Category

Social Issues

History, Non Fiction, Social Issues, Women's Issues

APR 14: The Agitators with NYT Bestselling Author Dorothy Wickenden

Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women’s Rights

The Agitators tells fascinating stories surrounding America’s abolition, the Underground Railroad, and early women’s rights movements from the intimate perspective of three friendsMartha Coffin Wright, Frances A. Seward, and Harriet Tubman.

It took Dorothy Wickenden seven years to research and write The Agitators. Today she shares some of the challenges in the lives of these “agitators”, and how they were united in spirit, despite having very different backgrounds. We also discuss how Quakers led the first large movement to abolish slavery. Some of the research that surprised and delighted the author. And what she would ask these women, if she could.

About Dorothy Wickenden

Dorothy Wickenden is the author of Nothing Daunted and The Agitators, and has been the executive editor of The New Yorker since 1996. She also writes for the magazine and is the moderator of its weekly podcast Politics & More. A former Nieman Fellow at Harvard, Wickenden was national affairs editor at Newsweek from 1993-1995.

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Non Fiction, Social Issues

APR 07: New Yorkers with Craig Taylor

New Yorkers: A City and Its People in Our Time

Who better to capture the essence of New York in today’s times, than New Yorkers themselves. Journalist Craig Taylor immersed himself into the crowded streets of New York, speaking to over 200 everyday people, to let their words paint the picture of contemporary New York.

We discuss some of the 75 characters in the book, and learn why most say NYC is just a “playground for the rich.” Why part of  “living in NY is just mourning the hell out of it.”  Why some stay when they say they want nothing more than to leave. How the city became “very dark” in March 2020. And what Craig misses the most now he’s back in Canada.

About Craig Taylor

Craig Taylor is the author of the bestselling Londoners, Return to Akenfield, and One Million Tiny Plays About Britain.  His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, The Globe & Mail, and McSweeney’s.  Craig Taylor’s latest book New Yorkers: A City and Its People in Our Time.

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Non Fiction, Social Issues

OCT 28: MIT’s Justin Reich with Failure to Disrupt

How distance learning impacts school kids

The United States continues to debate, juggle, and deal with school closures and distance learning because of COVID-19.

While learning technology can carry a high cost economically and culturally, maybe a more important question is how it impacts our kid’s education and social skills. Today Justin Reich joins us to discuss some of the issues and benefits of distance learning and technology.

About Justin Reich

Justin Reich is Mitsui Career Development Professor of Comparative Media Studies and Director of the Teaching Systems Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He hosts the podcast TeachLab. And has written about education and technology for Education WeekThe New YorkerThe AtlanticThe Washington Post, and Science. Justin Reich’s latest book is Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education.

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Non Fiction, Social Issues, Women's Issues

AUG 26: Julie Suk with We The Women & Why the Equal Rights Amendment Matters

Julie Suk joins us to discuss stories from her new book WE THE WOMEN: The Unstoppable Mothers of the Equal Rights Amendment.

We explore why the ERA still hasn’t made it into the U.S. Constitution — and who’s blocking it.  What that means to women today, and what to do about it.  Julie also highlights some of the brilliant women suffragists who’ve kept pushing the ERA forward despite fierce opposition and subterfuge.

Julie C. Suk is a frequent media commentator on legal issues affecting women. She’s a professor of Sociology, Political Science, and Liberal Studies at the the Graduate Center of the City University of New York where she serves as Dean for Master’s Programs.

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Conservation, Environment, Non Fiction, Social Issues, Sustainability

JUL 22: Facing the Climate Emergency with Dr. Margaret Klein Salamon

“You can create transformative change only by facing the truth.”  So much of the battle to save the climate is psychological and Dr. Margaret Klein Salamon’s new book, Facing the Climate Emergency: How to Transform Yourself with Climate Truth, gives you the tools to face your negative emotions, accept your fears, and channel them into protecting humanity and the natural world.

So what is the Climate Truth we need to face? Simply put, Dr. Margaret Klein Salamon believes the scientific consensus that our current ecological crisis threatens every life on our planet.

Margaret Klein Salamon, PhD, is a clinical psychologist turned climate warrior and founder of The Climate Mobilization, which pioneered the internationally recognized Climate Emergency.

