John O'Brien NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94 You can’t make it to every lecture in town, but you can hear plenty here. From KUOW, Seattle’s public radio station, comes a collection of talks recorded all over the Puget Sound region. NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94 Speakers Forum Tue, 21 Aug 2018 03:16:40 +0000 http://www.kuow.org John O'Brien In the struggle to shape what life on earth will be like years from now, visionary futurists inspire us with dread and hope at turns. Author Brenda Cooper captures both in her books. Perhaps her day job as the Chief Information Officer at the city of Kirkland helps her see clearly how things are now and might change in the future. http://www.kuow.org/post/welcome-seacouver-envisioning-northwest-future 132840 as http://www.kuow.org Sat, 18 Aug 2018 13:00:00 +0000 Welcome to SeaCouver! Envisioning the Northwest of the future John O'Brien Northwesterners and people around the world have been inspired by Bill McKibben’s prolific environmental activism. McKibben took some time off from his global warming work recently to write his first novel, “Radio Free Vermont: A Fable of Resistance.” He admits he was inspired by one of his heroes, Edward Abbey — so you know things will get weird. http://www.kuow.org/post/novel-idea-environmental-activist-secession 132527 as http://www.kuow.org Sun, 12 Aug 2018 22:04:30 +0000 A novel idea from an environmental activist: Secession John O'Brien It seems there’s a "how things work" theme on Speakers Forum recently. Last week it was tides , this week, bees. Our guide is Thor Hanson, an uber-biologist who seems to really love what he does. He’s also a fine and animated storyteller. His new book is “Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees.” http://www.kuow.org/post/bees-hippie-wasps-we-all-need 131877 as http://www.kuow.org Sun, 05 Aug 2018 14:00:00 +0000 Bees: The 'hippie wasps' we all need John O'Brien Before you listen to this talk by Jonathan White , you might want to be somewhere by the sea as the moon rises or sets. That would be ideal. If not that, be somewhere where you can search maps of all the far-flung places he’ll talk about. You’ll likely have that urge. http://www.kuow.org/post/sailors-poetic-primer-science-tides 131690 as http://www.kuow.org Sun, 29 Jul 2018 15:52:36 +0000 A sailor's poetic primer on the science of tides John O'Brien The city of Flint, Michigan represents the height of American ingenuity, productivity and economic progress — and also the mirror opposite. http://www.kuow.org/post/it-took-village-and-pediatrician-expose-flint-water-crisis 131254 as http://www.kuow.org Sun, 22 Jul 2018 14:00:00 +0000 It took a village, and a pediatrician, to expose the Flint water crisis John O'Brien The term “white fragility” was coined by the Seattle-based educator and author Robin DiAngelo. She defines it as “a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence and leaving the stress-inducing situation.” http://www.kuow.org/post/robin-diangelo-i-think-you-re-racist-i-think-i-am-too 130837 as http://www.kuow.org Sun, 15 Jul 2018 21:10:00 +0000 Robin DiAngelo: 'I think you’re racist. I think I am, too.' John O'Brien Ben Rhodes was a 24-year-old aspiring writer living in New York on 9/11. What happened that day made him want to be part of the response. As you’ll hear in this talk, when his visit to an Army recruiter didn’t pan out, he looked for a way to get involved politically. http://www.kuow.org/post/we-caught-kind-lightning-bottle-obama-white-house-memoir 130602 as http://www.kuow.org Mon, 09 Jul 2018 02:22:22 +0000 ‘We caught this kind of lightning in a bottle’: An Obama White House memoir John O'Brien Michael Bennett is a man who needs little introduction. He is famous as a professional football player, a philanthropist and an activist. Now, add author to the list. Bennett’s first book, written with journalist Dave Zirin, is ‘Things That Make White People Uncomfortable.’ http://www.kuow.org/post/seahawks-michael-bennett-ill-be-black-forever 130489 as http://www.kuow.org Thu, 05 Jul 2018 14:00:00 +0000 Seahawks' Michael Bennett: 'I'll be black forever' Recent polling shows that almost half of American women say they’ve been sexually assaulted. With that startling statistic in mind, KUOW presents this talk with author Roxane Gay, who compiled a collection of personal essays called, “Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture.” It addresses a misogynistic culture in which victims of violence are often discredited, mocked or shamed for their assault. http://www.kuow.org/post/roxane-gay-men-need-read-these-dispatches-rape-culture 130052 as http://www.kuow.org Thu, 28 Jun 2018 19:34:10 +0000 Roxane Gay: Men need to read these dispatches from rape culture In honor of Orca Awareness Month in Washington state, here are three facts about orcas we didn't know before, courtesy of a talk by Prof. Jason Colby of the University of Victoria. http://www.kuow.org/post/3-fascinating-orca-facts-we-didnt-know 129754 as http://www.kuow.org Thu, 21 Jun 2018 14:00:00 +0000 3 fascinating orca facts we didn't know before