Great Podversations

Latest Episodes:

Amanda Little and Allison Aubrey Dec 04, 2020

Show notes

Journalist and professor Amanda Little and NPR’s Alison Aubrey discuss Ms. Little’s book, The Fate of Food, and other timely topics. Amanda Little is the author of two books, and her articles have been published in the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Wired, and The Washington Post. Little is a professor of investigative journalism and science writing at Vanderbilt University. She has received a number of awards for excellence in environmental journalism. Alison Aubrey is a correspondent for NPR News, where her stories can be heard on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. She's also a contributor to the PBS NewsHour and is a co-host of NPR's Life Kit podcast. Along with her NPR science desk colleagues, Aubrey won a 2019 Gracie Award. She is the recipient of a 2018 James Beard broadcast award, and a 2016 James Beard Award for a PBS/NPR collaboration.

Amaryllis Fox and Melissa Block Nov 13, 2020

Show notes

Former CIA officer and author Amaryllis Fox discusses her book Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA with NPR’s special correspondent Melissa Block. Amaryllis Fox is a writer, television host, public speaker, and former CIA officer. Fox’s memoir, Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA, examines her ten years hunting the world’s terrorists in sixteen countries while marrying and giving birth to a daughter. Fox has covered current events and offered analysis for CNN, National Geographic, Al Jazeera, and the BBC. She is the co-host of History Channel’s series American Ripper and the host of the Netflix documentary series The Business of Drugs. Melissa Block was the host of All Things Considered on NPR for many years. She now brings her signature combination of warmth and incisive reporting as special correspondent and guest host to NPR’s news programs. She has earned some of the top honors in broadcast journalism. Her reporting has taken her everywhere from the Mississippi Gulf Coast to the heart of Rio de Janeiro; from rural Mozambique to the farthest reaches of Alaska and Sichuan, China.

Mary Beth Keane and Maureen Corrigan Oct 30, 2020

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Best-selling author Mary Beth Keane and literary critic Maureen Corrigan discuss Ms. Keane’s book, Ask Again, Yes, and other timely topics. Ms. Keane was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship for fiction, and has published two other books. Most recently, Ask Again, Yes, was an instant New York Times bestseller, and has been translated in twenty-one languages. Maureen Corrigan is the book critic for NPR’s Fresh Air and writes the ‘Book World’ column for the Washington Post. She is a professor of literary criticism at Georgetown University and an author herself.

Elaine Pagels and Timothy Egan Oct 16, 2020

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Timothy Egan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and best selling author. He writes a bi-weekly Op-Ed column for the New York Times. Elaine Pagels is a historian of religion and professor at Princeton University. She is a best-selling author and received the National Medal in the Arts from President Obama. In this episode of Great Podversations, Egan and Pagels discuss Mr. Egan’s book Pilgrimage to Eternity, history, belief and other timely topics.

Jerome Groopman and Timothy Snyder Oct 02, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Jerome Groopman and Timothy Snyder discuss Snyder’s recent book "Our Malady: Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary," healthcare in the U.S., and other timely topics. Groopman holds an endowed Chair of Medicine and Chief of Experimental Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Snyder is the Levin Professor of History at Yale University and a permanent fellow at The Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna.

Clarissa Ward and Peter Bergen Sep 11, 2020

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Clarissa Ward is CNN’s Chief International Correspondent. She discusses her new book On All Fronts with Peter Bergen, a journalist, documentary producer and security analyst. On All Fronts is an account of Ward’s riveting career in journalism in this age of extremism.

Isabel Allende and Madeline Miller Aug 07, 2020

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Best-selling authors Isabel Allende and Madeline Miller in conversation. They discuss literature, gender issues, humanitarianism, and other timely topics.

Michael R. Jackson and Ari Shapiro Jul 24, 2020

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Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Michael R. Jackson and NPR’s Ari Shapiro, host of All Things Considered, discuss American theater, music, racial issues, and other timely topics.

Erik Larson and Amor Towles Jul 10, 2020

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Best-selling authors Erik Larson and Amor Towles discuss history, research, and the craft of writing.

Franklin Foer and Malcolm Nance Jun 26, 2020

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Writers Franklin Foer and Malcolm Nance discuss politics, the upcoming 2020 election and more.