The Preamble

Sharon’s guest today is Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author of American Prometheus, which is the biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer that the blockbuster Christopher Nolan film was based on. Join us while Kai shares his experience of what it was like to have his work turned into a historically accurate major motion picture, and how he conducted the research required to capture the life of Oppenheimer. If you are interested in learning more about the mid-Century, World War II, his wife Kitty, or what happened to them immediately after the war, you will not want to miss this episode. Special thanks to our guest, Kai Bird, for joining us today.Host/Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonGuest: Kai BirdAudio Producer: Jenny Snyder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

American Democracy has faced some challenging times, living through a modern day political crisis. Today, Sharon is joined by Harvard professors of government, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt to dig into all things Democracy. In their new book, Tyranny of the Minority, they explore how democracies break down throughout history and find the striking pattern that political minorities often govern over political majorities. Factor in the unsettling truth that the Constitution – even with its brilliance and reverence – has flaws, which limit the power of majorities, and we’re left wondering: Why have we stopped working to reform and improve the Constitution over the last half century? What are other Democracies doing to fight Authoritarianism? And what is a “Constitutional Republic” in relation to a Democracy? Special thanks to our guests, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, for joining us today.Host/Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonGuests: Steven Levitsky and Daniel ZiblattAudio Producer: Jenny Snyder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Bettina Love, Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University discusses the challenges and limitations of educational reform, including chronic school underfunding, high stakes testing, teacher retention, and the historical denial of education to Black people.

We’re joined today by returning guest, Jasmine Holmes, to dive into the state of Black history education in America, and to discuss her new book, Crowned with Glory: How Proclaiming the Truth of Black Dignity Has Shaped American History. Jasmine shares about Black abolitionists who fought for the dignity of their fellow mankind based on the principle that because people are created in God’s image, they have inherent dignity, worth, and human rights. When pockets of resistance throughout history are glossed over and forgotten about, and curricula are revised to be more palatable, how is one to broaden their perception of American history in a way that does not do it a disservice?Special thanks to our guest, Jasmine Holmes, for joining us today.Host/Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonGuest: Jasmine Holmes Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today’s episode, Sharon is joined by Esau McCaulley for a powerful conversation about his new book, How Far to the Promised Land. In his memoir, he took the story of his family and showed the struggles of Black people in America intergenerationally. Esau shares how it’s vital to understand how the stories of our ancestors – though they might seem insignificant – impact and shape generations to come. In a country that highly values “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps,” and the underdog, Esau questions the narrative that we achieve entirely on our own, and asks why our society requires exceptionalism from Black people. Special thanks to our guest, Esau McCaulley, for joining us today. Host/Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonGuest: Esau McCaulleyAudio Producer: Jenny Snyder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today’s episode, Sharon welcomes back Danielle Coke Balfour, who you may know as founder and illustrator of “Oh Happy Dani.” Sharon chats with Dani about her new book, “A Heart on Fire: 100 Meditations on Loving Your Neighbors Well.” At a time when it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the 24-hour news cycle and information overload, Danielle pauses and shares that it’s important to, “let each day be the evidence of a heart on fire,” by living in alignment with your values. In her book, she helps reframe the daunting realities of daily life by identifying common themes, and focusing on tending to our own important work, in the season we’re in, to better serve the whole. Special thanks to our guest, Danielle Coke Balfour, for joining us today.Host/Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonGuest: Danielle Coke BalfourAudio Producer: Jenny Snyder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, Sharon welcomes back comedian and writer Taylor Wolfe to discuss her heartwarming memoir, Birdie & Harlow - Life, Loss, and Loving My Dog So Much I Didn't Want Kids (Until I Did). You might know Taylor from following her online at The Daily Tay, where she’s known for her entertaining videos and impressions of influencers, along with characters we’re all too familiar with from everyday life. Together, they discuss the nuance of modern motherhood when everyone has an opinion, the need for laughter even among deep grief, and how everyone is their own kind of weird. If you have a pet you love dearly or if you’ve faced the challenges of navigating what a chosen family may look like – all with a dose of lighthearted humor – this is for you.Host/Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonGuest: Taylor WolfeAudio Producer: Jenny Snyder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon sits down with Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, to talk about some of the issues related to free expression and book banning. With more than 4,000 book bans at last count, this is an issue that has swept across the nation. Suzanne discusses what kind of book bans they see the most, and how veiled language about “protecting children” is used to remove books that contain narratives only a minority of people find uncomfortable. Books are more frequently labeled “pornographic” or “indecent" incorrectly, causing a chilling effect across classrooms, libraries, and resulting in some classic literature and health-related content to be removed from the shelves.How do we as a society reconcile the framework and the value of the 1st Amendment in America, with restrictions on books and the censorship of diverse ideas? And what can the majority of parents do to fight for the freedom of information and expression in schools? Special thanks to our guest, Suzanne Nossel, for joining us today. Host/Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonGuest: Suzanne NosselAudio Producer: Jenny Snyder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sharon is joined by North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to hear directly from the Republican Presidential candidate ahead of the presidential debate. In a time of cold wars, culture wars, and economic unknowns, Burgum makes the argument that it’s time for the federal government to refocus its priorities. Burgum also took the position that it’s time to “get away from the celebrity President and get back to the idea that the President is an operating job, and needs to focus on the job description.” Burgum and Sharon discuss how the Republican nominee will need to win over some political independents, who often fall into the category of the exhausted majority. Gov. Burgum explains why he believes his experience in both the public and private sectors make him the ideal candidate to do just that. Host/Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonGuest: Governor Doug BurgumAudio Producer: Jenny Snyder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon connects with journalist and celebrity biographer, J. Randy Taraborrelli, to chat about his new book “Jackie: Public, Private, Secret.” In his book, he paints a portrait of the lesser known parts of the iconic life of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. We all know public details of her time as First Lady in the White House, and recall the historic imagery of her wearing a pink Chanel suit with the matching pink hat on the day President Kennedy was assassinated. But with only a few years spent in the White House, what fabric makes the full life of this beloved First Lady? This conversation brings to light the story of a woman’s total lived experience in a way that is surprising, complex, and distinctive. Special thanks to our guest, J. Randy Taraborrelli, for joining us today.Host/Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonGuest: J. Randy TaraborrelliAudio Producer: Jenny Snyder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices