With Good Reason

Virginia Humanities

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Each week scholars explore the worlds of literature, science, the arts, politics, history, religion, and business through lively discussion with host Sarah McConnell. From the controversies over slave reparations and global warming, to the unique worlds of comic books and wine-making, With Good Reason is always surprising, challenging and fun!

REPLAY: The Many Indias

As India celebrates 76 years of independence - Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has drawn criticism for promoting a kind of hindu nationalism that’s rooted in the colonial period. Rohan Kalyan says Modi’s vision for India doesn’t leave much room for non-hindus and other minorities. And: Neel Amin studies the writings of British hunters in 19th century India. He says a nomadic people called the Banjara threatened the sense of colonial superiority held by the British. Later in the show: In 1765, t

Mar 6, • 52:00

Call 9-1-1

For the past nine years, Hans-Peter Plag has taken on the perspective of an alien ecologist coming to Earth. And when he looks at Earth, he sees a crisis of overgrowth. Humans, he says, have become a virus. If we don’t learn to do more with less, he fears that we will irreparably disrupt the planetary system that keeps us alive. And: America is one of the largest donors to global humanitarian aid. But the sheer size and red tape involved in the emergency response can inadvertently undermine the

Feb 28, • 52:00

I Hadn't Planned on Making it Sing

Join With Good Reason for a series of conversations that bring Furious Flower Poetry Lifetime Achievement honorees in conversation with a new generation of Black poets. This episode features Lorna Goodison and Shauna Morgan on time travel, Band-Aids, and how human beings are always capable of surprise. And: Cornelius Eady and Clemonce Heard on jazz solos, memorializing Black death, and whispers that filled the high school hallways after the first poem he ever wrote.

Feb 21, • 52:00

Staggered by the Fact of You

Join With Good Reason for a series of conversations that bring Furious Flower Poetry Lifetime Achievement honorees in conversation with a new generation of Black poets. This episode features Tim Seibles and Ariana Benson on alien life, good grammar, and the dreams of Langston Hughes. And: Elizabeth Alexander and Nicole Sealey on the treasures of archives, the work of a generation, and the resonant truth you feel in your bones.

Feb 13, • 52:00

Love Languages

Grace Flores-Hughes was shattered when her husband passed away after a long illness. She rushed into dating, hoping to fast forward past the grief. But she discovered that grief could not be rushed. And: Can knowing your partner’s love language really guarantee a good relationship? Louis Hickman says no. He and his colleagues found that personality traits were a much greater indicator. And those, too, can change as relationships and people change. Later in the show: Valentine's Day can bring a

Feb 6, • 52:00

Celebrating Nikki Giovanni

When Nikki Giovanni passed away in December at the age of 81, she left a legacy that will continue to be a beacon of light for generations to come. We first had Nikki on With Good Reason more than 20 years ago when I spoke to her about space travel and her poem, Quilting The Black Eyed Pea. And: Rapper Tupac Shakur famously sported a “thug life” tattoo… and so did Nikki Giovanni. I sat down with her in 2014 to talk about the poem she dedicated to Tupac after he was killed in 1996. Later in the s

Jan 30, • 52:00

Precarious Work

For centuries, we could measure the health of our economy in terms of employed versus unemployed. But that’s outdated now. Victor Tan Chen says that the American workforce is precarious for Americans and no one is exempt. And: In the late 90s, students rode bikes naked across Virginia Tech’s college campus to protest sweatshop abuses overseas. The students were part of The United Students Against Sweatshops collective. Dale Wimberly says that the group protested labor conditions at overseas swea

Jan 23, • 52:00

What's Your Name Again?

We’ve all forgotten someone’s name at a party or social gathering. It can be a special kind of embarrassment. One that makes you want to disappear and crawl under a rock. Daniel Willingham shares why we’re all terrible with names and how we can be better. And: Not only are we humans terrible with names, we’re also not great at remembering unfamiliar faces. It’s why eyewitness accounts are notoriously unreliable. Mitchell Meltzer is working with his students to crack the code on what makes a good

Jan 16, • 51:59

Dry Janurary

For the last decade or so, more and more Americans have taken part in a new New Year’s tradition: dry January. You probably know somebody doing it right now–maybe it’s you! Neeral Shah walks us through the benefits of taking a month off of alcohol. Later in the show: If you’ve got a meditation goal for 2025, you might get unexpected benefits. Daniel Berry says mindfulness training isn’t just personal, it also helps the people around us. And: It’s no surprise that exercise helps us sleep. But how

Jan 9, • 52:00

REPLAY: Music For Life

Growing up in Southwest Virginia, Tyler Hughes has been steeped in the traditions of mountain music and dance from a young age. For him, music is about community. And: Life skills classes for people with exceptional needs often teach things like cooking, money skills, and street safety. Karen Feathers and Jackie Secoy believe that appreciating, listening to, discussing, and even playing music are important life skills, too. Later in the show: Imagine you’re looking at a piece of art like a pain

Jan 2, • 52:00

REPLAY: Piping Up For Community

Brian Donaldson is one of the most accomplished pipers in the world - winning many of the major awards and even performing in front of the queen of England. Now he’s the pipe band director at Virginia Military institute. He says Queen Elizabeth was a huge fan of bagpipe music. And: Zines and 90’s punk culture are intimately linked. Iconic punk bands like Bikini Kill relied on zines to gain a following and spread the word. Christopher Kardamibikis says Washington DC was the spot for zines and the

Dec 25, 2024 • 52:00

Christmas Stories

Christmas is really all about the stories we tell. From early classics like A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, and The Gift of the Magi to new traditions like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, holiday stories shape our experiences. This year we’re joined by Diane Griffiths, Sarah Hillenbrand Varela and Erik Varela, Siân White, Eric Lorentzen, and Laura Kimball as we peek under the surface of some of the most enduring Christmas tales.

Dec 19, 2024 • 52:00

More Than My Mistakes

The Inthrive Film Festival is a one-of-a-kind event that features films directed by formerly incarcerated people. Kenneth Hunter performed spoken word poetry at the festival on opening night. He sits down with producer, Matt Darroch, to share his experience in the prison system and his thoughts on what the Inthrive movies mean to him. And: We lose so much of what makes us human in prison. Privacy, personal possessions - and most importantly, freedom - all get stripped away. But Zoe Spencer says

Dec 12, 2024 • 52:00

Ragged Island

The biggest migration happens every night in the ocean. Plankton come up from the twilight zone to eat, safe from daytime predators. And then they go back to the deep ocean before dawn. Debbie Steinberg says that these plankton are helping us to manage our carbon output by taking it back to the deep ocean. And: The rustic boardwalk that winds through the marsh carrying visitors down to the water’s jagged edge at Ragged Island is getting shorter. Due to erosion, two feet of the boardwalk has been

Dec 6, 2024 • 52:00

REPLAY: Dinner Theater

Michael Carter Jr left America looking for home in Ghana. Now, on his fifth generation farm, he’s growing farmers through what he calls Africulture. And: How Virginia’s maritime climate enhances its fruit, according to celebrated sommelier Lee Campell. Later in the show: In Richmond, Virginia, you can walk up to one of 13 community refrigerators and get what you need. No questions asked. It all started because Taylor Scott had some extra tomatoes to spare. Plus: Leni Sorenson uses colonial era

Nov 28, 2024 • 52:00

A South You Never Ate

The distinctive foodways of the Eastern Shore of Virginia bring together influences from Indigenous peoples, European migrants, enslaved and free West Africans, and more recent newcomers. We dine at folklorist Bernard Herman’s table to learn about the flavors of local ingredients and the stories of cooks who have prepared them. And: Along with the craft beer renaissance has been a resurgence of hard cider. Greg Hansard says cider has been in a fixture on Virginia tables and farms for more than f

Nov 22, 2024 • 52:00

Beating Alzheimer's

The FDA recently approved a number of medications to treat Alzheimer’s disease. But while these new drugs are far from a cure, Lana Sargent says they’re certainly a step in the right direction. And: Fruit flies can be such a nuisance. But those tiny little buggers hovering around your old bananas might actually help treat Alzheimer’s. Anna Salazar’s found a link between gut health and dementia in fruit flies that may apply to humans as well. Later in the show: Close to 7 million Americans suffer

Nov 14, 2024 • 52:00

Sorry

For twenty years, Jason Moulenbelt has asked his students to go back in time and decide whether to do something differently. Most of them say that despite the painful lessons, they wouldn’t change a thing. And: In the infamous Stanford rape case, a member of Stanford’s men’s swimming team was caught behind a dumpster in the act of raping an unconscious woman–Chanel Miller. Chanel was known only as the “unconscious female victim” until her powerful victim impact statement went viral. Mercedes Cor

Nov 7, 2024 • 52:00

32 Blocks Of Music

On this episode of With Good Reason, Technical Director Jamal Millner hosts and we explore how some musicians interact with the communities they inhabit. The inspiration, support and motivation these artist’s receive from their families, friends and fans. CJ Colston is a millennial Evangelical Preacher and Singer that performs proselytizes in Southwestern Virginia area churches regardless of the race of the congregations. And: Filmmaker and VH Fellow Alicia Aroche discusses her upcoming document

Oct 31, 2024 • 52:00

Destination Mars 2035

NASA recently announced they’re preparing to send humans to Mars as early as 2035. It’ll be a huge undertaking that will require a big budget and massive collective effort. But Joel Levine is focused more on the small stuff. He’s working with NASA on sterilization methods to prevent the cross-contamination of microbes between Earth and Mars. And: It’s around a 7 month trip to go from Earth to Mars. That’s a long time to be in outer space. And we’re just now learning how it’ll affect the body. Ha

Oct 24, 2024 • 52:00

Border Crossing

The borders of Jordan have changed over and over in the last century. And each time they shift, Jordanian immigration policy–officially or unofficially–shifts as well. Lillian Frost takes us deep into the history of the region to understand how Jordanian officials have interpreted the same immigration laws differently depending on what’s going on in the nations around them. And: In the US, more than 80% of survey respondents say they want to see immigration reduced. Researchers find similar numb

Oct 18, 2024 • 51:59

REPLAY: Spooky Season

Could a centuries-old curse be to blame for Will Smith’s infamous slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards? Amanda Kellogg uncovers the long history of a superstition known as Macbeth’s curse. And: Anna Beecher first encountered the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale, The Boy Who Went Forth to Learn to Shudder, as a young kid and was thoroughly frightened. She based her play, Skin of the Teeth, on that same Grimm’s fairy tale. Later in the show: Halloween and Scream are two of the goriest slasher movie

Oct 10, 2024 • 52:00

Early Voting

In America, presidential primaries don’t officially begin until February of the election year. But we all know that presidential campaigns go on for years before that. In mid-August, the Democratic Party announced Vice President Kamala Harris as their nominee after incumbent President Joe Biden stepped down. Voters didn’t choose this. The party did. Caitlin Jewitt wonders how this will impact the way that political elites nominate future presidential hopefuls. Plus: Presidents have to know how t

Oct 3, 2024 • 52:00

Wicked Problems

We usually reserve the word “wicked” for the worst things in life. But at Radford University, being a wicked student is a badge of honor. Every year, Paige Tan and Meg Konkel help students come up with creative solutions to life’s messiest problems for the Wicked Festival. And: What if you could get 500 dollars for free? Only catch is, you have put it toward something that does good - something that leaves a positive impact. How would you spend the money? That’s the challenge Chris Tweedt brough

Sep 26, 2024 • 52:00

Coexist

There’s an AI arms race. And anyone can compete. But AI doesn’t have moral judgment; it only sees patterns. Atin Basu says that military education needs to emphasize the humanities to ensure that the people behind the machines have moral center and judgment that the machines will never have. And: For one reason or another, doctors and nurses don’t have a lot of time to talk to patients. The AI chatbot Florence is here to help. Haipeng Chen hopes to train Florence to be as smart as a human nurse.

Sep 19, 2024 • 52:00

Music That Speaks

If you’re looking for new music, you might turn to youtube, spotify, social media–basically, the internet. In Cuba, internet access is so limited that music is passed through a USB network called Sneakernet. Mike Levine explains how Sneakernet helps spread the rhythms–and politics–of reparto music. And: What does it sound like when trees sing? Or rocks? Or a city waterworks? Sara Bouchard is a sound artist who often works with data from objects and nature to make music. Later in the show: As a y

Sep 12, 2024 • 52:00

REPLAY: Terrapins And Terriers

In the early 20th century, terrapins–a kind of turtle–were a culinary delicacy. Then humans nearly hunted them to extinction. While Americans don’t eat much turtle these days, terrapin populations are still in danger–from crab traps. Randy Chambers is working to perfect a device for crab traps that will help protect terrapins. And: Learning about learning is a lot easier if you’ve got hands on practice. That’s what inspired the first ever Wise-minster Dog Show at the University of Virginia Colle

Sep 5, 2024 • 52:00

Failing to Succeed

Failure is a key part of the scientific process. But Gertrude Fraser says women in STEM aren’t often given the same leeway to fail as their male colleagues. Plus: Ken Ono applied his mathematics research to help swimmer, Kate Douglass, shave 4 tenths of a second off her breastroke. He says it took countless failures to save just a tiny fraction of time, but it ultimately proved to be the difference between winning and losing. Kate won gold at the Paris Olympics in the women’s 200 meter breaststr

Aug 29, 2024 • 52:00

REPLAY: The Attack Of The Zombie Crabs

There’s a parasite inhabiting the bodies of crabs and making them infertile. Amy Fowler says that if that parasite entered the Chesapeake Bay, 90% of our crabs would be inedible. America is littered with battlefields, and abandoned forts. They’re often some of the most pristine sites of Virginia ecosystems. Plus: Todd Lookingbill is a SCHEV winner for his research on the ecological value of battlefields. Later in the show: Scientists first noticed coral reefs disappearing in the late nineties

Aug 22, 2024 • 52:00

Unheard

Sitting in a doctor’s office, trying to understand medicalese, is familiar for most of us. And really frustrating. Suzanne Makarem found forty women who pursue nontraditional medical professionals after years of feeling unheard by traditional care providers. Many of these women now only see their traditional doctors for blood tests, vaccines and annual check ups. Plus: The United States and New Zealand are the only countries that allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise directly to consumers.

Aug 16, 2024 • 52:00

Baby Babble

Babies come into the world ready to learn and all those coos and grunts that they make–and that their parents make at them–are stepping stones to fluency. Rory DePeolis and Shiree Harbick are studying baby babble to better understand how babies learn language. And: Too often when it comes to helping minority kids succeed in school, families are seen as part of the problem to solve. Instead, Melissa Wells recognizes the strengths that families bring. She shares her favorite kids books that help i

Aug 8, 2024 • 52:00

Protesting the Pipeline

Many pipelines have been protested, but few have been defeated. Jonathan Mingle says the cancellation of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in 2020 is a story of collaboration between local activists and the Southern Environmental Law Center. And: Oil was first discovered in Louisiana at the turn of the 20th century. Suddenly, even the most unassuming plots of land could be worth millions. But Henry Wiencek says not everyone with oil on their property got rich. Later in the show: In the 1970’s, Rae El

Aug 1, 2024 • 52:00

In Translation

In the '80s and '90s, many Puerto Rican poets who lived in the contiguous United States wrote within a fixed aya and aca/mainland vs. island story. The island was home. Jane Alberdeston Coralin and other contemporary Puerto Rican poets approach their selves, memories and bodies as home. And: Latin American literature of the 60’s was complex and required active readers. By the 70s and 80s, the literature had conformed to the demands of the marketplace: it was localist, exotic and saturated with

Jul 26, 2024 • 52:00

Making Justice

What makes a court a court? Most people might answer something like this: there’s a judge with legal training, who makes a judgment, and if you don’t follow their judgment, you get punished. David Law says that, actually, none of that is required for a court. That’s how the American courts work, but all over the world there are courts that operate very differently. And: Five years after getting federal recognition, the Upper Mattaponi tribe in Virginia has started operating their own courts. Chi

Jul 18, 2024 • 52:00

The End of the World!

In 1979, the US government commissioned a fictional account of the aftermath of nuclear war…set in Charlottesville, Virginia. George Perkovich says the report inspired The Day After - one of the most popular made for TV movies of all time. And: Remember when fears of the Y2K computer bug sent everyone into a frenzy at the turn of the year 2000? Matthew Gabriele (Virginia Tech) says a similar apocalyptic panic took place at the end of the first millenia. He studies how early Christians thought ab

Jul 18, 2024 • 52:00

REPLAY: Music as Escape

The Soulmasters was a 1960’s interracial soul band from Danville, VA. Jerry Wilson and John Irby were the two African-American lead singers and the other band members were white. Jerry reflects on what it was like touring the South during the height of segregation. And: We all have that one song that soothes our soul. This ability to escape through music was a lifeline for American troops during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Later in the show: Meet Folklorist Katy Clune! Her passion for dive

Jul 4, 2024 • 52:00

When Sunday Comes

Much has been said about the golden age of gospel music in the 1940s and 50s. But what about the gospel music that came later when hip-hop and soul were dominant? Claudrena Harold’s in her book, When Sunday Comes, takes us to the Black record shops, churches, and businesses that transformed gospel after the Civil Rights era and nurtured the music that was an essential cultural and political expression for African Americans. Later in the show: Historian Lauranett Lee shares the history of the Jun

Jun 27, 2024 • 52:00

Living With Water

Citizens quickly took Fidel Castro up on his offer to leave Cuba from the Port of Mariel if they had someone to pick them up. From Spring to early Autumn of 1980, over one hundred thousand Cubans emigrated to America by boat. They arrived raw and tender-hearted, trying to reconnect with family members. Terry Marsh recalls the great attempts FEMA made to reconnect families and determine who was going to go where. And: People who live in hurricane and flood prone areas are often unreceptive to adv

Jun 20, 2024 • 52:00

Animal Friends

Dog breeds get stereotypes. There’s the well-heeled, intelligent border collie or the good-natured, but not-so-bright golden retriever. Jennifer Holland’s new book, Dog Smart digs into what we actually know about dog intelligence. And: In recent years, honeybee-keeping has seen an impressive increase in the U.S. The rising numbers means more beekeepers are concerned with viruses that threaten hives. Wei-Fone Huang is studying honey bee pathogens and hopes to find novel solutions to fight them. L

Jun 13, 2024 • 52:00

Seeking Asylum

Immigrant incarceration has a long history in the US - starting with the Chinese Exclusion Acts of 1882. Brianna Nofil says it’s part of a system of mass incarceration that’s still largely intact today. And: In 2015, Levi Vonk joined one of the first migrant caravans, marching with hundreds through Mexico. It’s where he met a 37 year old computer hacker named Axel Kirshner who had just been deported from the US. The two hit it off and wrote a book together about Kirshner’s life called Border Hac

Jun 6, 2024 • 52:00

Woman Enough

The International Olympic Committee has never required men to prove that they are men. But from nude inspections to DNA swabs, women have had to prove their womanhood since the 60s. Bonnie Hagerman says that this is more sinister than creating an “equal” playing field. And: Matt Andrews is taking his students to the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. Later in the show: Tim Passmore explores how nations use the Olympics to improve their reputation both domestically and abroad. Plus: Brett Bebber walks

May 30, 2024 • 52:00

REPLAY: HBCU Renaissance

HBCUs rose from the ashes of slavery and have been educating Black students for generations. Cheryl Mango says HBCUs are currently experiencing a renaissance, sparked from Black Lives Matter movement and the fight for racial justice. Plus: HBCU bands like the Trojan Explosion at Virginia State University play with power and energy. It’s an audio and visual display, with high-step marching and decked-out drum majors at the center of the performance. Taylor Whitehead says that HBCU sound and style

May 23, 2024 • 52:00

Drugging France

In the 19th century, French doctors were finally on the cusp of treating pain. It was a new horizon in the history of medicine. Sara Black says they were experimenting with all kinds of mind-altering drugs… on themselves. And: Greg Wrenn’s journey to forgiving his parents through a psychedelic rainforest tea called ayahuasca. Also: If you’ve had a cable TV subscription in the last 20 years, chances are you’ve seen at least an episode or two of Crime Scene Investigation. Tracy Sohoni looks at how

May 16, 2024 • 52:00

Taking Care of Moms

Before the covid-19 pandemic, there were clearly cracks in the healthcare system for maternity and postpartum care. But during the pandemic, those cracks became much more visible. Patricia Kinser and Sara Moyer were driven to create quick change for new birthing parents, and so the Thrive guide was born. The Thrive Guide is a bit like a birth plan, but for after the baby is born. And: As of January 2024, twelve states, including Virginia and Washington DC, have implemented Medicaid coverage for

