Free Food For Thought

Join Emma as she interviews Reyna Grande, a best-selling Mexican-American author known for her memoirs, as she reflects on her experience as an undocumented child immigrant from Mexico to the U.S. In this episode, Grande's discusses how her experiences have informed her writings, her unique perspective on the American Dream, and the significance of the Mexican-American community. 

Join Avi and Luke for an engaging discussion with Jared Loggins and Emily Bernard as they delve into the significance of personal narratives, the value of revisiting foundational texts and historical accounts to uncover truth, and the cultivation of a responsible community. This conversation promises to illuminate how individual stories and historical context shape our understanding of responsibil...

Join Daniel and Violet as they interview Melvin Rogers, an established academic, as they discuss James Baldwin and topics surrounding the evolving meanings of freedom and equality, the confrontation of historic racial inequality, identity, and American Democracy.

Join Ryan as he sits down with Ellen to discuss her background as the first Hispanic woman to enter Space in 1993, the second female director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, and more. They discuss her career at NASA, challenges she faced, and the future of space exploration.

Natalie and Grace interview Michelle on her experience growing up in a family cult, encapsulating the emotional and physical barriers she faced while learning how to forage and live off the land her cult owned.

Ellie and Natalie sit down with Professor Ahuja to discuss India's democratic framework, ethnic parties, and more.

Wrongfully convicted and sentenced to 60 years to life in prison, Ruben Piñuelas began studying the law in his solitary confinement cell, which led to his exoneration. Join us as Caren interviews Ruben on his experience and reflections upon being released.

Natalie and Kimmy sit down with Robert and Brenda to discuss poetry's role in modern society, the evolution of poetry's role throughout time, and the mechanisms that shape its meaning.

Tudor and Lucy sit down with Memo to discuss the intersection of art, technology, and the human experience. Together, they unpack speculative simulations, data dramatizations, and the influence of AI on art.

Rohan sits down with Sohrab and Jason to discuss the evolving news industry, partisanship, populism, border security, and the impact of immigration on the 2024 election.

Lucy sits down with Richard to discuss his Juvenile in Justice project, restorative justice, and family structures.

Ryan sits down with Dean Logan to explore his upbringing, career journey, election administration, the role of election watchdogs, and more. Dean Logan is the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk for Los Angeles County, California -- the nation’s largest, most diverse local election jurisdiction serving more than 5.7 million registered voters. In addition to election administration, his office records...

Join Tudor and Natalie as they interview Ben Laude on preserving and revitalizing classical Piano for younger audiences. Ben Laude is a concert pianist, music educator, and video producer whose playing has been described by the New York Times as “superb in pace, tone, and eloquence.” He has performed in recent seasons with the Southern Tier Symphony, New Amsterdam Symphony, and Austin Civic Orches...

Marshal and Ellie sit down with Omer Bartov, the Samuel Pisar Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University, to speak about his new novel, "The Butterfly and the Axe," the Holocaust, and the history of Ukraine in this enlightening episode.

Nathaniel Worley sits down with professor of Philosophy Dr. Susan Schneider in this insightful episode.

Nathaniel joins Brookings fellow Michael O'Hanlon for a conversation on college, war, and speech.

Nathaniel sits down with Gabby in this insightful episode.

In this episode, Marshall Bessey sat down with Felicia Marcus, the William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Water in the West Program and an attorney, consultant, and member of the Water Policy Group to discuss a range of topical issues.

Marshall and Nathaniel sat down with Professor Emeritus at the University of Leeds Ian Wood to discuss his upbringing, the Franks, and the church as a socio-economic power.

Ellie Lerner and Vedanth Reddy sit down with Taner Akçam discuss the national security implications of Turkish denial of the Armenian genocide on stability and reconciliation efforts in the region today. Historian Taner Akçam is the inaugural director of the Armenian Genocide Research Program of the Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA. Previously he was the Kaloosdian and Mugar Chair in Modern Arme...

Emma Pan and Tutu Jereissati sit down with Professor Cassia Roth to talk about women's reproductive health in relation to legal and medical policy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Cassia Roth is associate professor of history and Latin American & Caribbean Studies at the University of Georgia. Her book, A Miscarriage of Justice: Women’s Reproductive Lives and the Law in Early Twentieth-Century B...

Emma Pan and Ryan Lenney sit down with Justin Brooks, director and co-founder of the California Innocence Project.

Nathaniel and Emma sat down with Richard Sander — economist and Distinguished Professor of Law at UCLA — to discuss his work on the problems of social inequality.

Emma Pan sat down with David Tolchinsky to discuss if and how film and television can help normalize mental health.

Nathaniel and Ellie sat down with Lingling Wei, chief China correspondent of The Wall Street Journal and co-author of  Superpower Showdown, to discuss how Xi Jinping is reshaping and ring-fencing China's economy amid heightened competition with the U.S.