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Great Podversations

by Louisville Public Media

Great Podversations features nationally-recognized writers in conversation. These candid discussions invite the listener to learn about literature, politics, history, economics, science, and culture through the voices of compelling authors and experts. NPR’s Robert Siegel introduces each pair of fascinating guests.

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Episodes

  1. Kevin Wilson and Erin Keane

    This conversation features New York Times bestselling author Kevin Wilson, interviewed by Chief Content Officer of Salon.com, Erin Keane. They discuss Wilson’s book "Run for the Hills," before a live audience at the Louisville South Central Regional Library. This conversation was recorded on...

  2. Hampton Sides and Beto O'Rourke

    This conversation features New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides, interviewed by former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke. They discuss Sides’ book “The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook,” before a live audience at the...

  3. Maureen Dowd and Todd Purdum

    This conversation features Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times Opinion Columnist Maureen Dowd, interviewed by author and journalist Todd Purdum. They discuss Dowd’s book “Notorious: Portraits of Stars from Hollywood, Culture, Fashion and Tech” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author…

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  4. Jim Clyburn and John Yarmuth

    This conversation features United States Congressman Jim Clyburn, interviewed by former U.S. Congressman John Yarmuth. They discuss Clyburn’s book “The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum.…

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  5. Colm Tóibín and Silas House

    This conversation features best-selling author Colm Tóibín, interviewed by Silas House, former Kentucky Poet Laureate (2023-2025). They discuss Tóibín’s book “Long Island” before a live audience at the University of Louisville, Kentucky Author Forum. This conversation was recorded on April 14th,...

  6. Sebastian Junger and Rachel Martin

    This conversation features best-selling author Sebastian Junger, interviewed by NPR Podcast Host Rachel Martin. They discuss Junger’s book “In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face-to-Face with the Idea of an Afterlife” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum. This conversation was…

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  7. Jim Sciutto and Jane Perlez

    This conversation features CNN Anchor and Chief Security Analyst Jim Sciutto, interviewed by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jane Perlez. They discuss Sciutto’s book “The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China, and the Next World War” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum. This...

  8. Joan Baez and Diane Rehm

    This conversation features musician, activist and poet Joan Baez, interviewed by journalist and radio host Diane Rehm. They discuss Baez’s book “When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance: Poems,” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum. This conversation was recorded on October 21st,...

  9. Amor Towles and Alexandra Jacobs

    This conversation features bestselling author Amor Towles, interviewed by New York Times Book Critic Alexandra Jacobs. They discuss Towles’ book “Table for Two: Fictions” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum. This conversation was recorded on September 30, 2024, at The Kentucky...

  10. Bianca Bosker and Patrick Bringley

    This conversation features journalist and author Bianca Bosker, discussing her book, “Get the Picture” with writer Patrick Bringley. Bianca Bosker is The New York Times bestselling author of “Cork Dork” and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. In “Get the Picture,” Bosker throws herself into…

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  11. Renée Fleming and Richard Powers

    This conversation features renowned singer Renée Fleming, interviewed by author Richard Powers. They discuss Fleming’s book “Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum. This conversation was recorded on April 8, 2024 at The...

  12. Ann Patchett and Kevin Wilson

    This conversation features best-selling author and book store owner Ann Patchett, interviewed by author and professor Kevin Wilson. They discuss Patchett’s book “Tom Lake” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum. This conversation was recorded on February 12th, 2024 at the Kentucky...

  13. Stephen Bright and James Forman Jr.

    This conversation features renowned lawyer and Professor of Law at Yale and Georgetown Universities, Stephen Bright, interviewed by Pulitzer Prize-winner and Yale Law Professor James Forman Jr. They discuss Bright’s book, “The Fear of Too Much Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Persistence of...

  14. Jill Lepore and Jamie Raskin

    This conversation features best-selling author Jill Lepore and U.S. Congressman Jamie Raskin discussing Lepore’s book, “The Deadline: Essays,” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum. This conversation was recorded on September 11th, 2023 at the Kentucky Center in Louisville. Jill...

