Podcasts about with good reason

When Nikki Giovanni passed away in December at the age of 81, she left a legacy that will continue to be a beacon of light for generations to come. We first had Nikki on With Good Reason more than 20 years ago when I spoke to her about space travel and her poem, Quilting The Black Eyed Pea. And: Rapper Tupac Shakur famously sported a “thug life” tattoo… and so did Nikki Giovanni. I sat down with her in 2014 to talk about the poem she dedicated to Tupac after he was killed in 1996. Later in the show: The dean of southern cookery, Edna Lewis, penned an essay called “What is Southern?” describing how food is intertwined with the seasons and cultures of the south. Back in 2008 we had Nikki Giovanni read a portion of that essay and talk about her friendship with Edna. This interview was conducted by former producer, Nancy King - who passed away in 2010. Plus: In 2020, Virginia Humanities brought Nikki Giovanni in conversation with Tressie McMillan Cottom. It was part of an online event called “Have A Drink With Nikki and Tressie” - moderated by Irène Mathieu. They talked about everything from their early writing days, to finding their voice, and the future of art and literature in the Black community.

On this episode of With Good Reason, Technical Director Jamal Millner hosts and we explore how some musicians interact with the communities they inhabit. The inspiration, support and motivation these artist's receive from their families, friends and fans. CJ Colston is a millennial Evangelical Preacher and Singer that performs proselytizes in Southwestern Virginia area churches regardless of the race of the congregations. And: Filmmaker and VH Fellow Alicia Aroche discusses her upcoming documentary 32 Blocks. We discuss her film about a few of the great and internationally recognized musicians that grew up in the Church Hill area of Richmond VA. Lonnie Liston Smith and Wah Wah Watson are just a couple of the musicians featured in the film. Later in the show: Alternative Hip Hop artist geonova from Big Stone Gap tells us about the struggles and triumphs of being an LGBT artist in rural Virginia. Plus: Jazz Trumpeter and Composer John D'earth is the final guest on this episode. We discuss his upcoming retirement as Director of Jazz Studies at UVA, stories of his interactions with some of jazz histories masters and his latest projects.

When the Folger reopens on June 21 and you come to take a walk in our new west garden, look down at the garden bed. There, you'll see a new poem, written for the Folger by US Poet Laureate emerita Rita Dove. This week, she joins us on the podcast to read that poem aloud for the first time. Plus, Dove reflects on how writing for marble is different from writing for the page, and remembers the moment she discovered Shakespeare. Rita Dove is interviewed by Barbara Bogaev. Rita Dove served as the US Poet Laureate for two terms, from 1993 to 1995, and as a special bicentennial consultant to the Library of Congress in 1999. Her third collection of poetry, Thomas and Beulah, won the Pulitzer Prize. She is the only poet ever to receive both the National Humanities Medal and the National Medal of the Arts, from presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. In 2021, she received the Gold Medal for Poetry from the American Academy of Arts and Letters—the first African American poet in the medal's history. She teaches at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Dove has also read in the Folger's O.B. Hardison Poetry series four times, and contributed a poem to our 2012 collection Shakespeare's Sisters: Women Writers Bridge Five Centuries. From the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast series. Published January 30, 2024. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This episode was produced by Matt Frassica. Garland Scott is the associate producer. It was edited by Gail Kern Paster. Ben Lauer is the web producer. Leonor Fernandez edits a transcript of every episode, available at folger.edu. We had technical help from With Good Reason, Virginia Humanities, and Voice Trax West in Studio City, California. Final mixing services provided by Clean Cuts at Three Seas, Inc.

Some of America's first maestros of European art music were enslaved and free Virginians of African descent. Violinist David McCormick shares the music of the Black violinists of Monticello from the Hemings and Scott families. Also: Justin Holland was a black man who was born free in 1819 in Norfolk County, Virginia. He became one of America's first classical guitarists and was respected by European Classical Guitar Masters. Ernie Jackson discusses Justin Holland and Jackson's own life as a contemporary classical guitarist of African descent. Later in the show: Renowned musician JoVia Armstrong plays some of her latest works and discusses how her childhood led to her life as a musician and composer. This episode is hosted by musician and With Good Reason sound engineer Jamal Millner, who spent 20 years as a professional touring musician and composer and was a member of the Corey Harris 5x5.

