Podcasts about usc bedrosian center

Frank Zerunyan, J.D. is a University of Southern California Professor in Governance and Leadership at the Sol Price School of Public Policy. He is also the Director of Executive Education at the USC Bedrosian Center on Governance and The Neely Center for Ethical Leadership. Frank shares his perspective on leadership and his personal story of resilience. 

Originally recorded for “The Bigger Picture” podcast by the USC Bedrosian Center with host Oliva Olson. Falling is the number one cause of injury and the seventh leading cause of death in adults ages 65 and older. In the newly published “Breaking Down Silos to Improve the Health of Older Adults,” Richard Green (Director, USC Lusk Center), Patricia Harris (MD and Geriatric Medicine Specialist, UCLA Health), and Anthony Orlando (Assistant Professor in the Finance, Real Estate, and Law Department, California State Polytechnic University and USC Bedrosian Center Faculty Affiliate) make the case for Medicare coverage of home safety renovations to minimize injurious falls. Olivia Olson speaks with the authors about their recent paper and the changes they hope to see in Medicare coverage.   The Bigger Picture:  https://bedrosian.usc.edu/category/bigpicture/   Lusk Perspectives:  https://lusk.usc.edu/perspectives

As follow up to our discussion of the film, Wind River, we are joined by partners in the Native Women in Film & Television organization. Native Women in Film & Television is  a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting equal opportunities for American Indian & Indigenous women, encouraging the creative narrative by native women, exploring and empowering portrayals of women in all forms of global media, expanding empowerment initiatives for native women and girls, in the arts, media, social justice, civic engagement, economic empowerment, research, training and international relations. We discuss why some organizations supporting Native Women find their struggle portrayed in Taylor Sheridan’s film. Why it resonates with many native women and how it might support the #WhyWeWearRed, #TimesUp, and #MeToo online movements to recognize trauma affecting millions of women. If you haven't seen the movie, beware, this podcast has spoilers. Host Jonathan Schwartz is joined by Chris Finley, Joanelle Romero, Michelle D. Schenandoah, and Lucy Simpson Find us on Twitter: @BedrosianCenter,  @NDNCinema,‏ @jonHLYP, @niwrc @MichelleSchena1 @USCDornsife For links and more, see the showpage.  The opinions of activists on this podcast are  expressed as those of the speakers individually, and do not necessarily reflect those of USC, the USC Bedrosian Center, or Price Video Services. This podcast is part of a series on Indigenous films in partnership with the Red Nation Celebration Institute, and the Red Nation Film Festival. It is brought to you by Price Video Services and USC Bedrosian Center, and continues ongoing efforts to bring policy and its impact into the public discourse. Sound supervision by the Brothers Hedden.

Wind River, written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, is the story of Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner), a wildlife officer who finds the body of an 18-year-old woman on an American Indian reservation in snowy Wyoming. Young FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) arrives to investigate. This Florida native must work with Lambert as a guide, to get to the bottom of why a young woman would run miles, barefoot, in the late night snow. Cory is also haunted by the death of his teen daughter just a few years prior to the opening of the film. He finds that must help Banner confront the violence young women face on the Wyoming reservation. If you haven't seen the movie, beware, this podcast has spoilers. Host Jonathan Schwartz is joined by Chris Finley, Aubrey Hicks, and David Washofsky. Find us on Twitter: @BedrosianCenter, @AubreyHi,  @NDNCinema, @USCSDA ‏ @USCCinema @jonHLYP For links and more, see the showpage. This podcast is part of a series on Indigenous films in partnership with the Red Nation Celebration Institute, and the Red Nation Film Festival. It is brought to you by Price Video Services and USC Bedrosian Center, and continues ongoing efforts to bring policy and its impact into the public discourse.  Sound supervision by the Brothers Hedden.

Our nerd quotient is rising with the discussion of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The latest installment of the Star Wars series brings with it controversy. How well does The Last Jedi fit into the Star Wars franchise? How does this new film show how culture has changed since the first film (A New Hope, 1977)? Our talented panel discuss these questions and more in their nerdy discussion of the continuing saga of Luke, Leia, Kylo, Rey, Poe, Finn, and new characters we meet along the way. How might our own biases distort the way we view the storytelling?  Find out the journey our panelists took, featuring host Erroll Southers and guests Alessandro Ago, Carla Della Gatta, and Lt. Col. Olivia Nelson. Let us know what you think of the film and our conversation at Facebook or Twitter. To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of Star Wars: The Last Jedi click the arrow in the player at the top of this post. Or download and subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play. Follow us on Twitter!   @BedrosianCenter, @esouthersHVE, @AlessandroAgo ‏, @CarlaDellaGatta  What to read/watch next … Planet of the Apes: 50th Anniversary Exhibit and Film Retrospective Interview with Rian Johnson @ USC  Interview with Rian Johnson @ USC - working with Carrie Fisher Interview with Rian Johnson @ USC - working with Mark Hamill How Star Wars was saved in the edit The Star Wars Holiday Special (Complete Movie) Tales from The Mos Eisley Cantina This podcast is sponsored by Price Video Services and USC Bedrosian Center, and continues ongoing efforts to bring policy and its impact into the public discourse. Special thanks to Dean Jack Knott, USC Price; Dean David Bridel, USC School of Dramatic Arts; and Dean Elizabeth Daley, USC Cinematic Arts for their support of this interdisciplinary conversation.  This podcast was produced by Aubrey Hicks and Jonathan Schwartz, recorded and mixed by The Brothers Hedden, Ryan & Corey Hedden.

In this episode, philanthropist Nicolas Berggruen shares his vision of a progressive, cooperative future where people and technology work together to build an inclusive, intelligent society. With “populists” speaking openly about returning to the past, we found someone who’s investing real money to look forward to make a better future. For links and more details, check out the showpage.

In this episode, Marlene Forte, Aubrey Hicks, Oliver Mayer, and John Sonego take a look at one of the more influential Spanish playwrights of the early 20th century: Federico García Lorca. We discuss theatre and politics, the staying power of Lorca's work, and a new adaptation of Yerma coming to LA theatre near you. Listen to a conversation about Latinas and the strength of female characters, sexuality, the politics of theatre, and why you should put your phone down and go see Yerma in the Desert today. Urban Theatre Movement in Residency at Greenway Court Theatre presents: Yerma in the Desert 11/17 – 12/16 By Oliver Mayer Based on YERMA by Federico García Lorca Directed by Edgar Landa & Marlene Forte For links and more check out the showpage.

