Conversations @ The Salt Line

In this episode of Conversations at the Salt Line, host Wesley Dixon recaps and reviews the episodes from last year and gives some quick reflections and behind the scenes insights from each conversation.

In this episode of "Conversations at the Salt Line," host Wesley Dixon chats with Yale University Professor of History Beverly Gage about her Pulitzer Prize winning biography "G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century." Wes and Professor Gage engaged in an exciting conversation about the history of political movements and the complexities of one of America's most well-known gov...

In this episode of "Conversations at the Salt Line," host Wesley Dixon speaks with Allison Abner '87 about her career as an author and television writer on shows such as "The West Wing." During their conversation, Wes and Allison explored the intersections of entertainment and politics, and Allison reflected on her experience as an "outsider" in Washington. Listen in for some interesting insider s...

In this episode of "Conversations at the Salt Line," host Wesley Dixon chats with John Wordock '91 who serves as Executive Editor at Cumulus Media and Westwood One. During their conversation Wes and John chat about the history of podcasts and explore the intersections of media, storytelling, and cultural and political pluralism. As a guest speaker for Vassar's Sophomore Career Connections program,...

 In this episode of "Conversations at the Salt Line," host Wesley Dixon chats with Ilyse Hogue '91, former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America and author of "The Lie that Binds." Wes and Ilyse discuss the history of the campaign against women's reproductive rights and explore the lessons that history provides as we seek to understand the current political environment in the United States. 

In this episode of Conversations @ the Salt Line, host Wesley Dixon talks with Dr. Michael Gomez (Silver Professor of History and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at NYU) about two of his works: "Reversing Sail: A History of the African Diaspora" and "African Dominion: A New History of Empire in Early and Medieval West Africa." Dr. Gomez and Wesley chat about the role of history in a pluralistic...

In this episode of Conversations at the Salt Line, host Wesley Dixon chats with New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly about her career as a cartoonist and the history of women cartoonists at the New Yorker. Wesley and Liza explore the intersections of art and politics, and chat about the importance of observation.

In this episode of "Conversations at the Salt Line," host Wesley Dixon speaks to Dr. Liz Andrews who serves as the Executive Director of the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art. Dr. Andrews and Wes discuss the Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection  exhibition at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar. As Dr. Andrews and Wes discuss this historic collaboration, they explore so...

In this episode of " Conversations at the Salt Line ," Wesley Dixon chats with Vassar alum Chip Reid '77 about his time as a White House Correspondent and his new book " Battle Scars ," which details his time embedded with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines in Iraq.

In this episode, host Wesley Dixon recaps the episodes that aired during the 2022-2023 Academic Year and reflects on some of the highlights of the conversations with the guests. Dixon also reveals some funny (or chaotic) behind-the-scenes moments and previews the upcoming "season" of the podcast. 

On this episode of Conversations at the Salt Line, host Wesley Dixon sits down with former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Margaret "Peggy" Hamburg and discusses the intersections of public health and public safety, leadership during moments of crisis, and reconciling with uncomfortable histories.

In this episode of Conversations at the Salt Line, Wesley Dixon talks to Vassar alum Sasha Velour, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race, Season 9, about her new memoir, The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag. Wesley and Sasha delve into themes of history and healing as they relate to drag as an art form. They also explore how drag artists and supporters can embrace the art form as a tool for adv...

In this episode of Conversations at the Salt Line, Wesley Dixon of Vassar College interviews the former chair of the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC)-- Susanne Lyons. Today, they discuss the historic role of the Olympics as an internationally neutral and "non-political" environment, the current rhetoric and debates about inclusion of trans athletes in the games, as well as the advantages...

In this episode of "Conversations @ the Salt Line," Wesley Dixon talks to Vassar alumna, Stacy London '91, former Co-Host of "What Not to Wear" and former CEO of State of Menopause about the fashion industry, how social media has democratized style, and the beauty of aging. 

In this newest podcast episode Wesley Dixon of Vassar College talks with David Ambroz, an alumnus of Vassar and a best-selling author. In this episode, they discuss Mr. Ambroz's new memoir A Place Called Home. Additionally, they explore topics such as poverty and issues within foster care in the US as well as the importance of individual responsibility of citizens to combat these issues.

In this newest podcast episode Wesley Dixon of Vassar College talks with Jeh Johnson, the former Secretary of Homeland Security. In this discussion, the two dive into issues of racism, restorative justice, and immigration. Former Secretary Johnson also allows us a peak behind the curtain of US policy decisions as he recounts several notable experiences in his role with the Department of Homeland S...

In this episode of "Conversations @ the Salt Line," host Wesley Dixon has a discussion with CEO and Founder of Blumhouse Productions, and Vassar Alumnus, Jason Blum '91. They discuss the future of the movie and television industries and how the rise of streaming services has disrupted the traditional business model.

In this episode, Wesley Dixon of Vassar College has a discussion with Chef Judy Joo about her experience with fusing American and Korean meals to create a collection of intercultural recipes. Together, they explore the intersections of fusing food with merging cultures, and they discuss the roots of colonialism inherent in this innovative practice.

In this episode, Wesley Dixon of Vassar College speaks to Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr. about his book 'Begin Again' which draws lessons from writer James Baldwin about how to understand and transcend moments of stark political divisiveness. Throughout their conversation Dixon and Glaude discuss themes of race, democracy, and hope.