Weekend America Series
Conversations with America
Conversations with America
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Conversations with America: Concluding the Conversation
Since last September, Weekend America has been asking writers and thinkers for their take on what matters to them and what should matter to all of us during this time of political change. Now that we have a new president, we thought we'd get some of the contributors back together to continue the conversation - with each other.
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Conversations with America: le thi diem thuy
As America prepares to inaugurate a new president, we've been asking writers and thinkers about transitions in their own lives. Le thi diem thuy is a poet and solo performance artist. She and her family went through a big transition when they left their native Vietnam by boat in 1978. The family settled in Southern California, but we caught up with thuy on a visit to New York City.
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Conversations with America: Oliver Sacks
A couple of weeks ago in his weekly radio and YouTube address, President-elect Obama talked about the role science would play in his presidency. Obama said his administration would seek to ensure that facts and evidence reported by scientists are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology. That's a stance dear to the heart of author and neurologist Oliver Sacks.
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Conversations with America: Annette Gordon-Reed
It's never easy being president, and these days the transition to that job is fraught as well. We're continuing our series Conversations with America, asking writers and thinkers to talk about transitions of their own, and what should be on the incoming president's mind. Annette Gordon-Reed is a historian who's written extensively about President Thomas Jefferson's relationship with his slave Sally Hemings.
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Conversations with America: Moustafa Bayoumi
In Brooklyn, there are several different neighborhoods that have relatively large concentrations of Arab Americans and of Muslim Americans. Probably the most important one is Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. And then the older neighborhood in Brooklyn where there are a lot of Arabs and Muslims would around Atlantic Avenue. They sell a lot of cassette tapes and pamphlets, and there's Chinese food that's halal.
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Conversations with America: Julia Alvarez
For a few weeks now, we've been bringing you essays from folks around the country about what they think should be on voters' minds this election. We're calling it "Conversations with America." In the final days before the election, our last piece comes from Vermont writer Julia Alvarez.
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Conversations with America: Ethan Book
Ethan Book grew up in a small Iowa town and attended the University of Northern Iowa. Along with his wife Becca and two young children, Ethan oversees a growing herd of registered Dexter cattle and a flock of laying hens, and is expanding his operation on a small family farm in Southern Iowa.
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Conversations with America: Lindsey O'Connor
You'll head into a voting booth soon, if you haven't already voted from home, and declare who you think would lead the country most effectively. You'll take a leap of faith, you might say. This fall, we've been asking people to bring us their take on what's important to them as they prepare to cast their vote. We're calling it Conversations with America. Our essay today comes from Colorado author Lindsey O'Connor.
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Conversations with America: Heather Ryan
It's a crazy time for an election. Politicians are facing their worst nightmare: Responding to dire news right before angry voters go to the polls. And voters will most likely be angry about the economy. For a few weeks now, we've been bringing you essays from folks around the country about what they think should be on voters' minds this election. Our next piece comes from writer Heather Ryan of Eugene, Ore.
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Conversations with America: Dr. Hugh Hill
Here at Weekend America we've asked writers and thinkers what they believe should be on voters' minds as they cast their ballots this election year. Our essay today comes from emergency room physician Hugh Hill. Dr. Hill has worked in emergency rooms for 28 years, dealing with the insured and uninsured alike. The patients he sees on a daily basis have shaped his view of the politics of health care in the United States.
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Conversations with America: Brian Turner
The party platforms of the presidential candidates represent the direction a whole group of people want to steer our government. But maybe here on the weekend there's a way to think more broadly about some of the issues facing our country. So we've asked some writers and thinkers what they believe should be on voters' minds as they cast their ballots. Our essay today comes from Iraq war veteran and poet Brian Turner.
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Conversations with America: Alexandra Fuller
Elections are bearing down on us. Sometimes we can get a sort of mental whiplash from all the back-and-forthing during the week. The weekend, if you're lucky, is a time when you can stand back from some of that and reflect on what's really important. Between now and election time, we're asking some folks to bring us their personal takes on what's important in this election. Our first essay comes from Alexandra Fuller. She's a writer in Jackson, Wyoming. But she grew up in a very different place. Sort of.
