Podcast

Writers Voice: Isabella Tree, WILDING & Jeet Heer on Iowa and Beyond

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This week’s episode gives us a sorely-needed message of hope. If we just simply let nature take its course, we can restore the Earth. We talk with Isabella Tree about her book Wilding – the Return of Nature to a British Farm. It’s out from Picador Press.

Then, we talk with Nation magazine contributor Jeet Heer about the Iowa caucus debacle, the progressive wing of the Democratic presidential campaign, and Michael Bloomberg, on its billionaire wing.

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Podcast

Web Only Extra: Daniel Judt on Australia’s Wildfires

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Remember the Australian wildfires? The ones that killed some one billion animals and torched millions of acres of land? Well, Australia is still in fire season, and, as late as yesterday, February 5, they were still going on. There’s a temporary reprieve, as Australia braces for torrential rainfall, but they will no doubt be back.

A few days ago, Francesca spoke by Skype with journalist Daniel Judt about his recent piece in the Nation, “Australia’s Devastating Wildfires Were Not Inevitable.” It is the second in a three-part series on climate by Judt; the first in the series is “In Senegal, Climate Change is Robbing Thousands of Their Homes.”

 

Podcast

Michael Klare, ALL HELL BREAKING LOOSE, Christian Parenti, Tropic Of Chaos & Review of new Hilary Davidson thriller

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Michael Klare talks about his new book, All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon’s Perspective On Climate Change.

Then we air a clip from our 2011 interview with Christian Parenti about his book, Tropic Of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence.

We also review a terrific new thriller from Hilary Davidson, Don’t Look Down.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use!

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Podcast

Sara Matthiesen on Bernie’s Feminism & Helaine Olen on Joe Biden’s Record on Social Security

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Critics have tried to tar Bernie Sanders with the brush of sexism, implied if not explicit. But gender studies scholar Sara Matthiesen says Bernie could be the first feminist president. We talk with her about her article in the Nation, “Bernie Could be America’s First Feminist President.”

Then, with all its importance to the lives of most Americans, Social Security doesn’t often make it into the headlines. That changed this week when the Sanders campaign charged that Joe Biden’s record on Social Security is flawed, suggesting it could weaken him against Trump in the general election. We spoke with Washington Post columnist Helaine Olen about her recent post, “Sanders is right: Biden is Vulnerable to Trump on Social Security.”

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or whatever podcast player you use!

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Podcast

Alyss Thomas, THE JOURNAL WRITER’S COMPANION & Gareth St. John Thomas, FINDING TRUE CONNECTIONS

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We talk with Alyss Thomas about her guide to journaling: The Journal Writer’s Companion. Then, we check in with Thomas’ brother Gareth St. John Thomas about his terrific guide to learning and writing about a family member’s history. It’s called Finding True Connections.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice. And if you are listening to our podcast, give us some love on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use.

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Podcast

An Hour With WWII Spymaster Fiction Master Alan Furst

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Today, we talk with spy fiction writer Alan Furst about his latest book, Under Occupation. Then we air excerpts from interviews we did with him about his previous novels, Spies of the Balkans and The Foreign Correspondent.

We also play a recording of a poem by the Greek poet C.P. Cavafy, Waiting for the Barbarians, translated from the Greek by Edmund Keeley.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

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Podcast

New Year’s Looks Back: William Greider, Harold Bloom, Peter Yarrow, Rev. William Barber

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Episode #573

We remember two authors we interviewed in years past who died in 2019. First, we re-play our 2009 interview with William Greider about his book, Come Home America. Greider passed away on Christmas Day 2019. We also hear from my 2011 interview with Harold Bloom, who also passed away in 2019.

Then, we dip into Francesca’s audio archive for an interview she did with Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary in 2017 at an event honoring the Reverend Dr. William Barber — and we hear from Barber, as well, talking about his Poor People’s Campaign.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or whatever podcatcher you use!

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Podcast

Writer’s Voice Ten Best of 2019

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Episode #572

It’s that time of year when media folks look back and try to pick out the Ten Best of whatever we produced or reviewed this year. You might as well gather them all up in a hat and toss the contents against the wall, we loved all our darlings so much.

But there were some standouts and so we winnowed down the list of about twenty to ten and then picked four to air excerpts from. Then we list the remaining six below.

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Podcast

Nathan Robinson, WHY YOU SHOULD BE A SOCIALIST & Michael Klare

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We talk with Current Affairs editor Nathan J. Robinson about his new book, Why You Should Be A Socialist: A Primer On Democratic Socialism For Those Who Are Extremely Skeptical Of It.

Then, energy and conflict analyst Michael Klare tells us how the US military will have to change in the face of the climate catastrophe. His recent article in the Nation is “When the Climate Replaces Our Forever Wars.”

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use!

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Podcast

Richard Louv, OUR WILD CALLING & Carl Safina, BEYOND WORDS

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We talk with Richard Louv, author of Last Child In The Woods, about his new book, OUR WILD CALLING: How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives”•and Save Theirs.

Then, we play an excerpt from our 2015 interview with Carl Safina about his book BEYOND WORDS, What Animals Think and Feel.

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Podcast

Writers Voice: David Silverman, THIS LAND IS THEIR LAND & Native American scholar Marge Bruchac

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We talk with historian David Silverman about his book This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving.

Then, we continue our Thanksgiving week tradition of hearing Native American storyteller and ethnohistorian Marge Bruchac talk about Thanksgiving from the Native point of view — and her re-telling of the Story of Corn.

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Podcast

Mimi Lemay, What We Will Become & Senator Sherrod Brown, Desk 88

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We talk with Mimi Lemay about her powerful memoir of a family with a transgender child, What We Will Become: A Mother, a Son, and a Journey of Transformation.

Then, we welcome a special guest to our show, Senator Sherrod Brown. He’ll tell us about his new book, Desk 88: Eight Progressive Senators Who Changed America. It’s a celebration of eight former progressive senators who sat at the desk he occupies in the Senate.

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And if you’re listening to our podcast, give us some love on iTunes or whichever podcast app you use.

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Podcast

Paul Theroux, ON THE PLAIN OF SNAKES

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We spend the hour with legendary travel writer and novelist Paul Theroux, talking about his latest book, ON THE PLAIN OF SNAKES: A Mexican Journey. We also hear a poem by the renowned Mexican poet Javier Sicilia.

Our conversation with Paul Theroux takes us from the US border to the jungles of Chiapas, as Theroux tells us about the resilience of the Mexican people in the face of violence and bad government, the preservation of ancient traditions by the poorest communities and the inspiring rebellion in the south by the Zapatistas, who have created their own liberated territory.

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Podcast

Monique Morris, SING A RHYTHM, DANCE A BLUES & Ben Ehrenreich on the California Wildfires

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We talk with social justice scholar Monique Morris about her new book, Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues: Education for the Liberation of Black and Brown Girls.

Then, as fire season in California becomes ever longer and more intense, some are saying the profit-driven utility ownership model just isn’t working. We talk with Ben Ehrenreich about his article in the Nation, “California Is Burning—Nationalize PG&E.”

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes!

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Podcast

Amitav Ghosh, GUN ISLAND & Aarti Shahani, HERE WE ARE

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On the menu this week are two books, both with roots in South Asia and America, touching on two of the most central issues of our time: climate and immigration.

We talk first with acclaimed novelist and writer Amitav Ghosh about his newest work of fiction, Gun Island. Then, NPR-correspondent Aarti Shahani tells us about her stunning memoir of immigration to America — the dream and the nightmare. It’s called Here We Are: American Dreams, American Nightmares. Continue reading →