May 9, 2024 • 52:00

Presenting: Crosswinds

Hampton Roads is home to the largest coal export operation in the United States. Crosswinds, a podcast from the University of Virginia’s Repair Lab, follows the efforts of Lathaniel Kirts and his friend and collaborator Malcolm Jones, as they seek environmental justice for decades of coal dust that they, and their community, inhaled. Crosswinds is produced by Adrian Wood. Later in the show: People want to breathe better air in Hampton Roads, Virginia. How Kim Fields and the Repair Lab are worki

May 2, 2024 • 52:00

United We Stand: In Our Words

Teenagers have long turned to books for a guide on how to live, but for kids of immigrant parents, those guides can be particularly important. Addie Tsai’s first novel was a YA book that wrestled with many of the same complex issues they faced as a kid. And: SJ Sindu says that everything she writes is translated through the lens of her experience as an immigrant, a refugee, and a queer person. Those perspectives come out in the outsider characters from her YA graphic novel Shakti and her new sho

Apr 25, 2024 • 52:00

Mapping Climate History

Last year, thick smoke from Canadian wildfires wafted down and blanketed a broad swath of the East Coast - from New York to North Carolina. The wildfire smoke had us East Coasters feeling like the apocalypse had arrived. But fires aren’t always doom and gloom. Stockton Maxwell says they can actually be restorative for forests. And: Coral reefs are one of the most beautiful ecosystems of the natural world. But they’re more than just a feast for the eyes. Pamela Grothe says coral reefs offer a map

Apr 18, 2024 • 52:00

New Brownies

In the midst of the Harlem Renaissance, W.E.B. DuBois wanted children to have something to read. Something that was speaking to them. So he started The Brownies’ Book, a monthly periodical for “children of the sun.” One hundred years later, sociologist Dr. Karida Brown and visual artist Charly Palmer bring us The New Brownies. And: Why Brenton Boyd says that Black Americans and Carribeans have already coped with the rapture. Later in the show: What William Grant Still and Undine Smith Moore’s e

Apr 11, 2024 • 52:00

United We Stand: The People's Tongue

Who decides what makes a language? In countries all over the world, there are official organizations with that job–in France, Croatia, India, Denmark, Nigeria, Mexico. But Ilan Stavans reminds us that in the United States, the people decide our language. And: Katrina Powell shares the expected immigrant narrative and the ways in which writers are constantly resisting and countering that expected story. Later in the show: Cristina Stanciu author of The Makings and Unmakings of Americans, argues t

Apr 4, 2024 • 52:00

REPLAY: I've Endured

While Beyonce's Texas Hold 'Em spreads country music joy, we bring you this music-rich episode on women who have rocked the ole time country music scene. Rene Rodgers and Toni Doman (Birthplace of Country Music Museum) give us a taste of women musicians from Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, to Rhiannon Giddens, Cathy Fink, and Amythyst Kiah. Later in the show: Virginia Folklife mentor artist Elizabeth LaPrelle is keeping the centuries old tradition of Appalachian ballad singing alive. Plus: Nati

Mar 28, 2024 • 52:00

Moving Forward By Looking Back

When Latorial Faison meets somebody, she can almost immediately tell if they attended a Black school during segregation. She says they carry themselves with a special sense of pride. It’s actually what set her on her journey to writing her book, The Missed Education of the Negro: An Examination of the Black Segregated Education Experience in Southampton County, Virginia 1950-1970. And: Franklin County, Virginia once boasted a whopping 177 schools. Most were tiny one room buildings built by local

Mar 22, 2024 • 52:00

Spring Break

About 80% of Americans have visited Disney World in Florida. Marc Williams says that Disney World has both shaped and been shaped by American identity. And: Anita Zatori sees an increase in young people choosing vacation destinations not to be there, but to create content of themselves being there. Later in the show: From guiding tours in Bangkok to operating a Thai restaurant in Sydney, Australia, Cherry Brewer knows all about tourism. She's bringing her expertise to the university’s new hospi

Mar 14, 2024 • 52:00

United We Stand: Telling Our Story

Enya Cid moved from Mexico to the U.S. as a three year old. She says this country is her home, but her right to stay here never feels certain. In 2022, Enya joined other first generation immigrants in a writing workshop hosted by the publisher Restless Books and Arlington, Virginia’s Dream Project. Enya shares her story along with Nataly Montano, who immigrated to the U.S. from Bolivia. Their teacher, playwright Isaiah Stavchansky, explains how the writing workshop empowers immigrants as America

Mar 8, 2024 • 52:00

Mere Difference

Living with a disability can be hard. But it doesn’t have to lead to a life less lived. Elizabeth Barnes says her own diagnosis made her confront the reality of finding the unexpected joys in disability. And: Many parents of young deaf children don’t have access to learn sign language. Carrie Humphrey and Colin Wells say this can put deaf kids at a disadvantage and delay their development. Carrie and Colin both work as full-time faculty in the American Sign Language and Interpreter Education pro

Feb 29, 2024 • 52:00

REPLAY: Life Without Boundaries

19th and 20th century poet, Alice Meynell–a.k.a. “the penciling mama”--described motherhood as “life without boundaries.” Cristina Richieri Griffin discusses the Victorian mother of eight’s complicated feelings on mothering. And: The 2003 Haitian novel, The Infamous Rosalie, tells the stories of generations of women who are enslaved on a plantation. Ima Hicks explores how for these women, mothering was a particularly complicated act. Later in the show: Camilla Morrison believes that a costume d

Feb 22, 2024 • 52:00

Selfish

Imagine if everyday you went to work and pretended to be someone else. That’s life for professional actors. Robyn Berg says self care is essential for acting professionals to stay themselves while pretending to be other people. And: Self care can get conflated with selfishness. Peter Thaxter started thinking about that after a student interviewed him about selfishness. Now, he’s clear on why self care and selfishness are not the same. Later in the show: Our childhood affects who we become. And

Feb 16, 2024 • 52:00

Let's Talk About Love, Baby

Valentine’s Day today means candy hearts and stuffed bears. But Kat Tracy says the origins of the holiday are far from cute and fuzzy–and they don’t have a whole lot to do with St. Valentine. And: A safe and secure relationship seems like an obvious goal, but it’s surprisingly hard to achieve. Amber Pope shares how attachment theory and strong support networks can help people thrive in a safe and secure partnership. Later in the show: A thriving intimate relationship starts long before the meet

Feb 8, 2024 • 52:00

REPLAY: Expanding Our Origin Story

Cauline Yates was at a family reunion the first time she heard she was a descendant of Thomas Jefferson. She later helped develop the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at the University of Virginia. And: Clint Smith is the author of the award-winning book, How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America. He traveled to 9 historic sites to understand how slavery is remembered and taught. Later in the Show: Gayle Jessup White was on a tour at Monticello when she raised h

Feb 1, 2024 • 52:00

In The Wake of Sea Level Rise

In 2011, Japan was rocked by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake. It triggered a tsunami that measured 130 feet high - killing around 18,000 people and causing untold damage. Tina Dura and Robert Weiss say sea level rise will now allow even weaker earthquakes to cause tsunamis with similar destruction. And: Sea level rise is also endangering white cedar trees. Rob Atkinson and Linda Manning run the Fear to Hope project, which gets high school students out in the field to help protect white cedar trees fr

Jan 25, 2024 • 52:00

The Next Pandemic

Beverly Sher has been teaching her “Emerging Diseases” seminar since 1996. From AIDS in the 1990s, SARS in 2003, the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 and the modern COVID-19 pandemic, students realize what public health crises reveal about the psychology and sociology of a nation. And: Since it was first identified in the United States in 1975, Lyme disease has become the world’s most common disease to spread from animals to humans through the bite of infected ticks. The sooner it's treated, the better the

Jan 19, 2024 • 52:00

Digging In

When we dig deep underground, we get a chance to dig deeper into history. Dennis Blanton wants to change the way we think about America’s beginnings. He’s studying the expedition of a Spanish conquistador who was the first European in many parts of the Southeast. And: At “The Cove” along the Staunton River in Virginia, Brian Bates and his students have uncovered nearly 10,000 items that paint a picture of a thousand year old Sappony Indians fishing camp. Later in the show: Along with tools, pot

Jan 11, 2024 • 52:00

REPLAY The Pets We Love

In the earlier stages of the pandemic, when many people were still staying as close to home as possible, nearly 1 in 5 American households adopted a pet. Furry cats and snuggly dogs–and some temperamental pigs. Sherrie Clark is a veterinarian who treats and studies pet pigs. She says they make good pets–for the right family. And: Relationships between dogs and humans go back 10,000 years. Nancy Gee says that today relationships between people and pooches improve health outcomes for everyone with

Jan 4, 2024 • 52:00

REPLAY: Protecting Human Rights

Kirsten Gelsdorf has spent over 20 years working for the United Nations and other organizations in the humanitarian sector. She discusses her experience in disaster zones and clears up some commonly held misconceptions about humanitarian aid. And: Only 10 states have passed a Bill of Rights for domestic workers. But Jennifer Fish says while it’s certainly a step in the right direction, these protections often exist only on paper. Jennifer has been named an Outstanding Faculty member by The State

Dec 28, 2023 • 52:00

What Makes A Place?

It’s almost impossible to look back on family road trips without thinking of Cracker Barrel. Cracker Barrels have a distinct sense of place - like going home to your grandparents house. But they also look exactly the same wherever you go. Meredith Gregory studies what she calls the paradox of Cracker Barrel. And: Two and a half years ago, Tim Baird and his family moved into a new home - a seemingly ordinary life event. But his new digs also came with 600 college students. The building is called

Dec 21, 2023 • 52:00

Holiday Hand Me Downs

As we age, we come to appreciate the holiday traditions of our youth. Ricky Mullins remembers receiving treat bags at his small, backroads church. The poke bags were stuffed oranges, peanuts, cracker jacks and sometimes even a chocolate bar. Now, he’s passing the tradition along to the youth at the church that he pastors. And: Mary Lou Williams was a renowned jazz pianist and composer. She brought sacred Black jazz music to Duke University’s chapel every year. Gayle Murchison shares some of Will

Dec 14, 2023 • 52:00

Cravings

The holiday season is about cheer, gathering with loved ones and, of course, food. Alex DiFeliceantonio warns that ultra processed foods—like the ones on your holiday snack table—are actually addictive. She wants food manufacturers to include processing information on their labels. And: Healthy nutrition for Virginia Indian communities is about more than just the food on the table—it’s also about how that food got there. Troy Wiipongwii and Zach Conrad are building software that helps Virginia I

Dec 8, 2023 • 52:00

Winning NIL

NIL sent shockwaves through college athletics when it was signed into law in 2021. Now student-athletes could earn money off of their name, image, and likeness. But there weren’t any guide-rails to help student-athletes navigate the new NIL landscape. Enter Kim Whitler. She co-wrote Athlete Brands: How to Benefit from Your Name, Image and Likeness. And: In 2020, Sha’Carri Richardson was barred from representing Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics because she tested positive for marajuana. Jo Morrison

Nov 30, 2023 • 52:00

Seeking Refuge

Worldwide there are more than 35 million refugees who have fled their homes. And when other countries take in a huge influx of those refugees, there’s a lot to consider. Erika Frydenlund studies how host countries can help manage a refugee surge. And: In March 2023, the William & Mary Law School’s Immigration Clinic had their very first approval of an asylum case–a client from Afghanistan, who fled when Kabul fell. Stacy Kern-Scheerer shares what it’s like navigating the complicated asylum syste

Nov 22, 2023 • 52:00

Dinner Theatre

Michael Carter Jr left America looking for home in Ghana. Now, on his fifth generation farm, he’s growing farmers through what he calls Africulture. And: How Virginia’s maritime climate enhances its fruit, according to celebrated sommelier Lee Campell. Later in the show: In Richmond, Virginia, you can walk up to one of 13 community refrigerators and get what you need. No questions asked. It all started because Taylor Scott had some extra tomatoes to spare. And: How Leni Sorenson uses these cook

Nov 17, 2023 • 52:00

Black And Fine

Some of America’s first maestros of European art music were enslaved and free Virginians of African descent. Violinist David McCormick shares the music of the Black violinists of Monticello from the Hemings and Scott families. Also: Justin Holland was a black man who was born free in 1819 in Norfolk County, Virginia. He became one of America's first classical guitarists and was respected by European Classical Guitar Masters. Ernie Jackson discusses Justin Holland and Jackson’s own life as a con

Nov 9, 2023 • 52:00

REPLAY The Birthplace of Mac n Cheese

You have Chef James Hemings, who cooked for Thomas Jefferson, to thank for the macaroni and cheese on your plate this Thanksgiving. Setting the Table's Deb Freeman tells us how the French dish became so baked into American cuisine. And: Across troubled waters, enslaved people carried benne seeds and grew them in a new land. Chef Amethyst Ganaway is snacking on benne wafers while thickening the Thanksgiving stew. Later in the show: The Lowcountry is always cooking. Chef BJ Dennis says the vast

Nov 2, 2023 • 52:00

Dragons And Creatives

Dorothy Suskind diagnoses the kind of workplace culture that allows bullying. And: Chris Reina says that prioritizing relationships creates better results in the workplace. This belief is at the center of his work at the Institute for Transformative Leadership. Later in the show: Alexandra Dunn shares how “imposter syndrome” can affect us at work. Plus: The 2020 global pandemic transformed the American workers and the American workplace Ben Biermeier-Hanson found that workers now prioritize fle

Oct 27, 2023 • 52:00

After They've Served

No matter how they served or where or when, for veterans, returning to civilian life is a big transition. Eric Hodges is researching what it was like for African American veterans in his small Virginia community to return home. And: Alicia DeFonzo’s grandfather was a big part of her life as a kid. He was charming and jovial and the absolute best storyteller. But his stories always left out the years he spent fighting in WWII. Late in his life, Alicia finally asked her grandfather to tell those s

Oct 20, 2023 • 52:00

The Age of AI

After watching movies like the Terminator, it’s hard not to come away a little jaded about the future of AI. But Dan Runfola says the rise of AI will be a huge boon to society, similar to the industrial revolution of the 18th century. And: As we enter into the age of AI, where do the humanities fit in? Rishi Jaitly recently founded the Virginia Tech Institute for Leadership and Technology, a one-of-a-kind fellowship that immerses rising leaders in the tech world in all things humanities. Later i

Oct 13, 2023 • 52:00

REPLAY What's On Your Plate

Since she was a child, Luz Lopes would help her mother prepare the altar for the Day of the Dead. This year, her go-to bakery shut down so she made her own pan de muerto. Plus: It seemed like quinoa just kind of came out of nowhere didn’t it? Well, it kind of did. Linda Seligmann tells us how she witnessed this afterthought crop become a commercial crop. And: Will the real pigs please stand up? Brad Weiss gives us insight on North Carolina’s local farming efforts to produce real, local pork. La

Oct 6, 2023 • 52:00

I've Endured

Old time music is a way of communication. A way to welcome rain after a drought or shoo a cold. Many men took it on the road. But the women stayed home. Rene Rodgers and Toni Doman (Birthplace of Country Music Museum) give us a taste of women musicians from Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, to Cathy Fink and Amythyst Kiah. Later in the show: 2022 Virginia Folklife mentor artist Elizabeth LaPrelle keeping the centuries old tradition of Appalachian ballad singing alive. Plus: Nationally renowned gu

Sep 28, 2023 • 52:00

Police Culture

Conversations around community policing are polarizing. It can be hard to have a meaningful and useful conversation. Brian Williams believes that conversations that first hit the heart can impact the head and hands, bringing corrective and collaborative action. And: Police suicide rates are on the rise. It’s clear that mental health is a real problem in the profession. Stacey Clifton studies how the very culture of police–a sort of macho suppression of emotion–makes it extra hard to address thei

Sep 21, 2023 • 52:00

Seeing Isn't Believing

Photoshop recently unveiled a new function that integrates generative AI, a cutting-edge technology that can produce images from text. JD Swerzenski says we’ve reached a point where photo manipulation has never been so easy. And: Rebecca Silberman specializes in miniature set pieces: think of tiny scenes intricately constructed inside dioramas. She says it's a delicate process that requires a small paint brush, strong magnifying visors, and a good deal of focus. Later in the show: Deepfakes have

Sep 14, 2023 • 52:00

Open Book

Traditionally people become licensed educators and then enter a classroom. Smita Mathur and her colleagues took a different approach. They invited migrant farm workers to come teach migrant children, and then trained them to be teachers. And: How Kelly Cartwright found that a lot of students can sound words out, but can’t quite connect the sound to the meaning of the word. And what educators are doing about it. Plus: Curiosity is central to learning, but Jamie Jirout says that school snuffs it

Sep 8, 2023 • 52:00

REPLAY Women On Screen

After new episodes drop, fans of TV shows take to social media to dissect what they just saw. Dr. Morgan Smalls says shows that feature Black women protagonists and majority Black casts, like Insecure and Being Mary Jane, inspire important conversations about race on social media. And: Disney princesses can be a bit of a scapegoat for what’s wrong with representations of women in movies. One of the problems: they don’t have many healthy female relationships. Jessica Stanley talks about the toxic

Aug 31, 2023 • 52:00

Artful Living

We experience the world first with our senses. And then art can help us understand what we’re seeing, feeling, and experiencing. Stephanie Hodde uses spectacle theater to help communities be in touch with the issues that matter most to them. And: The design of everyday objects is about usefulness—but there’s also an art and a politics to it. Carissa Henriques shares the innovative strategies that designers can use to be more democratic, compassionate, and effective in their work. Later in the s

Aug 25, 2023 • 52:00

The Many Indias

As India celebrates 76 years of independence - Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has drawn criticism for promoting a kind of hindu nationalism that's rooted in the colonial period. Rohan Kalyan says Modi’s vision for India doesn’t leave much room for non-hindus and other minorities. And: Neel Amin studies the writings of British hunters in 19th century India. He says the sense of colonial superiority held by the British was threatened when they met a nomadic people called the Banjara. Later in th

Aug 17, 2023 • 52:00

Recovery

Universities have been trying to curb dangerous binge drinking for years. Today’s students are glued to their phones, and Abby Braitman and her colleagues are meeting them where they are for interventions. And: Meagan Brem says that drinking is intertwined with a lot of the intimate partner violence that happens on college campuses. Later in the show: There’s a psychedelic renaissance going on in Javier González-Maeso’s biochemistry lab. He’s hoping to develop a new drug using psilocybin, the co

Aug 11, 2023 • 52:00

Terrapins And Terriers

In the early 20th century, terrapins–a kind of turtle–were a culinary delicacy. Then humans nearly hunted them to extinction. While Americans don’t eat much turtle these days, terrapin populations are still in danger–from crab traps. Randy Chambers is working to perfect a device for crab traps that will help protect terrapins. And: Learning about learning is a lot easier if you’ve got hands on practice. That’s what inspired the first ever Wise-minster Dog Show at the University of Virginia at Wi

Aug 4, 2023 • 52:00

REPLAY Reading And Writing Ourselves

In 2017, many Americans watched in horror as violent images from the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville started spreading. A few short years later, My Monticello tells the story of Charlottesville neighbors fleeing racist violence and taking refuge in Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello. The author, Jocelyn Johnson, talks about what it means to be writing about a past and a future that both feel very present and whether there’s hope in writing about America’s racism. Later in the show: Fam

Jul 27, 2023 • 52:00

REPLAY Entangling Alliances Hour

During the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, tensions between the United States and Russia nearly led to nuclear disaster. So what prevented the unthinkable from happening? Martin Sherwin argued it had something to do with luck. And:. Philip Roessler has studied the impact of rising temperatures on conflict zones around the world. He predicts climate change will soon become one of the main drivers of large scale political violence. Later in the show: China has burst onto the scene as one of the world’

Jul 20, 2023 • 52:00

Underground And Taboo

In the 1990s, a group of single Black mothers known as The Circle formed an underground gambling ring in Danville, Virginia. Their winnings went a long way in easing the struggle of raising a family as a single mother. With Good Reason producer, Matt Darroch, has the story. And: Now close to a century removed from prohibition - speakeasies, gangsters, and moonshine still loom large in the public imagination. But Michael Lewis says our understanding of the era isn’t a very accurate one. Also: The

Jul 14, 2023 • 52:00

Summer Reading Show

Summer is here and with it comes our annual With Good Reason summer reading list. From the hills and hollers of Appalachia to Egypt, we’ve got so much to keep your pages turning. Jessica Mullens Fullen, Vic Sizemore, Sarah Rifky and Maynard Scales share some of their favorite reads.

