Story in the Public Square

Oct 21 2024 100 ep. 28 mins 154
Story in the Public Square Podcast artwork

Story in the Public Square is a weekly, 30-minute series that brings audiences to the intersection of storytelling and public affairs. Hosted by Jim Ludes and G. Wayne Miller, Story in the Public Square offers a spirited but respectful dialogue. Often funny, always provocative, each episode of Story in the Public Square
moves beyond traditional public affairs programming to consider the impact of narrative and storytelling on public life today.

  News  Society & Culture  Education
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Domestic Violence: Healing and Prevention with Ashley Bendiksen

Oct 21 2024 28 mins  
The data tells us that every minute of every day, 20 people are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. Ashley Bendiksen has turned her personal experience with domestic abuse into a calling to prevent domestic violence and help victims. Bendiksen is an author, domestic abuse survivor, speaker, and an award-winning activist. She also graduated from Salve Reg

Steven Brill on Disinformation in the Modern Era and its Consequences

Oct 14 2024 28 mins  
Lies and disinformation are as old as humanity itself. But Steven Brill argues that the witches brew of 30-year-old legislative consequences; mixed with technological innovation; and bad actors threaten the lives of democratic institutions and truth itself. Brill is an award-winning journalist, author, and the founder of Court TV, The American Lawyer Magazine, American Lawyer Med

Examining the Implications of International Scarcity and Plenty with Francis Gavin

Oct 08 2024 28 mins  
It may be a scarcity mindset that views plenty as better than a world where nations and people compete over limited, scarce resources. But Francis Gavin explains that even in a world of plenty, there are vexing international challenges for which the United States is not prepared. Gavin is the Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professor and the inaugural director of the Henry A. Kissi

Eric Deggans on The Stories We Tell and the Truths They Reflect About Our World Today

Sep 23 2024 27 mins  
The shear amount of media generated and consumed in the United States every day is simply staggering. Eric Deggans reminds us that the stories we tell, tell us something about ourselves—whether those stories are about music, or politics, or race. Deggans is NPR’s first full-time TV critic and media analyst, providing reviews, feature stories, commentary and guest hosting servic

Climate Change as a National Security Issue with Sherri Goodman

Sep 19 2024 28 mins  
The impact of climate change on the world around us is there for everyone to see—from stronger and more frequent storms to the loss of Arctic Sea ice. But Sherri Goodman says the threat isn’t just to crops or the polar bears, but to American national security. Sherri Goodman, Senior Fellow at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program and Polar Institute, a

Francesca Mari on the Power of Story to Explore Personal and Public Issues Alike

Sep 19 2024 27 mins  
The stories journalists tell can stretch from the personal to the public. Francesca Mari is no different, giving us narratives and an understanding of personal health crises, the challenge of housing, and the kinds of shelter offered by both families and physical structures. Francesca Mari is a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine focused on housing and equity. She is

Annalee Newitz on the Power of Story in Disinformation

Sep 19 2024 28 mins  
Disinformation has a long history in the United States—often taking the form of storytelling. Best-selling author Annalee Newitz explains how stories have been weaponized—historically and today—and charts a path to a more peaceful future for all Americans. Newitz writes fiction and nonfiction about the intersection of science, technology and culture. Their first novel, “Aut

Dr. Dean-David Schillinger on Public Health Lessons from an American Public Hospital

Aug 26 2024 29 mins  
We know healthcare means hospitals and stethoscopes, and x-rays, and bloodwork, and prescriptions. But Dr. Dean-David Schillinger says stories are the key to healthcare—both our willingness to tell them; and our caregiver’s ability to listen and understand them. Schillinger is a primary care physician, scientist, author, and public health advocate. He has served as chief of the

Exploring the Importance of Coexistence in Wildlife Conservation with Ruth Ganesh

Aug 23 2024 27 mins  
It’s easy to think that people and animals are incapable of coexistence. But Ruth Ganesh warns that mindset is dangerous to biodiversity, to the existence of some of planet earth’s most remarkable creatures, and even to humanity. Ganesh is a creative conservationist and philanthropist with a particular interest in environmental issues. She has spent the last 15 years conceiving

Exploring Tyranny through Poetry with Leah Umansky

Aug 12 2024 27 mins  
Tyranny comes in many forms. But Leah Umansky uses her art—poetry—to remind us that whether the tyrant is personal, societal, or political—resistance is possible. Leah Umansky is a poet, writer, artist and writing coach. She has been an educator for over 15 years and teaches 8th and 10th grade English at a private school in New York. She is also the author of three collectio