Contacts:
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(617) 495-2727
email: Radio@cambridgeforum.org
Press Release: Upcoming Radio Broadcasts
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Series Title: Cambridge Forum
Feed Time: Fridays 13:00-13:29 on A 68.5
Length: 29:00
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Forum FREE via the NPR Content Depot or via satellite download.
Programs are fed weekly on Fridays at
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These radio programs can be heard on a network of
public radio stations across the United States.
2009 Broadcast Schedule 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005
October 2 BROWN: THE LAST DISCOVERY OF AMERICA (Recorded in 2003)
Renowned journalist
Richard Rodriguez receives the 2002 Melcher Book Award from the Unitarian Universalist
Association for his book Brown: The Last Discovery of America. Rodriguez explores
issues of race, arguing that America has been brown since its inception, as he
himself is. The son of Mexican immigrants, he reflects on what it means to be “Hispanic” in
America and how “Latino” immigrants have impacted American culture, changing
it from a society that has traditionally seen itself as simply black and white.
September 25 ROY BLOUNT JR.: DISPATCHES FROM UP SOUTH (Recorded in 2007)
Humorist
and cultural observer Roy Blount Jr. grew up in the South and has lived much
of his adult life in the North. His recent book looks at the North/South divide
in American today. How have the homogenizing forces of air conditioning, television,
and Sun Belt economics affected traditional geographic, political, and cultural
sectionalism?
September 18 THE ECOLOGICAL IMAGINATION (Recorded in 2000)
In this Cambridge
Forum Classic, award-winning poet Laurie Kutchins, author of Between Towns reads
selected poems from her acclaimed book, The Night Path. Inspired by life and
nature, her writing reflects a deep connection to both land and family. Terry
Tempest Williams was identified by Newsweek as someone likely to make "a considerable
impact on the political, economic and environmental issues facing the western
states in this decade." The author of Leap, Pieces of a White Shell: A Journey
to Navajoland and Coyote's Canyon, reads from Refuge.
September 11 THE BLACK INTERIOR (Recorded in 2004)
Acclaimed poet Elizabeth Alexander,
professor of English and African American Studies at Yale, shares her new collection
of essays exploring the spectrum of African American artistic life in current
culture, from fine arts to film, to literature and politics.
For Labor Day: September 4 IN PRAISE OF SLOWNESS: Challenging the Cult
of Speed(Recorded in 2005)
London-based journalist Carl Honoré examines the challenges
to the cult of speed in our age of multi-tasking, 24/7 work lives and overscheduled
children. Has speed made us happier and more productive? Or is the pace of life
spinning out of control? Can we slow down without turning back the clock? Or
is the slow movement only for the affluent?
August 28 ON OBJECTS AND INTIMACY (Recorded in 2001)
In this Cambridge Forum
classic, poet Mark Doty discusses his book Still Life with Oysters and Lemon
and examines our relationships with everyday objects. How do objects become
meaningful for human beings? How do things come to hold feeling, hope, and history
within themselves?
August 21 ROBERT PINSKY: AMERICA’S FAVORITE POEMS-II (Recorded in 1998)
In the
second part of this special two-part Cambridge Forum broadcast, Robert Pinsky,
former the United States poet laureate, and a diverse group of Americans celebrate
the power and place of poetry in the nation’s culture as the read their favorite
poems.
August 14 ROBERT PINSKY: AMERICA’S FAVORITE POEMS-I (Recorded in 1998)
This special
two-part Cambridge Forum broadcast features readings by participants in the Favorite
Poetry Project, a program that Robert Pinsky created when he served as the nation’s
poet laureate. Following Pinsky’s introduction, a diverse group of Americans
read their favorite poems aloud and discuss how poetry has been a force in their
lives.
August 7 ROBERT FROST: AMERICA’S POET-II (Recorded in 1999)
Jay Parini continues
his discussion of Robert Frost’s life and art in this second of Cambridge Forum’s
two-part series on Robert Frost, perhaps the most misunderstood, as well as the
most beloved, of twentieth century American poets.
July 31 ROBERT FROST: AMERICA’S POET-I (Recorded in 1999)
When John F. Kennedy
asked poet Robert Frost to read at his 1960 inauguration, he essentially created
Frost as America’s poet. Jay Parini, scholar of American poetry, discusses his
new biography of Frost and examines the man behind the myths in this two-part
series produced in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston. What
is the relationship between Frost’s biography and his poetry? What role does
the New England landscape play in his verse?
July 24 IMAGINATION AND FAILURE (Recorded in 2008)
Author J.K. Rowling discusses
her own life story, as a lesson for young people looking for future success. She
argues that the world in which they live suffers from a failure of imagination.
and she urges them to cultivate genuine imagination to solve problems, rather
than falling into the trap of magical thinking.
July 17 POETRY AND PERCEPTION (New in 2009)
Award-winning poet Susan Stewart
argues that poetry is a “slow” art form that addresses what we perceive imperfectly,
out of the corner of our eye, not what is seen head on, brightly illuminated.
What does she mean by these claims? How does her concept of poetry fit into
the fast-paced modern world of 25-words-or-less elevator speeches?
July 10 CELEBRATING INDEPENDENT MEDIA (New in 2009)
Journalist
Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! celebrates independent media as she discusses her
latest book Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times. Goodman
shares her experiences in the trenches as she travels the nation and finds a
healthy grassroots base for participatory democracy. What role does the media
play in fostering citizen engagement?
July 3 1776 (Recorded in 2005)
Acclaimed
historian David McCullough brings to life the tumult and uncertainty of 1776
and shows how the courage and perseverance of a few dedicated men were responsible
for the success of the American revolutionary experiment. The noble ideals of
the Declaration of Independence would have been nothing more than high-minded
words, had it not been for the actions of General George Washington and his fledgling
Continental Army. Through a year of suffering and discouragement, all too few
victories and many defeats, Washington stood at the center of the drama, never
forgetting what was at stake and never giving up.
July 17 POETRY AND PERCEPTION
Award-winning poet Susan Stewart argues that poetry is a “slow” art form that addresses what we perceive imperfectly, out of the corner of our eye, not what is seen head on, brightly illuminated. What does she mean by these claims? How does her concept of poetry fit into the fast-paced modern world of 25-words-or-less elevator speeches?
July 10 CELEBRATING INDEPENDENT MEDIA (New in 2009)
Award-winning journalist Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! celebrates independent media as she discusses her latest book Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times. Goodman shares her experiences in the trenches as she travels the nation and finds a healthy grassroots base for participatory democracy. What role does the media play in fostering citizen engagement?
July 3 1776 (Recorded in 2005)
Acclaimed historian David McCullough brings to life the tumult and uncertainty of 1776 and shows how the courage and perseverance of a few dedicated men were responsible for the success of the American revolutionary experiment. The noble ideals of the Declaration of Independence would have been nothing more than high-minded words, had it not been for the actions of General George Washington and his fledgling Continental Army. Through a year of suffering and discouragement, all too few victories and many defeats, Washington stood at the center of the drama, never forgetting what was at stake and never giving up.
June 26 BEYOND THE POLLUTION PARADIGM (New in 2009)
Environmental provocateurs Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus ask whether American climate change policy is moving in the right direction. The cap-and-trade model for regulatory legislation is based on economic assumptions that have shattered in the current economic crisis. Now Shellenberger and Nordhaus question “the emerging climate consensus,” arguing that pollution limits are woefully inadequate, both politically and technologically. Instead of attempting to make dirty energy prohibitively expensive, can we make clean energy cheap?
June 19 JOSS WHEDON: Cultural Humanist (New in 2009)
Television writer and director Joss Whedon receives the 2009 Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism from the Harvard Humanist Chaplaincy. The creator of the long-running television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer explores the moral foundations of a humanistic universe.
June 12 THE FIRST TYCOON (New in 2009)
Author T.J. Stiles discusses his new biography of Cornelius Vanderbilt. What are the parallels between the career of Vanderbilt who amassed a fortune in the 19th century and those of his counterparts today? How did federal and state governments respond to the challenge of Vanderbilt’s wealth? What can we learn from his story in today’s economy?
June 5 THE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY - Part 2 (Recorded in 2008)
John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt continue their examination of the impact of the Israel lobby on the United States and Israel. How does U.S. foreign policy affect the prospects for Middle Eastern peace? For a solution to the Palestinian crisis?
May 29 THE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY – Part 1 (Recorded in 2008)
John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt argue that the Israel lobby is moving American foreign policy in directions that are not in the United States’ best interests. What are the historical and ideological conditions that have allowed this unique situation to come into being and persist?
May 22 SOWING CRISIS: The Cold War and the Middle East (New in 2009)
Premier U.S. historian of the Middle East, Rashid Khalidi dissects the impact that Cold War-era rivalries had in shaping the dynamics of current Middle Eastern conflicts. What role did the Cold War play in establishing the American presence in the Middle East? How do the long shadows of the United States and Soviet Union continue to affect of view of Middle Eastern politics?
May 15 THE THIRD CHAPTER (New in 2009)
Sarah Lawrence Lightfoot of the Harvard Graduate School of Education identifies a new developmental stage in her latest book, The Third Chapter. In the 25 years after age 50, Americans are in transition, changing careers, continuing their education, traveling, volunteering. Why is this happening? How can the years after 50 become a source of transformative and generative experience?
May 8 WHEN DOCTORS ARE WRITERS - Part 2 (New in 2009)
Psychiatrist Elissa Ely and internist Tess Gerritsen continue their discussion with fellow physician Sasha Helper about doctors who write. How do the demands of being a doctor differ from the demands of writing? How do doctors ethically balance privacy and story telling?
May 1 WHEN DOCTORS ARE WRITERS (New in 2009)
Psychiatrist Elissa Ely and internist Tess Gerritsen talk with fellow physician Sasha Helper about their unique identity as writers and doctors. Why are doctors, already in a demanding profession, drawn to become writers? How do the demands of being a doctor differ from the demands of writing? How do doctors ethically balance privacy and story telling ?
April 24 THE SECRET LIFE OF EMILY DICKINSON (Recorded in 2002)
Biographer Alfred Habegger, acclaimed scholar of Henry James and Henry James, Sr., explores the deeply private and enigmatic life of one of the most extraordinary poets of her generation. Examining volumes of personal and professional correspondence with family and friends, he provides a rare personal glimpse of Dickinson's troubled brilliance and the work she kept hidden from public view.
April 17 PUBLIC POET – Part 2: Poetry in the 21st Century (Recorded in 2007)
Dana Gioia, former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, and John Barr, President of the American Poetry Foundation, continue their discussion of the place of poetry in contemporary culture. How important is reading poetry out loud to our appreciation? How should poetry be taught in our schools?
April 10 PUBLIC POET – Part 1: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow at 200
Former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts and Longfellow scholar Dana Gioia revisits the work of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with John Barr of the American Poetry Foundation. What does Longfellow’s work say to the 21st century reader? Is there a place in our technological age for public poetry?
April 3 THE LONELY AMERICAN
Harvard Medical School psychiatrists Jacqueline Olds and Richard Schwarz examine the personal and societal effects of the unheralded epidemic of social isolation in America today. How does the contemporary American lifestyle and work-style lead to social isolation? Are friends on Facebook a true substitute for friends we meet face-to-face? April is Poetry Month:
March 27 REMEMBERING THE NEGRO BASEBALL LEAGUE
A Cambridge Forum classic for the start of the baseball season: Pitcher Henry Bow Mason shares his experiences playing in the Negro Baseball League. He talks about the impact Jackie Robinson had when he broke the color line to become the first African-American player on a white professional baseball team. Robinson’s achievement opened the doors to countless athletes of color who followed him, but simultaneously closed the door on a parallel tradition in baseball – The Negro Baseball League. What was life like in American sports before racial integration? How was the Negro League important to baseball and the country as a whole?
March 20 AFGHANISTAN’S UNTOLD STORY
Journalists Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould take Americans behind the scenes in a little known part of the world. Their book Invisible History tells the story of Afghanistan’s troubled relations with competing “Great Powers,” and clarifies the challenges facing the new administration as it tries to avoid an endless war in a war-torn part of the world.
March 13 PAUL KRUGMAN in Conversation with DAVID GERGEN
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman in conversation with David Gergen of the Harvard Kennedy School. Krugman explores the foundations of the liberal political and economic systems; in the current economic downturn, he asks what we might learn from past liberal successes and failures.
March 6 SO D*** MUCH MONEY: Pay to Play in Washington
Veteran Washington Post correspondent Robert Kaiser exposes the impact of lobbyists and their money on American government. From the cost of political campaigns to the way legislation is written, how has lobbying changed in recent decades? How does the growing power of the lobbyists affect ordinary citizens?
February 27 ROGUE ECONOMICS, Part 2
International economics reporter Loretta Napoleoni continues her discussion of the dark side of the global economy–the sex trade, drug trade, counterfeiting–operating without government control in the global marketplace. What role do corporations play in globalizing criminal enterprises? What remedies are proposed for an international economy gone wrong?
February 20 ROGUE ECONOMICS, Part 1
International economics reporter Loretta Napoleoni exposes the dark side of the global economy–the sex trade, drug trade, counterfeiting–operating without government control in the global marketplace. What is rogue economics? What causes an economic system to go wrong?
February 13 REFUGEES: Sometimes You Can’t Go Home Again
Karen Jacobsen of the Refugee and Forced Migration Research Program at the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University discusses the experiences of refugees in the contemporary world. How is their experience different from that of other immigrants? What special needs do they have? What programs does the United States have to address their special situations?
February 6 SCIENCE AND LOVE
What is the force that drives scientific inquiry? Internationally renowned evolutionist Lynn Margulis reveals science from the inside–its passions, disappointments, and triumphs. Drawing on her lifetime of experience as a researcher, Margulis gives personal voice to those who attempt to wrest secrets from nature, often in the face of great controversy.
January 30 LOOT: Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World–Part 2
Sharon Waxman continues her discussion of the questions of ownership of cultural patrimony. What is the future of museums and their collections in the wake of lawsuits seeking return of antiquities? How are museums adapting to globalization and new technolgies?
January 23 LOOT: Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World–Part 1
Why are the Elgin Marbles in London and not on the Acropolis? Foreign correspondent and former New York Times culture reporter Sharon Waxman explores of the issues of preservation, cultural context, theft, and repatriation that accompany the question of ownership of a work of art. What role does the international law play in determining the fate of antiquities? What role does the sense of shared cultural heritage play in the conflict over ownership of these treasures?
January 16 THE POWER OF PLACE (New in 2009)
Boston Globe travel writer Tom Haines seeks individual encounters in remote regions as a way to understand broader issues of time and place. For someone like a reindeer herder in the Arctic, at the edge of this global century, how large do terrain and distance loom? What impact have the forces of modern communication and trade had on formerly isolated cultures? What is the daily life like for people living with one foot in the past and one in the present?
January 9 BAD RELIGION: Greg Graffin, Cultural Humanist--Part 2
Evolutionary biologist and punk rocker Greg Graffin receives the 2008 Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism from the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard University. Graffin continues his exploration of the impact of cultural humanism on his work as a scientist and as an artist in discussion with the audience for his acoustic performance.
January 2 BAD RELIGION: Greg Graffin, Cultural Humanist--Part 1
Evolutionary biologist and punk rocker Greg Graffin receives the 2008 Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism. The lead singer and songwriter for Bad Religion, arguably America’s most influential punk rock band of the past generation and professor of life sciences at UCLA, Graffin discusses the origins of humanist philosophy and illistrates its impact on his work in an acoustic performance.
+++++++++++++ 2008 BROADCASTS +++++++++++++++
December 26 SPEAK OUT/SING OUT (Recorded in 1984)
This Forum classic features legendary folksinger Pete Seeger performing at the Community Church in Boston. The audience joins in as Seeger sings favorites including “Turn, Turn, Turn” and “This Land is Your Land,” and shares his hopes for a future free of the menace of nuclear weapons.
December 19 TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION: BISHOP DESMOND TUTU (Recorded in 1998)
In this Cambridge Forum classic, the retired Anglican archbishop, Desmond Tutu, discusses the extraordinary work of South Africa’s truth and reconciliation commission to uncover, to understand, and to heal the injuries that the apartheid regime did to his country. Winner of the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize, Tutu shows the way to forgiveness rather than revenge.
December 12 HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA: After the Olympics (New in 2008)
Jianli Yang, survivor of the Tiananmen Square massacre and a five year prison term in China, looks at human rights in China today. After the Olympic spotlight has dimmed, what real progress toward an open society based on principles of individual rights do we see? What internal democratic movements exist in China? What role can the international community play in moving China toward democracy?
December 5 NUDGE: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness (New in 20008)
Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein applies cutting edge social science research on human behavior to legal questions in the stock market, mortgage markets, environmental protection, and family law. What are the implications for law and public policy of psychology’s new insights into decision-making behavior? What is the moral significance of developing public policies that “nudge” people to make “wise decisions”?
November 28 CONFESSIONS OF AN ECO-SINNER (New in 2008)
Science journalist Fred Pearce traces the environmental costs of the things that make up ordinary daily life–our clothing, our food, our cup of coffee– to reveal the extraordinary hidden costs of a modest Western lifestyle. What changes in our consumption patterns could we make to lower those environmental costs? What would those changes mean for our lifestyle?
November 21 IS AMERICA POSSIBLE? A Journey of Hope (New in 2008)
Theologian and personal friend of Martin Luther King, Jr., Vincent Harding argues that, especially for African Americans, the American Dream has never been realized. At best a hope, at worst a mockery, it remains alive in the words and imaginations of artists and activists. Retracing the roads and revisiting his companions of the Civil Rights Movement, Harding calls on young people to claim the vision of American ideals.
November 14 THE THREE TRILLION DOLLAR WAR (New in 2008)
Budget expert, Linda Bilmes discusses “the true cost of the Iraq conflict”, as calculated in her new book, co-authored with Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz. What expenses have been hidden from American taxpayers? What future costs does the war entail? Given, the $700 billion set aside for the economic bailout, what trade-offs does the cost of war impose on ordinary citizens?
November 7 THE OPINION MAKERS: Lies My Pollster Told Me (New in 2008)
How well did the political polls predict the outcome of the election? David Moore, a former senior editor at the Gallup Poll, argues that pollsters don’t report public opinion; they manufacture it. What tactics and strategies do they use in shaping our views? Why it is important to understand the sources of pollsters’ power?
October 31 CRUNCH: Feeling Squeezed in Today’s Economy (New in 2008)
Jared Bernstein, of the Economic Policy Institute in Washington DC, decodes the workings of the economy. Translating the jargon of Wall Street into the language of Main Street, Bernstein argues that economics should be more than a tool for the nation’s elite. In the wake of the financial crisis on Wall Street, how can we use economics to organize American society to provide for Main Street’s needs as well as Wall Street's?
October 24 HERE IF YOU NEED ME (New in 2008)
Kate Braestrup, Unitarian Universalist chaplain to the Maine Warden Service, tells stories of her ministry to the law enforcement officers of the vast backwoods. She shows up at the scene of drownings, snowmobile crashes and search-and-rescue efforts for hunters and hikers lost in the woods, comforting survivors and sometimes the wardens themselves. Humorous, poignant, and unexpected, her tales reveal human kindness under the uniforms and badges of her “congregation.”
October 17 AMERICAN BLANDSCAPE: Risky Writing and the Forces That Silence It (New in 2008)
A panel of authors and editors discusses the barriers to getting “risky” and important work published. The importance of politically challenging fiction and poetry, from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin to Allen Ginsburg’s “Howl,” is undeniable. But has such writing been effectively neutered by current trends in publishing? What is an individual author to do?
October 10 IMAGINATION NOT MAGIC (New in 2008)
Author J.K. Rowling discusses her own life story, as a lesson for young people looking for future success. She argues that the world in which they live suffers from a failure of imagination. and she urges them to cultivate genuine imagination to solve problems, rather than falling into the trap of magical thinking.
October 3 UNDERMINING SCIENCE
Science writer Seth Shulman has investigated Bush administration science policies for the Union of Concerned Scientists. How has scientific information been misused in debates ranging from global warming to stem cell research? How can the United States develop the next generation of scientific researchers if the integrity of science is undermined?
September 26 THE ROSE AND THE BRIAR–Part 2
Sean Wilentz and Greil Marcus continue their exploration of the American folk ballad. How are ballads connected to actual events? How do they develop over time? Can modern songwriters author folk ballads?
September 19 THE ROSE AND THE BRIAR–Part 1
Cultural critics Sean Wilentz and Greil Marcus discuss the place of the ballad in American folk culture. How do these old songs of hanging judges and jilted lovers continue to resonate in the 21st-century?
September 12 BOB DYLAN, ARTIST
In this Cambridge Forum classic, Christopher Ricks, Professor of Humanities at Boston University explores the poetry in Bob Dylan's songs. What accounts for the staying power of this icon of popular culture? How do Dylan's songs of social criticism avoid the traps of helpless pathos and useless rage to achieve their powerful effects?
September 5 MUSICOPHILIA–Part 2
Neurologist and author Oliver Sacks continues his discussion of the power of music. If music has power to heal human ills, does it also have a negative side? When does music become too much of a good thing?
August 29 MUSICOPHILIA–Part 1
Neurologist Oliver Sacks investigates the power of music to move us, to heal and haunt us. Why do humans make music? What does “your brain on music.” look like?
August 22 MARCO POLO
Author Larry Bergreen traces Marco Polo’s journey to China along the Silk Road. As Olympic visitors continue to discover China today, this look back at Europe’s earlier encounter calls for a re-examination of our traditional expectations.
August 15 TIBET: Lens on Human Rights in China (New in 2008)
Dr. Lobsang Sangay, Senior Fellow of the East Asian Legal Studies Program at Harvard Law School, discusses Tibet. Using Tibet’s status as a starting point for examining China’s commitment to human rights, Sangay explores how Tibet’s situation illuminates shortcomings as well as strengths in international human rights law and politics.
August 8 THE WEST AND CHINA: Divergence and Convergence (Recorded in 2007)
As Olympic visitors get a first-hand look at the “new China,” economic historian Niall Ferguson examines the impact of China’s rising economic strength on the international economy. How has China made its presence felt through manufacturing, its trade surplus, monetary policy, and acquisition of Western corporations?