Jul 6, 2023 • 52:00

REPLAY Abolishing The Death Penalty

Virginia made headlines when it became the latest state to abolish the death penalty. Sabrina Butler-Smith is the first woman to be exonerated from death row. She says she’s living, breathing proof of why the capital punishment should be a thing of the past. Also: Deirdre Enright is probably best known for her work as the founding director of the Innocence Project and her passionate voice on the first season of the hit podcast, Serial. But before all that, she spent decades as a capital defense

Jun 29, 2023 • 52:00

A Confrontation With History

As a Black literary scholar, Shermaine Jones was unsure of how to live and work through the Covid-19 pandemic and the George Floyd uprisings. She wondered, is it appropriate to study fiction and poetry during times of crisis? And how could she give her students grace and compassion in their own work? She turns to Black women writers to answer these complicated and enduring questions. And: Desegregation changed things on paper. But people continue to live how they were taught to live, and how his

Jun 22, 2023 • 52:00

REPLAY The Empathy Tours

Jalane Schmidt recently brought a group of Virginia teachers to see Charlottesville’s tiny monument to its enslaved residents. One teacher had a startling personal revelation at that site. And: Elgin Cleckley is an architect who studies empathy. He says redesigning public space can help heal racial wounds. Plus: Danville, Virginia was once a Confederate capital. Now, teams of citizens are working together to tell the story of a different Danville: a city that hosted Martin Luther King Jr. and Th

Jun 15, 2023 • 52:00

Working Conditions

Connective labor is disappearing. Professions that rely on connecting humans -- like teaching or therapists -- are being automated. Allison Pugh says that this is dangerous not only for people’s pockets, but for their overall wellbeing. And: A million poor men migrate to the Gulf for unskilled jobs every year. Andrea Wright says that the Indian government sees this as an opportunity, but also a mark against India in the international imagination. Later in the show: In 1914, coal miners in Ludlo

Jun 9, 2023 • 52:00

Destroying The Soul

Political prisons in the Arab world are rooted in colonialism. Diana Obeid says these prisons are meant to instill fear and destroy the soul. And: In 2022, Mahsa Amini died after she was arrested by the Iranian morality police for not wearing her head scarf properly. Her death sent convulsions throughout Iran, as intense protests threatened to topple the authoritarian government. Peyman Jafari calls the protests a revolt with a revolutionary perspective. Later in the show: The Yemen civil war st

Jun 2, 2023 • 52:00

Music For Life

Growing up in Southwest Virginia, Tyler Hughes has been steeped in the traditions of mountain music and dance from a young age. For him, music is about community. And: Life skills classes for people with exceptional needs often teach things like cooking, money skills, and street safety. Karen Feathers and Jackie Secoy believe that appreciating, listening to, discussing, and even playing music are important life skills, too. Later in the show: Imagine you’re looking at a piece of art like a pain

May 26, 2023 • 52:00

Visions Of Style

In the late 70s, the University of Virginia inherited 10,000 glass plate negatives from the Holsinger Studio. Among them were 600 portraits self-commissioned by Black Virginians. John Edwin Mason sat with those images for years, dreaming up the perfect team to bring them to life. He found his team. Now, through the Visions of Style and Progress exhibition, Mason says that the images are transforming the way that viewers think about life for Black Virginians at the turn of the 20th century. And:

May 18, 2023 • 52:00

REPLAY Outdoor Archives

We often think of cemeteries as separate worlds unto themselves. But people buried at Confederate graveyards were surely connected to people at the African burial grounds, and the cemeteries reveal the intimacy of their connections. Ryan Smith and his students have been transformed by tending to cemeteries over the past 20 years. And: After Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy needed land for bases and training. Former William & Mary PHd student Travis Harris says the African American neighborho

May 11, 2023 • 51:59

Magic And Miracles

At markets in the ancient world, silver-tongued magicians hawked their wares of amulets, cursed tablets and even spells. But Shaily Patel says early Christians developed the concept of divine miracle to distinguish themselves from magic. And: From 1968 to 2001, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood defined generations of childhoods. John Thompson says many of the life lessons Fred Rogers shared on the show embody principles of an ancient Chinese tradition known as daoism. Later in the show: Does God exist

May 4, 2023 • 52:00

Aging Well

These days, a lot of feminism is framed around young women rebelling against their mothers’ values. But that wasn’t always the case. Corinne Field says that in the 19th century, the most public and active feminists were over 50. She explains how their age helped lead the movement in earlier times and when things changed. And: Most people think about aging in terms of physical health, but Matthew Fullen is focused on mental and emotional health in old age, as well. Fullen’s research suggests well

Apr 27, 2023 • 52:00

Melting Futures

Polar bears are no one’s prey. Except for climate change itself. John Whiteman says that our human fate is tied up in polar bears’ fate. And: Birds have an unusual predator. Windows. Karen Powers says that an $8 pack of window decals could be life saving. Plus: How Todd Tupper knew he had to return to community colleges to teach zoology before he’d even gotten his PhD.

Apr 21, 2023 • 52:00

Food For Thought

We all remember what it was like entering the social battleground known as the school cafeteria. Aside from the usual cliques, there were two types of students: those who brought their lunch and those who bought their lunch. Marcus Weaver-Hightower says public schools should offer free lunches to all students. And: Being a new parent is hard work and it’s also super expensive. Christine Schull says a year of toddler or infant care can cost more than a year of tuition at a public university. Chri

Apr 13, 2023 • 52:00

REPLAY Writing Through

What do the mythological Chimera and motherhood have in common? In her work, poet Julie Phillips Brown dissects this and other biological queries, cleverly unveiling what makes us distinctly and undoubtedly human. And: Playwright Ivan Rodden focuses on the stories of refugees in his plays On Arriving and Lost Sock Laundry. He aims to dispel the mystique surrounding the refugee crisis, painting intimate onstage portraits of humans navigating the unknown. Later in the show: As a poet, Caseyrenée

Apr 6, 2023 • 52:00

Dividing Lines

In 1990s South Africa, there were violent clashes between Xhosa and Zulu people. And the main way they understood how to define the other group–language. But Jochen Arndt says that 300 years earlier, Xhosa and Zulu didn’t even exist as distinct languages. And: Sudan experienced decades of violent conflict in the ‘90s and ‘00s, including the genocide in Darfur. When we tell the history of those conflicts, it’s usually numbers and dates. Daniel Rothbart and Karina Korostelina recorded oral histori

Mar 30, 2023 • 52:00

Migrating Marshes

Many environmental movements pop up in small communities. Records aren’t always kept. What remains are the t-shirts, petitions and water bottles created along the way. Jinny Turman and her students are helping to preserve what’s in plain sight. And: Sea level is rising. People along the Chesapeake Bay are feeling it, and researchers are swarming. Nicole Hutton Shannon says that heavily surveyed communities should have access to the research they contribute to. Later in the show: There’s a lot o

Mar 24, 2023 • 52:00

Save the Small Sums

In 1865, the Freedman’s Bank was written into law by President Lincoln to help newly freed enslaved people save money and buy land. But the bank collapsed less than 10 years after it was established - throwing many Black Americans into financial ruin. Justene Hill Edwards says the racial wealth gap can be traced back to the rise and fall of the Freedman’s Bank. And: During Jim Crow, literacy tests at the voting booth disenfranchised many African Americans. Mark Boonshoft says lawmakers passed th

Mar 16, 2023 • 52:00

REPLAY The Voyage of the USS Albatross

In 1908, the U.S.S. Albatross set off on a research expedition to the newly acquired U.S. colony of the Philippines. Today, Kent Carpenter is studying the more than 80,000 fish samples collected by the Albatross to uncover how overfishing is actually changing fish genetics. Carpenter has been named an Outstanding Faculty member by The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. And: The Chukar Partridge is a common ground-bird found in parts of Asia and the western United States. Brandon Jac

Mar 9, 2023 • 52:00

Life Without Boundaries

19th and 20th century poet, Alice Meynell–a.k.a. “the penciling mama”--described motherhood as “life without boundaries.” Cristina Richieri Griffin discusses the Victorian mother of eight’s complicated feelings on mothering. And: The 2003 Haitian novel, The Infamous Rosalie, tells the stories of generations of women who are enslaved on a plantation. Ima Hicks explores how for these women, mothering was a particularly complicated act. Later in the show: Camilla Morrison believes that a costume d

Mar 3, 2023 • 52:00

Sound Medicine

Kiera Allison says that we experience pain as narrative -- there’s a beginning, middle and hopefully end. And the story we tell ourselves about that pain, and whether or not anyone hears our story, has a lot to do with how we experience it. And: Studies have shown that doctors have biases towards their patients. This impacts the treatment that people receive. Miranda Cashio and Renee Stanley created a simulation to determine if their students shared those biases, and if those biases affected th

Feb 23, 2023 • 52:00

Trash

Mt. Trashmore has the distinction of being the first landfill converted into a park. And for many years, it was a popular spot for locals to hangout in Virginia Beach. Until it exploded on April 1st 1992… Well, not exactly. It was an April Fools prank that went wrong. VERY wrong. Producer, Matt Darroch has the story. And: In grade school, many of us learn that America was founded as an exceptional society - a land of religious freedom and boundless opportunity. But Nancy Isenberg says Britain sa

Feb 17, 2023 • 52:00

REPLAY My Pandemic Valentine

We’re drawn to people who are kind to others. But once that kind person becomes our partner, we want special treatment. Lalin Anik says we get a boost from feeling our "uniqueness" affirmed. She shares just how critical that special treatment is to a fulfilling relationship. And: Can one person really satisfy all of our needs? Julian Glover says no. They share how non-monogamy can be a freedom practice. Later in the show: Studies show that the more we look at screens, the less we feel our body.

Feb 9, 2023 • 52:00

Making Home

Lauren K. Alleyne lived the first part of her life in Trinidad and then moved to America at 18 and has been there since. Her poems explore what it’s like to have one foot in Trinidad and one in America. Home, she says, is her poetry. And: Alexia Arthurs award-winning short story collection is called How To Love A Jamaican. She says she wrote the collection while she was in the Midwest as a way to feel closer to her cultural home. Later in the show: The themes of a coming-of-age story are univer

Feb 2, 2023 • 52:00

Building Brotherhood

Gay men’s choruses have a rich history that stretches back to San Francisco in the 1970’s. Kevin Schattenkirk-Harbaugh is a longtime member of a gay men’s chorus and he says it was one of the first spaces where he truly felt like he belonged. And: David Trouille embedded himself in a community of Latino immigrants who regularly played park soccer in West Los Angeles. The soccer field was a place where these men could bond, share work opportunities, and blow off steam. But then the surrounding wh

Jan 26, 2023 • 52:00

The Visitors' Center

In the summer of 1982, a group of six paraplegic men set out to climb the highest natural peak in Dallas, Texas. Sometimes carrying their wheelchairs up the Guadalupe Peak, they made it. Perri Meldon is working on a disability handbook that tells these stories and more. And: How Lauren McMillan and her students are working with the Patawomeck and Rappahannock Tribes to develop the Virginia Indian Trail in King George County. Later in the show: Tens of thousands of people take pilgrimages to Cam

Jan 19, 2023 • 52:00

Director's Cut: Best of WGR 2022

This year, we’re bringing you some of our favorite segments from 2022. We’re starting in the 60’s. Formed in the mid 1960’s, The Soulmasters was an interracial soul band from Danville, VA. Jerry Wilson and John Irby were the two African-American lead singers of The Soulmasters and the other 8 members of the band were white. Producer Matt Darroch met up with Jerry to reflect on his three years in the band, and what it was like touring the South during the height of segregation. This interview ori

Jan 13, 2023 • 52:00

Baking By Ear

In the mid-20th century, American women were bombarded with tips, tricks, and goods to help them become the perfect housewife. Laura Puaca has studied four records released by General Mills that featured Betty Crocker “talking recipes.” They were developed in response to and in collaboration with blind homemakers and they extended to blind women choices that had long been an option for their non-disabled counterparts. And: Hearing aids are now available to purchase over-the-counter and without a

Jan 6, 2023 • 52:00

REPLAY The Wide World Of Video Games

eSports has recently grown into a billion dollar industry. Top professional players rake in millions from competing in games like League of Legends, Overwatch, and Rocket League. Earlier this year, Old Dominion University opened a new state of the art eSports arena. Producer Matt Darroch has the story. And: Video games have inspired hit songs and have been adapted into countless movies. Boris Willis says the next horizon for video games is the stage. He uses cutting-edge video game technology to

Dec 29, 2022 • 52:00

Piping Up For Community

Brian Donaldson is one of the most accomplished pipers in the world - winning many of the major awards and even performing in front of the queen of England. Now he’s the pipe band director at Virginia Military institute. He says Queen Elizabeth was a huge fan of bagpipe music. And: Zines and 90’s punk culture are intimately linked. Iconic punk bands like Bikini Kill relied on zines to gain a following and spread the word. Christopher Kardamibikis says Washington DC was the spot for zines and the

Dec 22, 2022 • 52:00

REPLAY Life After Life

You only die once. But you can get close a few times. Bruce Greyson never was very spiritual, but after interviewing 1,000’s of people who have had near-death experiences he’s changed his mind about life after death. His book is After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond. Later in the show: William Isom II is the director of Black in Appalachia. His work with Amy Clark led to his discovery in Tennessee of the grave of his great, great grandfather. Plus: Fo

Dec 15, 2022 • 52:00

Real Robots, Real Life

There’s a new robot in town. Nathan Sprague and the JMU X-Lab faculty are in their fifth year of retrofitting a golf cart. The automated machine will ideally transport seniors around senior citizen communities. And: What’s real? A documentarian used AI to generate the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain’s voice in a documentary. William Little says the controversy illuminates our celebrity worship. Later in the show: Technology is only as good as the minds that make it. Daphne Yao is improving

Dec 8, 2022 • 52:00

Musical Legacies

A.D. Carson’s new album, “iv: talking with ghosts,” was written under the heaviness of covid lockdown, the deaths of close friends and family, and the worldwide protests addressing the deaths of Black people at the hands of police. Carson shares the deeply personal place this album comes from and his work to include his family and friends in the historical record. Later in the show: Africans and their descendants once made up a big part of the colonial Mexican population. But the musical canon f

Dec 1, 2022 • 52:00

REPLAY Food Is Family

The Philippines takes Christmas to another level. From September to December, the island-country celebrates the longest Christmas season in the world. Ken Garcia Olaes and his parents bake some Bibingka, a filipino-style cake, and share fond memories of Christmas time in the Philippines. And: Erica Cavanagh spent two years as a member of the Peace Corps in Benin, West Africa. She says sharing food with her host family helped to shed her long-held values of independence and self-reliance. Plus:

Nov 24, 2022 • 52:00

Virginia: The Birthplace of Mac n' Cheese

You have Chef James Hemings, who cooked for Thomas Jefferson, to thank for the macaroni and cheese on your plate this Thanksgiving. Setting the Table's Deb Freeman tells us how the French dish became so baked into American cuisine. And: Across troubled waters, enslaved people carried benne seeds and grew them in a new land. Chef Amethyst Ganaway is snacking on benne wafers while thickening the Thanksgiving stew. Plus: The Lowcountry is always cooking. Chef BJ Dennis says the vast rice plantation

Nov 17, 2022 • 52:00

Expanding Our Origin Story

Cauline Yates was at a family reunion the first time she heard she was a descendant of Thomas Jefferson. In 2019, she was asked to help develop the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at the University of Virginia. With Good Reason producer Matt Darroch has the story. And: Clint Smith is the author of the award-winning book, How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America. He travels to 9 historic sites to understand how slavery is remembered and taught. Later in the Sho

Nov 10, 2022 • 52:00

The Five Senses

In 19th century American cities, the smell of rapid industrial growth was overwhelming. This was particularly concerning, because at the time, people thought smells actually caused disease. Melanie Kiechle tells us about the official smell committees that were created to track down offensive odors and the lengths cities went to in order to cover those smells up. And: Buried in a folio of a 15th century monk’s writing is a poem about the absolutely annoying noise of blacksmiths–not just the pound

Nov 3, 2022 • 52:00

Checkout Charity

Right after the cashier tells you your total, they induce the moral dilemma: Would you like to round up to donate? Adrienne Sudbury says that most checkout charity donors give less than a dollar. And: America has a pay inequality problem. Caroline Hanley says that the age-old advice to get more education to increase income isn’t going to cut it. This is a structural issue. Later in the show: The future of work is digital. Will robots displace workers? Does automation mean the end of work as we

Oct 28, 2022 • 52:00

Spooky Season

Could a centuries-old curse be to blame for the infamous slap between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Academy Awards? Amanda Kellogg uncovers the long history of a spooky playhouse superstition known as Macbeth’s curse. And: Anna Beecher first encountered the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale, The Boy Who Went Forth to Learn to Shudder, as a young kid and was thoroughly frightened. The story haunted her for years and in 2017 she wrote Skin of the Teeth, a play based on that same Grimm’s fairy tale. L

Oct 20, 2022 • 52:00

The Pets We Love

In the earlier stages of the pandemic, when many people were still staying as close to home as possible, nearly 1 in 5 American households adopted a pet. Furry cats and snuggly dogs–and some temperamental pigs. Sherrie Clark is a veterinarian who treats and studies pet pigs. She says they make good pets–for the right family. And: Relationships between dogs and humans go back 10,000 years. Nancy Gee says that today relationships between people and pooches improve health outcomes for everyone with

Oct 13, 2022 • 52:00

Detecting Terrorism

The consecutive terrorist attack on two mosques in Churchchrist, New Zealand was streamed live on Facebook. Within 24 hours, an AI tool was able to delete millions of copies of the footage. Ariel Pinto is working to further develop AI tools that find and delete terrorism online. And: Kwabena Konadu says that America is on a cybersecurity spending spree because the bad guys just keep getting smarter. Later in the show: We’re a society of devices, and we’re all plugged in. Why Hwajung Lee shares

Oct 7, 2022 • 52:00

Expanding The Franchise

Dwayne Betts was only a teenager when he was convicted of carjacking and sentenced to 9 years in prison. Today, he’s an acclaimed poet and accomplished attorney. He recounts his inspiring story and brings attention to one of the biggest civil rights issues of our time: felon disenfranchisement. Later in the show: Think immigrant voting is un-American? Think again. Ron Hayduk says it’s as American as apple pie. Plus: We take for granted that 18 is the voting age. But it wasn’t always this way. Re

Sep 29, 2022 • 52:00

Who Runs the World?

Tensions over Taiwan are making U.S.-China relations even more fraught. What do the two nuclear powers want to do with the small island that is also a technological giant? Plus: Quilts made by women of Southwest China

Sep 23, 2022 • 51:59

Translations

Bonaventure Balla’s favorite word in any language is “cornucopia.” And that’s saying something, because he’s a translator from Cameroon who speaks seven languages. His favorite? His home dialect called Fang.

Sep 16, 2022 • 52:00

Seeding Innovation

The creators of a new multi-million dollar Innovation Hub in a farming region say it's already supporting rural entrepreneurs. They have high hopes it will also help reverse economic hardship and population decline.

Sep 8, 2022 • 52:00

How Hot Is Your Honey?

Chef Ralph Brown’s parents fed the neighborhood for years. Now, he’s keeping that tradition going. Plus: Fifty years after the last atmospheric nuclear tests on American soil, radioactive elements remain in our food supply. Jim Kaste says the honey is especially hot. And: There are many threats to our food supply. Mike Evans is working with farmers to grow vertically indoors. Later in the show: Kashef Majid says that food insecurity is a problem we can solve, simply by reducing food waste. Plus

Sep 2, 2022 • 52:00

Lighting Up A Better Future

America has locked up hundreds of thousands of people on minor marijuana possession charges. And the majority of those arrests have targeted Black, indigenous, and people of color. Advocates argue that after bearing the brunt of harsh marijuana laws, people of color deserve a spot in Virginia’s commercial cannabis industry. Also: Last year More states are legalizing marijuana, marking a major milestone in the failure of the War on Drugs. And: The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse r

Aug 25, 2022 • 52:00

Parenting In The Early Years

Decisions about parenting–when to parent, whether to parent–have been in the news a lot lately. Mary Thompson says that stories about reproductive choices aren’t just newsworthy–they’ve also made their way increasingly into art. And: Janice Hawkins has been administering the covid vaccine to children. She shares why she believes it’s so important to get even the youngest vaccinated. Later in the show: It’s estimated that there are 3,500 sleep-related infant deaths in the United States each year.

