Social Aggression Among Girls

How big a problem is aggression among children? How can parents and educators deal with the issue? We’ll spend this hour with Dr. Marion Underwood, UTD Professor of Developmental Psychology. Underwood is also the author of the 2003 book “Social Aggression Among Girls” (The Guilford Press).

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Washington and America's Veterans

What does the future hold for the thousands of veterans wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan? According to journalist Aaron Glantz, it doesn’t look good. Glantz will join us this hour to discuss his new book “The War Comes Home: Washington’s Battle against America’s Veterans” (University of California Press, 2009).

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The Untold History of English

With all its idiosyncrasies, some might argue it’s a wonder that the English language actually exists as a working language. But how did the language develop? We’ll spend this hour with bestselling author, linguist, and Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow, John McWhorter. His new book is “Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English” (Gotham, 2008).

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Breast Cancer Today

Is genetic testing and pre-assessment of risk an effective weapon in the current fight against breast cancer? We’ll explore advances in risk assessment, prevention, diagnosis and treatment this hour with Dr. David Euhus, professor of surgical oncology and Linda Robinson, head genetic counselor at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

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Snark

What is Snark? According to New Yorker film critic David Denby, it weakens our public discourse, our intellectual pursuits and even the traditions of American humor. He’ll join us this hour to discuss the rise of the phenomenon and his new book of the same name “Snark” (Simon and Schuster, 2009).

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The Complexities of Character

What makes a character great? Can an author know or exert control over how a reader will respond to that character? We’ll talk this hour with best-selling author Wally Lamb, whose new novel is “The Hour I First Believed” (Harper Collins, 2008). He speaks to Arts and Letters Live this evening.

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What to Do When People Are Rude

Why are people rude and what’s the best way to stop the cycle of bad social behavior? We’ll talk this hour with P.M. Forni, professor of Italian Literature at Johns Hopkins University and author of “The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude” (St. Martin’s Press, 2008).

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Memories of Pre-Revolutionary Iran

How does one’s memory color history? What if that personal history took place in pre-revolutionary Iran? We’ll spend this hour with bestselling author Azar Nafisi, who gained international acclaim in 2003 with “Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books.” Her new book is “Things I’ve Been Silent About: Memories” (Random House, 2008).

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