 

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Creativity, Fiction, Social Issues, Writers on Writing

JUL 15: A Dangerous Breed with Glen Erik Hamilton

Thriller author Glen Erik Hamilton returns to Conversations Live with the latest novel in his popular Van Shaw series, A Dangerous Breed.  We discuss a broad range of topics, including character development and how he keeps his recurring characters evolving from book to book.  We also dive into some of the research he did for the novel, and where he took creative license and why.

Glen also shares his perspective on artist rights and responsibilities as related to our current political climate and how artists can (or should) go about representing characters from other backgrounds or orientations.

Glen grew up aboard a sailboat in Seattle, Washington, playing and occasionally finding trouble around the islands, marinas, and commercial docks of the Pacific Northwest.  His books in the Van Shaw series have won numerous awards and received critical acclaim from Publishers WeeklyLibrary Journal, and more.

 

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Humor, Non Fiction, Social Issues

FEB 19: Steven Goldstein’s The Turn-On

In our world of 24/7 media, what draws you to certain public figures over others?  When celebrities step into your household through the screen or speaker, what are the essential ingredients that determine whether you gravitate to them or find them repulsive?  And why do some celebrities thrive after a scandal while others wither away in disgrace?  Spending much of his career working among public figures, Steven Goldstein invented a tangible way to measure likeability using eight critical traits.  His new book is The Turn-On: How the Powerful Make Us Like Them – From Washington to Wall Street to Hollywood.

Steven Goldstein is a civil rights leader who began his career as a television news producer, winning ten Emmys, before becoming a producer for Oprah Winfrey. He worked as a lawyer for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, and as a communications director in the U.S. Senate, before becoming a strategist for leaders in politics, business, and entertainment.

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Conservation, Environment, Health & Wellness, Humor, Social Issues

DEC 18: Richard Louv’s Our Wild Calling

What would your life be like if you were as immersed in nature as you are in your electronic devices?  Today you will find out how connecting with animals can improve our spiritual, mental, and physical well-being.  You’ll learn why a coyote riding on public transportation could become the new norm, and how our children can learn ethical behavior from our dogs.  And find out how our guest compares raccoons to Silicone Valley and Seattle technophiles!

Richard Louv is a journalist and author of ten books, and co-founder and chair emeritus of the nonprofit Children & Nature Network.  In 2008, he was awarded the Audubon Medal, presented by the National Audubon Society. Prior recipients have included Rachel Carson, E. O. Wilson, Sir David Attenborough and President Jimmy Carter.  His new book is Our Wild Calling: How Connecting with Animals Can Transform our Lives — and Save Theirs.

 

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Health & Wellness, Social Issues, Travel & Adventure

DEC 04: Christina Adams’ Camel Crazy and a Boy with Autism

It’s often said a mother will go to the ends of the earth for the health and well being of her children.  Today we are joined by a mother of an autistic son whose mission really did take her across the globe – from Bedouin camps in the Middle East to Amish farms in Pennsylvania to villages in India.  Christina Adams shares how camel’s milk helped her son, as well as what studies show regarding how it may be able to help with other common health issues, and the sustainability of raising camels as an alternative to cow’s milk or soy.  Her new book is Camel Crazy: A Quest for Miracles in the Mysterious World of Camels.

Christina is an award-winning journalist and author who speaks on writing, culture, autism, and camels.  Her work has been featured by National Public Radio, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles TimesGlobal Advances in Health and Medicine, and more.

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Business, Career, Non Fiction, Social Issues, Women's Issues

NOV 27: Andrea Kramer’s It’s Not You, It’s the Workplace

Women have made great strides in establishing themselves in the workforce, so why do most workplaces remain male dominated environments?  Andrea Kramer joins us today to discuss ways we can close that gap, from avoiding applying double standards to female colleagues to the consequences resulting from men bragging and self-promoting while women downplay their achievements.  You’ll also find out that millenials might not be quite as different as you thought, and why perfectionsim is overrated.  Andrea’s new book, co-authored with her husband, Alton Harris, is It’s Not You, It’s the Workplace: Women’s Conflict at Work and the Bias that Built It.

For decades, attorneys Andrea and Alton have confronted gender bias in the workplace through speaking, workshops, articles, blog posts, podcasts, one-on-one counselling, and engagements with national and international business and professional organizations. They have appeared in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and many other publications.

 

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