Russia, the 2016 election & national security with Tom Nichols

Ep. 101 | Originally aired January 14-15, 2017 The United States finds itself in the midst of an information war with an old adversary.  This week, national security analyst Tom Nichols will help us understand the contours of that conflict, the role of storytelling in it, and also the implications…

Standing Rock Sioux reservation with Lorén Spears & Christian Hopkins

Ep. 102 | Originallly aired: January 21-22, 2017 One of the big stories of the last six months has been the protest over the Dakota Access Pipeline. This week on “Story in the Public Square,” two Native American activists talk about events on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation and the role of sto…

The power of science journalism with Dan Fagin

Ep. 103 | Originally aired: January 28-29, 2017 Science is simultaneously celebrated, ignored, and criticized in public life. In this episode of “Story in the Public Square,” hosts Jim Ludes and G. Wayne Miller sit down with Pulitzer-Prize winning science journalist Dan Fagin to better understand …

Jonathan Alexandratos says toys r texts and they shape our culture

Ep. 104 | Originally aired: February 4-5, 2017 How we play and how we teach our children to play are tremendously important narratives in public life. This week’s guest, Jonathan Alexandratos, argues that “toys are texts,” and we should read them with the same analytical eye we bring to books, mov…

Crimetown co-host Marc Smerling talks Cianci and Patriarca

Ep. 105 | Originally aired: February 11-12, 2017 Politicians and voters may hate crime, but American audiences can’t get enough of shows like CSI or Law and Order. This week on “Story in the Public Square,” hosts Jim Ludes and G. Wayne Miller are joined by Marc Smerling, an Emmy-winning filmmaker …

Upholding U.S. public diplomacy with Katherine Brown

Ep. 106 | Originally aired: February 18-19, 2017 With the transfer of power in Washington, the stories the United States tells the world are changing, too. Hosts Jim Ludes and G. Wayne Miller are joined by Katherine Brown, a public diplomacy professional who has served the United States from the c…

A Big Enough Lie with Eric Bennett

Ep. 107 | Originally aired: February 25-26, 2017 This week we’re joined by a remarkably talented scholar and novelist whose work, whether for academic or popular audiences, traces the role of both narrative and truth in public life. Eric Bennett is the author of several books, including the novel …

What role do K-12 schools play in America? Irvin Scott answers

Ep. 108 | Originally aired: March 4-5, 2017 Everyone who has ever gone to school has something to say about teachers, about schools, and about education in general. But is popular opinion—fueled, often, by myth and anecdote—as valid as the considered judgments of educators and researchers? Educati…

The impact of big money with Michael Corkery

Ep. 109 | Originally aired: March 11-12, 2017 For every new regulation his administration issues, President Trump has said two regulations have to be eliminated – but what about the ordinary Americans many of these regulations were designed to protect? Are we heading back to the days of predatory …

Major stories shaping public life in 2017 with Michael D, Kennedy

Ep. 110 | Originally aired: March 18-19, 2017 University professors and intellectuals are often dismissed as elites, divorced from real life and disconnected from the problems of real people. Guest Michael Kennedy sees their role differently and argues, in fact, that intellectuals and universities…