Best Steve Scher Podcasts (2025)

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141. Max Holleran with Marcus Harrison Green: Millennials and the Fight for Affordable Housing 46:45

3y ago46:45

46:45

It’s no secret that housing costs are climbing and income is struggling to keep up. It’s a complex problem with a lot of loud voices. One of the newest voices, however, is the YIMBY (“Yes In My Backyard”) movement. This growing number of influential activists are calling for more construction and denser cities in order to increase affordability. Ma…

1
140. R. Douglas Arnold with Sally James: Can Social Security Be Fixed? 48:26

3y ago48:26

48:26

Since it started, Social Security has been a cornerstone for retirement in America. But Americans are living longer and having fewer children, which means that this popular program now pays more in benefits than it collects in revenue. There’s less going into the pot than there is going out. Without reforms, 83 million Americans will face an immedi…

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139. Leoma James with Charlie James: Stories of a Black American Woman Living in Africa 1:01:22

3y ago1:01:22

1:01:22

What is it like to be a young, Black, American woman traveling in Southern and Eastern Africa? In her new novel, No Blame, No Shame, No Guilt, Leoma James explores the profound experience of being surrounded by Africa’s natural beauty and vibrant culture while also realizing the harsh realities of racism and the long-term implications of colonizati…

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138. Kevin G. Bethune with Beverly Aarons: How Reimagining Design Can Transform Lives and Organizations 59:29

3y ago59:29

59:29

Design is more than an aesthetically pleasing logo or banner – it has the power to solve problems in unique ways, cultivate innovation, and anchor multidisciplinary teamwork. In Reimagining Design, Kevin Bethune describes his journey as a Black professional through corporate America, revealing the power of transformative design, multidisciplinary l…

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137. Alexander Monea with Edward Wolcher: How the Internet Became Straight 50:54

3y ago50:54

50:54

In today’s internet-based world, it’s easy to forget that there was a time before it was mainstream. How is it built? Who decides its content? And how has that content affected our culture? In this episode of In the Moment, author and researcher Alexander Monea takes a close look at this thing we all take for granted and argues that the internet is…

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136. Joel Simon and Robert Mahoney with Katy Sewall: How Censorship and Lies Made the World Sicker and Less Free 48:32

3y ago48:32

48:32

As COVID-19 began to spread around the world in 2020, so did a steady stream of information — and disinformation. Running parallel to the pandemic was an “infodemic,” a digital and physical deluge of information that resulted in mass confusion and censorship. In their new book, The Infodemic, authors Joel Simon and Robert Mahoney lay bare the mecha…

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135. David M. Peña-Guzmán with Steve Scher: The Hidden World of Animal Consciousness 49:35

3y ago49:35

49:35

Have you ever watched a dog sleep? At times it doesn’t look like sleep at all with their tails thumping, paws padding at an invisible ground, and squeaks, grunts, and growls disrupting an otherwise quiet slumber. We might assume that they’re dreaming about squirrels, or a really good bone. But are they? What really goes on in the minds of animals w…

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134. Thomas H. Pruiksma with Dr. Ruben Quesada: A New Translation of The Kural 52:26

3y ago52:26

52:26

The Tirukkuṟaḷ, or Kural, for short, is considered a masterpiece of universal philosophy, ethics, and morality. Traditionally attributed to Thiruvalluvar, also known as Valluvar, the original text has been dated from 300 BCE to 5th century CE. The classic Tamil work is one of the most cited and translated ancient texts in existence; it has been tra…

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133. Linda Lee with Shin Yu Pai: Meet Town Hall Seattle’s Curator-in-Residence 26:48

3y ago26:48

26:48

As Curator-in-Residence for Town Hall, Linda Lee has been working with Town Hall Seattle since October 2021 to better interpret and display our permanent art collections, as well as develop a longer-term exhibition plan including artwork from the community. In the 133rd episode of Town Hall’s In the Moment podcast, Program Director Shin Yu Pai inte…

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132. Treva B. Lindsey with Leoma James: Violence, Black Women, and the Struggle for Justice 1:08:38

3y ago1:08:38

1:08:38

Studies clearly indicate that Black women, girls, and non-binary people face disproportionately high rates of physical and sexual violence, and face a greater risk of death by homicide than women and non-binary people of white, Latinx, and Asian/Pacific Islander descent. What forces have contributed to a legacy of violence, and is justice possible?…