Aug 18, 2022 • 52:00

HBCU Renaissance

HBCUs rose from the ashes of slavery and have been educating Black students for generations. Cheryl Mango says HBCUs are currently experiencing a renaissance, sparked from Black Lives Matter movement and the fight for racial justice. Plus: HBCU bands like the Trojan Explosion at Virginia State University play with power and energy. It’s an audio and visual display, with high-step marching and decked-out drum majors at the center of the performance. Taylor Whitehead says that HBCU sound and style

Aug 11, 2022 • 52:00

Set The Stage

It’s difficult to be a veteran re-entering civilian life. One day your major decisions are being made for you. The next? It’s up to you. What do you do? Every Tuesday in one small town, veterans gather with Elizabeth Byland for life-affirming improv. Plus: How Brad Stoller worked with incarcerated women to create a performance about, in part, one of the world's most unsuspecting hot commodities... toilet paper. Later in the show: How David Riley turned a museum auditorium into a public programmi

Aug 5, 2022 • 52:00

UFOs And Space Aliens

What caused the Big Bang? Are black holes key to interstellar travel? And how close are we to discovering extraterrestrial life? These are some of the big questions that Kelsey Johnson (University of Virginia) covers in her fascinating class, “The Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe.” And: Robin Hanson (George Mason University) has come up with a mathematical model that predicts when us earthlings will encounter an advanced alien civilization. Hint: It won’t happen anytime soon. Later in the Show

Jul 28, 2022 • 52:00

Beyond The Book

Outer space probably isn’t in your travel plans this summer. But it could be soon. Last year, Hayley Arceneaux was a SpaceX crew member in the first all-civilian mission to orbit earth. Her upcoming book, Wild Ride: A Memoir of IV Drips and Rocket Ships, chronicles her unlikely journey from childhood cancer to space explorer. With Good Reason producer, Matt Darroch, has the story. And: Mara Scanlon took her class of self-proclaimed “Whitmaniacs” to the Walt Whitman house in Camden, New Jersey. S

Jul 21, 2022 • 52:00

2022 Summer Reading Recs

Summer is officially here and with it comes our annual With Good Reason summer reading list. We’ve got stories of mothers and daughters, spiritual-seekers, Spike Lee, and so much in-between. Archana Pathak, Rosalie Kiah, Kyle Garton-Gundling, Cheryl Mango, and Bruce Cahoon share some of their favorite recent reads.

Jul 14, 2022 • 52:00

REPLAY Back To The Land

The pandemic gave rise to people from all walks of life trying their hand at gardening for the first time. And longtime gardeners began trying new things like “immunity gardens.” And: Jinny Turman tells us about the 70s back-to-the-land movement, and how the fallout of COVID-19 could lead to another movement. Later in the show: In Japanese folklore, when a brightly colored fish resembling a dragon washes up on shore, its arrival is a harbinger of earthquakes and tsunamis. Jennifer Martin is an

Jul 7, 2022 • 52:00

REPLAY Voices of Vietnam: Women of War

Alongside the army of men on the front lines of conflict was an army of women in support roles. From the Red Cross volunteers who boosted morale to the nurses who treated injuries, women were a major part of soldiers’ experience of the war. We hear the stories of some of these women, and connect with scholars on how women’s roles in Vietnam reflected the gender norms of the era. Later in the Show: The war upended the lives of millions of women at home, some of whom turned to activism in an effo

Jun 30, 2022 • 52:00

Radical Acceptance

New-to-this-country students are constantly being asked to adapt. And often, their wellbeing is measured almost entirely by their ability to speak English. Alfonzo Perez Acosta is an arts educator. In his classroom, he gives students the tools to let their art do the talking. And: Everybody has a story. Not everyone has a place to tell it. Through the Community Media Center, Chioke I’Anson hopes to solve the problem of the untold story. Later in the show: Education has long been seen as a tool o

Jun 23, 2022 • 52:00

In the System

When a family is referred to Child Protective Services, they’re often treated a lot like criminals on parole. But, the administrative work required to keep their families together can actually make it even harder to parent successfully. Christa Moore says that our child welfare system should operate more like collaborative care and less like bureaucratic punishment. Plus: How does having a parent who is incarcerated affect young people as they get older? Heidi Williams is talking to 18 - 25 year

Jun 16, 2022 • 52:00

Changing The Clocks

In March, the Senate approved the Sunshine Protection Act - which, if passed, will make daylight savings time permanent. The bill has been praised by many, but Mariana Szklo-Coxe says not so fast. She studies how permanent daylight savings time will affect our sleep. Plus: Postpartum depression is one of the leading complications of childbirth, but most mothers are never screened for it. Jennifer Payne conducted a worldwide study and found that first time moms, young moms, and moms with twins ha

Jun 10, 2022 • 52:00

Riding Jane Crow

American railroads of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century were littered with racial, gendered traps. And from working in the food car to sitting in first class, Miriam Thaggert (SUNY Buffalo) says that Black women are critical to the history of the American railroad. Her new book is Riding Jane Crow African American Women on the American Railroad. Plus: While many European writers described the open road as a place of freedom, African-Americans revealed a different reality. From peri

Jun 3, 2022 • 52:00

REPLAY Celebrating American Freedom

In 2019, Virginia joined just three other states in making Juneteenth a paid state holiday, recognizing it as a holiday for all Virginians. Lauranett Lee says in this country we have parallel histories, with Black and white Americans knowing about and acknowledging different pasts. But community efforts and local activists are elevating the stories of African Americans so that those parallel histories are brought together. One of those local historians is Wilma Jones, who grew up in the mostly B

May 26, 2022 • 52:00

Sidelines Of The Mainstream

LARP stands for Live Action Role Play. Think of it like Lord of the Rings comes to life, where you get to create your own character and wield foam swords on a mock-battlefield. But for many players, LARP is more than just fun and games - it's a lifeline to belonging. With Good Reason producer, Matt Darroch, has the story. And: Climate change, pollution, and development projects are threatening surf breaks all over the world. H. Gelfand says many surfers have taken up the mantle of environmental

May 19, 2022 • 52:00

Put the Phone Down

Whether you’re on foot crossing the street, or behind the wheel -- there are a lot of new technologies to be distracted by. Bryan Porter says that we do not recover from looking at our phones as quickly as we think. Is your brain on the road when you are? And: Screen time is transforming children’s brains. Robyn Kondrad says there are times when it is useful, alongside glaring limitations. Later in the show: Many of us have horror stories of how we took out extra student loans or took on a new

May 12, 2022 • 52:00

Legacies Of WWII

In recent years, the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII has gotten more attention. But most of that attention focuses on the West Coast, California in particular. Emma Ito studied the racism and incarceration that Virginians and other East Coast Japanese Americans faced during the war. And: Japanese Americans weren’t the only immigrants persecuted during WWII–many German and Italian immigrants were also sent to incarceration camps and repatriated. John Schmitz’s own family were Germ

May 5, 2022 • 52:00

Medicine's Messiness

The patient-doctor relationship is complicated and fraught. Patients often feel confused and talked down to, in part because doctors feel like they need to project authority. As a physician and a poet, Laura Kolbe is trying to make room for uncertainty and humility from both sides in the exam room. Kolbe’s new collection of poetry, Little Pharma, explores the messy and human side of doctoring. And: The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed so many vulnerabilities in our healthcare system, from racial in

Apr 29, 2022 • 52:00

Music As Escape

Formed in the mid 1960’s, The Soulmasters was an interacial soul band from Danville, VA. Jerry Wilson and John Irby were the two African-American lead singers, and the other 8 members of the band were white. Producer Matt Darroch headed over to Danville to hear Jerry reflect on his three years in the band and what it was like touring the South during the height of segregation. And: No matter your background or where you're from, we all have that one song that eases our troubles and soothes the s

Apr 21, 2022 • 52:00

Attack Of The Zombie Crabs

There’s a parasite inhabiting the bodies of crabs, and making them infertile. Amy Fowler says that if that parasite entered the Chesapeake Bay, 90% of our crabs would be inedible. America is littered with battlefields, and abandoned forts. They’re often some of the most pristine sites of Virginia ecosystems. Plus: Todd Lookingbill is a SCHEV winner for his research on the ecological value of battlefields. Later in the show: Scientists first noticed coral reefs disappearing in the late nineties.

Apr 15, 2022 • 52:00

REPLAY Patrick Henry's Speech

Thomas Jefferson said Patrick Henry “got the ball of revolution rolling.” Historian John Ragosta says Henry was five times elected governor of colonial Virginia, but it was his ability to electrify an audience that made him the idol of the common people. Plus: Before Patrick Henry died, he credited a Presbyterian minister named Samuel Davies with “teaching me what an orator should be.” Kelley Libby finds the story of Davies at a “ghost church” on a stretch of rural road. Also: Two hundred years

Apr 7, 2022 • 52:00

REPLAY Let's Take a Walk

Many of us are more closely tuned in to the environment around us than ever before. We’re spending more time hanging outdoors, planting kitchen gardens, and taking up bird-watching. In honor of Earth Day and our new relationship with the great outdoors, With Good Reason invites you to walk with us. We traipse around the foothills of Appalachia with Ryan Huish, wade through ghost forest wetlands with Matt Kirwan, venture into dark caves with Ángel García, and explore the mini-ecosystems of fallen

Mar 31, 2022 • 52:00

Borderlands

The colonial era is usually seen as prim and proper - a time when manners were refined and marriage was sacrosanct. But that period may have been much wilder than previously thought. Liz Elizondo says in colonial Spanish Texas, love affairs didn’t just occasionally happen…they were the norm. And: What does it mean to feel like you belong within a community? Jennifer Bickham Mendez studies that question within the Latin American immigrant population in Williamsburg, VA. She says latina immigrant

Mar 25, 2022 • 52:00

The Wonder Years

Being a Black girl in a mostly white space can bring stress, frustration, anger, and all kinds of mixed emotions. In Finding Her Voice, Faye and Ivy Belgrave, along with co-author Angela Patton (Girls for A Change), have created a guidebook for Black girls navigating predominantly white spaces. And: Two years on, the covid-19 pandemic is still affecting us in new ways. Although many schools have returned to in-person learning, parents are still struggling to support their teens. Development expe

Mar 17, 2022 • 52:00

REPLAY Gun Sense

Student survivors of school shootings have made their voices heard, loud and clear. But the teacher's perspective of school shootings is less common. Megan Doney is an English professor turned gun control activist who writes about her traumatic experience. And: Research suggests that a police strategy called "community policing" benefits those with mental illness. Charlotte Gill rides along with a police officer and catches a surprisingly warm encounter. Later in the show: Hunting for evidence

Mar 10, 2022 • 52:00

Newton's Annotator

A lot of the day’s popular shows like Lovecraft Country and Watchmen have their roots in Black newspapers. Brooks Hefner says these stories imagined futuristic solutions to issues of Jim Crow and racism. And: Literature influences a lot of how we interpret history. Jonathan Crimmons says the short lived genre of comedic theater, harlequins, opens the door for new historical interpretations. Later on the show: When Northam’s yearbook photos went public, Stephen Poulson and his students began loo

Mar 4, 2022 • 52:00

Homecoming

The first federally registered Black neighborhood in the United States was Jackson Ward, a once-booming economic and residential district in Richmond, Virginia. Through the Skipwith-Roper Homecoming initiative, Sisters Sesha Moon and Enjoli Moon are working to reconstruct the gambrel roof cottage of Richmond’s first known Black homeowner, Abraham Skipwith. And: Kelli Lemon is Virginia’s biggest cheerleader. She says that Richmond, Virginia will soon become the top destination for Americans to le

Feb 25, 2022 • 52:00

The Health Gap

Last year, officials and public health leaders across the United States were also talking about a public health emergency besides Covid-19: racism. Jamela Martin says that racism’s direct impact on health is well-documented. What we know less about is how to fix it. And: Cancer is caused by a combination of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and environmental causes. Li Li studies colon cancer and he’s trying to understand the particular combination of factors that causes African Americans

Feb 17, 2022 • 52:00

The Highest Office

When Colin Rafferty moved to Virginia in 2008 he didn’t know much about the presidents, so he set out to read a biography of each one. What began as a personal project eventually turned into his new publication - a collection of experimental, genre-bending essays on every U.S. president. Also: In 2016, Eric Drummond Smith guest-curated an art exhibit called The Cherry Bounce Show at the William King Museum in Abingdon, VA. He called on artists from all over Appalachia to create modern artwork, w

Feb 10, 2022 • 52:00

REPLAY American Terrorism

In 1979, members of the KKK shot and killed five labor and civil rights activists in Greensboro, North Carolina. Aran Shetterly, who is writing a book about the incident, says it still reverberates in the racial politics of Greensboro today. Also: The European philosophers of the Enlightenment argued that Europeans were civilized, but Africans were barbarians. Stefan Wheelock describes how radical African American writers used those same philosophical principles to unmask the barbarism of slaver

Feb 3, 2022 • 52:00

Mi Voz, Mi Cultura

Little kids absorb everything around them–from the words we say, to the way we move and dress. Psychologist Chelsea Williams says that long before we realize it, little kids are also absorbing attitudes about race and ethnicity. She studies how parents can help young Latinx kids be proud of their identity. And: The 1980 Marial Boatlift brought 125,000 mostly Black Cuban immigrants into Florida. Monika Gosin says messaging around these arrivals in Miami reveals a lot about the racial tensions tha

Jan 27, 2022 • 52:00

Gray Areas

As technology advances, society becomes more vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. Bug bounty hunters to the rescue! Bug hunters are ethical hackers who help companies fix vulnerabilities in their systems before the bad guys find them. But Daniel Graham says some ethical hackers face a moral dilemma: should they fix the vulnerability for a modest sum or sell it on the black market for much more? And: Hypothetical scenario: You just suffered a traumatic brain injury. You’re unconscious and doctors

Jan 21, 2022 • 52:00

Next Stop: Mars

Back in the 1950s, the Soviets were eager to follow their Sputnik success with an even bigger milestone: they would send something living to outer space. Amy Nelson says that the pups were easy to rebrand as space pioneers. And: Scientists have reason to believe that Mars has a lot in common with Earth. Joel Levine says the search for life outside of Earth is the driving force of space exploration. Later in the show: Increasingly, tech that was for extraterrestrials is making its way into the h

Jan 13, 2022 • 51:59

New Year, New You

The 1970s saw a renaissance of Black women writers like Alice Walker and Gloria Naylor who told stories of Black women’s pain and healing. Tamika Carey says that just a few decades later, these stories trickled up to a whole Black women’s wellness industry, driven by figures like Oprah Winfrey, Iyanla Vanzant, and even Tyler Perry. And: In the wellness world, “natural” reigns supreme. So much so that according to Alan Levinovitz, it’s become a religion. His new book explores how too much faith i

Jan 6, 2022 • 52:00

REPLAY Parenting On The Spectrum

When Jennifer Malia started researching her young daughter’s behaviors, she realized that both she and her daughter were on the autism spectrum. Malia has a children’s book coming out next year, called: Too Sticky! Sensory Issues with Autism. Also: Leslie Daniel celebrates autism and shares some basic strategies for communicating with children on the autism spectrum. And: Children’s museums can be tricky for kids with autism. Through personal experience and extensive research, Jackie Spainhour h

Dec 30, 2021 • 52:00

REPLAY Policing The Jig

Francis O’Neill rose through the ranks to become a prominent Chicago police chief at the turn of the 20th century. But he’s mostly remembered as the savior of Irish folk music. Mike O’Malley highlights O’Neill’s incredible life and explains how he used the authority of his badge to collect thousands of tunes. And: Thomas Stanley says that there is no such thing as silence--there’s always something to hear. Stanley teaches and creates sound art and shares with us some of his favorite listening se

Dec 21, 2021 • 52:00

Food Is Family

While many Americans keep the Christmas decorations stowed away until after Thanksgiving, the Philippines takes Christmas to another level. From September to December, the Southeast Asian island-country celebrates the longest Christmas season in the world. Ken Garcia Olaes and his parents bake some Bibingka, a filipino-style cake, and share fond memories of Christmas time in the Philippines. And: Erica Cavanagh spent two years as a member of the Peace Corps in Benin, West Africa. She says sharin

Dec 17, 2021 • 52:00

Gift Wrapped America

It’s all about the power of the almighty dollar. Meredith Katz says that from From the Boston Tea Party to the Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work, consumers have long known that. What companies are you avoiding this year? Who’s getting your hard-earned money instead? And: These days almost all toys are Made in China. But that wasn’t always the case. Susan Fernsebner says that most Chinese toys were made in America. So the Chinese government incentivized creating toys that reflected its own national

Dec 9, 2021 • 52:00

Treating The Whole Person

Pregnant people who struggle with substance abuse face an uphill battle getting the care they need for their pregnancy and the care they need for their recovery. Caitlin Martin’s OB MOTIVATE clinic believes that caring for the whole person--pregnancy, addiction, and everything else--in one place is the best way to truly help patients. And: The criminal justice system has the highest concentration of people with opioid use disorders in the US. If you’re in the justice system, you are 400 times mo

Dec 2, 2021 • 52:00

REPLAY Friendsgiving

For many, the Thanksgiving holidays are a time to gather with your biological relatives. But what if you don’t have the traditional, Norman-Rockwell family? April Few-Demo studies how queer families of color, especially Black lesbians, navigate biological and chosen family. She says that dialogue about identity and acceptance might happen in subtle ways during the holidays. And: Shannon Davis argues that we should remember those families who can’t get together during the holidays at all, because

Nov 22, 2021 • 52:00

Whats On Your Plate?

Since she was a child, Luz Lopes would help her mother prepare the altar for the Day of the Dead. This year, her go-to bakery shut down so she made her own pan de muerto. Plus: It seemed like quinoa just kind of came out of nowhere didn’t it? Well, it kind of did. Linda Seligmann tells us how she witnessed this afterthought crop become a commercial crop. And: Will the real pigs please stand up? Brad Weiss gives us insight on North Carolina’s local farming efforts to produce real, local pork. La

Nov 19, 2021 • 52:00

Saving Endangered Species

The red colobus monkey is one of the most endangered primates in the world. Found in West, East, and Central Africa, the once thriving species has been decimated by over-hunting. Josh Linder has devoted his career to studying and conserving these peaceful primates. Plus: A few months ago, Francesco Ferretti led an expedition to be the first to ever tag endangered great white sharks in the Mediterranean. While he and his crew didn’t end up tagging any sharks, they uncovered exciting new evidence

Nov 11, 2021 • 51:59

In Another Life

A lot of parents are tired of telling their kids to put down the video games, and pick up the textbooks. But now, video games are part of school. Lisa Heuvel says that Minecraft creates a unique opportunity for practicing effective teamwork. And IT specialist Jan Dougherty says that through games, students begin dealing with complex topics without even realizing it. Later in the show: A lot of people avoid exercising the parts that ache as they age. But James Thomas says that’s the worst thing y

Nov 5, 2021 • 51:59

Stagecraft

During the early months of the pandemic, live theater shut down completely. Leslie Scott-Jones, a theater director and producer, was looking for a way to continue her work. Grounds: A Blackcast was born. This fictional podcast follows five Black professors at a predominantly white university in the south as they navigate work and life. And: Contemporary fiction these days is experimental, genre-crossing, and form-breaking. But one form that hasn’t quite made into the fiction mainstream: theater.