August 1 BAD RELIGION: Greg Graffin, Cultural Humanist--Part 2 (New in 2008)
Evolutionary biologist and punk rocker Greg Graffin receives the 2008 Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism from the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard University. Graffin continues his exploration of the impact of cultural humanism on his work as a scientist and as an artist in discussion with the audience for his acoustic performance.
July 25 BAD RELIGION: Greg Graffin, Cultural Humanist--Part 1 (New in 2008)
Evolutionary biologist and punk rocker Greg Graffin receives the 2008 Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism. The lead singer and songwriter for Bad Religion, arguably America’s most influential punk rock band of the past generation and professor of life sciences at UCLA, Graffin discusses the origins of humanist philosophy and illistrates its impact on his work in an acoustic performance.
July 18 LONG WALK TO FREEDOM: NELSON MANDELA (Recorded in 1998)
This Forum classic features South African president Nelson Mandela, who is celebrating his 90th birthday in 2008, as he accepts an honorary degree from Harvard University in 1998. Cited by Harvard’s then president Neil Rudenstine as the “conscience of a people, soul of a nation, Mandela calls for a world in which humanity’s “walk to freedom and equality” will be shortened and smoothed by the power of the human intellect.
July 11 BAD MONEY–Part 2 (New in 2008)
Author Kevin Phillips continues his discussion of the crisis of American capitalism. How are ordinary individuals affected by the failures of the financial industry? Why does Wall Street have such an impact on all Americans, whether they are investors or not?
July 4 BAD MONEY–Part 1 (New in 2008)
Best-selling author and political analyst Kevin Phillips exposes the crisis of American capitalism. How has the interaction among reckless financial dealings, excessive debt, worn-out politics and global over-reach creates an Achilles heel for U.S. national security? What challenges does the threat of “bad money” pose for the 2008 presidential candidates?
July 4 PLANET WALKER (New in 2008)
Author and environmental activist John Francis gave up motorized transport and began to walk everywhere after a major oil spill in San Francisco Bay in the early 1970s. His planet walks call attention to the damage human beings do to the earth and create a new understanding of our responsibility for the planet’s health.
June 27 AMERICAN THEOCRACY–Part 2 (Recorded in 2006)
Author Kevin Phillips continues the discussion of the perils of American theocracy, focusing on the importance of religious fundamentalism in contemporary American political life. How can the nation extricate itself from its current dilemmas? Where is the political and economic will to develop a new politics and new policies?
June 20 AMERICAN THEOCRACY–Part 1 (Recorded in 2006)
With an eye on the past and a searing vision of the future, author Kevin Phillips argues that military miscalculations in the Middle East, the surge of fundamentalist religion, the staggering national debt and the costs of U.S. oil dependence are undermining our nation’s security, solvency, and standing in the world. How did the nation get itself into this position? What toll is the American theocracy taking on our future?
June 13 BAD RELIGION: Greg Graffin, Cultural Humanist (New in 2008)
Evolutionary biologist and punk rocker Greg Graffin receives the 2008 Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism. The lead singer and songwriter for Bad Religion, arguably America’s most influential punk rock band of the past generation and professor of life sciences at UCLA, Graffin explores the philosophies underlying human creativity–in the sciences and in the arts.
June 6 BAD MONEY (New in 2008)
Best-selling author and political analyst Kevin Phillips exposes the crisis of American capitalism. How has the interaction among reckless financial dealings, excessive debt, worn-out politics and global over-reach creates an Achilles heel for U.S. national security? What challenges does the threat of “bad money” pose for the 2008 presidential candidates? And for the new administration in 2009?
May 30 AMERICAN BLANDSCAPE: Risky Writing and the Forces That Silence It (New in 2008)
A panel of authors and editors discusses the barriers to getting “risky” and important work published. The importance of politically challenging fiction and poetry, from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin to Allen Ginsburg’s “Howl,” is undeniable. But has such writing been effectively neutered by current trends in publishing? What is the social and cultural impact of such trends? And what is an individual author to do?
May 23 GETTING A GRIP ON DEMOCRACY–Part 2 (New in 2008) Author and activist Frances Moore Lappé explores living democracy’s success stories. How can individuals working at the local level overcome the challenges of hunger, poverty, and climate change?
May 16 GETTING A GRIP ON DEMOCRACY (New in 2008)
Visionary social activist Frances Moore Lappé challenges citizens to examine their underlying assumptions and think about fear, power, democracy and hope itself in new ways. She argues that replacing a vicious “circle of powerlessness” with a virtuous “circle of empowerment” enables a democratic society to reach its full potential.
May 9 FAITH AND POLITICS AFTER THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT–Part 2 (New in 2008)
Author and theologian Jim Wallis looks forward to a new role for faith in American society. What happens when politics fails to solve our most pressing problems? How do individuals, social movements, and organized religious communities influence public policy and government officials?
May 2 FAITH AND POLITICS AFTER THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT–Part 1 (New in 2008)
Best-selling author, theologian, and founder of Sojourners, Jim Wallis discusses
the end of the religious right's dominance in American politics. After the failure
of formal faith-based initiatives, what part can religion play in public life?
How can faith reclaim a positive influence in our society?
April 25 ENDING SLAVERY–Part 2 (New in 2008)
International human rights worker Kevin Bales presents a 25-year plan to end global slavery and rebuild the lives of 27 million held in slavery today. What actions by governments, NGOs, businesses, and individuals are required to bring an end to more than 5,000 years of human bondage?
April 18 PLAN B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization (New in 2008)
Environmental guru Lester Brown proposes a plan of action to address the challenges of climate change. How can nations cut carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2020? What are the economic and political prospects for mobilizing the world to achieve Plan B 3.0?
April 11 TIBET: Lens on Human Rights in China (New in 2008) Dr. Lobsang Sangay, Senior Fellow of the East Asian Legal Studies Program at Harvard Law School, discusses Tibet. Using Tibet’s status as a starting point for examining China’s commitment to human rights, Sanjay explores how Tibet’s situation illuminates shortcomings as well as strengths in international human rights law and politics.
April 4 ENDING SLAVERY (New in 2008)
International human rights worker and award-winning author Kevin Bales presents a 25-year plan to end global slavery and rebuild the lives of 27 million held in slavery today. What actions by governments, NGOs, businesses, and individuals are required to bring an end to more than 5,000 years of human bondage?
March 28 THE BULLDOZER AND THE BIG TENT: Recovering American Ideals (New in 2008)
Todd Gitlin, professor of sociology and journalism at Columbia University and one-time president of SDS, brings his political insights to the 2008 presidential campaign. Why have Republicans been so much better than Democrats at getting and exercising power? What does the Democratic Party need to do to change that?
March 21 SACRED SEA: A Journey to Lake Baikal (New in 2008)
Ride the Trans-Siberian Railway with environmental journalist Peter Thomson to Lake
Baikal, the world’s deepest and largest reservoir of fresh water. Focus of an almost mystical faith in its purity and beauty, this isolated site hosts a unique and endangered ecosystem that is also a case study for the globalization of environmental threats.
March 14 THE TWO-INCOME TRAP (Recorded in 2004)
Harvard law professor Elizabeth
Warren discusses her new book
on the alarming increase in bankruptcy filings by middle-class families. Why
are middle-class mothers and fathers going broke? How can they protect themselves
from financial ruin when disaster strikes?
March 7 THE MISSING CLASS (New in 2008)
Princeton sociologist Katherine
Newmanand Harvard researcher Victor Tan Chen give voice to 57 million Americans sandwiched
between the middle class and the poor. How do the stories of these families–21
million of them are children–demonstrate the need to think about inequality in
a new way?
February 29 LAST NIGHT’S DREAM (New in 2008)
Author Rodger
Kamenetz searches
for spiritual truth in dreams. How has the quest to interpret dreams shaped Western
thought? How do dreams allow us to communicate with our unconscious selves?
February 22 COVERING: The Hidden Assault
on Our Civil Rights (Recorded in 2006)
Yale Law School professor Kenji
Yoshinoexplores the pressure in American society to hide our authentic selves. What
role does the legal system have in ensuring civil rights for those who do not
fit in? How can we create an authentically diverse society?
February 15 EPIC JOURNEYS OF FREEDOM (Recorded in 2006)
Historian Cassandra
Pybustraces the lives and adventures of the runaway slaves who absorbed the dreams
of liberty from their masters during the American Revolution and fled to the
British to find freedom. Where did these hopeful and courageous idealists go?
And what kind of lives did they make for themselves?
February 8 AMERICAN CREATION–Part 2 (New in 2008)
Joseph
Ellis continues his
discussion of America’s “founding brothers,” as flawed human beings as well as
leaders of genius. How were their political achievements constrained by the era
in which they lived?
February 1 AMERICAN CREATION–Part 1 (New in 2008)
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian
Joseph Ellis tells six stories from the early years of the American Republic.
How did the decisions made by the founders affect the shape of the young nation?
What were their creative achievements? And their failures? Despite the injustices
and brutalities that resulted from the continuation of slavery and the repression
of Native Americans, Ellis argues that founders’ strategy rose from a profoundly
realistic insight about how enduring social change best happens.
January 25 THE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY–Part 2 (New in 2008)
John
Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt continue their examination of the impact of the
Israel lobby on the United States and Israel. How does current U.S. foreign policy
affect the prospects for Middle Eastern peace? For a solution to the Palestinian
crisis?
January 18 THE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY–Part 1 (New in 2008)
John
Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt argue that the Israel lobby is moving American foreign
policy in directions that are not in the United States’ best interests. What
are the historical and ideological conditions that have allowed this unique situation
to come into being and persist?
January 11 MUSICOPHILIA–Part 2 (New in 2008)
Neurologist and author Oliver Sacks continues his discussion of the power of
music. If music has power to heal human ills, does it also have a negative side?
When does music become too much of a good thing?
January 4, 2008 MUSICOPHILIA(New in 2007)
Neurologist
Oliver Sacks investigates the power of music to move us, to
heal
and haunt us.
Why do humans make music? What does “your brain on music.” look like?
++++++++++++++ 2007 BROADCASTS ++++++++++++
December 28 DESCENT INTO LIMBO: Maurice Sendak’s Life in Children’s Art (Recorded
in 2003)
For over five decades beloved children’s author Maurice Sendak has taken
children and parents on amazing literary adventures, from the night kitchen to
where the wild things are. He gives the May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture at Cambridge
Public Library, tracing his life-long journey in children’s literature and art.
December 21 KATHERINE PATERSON: ASKING BIG QUESTIONS IN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE(Recorded in 2004)
Beloved children’s author Katherine
Paterson speaks about
her lifework in children’s literature. How do stories written for children address
the grown-up questions of good and evil, life and death? How does an author find
a transcendent voice that moves beyond entertainment without being didactic?
December 14 UNRIDDLING THE WORLD: Fantasy and Children (New
in 2007)
What are the sources of the fantastic? Award-winning children’s author Susan
Cooper explores the ways that literary fantasy helps children understand the
world of adulthood. Why do children read fantasy? Does an adult understand fantasy
the same way as a child?