John O'Brien What happened during the creation and growth of Mars Hill Church made waves in Seattle and beyond. A charismatic minister, Mark Driscoll, preached in a daring, new way. He sought to make his ministry “culturally relevant,” bringing a hipster attitude to conservative theology. His methods drew people to the church in growing numbers. http://www.kuow.org/post/rise-and-fall-seattle-megachurch-through-eyes-anthropologist 129301 as http://www.kuow.org Thu, 14 Jun 2018 14:00:00 +0000 The rise and fall of a Seattle megachurch through the eyes of an anthropologist John O'Brien Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the author of “The Botany of Desire” chose to experiment with and write about psychedelic drugs. They are edible after all. Still, like many people, Michael Pollan wasn’t exactly keen to fool around with mind-altering experiences. http://www.kuow.org/post/take-psychedelics-not-too-many-change-your-mind 128988 as http://www.kuow.org Thu, 07 Jun 2018 05:54:04 +0000 Take psychedelics (not too many), change your mind John O'Brien Ignite Seattle is an unusual event. The organizers like to surprise the audience when they can — like that time a couple got married on stage. Thrills like that aside, there’s something thoughtful and genuine in every talk. More often than not, we learn something new. http://www.kuow.org/post/pooing-public-seattle-superman-ignite-seattle-aims-surprise 128705 as http://www.kuow.org Fri, 01 Jun 2018 06:16:09 +0000 From pooing in public to the Seattle Superman: Ignite Seattle aims to surprise John O'Brien Viet Thanh Nguyen is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. He was awarded that honor in 2016 for his debut novel “The Sympathizer.” Then he received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2017. http://www.kuow.org/post/refugee-celebrated-storyteller-viet-thanh-nguyen-s-american-journey 128312 as http://www.kuow.org Thu, 24 May 2018 14:56:48 +0000 From refugee to celebrated storyteller: Viet Thanh Nguyen’s American journey John O'Brien On her website, Leslie Jamison writes: “I've worked as a baker, an office temp, an innkeeper, a tutor, and a medical actor. Every one of these was a world; they're still in me.” On her way through those worlds, Jamison dealt with alcohol addiction. She tracked that experience — from inception to recovery — in her new memoir “The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath.” http://www.kuow.org/post/author-leslie-jamison-distills-recovery-whiskey-and-ink-mythology 128230 as http://www.kuow.org Tue, 22 May 2018 23:48:08 +0000 Author Leslie Jamison distills recovery from ‘the whiskey-and-ink mythology’ John O'Brien Author Nomi Prins used to be a Wall Street banker. Now she writes with a critical eye about how banks and economies work. One example: how in 2017, U.S. banks used 99 percent of their earnings to buy their own stocks and pay out dividends to their shareholders. http://www.kuow.org/post/nomi-prins-condemns-government-banks-collusion 127918 as http://www.kuow.org Fri, 18 May 2018 05:06:26 +0000 Nomi Prins condemns government, banks in 'Collusion' John O'Brien It sometimes seems as if author Barbara Ehrenreich has seen it all and done it all. From “Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers” to “Living with a Wild God: A Nonbeliever's Search for the Truth about Everything,” the scope of her writing has been vast. http://www.kuow.org/post/barbara-ehrenreich-explores-modern-mortality-what-we-get-wrong-about-living-well 127467 as http://www.kuow.org Thu, 10 May 2018 19:01:38 +0000 Barbara Ehrenreich explores modern mortality, what we get wrong about living well John O'Brien The Civic Cocktail series brings political, business and community leaders to Seattle for a drink and a line of questioning from reporters and attendees. The most recent session featured Senator Patty Murray and former Washington Governor and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. http://www.kuow.org/post/sen-patty-murray-and-gary-locke-break-down-current-politics 127389 as http://www.kuow.org Wed, 09 May 2018 01:21:26 +0000 Sen. Patty Murray and Gary Locke break down current politics John O'Brien The work of diplomacy is subtle, but the actions of world leaders are sometimes the opposite. Famed American diplomat Madeleine Albright confronts the dangers of undiplomatic and undemocratic political trends in her new book “Fascism: A Warning.” http://www.kuow.org/post/madeleine-albright-sounds-alarm-fascism-new-book 127067 as http://www.kuow.org Thu, 03 May 2018 20:36:01 +0000 Madeleine Albright sounds the alarm on fascism in new book John O'Brien Last year, a hashtag became an event in Seattle: #EducationSoWhite 2017 gave voice to and started a conversation about the lack of diversity among teachers in our schools. Ninety percent of Washington state teachers are white, while nearly half of the students are people of color. http://www.kuow.org/post/washington-state-schools-grapple-educationsowhite 126644 as http://www.kuow.org Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:59:58 +0000 Washington state schools grapple with #EducationSoWhite