

The Preamble
Sharon McMahon
The world feels complicated. The Preamble is where it starts to make sense. Hosted by Sharon McMahon — known for making sense of complex issues — she and her guests dive deep into the stories and ideas driving our future, bringing clarity and honesty to every headline. If you want real insight, bold conversation, and answers that matter, this podcast is your must-listen. Hit play, and join the movement that will shape history.
An Audacy Podcast.
An Audacy Podcast.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 28, 2022 • 27min
Resilience: The Patriotic Lives of the Issei and Nisei
Today we continue our exploration of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Let’s learn about what life was like for the Japanese immigrants who settled along the West Coast–how they assimilated into American culture, raised their families, and flourished, despite the barriers of restrictive laws and policies and the open hostility from Japanese exclusionists.Passages read by Kimi Cunningham Grant from her memoir, Silver Like Dust. 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

Sep 26, 2022 • 35min
Resilience: Asian Immigration and the American West Coast
Welcome to the first episode in our new series, Resilience. For the next few weeks, we are going to explore a part of American history that we tend to learn very little about: the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. So let’s dive into the details–the hows and the whys–and learn more about the resilience shown by the 120 thousand Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their homes, their neighborhoods, their jobs, and their schools, and who endured government-enforced wartime imprisonment right here in America. Joining Sharon today is Dr. Ellen Wu, who researches, teaches, and writes about race and immigration in United States history. 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

Sep 23, 2022 • 35min
How to Learn Science from a 15-Ton Jello Pool with Mark Rober
Welcome to Here’s Where It Gets Interesting! To kick off our new show name, Sharon sits down with one of the most interesting people she knows: Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer who has since amassed over 22 million viewers on his YouTube channel. If there was ever an episode of Sharon Says So that will make your kids think you’re cool for listening, it’s this one. Learn about what motivates Mark to create, and how he hopes his platform will motivate others to both have fun while learning new concepts and care a little bit more about the world’s natural resources. (Pssst…Mark also dishes up some insider info on his good friend and Late Night host, Jimmy Kimmel!) 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

Sep 21, 2022 • 42min
Find Relief in the Regular Stuff with Nora McInerny
On this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, author Nora McInerny joins Sharon to talk about vibes: good vibes, bad vibes, and the fact that most vibes are mixed, at best. When we recognize that life is full of regular stuff, it can take the pressure off. It’s okay to have a regular-looking kitchen with a regular, fingerprint-coated toaster! It’s okay to be sad at a funeral instead of feeling compelled to reassure everyone that you’re fine! Feel the stress to perform fade away as you listen to Nora and Sharon laugh together, just don’t slam the cabin door on your way out. 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

Sep 19, 2022 • 38min
What Makes a Great Leader Stand Out with Stephen M. R. Covey
On today’s episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon has a conversation with bestselling author Stephen M. R. Covey about effective leadership and high trust culture. The most underrated attribute in great leaders is humility which means that effective and trustworthy leaders are those who seek to understand first and be understood second. The working world has evolved since the start of the Covid pandemic and its leadership needs to reflect new practices built on the principles of “trust and inspire”. But what does good leadership in our communities and in our country look like? How can we apply the same principles about working leadership to leadership within our interpersonal relationships, and as we seek to lead change in our communities? 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

Sep 16, 2022 • 50min
The U.S. and the Holocaust with Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein
On today’s episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, we are thrilled to sit down with documentary filmmakers Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein. Their new docuseries, The U.S. and the Holocaust, airs on PBS on Friday, September 18th, 2022 and highlights the nuances of America’s response to the Holucaust. Ken and Sarah talk about their work, and about how it can often be the little known, everyday people–citizens and desk-sitting bureaucrats–who can make a lasting impact on history. Heroism does not mean absolute perfection, and many historical leaders struggled with making decisions, sometimes wrongly or too late. But as Americans, we are often at our best when we commit to considering and acting on behalf of our fellow human neighbors. 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

Sep 14, 2022 • 40min
How History Can Give Us Hope with Dr. Jemar Tisby
During this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, historian Dr. Jemar Tisby speaks with Sharon about racism and what we can do about it. We may not be guilty for the actions of the past, but we are responsible for the ramifications of racism that are felt today. It takes courage to make change because fear can be a stumbling block. We fear entering conversations that seem complicated or difficult or fear the push back or judgment we may get from our safe communities, but history shows us that choosing to do the right thing can bring us hope and peace. 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

Sep 12, 2022 • 40min
The Formidable Change-Makers of Women’s Suffrage with Dr. Elisabeth Griffith
On today’s episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks with Dr. Elisabeth Griffith, who has written a new book called Formidable: American Women and the Fight for Equality: 1920-2020. Many times we think that the passing of the 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote was the finish line of women’s suffrage, but the struggle for equality has been a long road, and has not often been an equal journey for all women. Join the conversation today as Dr. Griffith shares some of the nuances of the history around the Women’s Rights Movement–the courage, the flaws, the race relations, the connections to temperance, Civil Rights, and more. 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

Sep 9, 2022 • 28min
Independent State Legislature Theory Explained with Akhil Reed Amar, Part 2
On this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon continues her conversation with constitutional law professor Akhil Reed Amar. They shift gears a little from the U.S. Constitution to a discussion about the controversy around Independent State Legislature Theory. You may have heard it talked about in connection with the upcoming supreme court case, Moore vs. Harper, but the nuances can be tricky to understand. Amar explains the obscurities of the theory and why state legislatures should not be considered independent from the state constitutions that gave them birth. 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

Sep 7, 2022 • 34min
The Enduring Value of the U.S. Constitution with Akhil Reed Amar, Part 1
On this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon sits down with constitutional law professor Akhil Reed Amar to talk about the importance of treasuring the U.S. Constitution. What we have in common as Americans–Americans who live in different geographical locations, are raised with different experiences and cultures, and even often speak different languages–is our Constitution and the historical events and documents that shaped the nation. Amar shares his journey as a first generation American, from the gift of citizenship at birth, to the evolution of his opinion on the importance of the nation’s constitutional history. 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