  15. Geraldine Brooks and Jacki Lyden

    This conversation features best-selling author Geraldine Brooks and former NPR journalist Jacki Lyden discussing Brooks’ book, “Horse: A Novel” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum. This conversation was recorded on March 27th, 2023 at the Kentucky Center in Louisville. Geraldine...

  16. Maggie Haberman and Laura Coates

    This conversation features author Maggie Haberman and CNN host Laura Coates discussing Haberman’s book, “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum. This conversation was recorded on January 9th, 2023 at the Kentucky...

  17. Josh Chin and Evan Osnos

    This conversation features author Josh Chin and New Yorker journalist Evan Osnos discussing both of their books before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum on September 29th, 2022 at the Kentucky Center in Louisville. Josh Chin wrote “Surveillance State: Inside China’s Quest to Launch a…

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  18. Maggie Nelson and Eula Biss

    Author Maggie Nelson discusses her book, On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint, with writer Eula Biss. Maggie Nelson is a writer working in autobiography, art criticism, theory, feminism, history, aesthetic theory, philosophy, scholarship, and poetry. Nelson received a 2016 MacArthur...

  19. Charles Booker and Eddie Glaude Jr.

    Politician and author Charles Booker discusses his book, “From the Hood to the Holler: A Story of Separate Worlds, Shared Dreams, and the Fight for America’s Future,” with writer and Professor Eddie Glaude. Charles Booker represented the 43rd District in the Kentucky House of Representatives…

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  20. James Bridle and Claire Evans

    Artist and author James Bridle discusses their book, Ways of Being: Animals, Plants, Machines: The Search for a Planetary Intelligence with writer and musician Claire Evans. James Bridle is an artist, technologist and philosopher whose artworks have been commissioned by galleries and institutions...

  21. Geraldine Brooks and Gal Beckerman

    Author Geraldine Brooks discusses her book “Horse: A Novel” with journalist Gal Beckerman. Geraldine Brooks grew up in Australia and became a journalist with The Sydney Morning Herald, and later with The Wall Street Journal. Brooks was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction in 2006 for her novel...

  22. Keri Blakinger and Piper Kerman

    Author Keri Blakinger discusses her book, “Corrections in Ink: A Memoir” with writer Piper Kerman. Keri Blakinger is an investigative reporter based in Texas, covering criminal justice and injustice for The Marshall Project. She previously worked for the Houston Chronicle and her writing has...

  23. Anna Quindlen and Amy Bloom

    Author Anna Quindlen and writer Amy Bloom discuss Quindlen’s book “Write for Your Life.” Anna Quindlen is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, novelist, and opinion columnist. She is the best-selling author of nine novels, including “Every Last One,” and “Still Life with Bread Crumbs.” Her memoir...

  24. Moisés Naím and Ari Shapiro

    Journalist and author Moisés Naím discusses his book, “The Revenge of Power: How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century” with radio host Ari Shapiro. Moisés Naím is an internationally-syndicated columnist and best-selling author. He is the chief international columnist for El…

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  25. Jamie Raskin and Fiona Hill

    This conversation features Congressman Jamie Raskin and Russian expert Dr. Fiona Hill discussing both their books before a live audience at The Kentucky Author Forum on January 24th, 2022 at The Kentucky Center in Louisville. Jamie Raskin represents Maryland’s 8th Congressional District in the…

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  26. Roya Hakakian and Jen Balderama

    Author Roya Hakakian discusses her book "A Beginner’s Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious” with journalist Jen Balderama. Roya Hakakian is the author of three books in English and has published two collections of poetry in Persian. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times…

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  27. Amy Zegart and Scott Shane

    Author and professor Amy Zegart discusses her book “Spies, Lies, and Algorithms” with journalist Scott Shane. Amy Zegart is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, as well as a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute of International Studies at Stanford University. She is a contributing...

