Story in the Public Square
News & Politics Podcasts
Story in the Public Square is a weekly, 30-minute series that brings audiences to the intersection of storytelling and public affairs. Hosted by Jim Ludes and G. Wayne Miller, Story in the Public Square offers a spirited but respectful dialogue. Often...
Location:
United States
Description:
Story in the Public Square is a weekly, 30-minute series that brings audiences to the intersection of storytelling and public affairs. Hosted by Jim Ludes and G. Wayne Miller, Story in the Public Square offers a spirited but respectful dialogue. Often funny, always provocative, each episode of Story in the Public Square moves beyond traditional public affairs programming to consider the impact of narrative and storytelling on public life today.
Twitter:
@pubstory
Language:
English
Contact:
401-341-7462
Email:
pellcenter@salve.edu
Episodes
The challenges of reading in a digital age with Naomi Baron
4/14/2026
Writing and creative expression are a frequent topic on this show, but scholar Naomi S. Baron challenges all of us to consider the joy, the practice, and even the challenge of reading, especially in a world where artificial intelligence can do the reading for us.
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Duration:00:28:38
Julia Minson on How to Dissagree Better
3/31/2026
Senator Wendell Ford of Kentucky once said, “we can disagree without being disagreeable.” Harvard Kennedy School professor and author Julia Minson has made a career out of how to disagree better—and she has the science to back her claims.
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Duration:00:28:24
The battle for freedom of the press with David McCraw
3/24/2026
Journalists play a vital role in the health of a free society. But The New York Times’ David E. McCraw isn’t a journalist, he’s a lawyer, reporting from the frontlines of the battle for freedom of the press.
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Duration:00:27:45
Breaking down the Academy Awards nominations with Pete Hammond
3/17/2026
This year’s Academy Awards nominations have almost everything: fast cars, conspiracies, classic tales, monsters, intrigue, and nature. It’s a remarkable collection of films and pre-eminent film critic and awards columnist Pete Hammond has reviewed them all.
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Duration:00:27:30
Navigating the complexity of war stories with Elizabeth Samet
3/3/2026
Go to the movies or visit the bookstore and you’ll see that war stories are everywhere—whether the protagonists are gods, super-heroes, or human beings. But author and West Point professor Elizabeth D. Samet warns that the appeal of the good war story obscures the complexity of conflict and shapes the way we view current international tensions.
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Duration:00:27:35
Analyzing the societal challenges of the Vietnam War with Wil Haygood
3/3/2026
The war in Vietnam was the first war in U.S. history fought by a fully-integrated military. But award-winning author and journalist Wil Haygood says that the challenge beyond the battlefield was that American society was not as fully integrated as the fighting force that served it—and that difference had impacts in Vietnam and at home
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Duration:00:28:40
The future of the Voice of America with Patsy Widakuswara
2/3/2026
From World War II through the Cold War, and into this century, the Voice of America and its journalists demonstrated the strength and power of a free society and the weakness of America’s enemies. Now, Patsy Widakuswara—a seasoned veteran of VOA—finds herself at the heart of a legal battle over the future existence of the Voice of America.
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Duration:00:27:57
Michael McFaul on the enduring strength of American democracy
1/27/2026
Some are concerned that the advantages autocracies like Russia and China have over democracies like the United States are insurmountable. But Ambassador Michael McFaul argues that it’s just the opposite—that it’s the very messiness of American democracy that is the source of our greatest strength.
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Duration:00:29:02
A closer look at immigration policy today with Caitlin Dickerson
1/20/2026
As a candidate in 2016 and 2024, Donald Trump promised to crack down on undocumented immigrants—and after one year in office, the president has moved fast. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Caitlin Dickerson says that the policies and their implementation come with a very high price—for the immigrants and even for U.S. officials.
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Duration:00:28:31
The Case for American Power with Shadi Hamid
1/13/2026
It’s easy to be skeptical of idealistic notions of American power, the indispensable nation that some have talked about, when the history of the last 25 years is of misguided conflicts in the Middle East and a democratic backsliding at home. But through it all, Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid takes readers through a compelling case for American power.
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Duration:00:27:19
Navigating challnges posed for foreign-born doctors in underserved American communities with Eram Alam
1/5/2026
Nearly one in four doctors in the U.S. is foreign-born—many from South Asia—and they often serve in rural and underserved urban communities where American physicians are scarce. Harvard medical historian Eram Alam describes the public health challenges posed when immigrants are frequently met with suspicion in the communities they serve.
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Duration:00:27:59
The 2025 Story of the Year with Evelyn Farkas
1/5/2026
As 2025 draws to a close, we look back on the major stories that shaped public life in the last year with Evelyn Farkas of the McCain Institute at Arizona State University.
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Duration:00:28:14
Advocating for the arts with Erin Harkey
12/16/2025
During the Renaissance, ruling families like the Medicis funded the creation of great works of art that dazzle us to this day. In the modern era, the ability of democracies to fund the arts is often contentious and even controversial. Arts advocate Erin Harkey discusses the value of art in public life.
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Duration:00:28:35
Unpacking political conspiracy theories with Stephen Clermont
12/9/2025
An alarming number of Americans are receptive to the lure of conspiracy thinking. Pollster Stephen Clermont unpacks the most popular conspiracy theories and what they tell us about current American politics.
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Duration:00:27:44
Analyzing the dangers of politically charged rhetoric with Tom Nichols
12/2/2025
As the contours of public debate coarsen, it's easy to brand political rivals with epithets from the worst chapters in history. Tom Nichols, a writer for The Atlantic, warns about doing just that.
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Duration:00:28:35
Exploring the impact of renaming U.S. military installations with Ty Seidule
11/25/2025
In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, a long, simmering effort to rename U.S. military installations previously named for Confederate officers gained momentum. Historian and retired Army Brigadier General Ty Seidule recounts the effort to rid the military of old names, as well as the actions by the Trump administration to resuscitate old ghosts.
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Duration:00:27:29
Remembering the impacts of a tropical cyclone at Camp Fuji with Chas Henry
11/18/2025
On October 19, 1979, a massive tropical cyclone struck Japan and the Marines stationed at Camp Fuji. Retired Marine and journalist Chas Henry recounts the ensuing firestorm that swept the island, killing 13 Marines and wounding more than 70 others.
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Duration:00:28:10
Telling the story of Congressman Charles Diggs with Marion Orr
11/11/2025
Brown University public policy, political science and urban studies professor Marion Orr takes a fresh look at the life and legacy of Congressman Charles C. Diggs Jr., one of the most consequential Black federal legislators in American history.
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Duration:00:28:11
Examining challenges in America's primary care system with Dr. Troy Brennan
11/4/2025
The challenges facing American healthcare are substantial, but Dr. Troy Brennan, who teaches at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says they all stem from long-simmering issues in primary care.
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Duration:00:27:40
Weighing the power of character in leaders with General Stanley McChrystal
10/28/2025
One of America's storied military leaders General Stanley McChrystal offers insights on the power of character and integrity in leaders—whether in the military or civilian life.
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Duration:00:27:50