December 7 WRITING FANTASY: Susan Cooper and Gregory Maguire in Conversation(New in 2007)
Why does an author choose to write fantasy? What opportunities
does this genre offer their imaginations? Roger Sutton, editor-in-chief of The
Horn Book Magazine, explores these questions with Susan Cooper (The Dark Is Rising)
and Gregory Maguire (Wicked), two modern masters of fantasy in literature for
children and adults.
November 30 AMERICAN CREATION (New in 2007)
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian
Joseph Ellis tells six stories from the early years of the American Republic.
How did the decisions made by the founders affect the shape of the young nation?
What were their creative achievements? And their failures? Despite the injustices
and brutalities that resulted from the continuation of slavery and the repression
of Native Americans, Ellis argues that founders’ strategy rose from a profoundly
realistic insight about how enduring social change best happens.
November 23 MARCO POLO (New in 2007)
Author Larry Bergreen traces Marco Polo’s journey to China along the Silk Road.
As the West continues to discover China today, this look back at Europe’s earlier
encounter calls for a re-examination of our traditional expectations.
November
16 THE WEST AND CHINA: Divergence and Convergence (New in 2007)
Economic historian
Niall Ferguson examines the impact of China’s economic strength on the international
economy. How has China made its presence felt through manufacturing, its trade
surplus, monetary policy, and acquisition of Western corporations?
November 9 A LIBERAL SPEAKS: Freedom’s Power (New in 2007)
Pulitzer Prize-winning
author and co-founder of The American Prospect, Paul Starr discusses Freedom’s
Power: The True Force of Liberalism. Delving into the history of liberal philosophy,
Starr asks what traditional liberalism has to offer modern America.
November 2 PUBLIC POET: Poetry in the 21st Century (New in 2007)
Dana
Gioia,
Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, and John Barr, President of
the American Poetry Foundation, continue their discussion of the place of poetry
in contemporary culture. How important is reading poetry out loud to our appreciation?
How should peotry be taught in our schools?
October 26 PUBLIC POET: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
at 200 (New in 2007)
Director of the National Endowment for the Arts and Longfellow
scholar Dana Gioia revisits the work of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with John
Barr of the American Poetry Foundation. What does Longfellow’s work say to the
21st century reader? Is there a place in our technological age for public poetry?
October 19 LETTERS TO A YOUNG TEACHER (New in 2007)
Lifelong education advocate
Jonathan Kozol discusses his latest book, inspired by his correspondence with
a young teacher in Boston’s public schools. Why do as many as 50% of newly minted
teachers leave the profession within three years? How can we change this situation?
October 12 LAURIE KUTCHINS & TERRY
TEMPEST WILLIAMS(Recorded in 2000)
Award-winning poet Laurie Kutchins, author
of Between Towns reads selected poems from her acclaimed book, The Night Path.
Inspired by life and nature, her writing reflects a deep connection to both land
and family. Terry Tempest Williams was identified by Newsweek as someone likely
to make “a considerable impact on the political, economic and environmental issues
facing the western states in this decade.” The author of Leap, Pieces of a White
Shell: A Journey to Navajoland and Coyote’s Canyon, reads here from Refuge.
October 5 CHET RAYMO & PATTIANN ROGERS (Recorded in 2000)
Chet Raymo is one of
the nation's most prolific science and nature writers. His books including The
Soul of the Night, 365 Starry Nights and Honey From Stone, offer wonderful explorations
of the profound relationships between science, nature and religion. Raymo reads
from Natural Prayers. The poetry of Pattiann Rogers has spanned seven books over
the past two decades. She reads from Eating Bread & Honey.
September 28, 2007 RICHARD NELSON (Recorded
in 2000) 07-F94-07386
Richard Nelson’s writing focuses on human relationships to the natural world.
A cultural anthropologist, he based his books Hunters of the Northern Ice and
Shadow of the Hunter on his years-long study of the Eskimo and Athabaskan Indian
people in Alaska. He reads from The Island Within, which received the John Burroughs
Award for nature writing.
September 21, 2007 SCOTT RUSSELL SANDERS (Recorded
in 2000) 07-F94-07385
The fusion of physics and art is evident in the work of
Scott Russell Sanders who received his PhD in physics from Cambridge University.
The author of more than a dozen novels, collections of short stories and essays,
including Staying Put, reads from The Force of Spirit.
September 14, 2007 SIMON
ORTIZ (Recorded in 2000) 07-F94-07384
Simon Ortiz is a poet, writer and storyteller,
a thirty-year native of Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico who has written about issues,
concerns and responsibilities that we have regarding our land, culture and community.
Among his many major works are After and Before the Lighting, Woven Stone, and
A Good Journey. He reads from Men on the Moon.
September 7, 2007 DAVID ABRAM(Recorded in 2000) 07-F94-07383
Best-selling writer David Abram, author of The
Spell of the Sensuous, tells a story that reveals the inspiration he and other
writers have gotten from the environment around them. What lessons can we learn
from our relationship with the natural world?
THE ECOLOGICAL IMAGINATION – Series of 4 programs
August 31, 2007 UNDERMINING
SCIENCE (New in 2007) 07-F94-07382
Science writer Seth Shulman has investigated
Bush administration science policies for the Union of Concerned Scientists. How
has scientific information been misused in debates ranging from global warming
to stem cell research? How can the United States develop the next generation
of scientific researchers if the integrity of science is undermined?
August 24,
2007 THE TROUBLE WITH DIVERSITY (Recorded in 2006) 07-F94-07381
Author Walter
Benn Michaels looks at how the concept of diversity raises obstacles to equality
and full participation by African Americans, women, and other marginalized groups.
How has the nation’s celebration of differences stymied the search for genuine
social justice? What role does the language used to frame issues of equality
play in solutions we create?
August 17, 2007 OF WAR AND LAW (Recorded in 2006)
07-F94-07380
Harvard Law Professor David Kennedy discusses the impact of laws
and legal language on the ways we think and talk about war and on the way that
modern warfare is practiced. How does the notion of a “law of war” affect our
sense of responsibility as a nation making war? As soldiers in the field? As
taxpayers supporting the war?
August 10, 2007 THE LIMITS OF PRESIDENTIAL POWER(Recorded in 200 07-F94-07379
NYU law professor David Golove examines the Constitutional
bases for the concept of the “unitary executive.” Do signing statements and claims
for special wartime powers for the Commander-in-Chief undermine the system of
checks and balances?
August 3, 2007 NATION OF IMMIGRANTS (New in 2007) 07-F94-07378
Political scientist Paul Watanabe discusses the experiences of immigrant entrepreneurs
with researchers Michael Liu and Ramón Borges-Méndez of the University of Massachusetts,
Boston. What contributions do immigrants make to our nation’s economy? What is
the relationship between immigrant populations and urban vitality?
July 27 ROY
BLOUNT JR.: DISPATCHES FROM UP SOUTH (New in 2007) 07-F94-07377
Humorist and
cultural observer Roy Blount Jr. grew up in the South and has lived much of his
adult life in the North. His newest book looks at the North/South divide in American
today. How have the homogenizing forces of air conditioning, television, and
Sun Belt economics affected traditional geographic, political, and cultural sectionalism?
July 20 WRITING ON THE WALLS (New in 2007) 07-F94-07376
A panel of authors discuss
writing to, from, and about prison. Former inmate Dwayne Betts, journalist Jennifer
Gonnerman, and educatorJean Trounstine, talk about their experiences with H.
Bruce Franklin (author of Prison Writings in 20th Century America). In addition,
author Piri Thomas receives a PEN award. How do writers in prison experience
the discipline that writing imposes? How do they sense the power of verbal creativity
in an environment designed to limit their personal agency?
July 13 RESPECT AND
REVOLUTION (New in 2007) 07-F94-07375
Historian Richard Ryerson discusses the
American Revolutionary War and its leaders determination to win freedom in a
way that would earn the respect of other nations. What was the origin of this
attention to public opinion? How did this attitude affect the conduct of the
war? How did early American notions of “respect” compare with the contemporary
notion of winning the war for “hearts and minds?”
July 6 MAKING A CASE FOR IMPEACHMENT(New in 2007) 07-F94-07374
Former federal prosecutor Elizabeth de la Vega conducts
a hypothetical grand jury indictment of administration officials who conspired
to defraud the United States by misleading the nation into war. As she makes
a case for an indictment for criminal fraud, is she also making a case for impeachment?
June 29, 2007
ON LIBERTY AND FREEDOM (Recorded in 2006)
07-F94-93739
Pulitzer Prize winning historian David Hackett Fischer looks at the values of liberty and freedom in America's history. Do these two words have different meanings for us? How has our understanding of liberty and freedom changed from the American Revolution through the Civil War to the present?
June 22, 2007
BLOOD AND OIL: The Dangers and Consequences of America's Growing Oil Dependency
07-F94-93738
Michael Klare, professor of Peace and World Security Studies at Hampshire College and a leading expert on U.S. oil policy, leads a wide-ranging discussion of the role that oil plays in international politics and economics. How do U.S. oil policies impact our domestic well-being and international relations? What changes lie ahead?
June 15, 2007
TIPPING POINTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE (New in 2007)
07-F94-93737
British science journalist Fred Pearce brings the concept of the tipping point to studies of climate change. Scientific evidence points to an imminent and irreversible warming of the global climate. How are we preparing? How do multiple factors work together or against each other to create a tipping points for the earth's climate?
June 8, 2007
HENRY WARD BEECHER (New in 2007)
07-F94-93736
Debbie Applegate introduces the "most famous man" in 19th century America with her Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Henry Ward Beecher. Who was this man that Bob Dylan called a "def poet"? What role did he play in campaign against slavery and the other great social reforms of the 19th century?
June 1, 2007
18TH CENTURY TAVERNS & DRINKING (New in 2007)
07-F94-93735
Historian Sharon Salinger follows colonial Americans into their taverns and public houses where excessive quantities of alcohol were typically consumed. What role did taverns play in the social and political world of colonial America leading up to the Revolutionary War?
May 25
FAST FOOD/FAT NATION (New in 2007)
07-F94-93734
Pediatrician Alan Meyers, psychologist Susan Linn, and food policy expert Kathleen Merrigan discuss the link between the nation's eating habits and the increase in childhood obesity. What impact will obesity-related diseases have on the quality of life of the next generation? What stresses will our fast food life style place on our health care system and health care costs?
May 18
THE CHILDREN (Recorded in 1999)
07-F94-93733
In memory of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Halberstam, Cambridge Forum presents his 1999 Melcher Book Award address. Halberstam reflects on his experiences as a young journalist covering the early sit-ins of the Civil Rights Movement. How did "the children" at lunch counters and on school buses, in churches and on college campuses lead their elders to change the institutions of segregation in America? Where did they find their moral compass? And what can we learn from their legacy?
May 11 THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ (New in 2007)
07-F94-93732
Iraqi government advisor Ali A. Allawi presents an insider's view of the ongoing crisis in Iraq. How can devastated Iraq end sectarian violence and achieve peace? Does the Iraq experience suggest the United States should rethink its role as global policeman and return to a variant of the foreign policy template established by Washington and Monroe?
May 4 LOVE IS TOO STRONG A WORD (Recorded in 1986)
07-F94-93731
This Cambridge Forum Classic is presented in memory of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. One of America's great writers, he argues that "love" is too strong a word to be of much use in day to day relationships. Respect, in his view, is a more important idea which is often lost in the cloudy thinking of popular religions. His words, spoken more than 20 years ago, still carry meaning today for both our private and our public American lives.
April 27 UNDERMINING SCIENCE (New in 2007)
07-F94-93730
Science writer Seth Shulman has investigated Bush administration science policies for the Union of Concerned Scientists. How has scientific information been misused in debates ranging from global warming to stem cell research? How can the United States develop the next generation of scientific researchers if the integrity of science is undermined?
April 20 Does War Give Us Meaning?
07-F94-93729
Drawing on the literature of combat, from Homer to Shakespeare, former New York Times correspondent and author Chris Hedges argues that human beings are conditioned to embrace what he calls 'the myth of war' -- the idea that combat is noble, selfless, and glorious. In his new book, War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, Hedges reveals the reality of war, which he knows first-hand, to be the destruction of culture, the perversion of human desire, and the embrace, ultimately, of death over life.
April 13 AMERICAN THEOCRACY II (Recorded in 2006)
07-F94-93728
Author Kevin Phillips continues the discussion of the perils of American theocracy, focusing on the importance of religious fundamentalism in contemporary American political life. How can the nation extricate itself from its current dilemmas? Where is the political and economic will to develop a new politics and new policies?
April 6 AMERICAN THEOCRACY I (Recorded in 2006)
07-F94-93727
With an eye on the past and a searing vision of the future, author Kevin Phillips argues that military miscalculations in the Middle East, the surge of fundamentalist religion, the staggering national debt and the costs of U.S. oil dependence are undermining our nation's security, solvency, and standing in the world. How did the nation get itself into this position? What toll is the American theocracy taking on our future?
March 30 CAN WE PRESERVE WILDERNESS? (Recorded in 2006)
07-F94-54282
Conservation biologist Jonathan Adams proposes a radical new means of conservation in an increasingly crowded planet. How can we use the insights of conservation research to preserve habitat and prevent extinction of species? What is the global relevance of conservation methods that work in relatively affluent societies, like the United States and Europe?
March 23 PLAN B 2.0 II (Recorded in 2006)
07-F94-54281
Environmental activist Lester Brown continues his discussion of the environmental
challenges facing the planet. Is it possible to develop environmentally sustainable
economic policies? How can we balance short-term economic costs of rescuing the
planet against the potential long-term costs of not doing so?
March 16 PLAN B 2.0 I (Recorded in 2006)
07-F94-54280
Environmental activist and founder of the Earth Policy Institute, Lester
Brownoutlines a rescue plan for a world facing oil and water shortages and the disruptions
caused by global climate change. How much longer can we ignore nature's deadlines
for dealing with these environmental issues? What impact will the economic growth
of modern China have on the future of the planet?
March 9 FOOLED AGAIN (New in 2007)
07-F94-54279
Mark Crispin Miller discusses election fraud and manipulation. Why are the elections of 2000 and 2004 a harbinger of the future? What happened in the 2006 midterms and what can we learn from that experience?
March 2 MIDDLE PASSAGES (New in 2007)
07-F94-54278
Brown University historian James Campbell examines the role of migration in African American culture. While the transatlantic slave trade involved forced migration, African Americans are now making personal journeys back to the African continent. Campbell traces the history of one such homecoming,to Sierra Leone.
February 23 WALT DISNEY: The Triumph of the American Imagination (New in 2007)
07-F94-54277
Biographer
Neal Gabler discusses his definitive new biography of one of the 20th century's most influential Americans. Mickey Mouse is known around the world, and countless baby-boomer Americans can still sing the Mouseketeer theme song, but how many know the inner life and challenges of the man who created those cultural icons?
February 16 GOD & CAESAR: Religious Freedom and International Law (Recorded in 2005)
07-F94-54276
Recorded the last time he spoke at Cambridge Forum, the late Father Robert Drinan, former U.S. Congressman, Roman Catholic priest and professor of law and human rights advocate, examines the prospects for safe-guarding religious freedom in the world today. How has religion become the divisive force it is in the world today?
February 9 HALF-LIFE OF A ZEALOT(New in 2007)
07-F94-54275
Swanee Hunt, former ambassador to Austria in the Clinton Administration and founder
of the Initiative for Inclusive Security (formerly Women Waging Peace) at HarvardÕs
Kennedy School of Government, discusses her new memoir. What paths led a daughter
of privilege and power to identify with and fight for the impoverished and powerless
in our world?
February 2 THE PLANETS (New in 2007)
Author Dava
Sobel discusses the history of the planets and the fascination they hold for
the human imagination. What was the thinking behind the recent decision to reclassify
Pluto as a Òdwarf planet?Ó What does the future of planetary science look like?
January 26 NATION OF IMMIGRANTS (New in 2007)
07-F94-37054
Political scientist Paul Watanabe discusses the experiences of immigrant entrepreneurs
with researchers Michael Liu and Ram—n Borges-Méndez of the University of Massachusetts,
Boston. What contributions do immigrants make to our nationÕs economy? What is
the relationship between immigrant populations and urban vitality?
January 19 AT CANAANÕS EDGE: America in the King Years, 1965-1968 (Recorded in
2006)
07-F94-37053
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch completes his
biography of Martin Luther King, chronicling the expansion of the Civil Rights
Movement into protests of the war in Viet Nam and calls for broader social and
economic justice for all Americans. How ready was America in 1965 to hear KingÕs
message? Are we closer to achieving his dream today, four decades after his assassination?
January 12 THE ROSE AND THE BRIAR–II (Recorded
in 2005)
07-F94-37052
Sean Wilentz and Greil Marcus continue their exploration
of the American folk ballad. How are ballads connected to actual events? How
do they develop over time? Can modern songwriters author folk ballads?
January 5 THE ROSE AND THE BRIAR–I (Recorded in 2005) 07-F94-37013
Cultural critics
Sean Wilentz and Greil Marcus discuss the place of the ballad in American folk
culture. How do these old songs of hanging judges and jilted lovers continue
to resonate in the 21st-century?
+++++++++++++ 2006 BROADCASTS +++++++++++++
January 6 GREEN CITIES (New
in 2006) 06-973-00001
Transit oriented development and smart growth are new initiatives in urban design
that aim to create green cities. Peter Smith of the Boston Society of Architects
discusses these movements with Larissa Brown, chief planner for urban design
firm Goody, Clancy, and Kristina Egan, director of the Massachusetts Smart Growth
Alliance. How is it possible to design
urban communities that are economically and environmentally sustainable? How
do such communities work? Are they coming
to your region soon?
January 13 BEN FRANKLIN AND BEING AMERICAN (Recorded in 2004) 06-973-00002
Benjamin Franklin's 300th birthday is celebrated on January 17, 2006. Pulitzer-Prize
winning historian Gordon S. Wood, Professor of History at Brown University, discusses
his latest book on America's most famous Founding Father, The Americanization
of Benjamin Franklin. How did Franklin evolve from British loyalist to American
colonist? Has history inaccurately portrayed him?
January 20 ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN WELL-BEING -- I (New in 2006) 06-973-00003
Robert Watson, chief scientist of the World Bank, discusses the United Nations Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment. What does this global effort to assess the health of the environment tell
us about the human impact on our world? What can we do to slow or reverse damage to fragile ecosystems?
What will life on earth be like over the next century?
January 27 ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN WELL-BEING -- II (New
in 2006) 06-973-00004
In the second part of his discussion, Robert Watson addresses questions about the future health of the
earth-s ecosystems. What are the links between environmental health and poverty? How do agricultural
practices and population growth affect the environment? Who are the winners and losers as global climate change
alters ecosystems?
February 3 WASHINGTON THE UNIFIER (Recorded in 1999) 06-973-00005
In this Cambridge Forum classic, historian Don Higgenbotham explores the key role that George Washington
played in founding the Republic, How did he establish precedents as commander-in-chief and as president that
solidified the gains of the colonial revolt and shaped the government of the young country? What lessons can we
learn today about being as "uniter?"
February 10 1776 (Recorded in 2005) 06-973-00006
Acclaimed historian David McCullough brings to life the tumult and uncertainty of 1776 and shows how the
courage and perseverance of a few dedicated men were responsible for the success of the American revolutionary
experiment. The noble ideals of the Declaration of Independence would have been nothing more than high-minded words,
had it not been for the actions of General George Washington and his fledgling Continental Army. Through a year of suffering
and discouragement, all too few victories and many defeats, Washington stood at the center of the drama, never forgetting
what was at stake and never giving up.
February 17 WASHINGTON'S VISIONARY FAREWELL (Recorded in 1999) 06-973-00007
In this Cambridge Forum classic, historian Joseph Ellis examines George Washington's legacy and the ways it has
been understood and misunderstood in the nation's history. Ellis argues that, like a good actor, Washington knew when
it was time to leave the stage. And his farewell letter to the nation established precedents which have endured since his
death more than two centuries ago? What does Washington's legacy mean for Americans today?
February 24 THOMAS JEFFERSON: AMERICAN SPHINX (Recorded in 1997) 06-973-00008
In this Cambridge Forum classic, Joseph Ellis, author of American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson offers his
interpretation of the complicated and quintessential American president, Thomas Jefferson. What explains the fact that this
celebrated American figure continues to inspire political adversaries on all ideological sides? Why is it that anyone who aspires
to success in American political life must have Jefferson on his side?
March 3 THE NARNIAN: C.S. Lewis and the Culture Wars (New in 2006) 06-973-00009
Author Alan Jacobs discusses his new biography of C.S. Lewis, creator of the beloved children's book series, The Chronicles of Narnia.
How did Lewis and his work get swept up in America's contemporary culture wars? What does this middle- aged Irish bachelor and Oxford scholar have to say to 21st-century Americans?
March 10 COVERING: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights (New in 2006)
06-973-00010
Yale Law School professor Kenji Yoshino explores the pressure in American society
to hide our authentic selves. What role does the legal system have in ensuring
civil rights for those who do not fit in? How can we create an authentically
diverse society?
March 17 UNSPEAKABLE: Facing Up to Evil (Recorded in 2005)
06-973-00011
Journalist and cultural observer Os Guinness, great grandson of the eponymous
Dublin brewer, discusses evil as evidenced in human history. How we understand
evil is not merely an academic question for philosophers or a matter of personal
morality; it is has powerful significance for our national politics and policies.
Are violence and warfare inevitable aspects of the human condition? Are individuals
who strive for justice and equality facing impossible odds?
March 24 BLOOD AND
OIL: The Dangers and Consequences of America's Growing Oil Dependency
06-973-00012
Michael Klare, professor of Peace and World Security Studies at Hampshire College
and a leading expert on U.S. oil policy, leads a wide-ranging discussion of the
role that oil plays in international politics and economics. How do U.S. oil
policies impact our domestic well-being and international relations? What changes
lie ahead? How are we preparing for the future?