Donna Spruijt-Metz, MFA, PhD, is the director of the USC mHealth Collaboratory at the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research. Donna researches ways of using smartphones and other Internet of Things platforms to take individuals' temporally dense, context-specific data, such as mood and eating behaviors, from individuals and devise just-in-time interventions to address obesity. “This is NOT to replace medicine or public health, and I'm not so sure if they're making it easier. We're here to make it better.” For more information and to find links to some of the things we talk about check out the showpage, https://bedrosian.usc.edu/lahashtags/health-fitness-data/

What becomes of a refugee when they’re no longer a refugee? We spend so much time talking about migration caps and vetting that we seem to ignore all the Americans living amongst us, trying to acclimate to their new country after the harrowing journey from their former homeland. Would it surprise you to learn that they start their new life in substantial debt? Or that they don’t have many of the basic items they need to live, let alone feel like a human being? Wouldn’t you like to know how you can help? In this episode, Miry Whitehill tells us the inspirational story of how she started helping these former refugee families—and how she created an easy way for you to help them too. She created MirysList.org. For links and further reading, check out the episode page here.

The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich is a true crime memoir. After encountering the child murderer Ricky Langley, Alexandria's desire to work as a lawyer to fight against the death penalty is up-ended. She spends several years investigating Ricky's story as a way to confront the story of her own child abuse. This is a deeply moving book, and a relatively easy read given the morose topic - a testament to the author's skill. Our conversation ranges from the effects of trauma on individuals and communities to the genre itself. If you haven't read it yet, beware that we assume you've read it, spoiler alert! Featuring Jeffery A. Jenkins (@jaj7d ‏), Lisa Schweitzer (@drschweitzer), Brettany K. Shannon (@brettanyshannon), and Deborah Winters Follow us on Twitter! @BedrosianCenter Special thanks to Flatiron Books for sending us review copies! To listen to the Bedrosian Book Club discussion of The Fact of a Body click the arrow in the player on this post. Or you can download it and subscribe through ApplePodcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play https://bedrosian.usc.edu/bookclub/the-fact-of-a-body

In Imperial County, just outside San Diego, 5.5 percent of teenage girls become pregnant every year. Twice the rate in the rest of California. Why is teen pregnancy so rampant here, when it’s been declining to record lows statewide? And why has it received so little attention? My guest solved both of these mysteries. What she found will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about women’s health care—and the politics that determine whether it’s accessible for all. In this episode, inspirational speaker and social work professor Melissa Bird brings us face-to-face with American women who form the very bedrock of their communities—and their incredible, invisible struggle to take care of themselves.

Hulu has adapted The Handmaid's Tale,  the classic novel by Margaret Atwood, into a 10 episode saga of life in the dystopia of Gilead. Gilead is a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States, ruled by a twisted Protestant fundamentalism in its ‘return to traditional values'. As one of the few remaining fertile women, Offred (played to much acclaim by Elisabeth Moss) is forced into sexual servitude as part of a caste of women called Handmaids. In this terrifying society, Offred must navigate between the men who rule with iron fists, the Commanders, as well as the deeply divided casts of women wealthy but bored Wives, domestic Marthas, and her fellow Handmaids. Her goal is to survive, and one day find the daughter that was taken from her. Warning: *spoilers!* Host Jonathan Schwartz is joined by three fierce women of USC to discuss the series' timeliness, its narrative of motherhood, the fear of religious fundamentalism, and the absence of a discussion on race. Featuring host Jonathan Schwartz and guests Ange-Marie Hancock Alfaro, Melinda C. Finberg, and Tara McPherson. Special thanks to Dean Jack Knott, USC Price; Dean David Bridel, USC School of Dramatic Arts; and Dean Elizabeth Daley, USC Cinematic Arts for their support of this interdisciplinary conversation. The Price Projection Room (PPR) features engaging conversations about film and television with interesting folks and USC experts from across disciplines (public policy, governance, theatre, and cinema) to look at visual storytelling, media literacy, diversity, and the public good.  Sponsored by: USC Price Video Services http://www.usc.edu/pvs USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu  Content Partners: USC School of Dramatic Arts https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/  USC School of Cinematic-Arts https://cinema.usc.edu  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu

Tom Nichols' The Death of Expertise is a broad look at the antipathy toward "experts" and "expertise" among the citizenry of contemporary United States. Nichols contends that this antipathy is dangerous for our democracy, that this distrust not only makes for unhealthy conversation but damages both political and public relationships with the very experts' guidance. We discuss the argument, the nature of expertise, the role of the academic in civic education, and the state of civics in general. Find out if we liked this book and who we think should read it. If you haven't read it yet, spoiler alert - we do assume you've read it! Featuring Richard Green (@keynesianr), Aubrey Hicks (@AubreyHi), Pamela Clouser McCann, and Jan Perry (@JanPerry) Anthony Orlando (@AnthonyWOrlando) Follow us on Twitter! @BedrosianCenter bedrosian.usc.edu

For our discussion of Hari Kunzru's White Tears, we return to the question can America overcome its sin of racism? Or will our collective inability to deal with the consequences of our actions win the day? White Tears is a genre bending look at white male hipster culture, a ghost story of untold American stories, a revenge tale, a dive into the depths of collectors of the Blues, a beautifully written story about friendship, greed, race, music, New York City, the South ... if you have not read this novel, beware - this podcast it mostly spoilers! We dive into the themes Kunzru explores in this complex novel, relish the strong prose, question the role of cultural memory and American identity. Featuring Ange-Marie Hancock Alfaro (@AngeMarieH), Aubrey Hicks (@AubreyHi), and David Sloane (@dcsloane53) Follow us on Twitter! @BedrosianCenter bedrosian.usc.edu

Housing is local, but money is global. What is the best way to allocate our resources toward housing affordability? How far are we from that goal? How do we even agree on what affordability means? In this episode, our resident housing finance expert Richard K. Green will walk us step-by-step through these winding routes we’ve constructed to access the American dream.

Can America overcome its sin of racism? If redemption of sin comes through repentance, can White America meet the demands necessary? Michael Eric Dyson's latest is a sermon for White Americans called Tears We Cannot Stop. We discuss the book, its format, and whether it goes far enough in terms of addressing these quite large questions and the implications behind them. Can America overcome its sin of racism?

Time and time again, we hear that we’re living in an “urban renaissance.” People are moving back into the cities, and cities are once again building the things that people want. But where should they go? In an age of congested freeways and greenhouse gas emissions, gentrification and concentrated poverty, suburban sprawl and all sorts of inequality, where is the best place to build, to live, to walk, and to shop? One answer has been touted to address all those problems: near public transit. In this episode, we define, describe, and debate “transit-oriented development” with Seva Rodnyansky. Mr. Rodnyansky is a Ph.D. candidate in public policy and management at USC Price.

Spoiler Alert! John Strand's The Originalist shines a light onto a polarizing Supreme Court Justice; Antonin Scalia. When a bright, liberal law school graduate embarks on a nerve-wracking clerkship with Justice Scalia, she discovers him to be both an infuriating sparring partner and an unexpected mentor. Listen as Jody David Armour, Oliver Mayer, Jon Sonego, and Jade Wheeler delve into the play and discuss about the politics of the characters, Originalism, civil rights, civic duty, and what it means to be an American. We seek to look at the line between complicity in oppression of others and the attempt to absolve the complicity by attempting to form personal relationships with the oppressed. Is there a line between a complex individual and a monster? Should you go out and see this play when it comes to town?

