Books

It’s been a challenging term for outgoing Kansas poet laureate Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, who lost her home in 2011, metaphorically speaking.  That was when Governor Sam Brownback dissolved the Kansas Arts Commission, which housed the program.

The three C’s--Clans, cliques and clubs—everyone has probably enjoyed the sense of belonging and the social support that membership provides. Throughout history, organized groups have waged war and influenced everything from local customs to the division of wealth and property. But when does loyalty to the group begin to interfere with individual freedom, and at worst, the very stability of clan itself?  And how do we live in a democratic society and balance both individuals and group needs and pressures? We talk about how our modern society was shaped by ancient forms of social organization---otherwise known as clans---and debate the balance between individual freedom and group loyalty -- family.

History host Monroe Dodd speaks with Michael Lind about his most recent book, Land of Promise: An Economic History of the United States.  They explore the curious history of the United States from its inception to today through the lens of three distinct economic republics.  These three periods of American history are distinct in their incredible transformation brought about by technological and subsequent economical changes that also transformed the very way America understands itself.

What does it feel like to become a grandparent? There’s the initial excitement of the moment, but it’s something that changes your whole life.

Ask a school kid, and he or she will tell you that slavery in America ended in the mid-1860s. But when did the movement against slavery start?