After Words

How does the son of a Presbyterian minister wind up winning a Pulitzer Prize for writing a wildly inaccurate newspaper column read by millions of people? That’s the question posed by humor columnist Dave Barry’s 2025 memoir titled, Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up.   This week on C-SPAN's Afterwords podcast, a discussion on satire and humor with Dave Barry and novelist Carl Hiaasen. Hiaasen also has a new book titled Fever Beach. It’s a satirical crime novel, which he says was inspired by real events in Florida and the January 6th riot at the Capitol. That conversation between authors Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen, coming up in just a minute on AfterWords..    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times Magazine staff writer Jonathan Mahler talked about the 1980s forces, events, and characters that defined and shaped New York City. His book features Donald Trump, Spike Lee, Rudy Giuliani , Ed Koch, and Al Sharpton - and highlights New York's experiences with homelessness, AIDS, racial tensions, and the crack epidemic. The Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York City hosted this event Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Daily Wire's Ben Shapiro argued that the world is divided between those who want to defend Western civilization and those who want to undermine it. This event was hosted by the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Monsters We Make, journalist Rachel Corbett examines how power operates in the digital age, exploring the systems and incentives that shape online behavior and amplify harassment and abuse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Environmentalist Bill McKibben argued that solar and wind power offer the best path for addressing climate change. Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C., hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

British journalist Piers Morgan argued that there has been a global rejection of "wokeism" and discussed what he thinks a post-woke world will be like. He spoke at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum in Yorba Linda, California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michelle Young, journalist and author, dives into the riveting history of Rose Valland, a female spy during WWII. Young highlights Valland's journey from a modest upbringing to her crucial role at the Jeu de Paume museum, where she covertly documented Nazi art looting. The conversation reveals Valland's secret espionage methods, her challenging postwar life, and the complex legacy of her contributions to art restitution. Young sheds light on the reasons Valland's remarkable story has been overlooked, making for a compelling exploration of bravery and sacrifice.

David Gelles, an award-winning New York Times correspondent and author of 'Dirtbag Billionaire', shares insights about Patagonia's founder, Yvon Chouinard. He reveals how Chouinard built a purpose-driven empire and ultimately gave it away for environmental causes. Gelles discusses the company's unique culture, pivotal choices like the organic cotton pivot, and the complexities of corporate responsibility. He also contrasts Chouinard's mission with Doug Tompkins' methods and contemplates Patagonia's future governance after Chouinard's departure.

Kenneth P. Vogel, a New York Times reporter and investigative journalist, dives into the murky waters of foreign lobbying in D.C. He reveals the historical roots of lobbying, tracing back to the 1930s and the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Vogel discusses the ironic legacy of FARA's author, Congressman Dickstein, while highlighting how figures like Paul Manafort revolutionized influence peddling. He also dissects Hunter Biden's complex ties, Rudy Giuliani's controversial diplomacy, and the evolving landscape of political influence under Trump's presidency.

Jill Dougherty, former CNN Moscow bureau chief and author, shares her decades of experience covering Russian leaders like Gorbachev and Putin. She discusses her deep connection to Russian culture and the transformational shift from Yeltsin’s chaotic politics to Putin’s controlled regime. Jill also reflects on the evolution of Russian media under Putin's grip and how U.S. foreign policy has shaped Russia's post-Soviet trajectory. With insights on Putin’s psychology and Russia's future, she highlights the complexities of understanding today’s Russia.