
Hosted by The Pell Center at Salve Regina University · EN
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.

The history of American-Iranian relations is complex, sometimes contradictory, and repeatedly violent. Author Scott Anderson explains that history with a special focus on the Islamic revolution in Iran, the fracture that followed, and its continued relevance today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

American audiences know the history of slavery in the United States—from 1619 to the emancipation proclamation. Historian Carrie Gibson reminds us that slavery in the Western hemisphere predates the British colonies of North America, lasted decades after the end of the American Civil War, and was punctuated by perpetual resistance, especially from enslaved persons themselves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The human mind has difficulty comprehending just how much money one billion dollars actually is. The New York Times’ Steven Rich is part of a reporting team that has unpacked the power of billionaires in American communities and American politics—where their influence is substantial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalist Stuart Jeffries explores the concept of stupidity from the ideas of ancient philosophers to today’s age of AI, examining how it has been defined throughout history and how it is monetized and exploited in contemporary culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the Cold War, some hoped that the end of superpower competition would usher in a world of lasting peace and cooperation. Former CIA operations officer Sean M. Wiswesser saw where that hope faded only to be replaced by a new era of espionage and covert affairs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a curious debate about the health of American elections. Some allege they are sick. Others say they are thriving. Fair-elections advocate Rebekah Caruthers peels away competing claims to help us understand the real challenges to American voting rights today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s easy, in this 250th Anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence, to find things that divide Americans. But best-selling author Colin Woodard says we’re still bound together as a people by the ideals of our founding.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.