Dialogue with Marcia Franklin

Marcia Franklin talks with poet Richard Blanco, the first LatinX and gay inaugural poet. Blanco wrote a poem for President Obama’s second inaugural and read it at the ceremony. He discusses the process of writing the inaugural poem, “One Today,” how the piece reflected his life and his philosophy of writing, the themes of his work, and the power of poetry to change lives. Mr. Blanco was the keynote speaker at the Idaho Humanities Council’s annual event in 2019. Originally aired: 12/20/19

As Russia’s dominance on the international stage increases, along with its presence in the American presidential election, Dialogue host Marcia Franklin talks with journalist Jill Dougherty about Russian President Vladimir Putin. Dougherty, who reported for CNN for 30 years, most recently as its Foreign Affairs Correspondent, was also the network’s Moscow Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent. She left CNN in 2013 to get a Master’s degree in International Relations from Georgetown University and is now writing a book on Putin’s ‘soft power.’ At the time she spoke with Franklin, Dougherty was a Global Fellow at the Kennan Institute, a division of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. The two discuss what Dougherty means by ‘soft power,’ and some of the factors that drive President Putin’s persona and politics. Franklin also asks Dougherty about Putin’s involvement in the United States’ presidential election and what the next U.S. president should keep in mind when negotiating with Russia. Dougherty was in Boise in September 2016 to address the Boise Committee on Foreign Relations. Originally Aired: 09/30/2016

Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry hams it up with host Marcia Franklin at the 2014 Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. The two talk about Barry’s various misadventures in the Gem State, including tree-climbing, snowmobiling and trout fishing—and what he thinks the new motto for Idaho should be. They also discuss Barry’s partnership with Ridley Pearson on the Peter and the Starcatchers book series. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 11/21/2014 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference” and was taped at the 2014 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Marcia Franklin talks with Robert MacNeil, the veteran journalist, author, and former co-host of the NewsHour on PBS. MacNeil, who was born in Canada, talks about becoming an American, how the news profession changed over the course of his career, and his love for the English language. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter! Originally Aired: 12/08/2005 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series, “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference,” and was taped at the 2005 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. This was the first year Marcia Franklin interviewed speakers there.

In his book, Active Liberty: Interpreting Our Democratic Constitution, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer lays out his judicial philosophy, that judges should decide cases in a way that allows the public to maximize participation in government through what he calls "active liberty." Marcia Franklin talks with Justice Breyer about the precepts of "active liberty, why he wanted to write the book, the values that guide him in his judicial decisions, and why it's important for judges to write well. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter! Originally Aired: 12/21/2006 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series, "Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference," and was taped at the 2006 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. This was the second year Marcia Franklin interviewed speakers there.

Marcia Franklin interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson about her book, The Warmth of Other Suns. The work, about the Great Migration of African-Americans from the south to other parts of the country, took Wilkerson 15 years to research and write. They discuss the reasons for the migration, its influence on the country, and how the book's success has affected Wilkerson. Originally Aired: 10/16/14

Novelist Tayari Jones describes the process of writing “An American Marriage,” a novel that chronicles the trajectory of a marriage when one of the spouses is wrongfully convicted of a crime. Jones talks with Marcia about the serendipity that led to the book’s characters, as well as how her writing is informed by the experiences of her parents, who were both active in the civil rights movement. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 1/7/2022 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference” and was taped at the 2021 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Bob Edwards, National Public Radio senior correspondent and longtime host of “Morning Edition,” has died. His sonorous voice has kept millions of NPR listeners company for decades. Edwards talked with Marcia Franklin in 2004 about his career and his book “Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism.” Originally aired: 07/22/2004

Pulitzer Prize-winning Kiowa author N. Scott Momaday has died. In this interview from 1996, host Marcia Franklin talks with Momaday about his role in commentating on Native American culture in the recently released Ken Burns documentary ‘The West.’ Momaday also talks about how to find your voice as an author, as well as the relationship between Native Americans and American society. Originally aired: 09/25/1996

Marcia Franklin talks with David Epstein, an award-winning sports journalist and author of the bestselling book The Sports Gene. It delves into the controversial research on what role genetics plays in the development of athletic talent. The book also takes on the so-called “10,000 Hour Rule,” which contends that 10,000 hours of practice can produce mastery in a field, including sports. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 10/24/2014 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference” and was taped at the 2014 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Writer Ethan Watters joins Marcia Franklin to discuss the themes in his book, Urban Tribes, which looks at the ways in which young, unmarried Americans create their own sense of family. Ethan Watters has written about psychiatry and social psychology for 20 years. He has also taught writing at Berkeley, Stanford, and California College of the Arts. In 1994 he co-founded the San Francisco Writers' Grotto. In addition to several books, he's written about social trends for publications from Esquire to the New York Times Magazine, among other national and regional publications. He has also created pieces for Public Radio International's This American Life. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter! Originally Aired: 12/18/2008 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series, "Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference," and was taped at the 2008 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Marcia Franklin talks with Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), the last of the so-called "Big Six" leaders of the African-American civil rights movement. Lewis was the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966, and played a seminal role in some of the 56 most important activities of the movement, including the Freedom Rides, the march from Selma to Montgomery and the March on Washington (at which he was the youngest speaker). He became a United States Representative in 1986. During their conversation, Lewis and Franklin discussed his emotions on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act, the election of President Obama, what Lewis sees as current civil rights challenges, and his advice to the next generation. The two also discuss a trilogy of graphic novels called March that he and a staffer, Andrew Aydin, are writing. The series illustrates the congressman's life in the civil rights movement. The first book hit #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers List. Originally Aired: 11/14/2014 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series, "Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference," and was taped at the 2014 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. Marcia Franklin has interviewed speakers there since 2005.

Marcia Franklin talks with Boise resident Kurt Koontz about his book, “A Million Steps,” which chronicles his journey along the Camino de Santiago trail in northern Spain. The 500-mile route, known colloquially as ‘The Way,’ was originally a trek made by Catholic pilgrims to the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, believed to be the burial place of St. James, an apostle of Jesus. Today, 200,000 seekers a year from all backgrounds traverse the path. Franklin talks with Koontz about why he decided to take the journey, what he learned along the way, and why he wanted to write a book about his experiences. In an Extra, Koontz shares tips for walking the Camino, and describes the process of writing and publishing his book. Originally aired: 07/24/14

Conversations From the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference is back for a 16th season! In this episode, host Marcia Franklin speaks with writer Mohsin Hamid about his latest novel, The Last White Man. The story follows the transformation of a man who wakes up one day to find that his skin color has changed. Hamid, who often incorporates his own multicultural background into his work, talks with Franklin about how his life changed after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and how he aims with his writing to “imagine the world into a better place.” Originally Aired: 12/29/2023 The interview is part of the series “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference” and was taped at the 2023 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Conversations From the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference is back for a 16th season! In this episode, journalist Andrea Elliott joins host Marcia Franklin to talk about her book, Invisible Child, which won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. The book chronicles eight years in the life of Dasani Coates, a child in Brooklyn. Elliott shares what compelled her to spend that much time covering the story, and how Dasani’s life exemplifies the challenges of being poor in America. Elliott also discusses some of the ethical considerations involved in reporting this complex and personal story. Originally Aired: 12/22/2023 The interview is part of the series “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference” and was taped at the 2023 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Conversations From the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference is back for a 16th season! In this episode, David Grann regales viewers with some of the amazing true stories surrounding the wreck of The Wager, a British ship that sank off the tip of South America in 1741. In his book The Wager, Grann uses rare primary source documents to reconstruct the harrowing experiences of the ship’s castaways and shows how the aftermath of the saga is still relevant today. The book will be adapted into a film directed by Martin Scorsese, as was another of Grann’s bestsellers, Killers of the Flower Moon. Originally Aired: 12/15/2023 The interview is part of the series “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference” and was taped at the 2023 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Conversations From the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference is back for a 16th season! In this episode, Hernan Diaz joins Marcia Franklin to discuss his latest novel, Trust, which won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The intricately braided tale about characters in the world of high finance gives readers four different takes on the same story, playing with the idea of “truth.” Diaz explains why he constructed the novel using multiple voices, and what it was like to win the Pulitzer Prize. Originally Aired: 12/08/2023 The interview is part of the series “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference” and was taped at the 2023 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Conversations From the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference is back for a 16th season! In this episode, host Marcia Franklin talks with Dr. Abraham Verghese about his latest blockbuster novel, The Covenant of Water. The epic, which includes a mystery at its core, covers more than 70 years in the intertwined lives of families in the Indian state of Kerala. Verghese discusses the ties the story has to his own family history and shares his joy of writing. Originally Aired: 12/01/2023 The interview is part of the series “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference” and was taped at the 2023 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Longtime New Yorker writer and author Susan Orlean joins host Marcia Franklin for a lively chat about her writing style and her work, including hundreds of magazine articles, “The Library Book,” and an upcoming memoir. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 12/31/2021 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference” and was taped at the 2021 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Known for elevating the “ordinary” with her keen observations, including life in Latino and Arab communities, Palestinian-American poet Naomi Shihab Nye is the author or editor of more than 30 works of poetry, fiction and essays. Her books include Words Under the Words; Red Suitcase; Fuel; You and Yours; Never in a Hurry; Habibi; A-maze Me; Honeybee; and 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East, which was nominated for the National Book Award. Nye, whose father was a journalist, gleans many of the subjects for her poems from the news, including writing about both the tensions and close relationships between Palestinians and Israelis. The promotion of cross-cultural understanding and peace is an important component of her work, as is teaching poetry to children, publishing their poems and writing children’s books. Marcia Franklin talks with Nye about her beginnings as a poet, the influences on her work, her tips for writing, the role of poetry in society and her thoughts on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 10/26/2012 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference” and was taped at the 2012 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.