Looking at academia as microcosm of society at large, we find many Americans can get something from this conversation on the difference between love of wisdom and the need to know (control). What might happen if we gave ourselves time (and permission) to understand and learn, rather than, or in addition to, acquire more and more skills? Is slowness the nature of wisdom?   Inspired by the article, “In Praise of Slowness,” in Los Angeles Review of Books, we discuss two books on the idea of slowness in scholarship : The Slow Professor by Maggie Berg and Barbara K. Seeber and Slow Philosophy by Michelle Boulous Walker.   For links and further reading: bedrosian.usc.edu/bookclub/slow-philosophy

If you live in a major city, you probably know that the rent is “too damn high.” What if the city’s rental affordability crisis were in your hands? Would you do something about it? We think you might, and that’s why you’ll want to hear from the one renter who’s taking on big-city politics and showing us all how it’s done.   In this episode, we get down to the grassroots of housing advocacy with Sonja Trauss.

Wonder Woman is finally on the big screen! Raised on an island secluded from the world, Diana trained harder than any Amazon before her. Taught that the world of man was corrupted by Ares, the God of War, Diana sees an opportunity to kill Ares and set the world right after a pilot crashes on the island. She journeys into the world of man, accompanying Steve Trevor into the "war to end all wars." Soon, Diana learns that humankind is more complicated than the myths she knew. After dozens of superhero films, has director Patty Jenkins revitalized the DC universe with this superheroine? Amid all the "rep-sweats," did the film do justice to this classic comic heroine? Why is this film so important? What do we think of the women-only showings at Alamo Drafthouse? Did we enjoy this film? Warning: *spoilers!* Featuring Lt. Colonel Olivia Nelson, Carla Della Gatta, Tara McPherson, and Erroll Southers Special thanks to Dean Jack Knott, USC Price; Dean David Bridel, USC School of Dramatic Arts; and Dean Elizabeth Daley, USC Cinematic Arts for their support of this interdisciplinary conversation. The Price Projection Room (PPR) features engaging conversations about film and television with interesting folks and USC experts from across disciplines (public policy, governance, theatre, and cinema) to look at visual storytelling, media literacy, diversity, and the public good.  Sponsored by: USC Price Video Services http://www.usc.edu/pvs USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu  Content Partners: USC School of Dramatic Arts https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/  USC School of Cinematic-Arts https://cinema.usc.edu  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu

The narrator of Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist may be unreliable as he tells his American experience before and after 9/11 with an unknown American dinner guest, but we wonder if he is any more unreliable than the voice inside all of us. We discuss the East/West conflict, the relationship between fundamentalism and nostalgia, the narrator's reluctance and fundamentalism, the narrator's love of America and Erica, as well as puzzle over the ending as we delve into this deep and short novel. Featuring Caroline Bhalla, Raphael Bostic, Aubrey Hicks, and Lisa Schweitzer

They say we live in the Information Age, but more and more, it feels like the public understands less and less about what really matters. How should you invest your money in a volatile economy? How should you vote when you don’t like your choices? The information is out there, but often it’s manipulated, spun, and diverted from your attention. The more information we have, it seems, the more education we need to understand it. That’s why, according to Paul Haaga, good financial advice and good journalism have never been more valuable. In this episode, he gives us an ample share of both. Mr. Haaga is the retired chairman of the board of Capital Research and Management Company. He is a member of the board of directors of National Public Radio, where he previously served as President and CEO. Prior to those roles, he was a partner in the law firm of Dechert Price & Rhoads, and before that, he was a senior attorney for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He currently serves as a trustee of Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Georgetown Preparatory School, the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, where he is Chairman of the Board.

This crowd pleasing film centers on the overlooked stories of women of color whose mathematical work contributed to NASA's first successful launch of a human being into orbit during the space race of the 1960s. We discuss how the film both illustrated the racial divide in America while showcasing the work & struggle of African American women. Though we all have some criticism of the work, in the end it may be the telling of a story we never knew and it's representation of strong, smart black women that matters most. Hidden Figures is directed byTheodore Melfi and stars the dream team of Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe among many others - including Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, and Mahershala Ali. Warning: *spoilers!* Featuring Alessandro Ago, Lt. Colonel Olivia Nelson, Anita Dashiell-Sparks, and Erroll Southers Special thanks to Dean Jack Knott, USC Price; Dean David Bridel, USC School of Dramatic Arts; and Dean Elizabeth Daley, USC Cinematic Arts for their support of this interdisciplinary conversation. The Price Projection Room (PPR) features engaging conversations about film and television with interesting folks and USC experts from across disciplines (public policy, governance, theatre, and cinema) to look at visual storytelling, media literacy, diversity, and the public good.  Sponsored by: USC Price Video Services http://www.usc.edu/pvs USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu  Content Partners: USC School of Dramatic Arts https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/  USC School of Cinematic-Arts https://cinema.usc.edu  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

In part 2 of our discussion of Cop in the Hood by Peter Moskos, we discuss the notion of discretion in the legal system - by police all the way to prosecutors & parole/probation boards. We think about discrimination in enforcement made possible by discretion. We think about conflicts of interest in investigations of police misconduct. How should we move forward?

Our inaugural episode of the Policy at the Playhouse podcast features a discussion the Latino Theater Company’s production of Rules of Seconds at the Los Angeles Theatre Center – presented in association with The Temblors. Set in Boston around 1855, the play, written by John Pollono, centers on a confrontation between a wealthy business man and a young man, resulting in weapons drawn at dawn.  In our discussion of the world premiere of John Pollono's Rules of Seconds, we discuss how a period piece can and should reflect the present, how growing up in Boston brought aspects of toxic masculinity to the forefront of John's thinking about the world and how he explores those issues in his writing. We touch on many themes in this conversation about the play, including gender norms, immigration, the role of rules in civil society, and the notion of blind allegiance to those rules/norms. Can breaking rules be the better option?  Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Check out our other podcasts at: http://bedrosian.usc.edu/podcasts/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu/ 