Oct 28, 2021 • 52:00

Women On Screen

After new episodes drop, fans of TV shows from The Bachelor to Grey’s Anatomy take to social media to dissect what they just saw. And the twittersphere isn’t just venting about plot twists and love interests--sometimes there are bigger issues at hand. Dr. Morgan Smalls says that shows like Insecure and Being Mary Jane that feature Black women protagonists and majority Black casts inspire important conversations about race on social media. And: Disney princesses can be a bit of a scapegoat for wh

Oct 21, 2021 • 52:00

Abolishing the Death Penalty

Earlier this year, Virginia made headlines when it became the latest state to abolish the death penalty. Sabrina Butler-Smith is the first woman to be exonerated from death row. She says she’s living, breathing proof of why the capital punishment should be a thing of the past. Also: Deirdre Enright is probably best known for her work as the founding director of the Innocence Project and her passionate voice on the first season of the hit podcast, Serial. But before all that, she spent decades as

Oct 14, 2021 • 52:00

REPLAY The Conflicting Ideals in Jefferson's Architecture

The most important architectural thinker of the young American republic was Thomas Jefferson. He also held captive more than 600 enslaved men, women, and children in his lifetime. Architects Mabel O. Wilson and Louis Nelson discuss Jefferson’s conflicting ideals. Also: Erik Neil takes us through a Chrysler Museum exhibit that explored the inherent conflict between Jefferson’s pursuit of liberty and democracy and his use of enslaved laborers to construct his monuments. Later in the show: Phillip

Oct 7, 2021 • 52:00

Gut Feelings

Cancer is a beast, and it doesn’t discriminate. For decades researchers have been trying to treat and cure children with cancer. Dr. Daniel “Trey” Lee is working with a team to develop more immunotherapies for pediatric cancer, reducing the pain and hopefully sending more patients into remission. Also: More and more employers and schools are rolling out vaccine mandates, leaving many wondering: is that legal? Margaret Foster Riley says that actually, yes, it’s very legal. Later in the show: Do

Sep 30, 2021 • 52:00

The Suffragist Playbook

Last year, America celebrated the anniversary of many women getting the right to vote. But what led up to that victory was decades and decades of hard work and strategy. Lucinda Robb and Rebecca Roberts, authors of The Suffragist Playbook, share some of those tactics and how they are still used by activists today. Later in the show: In today’s political strategy, attack ads on TV are out, attack tweets are in. Heather Evans’ studies how women politicians use social media. She says that not only

Sep 23, 2021 • 52:00

REPLAY Finding Classroom Success

The first year of college can be stressful and disorienting, especially for shy students. But Madelynn Shell says shy freshmen who have at least one good friend report more life satisfaction and better emotional wellbeing. Plus: While many students on the rural Eastern Shore of Virginia can’t wait to get out, one of their teachers couldn’t wait to come back. Christina Duffman grew up in poverty and now shares her inspiring life story with students who feel hopeless there. Later in the show: Les

Sep 16, 2021 • 52:00

The Wide World Of Video Games

For decades, video games have inspired hit songs and have been adapted into countless movies. Boris Willis says the next horizon for video games is the stage. He uses cutting-edge video game technology to turn his performances into interactive experiences. And: Arcades defined pop culture in the 1980’s and 90’s. But today, they’re almost extinct. Zach Whalen charts the rise and fall of one of America’s most nostalgic institutions: the arcade. Later in the Show: In 2014, Anita Sarkesian posted a

Sep 9, 2021 • 52:00

Reading And Writing Ourselves

In 2017, many Americans watched in horror as violent images from the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville started spreading. A few short years later, My Monticello tells the story of Charlottesville neighbors fleeing racist violence and taking refuge in Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello. The author, Jocelyn Johnson, talks about what it means to be writing about a past and a future that both feel very present and whether there’s hope in writing about America’s racism. Later in the show: Fam

Sep 2, 2021 • 52:00

School's In Session

Many American students left for Spring Break in March 2020, and will be returning to in-person school for the first time this Fall. It sounds nice in theory -- some time away from the classroom. But schooling never stopped, and it was difficult. Bethany Teachman says that some students got hooked on social media apps like Tik Tok to cope. And: These days we recognize that teachers are superheroes. But that celebration may be too little, too late. With low pay and high stakes testing, Brad Bizze

Aug 26, 2021 • 52:00

UFOs And Space Aliens

What caused the Big Bang? Are black holes key to interstellar travel? And how close are we to discovering extraterrestrial life? These are some of the big questions that Kelsey Johnson covers in her fascinating class, “The Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe.” And: Robin Hanson has come up with a mathematical model that predicts when us earthlings will encounter an advanced alien civilization. Hint: It won’t happen anytime soon. Later in the Show: UFO encounters are usually horror stories of abdu

Aug 19, 2021 • 52:00

Pandemic Pockets

What do you do for work? That answer changed for many people at the top of the pandemic. But what was a tragedy, has become a choice for many. Nathaniel Throckmortan says that people had time to think about what mattered to them, and in many cases, it’s not work. And: Many young people in the workforce are enjoying more flexible schedules, and many baby boomers are on their way out. Jeannette Chapman says that this will have long lasting effects on the labor market. Later in the show: At the be

Aug 12, 2021 • 52:00

REPLAY Talkin Hurricanes

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. In the years since, as residents have come and gone and rebuilt their lives, a lot has changed about the city--including, says Katie Carmichael, the way people talk. And: The author of Sudden Spring, Rick Van Noy travelled across the US South interviewing people about floods, heat, and storms. He says that, in many Southern communities, climate change is already here. Later in the show: In the early 19th century, Americans began to journ

Aug 5, 2021 • 52:00

Entangling Alliances

During the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, tensions between the United States and Russia very nearly led to nuclear disaster. So what prevented the unthinkable from happening? Martin Sherwin says it had something to do with luck. And: Throughout this summer, states in the West have been sweating through an unprecedented heatwave. Philip Roessler has studied the impact of these rising temperatures on conflict zones around the world. He says climate change will soon become one of the main drivers of la

Jul 29, 2021 • 52:00

Pandemics Past

Mask debates, a rush for a vaccine, and closed schools--not much has changed in the years since the 1890 and 1918 influenza epidemics. Tom Ewing takes us back to historical outbreaks to see what we can learn about today’s Covid-19 pandemic. And: There’s been a lot of coverage about the challenges of distributing the Covid-19 vaccine. How do we get it to distant areas? How do we use a whole vial before it expires? What about the special refrigerators needed to keep it cold enough? But these probl

Jul 22, 2021 • 52:00

London Fog, LA Smog

For generations, Englishmen grew food on public land. They sustained their families with these gardens, and with fish and animals they hunted and killed. Then almost overnight, in a new and becoming industrial age, the commons were closed. Katey Castellano says this disconnected people from rural land, forcing them into the city for industrial wages. Plus: There was a time where bowling in the street was considered a top felony. These and more serious crimes were the bread and butter of Victoria

Jul 15, 2021 • 52:00

AAPI Summer Reading Recs

This year’s annual summer reading show explores the broad, diverse, and wonderful world of Asian American and Pacific Islander writers. We hear recommendations from Sylvia Chong, Juanita Giles, Wendy Shang, Alex Purugganan, Spencer Tricker, and Luisa A. Igloria.

Jul 8, 2021 • 52:00

REPLAY Music And Democracy

The evolution of social change in America can be traced through popular songs by the likes of Nat King Cole, Percy Mayfield, Lena Horne, and the Impressions. Charlie McGovern shares from his book Body and Soul: Race, Citizenship and Popular Music, 1930-1977. Also: Music streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube have changed the conversation about music and democracy. These days we talk about individual freedoms to choose what to listen to and when. Nancy Hanrahan says debates about music and

Jul 1, 2021 • 52:00

REPLAY Wearing Down The Appalachian Trail

From start to finish, the Appalachian Trail covers a whopping 2,181 miles. Rodney Bragdon dishes on the toughest challenges he experienced while through-hiking the entire trail. And: Camping, hiking, and enjoying the great outdoors are American pastimes. But for African Americans, gathering in public spaces has long been fraught. Erin Devlin discusses the racism that was built into America’s national parks. Later in the show: From its Native American roots to hiking fashion trends, Mills Kelly t

Jun 24, 2021 • 52:00

Life After Life

You only die once. But you can get close a few times. Bruce Greyson never was very spiritual, but after interviewing 1,000’s of people who have had near-death experiences he’s changed his mind about life after death. His new book is After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond. Later in the show: For many of us, the frantic rush of our morning commute has been replaced with going into the next room, where we have our computer set up. But can we ever really

Jun 17, 2021 • 52:00

Celebrating American Freedom

In 2019, Virginia joined just three other states in making Juneteenth a paid state holiday, recognizing it as a holiday for all Virginians. Historian Lauranett Lee says in this country we have parallel histories, with Black and white Americans knowing about and acknowledging different pasts. But community efforts and local activists are elevating the stories of African Americans so that those parallel histories are brought together. One of those local historians is Wilma Jones, who grew up in th

Jun 10, 2021 • 52:00

REPLAY Giving Birth While Black

Black women are three and a half times more likely to die in childbirth than white women. Even highly educated, wealthy African Americans are at a greater risk than whites. To combat the disparity, Dr. Rochanda Mitchell advocates hiring more African American nurse educators and providing anti-bias training for medical professionals. Plus: Bellamy Shoffner was well aware of the frightening statistics when she gave birth to her sons. Shoffner is Founder and Editor of Hold The Line Magazine, about

Jun 3, 2021 • 52:00

Front Porch Healthcare

One study found that in the early months of the pandemic, as many as 40% of Americans skipped medical care. But new health insurance coverage of telehealth visits means that there’s a better option. UVA Health’s Karen Rheuban and Laurie Archbald-Pannone have steered innovative telehealth approaches that bring safe medical care to patients’ homes and long-term care facilities. And: When the world closed down last March, Sarah Gilbert created the Front Porch Project to connect her nursing students

May 27, 2021 • 51:59

Planned Destruction

It’s difficult to imagine that the highway was someone’s home. But it was. LaToya S. Gray says a once thriving Richmond neighborhood known as the Harlem of the South fell victim to intentionally destructive city planners. And: You don’t have to look far to connect racial inequities to environmental issues. Jeremy Hoffman says that many formerly redlined neighborhoods experience up to 16 degree hotter days in the summer than green lined neighborhoods within walking distance. Later in the show: H

May 20, 2021 • 52:00

Lighting Up For A Better Future

In July of this year, Virginia will become the first Southern state to legalize marijuana, marking a major milestone in the failure of the War on Drugs. Katherine Ott Walter traces the racist roots of the War on Drugs and offers sensible alternatives to dealing with addiction in America. And: In the early 1970’s, Richard Bonnie became the Associate Director of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse. While the Commission ultimately recommended the decriminalization of marijuana, Pres

May 13, 2021 • 52:00

Plant Music Hour

If plants could talk, what would they say? What if they could sing? Sam Nester, Yassmin Salem, and Donald Russell explain how George Mason University’s Arcadia installation turns a greenhouse into an orchestra. And: Fossils give away the secrets of the past, but they can also tell the future. Rowan Lockwood is taking a closer look at the fossils of giant oysters to learn how to rebuild oyster reefs today. Lockwood was named a 2019 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award recipient. Later in the show:

May 6, 2021 • 51:59

Entertain Us

More and more often, celebrities are home-grown in front of a ring light and iPhone. As viewers keep scrolling past these insta-celebs, they’re starting to see themselves differently. Miriam Liss and Mindy Erchull say we compare ourselves to what we see despite knowing all that glitters isn’t gold. And: Have you been running to Twitter to cope with the crazy news cycle over the past year? John Brummette says it's a common coping mechanism. Later in the show: Long before social media, there was

Apr 28, 2021 • 52:00

Protecting Human Rights

Kirsten Gelsdorf has spent over 20 years working for the United Nations and other organizations in the humanitarian sector. She discusses her experience in disaster zones and clears up some commonly-held misconceptions about humanitarian aid. And: Earlier this year, Virginia became 1 of only 10 states to pass a Bill of Rights for domestic workers. But Jennifer Fish says while it’s certainly a step in the right direction, these protections often exist only on paper. Jennifer has been named an Out

Apr 22, 2021 • 52:00

Let's Take A Walk

Thanks to COVID-19, many of us are more closely tuned in to the environment around us than ever before. We’re spending more time hanging outdoors, planting kitchen gardens, and taking up bird-watching. In honor of Earth Day and our new relationship with the great outdoors, With Good Reason invites you to walk with us. We venture into dark caves with Ángel García, traipse around the foothills of Appalachia with Ryan Huish, explore the mini-ecosystems of fallen trees with Deborah Waller, and wade

Apr 16, 2021 • 52:00

Furious Flower: A Celebration of the Greats of African American Poetry

In 2019, the most notable poets of our time gathered in the nation’s capital to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Furious Flower Poetry Center, devoted to African American poetry. Furious Flower founder, Joanne Gabbin and Lauren Alleyne join us in-studio to celebrate poets and hear excerpts from interviews with Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Rita Dove, Sonia Sanchez, and many others. Later in the show: Widely known for his poem called “Facing It” about the Vietnam War, Pulitzer Prize-winning

Apr 8, 2021 • 52:00

The Waters

We have a lot to do with what happens to rainwater from the time it hits the ground, to the time we drink it. And our small efforts can add up over time to prevent catastrophe. Kathy Gee has great advice for us: don’t live downhill from someone else, and start a rain garden. And: Along Appalachian streams, people grew up watching the hellbenders swim around and fight beneath the surface. Now, their grandchildren have hardly ever seen the two-foot long salamanders, affectionately called snot dogs

Apr 1, 2021 • 52:00

A Woman's Place

The Women’s March in January 2017 was the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. Anywhere from 3 to 5 million Americans--most of them women--took to the streets in the U.S. and around the globe. But while women have certainly made their voices heard in massive protests like that one, women’s activism often looks like radical everyday acts. Lori Underwood and Dawn Hutchinson share some of their favorite examples from their book on social change and women’s activism around the world. And: Tod

Mar 26, 2021 • 52:00

Bigger Than A Game

Serena Williams is widely regarded as one of the best athletes of all time. But far too often her passion on the tennis court has been criticized as aggression. So why do Black sports women seem to attract more scrutiny than other athletes? Letisha Engracio Cardoso Brown says it’s because the same commonly-held stereotypes for Black women in society frequently get repurposed into sport. And: The USA men’s basketball team boasted a perfect Olympic record of 63-0. But Russia had developed a scrapp

Mar 18, 2021 • 52:00

Who Votes?

Remember those twelve months where every ad was asking you to vote? It was inescapable. Gilda Pedraza and her team worked around the clock to ensure Latino voters in Georgia had the information they needed to cast their ballot. But even with historic voter turnout, a third of eligible adults didn’t vote. Bernard Fraga says that’s a political failure, and not the failure of individual voters. Plus: Kathleen Hale and Mitchell Brown have spent years traveling the country talking to election officia

Mar 12, 2021 • 52:00

Music Matters

We all know that teenagers would rather die than hang out with their parents, right? Not so, says Jon Lohman. The Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, Virginia, brings young and old together to share traditions and songs. But how are musicians faring during the pandemic? Plus: The studio comes alive with song when Steve Rockenbach and Gregg Kimball bring their banjos in to share the instrument’s storied history in America. They reflect on how the banjo’s transformation has affected song styles to t

Mar 4, 2021 • 52:00

New Voices At The Table

In 2016, Lashrecse Aird made history as the youngest woman ever elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. She says her unique perspective - shaped by a childhood of adversity and hardship - allows her to better serve the full range of experiences within her constituency. And: Ebony Guy was inspired to get involved in activism from a young age by her grandmother, a beloved civil rights leader in Halifax County, Virginia. Now a board member at Virginia Organizing - her activist work has centered

Feb 25, 2021 • 52:00

Invisible Founders

Scholars, historic interpreters, and descendants of enslaved people recently gathered at Montpelier, the home of James Madison. They were there to create a rubric for historic sites who want to engage descendant communities in their work. Anthropologist Michael Blakey discusses why historical sites must consider the needs and wishes of descendants. And: Historian Hasan Kwame Jeffries says we need to do more to teach our kids about African American history, even when it covers tough subjects. Lat

Feb 18, 2021 • 52:00

Taking The Shot

In mid-December, UVA Health physician Taison Bell rolled up his sleeve to be one of the first people in Charlottesville to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Today he shares why he got the vaccine and how we can get it to as many Americans as possible. Bell was named a 2021 Outstanding Faculty member by The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. And: Navigating social lives in the time of Covid can be awkward. How do you tell your friends, ”No, I won’t be joining you at that restaurant, but yes, w

Feb 11, 2021 • 52:00

My Pandemic Valentine

We’re drawn to people who are kind to others. But once that kind person becomes our partner, we want special treatment. Lalin Anik says that we get a boost from feeling our "uniqueness" affirmed. She shares just how critical that special treatment is to a fulfilling relationship. And: Can one person really satisfy all of our needs? Julian Glover says no. They share how non-monogamy can be a freedom practice. Later in the show: Studies show that the more we look at screens, the less we feel our

Feb 4, 2021 • 52:00

Expanding The Franchise

Dwayne Betts was only a teenager when he was convicted of carjacking and sentenced to 9 years in prison. Today, he’s an acclaimed poet and PhD candidate at Yale Law School. He recounts his inspiring story and brings attention to one of the biggest civil rights issues of our time: felon disenfranchisement. Later in the show: Think immigrant voting is un-American? Think again. Ron Hayduk says it’s as American as apple pie. Plus: We take for granted that 18 is the voting age. But it wasn’t always t

Jan 28, 2021 • 51:57

Y'all Alright?

While people planned socially distanced funerals and waited in miles-long lines for canned food, the stock market soared and brought the GDP with it. The pandemic has revealed that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a poor measure of economic and societal health. Stephen Macekura’s new book, The Mismeasure of Progress, explores GDP and the long history of those who have critiqued it. And: The 2008 financial crisis scared investors. So they parked their money in huge land grabs for farms that would

Jan 21, 2021 • 52:00

Ghost Lights

When theatres, clubs, and bars shuttered their doors back in March, Michael-Birch Pierce and their fellow drag queens took to the streets - literally. Also: After growing up in the Philippines, Francis Tanglao Aguas realized that he’d spent a lot of time on colonized soil. That’s why he founded Aguas Arts Ink, a digital theatre collective dedicated to decolonizing the body and mind. Then: How do you dance in a space that technically doesn’t exist? Dancer and choreographer Scotty Hardwig answers

Jan 14, 2021 • 52:00

Teen Spirit

Today’s teens--Generation Z--are making headlines for their politics and their protests. The YA books that speak to them have followed suit. Lisa Koch shares three of her favorite recent young adult books that are speaking to a wider world of culture and politics. And: Old school guidance counselors sit behind their desks, giving one-on-one sessions that can feel like pulling teeth for moody kids. Natoya Haskins’ days as a guidance counselor were spent on her feet, in the hallways, in group sess

Jan 7, 2021 • 52:00

The Shondaland Revolution

Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder aren’t just popular tv shows--they’re also groundbreaking. Michaela Meyer says Shonda Rhimes has changed the way we make and watch TV. Also: Imelda O’Reilly published her first poem when she was just seven years old. Now a filmmaker, her short film Eggs and Soldiers examines a single father and son struggling to adjust to life in New York after emigrating from Ireland. Later in the show: Screen icon John Wayne and director John Ford had a

Dec 31, 2020 • 52:00

Music That Mends

David Coogan is the editor of “Writing Our Way Out” written by former jail inmates, exploring the conditions, traps and turning points on their paths to imprisonment, as well as the redemptive power of writing. Jazz musician Antonio Garcia composed a musical piece “Open Minds: Music that Mends,” that reflects the book’s themes of social justice, healing, self-reflection and redemption. Music performed by the VCU Commonwealth Singers, directed by Dr. Erin Freeman. And: Josh Iddings looks at the h

Dec 14, 2020 • 52:00

Writing Through

What do the mythological Chimera and motherhood have in common? In her work, poet Julie Phillips Brown dissects this and other biological queries, cleverly unveiling what makes us distinctly and undoubtedly human. And: Playwright Ivan Rodden focuses on the stories of refugees in his plays On Arriving and Lost Sock Laundry. He aims to dispel the mystique surrounding the refugee crisis, painting intimate onstage portraits of humans navigating the unknown. Later in the show: As a poet, Caseyrenée

Dec 10, 2020 • 52:00

The Environmental Imagination

What can we learn about climate change from literary figures like Walt Whitman or Cormac McCarthy? Greg Wrenn says it’s a lot more than you might think. He teaches a fascinating class that fuses both creative writing and the natural environment. And: Nick Balascio has journeyed to the far reaches of the planet, collecting lake sediments that offer clues into environmental change over thousands of years. Nick has been named an Outstanding Faculty member by The State Council of Higher Education fo

Dec 3, 2020 • 52:00

Outdoor Archives

We often think of cemeteries as separate worlds unto themselves. But those buried at Confederate graveyards were surely connected to those at the African burial grounds, and the cemetery reveals the intimacy of their connections. Ryan Smith says he and his students have been transformed by tending to cemeteries over the past 20 years. And: After Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy needed land for bases and training. Travis Harris says that the Magruder community was just one of many mostly blac

Nov 26, 2020 • 51:59

Stirring The Pot

Although it was once an important part of feeding families, home canning in America has never been just about necessity. Danille Christensen says a look back at home canning reveals the pride and creativity that went into stocking a pantry. And: Lilia Fuquen takes us inside a community cannery and a basement storeroom to hear from people who are keeping the tradition alive. Later in the show: Two brewers, Hunter Smith and Levi Duncan explain how a culture has grown up around brewing beer locally

Nov 19, 2020 • 52:00

Separate And Unequal

In 1970, Philicia Jefferson was forced to integrate into all-white, E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, Virginia. 40 years later, she finally attended her first class reunion. She says it was a profoundly healing experience. Plus: As a teenager, Owen Cardwell made history as one of the first Black students to attend E.C. Glass High School. Today, he continues to work on improving equity in public schools as a civil rights leader and scholar. Later in the show: In 1951, Barbara Johns led a stude