In the 1990s, a group of single Black mothers known as The Circle formed an underground gambling ring in Danville, Virginia. Their winnings went a long way in easing the struggle of raising a family as a single mother. With Good Reason producer, Matt Darroch, has the story. And: Now close to a century removed from prohibition - speakeasies, gangsters, and moonshine still loom large in the public imagination. But Michael Lewis says our understanding of the era isn't a very accurate one. Also: There are currently more than 100,000 people in the US in need of an organ transplant. Every year, thousands die while waiting for their turn on the transplant wait list. Kim Krawiec studies how we view organ donation as admirable, as long as money isn't involved. Later in the show: Most of us know the dark web as this scary and mysterious corner of the internet where online crime reigns free. But Babur Kohy says the dark web is more than just a hub for illegal activity, it can actually be used for good as well. Plus: Underground anti-Catholic sentiment in the US spiked right after WWI. John Kneebone studies what he calls the anti-Catholic underground. He says there's a long history in the US of the KKK and secret fraternal organizations preventing people of Catholic faith from holding office.

Summer is here and with it comes our annual With Good Reason summer reading list. From the hills and hollers of Appalachia to Egypt, we've got so much to keep your pages turning. Jessica Mullens Fullen, Vic Sizemore, Sarah Rifky and Maynard Scales share some of their favorite reads.

Radio Show Salutes Women in the Military I am celebrating veterans and active-duty military who keep us and have kept us out of constant harm's way, often at great costs. We are reminded that war is a part of human history. I aim to share varied war stories across age, gender, and race to include family impact and cultural legacies. The Vietnam War was my coming-of-age war. I became immersed in and confused by the concurrent war at home about the necessity of US involvement while at the same time grieving over school friends who paid the ultimate price. There were so many bold and untold stories. Today's story, although history, is her story as well. We will hear about women who decided to make history instead of reading about it. The Voices of Women in Vietnam is a replay of a weekly National Public Radio show called With Good Reason. When I first heard this show, it was such a heart tug I knew I had to share. It includes, in their voices, stories from wives, widows, nurses, and librarians who took off their white lace gloves and struggled culturally, socially, intellectually, and physically to build a foundation for our continued gender-based struggles today. So, brew a cup of tea, get comfortable, and be transformed by a story 28 years later. This show is dedicated to all women, your children, and your children's children. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, then and now.

My goal in November is to share varied war stories across the spectrum of age, gender, and race to include family impact and cultural legacies. I am celebrating veterans and active-duty military who keep us and have kept us out of constant harm's way, often at high costs. We are reminded that war is a part of human history. The Vietnam war was my coming-of-age war. I became immersed in and confused by the concurrent war at home about the necessity of US involvement while at the same time grieving over school friends who paid the ultimate price. There were so many bold and untold stories. Today "s stories are told by women who decided to make history instead of reading about it. The Voices of Women in Vietnam is a replay of a weekly National Public Radio show called With Good Reason. When I first heard this show, it was such a heart tug that I knew I had to share. It includes stories from wives, widows, nurses, and librarians who took off their white lace gloves and struggled culturally, socially, intellectually, and physically to build a foundation for our continued gender-based struggles today. So, brew a cup of tea, get comfortable, and be transformed by a story 28 years later after a short break. This show is dedicated to all women, your children, and your children's children.

Cauline Yates was at a family reunion the first time she heard she was a descendant of Thomas Jefferson. In 2019, she was asked to help develop the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at the University of Virginia. With Good Reason producer Matt Darroch has the story. And: Clint Smith is the author of the award-winning book, How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America. He travels to 9 historic sites to understand how slavery is remembered and taught. Later in the Show: Gayle Jessup White was on a tour at Monticello with her son when she raised her hand and told the guide she was related to Sally Hemings. She says it was a moment that changed her life forever. Her memoir, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy, chronicles her journey to uncovering her family's roots at Monticello. Plus: Descendants recently gained structural parity at James Madison's Montpelier. James French, a descendant himself, represents the descendant community on Montpelier's board.

