Speakers' Forum Newsletter

Taylor Branch: The Clinton Tapes

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, November 12 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
At the invitation of his old friend Bill Clinton, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Taylor Branch made 79 White House visits between 1993 and 2001 to record the president's private insights on his two terms in office. Branch's book based on those conversations is "The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History With the President."

David Domke: The Journalism Revolution Is Now

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, November 5 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Journalism is a vastly different world these days. Print papers are closing. Blogs are dominating. But David Domke isn't crying. He says the public is actually now more engaged in news than ever before! He says current political debates are more dynamic and robust than ever. Journalism? The revolution is here.

Michael Sandel on 'Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?'

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, October 29 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Would you steal a drug your child needs to survive? Would you force one person to die in order to save five others? Michael Sandel links moral questions to current political issues like bailouts and torture. He shows, here and in his wildly popular Harvard class, how political controversies are really debates about values.

Daniel Griswold: 'Mad About Trade'

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, October 22 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Daniel Griswold wants to dispel myths floating around about trade. For example, we aren't losing our manufacturing base because of it. He says we still produce plenty. And he asks, "how can we expect hundreds of millions to pull themselves out of poverty if we don't let them participate in the global economy?"

Lesley Hazleton: The Tale of the Shia-Sunni Split

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, October 15 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Sarah Vowell, Gloria Steinem, Michael Pollan: you can't make it to every lecture in town but you can hear plenty here. We record talks all over the Puget Sound region, from uber–famous intellectuals to lesser–knowns. From soldiers to urban farmers to humorists; we tape it, then air it on "Speakers' Forum."

Speakers' Forum: Pledge Drive Special Fall 2009

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, October 8 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Twice a year during the pledge drive, we collect our favorite talks from the previous six months and give you a chance to hear them again. Tonight, a candid ex–marine spills about military life. Also, we'll get T.R. Reid's clear health care explainer. And last: Tim Wise says any post–racial America talk is nonsense.

Alison Gopnik: 'The Philosophical Baby'

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, October 1 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
What can infants teach adults? Just 30 years ago, conventional wisdom was: "not much." But developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik says a baby's mind holds answers to questions about human nature that stump adults. Gopnik's latest book is "The Philosophical Baby." She spoke at Seattle's Town Hall on September 9, 2009.

Tim Wise: Post-racial America? Not Even Close

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, September 24 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Barack Obama is President. So: are we past racism in America? No way, says Tim Wise. He's spent 15 years speaking out against racism and his privileged status as a white person. He says we now know a qualified black man can get the country's top job after a two–year interview but let's remember everyday Americans of color.

T.R. Reid: Health Care Explained, Simply

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, September 17 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Does all of Europe have socialized medicine? Aren't Canadians happy with their health care system, where no one has to pay a doctor bill? Wait, but patients there wait long, painful months to see a specialist, right? T.R. Reid explains, simply, how every other country's system works and why ours is the most inefficient.

Obama's Back-to-School Speech, and 'The Wrecking Crew'

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, September 10 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
The President gave a back–to–school speech this week. Conservatives said it was inappropriate to bring politics into a high school. Obama avoided mention of specific programs and instead urged students to work hard. He said he faced challenges, too, like growing up without a dad, but he said there's no excuse for not trying.

David Mas Masumoto: Wisdom of the Last Farmer

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, September 3 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Organic peach farmer and writer David Mas Masumoto's family has grown fruit on its California farm for three generations — the kind of small family farm that's disappearing from America. He talks about what's being lost in his book, "Wisdom of the Last Farmer." He spoke at Seattle's Elliott Bay Books on August 25, 2009.

Audrey Young: Life at Harborview

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, August 27 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Dr. Audrey Young says she went to work at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center because she loves the attitude there. She says the staff acts like every person who comes through the door needs to be given the best care possible, no matter whether the patient is the President or a homeless stranger.

Joel Berg: 'All You Can Eat'

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, August 20 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
As head of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, Joel Berg advocates for more than one million low–income New Yorkers who rely on the city's food banks and soup kitchens. His book about ending poverty in the United States is "All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America?". He spoke at Seattle's Elliott Bay Books on March 22, 2009.

Chris Mooney: 'Unscientific America'

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, August 13 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
In movies, the scientist is either a socially inept goofball or a scary Dr. Evil with intentions to destroy the world. Those stereotypes seep into kids' perceptions of the field, and too few choose careers in science. Chris Mooney, co–author of "Unscientific America," says, "come on, we've gotta give science some respect."

Thom Hartmann: Western Culture in Crisis

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, August 6 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Liberal talk radio host Thom Hartmann says we're in the middle of a cultural crisis. But wait — it's okay. Hartmann is optimistic! If we recognize this crisis, he says, we can change. Hartmann makes his point through many stories, including one about his visit with the Dalai Lama.