  28. Laurence Leamer and Leo Braudy

    Author Laurence Leamer discusses his book “Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal and a Swan Song for an Era” with professor, historian, and film critic Leo Braudy. Laurence Leamer is a New York Times best-selling writer and journalist. He is a former Ford Fellow in International...

  29. Frank Wilczek and Janna Levin

    Physicist Frank Wilczek and Professor Janna Levin discuss Wilczek’s book, “Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality.” Frank Wilczek jointly won The Nobel Prize in Physics in 2004, for his graduate work at Princeton with David Gross. He was among the earliest MacArthur Fellows and has won many awards…

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  30. Mary Roach and Peter Sagal

    Writer Mary Roach and NPR host Peter Sagal discuss Ms. Roach’s latest book, “Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law”. Mary Roach is the author of six New York Times bestsellers. Roach has written for National Geographic, Wired, The New York Times Magazine, and Clinical Anatomy. Her TED talk made the…

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  31. Kathryn Paige Harden and Carl Zimmer

    Writer and professor Kathryn Paige Harden discusses her book "The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality," with journalist and author Carl Zimmer. Kathryn Paige Harden is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, where she leads the...

  32. Kurt Andersen and Daron Acemoglu

    Writer Kurt Andersen discusses his latest book “Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America: A Recent History,” with professor and author Daron Acemoglu. Kurt Andersen is the bestselling author of the novels “Heyday, “Turn of the Century,” and “True Believers.” He is also a contributor to Vanity Fair...

  33. Ethan Kross and Maria Konnikova

    Writer and Professor Ethan Kross discusses his book “Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters and How to Harness It'', with journalist and author Maria Konnikova. Ethan Kross is a best-selling author and award-winning professor in the University of Michigan’s Psychology Department and its...

  34. Anne-Marie Slaughter and Sarah J. Jackson

    Professor, writer, and CEO Anne-Marie Slaughter discusses her book “Renewal: From Crisis to Transformation in Our Lives, Work, and Politics" with professor and author Sarah J. Jackson. Anne-Marie Slaughter is the CEO of New America and Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at...

  35. Sonia Shah and Caitlin Dickerson

    Journalist and award-winning author Sonia Shah discusses her book “The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move” with journalist Caitlin Dickerson. Sonia Shah is a science journalist and author of critically acclaimed books on science, politics and human rights. She was a...

  36. James Stavridis and Thom Shanker

    Former commander of NATO, Admiral James Stavridis discusses his geopolitical thriller 2034: A Novel of the Next World War, with New York Times Journalist and George Washington University National Security Professor Thom Shanker. Admiral James Stavridis spent more than thirty years in the U.S.…

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  37. Richard Haass and Francis Fukuyama

    Best-selling author and diplomat Richard Haass speaks with Stanford professor and author Francis Fukuyama about Haass’ book, “The World: A Brief Introduction”, and other timely topics. Dr. Richard Haass is president of the Council on Foreign Relations. He served as the senior Middle East adviser…

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  38. Matthew Barzun and Amy Edmondson

    Writer Matthew Barzun speaks with Harvard Professor and author Amy Edmondson about Barzun’s book, “The Power of Giving Away Power: How the Best Leaders Learn to Let Go”. Matthew Barzun has served as U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom and Sweden. He served as National Finance Chair for former...

  39. Anne Applebaum and Jason Stanley

    Anne Applebaum is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and a Senior Fellow of the Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University. She is the author of three critically acclaimed and award-winning histories of the Soviet Union: “Red Famine, Iron Curtain, and Gulag” - winner of the Pulitzer Prize....

  40. Barton Gellman and Ellen Nakashima

    Investigative journalist and author Barton Gellman speaks with The Washington Post national security reporter Ellen Nakashima about Mr. Gellman’s bestseller, “Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State.” Barton Gellman is a Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award-winning journalist....