Naima Burrs , M.M., is a violinist and conductor from Richmond, VA. Burrs studied at the University of Northern Iowa where she received a Master of Music degree in violin performance while serving as a Graduate Assistant during her studies. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Virginia Commonwealth University.Naima was featured as a guest on NPR's show "With Good Reason", where she discussed her upbringing and career, and performed works celebrating the contributions of African American composers and musicians.  Burrs has performed as a section violinist with many ensembles including the Richmond Symphony Orchestra,  the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra, and the Waterloo Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra as well as serving as principal second violin with Opera on the James and as concertmaster of Summer Garden Opera.Naima was one of twelve violinists chosen internationally to participate in the 2014 Scotia Festival of Music, a chamber and orchestral music festival held in Halifax, Nova Scotia where she performed with the legendary cellist Lynn Harrell. Also in 2014, Burrs served as concertmaster for Steven M. Allen's new opera The Poet, starring mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, in Washington, DC. In addition, Burrs served as concertmaster of a chamber orchestra for a PBS documentary about the life and work of Paul Lawrence Dunbar, also featuring the compositions of Steven M. Allen. In 2019, Naima participated in the Colour of Music Festival (COMF) in Columbia, South Carolina as part of the festival orchestra and as a member of the festival's all-female virtuosi ensemble.She was one of four conductors chosen to participate in the 2021 Wintergreen Music Festival, as a Summit Conductor, where she worked with master teachers James Ross and Erin Freeman. This July, she will travel to Quebec, Canada to study with Yannick Nézet- Séguin and Thomas Rösner through the conducting academy of Domaine Forget at Charlevoix.Naima was recently appointed Music Director of the Petersburg Symphony Orchestra in Petersburg, Virginia. During the 2021-22 season, she served as conductor of the Hopkins Concert Orchestra and the assistant conductor of the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.  Beginning in the Fall of 2022, Burrs will also serve as the orchestra director at the University of Richmond.Burrs is a full time instructor at Virginia State University (Petersburg,VA). She has also served on the faculty at Longwood University (Farmville, VA) and Hampden-Sydney College (Hampden-Sydney, VA). Naima is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree (D.M.A.) in instrumental conducting at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. The Truth In This ArtThe Truth In This Art is a podcast interview series supporting vibrancy and development of Baltimore & beyond's arts and culture. Mentioned in this episode:Naima Burrs  To find more amazing stories from the artist and entrepreneurial scenes in & around Baltimore, check out my episode directory. Stay in TouchNewsletter sign-upSupport my podcastShareable link to episode ★ Support this podcast ★

