Randall Kennedy- “Black and White”

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“Interracial Intimacies: Sex, Marriage, Identity, and Adoption,” is a book written by Randall Kennedy, a Harvard University Law School Professor. He takes an in-depth look at the issue of black and white relationships set against the ever-changing social mores and laws of this country.

Fears of interracial relationships, influenced over the centuries by racial biases and fantasies still widely linger in American Society today.

Randall Kennedy, a professor at Harvard University Law School is the author of “Interracial Intimacies: Sex, Marriage, Identity, and Adoption,” in which he takes an in depth look at the issue of black and white relationships set against the ever-changing social mores and laws of this country. From pre-civil war to the present, this book explores the historical, sociological, legal and moral issues that continue to feed and complicate those fears.

Professor Kennedy and I visited by phone in March 2003 and began by our conversation with his description of what he calls a “pigmentocracy” in the United States.

The book Professor Randall Kennedy recommends is “The Biography of Walter White,” by Robert Jankin.

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Catherine Crier– “Are Lawyers Really That Bad?”

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The Case Against Lawyers

The control and influence lawyers have in American society has grown enormously in the past 75 years. The influence was foreseen in the 1830s by Alexis de Tocqueville and described in his book, “Democracy in America.” Catherine Crier discusses and critiques this influence in her book, “The Case Against Lawyers.” Crier, herself a former lawyer, district attorney, and judge is now a commentator on Court TV. 

Catherine Crier recommends “Pigs at the Trough,” by Arianna Huffington & “The Rule of Lawyers,” by Walter Olson.

Originally Broadcast: March 18, 2003

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Arianna Huffington – “Corporate Greed”

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Pigs at the Trough, How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption Are Undermining America

Arianna Huffington, a political columnist and commentator with a conservative background, is the author of “Pigs at the Trough, How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption Are Undermining America.” Her book discusses alliances between corporate executive officers, politicians, lobbyists and bankers in disregard for office and factory workers.

Arianna Huffington recommends “Wealth and Commonwealth, Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes,” by Chuck Collins.

Originally Broadcast: February 18, 2003

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Jeff Ruch – “How to be a Whistleblower”

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The Art of Anonymous Activism: Serving the Public While Surviving Public Service

“The Art of Anonymous Activism: Serving the Public While Surviving Public Service” is a short book published by three public interest organizations based in Washington DC: POGO, the Project on Government Oversight (www.pogo.org), GAP, the Government Accountability Project (www.whistleblower.org), and PEER, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (www.peer.org). Jeff Ruch is the executive director of PEER and the book’s co-editor.

Originally Broadcast: January 20, 2003

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Thomas Hine – “Compulsive Shoppers”

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I Want That! How We All Became Shoppers: A Cultural History

“I Want That! How We All Became Shoppers: A Cultural History” is the title of a new book by Thomas Hine. In this book he discusses why we want objects and how they change us. He looks at early forms of trading, and proceeds through the history of materialism.

Thomas Hine recommends “Refinement of America,” by Richard Bushman.

Originally Broadcast: December 17, 2002

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Patricia Edmisten– “Peace Corps, Peru, 1962-1964″

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The Mourning of Angles

The life of Lydia Schaefer is a composite fictional story of a 22 year-old woman who served in the Peace Corps in Peru from 1962 to 1964. Patricia Taylor Edmisten, a former Peace Corps Volunteer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, tells Lydia’s story in her book, “The Mourning of Angles,” based in part on her experiences in the Peace Corps in Peru during those years.

Patricia Edmisten recommends “The Accidental Pope,” by Raymond Flynn & Robin Moore.

Originally Broadcast: November 15, 2002

 

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Lerner, Gerda Ph.D. — “The Foremother of Women’s History”

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The history of women has existed as long as humans have, but it was not until the last half of the 20th Century that women’s history received recognized academic attention.  Our guest, Professor Gerda Lerner was a pioneer in the movement to study and record the history of women.

Gerda Lerner led an extraordinary life from April 30, 1920 to January 2, 2013.  She was a historian, author and teacher, and ultimately a professor emeritus of history at the University of Wisconsin.  Her academic work was characterized by the attention she drew to the differences among women in class, race and sexual orientation.

Professor Lerner and I visited by phone in October 2002, began with her description why the distinctions among women of class, race and sexual orientation are important.

Originally Broadcast: October 1, 2002.

 

Peter Hessler – “A Peace Corps Volunteer in China”

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River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze

Imagine arriving by boat in a rural town of 150,000 people where two rivers join in central China. Imagine being one of the first two Americans to live there in 50 years, and speaking very little Chinese. That is experience of Peter Hessler, the author of “River Town.”

Peter Hessler recommends “This Boy’s Life,” by Tobias Wolf.

Originally Broadcast: August 1, 2002

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Eric Schlosser- “Do You Really Want to Eat That?”

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Fast food is what many people eat in America, and increasingly in other countries. It is advertised to be fun, tasty, and easily available. Americans spend more money annually on fast food than is spent on higher education.

Eric Schlosser is our guest in this archive edition.  He’s the author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Schlosser writes that it is not only what is served for human consumption that is the problem, but the art of mass-marketing to children through organized promotions and ads for the products—in school busses, hallways, and even bathroom stalls—has serious side effects on society.

Working conditions for employees at meat-packing plants and the resulting contamination of the product resulted in the July 19th, 2002 recall of 19 million pounds of beef. In addition to the acute health hazards of contamination, a fast food meal often contains more fat in one meal than the average person needs in a day.

I spoke with Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation, in mid-summer 2002, we began with his description of the problem of excess fat in fast food.

Eric Schlosser is the author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. The book he recommends is “Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing,” by Ted Conover.

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Joelle Fraser – Growing up Hippy

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The Territory of Men

“The Territory of Men” is an intimate self-expose written by Joelle Fraser, a former Mendocino Community College English teacher. Written as a series of short episodes and adventures, Joelle shares the life of a woman who was raised in the hippie life of the 70s, and now is an accomplished writer and teacher.

Joelle Fraser recommends “Last Stand,” by Richard Manning.

Originally Broadcast: July 30, 2002

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