Nov 12, 2020 • 52:00

Everbody's Gotta Eat

Parents spend a lot of time delegating. No, you can’t have the hot fries and ice cream for dinner. Yes, please, have some more kale. Andria Timmer takes us to the dinner tables of “natural parents,” who left city life behind to bring the kids closer to their food source. Plus: For decades images of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben -- the “happy” enslaved cooks--adorned boxes of rice, bottles of syrup and other foods. Kelley Deetz says that this is one of the most successful and long lasting propaganda

Nov 5, 2020 • 52:00

Presidential Leadership

Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency marked the beginning of United States imperialism. Matt Oyos explains how Roosevelt modernized the military to bolster America’s international presence. Also: Arthur Schlesinger Jr. was the foremost presidential historian of the 20th century. Over the course of his career, he won two Pulitzer prizes and was a close friend and advisor to former president, John F. Kennedy. Emile Lester says Schlesinger’s work can teach us a lot about what makes a successful liberal

Oct 29, 2020 • 52:00

The Pandemic Election

If you think poll taxes and literacy tests are voting barriers of the past, think again. Gilda Daniels’ new book Uncounted: Voter Suppression in the United States explores how updated versions of these barriers--like voter ID laws and misinformation--are undermining our democracy. Later in the show: This election has a lot of people worried about voting--how to do it and how to make it count. Jennifer Victor (George Mason University) walks us through the best way to cast our ballots this Novembe

Oct 22, 2020 • 51:59

Covid: The Threat Is In The Air

As the world waits for a coronavirus cure, attention is focused on vaccines. Steven Zeichner cautions against prematurely approving a vaccine that later has significant safety concerns. Plus: With colder temperatures, how risky is it to dine indoors again? Linsey Marr says plenty risky. The tiny aerosols are like cigarette smoke and can pose a risk to anyone in the room. Also: For the estimated 7 million American adults who are immuno-compromised, traveling to a doctor’s office for a vaccine cou

Oct 15, 2020 • 51:59

How To Go Clubbing

Bars, nightclubs, dance, and music have long held a special place in LGBTQ culture. But even as shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and Pose bring that culture into the mainstream, real-life gay bars and clubs are shuttering. DJ and Professor Madison Moore argues that the club scene and the “fabulous” fashions on display there are radical spaces for queer and trans of color togetherness. Gregory Samantha Rosenthal, Don Muse, and Peter Thornhill describe the sometimes-dangerous, always-exciting gay bar

Oct 8, 2020 • 52:00

Predicting Hotspots

Atin Basu and his colleague’s Hotspot Predictors placed America high on the conflict predictor index for 2019. Sure enough, in 2020, we’ve seen hundreds of thousands of people marching in the streets, guns flying off of the shelves and police and military using weapons against civilians. And there are 3 months left in the year. Can Predicting Hotspots help us see ahead to 2021? Christie Jones was working in homeland security when Trayvon Martin was murdered by a neighborhood vigilante. She began

Oct 1, 2020 • 52:00

The Voyage of the USS Albatross

In 1908, the U.S.S. Albatross set off on a research expedition to the newly acquired U.S. colony of the Philippines. Today, Kent Carpenter is studying the more than 80,000 fish samples collected by the Albatross to uncover how overfishing is actually changing fish genetics. Carpenter has been named an Outstanding Faculty member by The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. And: The Chukar Partridge is a common ground-bird found in parts of Asia and the western United States. Brandon Jac

Sep 24, 2020 • 52:00

Whose Suffrage?

100 years ago women gained the right to vote with the 19th amendment. Professors Amanda Nelson and Molly Hood set the stage, and their students are bringing suffragettes to live in the digital, interactive theatre collaborative “Performing History: Women and the Vote.” Later in the show: At the same time that the 19th amendment passed, lynchings increased in the South. Khadijah Miller highlights how Black women strategically organized against disenfranchisement. Also featured: The Voting Right

Sep 17, 2020 • 52:00

Replay: Holocaust Memories

Everyone remembers things differently. With Good Reason takes you from D.C. to Poland and Jerusalem to show the different ways museums are commemorating the Holocaust.

Sep 10, 2020 • 52:00

Working Through History

Turns out the pandemic is the ideal time for workplaces to build better systems for getting women into positions of power.

Sep 2, 2020 • 52:00

Goodbye My Tribe

Vic Sizemore was an evangelical for much of his life - until he wasn’t. His book, Goodbye My Tribe: An Evangelical Exodus, chronicles his journey away from fundamentalist religion. And: We’ve all heard about the Evangelical Right, but what about the lesser-known Evangelical Left? David Kirkpatrick traces the Latin American roots of the Evangelical Left movement. Later in the Show: The pandemic has been an exceptionally hopeless time for many. David Salomon looks to religion and art for guidance.

Aug 27, 2020 • 51:59

Cabin Fever

Homelessness is an unfortunate reality for many military veterans. Jimmie Fedrick says having a support system and an active social life can be key to turning their lives around. And: Loneliness is more than just a horrible feeling. Studies show that it can actually have adverse health effects. Pam Parsons founded the Richmond Health and Wellness Program, which helps reduce social isolation among the elderly. Later in the show: How can we be alone together in the pandemic? In a world without ski

Aug 21, 2020 • 52:00

Education Innovation

Universities will never be the same. Donna Henry sent all students, staff and faculty home with an iPad last fall. She says now those iPads are keeping the university operational. Also: When COVID-19 made the Spring semester digital, John Broome made a Facebook group for professors to support each other that quickly went viral. 30-thousand professors are using it to get ready for the Fall semester. Later in the show: Animals movements have changed as humans migrated indoors to quarantine. Annek

Aug 13, 2020 • 51:59

New Virginians

A traveling exhibit called New Virginians: 1619-2019 & Beyond from The Library of Virginia in Richmond features oral histories and photographs recorded by Pat Jarrett. People share their personal stories of how they journeyed from Central and South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the former Soviet Republics to make Virginia their new home. David Bearinger discusses the complexity of the immigrant and refugee experience for the individuals and families who have lived and are living it

Aug 6, 2020 • 52:00

No One Cares Alone

Sammy was just a month old when he started experiencing symptoms of heart failure. Dr. Mark Roeser helped perform the groundbreaking surgery that saved the boy’s life. And: Burnout is especially prevalent in the medical field. And Dr. Mark Greenawald should know, he felt its devastating effects after a patient of his died tragically while giving birth. Earlier this year, he created PeerRxMed to help health care workers identify and overcome burnout. Later in the show: Domestic violence has been

Jul 30, 2020 • 52:00

The Chiefest Town

At the confluence of the James and Rivana Rivers in Virginia sits a Monacan site. Monacan Chief Kenneth Branham walks us through the site of what was once the village of Rassawek, the epicenter of Monacan life before the Europeans arrived. And: Martin Gallivan, author of James River Chiefdoms and Jeffery L. Hantman, author of Monacan Millennium, say there is no doubt that Rassawek is the site of the former Monocan capital. Later in the show: For a decade, now, Amy Clark has been probing family

Jul 23, 2020 • 52:00

Summer Streaming Hour

After months at home, your streaming watchlists are probably exhausted. With Good Reason is here to the rescue! We’re bringing you summer streaming recommendations from scholars and artists. Myles McNutt charts Netflix’s rise to video streaming juggernaut and recommends a miniseries on the systemic failures in sexual assault investigations. And: Yossera Bouchtia suggests two TV shows grappling with race and identity in America. Later in the show: White actors have recently been stepping down fr

Jul 16, 2020 • 52:00

Presenting: Transcripts

Even though transgender-themed TV shows like Transparent and Pose have achieved mainstream popularity, trans people still face huge barriers to employment, housing, and safety. In fact, many trans people of color say that their lives are harder than ever before. Transcripts, a new podcast hosted by Myrl Beam and Andrea Jenkins, investigates how trans activists are trying to change that. Later in the show: The Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer History tackles w

Jul 9, 2020 • 52:00

Poetic Justice

When writer and radio producer Lulu Miller (Invisibilia) discovered she’d have to leave Virginia, she wrote a startling love letter to the state -- one that charges everyday people to stay angry about injustice. A.D. Carson (University of Virginia) uses hip-hop and spoken word to tell hard truths about racist history, cutting through denial with metaphor. Later in the show: Tawnya Pettiford-Wates (Virginia Commonwealth University) believes that theatre can heal injustice. She believes it, becau

Jul 2, 2020 • 52:00

Back In Session

Colleges all over the country closed campus and shifted to online classes at the start of the coronavirus outbreak. Despite fears of a virus resurgence, Virginia Tech and William & Mary are among a growing number of colleges planning to re-open in the Fall. Katherine Rowe (William & Mary President) and Tim Sands (Virginia Tech President) discuss their plans for keeping students safe and how the institution of higher education may be forever changed. Later in the show: Student loan numbers have s

Jun 24, 2020 • 52:00

Quarantine Road

In 1855, an outbreak of yellow fever devastated the port city of Norfolk, VA. Annette Finley-Croswhite (Old Dominion University) says the similarities with the handling of the coronavirus pandemic are chilling. And: Marie Antoinette had wacky hairdos and threw lavish parties. She was also smart and never said,“Let them eat cake.” Ron Schechter (William & Mary) has uncovered her secret library of banned books, which he says reveals a depth to her character not previously recognized. Later in the

Jun 18, 2020 • 52:00

Cycle of Life

As more cities close down streets to traffic, new riders are hopping on bikes every day. Evan Friss (James Madison University), author of On Bicycles: A 200-Year History of Cycling in New York City, talks about the rise in pandemic pedaling and why New York’s bike share program is so successful. And: With so few cars on the road, CO2 emissions have dropped dramatically. But if every silver lining has a touch of grey, it’s the rise in single-use plastic pollution. Matt Eick (Virginia Tech) is a s

Jun 11, 2020 • 52:00

The End of Policing

After the police killing of George Floyd, protests around the country have erupted, calling for an end to police brutality against Black Americans. Sociology professor Alex Vitale (Brooklyn College) says it’s not enough to reform the police. Instead, we must actually defund police and essentially end policing. And: Justin Hansford (Howard University School of Law) explains why one popular reform known as community policing is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Later in the show: Junauda Petrus-Nasah is

Jun 4, 2020 • 52:00

Future Farming of America

Southwest Virginia has seen a decline in coal and tobacco—two industries that once boomed in the region. Could hemp be a way to boost the local economy? Ryan Huish (University of Virginia’s College at Wise) and Michael Timko (University of Virginia) are collaborating on an Industrial Hemp project to explore hemp’s potential for repairing lands damaged by coal mining. Plus: When the Food and Drug Administration approved the production and sale of genetically modified salmon in 2015, some consumer

May 28, 2020 • 52:00

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

“Take Me Out To The Ball Game” is the most popular song in American sports, but did you know that the woman who inspired its creation was a feminist Vaudeville actress of the 1920's? And: Before the pandemic struck, Nick Heath was a rugby announcer in England. Now that rugby games are shut down, his hilarious play-by-play videos of everyday activities have gone viral. Plus: 80% of new referees don’t make it past their second year. A new survey explains the problem.

May 21, 2020 • 52:00

Back to the Land

People across the nation are starting gardens. From six feet away, of course. Lilia Fuquen (Virginia Humanities Food and Community Program)is collaborating with organizations to bring people “immunity gardens.” Plus: Jinny Turman (University of Virginia College at Wise) tells us about the 70s back-to-the-land movement, and how the fallout of COVID-19 could lead to another movement. Later in the show: The 2008 recession transformed work life for Americans. Susan Coombes (Virginia Commonwealth U

May 14, 2020 • 52:00

Going Viral

With coronavirus cases multiplying, COVID-19 test kits were scarce and hospitals were frantic. Two doctors, Dr. Amy Mathers (University of Virginia) and Dr. Melinda Poulter (University of Virginia) decided to make their own tests and shared thousands of them with medical centers across the nation. And: Like most users, Jeanine Guidry (Virginia Commonwealth University) clicked through Pinterest for gardening tips or decorating ideas. But she also found a surprising abundance of vaccine conspira

May 7, 2020 • 52:00

Voices of Vietnam: A Lost Homeland

he Fall of Saigon marked the bitter end of the American War in Vietnam and the loss of a homeland for hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people. We share stories of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops, along with heroic rescues and harrowing escapes of Vietnamese citizens. Then we take a glimpse into post-war life under communist rule in Vietnam. Later in the show: Some of the Vietnam War’s most enduring legacies are the Vietnamese communities of America, made up of refugees who arrived en ma

Apr 30, 2020 • 52:00

The Art of Space

As a visual effects artist for movies like Star Wars, Watchmen, and Jurassic Park, Matt Wallin (Virginia Commonwealth University) has built his career on melding art with science. At the prestigious MARS conference, hosted by Jeff Bezos, he spoke about how the arts inspire science and drive innovation. And: In the blockbuster hit, The Martian, Matt Damon escapes Mars by using a spacecraft based on real-life technology created years ago by Bob Ash (Old Dominion University). Now a smaller version

Apr 23, 2020 • 52:00

Girlhood

Newbery Medal-winning children’s author Meg Medina talks about the power of writing in Spanglish, and relates her own childhood to her 2019 book Merci Suárez Changes Gears. And: Nishaun Battle (Virginia State University) talks about the historic “adultification” of young black girls. Her book is Black Girlhood, Punishment and Resistance: Reimagining Justice for Black Girls in Virginia. Later in the show: Studies show that women professors are often relegated to lower-ranked positions while thei

Apr 16, 2020 • 52:00

Presenting: Overcoming Extremism

This week we’re sharing a new podcast series called Overcoming Extremism, supported by the Anti-Defamation League. The series is hosted by former Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer and produced by Elliot Majerczyk. Episode 4: Amy Spitalnick fights to bankrupt the white supremacist movement. Later in the show: What would it take to induce compassion for your most sworn enemy? That’s exactly what Daniel Rothbart is trying to find out. He’s one of the directors of the “laboratory for peace” program

Apr 9, 2020 • 52:00

Music Matters

We all know that teenagers would rather die than hang out with their parents, right? Not so, says Jon Lohman. The Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, Virginia, brings young and old together to share traditions and songs. But how are musicians faring now, during the coronavirus crisis? Plus: The studio comes alive with song when Steve Rockenbach and Gregg Kimball bring their banjos in to share the instrument’s storied history in America. They reflect on how the banjo’s transformation has affected s

Apr 2, 2020 • 52:00

Poetry That Heals

This is a good time to reflect on the role of poetry in the face of tragedy. A poet laureate shares how poetry can heal in the wake of loss. And: In college, Laura Bylenok was fascinated with genetic engineering. Now, she manipulates language, not DNA. Her poetry turns familiar forms into poetic laboratory experiments. Later in the show: To some, poetry and medicine seem like opposites. But pediatrician and poet Irène Mathieu says both science and poetry use language to understand deeper truths

Mar 26, 2020 • 52:00

Wearing Down the Appalachian Trail

From start to finish, the Appalachian Trail covers a whopping 2,181 miles. Rodney Bragdon dishes on the toughest challenges he experienced while through-hiking the entire trail. And: Camping, hiking, and enjoying the great outdoors are American pastimes. But for African Americans, gathering in public spaces has long been fraught. Erin Devlin discusses the racism that was built into America’s national parks. Later in the show: From its Native American roots to hiking fashion trends, Mills Kelly t

Mar 19, 2020 • 52:00

Hard News

Think you don’t get your news from the paper anymore? Think again. Betsy Edwards, Executive Director of the Virginia Press Association, says that just about every big thing that’s ever happened in this country was unearthed by a newspaper reporter. And: Lewis Raven Wallace was fired from his job as a reporter at American Public Media’s Marketplace. Ever since, he’s been questioning the role of objectivity in journalism. Plus: With newspapers shuttering, investigative journalism is end

Mar 12, 2020 • 52:00

Mountains in Harmony

Frank Newsome is a former coal miner in Appalachia. He's also an Old Regular Baptist preacher and singer of lined-out hymnody who influenced Ralph Stanley and many others. Newsome’s new CD "Gone Away With A Friend" reveals the influence of this musical tradition on bluegrass, gospel, and old-time music. Listen to this remarkable singer and his congregation as they worship at the Little David Church in Haysi, Virginia. Also: Travelers to the Carpathian Mountains in Romania are surprised to f

Mar 5, 2020 • 52:00

Finding Classroom Success

The first year of college can be stressful and disorienting, especially for shy students. But Madelynn Shell (UVA Wise) says shy freshmen who have at least one good friend report more life satisfaction and better emotional wellbeing. Plus: While many students on the rural Eastern Shore of Virginia can’t wait to get out, one of their teachers couldn’t wait to come back. Christina Duffman (Eastern Shore Community College) grew up in poverty and now shares her inspiring life story with students wh

Feb 27, 2020 • 52:00

Gun Sense

Student survivors of school shootings have made their voices heard, loud and clear. But the teacher's perspective of school shootings is less common. Megan Doney (New River Community College) is an English professor turned gun control activist who writes about her traumatic experience. Plus: Research suggests that a police strategy called "community policing" benefits those with mental illness. Charlotte Gill (George Mason University) rides along with a police officer and catches a surprisingly

Feb 20, 2020 • 52:00

Social Mobility Through College

One of the great American beliefs is that a college education gives us a better shot at moving up in life. But Scott Jaschik, editor of Inside Higher Ed, says social mobility has stalled and we should expand access to those universities admitting the largest numbers of low income students. That gets a big “yes” from Virginia State University President Makola Abdullah. He’s fighting for more resources for HBCUs in the higher education landscape to create social mobility for all students. And: Hel

Feb 13, 2020 • 52:00

Swipe Right For Love

It’s 2020 and online dating isn’t special anymore--it’s the norm. But that doesn’t make it easy. We explore what researchers know about finding love online. Also: Jennifer Rosier loves love and studies how to make it work better. She shares tips on forming healthy relationships and debunks the four myths about sex. Plus: Physicist Joshua Erlich spends his days pondering dark matter. But he also explores the science of making chocolate. And: Our wine expert shares his favorite wines for pai

Feb 6, 2020 • 52:00

Seeing the Future of Medicine

Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati (University of Virginia) is an opthamologist who is dedicated to ending macular degeneration, which leads to sight loss, and affects more than 10 million Americans. Now, Dr Ambati believes a cure is on the way. Plus: The Escape Room craze, where people work together to solve puzzles that unlock a door, is now a new tool in health education. Janice Hawkins (Old Dominion University) says her nursing students are learning the fundamentals of patient care in a fun, interactive

Jan 30, 2020 • 52:00

The Future is Now

AI technologies are really human issues. Sylvester Johnson (Virginia Tech) says we humans must decide for ourselves how to live in a world where intelligent machines and algorithmic systems are deciding issues of medicine, electricity, prison sentences and who is eligible for public assistance. Also: Google uses computer vision algorithms to filter out unwanted pornographic images from our search results. Alex Monea (George Mason University) explains how this filter is sometimes applied overbro

Jan 23, 2020 • 51:56

Redlining and Reparations

The homeownership gap between whites and African Americans has exploded since the housing bust. It’s now wider than it was during the Jim Crow era. LaDale Winling (Virginia Tech) says this has its roots in the redlining and race-based denial of home loans dating back to the 1930s. Also: We’re in the midst of a generational change in where we live. Tim Murray (Virginia Military Institute) says millennials, saddled with student loans, are delaying home-buying, while baby boomers are selling their

Jan 14, 2020 • 51:58

Disability Justice

In recent years, ADAPT activists have made headlines for protests that helped stop the ACA repeal. Ruth Osorio (Old Dominion University) says their tactics fit into a long history of disability activism in the U.S., from the 504 occupation in 1977 to #actuallyautistic. Also: Julie DeLancey (University of Mary Washington) explains how people with different types of bodies organized and advocated for their rights hundreds of years ago, in Early Modern Italy. Later in the show: For years, children

Jan 10, 2020 • 51:58

Real Love

In her book Real Love, Sharon Salzberg—one of the world’s leading authorities on love—shows us it isn’t just an emotion we feel when we’re in a romantic relationship. It’s an ability we can nurture and cultivate. Also: The idea of “The Pause,” where medical caregivers take a moment together at the bedside of a patient who has died, began with emergency care nurse Jonathan Bartels at the University of Virginia hospital. This quiet moment honors the life of the person who has died and the efforts