With neurodiversity comes a host of extra effects, sensitivities, and challenges. Parenting a neurodivergent child can require a willingness to reconsider your perspective and sometimes even change your environment, in order to help ease stress and anxiety. Jen Malia, author of TOO STICKY!, is here to lend her perspective as both a parent of neurodivergent kids, and as a neurodivergent person with her own sensitivities and challenges. Also, here's a link to our continuing education and professional development course for school district gifted/twice-exceptional programs. It's a 15-hour, 6-module course called “Strategies for Supporting Twice-Exceptional Students,” by Emily Kircher-Morris. Learn more and get it for your district at Neurodiversity University. Join our Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/neurodiversitypodcast  You can support the podcast and receive subscriber-only benefits at www.patreon.com/neurodiversity ABOUT THE GUEST - Jen Malia is the author of TOO STICKY! Sensory Issues with Autism, a children's picture book based on her own and her younger daughter's experiences living with autism and sensory differences. She is Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing at Norfolk State University. As a freelance journalist, she has written about autism and neurodiversity for the New York Times, the Washington Post, New York Magazine, Glamour, Woman's Day, Self, and others. She has also appeared on NPR's With Good Reason and was featured in Parent's Parenting Against All Odds video series. She has a Ph.D. in English from the University of Southern California and is currently pursuing an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Outer space probably isn't in your travel plans this summer. But it could be soon. Last year, Hayley Arceneaux was a SpaceX crew member in the first all-civilian mission to orbit earth. Her upcoming book, Wild Ride: A Memoir of IV Drips and Rocket Ships, chronicles her unlikely journey from childhood cancer to space explorer. With Good Reason producer, Matt Darroch, has the story. And: Mara Scanlon took her class of self-proclaimed “Whitmaniacs” to the Walt Whitman house in Camden, New Jersey. She says her students were awestruck by being in the intimate spaces where Whitman lived and breathed… including his bathroom. Later in the show: Looking for a travel destination with bustling cities and breathtaking natural landscapes where you can also get affordable plastic surgery? Look no further than Thailand. Reya Farber says Thailand has become the global hub of medical tourism, or as some people call it: sea, sun, and stitches. Plus: From the Mississippi Delta to the dark sandy beaches of Iceland, Courtney Watson has racked up the frequent flier miles as a literary tourist. She takes us on tour of the literary South - sharing her experiences at the historical homes of Ernest Hemingway, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright, and William Faulkner.

Summer is officially here and with it comes our annual With Good Reason summer reading list. We've got stories of mothers and daughters, spiritual-seekers, Spike Lee, and so much in-between. Archana Pathak, Rosalie Kiah, Kyle Garton-Gundling, Cheryl Mango, and Bruce Cahoon share some of their favorite recent reads.

LARP stands for Live Action Role Play. Think of it like Lord of the Rings comes to life, where you get to create your own character and wield foam swords on a mock-battlefield. But for many players, LARP is more than just fun and games - it's a lifeline to belonging. With Good Reason producer, Matt Darroch, has the story. And: Climate change, pollution, and development projects are threatening surf breaks all over the world. H. Gelfand says many surfers have taken up the mantle of environmental activism, becoming outspoken protectors of our oceans. Later in the show: Bird watching isn't a sport in the traditional sense. There aren't any touchdowns or raucous crowds. But birders are no strangers to competition. Matthew Anthony charts the rise of birding as a sport. Plus: Jerry Beasely is a 9th degree blackbelt and member of the Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame. From the 1970's until 2021, he developed and taught one of the only college-level Asian martial arts programs in the country.

Many of us are more closely tuned in to the environment around us than ever before. We're spending more time hanging outdoors, planting kitchen gardens, and taking up bird-watching. In honor of Earth Day and our new relationship with the great outdoors, With Good Reason invites you to walk with us. We traipse around the foothills of Appalachia with Ryan Huish, wade through ghost forest wetlands with Matt Kirwan, venture into dark caves with Ángel García, and explore the mini-ecosystems of fallen trees with Deborah Waller.

On this final Friday of Suicide Prevention Awareness month, we wanted to bring you this powerful piece that my friend, writer, writing coach, speaker, and editor, Lisa Cooper Ellison wrote for Huffpo. Lisa Cooper Ellison is a speaker, writing coach, and editor with an Ed.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a background in mindfulness. Her life story and essays have appeared on NPR's With Good Reason and in Hippocampus Literary Magazine, Kenyon Review Online, and The Guardian, among others. She's currently working on a memoir about how traveling with her husband's heavy metal band into post-Bosnian-War Yugoslavia soon after her brother's suicide led to a promise that ultimately saved her. To learn more, you can check out her website or you can follow her on Twitter @LisaEllisonsPen. https://www.huffpost.com/section/huffpost-personal Special thanks to our sponsors: We love our new sponsor, ReadySlim! Say Hello to a better, brighter you. And right now, for a limited time, you can save 25% on your first order of ReadySlim's 28-day Detox tea kit, plus you get a FREE collapsible water bottle! Go to ReadySlim.Com/THEONLYONE and use the code: The Only One. EveryPlate: One meal from EveryPlate is equal to the price of a cup of coffee! EveryPlate provides a super easy-to-prepare, delicious, fresh, inexpensive, meal for two to four people and it comes right to your door with everything you need. Get started with EveryPlate for just $1.99 per meal by going to EveryPlate.com and entering the code: theonlyone199. Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays & Sunday Edition every Sunday by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts.  We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pandemic continues to inspire more people to go outside. One result? They've found more baby animals. This week on Inside Appalachia, we'll hear how everyday folks have helped rescue a record number of baby owls. And June is Pride month. We'll listen back to a fabulous story from 2019 as With Good Reason producer Cass Adair takes us on an audio tour through the history of Roanoke's Queer scene with those who lived it.