March 31 THE LEFT HAND OF GOD:
Responding to the Religious Right (New in 2006)
06-973-00013
Rabbi Michael Lerner, founder of Tikkun, delivers a two-pronged assault on the
current state of faith in politics. Critical of the Right's misrepresentation
of God, Lerner also calls for the Left to pay closer attention to the faith and
values of Americans. How can we create a progressive spiritual politics?
April
7 EPIC JOURNEYS OF FREEDOM (New in 2006)
06-973-00014
Historian Cassandra Pybus traces the lives and adventures of the runaway slaves
who absorbed the dreams of liberty from their masters during the American Revolution
and fled to the British to find freedom. Where did these hopeful and courageous
idealists go? And what kind of lives did they make for themselves?
April 14 ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN WELL-BEING -- I (New in 2006)
06-973-00015
Robert Watson, chief scientist of the World Bank, discusses the United Nations
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. What does this global effort to assess the health
of the environment tell us about the human impact on our world? What can we do
to slow or reverse damage to fragile ecosystems? What will life on earth be like
over the next century?
April 21 ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN WELL-BEING -- II (New in 2006)
06-973-00016
In the second part of his discussion, Robert Watson addresses questions about
the future health of the earth's ecosystems. What are the links between environmental
health and poverty? How do agricultural practices and population growth affect
the environment? Who are the winners and losers as global climate change alters
ecosystems?
April 28 TALKING BACK . . . To Presidents, Dictators, and Assorted Scoundrels(Recorded in 2005)
06-973-0017
Andrea Mitchell, NBC's Chief Foreign Affairs correspondent, discusses her trail
blazing life as a woman in journalism in her new memoir. Uniquely positioned
to provide an insider's view of the role of the media in the United States today,
Ms. Mitchell has had four decades of access to those wielding power inside the
Beltway and has seen firsthand how that power is viewed and exercised around
the world.
May 5 THE GOOD SOCIETY (Recorded in 1996)
06-973-00018
In memory of John Kenneth Galbraith, one of our most frequent and popular speakers
over the decades, Cambridge Forum presents the classic program--the last live
forum that Galbraith presented in Cambridge. The Harvard economist presents his
unique perspective on our society's journey through the twentieth century as
outlined in his book, The Good Society: The Humane Agenda. What should the standards
be in a socially tolerable economic society? What changes are required in order
to achieve a just society?
May 12 AT CANAAN'S EDGE: America in the King Years, 1965-1968 (New
in 2006)
06-973-0019
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch completes his
biography of Martin Luther King, chronicling the expansion of the Civil Rights
Movement into protests of the war in Viet Nam and calls for broader social and
economic justice for all Americans. How ready was America in 1965 to hear King's
message? Are we closer to achieving his dream today, four decades after his assassination?
May 19 AMERICAN THEOCRACY--I (New in 2006)
06-H94-68011
With an eye on the past
and a searing vision of the future, author Kevin Phillips argues that military
miscalculations in the Middle East, the surge of fundamentalist religion, the
staggering national debt and the costs of U.S. oil dependence are undermining
our nation's security, solvency, and standing in the world. How did the nation
get itself into this position? What toll is the American theocracy taking on
our future?
May 26 AMERICAN THEOCRACY--II (New in 2006)
06-H94-68012
Author Kevin
Phillips continues the discussion of the perils of American theocracy, focusing
on the importance of religious fundamentalism in contemporary American political
life. How can the nation extricate itself from its current dilemmas? Where is
the political and economic will to develop a new politics and new policies?
June
2 CAN WE PRESERVE WILDERNESS? (New in 2006)
06-H94-68013
Conservation biologist
Jonathan Adams proposes a radical new means of conservation in an increasingly
crowded planet. How can we use the insights of conservation research to preserve
habitat and prevent extinction of species? What is the global relevance of conservation
methods that work in relatively affluent societies, like the United States and
Europe?
June 9 PLAN B 2.0--I (New in 2006)
06-H94-68014
Environmental activist
and founder of the Earth Policy Institute, Lester Brown outlines a rescue plan
for a world facing oil and water shortages and the disruptions caused by global
climate change. How much longer can we ignore nature's deadlines for dealing
with these environmental issues? What impact will the economic growth of modern
China have on the future of the planet?
June 16 PLAN B 2.0--II (New in 2006)
06-H94-68015
Environmental activist Lester Brown continues his discussion of
the environmental challenges facing the planet. Is it possible to develop environmentally
sustainable economic policies? How can we balance short-term economic costs of
rescuing the planet against the potential long-term costs of not doing so?
June
23 DEMOCRACY AND THE PRESS: The Role of Journals of Opinion (New in 2006)
06-H94-68016
A panel of editors and publishers discusses the role of "journals of opinion" Øas
alternative news sources in the era of Internet news and individual blogs. Victor
Navasky, publisher emeritus of The Nation; Jack Beatty, senior editor of The
Atlantic; and Robert Kuttner, co-founder of The American Prospect, examine the
prospects for small journals committed to in-depth reporting and thought-provoking
partisanship.
June 30 AMERICAN VERTIGO -- I (New in 2006)
06-H94-68017
French cultural
observer Bernard-Henri Levy retraces Alexis de Tocqueville's nineteenth-century
journey across the United States, interviewing Americans in the post 9/11 era.
What are their concerns? How do they balance security and democracy? How do they
understand the founding ideals of their country?
July 7 AMERICAN VERTIGO -- II(New in 2006)
06-H94-68018
French cultural observer Bernard-Henri Levy, retracing
Alexis de Tocqueville's nineteenth-century journey across the United States,
continues his discussion of American society in the post 9/11 era.
July 14 THE ROSE AND THE BRIAR I (New
in 2006)
06-F94-68019
Cultural critics Sean Wilentz and Greil Marcus discuss the place of the ballad
in American folk culture. How do these old songs of hanging judges and jilted
lovers continue to resonate in the 21st-century?
July 21 THE ROSE AND THE BRIAR--II(New in 2006)
06-F94-68020
Sean Wilentz and Greil Marcus continue their exploration of the American folk
ballad. How are ballads connected to actual events? How do they develop over
time? Can modern songwriters author folk ballads?
July 28 THE FOLKLORE OF VIOLENCE(Recorded in 2001)
06-F94-68021
Noted African-American folklorist and singer Sparky Rucker discusses the history
of the glorification of the outlaw in songs and music. From Robin Hood to Jesse
James, Stagger Lee to gangsta rappers, he traces the tradition of celebrating
our outlaws for their dastardly deeds.
August 4 BOB DYLAN, ARTIST (Recorded in
2000)
06-F94-68022
In this Cambridge Forum classic, Christopher Ricks, Professor of Humanities at
Boston University explores the poetry in Bob Dylan's songs. What accounts for
the staying power of this icon of popular culture? How do Dylan's songs of social
criticism avoid the traps of helpless pathos and useless rage to achieve their
powerful effects?
August 11 SPEAK OUT/SING OUT (Recorded in 1984)
06-F94-68023
This Cambridge Forum classic features legendary folksinger Pete Seeger performing
at the Community Church in Boston. The audience joins in as Seeger sings favorites
including "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "This Land is Your Land," and
shares his hopes for a future free of the menace of nuclear weapons.
August 18 ARTISTS IN TIMES OF WAR (Recorded in 2004)
06-F94-68024
Leading American historian Howard Zinn reflects on war, dissent, and the role
of the artist, illuminating some of the 20th century's most celebrated voices
of conscience, from Mark Twain to Langston Hughes. What is the everyday potential
of artists and citizens to create social apertures for change?
August 25 ROBERT PINSKY: AMERICA'S FAVORITE POEMS-I (Recorded in 1998)
06-F94-68025
This special two-part Cambridge Forum broadcast features readings by participants in the Favorite Poetry Project, a program created by the nation's poet laureate Robert Pinsky, to celebrate the power and place of poetry in American culture. Following Pinsky's introduction, a diverse group of Americans read their favorite poems aloud and discuss how poetry has been a force in their lives.
September 1 ROBERT PINSKY: AMERICA'S FAVORITE POEMS-II (Recorded in 1998)
06-F94-68026
In the second part of this special two-part Cambridge Forum broadcast, Robert Pinsky, the United States poet laureate, and a diverse group of Americans read their favorite poems as part of the Favorite Poetry Project.
September 8 ROBERT FROST: AMERICA'S POET-I (Recorded in 1999)
06-F94-68027
When John F. Kennedy asked poet Robert Frost to read at his 1960 inauguration, he essentially created Frost as America's poet. Jay Parini, scholar of American poetry, discusses his new biography of Frost and examines the man behind the myths in this two-part series produced in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston. What is the relationship between Frost's biography and his poetry? What role does the New England landscape play in his verse?
September 15 ROBERT FROST: AMERICA'S POET-II (Recorded in 1999)
06-F94-68028
Jay Parini continues his discussion of Robert Frost⤙s life and art in this second of Cambridge Forum's two-part series on Robert Frost, perhaps the most misunderstood, as well as the most beloved, of twentieth century American poets.
September 22 THE SECRET LIFE OF EMILY DICKINSON
06-F94-68029
Biographer Alfred Habegger, acclaimed scholar of Henry James and Henry James, Sr., explores the deeply private and enigmatic life of one of the most extraordinary poets of her generation. Examining volumes of personal and professional correspondence with family and friends, he provides a rare personal glimpse of Dickinson's troubled brilliance and the work she kept hidden from public view.
September 29 ON OBJECTS AND INTIMACY (Recorded in 2001) 06-F94-68030 Poet Mark
Doty discusses his book Still Life with Oysters and Lemon and examines our relationships
with everyday objects. How do objects become meaningful for human beings? How
do things come to hold feeling, hope, and history within themselves?
October
6 TWILIGHT IN THE DESERT (New in 2006) 06-F94-22328 Investment banker Matthew
Simmons tells the inside story of Saudi Arabia's troubled petroleum industry.
What impact do social and political instability have on Saudi oil production?
Has the United States been too complacent about the size of Saudi oil reserves?
How can we plan effectively for our future energy needs?
October 13 BAIT AND
SWITCH: End of the White Collar American Dream? 06-F94-22329 Social critic and
author Barbara Ehrenreich exposes the economic cruelty of today's globalized,
just-in-time, lean and mean world of work. Does education still assure access
to the American Dream? Has the middle class reached the limit of its potential
for upward mobility? What happens to democracy without a stable middle class?
October 20 DEMOCRACY AND THE PRESS: Journals of Opinion (Recorded in 2006) 06-F94-22330
A panel of editors and publishers discusses the role of "journals of opinion"as
alternative news sources in the era of Internet news and individual blogs. Victor
Navasky, publisher emeritus of The Nation; Jack Beatty, senior editor of The
Atlantic; and Robert Kuttner, co-founder of The American Prospect, examine the
prospects for small journals committed to in-depth reporting and thought-provoking
partisanship.
October 27 ALL GOVERNMENTS LIE!: I.F. STONE (New in 2006) 06-F94-22331
Biographer Myra MacPherson discusses her book, All Governments Lie! The Life
and Times of Rebel Journalist I.F. Stone with Jack Beatty, Senior Editor at The
Atlantic. The first authoritative biography of the journalistic icon is also
a history of journalism in the 20th century. Could a figure like Izzy Stone emerge
in today's 24/7 world of cable news and talk radio? What is his legacy for investigative
reporters?
