Colson Whitehead’s latest novel is based on a real juvenile detention reformatory in 1960s Florida. He joins us to talk about his story of two boys, bound by the trauma around them as they swing between hope and cynicism.
Read moreBeyond Borders: What Makes A Nation
Thomas Meaney, a fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Göttingen, Germany, joins us to talk about the history of military intervention, citizen uprisings, and the ideas around citizenship that define belonging in our world.
Read moreWhat Happened The Last Time We Tried To Cut Off Immigation
Jia Lynn Yang, deputy national editor at the New York Times, joins us to talk about the lawmakers at the forefront of the push to change the law and the immigrants at the center of the fight for equality.
Read moreThe Remarkable Materials That Changed The Way We Live
Ainissa Ramirez joins us to talk about eight inventions we often overlook – including an accurate clock – and how they changed the way we live.
Read moreHow Universities Contribute To Inequality
Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, joins us to talk about how our higher education system contributes to inequality.
Read moreWe Ask A Lot Of Police — Here’s What We Can Outsource
Patrick Sharkey, professor of sociology and public affairs at New York University and founder of AmericanViolence.org, joins us to talk about strategies for offloading elements that stand in the way of effective policing.
Read moreHow Shakespeare Spun Tragedy And Comedy From An Epidemic
Stephen Greenblatt, John Cogan University Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University, joins us to talk about how an epidemic influenced Shakespeare.
Read moreBusting The Myth Of The Texas Rangers
Doug J. Swanson, writing teacher at the University of Pittsburgh, member of Texas Institute of Letters and previous finalist for Pulitzer Prize, joins us to talk about separating legend from fact when it comes to the Texas Rangers.
Read moreA Practical Guide To Fixing Our Democracy
David Litt, a speechwriter for President Obama, joins us to talk about how we became so disenfranchised and polarized – and about how we can address these issues.
Read moreMadame Speaker: The Political Life Of Nancy Pelosi
Molly Ball, Time magazine’s national political correspondent and a political analyst for CNN, joins us to talk about Pelosi’s journey to becoming arguably the most influential woman in American political history.
Read moreMeet The Formerly Enslaved Woman Who Secured Reparations
Rice University historian W. Caleb McDaniel joins us to tell the story of how Henrietta Wood ultimately sued and won the largest amount given in restitution for slavery.
Read moreWhy Debutantes Are Still A Thing
Kristen Richardson joins us to talk about what it is to become a debutante – and if the ritual still has a place in the 21st Century.
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