The pandemic continues to inspire more people to go outside. One result? They've found more baby animals. This week on Inside Appalachia, we'll hear how everyday folks have helped rescue a record number of baby owls. And we'll meet a woman who moved from L.A. to rural West Virginia. “It's very wild here. It's like the Wild West except we're east of the Mississippi,” said Margaret Bruning, who's now learning to raise and shear sheep. June is Pride month. We'll listen back to a fabulous story from 2019 as With Good Reason producer Cass Adair takes us on an audio tour through the history of Roanoke's Queer scene with those who lived it.

Thanks to COVID-19, many of us are more closely tuned in to the environment around us than ever before. We’re spending more time hanging outdoors, planting kitchen gardens, and taking up bird-watching. In honor of Earth Day and our new relationship with the great outdoors, With Good Reason invites you to walk with us. We venture into dark caves with Ángel García, traipse around the foothills of Appalachia with Ryan Huish, explore the mini-ecosystems of fallen trees with Deborah Waller, and wade through ghost forest wetlands with Matt Kirwan.

Everyone remembers things differently. With Good Reason takes you from D.C. to Poland and Jerusalem to show the different ways museums are commemorating the Holocaust.

After months at home, your streaming watchlists are probably exhausted. With Good Reason is here to the rescue! We’re bringing you summer streaming recommendations from scholars and artists. Myles McNutt charts Netflix’s rise to video streaming juggernaut and recommends a miniseries on the systemic failures in sexual assault investigations. And: Yossera Bouchtia suggests two TV shows grappling with race and identity in America. Later in the show: White actors have recently been stepping down from voicing characters of color. Shilpa Davé explains the harmful stereotype she calls “brown voice” and recommends a Netflix show that captures the Indian-American coming of age experience. Plus: Tanya Stadelmann shares two films that document the journey to environmental activism.

On Sept. 27th and 28th, the most notable poets of our time will gather in the nation’s capital to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Furious Flower Poetry Center, the first academic center devoted to African American poetry in the United States. The founder of Furious Flower, Joanne Gabbin (James Madison University), along with Lauren Alleyne (James Madison University) join us in studio to celebrate this anniversary and hear the voices of Furious Flower poets like Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Rita Dove and others who have appeared on With Good Reason. Later in the show: Widely known for his poetry about the Vietnam War, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa’s writing has also explored themes of home, black resilience, and jazz and blues music. Komunyakaa was a guest of honor at a week-long seminar at James Madison University’s Furious Flower Poetry Center, called “Facing It,” titled after his most famous poem. And the recent book, Sargent’s Women tells the fascinating stories behind four of John Sargent’s portraits. From English manor houses to New Hampshire artist colonies, Donna M. Lucey (Virginia Humanities) ushers us into the scandalous and heartbreaking lives of Gilded Age high society.