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131. Frank C. Keil with Halli Benasutti: Childhood and the Lifelong Love of Science 1:07:33

3y ago1:07:33

1:07:33

Spend any amount of time with young children, and there’s a good chance of finding yourself on the receiving end of a barrage of questions. How do clocks work? Where do fish go in winter? Why isn’t the oldest person in the world also the tallest person in the world? And on and on. But it makes sense; children are new here, relatively speaking, and …

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130. Lyric World: Lorna Dee Cervantes with Shin Yu Pai 46:26

3y ago46:26

46:26

Poet Lorna Dee Cervantes is considered one of the major voices in contemporary Chicana literature. Growing up, she was encouraged to only speak English in order to avoid racism in her California community. As a writer, her experiences as a woman of Mexican and Indigenous American descent fuel her work, which often explores loss of language, questio…

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129. Laurie Winkless with Steve Scher—Sticky: The Secret Science of Surfaces 56:52

3y ago56:52

56:52

You are surrounded by stickiness. With every step you take, air molecules cling to you and slow you down; the effect is harder to ignore in water. When you hit the road, whether powered by pedal or engine, you rely on grip to keep you safe. The Post-it note and glue in your desk drawer. The non-stick pan on your stove. The fingerprints linked to yo…

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128. Michelle Drouin with Dr. Margaret Morris: How Technology Helps and Hinders Intimacy and Connection 56:26

3y ago56:26

56:26

Are we all, quite literally, out of touch? According to behavioral scientist Michelle Drouin, millions of people worldwide are not getting the physical, emotional, and intellectual intimacy they crave. Pandemic isolation has undoubtedly played a role, but the wonders of modern technology are connecting us with more people more often than ever befor…

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127. Kathy Gilsinan with Steve Scher: Stories from the Front Lines of the Pandemic 35:27

3y ago35:27

35:27

Most Americans can pinpoint the moment, back in March of 2020, when COVID-19 changed everything in the United States. Lockdown measures reshaped the daily lives of millions. Work changed. School changed. The experiences of going to the grocery store, doctor’s office, or meeting up with friends changed. And let’s be honest, two years into the pandem…

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126. Vanessa Chakour with Amanda Carter Gomes: How Nature Guides Us Toward Healing 38:12

3y ago38:12

38:12

When Vanessa Chakour was growing up, she experienced a series of physical traumas — chronic asthma, a car accident that fractured her back and neck, and sexual trauma. On her path to recovery, she pursued various approaches to therapeutic movement from martial arts to yoga, exploring the traditions that honor mind-body connection. Now twenty years …

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125. Guilaine Kinouani with Anastacia-Reneé: Living While Black 38:26

3y ago38:26

38:26

Mental health professionals are in high demand now more than ever. In the U.S. alone, around a third of the population sought therapy services in 2020. But mental health practitioners aren’t immune to issues of deep structural racism and white supremacy; if they aren’t recognized and consciously dismantled, the potential for further harm to Black p…

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124. Stanley Shikuma with Jasmine Pulido—Stop Repeating History: Tsuru for Solidarity 1:07:13

3+ y ago1:07:13

1:07:13

Tsuru for Solidarity is a nonviolent, direct action project of Japanese American social justice advocates working to end detention sites and support front-line immigrant and refugee communities that are being targeted by racist, inhumane immigration policies. In the 124th episode of Town Hall’s In the Moment podcast, Jasmine Pulido interviews write…

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123. Hilda Lloréns with Lola E. Peters: Afro-Puerto Rican Women Building Environmental Justice 1:06:15

3+ y ago1:06:15

1:06:15

Puerto Rico has faced challenge after challenge in recent years, from economic crises and political upheaval to the aftermath of two consecutive and powerful hurricanes — Irma and María — in 2017. The devastation caused by the storms was widespread, destroying the already-fragile power grid, making most roads impassable, and costing thousands of pe…

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122. Aaron Poochigian with Steve Scher: Baudelaire’s Flowers of Evil 50:49