November 3 OF WAR AND LAW (New in 2006) 06-F94-22332 Harvard Law Professor David
Kennedy discusses the impact of laws and legal language on the ways we think
and talk about war and on the way that modern warfare is practiced. How does
the notion of a "law of war" affect our sense of responsibility as a nation making
war? As soldiers in the field? As taxpayers supporting the war?
November 10 ARTISTS IN TIMES OF WAR (Recorded in 2004) 06-F94-22333 Leading American
historian Howard Zinn reflects on war, dissent, and the role of the artist, illuminating
some of the 20th century's most celebrated voices of conscience, from Mark Twain
to Langston Hughes. What is the everyday potential of artists and citizens to
create social apertures for change?
November 17 THE IRON CAGE: The Story of the Palestinian Struggle for
Statehood(New in 2006) 06-F94-22334 One of the foremost U.S. historians of the Middle
East, Rashid Khalidi assesses the alternatives for peace in the Middle East.
Using history to provide a clear-eyed view of the current conflict, Khalidi asks
how both Israelis and Palestinians can overcome their deep-seated fears to achieve
peace.
November 24 OWNER'S MANUAL FOR DEMOCRACY (New in 2006) 06-F94-22335 The mid-term
elections are over, but voting rights activist Steven Hill wants us to start
thinking now about improving our electoral procedures. He argues that antiquated
election methods and practices, from voting equipment to the electoral college,
have failed to protect the Constitution's guarantee of a right to vote and suggests
ways to repair the system.
December 1 THE LIMITS OF PRESIDENTIAL POWER (New in 2006) 06-F94-22336
NYU law professor David Golove examines the Constitutional bases for presidential
power. Do signing statements and claims for special wartime powers for the Commander-in-Chief
undermine the system of checks and balances?
December 8 TAKE THIS JOB AND SHIP IT (New in 2006) 06-F94-22337 Senator Byron
Dorgan (D., North Dakota) discusses the prospects for working Americans in the
globalized economy. Is the United States still the land of opportunity? What
impact have "free trade" policies and the growing trade deficit had on American
lives and their ability to reach for the American Dream?
December 15 THE TROUBLE
WITH DIVERSITY (New in 2006) 06-F94-22338 Author Walter Benn Michaels looks at
how the concept of diversity raises obstacles to equality and full participation
by African Americans, women, and other marginalized groups. How has the nation's
celebration of differences stymied the search for genuine social justice? What
role does the language used to frame issues of equality play in solutions we
create?
December 22 THE INNER LIFE OF DEMOCRACY (New in 2006) 06-F94-22339 Historian
Howard Zinn reflects on the conditions necessary to support democracy. How can
the actions of individuals make a difference in the policies and also the spirit
of their country? Poet Mark Nepo engages Zinn in discussion of his ideas.
December
29 ON LIBERTY AND FREEDOM (New in 2006) 06-F94-22341 Pulitzer Prize winning historian
David Hackett Fischer looks at the values of liberty and freedom in America's
history. Do these two words have different meanings for us? How has our understanding
of liberty and freedom changed from the American Revolution through the Civil
War to the present?
****** 2005 Broadcasts ******
January 1 CONSTANTINE'S SWORD: The Church & The Jews
National Book Award winner and Boston Globe op-ed columnist James Carroll receives
the Melcher Book Award from the Unitarian Universalist Association for Constantine's
Sword. What lessons can the post 9/11 world learn about religious and cultural
confrontation from the story of the Church & the Jews?
January 7 MANY CHILDREN LEFT BEHIND I
A panel of prominent educators discusses the No Child Left Behind Act and how
it is damaging children and schools. In this forum Monty Neill of Fair Test discusses
the current law and the impact it is having on teachers and schools.
January 14 MANY CHILDREN LEFT BEHIND II
A panel of prominent educators discusses the No Child Left Behind Act and how
it is damaging children and schools. In Part II, Deborah Meier and Ted Sizer
propose alternatives to the current law that would better achieve the ideal of
a sound education for all children.
January 21 AMERICA AND HER CHILDREN
Acclaimed author and children's advocate Jonathan Kozol describes his friendships
with elementary school children, their teachers, parents and minister in the
South Bronx. His book, Children in the Years of Hope, details his discovery of
their courage, faith and moral sensitivity in the face of profound social and
economic inequalities and continues his career seeking justice for society's
most vulnerable children.
January 28 MEMOIR OF MENTORS
Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund considers
what the nation is doing for its children and what it should be doing. What will
happen to the U.S. economy if its children are poorly educated? What will happen
to our democratic institutions if our families are not supported? Drawing on
her own experience growing up in the segregated South, she outlines an agenda
for children.
February 4 THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT: YESTERDAY AND TODAY
Congressman John Lewis of Atlanta, Georgia, reflects on his lifetime of working
for civil rights, first as a young lieutenant of Dr. Martin Luther King and later
as a U.S. Congressman. Has he seen progress over his 40-year career? Is the United
States moving closer to becoming a beloved community?
February 11 THE LIFE & TIMES OF MADAME C.J. WALKER
A'Lelia Bundles, Emmy-winning NBC news producer and journalist shares stories
from her best-selling book about her great-great grandmother, Madame C.J. Walker,
one of the first black women entrepreneurs of the 20th century. The child of
former slaves, Walker rose from uneducated field hand to internationally successful
businesswoman, political activist and philanthropist by creating a line of hair
products for black women. What is the legacy of Madame C.J. Walker?
February 18 REMEMBERING THE NEGRO BASEBALL LEAGUE
Henry Bow Pistol Mason chronicles his experiences as a pitcher in the Negro Baseball
League. Mason He discusses the impact that Jackie Robinson had when he broke
the color line to become the first African-American player on a white professional
baseball team. Robinson's achievement opened the doors to countless athletes
of color who followed him, but simultaneously closed the door on a parallel tradition
in baseball: The Negro Baseball League. What was life like in American sports
before racial integration? How was the Negro League important to baseball and
the country?
February 25 RACE, GENDER & POWER (Recorded in 2002)
Civil Rights expert Lani Guinier, author of The Miner's Canary and Lift Every
Voice, the first African-American woman to become tenured professor at Harvard
Law School, discusses the current state of Civil Rights and the feminist movement
in the United States. Have women and minorities gained power in corporate America?
How far have we come in achieving equality among all of our nation's citizens?
Where are we failing?
March 4 ASKING BIG QUESTIONS IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
Beloved children's author Katherine Paterson speaks about her lifework in children's
literature. How do stories written for children address the grown-up questions
of good and evil, life and death? How does an author find a transcendent voice
that moves beyond entertainment without being didactic?
March 11 ASKING BIG QUESTIONS IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE II
Discussion with acclaimed children's author Katherine Paterson. What role does literature play in a child's
life? How can teachers, parents, grand parents use children's literature as a
jumping off point for discussions of life's deepest questions with the children
in their lives? How does a writer respond to critics who claim certain books
are harmful to children?
March 18 CELEBRATING THE LITERARY LEGACY OF C.S. LEWIS - PART ONE (Recorded
in 2001)
Award-winning writer Kathleen Norris, Harvard psychiatrist Armand Nicholi
and author Peter Kreeft lead a special panel discussion on how The Screwtape
Letters (1942) would change were Lewis to write it today, expanding into a general
talk about the impact of his work on world culture and the literary landscape.
March 25 CELEBRATING THE LITERARY LEGACY OF C.S. LEWIS - PART TWO (Recorded
in 2001) Continued discussion with award-winning writer Kathleen Norris, Harvard
psychiatrist Armand Nicholi and author Peter Kreeft on C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape
Letters (1942) and the impact of his work on world culture and the literary landscape.
April 1 UNSPEAKABLE: Facing Up to Evil
Journalist and cultural observer Os Guinness, great grandson of the eponymous
Dublin brewer, discusses evil as evidenced in human history. How we understand
evil is not merely an academic question for philosophers or a matter of personal
morality; it is has powerful significance for our national politics and policies.
Are violence and warfare inevitable aspects of the human condition? Are individuals
who strive for justice and equality facing impossible odds?
April 8 PUTIN AND THE OLIGARCHS -- Part I
Internationally renowned Russia expert Marshall Goldman discusses economic and
political changes in 21st-century Russia. 25 years ago the Soviet Union collapsed
and the United States looked forward to fostering democracy and capitalism in
Moscow. In this first of two parts, Goldman discusses the reforms initiated by
Gorbachev and the rise of democracy under Yeltsin. How has the promise of these
early years of reform played out?
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April 15 PUTIN & THE OLIGARCHS -- Part II
Russia expert Marshall Goldman continues his discussion of Russia today after
several decades of glasnost and privatization have given way to new domestic
and foreign policies under former KGB officer Vladimir Putin. What implications
do these changes in Russia have for the United States? Is the current consolidation
of central government power a sign of hope for the future or an echo of the czarist
and Soviet past?
April 22 THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: Children in American History
Historian Joseph Hawes examines the historic record of documents and images from
a fresh perspective to give voice to children in history. What roles have children
played in the past? What have they thought about their lives and the world around
them? How have children's lives changed over time?
April 29 THE FUTURE OF THE BRAIN -- PART I
Steven Rose, a leading neuroscientist, explores the profound insights into the
nature of the brain that neuroscience is uncovering. The distinction between
brain and mind and the mystery of consciousness represent the frontiers that
current research which draws on the insights of the human genome project as well
as advanced imaging techniques. If the human brain is 99% identical to that of
a chimpanzee, why are we so different? If your brain is in my body, do I become
you?
May 6 THE FUTURE OF THE BRAIN -- PART II
Neuroscientist Steven Rose explores the ethical questions arising out of advances
in understanding of the human brain. To what extent can cutting edge technology
mend or manipulate the mind? What is the downside of the promise of modern pharmaceutical
treatments for depression, attention deficit disorder and other contemporary
ills?
May 13 BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
Boston College sociologist and authority on biological weapons, Jeanne Guillemin,
discusses the threat of these weapons of mass destruction and international efforts
to control their use and production. How do biological weapons alter our understanding
of warfare in the 21st century? What are the greatest hazards of biological
warfare? Are existing diplomatic and intelligence strategies adequate to protect
against them?
May 20 BLOOD AND OIL: The Dangers and Consequences of America's Growing Oil
Dependency Michael Klare, professor of Peace and World Security Studies at Hampshire
College and a leading expert on U.S. oil policy, leads a wide-ranging discussion
of the role that oil plays in international politics and economics. How do U.S.
oil policies impact our domestic wellbeing and international relations? What
changes lie ahead? How are we preparing for the future?
May 27 AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES
Harvard University historian Evelyn Higginbotham discusses the most comprehensive
biography of African Americans ever published. From Harriet Tubman and Frederick
Douglass to Venus Williams and Tiger Woods, the lives of these men and women,
famous and near forgotten, shaped the cultural landscape and illuminate 400 years
of African American experience.
June 3 GOD & CAESAR: Religious Freedom and International Law
Father Robert Drinan, former U.S. Congressman and human rights advocate, examines
prospects for safeguarding religious freedom in the world today. How has religion
become the divisive force it is in the world today? What role can international
organizations play in fostering freedom of conscience?