I am celebrating veterans and active duty military who keep us and have kept us out of constant harm’s way, often at great costs. Considering this is the 100th year anniversary of WWI, we are reminded that war is a part of human history. My goal in November and December is to share diverse war stories across the spectrum of age, gender, and race to include family impact and cultural legacies. The Vietnam war was my coming of age war. I became immersed in and confused by the concurrent war at home about the necessity of US involvement, while at the same time grieving over school friends who paid the ultimate price. There were so many bold and untold stories. Today’s story although, history is herstory. We will hear women who decided to make history instead of reading about it. The Voices of Women in Vietnam is a replay of a weekly National Public Radio show called With Good Reason. When I first heard this show, it was such a heart tug I knew I had to share. It includes in their own voices, stories from wives, widows, nurses, librarians who took off their white lace gloves and struggled culturally, socially, intellectually and physically to build a foundation for our continued gender-based struggles today. So, brew a cup of tea, get comfortable.  This show is dedicated to all women, your children and your children’s children. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, then and now.

Your summer vacation packing list has some key items: cell phone charger, swimsuit, toothbrush. We're here to add some essentials to your list, with the best book recs from the With Good Reason universe.

Chiquita L. Cross: Swing Low Sweet Chariot by With Good Reason

This week we’re debuting a new podcast series called American Dissent, hosted by Kelley Libby. In Episode 1: Influenced by Colin Kaepernick’s protest of police brutality during the National Anthem, a high school volleyball player initiates her own protest, and not without consequences. And a historian tells the story of a religious minority who helped win the American Revolution and the fight for religious freedom in America. American Dissent is a production of James Madison’s Montpelier and With Good Reason at Virginia Humanities.

Teaser for the new podcast American Dissent. What happens when we push back against injustice? When we stand up for what we think is right? Does the Constitution protect us? All of us? From the Founding era to the present, everyday Americans have shaped our nation by going against the grain, even when they faced tough consequences. Hosted by With Good Reason’s Kelley Libby, this series explores the history and promise of one of our most fundamental liberties. Episodes drop on Constitution Day, September 17th. American Dissent is a production of James Madison’s Montpelier and With Good Reason at Virginia Humanities.

Summer reads from the With Good Reason universe! Inman Majors gives us some comedic escapism, Erin Jones is reading about mid-century women artists reclaiming the pin-up, and Sharon Jones shares why she, a black woman with a comfortable salary, is spending her summer reading about whiteness and poverty.

In the first episode of With Good Reason’s new documentary series on the Vietnam War, historians Fred Turner and Wilbur J. Scott explore how the self-image of America was shattered in Vietnam, and we hear the first-hand accounts of veterans’ return to America after the trauma of conflict. Then, historian Christian Appy tells the story of the draft -- who it ensnared, who escaped, and the trauma it left on a generation of Americans.

For many in Charlottesville and around the country, the events of August 12th were a shock. But for black residents, it wasn't a surprise at all to see white supremacists marching in the street of a southern college town. Charlottesville brought into light, again, America's long history of racism. This week on With Good Reason, we reflect on American racism past and present. We talk to two filmmakers who documented the "social phenomenon" of lynching that claimed 4,000 lives; we hear from some of the nation's top journalists on how the media perpetuates racism; and we get Charlottesville residents' reflections on the violence of August 12th.

On a special episode of The Kicker, we present clips from a panel CJR convened this week in Charlottesville, Virginia. Titled “Race, Racism, and the News,” the event featured several journalists with personal ties to the Charlottesville area, and touched on issues of language, representation, and white supremacy. Associate Editor Brendan Fitzgerald, who directs CJR's United States Project, leads the conversation, and we hear from Slate's Jamelle Bouie, The New York Times Magazine's Jenna Wortham, and The Nation Institute's Collier Meyerson. Special thanks to With Good Reason, a great podcast based in Virginia, for providing the audio excerpts.

The great promise of public education is equality–an excellent education for every child. And yet, there’s a sense — from nearly every side of the debate — that America is falling short of that promise. In the first of a special six-part series, With Good Reason traces the origins of education to ancient Mesopotamia and asks: how did education get so unequal?

Women are earning more degrees in higher education than men. So why are there so few women in tenure track or leadership positions in academia? New from With Good Reason, the Short Listen combines compelling interviews with short-form storytelling to bring the best of each week's episode in under five minutes.