Jan 3, 2020 • 51:57

Enter the Subconscious

Religious scholars, neuroscientists, and psychoanalysts agree – there is a deep reservoir of activity beneath our conscious minds. Peter Vishton (William & Mary) shares how the unconscious mind may be making decisions for us, too quick for our conscious mind to realize. And: Daniel Hirshberg (University of Mary Washington) explores the subconscious with his Contemplative Studies students by wiring meditating students up to brain-imaging headsets. Plus: Graham Schweig (Christopher Newport Univers

Dec 27, 2019 • 51:57

Stirring the Pot

Although it was once an important part of feeding families, home canning in America has never been just about necessity. Danille Christensen (Virginia Tech) says a look back at home canning reveals the pride and creativity that went into stocking a pantry. And: Lilia Fuquen (Virginia Humanities) takes us inside a community cannery and a basement storeroom to hear from people who are keeping the tradition alive. Later in the show: Hunter Smith and Levi Duncan (Piedmont Virginia Community College

Dec 19, 2019 • 51:56

Gerry-Rigged

Politicians from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan have called gerrymandering a “cancer on our democracy.” It's not a new issue, but everything from the way we draw lines to what's considered legal has changed a lot in recent years. Michael Gilbert (University of Virginia) shares the latest on gerrymandering. And: Since 2016, states like Michigan and Ohio have made news for a turn to the Republican party. Democrats, meanwhile, see hope in traditionally red Southern states that have been turning b

Dec 13, 2019 • 51:58

Emoji Evidence

Be warned: everything you say on Facebook can and will be used against you in a court of law! Jeff Bellin (William & Mary) studies how courts handle digital evidence like social media posts and text messages. Bellin was named Outstanding Faculty by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. And: There’s a lot of talk about cybersecurity, but what about cybercrime? What qualifies as cybercrime and what’s being done to stop it? Rod Graham (Old Dominion University) and ‘Shawn Smith (Radfor

Dec 5, 2019 • 51:58

Science Out in the World

There’s a lot to learn in science class: the periodic table, the stages of a butterfly, but also how to be an American citizen. Alix Fink (Longwood University) says learning science is also learning how to participate in our democracy. And: Ben Casteel (Virginia Highlands Community College) grew up with a passion for the Appalachian landscape all around him. He believes in the value of native plants and promoting biodiversity. Plus: After the 2011 earthquake in Japan, nematodes traveled all the

Nov 25, 2019 • 51:58

Friendsgiving

For many, the Thanksgiving holidays are a time to gather with your biological relatives. But what if you don’t have the traditional, Norman-Rockwell family? April Few-Demo (Virginia Tech) studies how queer families of color, especially Black lesbians, navigate biological and chosen family. She says that dialogue about identity and acceptance might happen in subtle ways during the holidays. And: Shannon Davis (George Mason University) argues that we should remember those families who can’t get to

Nov 22, 2019 • 51:58

Meet Your Maker

During the holiday season, it feels like more and more consumers are skipping the department stores and opting for handcrafted goods instead. Ben Brewer (James Madison University) says this current “third wave” craft renaissance we’re experiencing is tied to politics. And: We visit mOb, an innovative design studio at Virginia Commonwealth University, where students in the disciplines of Graphic Design, Fashion Design, and Interior Design come together to solve design problems in the city of Rich

Nov 15, 2019 • 51:59

Meet Your Maker

During the holiday season, it feels like more and more consumers are skipping the department stores and opting for handcrafted goods instead. Ben Brewer (James Madison University) says this current “third wave” craft renaissance we’re experiencing is tied to politics. And: We visit mOb, an innovative design studio at Virginia Commonwealth University, where students in the disciplines of Graphic Design, Fashion Design, and Interior Design come together to solve design problems in the city of Rich

Nov 14, 2019 • 51:59

Giving Birth While Black

Dr. Rochanda Mitchell is an expert in fetal medicine. She’s also a black woman pregnant with her first child who understands all too well that even highly education African American women are three and a half times more likely to die in childbirth than white women. She tells us the steps she's taking to protect her life.

Nov 7, 2019 • 51:56

The Empathy Tours

Jalane Schmidt (University of Virginia) recently brought a group of Virginia teachers to see Charlottesville’s tiny monument to its enslaved residents. One teacher had a startling personal revelation at that site. And: Elgin Cleckley (University of Virginia) is an architect who studies empathy. He says redesigning public space can help heal racial wounds. Plus: Danville, Virginia was once a Confederate capital. Now, teams of citizens are working together to tell the story of a different Danville

Oct 30, 2019 • 51:56

Stories to Tell in the Dark

A yellow-eyed witch who sucks the life from unknowing strangers; fish-obsessed ghosts who lure lone men to a watery death; and ghosts who call out in the voice of a loved-one, sealing a murderous fate. Suchitra Samanta (Virginia Tech) says Bengali culture is filled with stories like these of ghostly women who wield supernatural powers after death. And: Horror films often mirror the anxieties and concerns of the times they were produced in. For example, the “creature films’ of the 50’s mirrored t

Oct 23, 2019 • 51:56

The Conflicting Ideals of Jefferson's Architecture

The most important architectural thinker of the young American republic was Thomas Jefferson. He also held captive more than 600 enslaved men, women, and children in his lifetime. Architects Mabel O. Wilson (Columbia University) and Louis Nelson (University of Virginia) discuss Jefferson’s conflicting ideals. Also featured: Erik Neil (Chrysler Museum of Art) takes us through the new Chrysler exhibit that explores the inherent conflict between Jefferson’s pursuit of liberty and democracy and his

Oct 17, 2019 • 51:58

Monsters in the Classroom

What is a Hogzilla Chuck Norris Duck Ape? It’s the creation of a special education class in St. Louis and winner of the 2014 Global Monster Project. Terry Smith (Radford University) explains how creating monsters can help kids learn and grow. Plus: After a viral video raised new concerns about how teachers should be disciplining young children Kevin Sutherland (Virginia Commonwealth University) talks about training teachers to address bad behavior before it happens, not after. And: Rhonda Brock-

Oct 11, 2019 • 52:02

Roses in December--Life During Segregation

From all-African American sports teams to pioneering black opera singer Camilla Williams, many people thrived while living parallel lives during segregation.

Oct 4, 2019 • 51:57

Eyes on Glass

Blown glass is one of the most beautiful and versatile mediums in art. Today, the art of glass blowing may involve up to date technology, but the essence of working with glass remains an ancient art. Jutta Page is an internationally acclaimed glass curator and the executive director of the Barry Art Museum at Old Dominion University. And: 3D printmaking gets a lot of attention these days as technology advances. But UVA Wise art professor Ray Stratton has been a 3d printmaker his entire career--a

Sep 26, 2019 • 51:57

Unexpected Remixes

Imagine if Beyonce had a secret recording of her singing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton, from before they were both famous. It would be epic! Music professor Brooks Kuykendall (University of Mary Washington) has worked with a graduate student to uncover the epic musical crossover of the 19th century--a John Philip Sousa arrangement of Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore. And: Stephen Vitiello (Virginia Commonwealth University) works with some unusual musicians: insects! Along with his

Sep 20, 2019 • 51:58

Why We Believe What We Believe

The best defense against conspiracy theories and fake news is robust journalism--but only if people trust their sources. Mallory Perryman (Virginia Commonwealth University) studies why people distrust their news sources and what we should do to change their minds. And: Why do people believe weird things? That’s what Jason Hart (Christopher Newport University) wants to find out. He delves into the psychology behind ghost encounters, anti-vaccine hoaxes, conspiracy theories, and more. Later in th

Sep 12, 2019 • 51:58

Furious Flower- A Celebration of the Greats of African American Poetry

On Sept. 27th and 28th, the most notable poets of our time will gather in the nation’s capital to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Furious Flower Poetry Center, the first academic center devoted to African American poetry in the United States. The founder of Furious Flower, Joanne Gabbin (James Madison University), along with Lauren Alleyne (James Madison University) join us in studio to celebrate this anniversary and hear the voices of Furious Flower poets like Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou,

Sep 6, 2019 • 51:59

400 Years After 1619

In late August 1619, twenty or more enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia at what’s now called Fort Monroe. They were the first Africans documented in British North America. We speak with Terry Brown, Fort Monroe’s park superintendent about how the park--and America--are commemorating their arrival. We hear from the Tuckers, the descendants of the very first African-American baby, and learn about their work to uncover the stories of their ancestors. Hear more from the Tuckers on our sister show,

Aug 29, 2019 • 51:58

Selling the Sights

In the early 19th century, Americans began to journey away from home simply for the sake of traveling. Will Mackintosh(University of Mary Washington) is the author of a new book Selling the Sights: The Invention of the Tourist in American Culture. And: In the past couple of decades, a lot has changed for rural American tourism. Nancy McGehee (Virginia Tech) says that from public artworks to popular foodie trails, small towns and rural areas are finding ways to enrich their communities through t

Aug 23, 2019 • 51:56

Healing Displacement

Dr. Fern Hauck (University of Virginia Medical System) and Farah Ibrahim (CHIP) work to connect refugees and asylum seekers with high-quality healthcare, no matter what language they speak or what trauma they’ve suffered. Al Fuertes (George Mason University) is also dedicated to improving outcomes for refugees and displaced peoples. He draws on his personal experience growing up under martial law to inform his transformative approach to healing. Later in the show: In Border Odyssey Charles Tho

Aug 14, 2019 • 51:56

Talking Hurricanes

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. In the years since, as residents have come and gone and rebuilt their lives, a lot has changed about the city-- including, says Katie Carmichael (Virginia Tech), the way people talk. The author of Sudden Spring, Rick Van Noy (Radford University) says that, in many Southern communities, climate change is already here. Later in the show: Residents of Tangier Island could become some of America’s first climate refugees—unless they get a mu

Aug 9, 2019 • 51:59

Do Cell Phones Cause Cancer?

Does the radiation emitted by our cell phones harm us? Deborah O’Dell (University of Mary Washington) recently finished a study that found cell phone radiation can cause changes to our cells. Also: In 2018, most people diagnosed with blood cancer can find a donor to help with their treatment. But not everyone. Karen Ballen (University of Virginia Health Systems) has been working to expand the donor database and discover new ways to match donors to cancer patients. Later in the show: New forms

Aug 1, 2019 • 51:57

Sacred and Profane

There’s a new podcast called Sacred & Profane hosted by two Religious Studies professors, Martien Halvorson-Taylor and Kurtis Schaeffer (University of Virginia). The podcast explores how people think and act with religion, how religion can affect our experience on almost every level, and the relationship between religion, race, and democracy. Later in the show: Christina Anne Kilby (James Madison University) says religion, at the level of the state, the community, the family, and the individual,

Jul 25, 2019 • 52:00

Reviving The Giant Oysters

From tracking tigers in Nepal to mountainside surgery on Montana’s wolverines, Deborah McCauley (VIEW) is on a mission to save disappearing wildlife around the world. And: Rowan Lockwood (William & Mary) is taking a closer look at the fossils of giant oysters to learn how to rebuild oyster reefs today. Later in the show: Crystal blue lakes might make for a popular tourist spot, but they’re starting to disappear. Dina Leech (Longwood University) is studying what gives lakes their color and why

Jul 18, 2019 • 51:58

Poetic Justice

When writer and radio producer Lulu Miller (Invisibilia) discovered she’d have to leave Virginia, she wrote a startling love letter to the state-- one that charges everyday people to stay angry about injustice. A.D. Carson (University of Virginia) uses hip-hop and spoken word to tell hard truths about racist history, cutting through denial with metaphor. Later in the show: Tawnya Pettiford-Wates (Virginia Commonwealth University) believes that theatre can heal injustice. She believes it, becaus

Jul 11, 2019 • 51:57

Summer Reading Recs

Your summer vacation packing list has some key items: cell phone charger, swimsuit, toothbrush. We're here to add some essentials to your list, with the best book recs from the With Good Reason universe.

Jul 3, 2019 • 51:56

We Gotta Get out of This Place

U.S. troops turned to popular music as a way of coping with the war in Vietnam. The authors of “We Gotta Get Out of this Place," Doug Bradley and Craig Werner, play songs the soldiers listened from that era and explore how that music became the soundtrack of the war. Joyce Hoffman is the author of On Their Own: Women Journalists in Vietnam. She shares stories of women who won esteemed prizes for their reporting and several who broke new ground covering the war. In recent years, more and more mil

Jun 29, 2019 • 51:58

Music and Democracy

The evolution of social change in America can be traced through popular songs by the likes of Nat King Cole, Percy Mayfield, Lena Horne, and the Impressions. Charlie McGovern (William and Mary) shares from his new book Body and Soul: Race, Citizenship and Popular Music, 1930-1977. Nancy Hanrahan (George Mason University) says debates about music and democracy used to focus on a shared national identity, morality, and citizenship. Noel Lobley (University of Virginia) wanted to give colonial mu

Jun 21, 2019 • 51:59

Watching History

On the eve of WWI, Antoine Köpe had a front seat to history. A century later, Antoine’s elaborate journals, cartoons, recordings, and collections reveal what it was like in the last days of the Ottoman Empire. Filmmaker Nefin Dinç (James Madison University) is collecting Antoine’s memories into a new documentary. And: Native-Uruguayan Gabriela Toletti (Tidewater Community College and Old Dominion University) says that even after decades of living in the United States, she feels like she has a f

Jun 13, 2019 • 51:58

Parenting on the Spectrum

When Jennifer Malia (Norfolk State University) started researching her young daughter’s behaviors, she realized that both she and her daughter were on the autism spectrum. Leslie Daniel (Radford University) celebrates autism and shares some basic strategies for communicating with children on the autism spectrum. Through personal experience and extensive research, Jackie Spainhour’s has come up with some ways to make children’s museums fun for all. Temple Grandin is known as an expert in the li

Jun 6, 2019 • 51:58

The Civil War off the Battlefield

The very first ironclad ship built by the Union Navy in the Civil War was called The Monitor. It revolutionized the way battleships were built. Jonathan White (Christopher Newport University) is the co-author of “Our Little Monitor: The Greatest Invention of the Civil War.” Civil War buffs pride themselves on knowing the great battles of the war. But what about the fighting that took place away from battlefields? John Matsui (Virginia Military Institute) says that guerilla fighting during the C

May 31, 2019 • 51:59

Grief

When parents die, we face powerful emotions, rituals, and tasks, including the eulogy. Listen as poet Jahan Ramazani (University of Virginia) pays tribute at the 2016 memorial service to his father. Also: In addition to our grief at the loss of parents, we’re often also faced with so much stuff. Marietta McCarty (Piedmont Virginia Community College) wrote a loving memoir about the daunting task of emptying her beloved family home in Leaving 1203: Emptying a Home, Filling the Heart. Later in the

May 24, 2019 • 51:58

Grief

A poet loses his dad, a daughter empties her parents house, a coach copes with his grief after his player dies in an accident.

May 24, 2019 • 51:58

Reconstructing Danville

In 1883 a young African American worker was alleged to have brushed shoulders with a white woman as they passed each other on a narrow sidewalk in Danville, Virginia. A race riot erupted and Jane Dailey (University of Chicago) says the white supremacist backlash that followed led to the disenfranchisement of Black Virginians for nearly 100 years. And: Jeff McClurken (University of Mary Washington) discusses the life of a Danville industrialist and former Confederate soldier, William T. Sutherlin

May 17, 2019 • 51:58

Kim Delevett Oral History

A clip of Kim Delevett talking about returning to Vietnam.

May 10, 2019 • 0:44

Through An Indian's Looking Glass

Native American historical leaders, Native recipes, and de-colonizing our diet!

May 9, 2019 • 51:56

American Terrorism

In 1979, members of the KKK shot and killed five labor and civil rights activists in Greensboro, North Carolina. Aran Shetterly (Virginia Humanities Fellow), who is writing a book about the incident, says it still reverberates in the racial politics of Greensboro today. Also: The European philosophers of the Enlightenment argued that Europeans were civilized, but Africans were barbarians. Stefan Wheelock (George Mason University) describes how radical African American writers used those same phi

May 3, 2019 • 51:59

Chiquita L. Cross: Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Chiquita L. Cross: Swing Low Sweet Chariot by With Good Reason

May 2, 2019 • 2:39

Charles Chico Wiley: Precious Lord

Charles Chico Wiley: Precious Lord

May 2, 2019 • 2:34

Our Walmart

Christine Labuski and Nick Copeland (Virginia Tech) are the authors of “The World of Walmart: Discounting the American Dream.” They say there is a disconnect between the values that Walmart purports to champion and the reality of how it operates in our society. Plus: After 9-11, Brian Ulrich (Virginia Commonwealth University) has spent a decade photographing the landscape of consumerism across the United States. Later on: In the early 20th century, the border between Mexico and the United Sta

Apr 26, 2019 • 51:58

Presenting: Broken Ground

This week we’re debuting a new podcast series called Broken Ground, produced by the Southern Environmental Law Center and hosted by Claudine Ebeid McElwain. Episode 1: The Kingston, Tennessee coal ash spill of 2008 and and its devastating consequences for hundreds of workers who had to clean up the toxic mess. Find more episodes at brokengroundpodcast.org. Later in the show: In 2010 the small, mostly black community of Fulton, Virginia, was shocked to learn a black mountain of 85,000 cubic yards

Apr 19, 2019 • 51:59

Voices of Vietnam Episode 4, Part II: Little Saigon

Some of the Vietnam War's most enduring legacies are the Vietnamese communities of America, made up of refugees who arrived en masse after the Fall of Saigon. In our final episode, we explore how these communities became a key to economic success for refugees, and how many still grappled with the complexities of gratitude, guilt, and silence. Members of the next generation share the delicate balance of growing up as both Vietnamese and American, and discuss immigration in the U.S. today.

Apr 15, 2019 • 23:59

Voices of Vietnam Episode 4, Part I: Leaving Vietnam

The end of the war and American withdrawal also marked the final days of a homeland for more than a million South Vietnamese people. We tell the story of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam as seen from both sides of the war.

Apr 15, 2019 • 27:59

Voices of Vietnam: A Lost Homeland

The Fall of Saigon marked the bitter end of the American War in Vietnam and the loss of a homeland for hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people. We share stories of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops, along with heroic rescues and harrowing escapes of Vietnamese citizens. Then we take a glimpse into post-war life under communist rule in Vietnam. Later in the show: Some of the Vietnam War’s most enduring legacies are the Vietnamese communities of America, made up of refugees who arrived en m

Apr 11, 2019 • 51:58

I Peacekeeper Robot

As robots become ubiquitous, will humans trust or fear them? James Bliss (Old Dominion University) is studying how people might interact with robots that act as military peacekeepers. Scott England (Virginia Tech) is part of a team that won an award for discoveries on Mars. Now he’s leading a new NASA mission to explore this lesser known upper atmosphere. A fourth-generation shipbuilder is helping bring paperless shipbuilding to the U.S. Navy. Jennifer Grimsley Michaeli (Old Dominion Universit

Apr 5, 2019 • 51:59

Muggles Abroad

An English professor who loves the Harry Potter books brings a few lucky students each year to London to visit the magical sites in the fantasy series. Alicia DeFonzo (Old Dominion University) leads them to the set of Hogwarts school and Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station for 3 weeks of study of magical creatures, potions, and herbology. And: The epic fantasy series Game of Thrones will return for its six-episode, eighth and final season April 14. Matthew Gabriele (Virginia Tech) shows how

Mar 29, 2019 • 51:58

Holocaust Memory

Since it opened in 1993, millions of people have visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. How does their experience compare to that of visitors to other Holocaust museums, such as the Yad Vashem in Jerusalem or the Jewish Museum Berlin? Jennifer Hansen-Glucklich (University of Mary Washington) is the author of Holocaust Memory Reframed: Museums and the Challenges of Representation. Amy Milligan's (Old Dominion University) research on marginalized Jewish voices has taken her to

Mar 21, 2019 • 51:58

Poetry That Heals

What’s the role of poetry in the face of tragedy? Henry Hart (William and Mary) is Virginia’s poet laureate. He shares how poetry can emerge in the wake of loss. And: In college, Laura Bylenok (University of Mary Washington) was fascinated with genetic engineering. Now, she manipulates language, not DNA. Her recent book turns familiar forms into poetic laboratory experiments. Later in the show: To some, poetry and medicine seem like opposites. But pediatrician and poet Irène Mathieu (University

Mar 15, 2019 • 51:59

Unfreedom

Stacey Houston (George Mason University) has spent his career looking at the complex web between education, health, and the justice system. He says kids who interact in some way with the justice system—even if it’s just living near a justice system facility—have worse health and educational outcomes. Plus: The laws affecting indentured servants and enslaved people were constantly evolving during the earliest years of America. Allison Madar (Virginia Humanities) says the colonists had a culture o

Mar 8, 2019 • 52:00

1619: Past and Present

400 years ago, in 1619, the first Africans arrived in English-speaking North America. Cassandra Newby-Alexander (Norfolk State University) explores how we should commemorate that history and what’s at stake when we ignore it. Richard Chew (Virginia State University) explains how a British king’s fear of being beheaded impacted the expansion of slavery in the US colonies. Plantations in America’s South are physical testaments to the great wealth accrued through slave labor. Stephen Hanna (Univer

Mar 1, 2019 • 51:58

Evicted!

