Ahhh, the sound of grizzly bears fighting over salmon in a tidal pool. Incredible! When you listen to those grizzly bears you are listening to one of the greatest, if not thee greatest, resource American has. It’s land. William Cronon says our land IS who we are. So it makes since, that in the 19th century a bold and visionary invention was created: the National Park. Cronon told Steve Paulson that National Parks are America's greatest invention.
Art critic and historian Michael Fried talks about his early days in New York and his friendship with the gifted and difficult dean of American critics, Clement Greenberg.
Lauret Savoy believes too many nature writers focus on pristine wilderness and neglect the gritty reality of the places where people actually live - in cities, for instance, maybe even near toxic waste sites - which forces us to grapple with questions about race and poverty.
Pat Willard tells Steve Paulson that saffron is more than just a spice. It's rare and difficult to harvest but has an ancient history as a food additive, hair and skin dye, and as an aphrodisiac.
Jonathan Pieslak, author of "Sound Targets: American Soldiers and the Music in the Iraq War," talks with Jim Fleming about how U.S. forces use music and who they listen to.
Since Michael Brown was shot, there's a new round of calls for a national conversation about racism. Is that realistic? Are we ready for what we might hear? A couple of years ago, NPR's Michele Norris told us about how a family secret sparked difficult conversations.
Ray McGovern is one of the founders of Veteran Intelligence Professional for Sanity and worked as a CIA analyst for 27 years.
Jay Parini talks with Jim Fleming about the power of poetry and how it especially empowers young people in troubled times.