This film has sparked controversy on its casting choices, with many critics claiming another instance of Hollywood whitewashing due to film’s Japanese manga. We discuss the nature of remakes, the whitewashing controversy, whether the film adds to the Ghost world, and Scarlett Johansson. The futuristic sci-fi film Ghost in the Shell is directed by Rupert Sanders and based on the acclaimed Japanese Manga of the same name, written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. It takes place in a futuristic alternate reality and follows a cyber-enhanced super soldier as she searches for a hacker as part of an anti-terrorism squad. The film stars Scarlett Johansson as Major, the first of her kind, human brain (ghost) encapsulated in an entirely cybernetic / synthetic body (shell). In a world where terrorism has reached new levels, the film offers an interesting view of a potential evolutionary path for humans – where the lines between technology and biology are blurred almost beyond recognition, with the very question of what makes someone human at stake. Is Ghost in the Shell the perfect conversation starter for the cultural moment? Warning: *spoilers!* Featuring Alessandro Ago, Meiling Cheng, Jonathan Schwartz, Aubrey Hicks, and Erroll Southers Special thanks to Dean Jack Knott, USC Price; Dean David Bridel, USC School of Dramatic Arts; and Dean Elizabeth Daley, USC Cinematic Arts for their support of this interdisciplinary conversation. The Price Projection Room (PPR) features engaging conversations about film and television with interesting folks and USC experts from across disciplines (public policy, governance, theatre, and cinema) to look at visual storytelling, media literacy, diversity, and the public good.  Sponsored by: USC Price Video Services http://www.usc.edu/pvs USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu  Content Partners: USC School of Dramatic Arts https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/  USC School of Cinematic-Arts https://cinema.usc.edu  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

Our second episode of the Price Projection Room features a discussion of the poignant horror film Get Out, written and directed by Jordan Peele (MADTV, Key and Peele, and Keanu). Get Out follows a young African-American photographer on a visit to his white girlfriend's parents' home. The tag line sums up the deep horror of the film, "Just because you're invited, doesn't mean you're welcome." In modifying the horror genre to service social commentary on race, but still staying within the conventions of the horror genre, the film is simultaneously funny, relevant, and scary. The film has sparked conversations (and even a viral challenge) throughout the country. Warning: *spoilers!* Featuring Alessandro Ago, Carla Della Gatta, Aubrey Hicks, and Erroll Southers Special thanks to Dean Jack Knott, USC Price; Dean David Bridel, USC School of Dramatic Arts; and Dean Elizabeth Daley, USC Cinematic Arts for their support of this interdisciplinary conversation. The Price Projection Room (PPR) features engaging conversations about film and television with interesting folks and USC experts from across disciplines (public policy, governance, theatre, and cinema) to look at visual storytelling, media literacy, diversity, and the public good.  Sponsored by: USC Price Video Services http://www.usc.edu/pvs USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu  Content Partners: USC School of Dramatic Arts https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/  USC School of Cinematic-Arts https://cinema.usc.edu  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

Our inaugural episode of the Price Projection Room podcast features a lively discussion of the film adaptation of August Wilson's Fences, directed by Denzel Washington. Fences is part of Wilson's series of ten plays, all set in Pittsburgh depicting different decades of African American life in the city, The Pittsburgh Cycle. Fences is set in the 1950’s, and its universal themes of generational, working class, and familial struggle make its setting in time seem unimportant. The film is directed by and stars Denzel Washington, along with Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson and Saniyya Sidney. Washington plays Troy Maxson, a former baseball player whose career in sports was cut short with a stint in prison for murder. Years later, bitter for a career lost, he stands to oppose his youngest son's desire to play football. While Tory struggles to find himself amidst the duties of family and work, the audience begins to see that each character faces the same grapples with the same interior dilemmas. This family drama focuses on themes of race, racism, duty, class, black life in America, and masculinity. For a summary of the film and its themes, check out the review on the Roger Ebert site. Warning: *spoilers!* Featuring Gregg T. Daniel, Ange-Marie Hancock, Jonathan Schwartz, and Erroll Southers Special thanks to Dean Jack Knott, USC Price; Dean David Bridel, USC School of Dramatic Arts; and Dean Elizabeth Daley, USC Cinematic Arts for their support of this interdisciplinary conversation. The Price Projection Room (PPR) features engaging conversations about film and television with interesting folks and USC experts from across disciplines (public policy, governance, theatre, and cinema) to look at visual storytelling, media literacy, diversity, and the public good.  Sponsored by: USC Price Video Services http://www.usc.edu/pvs USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu  Content Partners: USC School of Dramatic Arts https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/  USC School of Cinematic-Arts https://cinema.usc.edu  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

Wade Graham's latest book Dream Cities: Seven Urban Ideas That Shape the World is ostensibly about the architects and the seven big ideas that have shaped contemporary cities across the world. Our discussion centers on whether Graham has fulfilled that mission or whether he's trapped in the confines of an under 350 page book for this massive introduction to urban planning and city history. The answer may lie in the reader rather than the book, listen to the conversation for a lively jaunt through recent architectural history. Find links to some of the things we discuss on our showpage: http://bedrosian.usc.edu/podcast/dream-cities-seven-urban-ideas-that-shape-the-world/ Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

This month's book is both poetry and criticism, Citizen: An American Lyric. Rankine's piece is a revolution. A political, a poetic, complex revolution in 169 pages. We look at it through an unusual lens - what should we take away from works of art as we think about governance in America? Featuring Raphael Bostic, Aubrey Hicks, Lisa Schweitzer, David Sloane, and Donnajean Ward. Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

The Nine is Jeffrey Toobin's reveals the lives of post-WWII Supreme Court Justices. He explores the notion of ideology and politics within the role of the judicial branch. We've chosen this 2007 title as a general look at the Supreme Court in order to discuss rule of law, personal politics, and the judicial branch more broadly. Featuring Steve Cooley (former Los Angeles County District Attorney), Jody David Armour (USC Gould School of Law), Pamela Clauser McCann (USC Price School of Public Policy), and Raphael Bostic (USC Price School of Public Policy). Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

Audio book club discussion of THE RISE AND FALL OF URBAN ECONOMIES: LESSONS FROM SAN FRANCISCO AND LOS ANGELES for links to some of the things we talk about, see the show page: https://bedrosian.usc.edu/podcast/the-rise-and-fall-of-urban-economies/ Michael Storper, co-author of our latest book club pick, The Rise and Fall of Urban Economies said recently in an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times: "To succeed in the new economy ... Southern California has to face its mistakes over the last 30 years." The claim is that the Bay Area has been "better" at doing business than we have in SoCal. The book makes the claim that San Francisco has succeeded where Los Angeles has failed over the last 30 years. Experts from USC discuss the merits and faults of this comparison of the two regions. Featuring Raphael Bostic, Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, Liz Falletta, Chris Redfearn, and Mott Smith. Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

This podcast features *spoilers – so, please listen after you’ve read the book unless you are okay with hearing about major plot details and the ending of this amazing novel. Listen on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-water-knife/id897258118?i=1000367510106&mt=2 Paolo Bacigalupi's The Water Knife looks at our use and manipulation of water and water rights in the US and brings us to an ultimate conclusion. In a Southwest decimated by climate change, with the Colorado River a trickle, local and state governments in the Southwest are employing any means necessary to secure water rights. Following several main characters in a desperate search for recently discovered senior water rights for the city of Phoenix. Is #PhoenixRising or is #PhoenixDownTheTubes? NPR, All Things Considered called the novel, “A noir-ish, cinematic thriller set in the midst of a water war between Las Vegas and Phoenix. . . . Think Chinatown meets Mad Max.” Join us as we discuss the plausibility of this near-future Phoenix and the dire straits it’s characters find themselves in. This discussion features Raphael Bostic, Omar Brownson, Lisa Collins, and Justine Dodgen. For links to some of the things we talk about on today's podcast, check out the showpage at: https://bedrosian.usc.edu/podcast/the-water-knife Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/    Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu

Evicted is written by Harvard sociologist and MacArthur "Genius" Award winner Matthew Desmond. It is being hailed as a "landmark work of scholarship and reportage that will forever change the way we look at poverty in America." In this engaging, heartbreaking book, Matthew Desmond follows families in poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee to tell the story their lives depths of poverty. According to Desmond, evictions used to be rare - even in the most poorest areas of American cities. Today, most poor renting families are spending more than half of their income on housing. Evictions are ordinary, landlords buy the forms by the carton-full. As we see families forced into shelters, squalid apartments, or more dangerous neighborhoods, readers bear witness to the human cost of poverty—and the utter resiliency people in these situations must have to live each day. This discussion features Raphael Bostic, Liz Falletta, Aubrey Hicks, and Chris Redfearn. For links to some of the things we talk about on today's podcast, check out the showpage at: https://bedrosian.usc.edu/podcast/evicted/ Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

Sunil Yapa's debut novel, Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist, returns us to 1999 during the WTO protests in Seattle. Taking on multiple perspectives during the first day of the meeting/protests, Yapa brings us stories that get to the nature of power versus empathy in democracy, in civil society. He said in an interview with Bethanne Patrick, "Empathy is a profound act of imagination and human connection. In fiction, we imagine ourselves into other people’s experiences. Of course, another word for that is 'reading.'" This fascinating book imagines what it means to be empathetic within the institutional violence of our system and the violence humans can commit against each other. Listen to our discussion about power and the necessity of protest within our democratic structure, and how protests should, and can, peacefully engage to solve the world's "wicked problems." This discussion features Raphael Bostic, Matt Gainer, William G. Resh, and Danielle Williams. For links to some of the things we talk about on today's podcast, check out the showpage at: https://bedrosian.usc.edu/podcast/your-heart-is-a-muscle-the-size-of-a-fist Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

Richard II, the first of four Shakespeare plays known as the "Henriad," is the tale of strife between Richard II, the rightful but terrible king, and his cousin Henry Bolingbroke. Followed by Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V, Shakespeare explores the question of political legitimacy and accountability. We meet Richard soon after he has commissioned the assassination of one of his uncles, a rash decision which brings him into conflict with his cousin Henry. Richard banishes Henry. But Richard's seizure of Henry's land and wealth after the death of Henry's father, brings Henry back to England to restore his rightful estate. Henry rallies nobles and common folk alike, forcing Richard to abdicate the throne. What is the great tragedy in The Tragedy of Richard II? What makes a good leader - a king, a president? Can Shakespeare inform political discussions today? Featuring Raphael Bostic, Carla Della Gatta, Lisa Schweitzer, and Donnajean Ward For links to some of the things we talk about on today's podcast, check out the showpage at: https://bedrosian.usc.edu/podcast/richard-ii/ Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

Alan Ehrenhalt begins THE GREAT INVERSION by taking a tour of 19th century European cities - 5-story Paris and Vienna. He argues that the demographics of the urban and suburban landscape are in the midst of a grand change. After the great sprawl of the 50s, the affluent are reclaiming urban spaces while minorities and immigrants are moving to the edges. New urbanism is winning and Ehrenhalt uses several examples to prove his point. Find out if our readers agreed with the thesis. Featuring: Raphael Bostic, Liz Falletta, Chris Redfearn, and Mott Smith For links to some of the things we talk about on this podcast, check out the show page: https://bedrosian.usc.edu/blog/podcast/the-great-inversion Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

Special bonus track! An interview with Rez Life author David Treuer. To participate in Native American History Month, we read Rez Life: An Indian's Journey Through Reservation Life by USC Professor David Treuer. Novelist David Treuer's book "blends memoir and history" to render the uniquely beautiful story of the uniquely American places known as reservations. Treuer spirals in and out of personal story, interviews, and historical narrative to paint a full picture of life as an Ojibwe from Leech Lake Reservation. An important book about the power of individual and collective action, the power of place, and how history lives on in our (collective) lives today. "None of the people are dead, none of the sense they made of their lives is dead, and on the reservation at least, none of the whims, acts, and actions of presidents, Indian agents, congressional reformers, tribal leaders, and tribal citizens are dead. Or if any of this is dead, it is certainly not buried: nowhere more than in reservation life can we see, can we feel, the past shaping the present. On the reservation the past is hardly past at all." For links to some of the things we talk about check out the showpage: https://bedrosian.usc.edu/blog/podcast/rez-life. This podcast was produced by Aubrey Hicks and Jonathan Schwartz, recorded and mixed by Ryan Hedden. Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

To participate in Native American History Month, we read Rez Life: An Indian's Journey Through Reservation Life by USC Professor David Treuer. Novelist David Treuer's book "blends memoir and history" to render the uniquely beautiful story of the uniquely American places known as reservations. Treuer spirals in and out of personal story, interviews, and historical narrative to paint a full picture of life as an Ojibwe from Leech Lake Reservation. An important book about the power of individual and collective action, the power of place, and how history lives on in our (collective) lives today. "None of the people are dead, none of the sense they made of their lives is dead, and on the reservation at least, none of the whims, acts, and actions of presidents, Indian agents, congressional reformers, tribal leaders, and tribal citizens are dead. Or if any of this is dead, it is certainly not buried: nowhere more than in reservation life can we see, can we feel, the past shaping the present. On the reservation the past is hardly past at all." For links to some of the things we talk about check out the showpage: https://bedrosian.usc.edu/blog/podcast/rez-life This podcast was produced by Aubrey Hicks and Jonathan Schwartz, recorded and mixed by Corey Hedden. Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we’re taking a look to the past. We read Peggy Noonan's 1990 memoir, What I Saw at the Revolution. This is a political memoir for those who don't usually read political memoirs. This book is a testimony to the power of language in politics. Noonan was a speechwriter for President Reagan, in both of his terms. This is a portrait of life in Washington, D.C. as well as both the Reagan and Bush administrations. She has a critical eye for the mechanisms of political speech writing. She describes the pull between the policy wonks, the writers, and the politicians. Join us for a conversation on the power of language in politics and for a look at how our Federal government works. For links to some of the things we talk about in this podcast: https://bedrosian.usc.edu/blog/podcast/what-i-saw-at-the-revolution/ Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.ed

Keynote presentation by Margaret Crawford - Professor of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley as part of the conference: Contesting the Streets II: Vending and Public Space in Global Cities. This conference is sponsored by SLAB, the Spatial Analysis Lab at USC Price; The César E. Chávez Department for Chicana/o Studies at UCLA, and the USC Bedrosian Center on Governance. In large cities around the world, the most contested public space is the streets and accompanying sidewalks. As a result of historic migration and immigration to urban centers, the spatial projects vying for this space have multiplied. In particular, the growth of street vending causes us to reconsider some of the fundamental concepts that we have used to understand the city. Vending can be seen as a private taking of public space. It can contribute to civic vitality as well as be an impediment to traffic flow. Vendors are often micro-entrepreneurs who cannot access the private real estate market as spaces for livelihood. The issues about the legitimate use of public space, the right to the city, and local ordinance enforcement/dereliction are often complicated by class conflict as well as the street vendors’ diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, and their migrant/immigrant status. As a result, recent street vendors’ challenges and protests have been important catalysts with far-reaching political implications about the future of our urban societies. This symposium brings together scholars and practitioners in dynamic dialogue to present empirical cases (both contemporary and historical) and larger global trends. While vending and public space has been the subject of acrimonious debate in many cities between vendors, local government, formal business and property owners, community organizations, pedestrians and alternative mobility groups, it has also been the impetus for some innovative mixed-use and inclusive arrangements for sharing urban space. Since in our largest, densest cities, local governments, urban planners, and citizens will have to find new ways to plan, design, and govern this precious urban public space, this symposium particularly seeks to shed light on possible futures and the key narratives that will need to be re-written. Towards this end, this symposium extends the first Contesting the Street conference that was held at UCLA in 2010, by expanding the geographic focus of the inquiry beyond (while still including) the Americas to gain comparative insights. Main Presentation: “From the “Feel Good” City to the Just City” Margaret Crawford is a Professor of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley. This conference is sponsored by SLAB, the Spatial Analysis Lab at USC Price; The César E. Chávez Department for Chicana/o Studies at UCLA, and the USC Bedrosian Center on Governance. Symposium Organizers: Annette M. Kim, Associate Professor at the Price School of Public Policy and Director of SLAB, Price School of Public Policy, USC Abel Valenzuela Jr., Chair of the César E. Chávez Department for Chicana/o Studies and Professor of Chicana/o Studies and Urban Planning, UCLA Raphael Bostic, Bedrosian Chair Professor and the Director of the Bedrosian Center on Governance, Price School of Public Policy, USC.

“Contesting the Streets II: Vending and Public Space in Global Cities” - a conference sponsored by SLAB, the Spatial Analysis Lab at USC Price; The César E. Chávez Department for Chicana/o Studies at UCLA, and the USC Bedrosian Center on Governance. In large cities around the world, the most contested public space is the streets and accompanying sidewalks. As a result of historic migration and immigration to urban centers, the spatial projects vying for this space have multiplied. In particular, the growth of street vending causes us to reconsider some of the fundamental concepts that we have used to understand the city. Vending can be seen as a private taking of public space. It can contribute to civic vitality as well as be an impediment to traffic flow. Vendors are often micro-entrepreneurs who cannot access the private real estate market as spaces for livelihood. The issues about the legitimate use of public space, the right to the city, and local ordinance enforcement/dereliction are often complicated by class conflict as well as the street vendors’ diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, and their migrant/immigrant status. As a result, recent street vendors’ challenges and protests have been important catalysts with far-reaching political implications about the future of our urban societies. This symposium brings together scholars and practitioners in dynamic dialogue to present empirical cases (both contemporary and historical) and larger global trends. While vending and public space has been the subject of acrimonious debate in many cities between vendors, local government, formal business and property owners, community organizations, pedestrians and alternative mobility groups, it has also been the impetus for some innovative mixed-use and inclusive arrangements for sharing urban space. Since in our largest, densest cities, local governments, urban planners, and citizens will have to find new ways to plan, design, and govern this precious urban public space, this symposium particularly seeks to shed light on possible futures and the key narratives that will need to be re-written. Towards this end, this symposium extends the first Contesting the Street conference that was held at UCLA in 2010, by expanding the geographic focus of the inquiry beyond (while still including) the Americas to gain comparative insights. Panelists: Ananya Roy is Professor of Urban Planning and Social Welfare, Meyer and Renee Luskin Chair in Inequality and Democracy, and inaugural Director of The Institute on Inequality and Democracy at UCLA Luskin. Margaret Crawford is a Professor of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley. Saskia Sassen is the Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology and Chair, The Committee on Global Thought, Colombia University. This conference is sponsored by SLAB, the Spatial Analysis Lab at USC Price; The César E. Chávez Department for Chicana/o Studies at UCLA, and the USC Bedrosian Center on Governance. Symposium Organizers: Annette M. Kim, Associate Professor at the Price School of Public Policy and Director of SLAB, Price School of Public Policy, USC Abel Valenzuela Jr., Chair of the César E. Chávez Department for Chicana/o Studies and Professor of Chicana/o Studies and Urban Planning, UCLA Raphael Bostic, Bedrosian Chair Professor and the Director of the Bedrosian Center on Governance, Price School of Public Policy, USC.

Keynote presentation by Ananya Roy - Professor of Urban Planning and Social Welfare, Meyer and Renee Luskin Chair in Inequality and Democracy, and inaugural Director of The Institute on Inequality and Democracy at UCLA Luskin as part of the conference: Contesting the Streets II: Vending and Public Space in Global Cities. This conference is sponsored by SLAB, the Spatial Analysis Lab at USC Price; The César E. Chávez Department for Chicana/o Studies at UCLA, and the USC Bedrosian Center on Governance. In large cities around the world, the most contested public space is the streets and accompanying sidewalks. As a result of historic migration and immigration to urban centers, the spatial projects vying for this space have multiplied. In particular, the growth of street vending causes us to reconsider some of the fundamental concepts that we have used to understand the city. Vending can be seen as a private taking of public space. It can contribute to civic vitality as well as be an impediment to traffic flow. Vendors are often micro-entrepreneurs who cannot access the private real estate market as spaces for livelihood. The issues about the legitimate use of public space, the right to the city, and local ordinance enforcement/dereliction are often complicated by class conflict as well as the street vendors’ diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, and their migrant/immigrant status. As a result, recent street vendors’ challenges and protests have been important catalysts with far-reaching political implications about the future of our urban societies. This symposium brings together scholars and practitioners in dynamic dialogue to present empirical cases (both contemporary and historical) and larger global trends. While vending and public space has been the subject of acrimonious debate in many cities between vendors, local government, formal business and property owners, community organizations, pedestrians and alternative mobility groups, it has also been the impetus for some innovative mixed-use and inclusive arrangements for sharing urban space. Since in our largest, densest cities, local governments, urban planners, and citizens will have to find new ways to plan, design, and govern this precious urban public space, this symposium particularly seeks to shed light on possible futures and the key narratives that will need to be re-written. Towards this end, this symposium extends the first Contesting the Street conference that was held at UCLA in 2010, by expanding the geographic focus of the inquiry beyond (while still including) the Americas to gain comparative insights. Main Presentation: “The City as People’s Territory: Revisiting Urban Informality” Ananya Roy is Professor of Urban Planning and Social Welfare, Meyer and Renee Luskin Chair in Inequality and Democracy, and inaugural Director of The Institute on Inequality and Democracy at UCLA Luskin. This conference is sponsored by SLAB, the Spatial Analysis Lab at USC Price; The César E. Chávez Department for Chicana/o Studies at UCLA, and the USC Bedrosian Center on Governance. Symposium Organizers: Annette M. Kim, Associate Professor at the Price School of Public Policy and Director of SLAB, Price School of Public Policy, USC Abel Valenzuela Jr., Chair of the César E. Chávez Department for Chicana/o Studies and Professor of Chicana/o Studies and Urban Planning, UCLA Raphael Bostic, Bedrosian Chair Professor and the Director of the Bedrosian Center on Governance, Price School of Public Policy, USC.

