-sufficient. And more than a few predicting they'll be the last ones standing when society collapses. Conover bought his own five acres and immersed himself for parts of four years in the often contentious culture of the far margins. He found many who dislike the government but depend on its subsidies; who love their space but nevertheless find themselves in each other's business; who are generous but wary of thieves; who endure squalor but appreciate beauty. In their struggles to survive and get along, they tell us about an America riven by difference where the edges speak more and more loudly to the mainstream. Ted Conover is the author of several books, including Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, and National Geographic. He is a professor at, and the former director of, New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Daniel Moran earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found at https://fifteenminutefilm.podb... and on Twitter @15MinFilm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-west

Today I talked to Ted Conover, author of Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America's Edge (Knopf, 2022) In May 2017, Conover went to Colorado to explore firsthand a rural way of life that is about living cheaply, on your own land—and keeping clear of the mainstream. The failed subdivisions of the enormous San Luis Valley make this possible. Five-acre lots on the high prairie can be had for five thousand dollars, sometimes less. Conover volunteered for a local group trying to prevent homelessness during the bitter winters. He encountered an unexpected diversity: veterans with PTSD, families homeschooling, addicts young and old, gay people, people of color, lovers of guns and marijuana, people with social anxiety—most of them spurning charity and aiming, and sometimes failing, to be self-sufficient. And more than a few predicting they'll be the last ones standing when society collapses. Conover bought his own five acres and immersed himself for parts of four years in the often contentious culture of the far margins. He found many who dislike the government but depend on its subsidies; who love their space but nevertheless find themselves in each other's business; who are generous but wary of thieves; who endure squalor but appreciate beauty. In their struggles to survive and get along, they tell us about an America riven by difference where the edges speak more and more loudly to the mainstream. Ted Conover is the author of several books, including Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, and National Geographic. He is a professor at, and the former director of, New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Daniel Moran earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found at https://fifteenminutefilm.podb... and on Twitter @15MinFilm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I talked to Ted Conover, author of Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America's Edge (Knopf, 2022) In May 2017, Conover went to Colorado to explore firsthand a rural way of life that is about living cheaply, on your own land—and keeping clear of the mainstream. The failed subdivisions of the enormous San Luis Valley make this possible. Five-acre lots on the high prairie can be had for five thousand dollars, sometimes less. Conover volunteered for a local group trying to prevent homelessness during the bitter winters. He encountered an unexpected diversity: veterans with PTSD, families homeschooling, addicts young and old, gay people, people of color, lovers of guns and marijuana, people with social anxiety—most of them spurning charity and aiming, and sometimes failing, to be self-sufficient. And more than a few predicting they'll be the last ones standing when society collapses. Conover bought his own five acres and immersed himself for parts of four years in the often contentious culture of the far margins. He found many who dislike the government but depend on its subsidies; who love their space but nevertheless find themselves in each other's business; who are generous but wary of thieves; who endure squalor but appreciate beauty. In their struggles to survive and get along, they tell us about an America riven by difference where the edges speak more and more loudly to the mainstream. Ted Conover is the author of several books, including Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, and National Geographic. He is a professor at, and the former director of, New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Daniel Moran earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found at https://fifteenminutefilm.podb... and on Twitter @15MinFilm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

Author Ted Conover speaks more about living in the San Luis Valley in Colorado. Ted joined the Radio Bookclub for a conversation in front of a live audience at the Boulder Bookstore on November 2. In this podcast-only episode of […]

The November selection for the Radio Bookclub is Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America’s Edge, by Ted Conover. In May 2017, best-selling author and immersive journalist Ted Conover went to Colorado to explore firsthand a rural way of life that […]

In Colorado's San Luis Valley, five-acre lots of land go for less than $5,000, but protection against marauding cattle, blistering winds, and distrustful neighbors isn't included. In 2017, Ted Conover began spending part of the year on the high prairie, volunteering with a local organization called La Puente, which tries to keep valley residents from falling into homelessness during the cold Colorado winters. Soon enough, Conover—who has previously explored the lives of prison guards, railroad tramps, and Mexican migrants—bought a parcel of land and immersed himself in life on this margin of society, where contradiction and conspiracy theories thrive. His new book, Cheap Land Colorado, is a window into a world that is too often overlooked.Go beyond the episode:Ted Conover's Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America's EdgeRead “The Last Frontier,” Conover's 2019 essay about the beginning of his experienceOur Autumn 2022 cover story explored another American margin: the wild ginseng hunters of AppalachiaTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.Subscribe: iTunes • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you'd like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Our theme music was composed by Nathan Prillaman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today - Reporter Kevin Simpson talks with Author Ted Conover about his new book, “Cheap Land Colorado”: Choosing life off the grid in the San Luis Valley. The two discuss why we need to understand the isolated subculture of the Valley's “flats” in a time of political extremes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, meet writer and journalist Ted Conover, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences Aric Prather, and writer and podcaster Kristen Helmstetter. Listen in as these authors describe what inspired them to write their books, and what it was like for them to record in the audiobook studio. Cheap Land Colorado by Ted Conover https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/573452/cheap-land-colorado/ The Sleep Prescription by Dr. Aric Prather https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/671991/the-sleep-prescription/ Coffee Self-Talk by Kristen Helmstetter https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/722736/coffee-self-talk/

Ted Conover's IMMERSION: A WRITER'S GUIDE TO GOING DEEP shares the how-to's of his trade that he had to learn the hard way. How to get in, how to be ethical, and how to avoid being Googled are just a few of his topics he discusses. Ted has ridden the rails with hoboes, crossed the border with Mexican immigrants, and butchered beef in a meat-packing plant in Nebraska. His day job is teaching at New York University. He is also the author of five other books and numerous articles published in The New Yorker, Harper's and The Atlantic, among many others. Perhaps his best-known book is “Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing,” an account of his ten months spent working as a corrections officer at New York's Sing Sing Prison. This conversation with Ted Conover took place several years ago. His newest book, Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America's Edge, will be released later this year. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/booktalk-diana-korte/message

In the first episode of The Shelves of Yore, Adult Programs Coordinator Janet Forest and Reference Library Associate Jim Borzilleri take you back to the year 1841 when the Nantucket Atheneum was a members-only institution and the island was prospering at the height of the whaling industry. Jim explains the significance of the 1841 library catalogue created by the first head librarian Maria Mitchell, and Janet asks Jim about one of the items in the catalogue: Democracy in America by Alexis De Tocqueville.This Shelves of Yore is a production of the Nantucket Atheneum. It was written, narrated, and edited by Janet Forest and researched by Jim Borzilleri  References and Resources:The Nantucket Atheneum: A History by Betsy Tyler.  Available to borrow at the library.What is a panopticon? And what does it have to do with Alexis De Tocqueville?The panopticon was the brainchild of English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century. It is a building design that allows a single prison guard to see and control all the inmates, while all the inmates cannot see each other or the security guard. The theory was that if criminals were isolated and left alone with their thoughts and knowing they are under constant surveillance, they will reform their bad behavior.Alexis De Tocqueville and his colleague Gustave de Beaumont were sent to United States by the French crown observe and report back on the American penitentiary system. Among other places they visited the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philidelphia that was built in 1829 by the Quakers and had many of the characteristics of Bentham's vision of panopticon.Click here for an image of Jeremy Bentham's panopticon. For more information about how the panopticon still influences our prison system, check out Ted Conover's Vanity Fair 2015 article “Guantanamo Bay Solitary Confinement”The Nantucket Atheneum is located at 1 India Street in Nantucket, Massachusetts.Visit us online at www.nantucketatheneum.org

Ride the rails and guard the infamous Sing Sing prison with Ted Conover, author of six books, most recently Immersion: A Writer’s Guide to Going Deep. Conover sits down with Tim Denevi in this edition of the Creative Writing Program's Visiting Writers series. Find out more at https://creativewriting.gmu.edu/

Author / Journalist / Professor TED CONOVER talks about his 2000 award winning book Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing and recounts his experience with the New York State correctional system by becoming a correctional officer for nearly a year.

Journalist Ted Conover joins Adam to talk about his experience becoming a prison guard to report on Sing Sing Prison, and how his unique form of immersion can help develop empathy in his audience and encourage real change. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Guest speakers include Kathleen Cagney, Barry Eichengreen, Bryan Caplan, Jonathan Haidt, John Birge, Ted Conover, Barry Latzer, Jonathan Bean, and Michael Tollin.