3+ y ago50:49

50:49

Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil), Baudelaire’s best-known and most controversial body of work, was published in 1857. The poems were non-traditional by 19th-century Parisian standards, tracing themes of death, sex, corruption, mental health, and other taboo topics that raised more than a few eyebrows. Declared an offense against public moral…

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121. Lyric World: Robert Lashley with Shin Yu Pai 43:05

3+ y ago43:05

43:05

Tacoma local Robert Lashley is known for crafting poems that build a vivid sense of place, rooted in deep, beautiful, yet often haunting memories. In his recently published third collection of poetry, Green River Valley, Lashley shares an unapologetic and harrowing look at gentrification, racism, and personal and collective loss in his hometown. Wi…

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120. Bryan R. Johnston with Steve Scher: The Notorious Kidnapping of Young George Weyerhaeuser 45:21

3+ y ago45:21

45:21

In May of 1935, nine-year-old George Weyerhaeuser, heir to one of the wealthiest families in America, disappeared on his way home from school. Snatched off the streets just two blocks from his home in Tacoma, the kidnapping plays out with the twists and turns of a Hollywood movie, complete with ransom notes, a bizarre scavenger hunt of sorts, and d…

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119. Lucy Antek Johnson with Gretchen Yanover: Behind the scenes with Toscanini 55:03

3+ y ago55:03

55:03

From 1937 to 1954, renowned Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini led weekly radio performances of the NBC Symphony Orchestra, broadcasting the music of legendary composers across the airwaves. Violinist Samuel Antek played in the orchestra during its 17-year lifespan, experiencing Toscanini’s relentless dedication to music firsthand. In This Was Tosc…

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118. Ashley Jean Yeager with Dr. Anand Thirumalai: The Life of Astronomer Vera Rubin 49:47

3+ y ago49:47

49:47

All the observable stuff of the universe — the stars, planets, and other bits of so-called “normal matter” that we can see with various instruments — make up less than 5% of the universe. What about all the other…stuff? The remainder, a mix of dark energy and dark matter, is undetectable by even the most powerful telescopes. The acceptance of the p…

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117. Dr. Nicole Piemonte with Steve Scher: Taking a Different Approach to Death and Dying 48:12

3+ y ago48:12

48:12

Humans navigate death in very different ways. Dying is a natural and inevitable part of the cycle of life; however, the process looks very different depending on geographic location, cultural traditions, access to and type of medical care, and myriad other factors. Dr. Nicole Piemonte argues that Western Medicine often views death as a medical fail…

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116. David Bosco with Steve Scher: The Struggle to Govern the World’s Oceans 1:04:57

3+ y ago1:04:57

1:04:57

Oceans cover about 71% of the earth’s surface. Can something so vast and fluid be governed? Humanity has long attempted to create rules for the oceans of the world while honoring the “freedom of the seas” — a maritime principle first introduced in 1609 that stresses the freedom to navigate the oceans in times of peace. But as David Bosco describes …

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Beasts of Seattle: Crows 53:44

3+ y ago53:44

53:44

Like it or not, crows are our neighbors. Whether you’ve been dive-bombed by one, heard them swarming in the trees at sunset, or watched them gather ominously on the power lines à la The Birds, everyone in Seattle has a corvid story— often in the form of a complaint. But crows are remarkable, highly intelligent creatures who have much to teach us ab…

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115. Britni de la Cretaz & Lyndsey D’Arcangelo with Maggie Mertens Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League 1:02:50

3+ y ago1:02:50

1:02:50

American football emerged in the last decades of the 19th century; today it is the most popular sport in the country, watched and played by millions of people — and at the professional level, generating billions of dollars in revenue — each year. While women’s involvement in football has grown in more recent years, it is historically a sport played…

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114. Tina Campt with Elisheba Johnson: Contemporary Black artists who are changing the way we see 49:54

3+ y ago49:54

49:54

Visual art holds the extraordinary power to connect the dots between ideas or emotions, the person thinking or feeling them, and the outside viewer; but how might the viewer go beyond simply looking to experiencing art, in all its joys and especially in its challenges and discomforts? In the 114th episode of Town Hall’s In the Moment podcast, Elish…

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Beasts of Seattle: Bigfoot 58:45

