Cultural Controversy and Our Lives with Shannon Fisher

Shannon Fisher welcomes Columbia University historian Matthew Connelly to discuss THE DECLASSIFICATION ENGINE: WHAT HISTORY REVEALS ABOUT AMERICA'S TOP SECRETS . In this book, Connelly explores the nature of material classified by the United States government, how and why it is classified and the manner in which (some of) the information is ultimately released to the public. Using the latest t...

Shannon Fisher welcomes alternative-spirituality historian Mitch Horowitz to discuss his book, DAYDREAM BELIEVER . This conversation explores the intersection of science and spirituality, parapsychological research, and the power of a single thought or emotion. Horowitz presents actionable methods by which extraphysical aspects of the human mind are parlayed into metaphysical powers. Cultural Cont...

Pamela Paul oversees all books coverage for The New York Times as editor of The New York Times Book Review. The author and editor of seven books, Paul joins Our Lives with Shannon Fishe r today to discuss her latest title, 100 THINGS WE'VE LOST TO THE INTERNET . The book examines some of the many social and cultural phenomena that all but vanished in the wake of the digital revolution.  Our L...

Lois Bromfield has had a storied career in comedy. Her Hollywood credits read like a who's who of comedy in its heyday. Still a working stand-up comedian and screenwriter, Lois now lives in Germany and has written a memoir about her crazy exploits in Hollywood. Some of her legendary stories will blow your mind, and they will all leave you in stitches. Lois and Shannon get together today to talk ab...

Shannon welcomes E. Jean Carroll, the longest running advice columnist in history, to the show today. Writer of the “Ask E. Jean” column, which ran in Elle Magazine for decades, E. Jean Carroll has written a book entitled, “What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal.” In it, she recounts stories of experiences with "The Most Hideous Men of My Life" and the manner in which they affected her. E. Jea...

Elijah Anderson is the William K. Lanman, Jr. Professor of Sociology at Yale University and one of the leading urban ethnographers in the United States. His published books include Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City and The Cosmopolitan Canopy: Race and Civility in Everyday Life. He has served on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Political a...

Shannon interviews the authors of ' Let Dogs Be Dogs: Understanding Canine Nature and Mastering the Art of Living with Your Dog .' This book was a joint effort between Brother Christopher of The Monks of New Skete  and Marc Goldberg , both long-celebrated and well-respected leaders in the field of dog training. This book is filled with anecdotes explaining the nature of dog-human re...

Award-winning artist Amy Black speaks to Shannon about her nonprofit,  Pink Ink Fund , which offers financial assistance to women for nipple and areola repigmentation (tattooing) post mastectomy. Amy's goal is to enable as many women as possible to have the opportunity to regain the natural coloration of their nipples, which is only possible is thru tattooing.  Pink Ink Fund helps ease the financi...

Kate White , former editor in chief of Cosmopolitan magazine and New York Times bestselling author, joins Shannon Fisher this week to talk shop! After being at the helm of Cosmo for fourteen years, Kate White left the magazine (and the beauty perks) to concentrate full time on writing. She is a bestselling author of ten works of fiction - six ...

Shannon welcomes writer, film director and producer Rocky Lang to talk about his new collaboration with historian Barbara Hall, "Letters from Hollywood: Inside the World of Classic American Moviemaking." This book contains letters written by filmmakers on nearly every aspect of the creation of the classic Hollywood films we all know and love.  From direction to costume design to acting to int...

Former Senate Majority Leaders Tom Daschle and Trent Lott, two of the most prominent political leaders of our time, join Shannon Fisher to discuss their book, Crisis Point: Why We Must - and How We Can - Overcome Our Broken Politics in Washington and Across America .  In  Crisis Point , Daschle and Lott offer perspectives from opposing sides of the aisle. The book examines&nbsp...

Shannon welcomes Entertainment Journalist Evelyn McDonnell to discuss her recent book, Women Who Rock: Bessie to Beyonce. Girl Groups to Riot Grrrl . The book profiles almost 100 years of female musicians, describing how the music industry historically progressed and the contributions each of the 104 women made to pop music. Entertainers from all music genres are represented, and the profiles - al...