Chris Hedges: Our Dead Culture

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, July 30 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Chris Hedges says America is gone — lost to consumer culture and the cult of the self. Hedges points to Michael Jackson's funeral, made into a maudlin form of entertainment where a celebrity attendee like Magic Johnson could plug his sponsor, A.K.A Kentucky Fried Chicken. Corporations have stamped out our distinct cultures.

Novella Carpenter: Urban Farming

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, July 23 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Novella Carpenter is outside her home in downtown Oakland. Her neighbor has lent her a gun. She holds it, thinks about it, but decides her trusty shovel is the weapon of choice. She kills the opossum who's just broken the neck of her beloved goose. Carpenter says urban farming isn't new. It's just new to the first world.

Jeff Rubin on the End of Cheap Oil

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, July 16 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Canadian economist Jeff Rubin, known for his predictions of climbing oil prices, talks about what the current pace of world oil consumption means for the global economy. His new book is "Why Your World is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller: Oil and the End of Globalization." He spoke at Town Hall in Seattle on June 8, 2009.

Neil deGrasse Tyson: The Pluto Files

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, July 9 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
In 2000, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson led a renovation of New York's Hayden Planetarium. He made a change to the solar system exhibit: it listed only eight planets, instead of nine. He tells the story of the uproar over Pluto's demotion to dwarf planet status in his book, 'The Pluto Files.' Recorded February 23, 2009.

'Economic Naturalist' Robert Frank

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, July 2 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Cornell University economist and New York Times columnist Robert Frank explains why he thinks Charles Darwin, not Adam Smith, will be remembered as the father of modern economics. His latest book is "The Economic Naturalist's Field Guide." He spoke at Town Hall in Seattle on June 22, 2009.

Bill Wasik on Internet-Driven Culture

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, June 25 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Harper's magazine senior editor Bill Wasik looks at how the digital revolution is changing culture in his book, "And Then There's This: How Stories Live and Die in Viral Culture." He spoke at Town Hall in Seattle on June 16, 2009.

Tyler Boudreau: Packing Inferno

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, June 18 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
When the Iraq War started, Tyler Boudreau was practically giddy; he'd already been in the Marines for a decade. He was excited to finally see some serious action. In Iraq, he even journaled about the joy of killing. But in that same diary entry he also wrote about the guilt he anticipated feeling as a result of his actions.

Dambisa Moyo: Dead Aid

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, June 11 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Aid to Africa. It's got to be a good thing, right? It's aid. It means help. A trillion dollars of Western aid have gone to countries in Africa over the last 50 years. It's part of the fabric of the African economy. But Dambisa Moyo says it's doing damage — and it's got to stop.

Obama's Cairo Speech

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, June 4 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
A special this week: Speakers' Forum brings you President Obama's highly anticipated Cairo speech. It's considered his address to the Muslim world. How will he handle Egypt's tarnished human rights record? What will he say about peace between Palestinians and Israelis? Will he have specific proposals?

Reza Aslan: The End of the War On Terror

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, May 28 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Responding to Osama Bin Laden with a "war on terror" and a "crusade against evil" was a bad idea. Reza Aslan says it validates the worldview of the jihadists; a view that places good (them) againt evil (us.) When we respond, saying good (us) should prevail against evil (them), we are fighting on their terms.

Michael Pollan Says: Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, May 21 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Michael Pollan says the Western diet consists of lots of meat and lots of calories. Basically, he says, lots of everything except whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. He gives twelve rules to live by to eat healthy: things like, "Eat foods that will eventually rot."

Dave Cullen: 'Columbine'

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, May 14 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
What were Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold thinking when they walked into Columbine High School and killed their classmates? Are there any school policies that can help prevent another attack? Dave Cullen was one of the first reporters on the scene when it happened ten years ago, reporting for Salon.com.

Bishop Gene Robinson: 'In the Eye of the Storm'

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, May 7 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Bishop Gene Robinson was excited when he spoke in Seattle in January. It was the same day he'd been invited to give an invocation at one of President Obama's Inauguration ceremonies. Robinson is the first openly gay bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Jonathan Goldstein: 'Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bible!'

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, April 30 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
In Jonathan Goldstein's telling of the Adam and Eve story, Eve describes Adam as a nimrod. She also laments about God: He's great and all, but she wishes he were better at trash talk. Goldstein calls his book of short stories, "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bible!", a bible that readers can finally, genuinely relate to.

Thomas Ricks: America's 'Gamble' in Iraq

webhelp@kuow.org (KUOW 94.9 Public Radio) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Thursday, April 23 at 8:00 p.m. on "Speakers' Forum"
Military reporter Thomas Ricks tells the story behind the Bush Administration's "surge" strategy, and what lies ahead for America in Iraq. He spoke at the Seattle Central Library on April 9, 2009, about his most recent book, "The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006–2008.”