Keynote presentation by Saskia Sassen - Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology and Chair, The Committee on Global Thought, Colombia University as part of the conference: Contesting the Streets II: Vending and Public Space in Global Cities. This conference is sponsored by SLAB, the Spatial Analysis Lab at USC Price; The César E. Chávez Department for Chicana/o Studies at UCLA, and the USC Bedrosian Center on Governance. In large cities around the world, the most contested public space is the streets and accompanying sidewalks. As a result of historic migration and immigration to urban centers, the spatial projects vying for this space have multiplied. In particular, the growth of street vending causes us to reconsider some of the fundamental concepts that we have used to understand the city. Vending can be seen as a private taking of public space. It can contribute to civic vitality as well as be an impediment to traffic flow. Vendors are often micro-entrepreneurs who cannot access the private real estate market as spaces for livelihood. The issues about the legitimate use of public space, the right to the city, and local ordinance enforcement/dereliction are often complicated by class conflict as well as the street vendors’ diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, and their migrant/immigrant status. As a result, recent street vendors’ challenges and protests have been important catalysts with far-reaching political implications about the future of our urban societies. This symposium brings together scholars and practitioners in dynamic dialogue to present empirical cases (both contemporary and historical) and larger global trends. While vending and public space has been the subject of acrimonious debate in many cities between vendors, local government, formal business and property owners, community organizations, pedestrians and alternative mobility groups, it has also been the impetus for some innovative mixed-use and inclusive arrangements for sharing urban space. Since in our largest, densest cities, local governments, urban planners, and citizens will have to find new ways to plan, design, and govern this precious urban public space, this symposium particularly seeks to shed light on possible futures and the key narratives that will need to be re-written. Towards this end, this symposium extends the first Contesting the Street conference that was held at UCLA in 2010, by expanding the geographic focus of the inquiry beyond (while still including) the Americas to gain comparative insights. Main Presentation: Saskia Sassen is the Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology and Chair, The Committee on Global Thought, Colombia University. This conference is sponsored by SLAB, the Spatial Analysis Lab at USC Price; The César E. Chávez Department for Chicana/o Studies at UCLA, and the USC Bedrosian Center on Governance. Symposium Organizers: Annette M. Kim, Associate Professor at the Price School of Public Policy and Director of SLAB, Price School of Public Policy, USC Abel Valenzuela Jr., Chair of the César E. Chávez Department for Chicana/o Studies and Professor of Chicana/o Studies and Urban Planning, UCLA Raphael Bostic, Bedrosian Chair Professor and the Director of the Bedrosian Center on Governance, Price School of Public Policy, USC.

In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we’re continuing our conversation about race in America, with the book Toni Morrison calls “required reading.” Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates is ostensibly a letter to his son about growing up a black male in America. This prize winning (GENIUS) correspondent of The Atlantic tackles the very big questions of our time. How do we find a way to live in our country, with all its fraught history and its fraught present? How can he teach his son to be black in America? Coates sheds light on our brutal past, confronts our present with raw lyrical truth, and though our panelists disagree on this point, offers a way forward. For links to some of the things we talk about, click here http://bedrosian.usc.edu/blog/podcast/between-the-world-and-me/ Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.ed

In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we're continuing our conversation about race in America, from a slightly different angle. Walter Mosley, most known for his LA crime fiction, tackles aging and agency in this beautiful novel, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. Ptolemy Grey is 91 years old and spends most of his time locked in a cluttered apartment in South LA hiding from rotten neighbors and the dangers of his neighborhood. When his grandnephew and part-time care taker is murdered, the family sends along a young woman to coax Ptolemy to the funeral. The two form a bond and suddenly Ptolemy has reason to want to live in the present and make good on some promises he made long ago. We examine the central choice of the novel and issues of aging in America. Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.ed

In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we’re neck deep in one of the most important issues of the day: mass incarceration. The US has used the War on drugs to create a racial caste system: a successor to the Jim Crow days we thought we left behind. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander is one of the most important American books in the last decade. Alexander systematically explores the policy changes from the days of Nixon through the present – exploring how each decision has created and allowed a system which criminalizes blackness, brownness, otherness in way that both creates new racial biases and confirms them by incarcerating millions of young black and brown men (and to a lesser extent, black and brown women). It’s been five years since this book was released. Finally we’re seeing some of us wake up … but the facts remain that US prisons hold an astonishing 25% of the worlds prisoners. Many prisoners are victims of the War on Drugs which, even though drug use stats are consistent regardless of race and class, imprisons disproportionally more black, brown, and poor young men and women. The victims of the War on Drugs are not often the kingpins, rather small time infractions are the backbone of this Prison Industrial Complex. And rather than making the problem better, we’ve only succeeded in making it worse and, in the process, destroyed communities across America. Our discussion focuses on the relevance today and looking forward. Read this book. Listen to our discussion and share your thoughts with us. For links to some of the things we discussed, go to http://bedrosian.usc.edu/blog/podcast/the-new-jim-crow/ Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu   

In this edition, we’re looking at the sci-fi classic Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. DADES follows bounty hunter Rick Deckard on a mission to find and destroy 6 state of the art, rogue androids. The novel is the source material for the film Blade Runner. Written in 1968, DADES is set in a near future San Francisco amid a vast desertion to off-world colonies. Those remaining on Earth contend with nuclear fallout dust and other dangers. Dick asks fundamental questions in the novel and our discussion touches on just a few of these. Read next month’s book, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, along with us, and listen on July 27th. Let us know what you think. Tweet us @BedrosianCenter or, check out our showpage on the Bedrosian website, https://bedrosian.usc.edu, for links to speaker’s information and to some of the things we mention during the discussion. https://bedrosian.usc.edu/blog/podcast/do-androids-dream-of-electric-sheep/ This podcast was produced by Aubrey Hicks and Jonathan Schwartz. Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