Shannon Fisher welcomes The Verge art director Kristen Radtke for a fascinating conversation about Radtke's newest graphic nonfiction book, SEEK YOU: A JOURNEY THROUGH AMERICAN LONELINESS , which explores the epidemic of loneliness in America today on both a micro and macro level.  Our Lives with Shannon Fisher explores personal, political, and societal perspectives of the American experience...

Shannon welcomes award-winning journalist, Hispanic leader, gubernatorial appointee, and PTSD survivor Julia Torres Barden to the show to discuss the recently published updated version of her memoir, Newyorican Girl: Surviving my Spanglish Life . A Puerto Rican girl from the South Bronx, Julia navigated a series of traumatic events during childhood that shaped her outlook on the world. A...

This podcast re-posted with permission from the National Press Club. To see the original podcast page for this episode, please go to the NPC website:    https://www.press.org/news-multimedia/audio/exploring-growing-popularity-fair-trade-products   Shannon Fisher explores fair trade, a manufacturing and distribution process that closely monitors imported products and ingredients from...

This podcast re-posted with permission from the National Press Club. To see the original podcast page for this episode, please go to the NPC website: https://www.press.org/newsroom/retired-ap-reporter-discusses-covering-more-400-executions Retired Associated Press reporter Michael Graczyk may have witnessed more executions than any journalist in American history. Working at the AP’s Houston b...

Shannon welcomes journalist Damon Young to discuss his memoir, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays, a collection of personal essays about his experiences as a black man in America and his journey of self discovery. The two discuss race in America on a macro and micro level, and Damon shares his personal perspective on the societal expectations that have been placed upon him...

Renowned Relationship Expert  Dr. Sheri Meyers  discusses her book, Chatting or Cheating, with Shannon. The book examines the shocking ease with which we slide down the slippery slope from an innocent “friendship” to a full-blown affair in today’s technology-driven world. Dr. Sheri is a regular contributor to ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, television and radio talk shows, a...

Historian Doris Weatherford joins Shannon to discuss her book, Victory for the Vote: The Fight for Women's Suffrage and the Century that Followed , a detailed history of the women's suffrage movement that also describes the progress and setbacks in the fight for women's equality in the century since suffrage was won. The book highlights the revolutionary women whose activism changed the world, put...

Shannon welcomes legal scholar  Linda Monk to discuss her annotated guide to the U.S. Constitution,  THE WORDS WE LIVE BY . Monk's book offers a balanced and nonpartisan analysis of American constitutional issues by including perspectives penned and spoken by current and historical figures who represent widely varied ideologies. Readers are free to make up their own minds...

Shannon is proud to welcome Christine Montgomery, manager of digital/online communications at the World Bank, as her guest. Throughout Christine's career, she has transformed some of the nation’s top news and entertainment brands into dominant online industry leaders. Her career in journalism began covering high school sports for the Palm Beach Post, and we will discuss her exciting...

Certified Medical Interpreter Kelly Grzech talks to Shannon about the right of all non-English speaking patients to a medical interpreter. A misunderstanding between doctor and patient can have dire, even fatal, consequences, which can be avoided by using a medical interpreter. It doesn't matter if a patient is a citizen, undocumented immigrant, or traveler from abroad; all non-English speaking pa...

Dr. Maureen M. Petersen, the Allergy/Immunology Fellowship Director of the National Capital Consortium Program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, talks to Shannon Fisher about diabetes from both a medical and personal perspective. Dr. Petersen’s daughter, Kyleigh, has type 1 diabetes and joins the conversation to offer her perspective on having been diagnosed with the...

Shannon welcomes Dr. Anne Brown, PhD, RN. Brown worked as an Alcohol Clinical Specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and also served as the Program Director of the Outpatient Drug and Alcohol Program at Greater Cape Ann Human Services. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia, BS in Nursing; Boston University, MS in Psychiatric-Mental Health in Nursing; and International Unive...

Shannon welcomes improv great and comedy writer, Ali Davis, to discuss Ali's book, True Porn Clerk Stories, a collection of vignettes born of Ali's popular blog in which she shares hilarious stories from her days as a video store clerk. The two also discuss Ali's experiences as an improv performer, including three years with The Second City touring company. The Authentic W...