Steve and Corey talk to Ted about his article for the August issue of Harper's Magazine, “The Last Frontier”. Ted describes how Trump's election led him to seek out his new project on people living off the grid in Colorado's San Luis Valley (“Appalachia without the Trees”). The three discuss how immigration has changed since he wrote Coyotes in 1987. Ted explains how working as a prison guard in Sing Sing led to the uncomfortable realization that he was getting comfortable with unnecessary violence and offers advice to young people seeking to write interesting stories in the new media landscape.Resources Transcript Ted Conover The Last Frontier: Homesteaders on the margins of America Coyotes: A Journey Through the Secret World of America's Illegal Aliens Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing Rolling Nowhere: Riding the Rails with America's Hoboes

Steve and Corey talk to Ted about his article for the August issue of Harper's Magazine, “The Last Frontier”. Ted describes how Trump's election led him to seek out his new project on people living off the grid in Colorado's San Luis Valley (“Appalachia without the Trees”). The three discuss how immigration has changed since he wrote Coyotes in 1987. Ted explains how working as a prison guard in Sing Sing led to the uncomfortable realization that he was getting comfortable with unnecessary violence and offers advice to young people seeking to write interesting stories in the new media landscape.Resources Transcript Ted Conover The Last Frontier: Homesteaders on the margins of America Coyotes: A Journey Through the Secret World of America's Illegal Aliens Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing Rolling Nowhere: Riding the Rails with America's Hoboes

Steve and Corey talk to Ted about his article for the August issue of Harper’s Magazine, “The Last Frontier”. Ted describes how Trump’s election led him to seek out his new project on people living off the grid in Colorado’s San Luis Valley (“Appalachia without the Trees”). The three discuss how immigration has changed since he wrote Coyotes in 1987. Ted explains how working as a prison guard in Sing Sing led to the uncomfortable realization that he was getting comfortable with unnecessary violence and offers advice to young people seeking to write interesting stories in the new media landscape.

The American West has historically attracted defiant, self-sufficient people who are suspicious both of being asked for and of receiving help. In our August cover story, Ted Conover describes the months he spent among a modern crop of homesteaders in Colorado's San Luis Valley, who have chosen to live off the grid with their guns, marijuana, and solar panels. Following Matt Little, a homesteader who's also a case manager for a nonprofit that provides assistance to many of these fiercely independent souls, Conover documents how he and other homesteaders carve out an existence. This part of the West, where BLM stands not for Black Lives Matter but for the Bureau of Land Management, is not famously diverse, but Conover's reportage reveals the wide array of sensibilities, lifestyles, and identities that coexist on these swaths of prairie. In this episode, Conover, an author and journalist who has gone undercover in slaughterhouses and penitentiaries, talks to web editor Violet Lucca about medical deserts, bartering with homegrown marijuana, and the second season of Deadwood. This episode was produced by Violet Lucca and Andrew Blevins.

In this hour, we're on the move Three stories from the road, rail, and the sky. Hosted by Catherine Burns, The Moth's Artistic Director. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media. Storytellers: Belal Mobarak, Ted Conover, and Rosanne Cash. Sponsored by: www.rocketmortgage.com/Moth www.squarespace.com/Moth www.ziprecruiter.com/Moth To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tina Brown, the former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, is the founder of Women in the World. Her latest book is The Vanity Fair Diaries. “I believed that my bravado had no limit, if you know what I mean. I see limits now, let’s put it that way. I do see limits. But you know, I’m still pretty reckless when I want something. That’s why I don’t tweet much. I’ll say something that will just cause me too much trouble.” Thanks to MailChimp and Squarespace for sponsoring this week's episode. @TinaBrownLM [00:00] Longform Best of 2017 [03:00] Vanity Fair Diaries (Henry Holt and Co. • 2014) [05:35] Tatler [12:00] "Darkness Visible" (William Styron • Vanity Fair • Dec 1989) [14:40] "Guarding Sing Sing" (Ted Conover • New Yorker • April 2000) [14:40] Longform Podcast #38 Ted Conover [16:00] "Dominick Dunne on His Daughter’s Murder" (Dominick Dunne • Vanity Fair • March 1984) [28:10] "10 Years Ago, an Omen No One Saw" (David Carr • New York Times • Aug 2009) [31:50] The Diana Chronicles (Anchor • 2007) [38:40] "Bruna Papandrea Options Tina Brown’s ‘Vanity Fair Diaries’ For Limited TV Series" (Nellie Andreeva • Deadline • Sept 2017) [41:43] Women in the World  