Featuring Raphael Bostic, David Sloane, Jeremy Loudenback, and Aubrey Hicks In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we’re looking at the dystopian novel On Such a Full Sea by Chang-rae Lee. Lee's novel follows Fan, a young woman from one of the labor communities, as she leaves her home in search of her love. In a corporatized future world - where the wealthy fly in helicopters, workers try to compete with robots, and the really poor live in favelas - what becomes of social mobility and the notions of resilience and hope and equality? For more information, and for links to some of the things we discuss, check out the show page: https://bedrosian.usc.edu/blog/podcast/on-such-a-full-sea Next time we’ll discuss Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick – the classic science fiction novel that was the inspiration for the cult-classic film Blade Runner. We’ll continue our look at how envisioning the future is necessary to thinking about the present. We'll be joined by Colin Marshall, of the Notebook on Cities and Culture podcast: http://blog.colinmarshall.org/. The DADES episode will air June 26th, read along with us and share your thoughts on Facebook. Email Aubrey, at bedrosian.center@usc.edu if you are interested in joining the Facebook group. Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we're looking at a book on gentrification called A Neighborhood That Never Changes, by Japonica Brown-Saracino. This podcast features Raphael Bostic, Sarah Mawhorter, Brettany Shannon, David Sloane, and Tess Thorman. Brown-Saracino, through studying people in four different neighborhoods, redefines the types of newcomers and how they interact with the standing neighborhood and neighbors. We question the notions of quality, authenticity, and change that are at the heart of the many narratives going on in neighborhoods across the world. For more information, and links to things we discussed in this podcast, go here: https://bedrosian.usc.edu/blog/podcast/a-neighborhood-that-never-changes/ NEXT MONTH we discuss ON SUCH A FULL SEA by Chang-Rae Lee. Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we're looking at the classic nonfiction book, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, the book that launched the environmental movement. Edward O. Wilson said of the book, “We are still poisoning the air and water and eroding the biosphere, albeit less so than if Rachel Carson had not written. Today we understand better than ever why we must press the effort to save the environment all the way home, true to the mind and spirit of the valiant author of Silent Spring.” We look back at the book and the transformation in thinking that it engendered. For more information about things we talk about, check out the show page at http://bedrosian.usc.edu/blog/podcast/silent-spring/ And ... let us know what you think on facebook.com/BedrosianCenter or Twitter @BedrosianCenter Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, Center Director Raphael Bostic talks with USC Gould Law Professor Daria Roithmayr on her new book Reproducing Racism: How Everyday Choices Lock In White Advantage. Find out why Roithmayr began this project, what some of the reactions have been, and what’s next on Roithmayr’s plate. For links to some of the things we discuss view our show page at : https://bedrosian.usc.edu/programs/bedrosian-book-club-podcast/bonus-interview-with-daria-roithmayr/ Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we discuss the new book Reproducing Racism: How Everyday Choices Lock In White Advantage by USC Gould Professor Daria Roithmayr. The book gives new language to the ongoing dialogue of racial inequality in America, distilling research from different fields into a highly readable argument that historical actions matter more than current prejudices in locking in inequality. Roithmayr uses the term locked in to describe the feedback loops that keep the privileged in privilege and the down trodden down - find out if we think inequality is locked in. For links to some of the things we discuss view our show page at : https://bedrosian.usc.edu/programs/bedrosian-book-club-podcast/reproducing-racism/ Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.ed

In this special edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we discuss the Italian classic novel Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino. The ancient emperor, Kublai Khan is so busy running the empire that he needs merchants to describe his vast empire, the great explorer Marco Polo is the only one whose imaginative descriptions of the cities of the empire help Khan learn about his dominion. Framed between the conversation between the two are Polo’s fantastical descriptions of the cities he visits – fables to discuss ideas from linguistics to urban theory. This short novel has become a favorite to use in courses here at the Price School of Public Policy … let’s find out why. For links to some of the things we discuss view our show page at: https://bedrosian.usc.edu/programs/bedrosian-book-club-podcast/invisible-cities/ Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.ed

In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, Raphael Bostic, William G. Resh, and Ronald O. Loveridge discuss political theorist Benjamin Barber's book If Mayors Ruled the World. The book outlines Barber's hypothesis that cities are in better position to solve some global problems. Can cities provide the leadership that nations states used to by mobilizing local civic action and the sharing of best practices between cities? Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we discuss Joan Didion's book of essays about history and politics, The White Album. Published in 1979, these essays reflect a time of change here in California and America as a whole. If as she writes in the opening line, "We tell ourselves stories in order to live." Do we still live by these stories she told? Or is the world a different place now? Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we discuss The Castle, by Franz Kafka. Three policy professors discussing the great modernist classic ... listeners are in for a treat this month. Can fiction inform policy? How does this novel, in particular, stand the test of time? Does it represent governmental bureaucracy as it is today? Will K. ever get to the castle, and why should we care? Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we discuss Beyond the University: Why Liberal Education Matters, by Michael S. Roth. The book has been getting a lot of media attention in the higher ed circles. And we think it’s a decidedly important topic, one that impacts governance dramatically. Roth takes an historic look at thought on education in America. From Jefferson to DeBois to Dewey, there has always been a sense that education makes good citizens; that liberal education allows the citizen to learn to think about things, and therefore make good public decisions. Education in America is the historic foundation of democracy and freedom. Yet, we seem to ask ourselves what we should do differently, what can we improve and today there is a sense of anti-intellectualism that pervades the culture. Does liberal education matter? Join Raphael Bostic, Clifford Johnson, Deborah Natoli and David Sloane to find out. Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.ed

This month, Director of the Bedrosian Center Raphael Bostic, Director of the USC Digital Library Matt Gainer, and USC Price professors Martin Krieger and LaVonna Lewis discuss Didier Fassin's Enforcing Order: An Ethnography of Urban Policing, a study of anti-crime squad in the outskirts of Paris. Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we discuss California lieutenant Governor, Gavin Newsom's book Citizenville. Ostensibly, the book is about how government has not caught up with the ubiquity of smart phones and technology found in the rest of our everyday lives. It is a rallying cry for innovation from within government to revolutionize the way things are accomplished. Newsom argues that technological innovation will both create more efficiency and create a wider public responsiveness. So did Raphael, David, and Sherry have Gavin Newsom's optimism that technology will easily reinvent government? Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.ed

In this inaugural edition of the Bedrosian Book Club podcast, four of our faculty discussed Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty, the French economics book on inequality that is taking the world by storm. Already 9 weeks on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller list, the book looks at the history of wealth distribution and predicts worsening inequality. The faculty discuss this 600 page behemoth in two parts. In part 2, our discussion turns to Piketty's prediction of greater inequality. Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu 

In this inaugural edition of the Bedrosian Book Club podcast, four of our faculty discussed Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty, the French economics book on inequality that is taking the world by storm. Already 9 weeks on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller list, the book looks at the history of wealth distribution and predicts worsening inequality. The faculty discuss this 600 page behemoth in two parts. In part 1, they take a look at Piketty's grand scholarly undertaking, why a data driven economics book is a sudden "summer" bestseller, and some of the economic theory behind Piketty's now famous equation R > G. They also take a deeper look at the concept of Mobility. Sponsored by the USC Bedrosian Center http://bedrosian.usc.edu/  Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy http://priceschool.usc.edu