June 10 THE RACE TO THE BOTTOM: Jobs, Trade, and Deficits
Alan Tonelson, research fellow at the United States Business and Industry Council,
examines current American trade policy and its impact on the world economy. What
is the U.S. trade deficit and why is it a matter of concern for American taxpayers?
What is the difference between free trade and fair trade? Who wins and who loses
when multinational corporations tap into a global work force?
June 17 GOING FOR BROKE: BANKRUPTCY REFORM 101
In the past year, personal bankruptcy filings skyrocketed. Henry Hildebrand,
Chairman of the Legislative Affairs and Industry Standards Committees for the
National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees, discusses new bankruptcy legislation
and explains the impact it will have on the average consumer.
June 24 THE TWO-INCOME TRAP (Recorded in 2004)
Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren discusses the alarming increase in bankruptcy
filings by middle-class families. Why are middle-class mothers and fathers going
broke? How can they protect themselves from financial ruin when disaster strikes?
July 1 1776
Acclaimed historian David McCullough brings to life the tumult and uncertainty
of 1776 and shows how the courage and perseverance of a few dedicated men were
responsible for the success of the American revolutionary experiment. The noble
ideals of the Declaration of Independence would have been nothing more than highminded
words, had it not been for the actions of General George Washington and his fledgling
Continental Army. Through a year of suffering and discouragement, all too few
victories and many defeats, Washington stood at the center of the drama, never
forgetting what was at stake and never giving up.
July 8 THE PEOPLE'S REVOLUTION
Historian and author Ray Raphael draws from letters, diaries, and memoirs of
the American Revolution to show how ordinary people participated in the colonial
rebellion. Their individual and local actions fed a bloodless popular revolution
that shaped the birth of the United States as much as the philosophical and military
vision of the "Founding Fathers" did. What lessons can we take for our own era
from this people's history?
July 15 TRASHING TABOOS: The Birth of Saturday Night Live
Author James Miller recounts the behind-the-scenes story of the creation of television's
not ready for prime time comedy show, Saturday Night Live. His interviews with
the stars, writers, producers, and even the stage crew reveal how this late night
experiment has survived to become an American institution.
July 22 IN PRAISE OF SLOWNESS: Challenging the Cult of Speed
London-based journalist Carl Honore examines the challenges to the cult of speed
in our age of multi-tasking, 24/7 work lives and overscheduled children. Has
speed made us happier and more productive? Or is the pace of life spinning out
of control? Can we slow down without turning back the clock? Or is the slow movement
only for the affluent?
July 29 BROWN: THE LAST DISCOVERY OF AMERICA (Recorded in 2003)
In his book Brown: The Last Discovery of America, journalist Richard Rodriguez
explores issues of race, arguing that America has been brown since its inception,
as he himself is. The son of Mexican immigrants, he reflects on what it means
to be Hispanic in America and how Latino immigrants have impacted American culture,
changing it from a society that has traditionally seen itself as simply black
and white.
August 5 THIS LAND IS OUR LAND: The Challenge of Diversity
Professor of Latin American culture, Ilan Stavans reflects on the immigrant experience
in the United States today. Do we have the ability to appreciate and benefit
from this rich heterogeneity? Do new waves of immigrants have the means to pursue
the American Dream in the way that previous generations of newcomers did?
August 12 THE SEVENTIES AND THE BIRTH OF THE PERSONAL COMPUTER
Yale University historian Daniel Kevles describes the birth of the high tech
personal computer industry that would transform the way Americans worked. What
were the hopes and dreams of the young entrepreneurs who left the counter-culture
of the 1960s to become a new breed of entrepreneur? How has the promise of the
knowledge economy they created developed?
August 19 OUR BODIES/OUR TECHNOLOGIES
Scientist and inventor Ray Kurzweil explores the future interface between the
human body and advanced technologies. How close are we to a world in which the
capabilities of machines are indistinguishable from those of the human beings
that invented them? What will that world be like? What are the social and philosophical
ramifications of the human potential to overcome the limitations of biology?
August 26 TERROR INCORPORATED: Tracing the Dollars Behind the Terror Network
Italian journalist and expert in terrorism Loretta Napoleoni follows the money
to describe the $1.5 trillion international economic network that fuels modern
terrorist movements? What is the relationship between legitimate national economies
and the new Economy of Terror? What role have trends toward privatization and
globalization played in creating the modern terrorist threat?
September 2 WHY TERRORISM WORKS (Recorded in 2002)
Renowned criminal defense and civil rights attorney Alan Dershowitz proposes
a new way to understand and respond to terrorism. The Harvard Law School professor
and best-selling author of Supreme Injustice, Chutzpah, and Reversal of Fortune,
Dershowitz outlines a radical agenda to combat terror on American soil and around
the world. How did America become so vulnerable? What can we do to stop terror
without compromising civil liberties?
September 9 WHY TERRORISM WORKS - PART 2 (Recorded in 2002)
The discussion continues with criminal defense and civil rights attorney Alan
Dershowitz, who shares insights from his controversial new book on understanding
and responding to terrorism. Lawyer and best-selling author of Supreme Injustice,
Chutzpah, and Reversal of Fortune, Dershowitz outlines a tough new approach to
combat terror around the world. How did America become so vulnerable? What can
we do to stop terror without compromising civil liberties?
September 16 1776
Acclaimed historian David McCullough brings to life the tumult and uncertainty
of 1776 and shows how the courage and perseverance of a few dedicated men were
responsible for the success of the American revolutionary experiment. The noble
ideals of the Declaration of Independence would have been nothing more than high-minded
words, had it not been for the actions of General George Washington and his fledgling
Continental Army. Through a year of suffering and discouragement, all too few
victories and many defeats, Washington stood at the center of the drama, never
forgetting what was at stake and never giving up.
September 23 BOB DYLAN: ARTIST
In this Cambridge Forum classic, Christopher Ricks, Professor of Humanities at
Boston University explores the poetry in Bob Dylan's songs. What accounts for
the staying power of this icon of popular culture? How do Dylan's songs of social
criticism avoid the traps of helpless pathos and useless rage to achieve their
powerful effects?
September 30 DEMOCRACY'S DISCONTENT (Recorded in 1997)
In this Cambridge Forum Classic, Harvard University Professor of Government Michael
Sandel wonders whether American politics has lost its civic voice and asks: Do
Americans really understand what it means to be free, to be a citizen? If not,
Sandel reasons, then an active community and a reinterpretation of Thomas Jefferson's
ideas may be the starting point for revitalizing democracy.
October 7 LIVING STRENUOUSLY (Recorded in 2000)
Bestselling author Bill McKibben offers an account of his yearlong challenge
to test his body's limits in the world of professional cross-country skiing.
A paean to winter and endurance, the author recounts how he came seeking sweat
and found only enlightenment.
October 14 THOREAU'S COUNTRY (Recorded in 1999)
Henry David Thoreau spent his days walking the woods and farms around Concord,
Massachusetts and writing detailed notes of his observations. Harvard ecologist
David Foster explores Thoreau's contributions to our understanding of land use
and ecology. As out society becomes less directly dependent on the land, has
conservation become a more distant social goal? How does our contemporary recreational
view of nature impact environmental policies?
October 21 WILDNESS AND REASON (Recorded in 2001)
Celebrated nature writers E.O. Wilson and David Abram discuss the tension between
the scientific and the romantic appreciation of nature and the ways in which
language can simultaneously impose a logical order on nature while inspiring
a sense of wonder and awe. How does writing about nature foster support for conservation
and preservation movements? How does it support scientific inquiry?
October 28 TALKING BACK . . . To Presidents, Dictators, and Assorted Scoundrels
Andrea Mitchell, NBC's Chief Foreign Affairs correspondent, discusses her trail
blazing life as a woman in journalism in her new memoir. Uniquely positioned
to provide an insider's view of the role of the media in the United States today,
Ms. Mitchell has had four decades of access to those wielding power inside the
Beltway and has seen firsthand how that power is viewed and exercised around
the world.
November 4 THE TWO-INCOME TRAP
Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren discusses her new book on the alarming
increase in bankruptcy filings by middle-class families. Why are middle-class
mothers and fathers going broke? How can they protect themselves from financial
ruin when disaster strikes?
November 11 BAIT AND SWITCH: End of the White Collar American Dream?
Social critic and author Barbara Ehrenreich exposes the economic cruelty of today's
globalized, just-in-time, lean and mean world of work. Does education still assure
access to the American Dream? Has the middle class reached the limit of its potential
for upward mobility? What happens to democracy without a stable middle class?
November 18 IN PRAISE OF SLOWNESS: Challenging the Cult of Speed
London-based journalist Carl Honore examines the challenges to the cult of speed
in our age of multi-tasking, 24/7 work lives and overscheduled children. Has
speed made us happier and more productive? Or is the pace of life spinning out
of control? Can we slow down without turning back the clock? Or is the slow movement
only for the affluent?
November 25 MEDIA AND THE WAR ON TERRORISM
Bob Zelnick, long-time journalist and chair of Boston University's Journalism
Department, explores questions of the media's responsibility for reporting on
terrorism after 9/11. How can reporters maintain their journalistic integrity
under new security constraints? Has the press become an actor in the war on terrorism
by reporting on the activities of terrorist groups?
December 2 THE RAW DEAL: Current Social Security Politics and Policies
Best-selling author Joe Conason examines the campaign for privatizing Social
Security. Who supports the privatization movement? And who benefits from it?
How has the once unthinkable campaign to change Social Security, the so-called
third rail of politics, developed support to move its agenda forward? Will the
privatization movement regain momentum after the 2006 mid-term elections?
December 9 THE MEASURE OF GOD: Can We Reconcile Science and Religion?
Award-winning journalist and author Larry Witham explores the tension between
science and religion that lies at the heart of contemporary debates on stem cell
research, cloning, and teaching evolution in the school curriculum. What is an
appropriate role for religion in public life under the First Amendment?
December 16 THE PLAUSIBILITY OF LIFE
In light of recent discoveries in molecular biology and genetics, Harvard Medical
School professor Marc Kirschner revisits Darwin's theory of evolution in a new
book. What impact does this new information have on our understanding of Darwin's
theory? How does it affect current debates about school science curricula? Does
Darwin still provide a sound basis for research in evolutionary biology?
December 23 GILEAD
Marilynne Robinson discusses her Pulitzer Prize winning novel Gilead. Her compelling
and insightful reflection on the human spirit documents its search for connection
to other human beings and to a spiritual power.
December 30 THE SHAME OF THE NATION: Resegregating Schools
Jonathan Kozol documents the reappearance of separate and unequal schooling in
our nation's educational system. Gary Orfield of The Civil Rights Project at
Harvard responds and moderates the discussion. What factors are driving the reappearance
of segregated schools? What impact does this phenomenon have on the quality of
our children's education? What does it portend for the future?
Audio CD's of all forums are also available.
Call 617-495-2727. Or order online.
Cambridge Forum
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Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone/fax: 617-495-2727
email: director@cambridgeforum.org
website: http://www.cambridgeforum.org
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