  41. Nicholas Christakis and Rob Stein

    Physician, sociologist and author Nicholas Christakis speaks with NPR journalist Rob Stein about Dr. Christakis’s bestseller, "Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live." Nicholas Christakis directs the Human Nature Lab at Yale University, where he is also...

  42. Elizabeth Kolbert and Kate Aronoff

    The twenty-first episode of GREAT PODVERSATIONS features best-selling writer Elizabeth Kolbert speaking with journalist Kate Aronoff about Ms. Kolbert's book, “Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future,” and other timely topics. Elizabeth Kolbert is a staff writer for The New Yorker. Her most...

  43. Nicole Krauss and Elizabeth Blair

    Best-selling writer Nicole Krauss speaks with NPR journalist Elizabeth Blair about Krauss’ book of short stories, "To Be A Man." Nicole Krauss is best known for her novels "Forest Dark," and "Great House," and a finalist for the National Book Award and the Orange Prize. Her fiction has been...

  44. Yo-Yo Ma and Teddy Abrams

    Grammy award-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma speaks with conductor, composer, and musician Teddy Abrams about the power of music, healing cultural differences, and other timely topics. Yo-Yo Ma has recorded more than 100 albums, is the winner of 18 Grammy Awards, and has performed for nine American...

  45. Philip Rucker and Mara Liasson

    Pulitzer-winning writer Philip Rucker speaks with NPR journalist Mara Liasson about Mr. Rucker’s number one New York Times bestseller, “A Very Stable Genius: Donald J Trump’s Testing of America.” The book is an unvarnished exploration of Trump’s presidency and administration. Philip Rucker is the...

  46. Jane Smiley and Eleanor Beardsley

    Today, Pulitzer-winning author Jane Smiley speaks with NPR journalist Eleanor Beardsley about Ms. Smiley’s latest book, "Perestroika in Paris." Jane Smiley is the author of many novels, short stories, nonfiction books and young adult novels. In addition to the Pulitzer prize for fiction, Smiley…

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  47. Terry Tempest Williams and Nathaniel Rich

    Award-winning writer, conservationist and activist Terry Tempest Williams speaks with novelist and journalist Nathaniel Rich. Both Williams and Rich are avid supporters of the environment and proponents of ecological issues. Nathaniel Rich is the author of several books and a journalist at The…

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  48. Heather Clark and Daphne Merkin

    Award-winning author Heather Clark speaks with literary critic and novelist Daphne Merkin about Clark’s latest book, "Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath." Heather Clark is the author of several books and a professor of contemporary poetry. She has been awarded several...

  49. Thomas Ricks and Danielle Allen

    Best -selling author and journalist Thomas Ricks speaks with author, political scientist and Professor Danielle Allen about Mr. Ricks latest book, "First Principles." Thomas Ricks has written for the Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal about American military operations around the world.…

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  50. Wright Thompson and Andrew Zimmern

    Journalist and best-selling author Wright Thompson and Emmy-award winning television host Andrew Zimmern discuss Mr. Thompson’s book, "Pappyland," and other timely topics. Wright Thompson is a senior writer at ESPN, and author of two books. His writing covers a wide range of topics from sports to...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Great Podversations features nationally-recognized writers in conversation. These candid discussions invite the listener to learn about literature, politics, history, economics, science, and culture through the voices of compelling authors and experts. NPR’s Robert Siegel introduces each pair of fascinating guests.

HOSTED BY

Louisville Public Media

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Great Podversations have?

Great Podversations currently has 96 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Great Podversations about?

Great Podversations features nationally-recognized writers in conversation. These candid discussions invite the listener to learn about literature, politics, history, economics, science, and culture through the voices of compelling authors and experts. NPR’s Robert Siegel introduces each pair of...

How often does Great Podversations release new episodes?

Great Podversations has 96 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Great Podversations?

You can listen to Great Podversations on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Great Podversations?

Great Podversations is created and hosted by Louisville Public Media.
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