For episode 77, I welcome Blaire Briody, that's @blairebriody on Twitter. She is a freelance journalist who has written for The New York Times, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Fast Company, Glamour, among others. Her first nonfiction book, The New Wild West: Black Gold, Fracking, and Life in a North Dakota Boomtown. The book was the 2016 finalist for the Lukas Work-in-Progress Award from Columbia Journalism School and Harvard University, and she received the Richard J. Margolis Award for social justice journalism in 2014.  Blaire won Proximity Magazine's second annual narrative journalism prize for her piece “It Takes a Boom,” which chronicles Cindy Marchello, the lone woman in the vast fracking sites in North Dakota. Ted Conover, author of several books and immersion journalist of the highest order, judged the contest, you can also hear him back on Ep. 50 of The Creative Nonfictoin Podcast, and here's what he had to say about Blaire's gold-medal piece: "This vivid portrait of a woman trying to work oil fields during the fracking boom rings totally true—we seldom meet people like Cindy Marchello in narrative journalism, but I don't doubt for a second they're here. I love the frankness and the matter-of-factness. Both Blaire Briody and her subject won my heart, and admiration." Nice… Speaking of being thankful, reviews and ratings have been flowing in and I want to extend a big, big thanks to those who are doing that and taking advantage of my editing offer as a result. What's this? In exchange for an HONEST—it doesn't have to be a good one, just an honest one—review on iTunes, I'm offering an hour of my time to work with you on a piece of writing. All you have to do is leave your review and when it posts, email me a screenshot of it. As long it's postmarked any time between Nov. 2017 and the end of Dec. 2017, the offer stands. Reviews are the new currency and your help will go a long way toward building the community this podcast sets out to make, to empower others to pick up the pen or the camera or the microphone and do work that scratches that creative itch. Okay…now what? The first half of this interview had to be completely cut out. Why? There were some nasty internet gremlins wreaking all kinds of havoc with our connection. It sounded like an old, old Apple computer chugging in the background with some heavy thumps thrown in, maybe an aquarium's aerator. I mean, it was weird, but more than that it was extremely distracting, so instead of putting you through that, fair listener, I'm going to sum up that first part of the interview in a few hundred words, then we'll get to the second half that I recorded through a different connection and that sounds just fine.

Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century (W.W. Norton & Company) In recent years, many Americans have had to face tough new realities in the midst of massive changes in the economy and a widening wealth gap. One particularly hard-hit demographic is senior citizens, a proportion of whom saw their stable middle-class lives disappear in the wake of the Great Recession and suddenly, in their retirement years, found themselves in need of a job in a new economy low on steady manufacturing and retail jobs and high on short-term seasonal labor. As a result, to survive they join an expanding group of modern nomads: men and women who have given up the stability—and costs—of a home life and have hit the road in RVs, campervans, and trailers. In Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, award-winning journalist Jessica Bruder delivers a comprehensive and compelling portrait of this set of fighters, idealists, and adventurers trying to carve out a peripatetic existence. “Millions of Americans are wrestling with the impossibility of a traditional middle-class existence,” writes Bruder. “In the widening gap between credits and debits hangs a question: What parts of this life are you willing to give up, so you can keep on living?” The answer, Bruder finds, can vary tremendously, but for those who abdicate thecomforts of home for life on the road, there is both risk and reward in the undertaking, as well as an affirming side effect: an eclectic community that comes together both online and in person to commiserate over the struggles of living on the road, to tell jokes and share puns (their vans get names like “Vansion,” “Van Go,” “DonoVan,” and “Vantucket”), and to support one another in their alternative lifestyles. They work for employers seeking them out for low-wage seasonal gigs, from picking fruit to staffing roadside stalls that sell Halloween pumpkins, Christmas trees, or Fourth of July fireworks; scrubbing toilets in National Forest campgrounds; guarding the gates of Texas oil fields and running the rides at theme parks. (Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa, made headlines last year after one workamper, a former pastor in his sixties, was killed in an on-the- job accident.) And some serve the community, by blogging or by arranging places to gather, organizing teach-ins and potluck meals. To write this affecting book, Bruder immersed herself in this diverse community, buying a van she dubbed “Halen” and driving more than 15,000 miles over the course of two years, meeting modern nomads. She worked alongside them in Amazon’s CamperForce team of low-wage, seasonal workers at the company’s fulfillment centers and at the grueling annual sugar beet harvest in North Dakota. And she followed them through stints of precarious employment in national parks, where they served as campground custodians in exchange for a place to park their houses-on- wheels and a near-minimum wage. As Bruder discovers, much of the population of Nomadland is made up of resourceful Americans with a strong spirit of independence, and many of them are single women, as well as senior citizens, reflecting some of the hardest-hit members of the middle class. They gather in places like Quartzsite, Arizona, where the land is vast and available, and the local authorities are generally tolerant of long-term campers and their vehicles. But these modern nomads can also be found living in Walmart parking lots, and even on city streets, hoping that no police officer will come knocking. On her travels Bruder meets a fascinating collective of colorful itinerants, people like Linda, a 65-year- old grandmother who lives in a trailer called “the Squeeze Inn,” and LaVonne, a 67-year- old former journalist who “found her people” among the nomads, “a ragtag bunch of misfits who surrounded me with love and acceptance.” They all have a story, a clear reason for their transition from middle-class lives to the open road, for living out of a traveling box, for driving and working and persevering in a permanent state of flux in a world where homelessness is frowned upon, if not actually considered criminal behavior. Elegantly crafted and compassionate in its approach, Nomadland is a singular work of in-depth narrative journalism, a view from the inside of the new American heartland—a land without a physical center, scattered across the country, in nearly constant motion. Praise for Nomadland “What photographer Jacob Riis did for the tenement poor in How the Other Half Lives (1890) and what novelist Upton Sinclair did for stockyard workers in The Jungle (1906), journalist Bruder now does for a segment of today’s older Americans forced to eke out a living as migrant workers. . . . [A] powerhouse of a book. . . . Visceral and haunting reporting.”—Booklist, STARRED review “Excellent. . . . Engaging, highly relevant immersion journalism.”—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review “A must-read that is simultaneously hopeless and uplifting and certainly unforgettable.”—Library Journal, STARRED review “Tracing individuals throughout their journeys from coast to coast, Bruder conveys the phenomenon’s human element, making this sociological study intimate, personal, and entertaining, even as the author critiques the economic factors behind the trend.”—Publishers Weekly “People who thought the 2008 financial collapse was over a long time ago need to meet the people Jessica Bruder got to know in this scorching, beautifully written, vivid, disturbing (and occasionally wryly funny) book. Nomadland is a testament both to the generosity and creativity of the victims of our modern-medieval economy, hidden in plain sight, and to the blunt-end brutality that put them there. Is this the best the wealthiest nation on earth can do for those who’ve already done so much?”—Rebecca Solnit, author of The Mother of All Questions “In the early twentieth century, men used to ride the rails in search of work, sharing camps at night. Today, as Bruder brilliantly reports, we have a new class of nomadic workers who travel in their RVs from one short-term job to another. There’s a lot to cringe at here—from low pay and physically exhausting work to constant insecurity. But surprisingly, Nomadland also offers its residents much-needed camaraderie and adventure, which makes this book a joy to read.”—Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed “The campsite as the home of last resort, the RV used not for vacation but for survival: these are the makings of a new dystopia. Nomadland is a smart road book for the new economy, full of conviviality and dark portent.”—Ted Conover, author of Rolling Nowhere and Immersion Jessica Bruder is an award-winning journalist whose work focuses on subcultures and the dark corners of the economy. She teaches at the Columbia School of Journalism and is the author of Burning Book.

For the 50th episode of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, we had to go big and that's what we did. Ted Conover, author of so many books (Rolling Nowhere, Coyotes, Newjack) including his latest "Immersion: A Writer's Guide to Going Deep," joined me to talk about why he wrote the book and how he has employed those tactics for the past 40 years. "The research you do is determinative, right?" Conover says. "It defines what you're going to be able to write in many ways." Thanks for listening. Please share, subscribe, and leave a review on iTunes.

Ted Conover is an American journalist and author, known for fully immersing himself in the world of the subjects he covers. Conover writes about the people we understand the least by attempting to live their lives. Whether he’s riding freight trains with the homeless or navigating the ethical pitfalls of being a prison guard, he walks a mile in their shoes so we don’t have to. His newest book is Immersion: A Writer’s Guide to Going Deep, and in this week’s episode of Point of Inquiry, Conover discloses to host Lindsay Beyerstein what some of the most difficult moments of his immersion-journalism career have been, and reveals some of the tricks of the trade for getting close to your subjects without losing yourself in the process.

A man vows to help his fellow ex-inmate, and a man pays a price for the tough attitude he develops as a corrections officer. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bonus Snippet | Ted Conover on Guantánamo's Female Guards by Off Assignment

Pulitzer Prize finalist Ted Conover (Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing) talks to OA intern Sarah Holder about reporting at the world's most infamous detention facility: Guantánamo Bay.

Bonus Snippet | Ted Conover on Guantánamo Cancer Allegations by Off Assignment

The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine (Penguin Press) From an award-winning journalist, a brave and necessary immersion into the everyday struggles of Palestinian life. Over the past three years, American writer Ben Ehrenreich has been traveling to and living in the West Bank, staying with Palestinian families in its largest cities and its smallest villages. Along the way he has written major stories for American outlets, including a remarkable "New York Times Magazine" cover story. Now comes the powerful new work that has always been his ultimate goal, The Way to the Spring.  We are familiar with brave journalists who travel to bleak or war-torn places on a mission to listen and understand, to gather the stories of people suffering from extremes of oppression and want: Katherine Boo, Ryszard Kapuciski, Ted Conover, and Philip Gourevitch among them. Palestine is, by any measure, whatever one's politics, one such place. Ruled by the Israeli military, set upon and harassed constantly by Israeli settlers who admit unapologetically to wanting to drive them from the land, forced to negotiate an ever more elaborate and more suffocating series of fences, checkpoints, and barriers that have sundered home from field, home from home, this is a population whose living conditions are unique, and indeed hard to imagine. In a great act of bravery, empathy and understanding, Ben Ehrenreich, by placing us in the footsteps of ordinary Palestinians and telling their story with surpassing literary power and grace, makes it impossible for us to turn away. Praise for The Way to the Spring "Ben Ehrenreich's rendition of the Palestinian experience is powerful, deep and heartbreaking, so much closer to the ground than the Middle East reporting we usually see. I wish there were more writers as brave."--Adam Hochschild "As heart-breaking as it is, The Way to the Spring is also a strangely joyful book, because Ehrenreich grasps the essence of the Palestinian struggle: not Islam, or even nationalism, but the stubborn refusal of injustice, the restless search for how it would feel to be free, as Nina Simone said. The Way to the Spring is more than a work of journalism. It is a freedom song, burning with humanity."--Adam Shatz Ben Ehrenreich is a journalist whose writing has appeared in LA Weekly, the Village Voice, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times Book Review, and many other publications. He lives in Los Angeles. 

Ted Conover: Letter to a Stranger - To the Shaken Traveler by Off Assignment

A special holiday edition of The Moth Radio Hour: A family tradition endures community-wide scandal, a single woman tries to find her soulmate for Hanukkah, a daughter honors her mother's last Christmas wish, a guard works New Year's Eve at Sing Sing prison, and the holiday spirit fills an emergency room. Storytellers: Tricia Rose Burt, Amy Klein, Alexandra Rosas, Ted Conover, and Matthew Dicks. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on CrossCurrents - Lara Beaulieu of English in Action and writer/speaker Ted Conover. English in Action is celebrating 20 years with a party at the Wyly on February 26th. About English in Action: Most of us have experienced the intense frustration of not being able to express ourselves adequately. For Roaring Fork Valley residents who speak little or no English this is a daily (and often debilitating) experience. English In Action was founded 20 years ago to bridge the communication gap. Our mission is to strengthen the quality of life for everyone in our community by helping adults learn to read, write and speak English and by building cross-cultural relationships. We do this through one-on-one tutoring, weekly drop-in classes and specialized workshops designed to help students overcome obstacles to learning English. As a result of these programs, our adult students are better able to obtain jobs, get medical help when their children are sick, support their kids in school, more effectively manage their daily lives, and become more engaged members of our community. While learning English is the foundation of our tutoring program, we are proud to report that our students and volunteer tutors often develop deep and enduring friendships. Breaking down cultural barriers is no small feat, but the benefits of nurturing a more integrated, harmonious community––one in which everyone has a voice––are immeasurable. To learn more about CrossCurrents: aspenpublicradio.org/programs/crosscurrents