As we approach the shortest days of the year, we take a longing look at the therapeutic aspects of daylight. One researcher found that light therapy dramatically improved symptoms in patients with dementia. New from With Good Reason, the Short Listen combines compelling interviews with short-form storytelling to bring the best of each week's episode in under five minutes.

There's a lot of talk about food these days, from farmer's markets to the local food movement. But in some communities, there's a whole different conversation going on around food -- they call it, "food sovereignty." New from With Good Reason, the Short Listen combines compelling interviews with short-form storytelling to bring the best of each week's episode in under five minutes.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Americans are preparing to celebrate that first feast shared between Native Americans and European Pilgrims. But for one Virginia tribe, this year’s celebrations mark the end of a long struggle for recognition. New from With Good Reason, the Short Listen combines compelling interviews with short-form storytelling to bring the best of each week's episode in under five minutes.

Toms River was just like any other small town in America—except that children were dying at very high rates. For Earth Day, With Good Reason speaks with Pulitzer Prize winning writer Dan Fagin, whose 2013 book, Tom's River: A Story of Science and Salvation tells the story of how that small town fought against the pollution—and the polluters—killing their children. Fagin also discusses his current project, a book that follows the plight of the monarch butterfly as it tries to survive the very real changes that humans have brought to this planet. Plus: Meet Marc Edwards the professor who helped uncover the water crises in Flint, Michigan and has now been charged with fixing it. Later in the show: Growing up in Appalachia, Maddison Couch noticed an unusual number of thyroid disorders in her community. As a student at she discovered new information suggesting that these disorders weren’t inherited—they’re caused by coal. And: The distinctive appearance of the largest salamander in North America has inspired some colorful nicknames: hellbenders, big log of snot, ol¹ lasagna sides, and snot otter. Biologist Wally Smith is trying to better understand where these creatures live and why they're disappearing.

Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison was born Chloe Wofford in 1931. She was 39 when she published her first novel about a black girl’s painful coming of age in a white society. The Bluest Eye and many subsequent works have earned Morrison the highest accolades in literature and established her as one of America’s leading fiction writers. Nikki Giovanni and Joanne Gabbin paid tribute to Morrison with an extravaganza at Virginia Tech that included nationally renowned writers, singers, and poets, and the late Maya Angelou. With Good Reason interviewed Morrison and shares highlights from that night of tributes. Later in the show: The author of Equal Time: Television and the Civil Rights Movement explores how the newly created evening news shows shaped attitudes about race relations during the Civil Rights Movement. Aniko Bodroghkozy investigates the network news treatment of events including the 1965 Selma voting rights campaign, integration riots at the University of Mississippi, and the March on Washington. Also featured: Stephen Alcorn is the illustrator of the children’s book Odetta: The Queen of Folk, which tells the story of the legendary singer and social activist known as “the Voice of the Civil Rights Movement.” The book follows her renowned career and her influence on many of the most important singers of the folk revival of the 1960s.

Papayas in December (December 12, 2015) Small farms can now grow raspberries, blackberries, ginger, or even tropical fruits like papayas in December without the need of expensive greenhouses. Reza Rafie has been working with simple structures called high-tunnels that can maintain a 65-degree temperature in the winter months. Wanda Johnson (Virginia State University) creates delectable dishes like papaya salad using the produce grown in these high tunnels. And: With so many nutrition studies contradicting each other, it's hard to know what to believe when it comes to food and health. Alan Levinovitz (James Madison University) says the proliferation of fad diets--rooted in myth not science--are a reaction to that confusion. Later in the show: Most of the chestnuts roasting on open fires this winter are from Europe or Asia, not America. American chestnut trees were largely wiped out by blight. Heather Griscom (James Madison University) is helping to restore American chestnut trees. Plus: What’s Christmas without a little organ music? With Good Reason producer Kelley Libby visits one of the oldest working organs in America and brings us a private recital by Tom Marshall (William and Mary).

World-renowned naturalist Joe Hutto, subject of the Emmy winning BBC documentary "My Life As a Turkey", discusses how he became a wild turkey mother in the hammocks of Florida. Plus: Fourth-generation pilot Eric Walden gives a play-by-play of the ninja-like moves of the wild turkey—mid-air. And: The once-scorned bronze-feathered turkey is making a comeback, with the help of organic, free-range farmers like Paul Kelly. Also: Jay Sullivan (Virginia Military Institute) sends his students off to Thanksgiving Break with a poem about a young engineer’s ingenuity and of course, a turkey. Later in the show: With Good Reason takes a look at the indigenous perspective of a Thanksgiving table. Anton Treuer, author of Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, shares how he and his family give thanks. Plus: Minnesota Chef Sean Sherman (the Sioux Chef) gives us a taste of pre-contact American Indian cuisine.

The war in Vietnam touched many different lives, in many different ways. This special Veteran's Day episode of With Good Reason shares memories from an NBA All-Star who played pickup games with the troops in the jungle; a soldier who navigated the Mekong Delta in a patrol boat while his baby daughter was born back home; a flight attendant who firmly told the soldiers, "See you on the way back"; and a young marine whose life was saved by the sacrifice of a friend. Later in the show: In the 1960s, it took almost three weeks to cross the sea from America to Vietnam. Three weeks for young men in crowded cabins with salt water showers and absolutely nothing to do but think about home, the war, and what might be next. In this episode we focus on a single troopship, the General Nelson M. Walker, and a few of the soldiers who traveled on it. There’s the man who wrote home about the voyage to Vietnam—about tanning oil, hillbilly radio, and a run-in with a typhoon. Another who survived the jungles of Vietnam, only to return home and feel as though democracy had passed him by. And then there’s the fiancée who snuck on board to say one last goodbye to her lover before he was killed in action. These stories were produced in partnership with The Vietnam Graffiti Project.

Uptalk” is that rising, questioning tone some people use when ending a statement. It’s becoming so common that Thomas Linneman (College of William and Mary) studied its use by contestants on the game show Jeopardy. He found women use it more than men, but male contestants often use “uptalk” after a woman competitor gets a wrong answer. And: Most of us think the best way to motivate is with rewards like money. But best-selling author Dan Pink says that’s a mistake. He says the secret to high performance and satisfaction is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to create new things, and to better our world. Also featured: First published in 1947, Goodnight Moon has become one of the most popular books for young children. Yet the book’s author, Margaret Wise Brown, always wanted to write for adults. With Good Reason’s Kelley Libby tells the story of Brown’s life, from Hollins College to her tragic early death. Also featured: After World War II, the International Youth Library in Munich was created to promote understanding by introducing Germany’s children to the literature of other cultures. It’s now the largest repository of children’s literature in the world. Dr. Osayimwense Osa (Virginia State University) is a former fellow at the library. He says the internationalizing of children’s literature is a step toward world peace. And: With busy schedules and media-soaked lives, have our children lost their ability to engage in moment-by-moment experiences? Michele Briggs and Tammy Gilligan (James Madison University) discuss the lost art of mindfulness, its importance to classroom decorum and academic achievement, and what teachers can do to help children learn this important skill.

Dickens Turns 200 (2012) by With Good Reason

Grandparents Who Parent by With Good Reason

Most of the chestnuts roasting on open fires this winter are from Europe or Asia, not America. In the early 1900s, American chestnut trees from Maine to Georgia were largely wiped out by blight. Heather Griscom (James Madison University) is helping to restore American chestnut trees and joins us for a sampling of holiday chestnut treats. Plus: What’s Christmas without a little organ music? With Good Reason producer Kelley Libby visits one of the oldest working organs in America and brings us a private recital by Tom Marshall (William and Mary). Later in the show: Whether it’s a traditional hymn or a holiday song from our childhood, many people say Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the music that marks this season. The sense of joy, comfort, or spiritual uplift comes in all kinds of music at this time of year. From a Charlie Brown Christmas to Donny Hathaway and carols from the 15th century, Inman Majors (James Madison University), Hermine Pinson (College of William and Mary), and Rob Vaughan (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) share their favorite holiday music and memories.