3+ y ago58:45

58:45

Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Harry. Whatever name you know him by, he is ubiquitous in the greater Seattle area, spotted everywhere from bumper stickers to roadside landmarks. In an otherwise skeptical city replete with “science is real” lawn signs, it seems that many of us believe— or at least want to believe— in Bigfoot. As part of the Beasts of Seattle p…

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113. Julian Saporiti with Tomo Nakayama—No-No Boy: Innovations on contemporary American folk music 57:25

3+ y ago57:25

57:25

Vietnamese American musician Julian Saporiti grew up in Nashville, surrounded by music made by people who didn’t look like him. Determined to dig deeper into the definition of American Folk music as part of his extensive doctoral studies, Saporiti began to explore his own family’s history, pore over archival material, and conduct interviews; what h…

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Beasts of Seattle: Orcas 1:11:23

3+ y ago1:11:23

1:11:23

The orca is an apex predator, and yet, without Chinook salmon to feed on and silent waters to hunt in, Seattle’s most famous animal cannot survive. There are only 73 Southern Resident killer whales remaining, and the population will have a hard time growing unless we change our behavior to accommodate them. As part of the Beasts of Seattle podcast …

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112. Yanis Varoufakis with Steve Scher: Another Now 52:12

3+ y ago52:12

52:12

What might a post-capitalistic world look like? Can money, jobs, and politics be truly democratized? Will banks cease to exist? Globally recognized economist Yanis Varoufakis dreams up an alternative reality to give us a glimpse of what such a world might look like in his new work of science fiction, Another Now. Varoufakis, the former finance mini…

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Beasts of Seattle: Dogs 42:32

3+ y ago42:32

42:32

There are famously more dogs in Seattle than there are children—a function of the city’s high cost of living, perhaps, or a sign that our transient tech workforce craves furry friendship. But canines are so much more than modern-day apartment-dwelling companions; long ago, the Salish Wool Dog provided blankets for Coast Salish peoples and today, wo…

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111. Diana Campoamor with Agueda Pacheco Flores: A Latine Vision for a New American Democracy 47:41

3+ y ago47:41

47:41

Nearly one in five people in the U.S. are Latinx, and they make up the second-largest ethnic and racial group in the country. Despite such a large and growing population, the community remains misunderstood and underrecognized. Editor Diana Campoamor addresses areas of inequity and brings readers messages of hope and compassion in If We Want to Win…

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Beasts of Seattle: Sea Otters 50:28

3+ y ago50:28

50:28

Only the occasional sea otter swims in Puget Sound, yet the adorable marine mammal is a local mascot. Cuddly cartoon otters appear on posters lining our waterfront and appear on their fair share of “Greetings from Seattle” postcards. Meanwhile, on Washington’s outer coast, a recently reintroduced population of sea otters is on the rise. As part of …

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110. Margaret D. Jacobs with Steve Scher: After One Hundred Winters 1:04:59

3+ y ago1:04:59

1:04:59

Can there ever be reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in a nation rooted in a legacy of violence and systemic racism? In Town Hall’s 110th Episode of the In the Moment podcast, Steve Scher interviews Margaret D. Jacobs, who explores such questions in her book After One Hundred Winters: In Search of Reconciliation on America’…

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Beasts of Seattle: Salmon 51:25

3+ y ago51:25

51:25

From Pike Place Market to the Ballard Locks, Salmon are stalwart icons of Seattle. But as they face warming waters and stormwater runoff, their future is threatened and uncertain. As part of the Beasts of Seattle Series, Town Hall’s Podcast Artist-in-Residence Samantha Allen interviews artist and American Indian Studies instructor Joe Seymour, Pike…

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109. Lyric World: Ian Boyden with Shin Yu Pai 52:41

3+ y ago52:41

52:41

In May of 2008, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan, China in the middle of the afternoon. Entire towns were destroyed, schools collapsed, and over 80,000 people died — many of them schoolchildren. When grief-stricken families were denied information about exactly who and how many children died, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei initiated a critical a…

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Beasts of Seattle—Trailer 2:09

3+ y ago2:09

2:09

The Pacific Northwest is proud of its wildlife. Here in Seattle, certain creatures have become local mascots, like the salmon swimming up Pipers Creek, the ever adorable sea otters at the aquarium, and the endangered Southern Resident Orca struggling to survive in our waters. But what can our shared history with these animals tell us about our regi…

