Category Archives: Episodes
From the Doghouse to the Lighthouse
William Baldwin, South Carolina’s mad hermit, swamp-dwelling eccentric tour guide, waterman, carpenter, artist, and genius, talks about his new Novel, The Fennell Family Papers. The novel is a bizarre and satirical story of an ancient family of coastal-dwelling light-house builders … Continue reading
Praising Provence
The south of France has inspired generations of writers, among them Peter Mayle, the author of best sellers such as A Year in Provence, A Dog’s Life, and his latest, Anything Considered. He was recently at the National Humanities Center … Continue reading
Women in Flight
Connie May Fowler talks about her most recent book, Before Women Had Wings, the powerful and affecting story of Avocet Abigail Jackson, her adolescence, her family’s broken lives, her dreams and uncertainties. There is no denying the depth of Fowler’s … Continue reading
Internet Pioneer
Robert Kahn reflects on his role in the history and social implications of information technology. Kahn is the founder of the Internet and his influence on the growth of information technology is widely known in industry and government. He is … Continue reading
Creating the National Pastime
G.Edward White, a social historian and baseball fan, talks about his new book, Creating the National Pastime: Baseball Transforms Itself, 1903-1953. In a conversation with another legal scholar and baseball connoisseur, Vincent Blassi, Professor White describes how baseball, which began … Continue reading
Asking for Love
The critics agree — Roxana Robinson‘s fiction is masterful (Alice Munro), elegant and tender (Mary Gordon), a striking blend of nuance, empathy, and wit (Publishers Weekly). She writes about old-moneyed families of Manhattan, Connecticut, Long Island, and Maine, the inhabitants … Continue reading
Remembering F.D.R.
In the October 1996 Congressional recognition of Roosevelt History Month, the first to be named for a President, historian William Leuchtenburg talks about the meaning of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s life and legacy. At the time of this interview, Leuchtenburg had … Continue reading
West Virginia Wired; Commentary
Governor Gaston Caperton is the winner of the Zenith Data Systems Information Technology Leadership Award for Education, presented in recent ceremonies in Washington at the Computerworld Smithsonian Awards Program. Gov. Caperton talks about a highly successful model for computer technology … Continue reading
Leading Chinese
Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, is reputed to have described 20th-century China as a puzzle wrapped in an enigma surrounded by a mystery. David Strand offers a less dramatic but no less revealing perspective on modern-day Chinese society. Professor … Continue reading
American Legend
Pete Seeger enjoys legendary status for millions of Americans. But he said in an interview with Soundings that, over the years, the motives for his music and his activism remained true to the local wellsprings of concern for children, care … Continue reading