Kathryn Howell and Ben Teresa (Virginia Commonwealth University) are part of the RVA Eviction Lab which gathers data on eviction rates. They say high eviction rates destabilize communities, cause high turnover in student populations, and reduce community engagement and access to community networks and jobs. People who live on or near American Indian reservations are being denied access to consumer credit. Valentina Dimitrova-Grajzl (Virginia Military Institute) says redlining is a factor. Dimitr

Feb 19, 2019 • 51:58

The Human Ecosystem

These days, due in large part to the work of Thomas Platts-Mills (University of Virginia), we know the sudden meat allergy is real and it’s caused by tick bites. And: Philosopher Jesse Kirkpatrick (George Mason University) says he’s less worried about human gene editing and more interested in how CRISPR technology can be used to enhance—or harm—the environment around us. Later in the show: In Japanese folklore, when a brightly colored fish resembling a dragon washes up on shore, its arrival is

Feb 14, 2019 • 51:58

How to Go Clubbing

Even as shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and Pose bring that culture into the mainstream, real-life gay bars and clubs are shuttering. DJ and Professor madison moore (Virginia Commonwealth University) argues that the club scene and the “fabulous” fashions on display there are radical spaces for queer and trans of color togetherness. Gregory Samantha Rosenthal (Roanoke College), Don Muse, and Peter Thornhill describe the sometimes-dangerous, always-exciting gay bars of the 1970s and 1980s in Roanok

Feb 8, 2019 • 51:58

Mountains and Mining

Frank Newsome is an Old Regular Baptist preacher, singer of lined-out hymnody, and former coal miner in Appalachia. Virginia’s State Folklorist Jon Lohman (Virginia Humanities) describes Newsome’s musical tradition and its influence on bluegrass, gospel, and oldtime music. Travel to the Carpathian Mountains in Romania and you’ll find a place that’s not unlike southwest Virginia and Kentucky. Theresa Burris (Radford University) says the parallels of these two regions are striking. Later in the sh

Feb 1, 2019 • 51:58

New Virginians

David Bearinger (Virginia Humanities) introduces stories of Virginian immigrant and refugees as part of a new exhibit at the Library of Virginia. Maureen Fitzgerald (William & Mary) speaks about what lessons can be learnt from the Irish immigrant experience. Cindy Hahamovitch (University of Georgia) compares the history and experience of guest workers in the United States to other countries.

Jan 25, 2019 • 51:58

Vilissa Thompson talks Harriet Tubman, Black disabled woman icon

Vilissa Thompson (LCSW, Founder and CEO of Ramp Your Voice!) spoke with us about why Harriet Tubman is a foundational figure for black disability activists today.

Jan 18, 2019 • 4:53

Heroes of American Dissent

In part three of our series American Dissent, With Good Reason Associate Producer Kelley Libby talks with Dr. Michael Higginbotham (University of Baltimore) about a list of people—some well known, some not—whom he credits with seeing America for what it could be and then working toward making it so. Vilissa Thompson (LCSW, Founder of Ramp Your Voice!) explains how understanding Harriet Tubman as a disabled Black woman has inspired intersectional disability rights activists. Terry Beitzel helps

Jan 18, 2019 • 51:58

Keeping Kids Healthy

It’s New Year’s resolution time. If you’re tired of thinking about your own health, maybe it’s time to turn to the kids. Amy Best (George Mason University) studies kids’ eating habits and says that part of getting them to make the right food choices means understanding what kids like about bad food. Bob O’Connor (UVA Health) has new guidelines that suggest young people should return to normal activity as soon as possible after a concussion. Plus: Justin Owens (Virginia Tech) helps arm parents

Jan 10, 2019 • 51:58

The Birthplace of AmericanSpirits

Craft distilleries are popping up in small towns and big cities across the country. In this special episode we share a recently revived 19th-century julep recipe and take you to an event that draws “women who whiskey.” We’ll do a tasting with Ironclad Distillery and Vitae Spirits and talk with a biologist who is making his own cordials and spirits from wild roots, berries, and mushrooms.

Jan 4, 2019 • 52:00

Whistles in the Mist

Linguist and filmmaker Mark Sicoli (University of Virginia) shares the whistling style of speech used in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. Saikou Diallo (Old Dominion University) talks about the 3D virtual recreation of an ancient settlement in Turkey. And we dig into coin collecting with Michael Mucedola (Longwood University, one of the nation's foremost experts on old dimes.

Jan 3, 2019 • 51:59

Holiday Favorites and Memories

Tim Anderson (Old Dominion University) introduces a modern reworking of a Charlie Brown Holiday special classic. Jacqueline Secoy (Longwood University) remembers the tunes that she first played in an orchestra. Orchestra conductor Kevin Bartram (University of Mary Washington) explains what singers like Judy Garland and Tony Bennett bring to the classic songs of the season. Later in the show: Sister Rosetta Tharpe attained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her early rock and roll. Chris K

Dec 20, 2018 • 51:57

The Shondaland Revolution

Michaela Meyer (Christopher Newport University) says the shows of Shonda Rhimes have changed the way we make and watch TV. Imelda O’Reilly's (James Madison University) film Eggs and Soldiers examines a single father and son struggling to adjust to life in New York after emigrating from Ireland. Nancy Schoenberger (William & Mary) explores the relationship between screen icon John Wayne and director John Ford in her latest book.

Dec 13, 2018 • 51:59

Drawing History

Sometimes, to tell a complex story, you need simple pictures. A conference at Norfolk State University has asked students to draw graphic novels that explore 1619 from African, Indigenous, and European perspectives. Tommy Bryant (Virginia Highlands Community College) explores the epic history of African Americans in comic books. Matthew Smith (Radford University) just co-curated a major museum exhibit about the history of comics. Veteran animator William “Tuck” Tucker (Longwood University) ta

Dec 7, 2018 • 51:58

Got Me Hypnotized

From the 1830s to the Civil War, Americans could be found putting each other into trances in parlors, on stage, and in medical consulting rooms. Emily Ogden’s (University of Virginia) new book is “Credulity: A Cultural History of U.S. Mesmerism.” Jeff Dyche (James Madison University) says that when we mess with the 24 hour clock, there are all kinds of bad side effects. Daniel Hirshberg (University of Mary Washington) explores the subconscious with his students by wiring meditating students up

Nov 30, 2018 • 51:58

Meet Your Maker

During the holiday season, it feels like more and more consumers are skipping the department stores and opting for handcrafted goods instead. Ben Brewer says this current “third wave” craft renaissance we’re experiencing is tied to politics. We visit mOb, an innovative design studio at Virginia Commonwealth University, where students help solve design problems in the city of Richmond. We stop in at the Virginia Center for the Book, where Kristin Keimu Adolfson is printing a collaborative book ca

Nov 16, 2018 • 51:59

Brand Survival in the Trump Era

In this political climate, do brands suffer or thrive when companies take sides? Also, self expression through purchasing power has gone through the roof for African Americans.

Nov 7, 2018 • 51:58

Making the Decision to Fight

We open the show with part two of the new podcast, American Dissent--featuring a woman who chose to fight the Trump administration decision to rescind DACA, and the story of the high school students whose protest helped lead to school desegregation. Also, journalists and authors discuss the opioids crisis and the effects of economic decline on rural communities—and the vital role of local journalism to an informed citizenry.

Nov 1, 2018 • 51:58

Infrastructures of Power

Across the nation, natural gas production has been ramping up. In many communities, this has meant new pipelines, new promises, and new protests. How do we balance environmental concerns and the public good? Environmental engineer Andres Clarens (University of Virginia)explains the science. Jaime Allison (Christopher Newport University) argues that we can better understand pipelines by looking back to the early days of railroads. Economist Sarah Stafford (College of William and Mary) argues th

Oct 26, 2018 • 51:58

Front Porches of the Dead

Welcome flags, monogrammed door mats, bird feeders, and whirligigs. These are all things you might find on a front porch—or on a gravesite. We're more creative now in our cemeteries. Plus, millions of Americans have had near death experiences and there are startling consistencies in the accounts.

Oct 19, 2018 • 51:57

The Face of Fake News

Love it or hate it (more likely a bit of both) Facebook is worth careful scholarly study--particularly in the field of politics. We hear from political scientists who argue that the sins of Facebook are built into the platform itself and congress needs to break up Facebook using antitrust laws.

Oct 12, 2018 • 52:00

Voices of Vietnam: Women of War

More than 30,000 American women served in some form in Vietnam during the war. From the Red Cross volunteers who boosted morale to the nurses who treated injuries, women were a major part of soldiers’ experience of the war. The war also upended the lives of millions of wives, widows and girlfriends back home.

Oct 4, 2018 • 51:59

The Year of the Woman

Women have been making headlines all over the country, running for office--and winning. We hear from some of those women about what it was like during their first week on the job. And scholars reflect on what it takes to get more women on the ballot.

Sep 27, 2018 • 51:59

Moonshine and Prohibition

Moonshiners are often portrayed as lawbreakers and profiteers. But these recorded interviews with former moonshiners and their children paint a portrait of close knit poor families in Appalachia helping each other keep food on the table.

Sep 21, 2018 • 51:54

The Right to Dissent

This week we’re debuting a new podcast series called American Dissent, hosted by Kelley Libby. In Episode 1: Influenced by Colin Kaepernick’s protest of police brutality during the National Anthem, a high school volleyball player initiates her own protest, and not without consequences. And a historian tells the story of a religious minority who helped win the American Revolution and the fight for religious freedom in America. American Dissent is a production of James Madison’s Montpelier and

Sep 13, 2018 • 51:59

The Substance of Addiction

Do we fret too much that we're glued to our cell phones? Trevor Hoag says we should stop using the language of addiction liked ‘hooked on our iPhones” and embrace the positives. Plus, experts weigh in on the need to customize addiction treatments.

Sep 7, 2018 • 51:59

Social Mobility Through College

One of the great American beliefs is that a college education gives us a better shot at moving up in life. But some say that social mobility has stalled and we should expand access to those universities admitting the largest numbers of low income students.

Aug 31, 2018 • 51:51

Free the Beaches

In "Free the Beaches" Andrew Kahrl tells the story of activist Ned Coll and his campaign to open New England’s shoreline to African Americans, as northern white families fought to preserve their segregated beaches.

Aug 23, 2018 • 51:58

Do Cells Phones Cause Cancer?

D you ever worry that the radiation coming from your cell phone might be harmful? Researching Deborah O’Dell recently finished a 5-year study that found cell phone radiation can cause changes to our brain cells.

Aug 17, 2018 • 51:59

Pilgrimage

100 pilgrims journey from Charlottesville to the national memorial to lynching in Montgomery, Alabama to pay homage to a black man who was lynched in 1898.

Aug 10, 2018 • 51:57

An Outrage

Beginning with the end of the Civil War, and well into the middle of the twentieth century, the extralegal and socially sanctioned practice of lynching claimed the lives of at least 3,959 African American men, women, and children. Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren are the directors of a recent documentary about lynching and its effects on families. The film is called An Outrage.

Aug 3, 2018 • 52:02

Music That Mends

Can art heal? This week, the redemptive power of language and song. Hear how former inmates use writing to explore their paths to imprisonment and how jazz can tell stories of social justice, healing, self-reflection and redemption.

Jul 27, 2018 • 51:59

Vietnam: Fighting on Two Fronts

African Americans who fought for their country in Vietnam often experienced the racism their families endured back home. Plus: Native Americans fought in Vietnam in greater numbers relative to their population than any other group. We hear testimony of Native Americans who fought for the U.S. on foreign soil.

Jul 19, 2018 • 51:29

Summer Reading Recs

Summer reads from the With Good Reason universe! Inman Majors gives us some comedic escapism, Erin Jones is reading about mid-century women artists reclaiming the pin-up, and Sharon Jones shares why she, a black woman with a comfortable salary, is spending her summer reading about whiteness and poverty.

Jul 12, 2018 • 51:58

The Ghost in the MP3

The 1987 pop song “Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega is considered the “mother of the MP3.” It was the test track used by German scientists to perfect this new file format that would revolutionize the music industry. Ryan Maguire has been experimenting with the sounds that got stripped out of that first MP3.

Jul 5, 2018 • 51:59

A Cellular Cure for Diabetes

Jose Oberholzer is a transplant surgeon who lies awake nights thinking about a cellular cure for diabetes. He created the Chicago Diabetes Project so the best minds in the country can work together on a cure. He says we're close!

Jun 29, 2018 • 52:00

Blending Families

More than a hundred years ago, a small group of Russian Mennonites went looking for Christ in Central Asia. They didn’t find him, but they did find a home among Muslims in Uzbekistan. Sofia Samatar tells their history in her new memoir, alongside her own story of growing up the daughter of a Somali Muslim and an American Mennonite.

Jun 21, 2018 • 51:59

Do The Right Thing

"Making Peace With Vietnam" is a documentary that chronicles life in that nation as Vietnam vets return to do humanitarian work. Plus, Ludwig Wittgenstein may be the greatest philosopher of the 20th century, but few people know about him.

Jun 14, 2018 • 51:57

Moving Pictures

When you think animation you might think the Simpsons or Disney or Spirited Away. But animation artist Anh Do says animation art is everything that moves. He got his start as a boy who emigrated to America from Vietnam with no English skills, so he drew pictures of everything he needed.

Jun 8, 2018 • 51:57

Animal Intersections

The author of, A Hoot in the Light: Illuminating the Sensory Modes of Animal Communication, says that by recognizing animal voices, we make our particular brand of humanism a little more humane. And: “Honeybee” Brown is planting apiaries in urban community gardens in an effort to save the ailing honeybee.

Jun 1, 2018 • 51:57

1619: Past and Present

The first captive Africans arrived in the Jamestown settlement in Virginia in 1619. A shipload of women intended as mates for the male settlers also arrived that year. How should we be telling and commemorating this history in 2019?

May 25, 2018 • 51:58

Art's Complicated

Sam Blanchard is a digital artist who uses humor and technology in his work. One of his favorites is a nod to his phobias--including going bald and a fear of heights!

May 17, 2018 • 52:01

Get Rhythm

Bix Beiderbecke was one of the first great legends of jazz, but his recording career lasted just six years. A book by Brendan Wolfe, Finding Bix: The Life and Afterlife of a Jazz Legend, connects Beiderbecke's music, history, and legend.

May 10, 2018 • 51:57

The Pains of Recovery

"Councilors Without Borders" traveled to Puerto Rico to help people who continue to suffer after the Hurricane Maria disaster. Residents are still feeling stressed by the storm and worry about the new storm season to come.

May 3, 2018 • 52:01

Cents and Sensibility

Jane Austen novels provide timeless insight into our virtues and vices. It turns out she drew inspiration on how to live a moral life from the great 18th century economist Adam Smith.

Apr 27, 2018 • 51:58

Muggles Abroad!

A few lucky college students who love the Harry Potter fantasy series get to travel to London for 3 weeks of magical creatures, potions, and herbology. And if you're impatient for the final season of Game of Thrones, we have your GoT fix--how the women of Westeros gain and lose power in that fictional patriarchal world of dragons and warfare. Plus: Long before there was Black Panther or the Blaxploitation movies, there were Race Movies. 500 were created by black actors and directors, but onl

Apr 19, 2018 • 51:58

Through an Indian's Looking Glass

A story of Native American resilience comes to life in a new biography of Black Elk, an Oglala Lakota medicine man and Catholic preacher. Black Elk was born in 1863 and died at Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Another new book illuminates the life of a Pequot Indian activist and author who is little known today, but has been called the Native American Frederick Douglas. William Apess challenged the power structure of his day using the pen, the pulpit, and protest.

Apr 12, 2018 • 51:58

Real Love with Sharon Salzberg

In her new book, Real Love, Sharon Salzberg--one of the world's leading authorities on love and meditation--shows us love isn't just an emotion we feel when we're in a romantic relationship. It's an ability we can nurture and cultivate. Also, Oliver Hill shares his journey in the 1960's from the segregated south, to black radicalism, to Transcendental Meditation with the Beach Boys. Also: How "The Pause" got started. We talk with emergency care nurse Jonathan Bartels, who just wanted to take a

Apr 6, 2018 • 51:59

Future Farming of America

Southwest Virginia has seen a decline in coal and tobacco—two industries that once boomed in the region. Could hemp be a way to boost the local economy? And more.

Mar 30, 2018 • 51:59

Moonshine and Prohibition

South Carolina saw the statewide prohibition of alcohol in 1915. But not before the state established its own dispensary system more than a decade earlier. Plus: oral histories of moonshiners in Appalachia.

Mar 23, 2018 • 29:00

Building a Wall

When Thomas Jefferson designed the University of Virginia’s central Rotunda, he set out to build a temple to the book, a stunning rebuke to the Christian churches that anchored every other college of his day. But Jefferson’s secular utopia didn’t pan out exactly as he planned.

Mar 16, 2018 • 51:58

Privatization and Public Universities

With state support shrinking and the dependence on private support increasing for most public universities what does the financial landscape of the future look like? What makes an institution public? Is it the source of funding? History? Mission? Or something else?

Mar 9, 2018 • 51:57

The Golden Age of Flattery

Washington has its fair share of brown-nosers. We talk with the authors of Sucking Up: A Brief Consideration of Sycophancy about yes-men, now and through the ages.

Mar 2, 2018 • 28:59

Invisible Founders

Scholars, historic interpreters, and descendants of enslaved people recently gathered at Montpelier, the home of James Madison. They were there to create a rubric for historic sites who want to engage descendant communities in their work. We share stories and interviews from Montpelier's Summit on Slavery.

Feb 23, 2018 • 51:57

Driving While Black

Poet Kiki Petrosino in her poem, If My Body Is a Text, reflects on a year of tragic outcomes during traffic stops between police and African American drivers. Plus: Most of us have heard of Negro League Baseball, but there were many other all-black sports leagues and teams across America in the 20th century. David Wiggins shares how African-American athletes built their own place for sports in a segregated world.

Feb 16, 2018 • 28:59

Love Me Do

Wine, chocolate, and flowers. We talk with experts about these Valentine's Day essentials.

Feb 9, 2018 • 51:58

Civil Rights and Civil War Monuments

Maggie Walker was an African American teacher and businesswoman and the first woman of any race to charter a bank in the United States. There's now a statue of her in the former capital of the Confederacy. Plus: A town’s historical markers tell visitors the story of a place. But what do they leave out?

Feb 2, 2018 • 28:58

Lethal Doses

America is hooked on opioids—by one count, there are currently more opioid prescriptions than people in the southeastern United States. This week we’re taking a deep dive into the causes of the opioid crisis. And more.

Jan 29, 2018 • 28:59

The New Minority

Donald Trump’s election was seen by many commentators as a decisive statement by a marginalized White working class. A new book The New Minority: White Working Class Politics in an Age of Immigration and Inequality explains where this theory comes from and why so many White voters are feeling class and racial resentment. Plus we dive into the immigration debate and why good numbers are hard to find.

Jan 19, 2018 • 29:00

People Count

Today we hear a lot about "blue collar" voters, but it wasn't always the case that the working class mattered. In this week's show, we look at why working class neighborhoods tend to get the short end of the stick, how a British monarch leveraged the working class to extend her reign, and who is responsible for the origin of the census.

Jan 12, 2018 • 52:04

Getting to Know the Presidents

After one year in office, can we pass judgement on Trump's presidency? We talk to two experts from the University of Virginia's Miller Center who have made presidential first years their speciality. Plus, we dive deep into presidential history and ask the tough questions about America's founding fathers -- like how did these guys live so long?

Jan 5, 2018 • 51:58

The Future Of Music

Until recently, Caroline Shaw was uncomfortable calling herself a composer–violin, singer, musician, sure. But not a composer. Then in 2013, her composition Partita for 8 Voices made her the youngest recipient ever of the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Now she’s one of the most respected composers on the New Music scene and has been heralded as the future of music. Today, Shaw’s compositions range from traditional quartets and solo piano pieces to a cappella and collaborations with Kanye West.

Dec 29, 2017 • 52:00