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108. Kathryn Bond Stockton with Megan Burbank: Gender(s) 53:30

3+ y ago53:30

53:30

“Gender is queer for everyone,” Kathryn Bond Stockton claims in her newest book with MIT Press, Gender(s). And no matter how “normal” people try to make it, it’s just strange, from the words people use to the clothes they wear. With hefty doses of wit and humor, Stockton takes readers on a fascinating, sometimes absurd journey through topics like t…

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107. Margaret Levi with Steve Scher—A Moral Political Economy: Present, Past, and Future 1:00:14

3+ y ago1:00:14

1:00:14

Lately, the words of Greek Philosopher Heraclitus seem to ring truer than ever: Change really is the only constant. As societies grapple with COVID-19, racial justice, environmental crises, and rapidly shifting technology, it’s become clear that the current political-economic framework is fraying. Is it time to make new moral and political choices …

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106. Daniel M. Davis with Dr. Michael McCarthy and Megan Clark: The Secret Body 48:33

3+ y ago48:33

48:33

Have you ever wished you could know what’s going on inside your body, or at least have a better way to monitor its well-being? What if you knew the precise kind of diet that works best for your unique microbiome? The body can be a mysterious vessel, a strange feeling considering how much time we spend inside of them. But in his new book, The Secret…

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105. Milenko Matanovič with Steve Scher: Everyday Democracy 1:07:21

3+ y ago1:07:21

1:07:21

For over 30 years, the Pomegranate Center was an organizational force that helped convene communities and build over 60 art-filled gathering spaces across the globe. Beyond helping communities imagine and build physical spaces, the Seattle-area organization developed a tried-and-true process for collaboration: the Pomegranate Method became a teacha…

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104. Phoebe S.K. Young with Erika Lundahl: Camping Grounds 49:17

3+ y ago49:17

49:17

Pacific Northwesterners love to camp. Chances are, at this very moment, someone you know is packing away an impossibly tiny stove and donning a puffy jacket for a weekend away in the mountains. But why— and how— did camping become a recreational pastime? Kicking off a new season of the In the Moment podcast, Erika Lundahl interviews Camping Grounds…

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103. David Laskin with Steve Scher: What Sammy Knew 54:47

4y ago54:47

54:47

The 1970s were as turbulent as the 1960s were radical. In David Laskin’s new novel, What Sammy Knew, this is the historical backdrop in which we find 17-year-old Sam Stein, a Long Island native raised in a cushy suburban life of live-in housekeepers and insular wealth. On New Year’s Eve 1969, Sam is forced to come face to face with the uncomfortabl…

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102. Matt Grossmann with Steve Scher: How Social Science Got Better 50:46

4y ago50:46

50:46

For some it seems that most of the news about academic social sciences—anthropology, economics, political science, etc—is negative. But in response to the criticism he’s seen, political science professor Matt Grossman argues that, far from crisis, social science is undergoing an unparalleled renaissance of ever-broader understanding and application…

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101. Edwin Lindo of Estelita’s Library with Mike Davis 29:15

4y ago29:15

29:15

Join us for a spotlight on one of our partner bookstores, Estelita’s Library, a “justice-focused community library and bookstore” originally located in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. Local Journalist Mike Davis chats with Estelita’s co-founder Edwin Lindo about the history and founding of the bookstore and considers the impact the Library has on the…

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100. Centennial Celebration with Jini Palmer, Steve Scher and Town Hall Staff 50:18

4y ago50:18

50:18

Since our 2017 season, hosts Jini Palmer, Steve Scher, and local correspondents have interviewed hundreds of luminaries, local officials, and national and international thought leaders as part of our In The Moment podcast. This month, we celebrate the series’ 100th edition with a special introspective episode that reflects on how Town Hall faced th…

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99. Lyric World: Shin Yu Pai with Meredith Clark 43:29

4y ago43:29

43:29

In what ways can words reach across time and distance, to speak with the dead, the unborn, past selves, and future possibilities? How do poets engage in conversations that can animate and embody what is not yet or no longer here? In this episode, correspondent and Lyric World host Shin Yu Pai talks to poet Meredith Clark about her lyric book-length…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Steve Scher Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen