Ken Burns joins Bob and Ben for a conversation about American history and the themes he sees playing out in the US today. Ken shares his process for selecting subjects for his films and explains how his new 3-part film Hemingway (co-directed w/ Lynn Novick) highlights Ernest Hemingway’s individual genius while also revealing the universal aspects of life that we all share. We also discuss how our time and place influence the way we view the past, the importance of acknowledging both the light and dark in American history, and why Ken argues that much of life’s meaning comes from the struggle.
Ken Burns’ new film Hemingway, which he co-directed with Lynn Novick, premieres April 5-7 on PBS. For more on the series visit https://kenburns.com/hemingway/
UNUM is a new site by Ken Burns and PBS that allows users “a new way to explore American history through select scenes from across our over 40 films” with the goal of “providing historical context for the conversations we are having today.” You can visit UNUM at: https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/unum
You can follow Ken Burns on twitter at @KenBurns
This episode is a rebroadcast of RTN #191, which originally aired on February 15, 2021.
This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.
We’re happy to share a clip from our friends at Southern Songs and Stories!
This episode of The Road to Now features a clip from Southern Songs and Stories, a podcast hosted by our friend Joe Kendrick at WNCW. Listen after the credits to hear a portion of “The Shelton Laurel Massacre, Part One: The Past That Would not Die.” You can hear the full episode on Apple Music, Spotify, or on any podcast player where you get The Road to Now.
The Athletic's Dana O'Neil joins Bob & Ben for a conversation about the history of the NCAA tournament, how college basketball built the fan base it has today, and how rule changes have changed the sport from the 3-point line to the more recent Name, Image & License (NIL) contracts that allow college athletes to receive compensation for playing.
Dana O'Neil is a Senior Writer for The Athletic, and one of the country's foremost experts on college basketball.
You can hear the uncut version of this conversation and many more by supporting us on Patreon. Click here for more info!
This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.
Jimmy Carter only served four years as President (1977-1981) but his approach to foreign policy produced big results, including the return of the Panama Canal to Panama, a strategic nuclear arms treaty with the Soviet Union (SALT-II), and US formal recognition of the People’s Republic of China. In this episode we welcome Nancy Mitchell back to the show to discuss the key moments in Carter’s Presidency and how his administration’s decisions look from the perspective of 2023.
Dr. Nancy Mitchell is Professor of History at North Carolina State University, where she specializes in the history of US foreign policy. Her most recent book, Jimmy Carter in Africa: Race and the Cold War (Stanford University Press, 2016) won the Douglas Dillon Award in 2016 and the Robert H. Ferrell Book Prize in 2017. You can hear our previous conversation w/ Nancy in episode #35 “Reassessing Jimmy Carter” (Dec. 2016).
This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.