What goes into meat inspection? Find out on another informative episode of “What Doesn’t Kill You”, as Katy Keiffer chats with Ted Conover, the author of five books, most recently The Routes of Man, about roads, and Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, an account of his ten months spent working as a corrections officer at New York’s Sing Sing Prison. Newjack won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2001 and was finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His other books are Whiteout: Lost in Aspen, Coyotes: A Journey Across Borders With America’s Illegal Migrants, ( and Rolling Nowhere: Riding the Rails With America’s Hoboes. In recent years he has taught at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and the University of Oregon. He contributes to publications including The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Geographic, Virginia Quarterly Review, and many others. Most recently he published “The Way of All Flesh”, the cover story for this months Harpers Magazine about working as a USDA inspector in a meatpacking plant in Nebraska. This program was sponsored by Tabard Inn. “They need inspectors at lots of small town slaughterhouses – these spots are not always easy to fill.” [03:00] “The machinery is all about the interface between industry and life.” [15:00] “The abscesses begin when the cattle’s diet changes from grass. The bacteria that results from that makes ulcers in the cattle’s stomachs and livers. The antibiotic is used to control those abscesses.” [16:00] –author/journalist Ted Conover on What Doesn’t Kill You

What goes into meat inspection? Find out on another informative episode of “What Doesn’t Kill You”, as Katy Keiffer chats with Ted Conover, the author of five books, most recently The Routes of Man, about roads, and Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, an account of his ten months spent working as a corrections officer at New York’s Sing Sing Prison. Newjack won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2001 and was finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His other books are Whiteout: Lost in Aspen, Coyotes: A Journey Across Borders With America’s Illegal Migrants, ( and Rolling Nowhere: Riding the Rails With America’s Hoboes. In recent years he has taught at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and the University of Oregon. He contributes to publications including The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Geographic, Virginia Quarterly Review, and many others. Most recently he published “The Way of All Flesh”, the cover story for this months Harpers Magazine about working as a USDA inspector in a meatpacking plant in Nebraska. This program was sponsored by Tabard Inn. “They need inspectors at lots of small town slaughterhouses – these spots are not always easy to fill.” [03:00] “The machinery is all about the interface between industry and life.” [15:00] “The abscesses begin when the cattle’s diet changes from grass. The bacteria that results from that makes ulcers in the cattle’s stomachs and livers. The antibiotic is used to control those abscesses.” [16:00] –author/journalist Ted Conover on What Doesn’t Kill You

Ted Conover, author of five books and the recent Harper's article "The Way of All Flesh." Show notes: tedconover.com Interview Transcript Personal Archive [1:00] "The Way of All Flesh" (Harper's • April 2013) [3:30] "Power Steer" (Michael Pollan • New York Times Magazine • March 2002) [15:00] Coyotes: A Journey Across Borders with America's Illegal Migrants (1987) [33:30] "Enter the Chicken" (Burkhard Bilger • Harper's • March 1999) [34:00] Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing (2000) [36:15] The Routes of Man: Travels in the Paved World (2011) [42:30] "A Snitch's Dilemma" (New York Times Magazine • July 2012) [49:00] Rolling Nowhere: Riding the Rails with America's Hoboes (1984)

Roads bind our world. The dense patchwork of an urban grid, looping and soaring city highways, long and straight country trails and narrow, curving mountain passes connect people everywhere with goods, knowledge, disease, and each other. Roads define the way we speak — our careers run in the fast lane; our integrity takes us on the high road; our fates follow paths less traveled — and underpin our stories. What tales do roads tell? Ted Conover, author of The Routes of Man: How Roads Are Changing the World and the Way We Live Today, visited Zócalo after traveling through Peru, India, China, Africa, and the Middle East to explain how roads shape our cultures and our lives.

While working as a prison guard in Sing Sing, Conover pays a price for the tough attitude he develops as a survival skill. Ted Conover’s new book, The Routes of Man: How Roads Are Changing the World and the Way We Live Today, will be released on February 9. His book Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. He is also the author of Rolling Nowhere; Coyotes: A Journey Across Borders with America's Mexican Migrants and Whiteout: Lost in Aspen. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An inmate's tattoo intrigues a prison guard. Ted Conover is a writer of narrative nonfiction best known for his work as an “immersion journalist”. His books include “NEWJACK: Guarding Sing Sing”, “Rolling Nowhere”, “Coyotes” and “Whiteout”. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices