KUT News

Leadership is not as easy as it might appear. At times even leaders themselves might not be aware of everything that makes their leadership effective. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about leadership and they muse about how it's easy to work harder than you need to.

The end of the school year is a busy time for students, faculty, staff, and families. Finals exams are looming; seniors in college or graduate school may be on the hunt for a job; and many students have to say goodbye to friends and teachers. Actually, the entire school year can feel stressful with tests, grades, activities and high expectations to perform well. In this episode of KUT's podcast "H...

The StoryCorps mobile booth was in Austin this January, and we’re bringing you some of the stories that were recorded there. Matt Duncan spent part of his birthday this year in the StoryCorps mobile booth. He sat down with his father, 83-year-old Martin Duncan, who shared some memories of his life, beginning with his birth in Chickasha, Oklahoma.

Austin musician Oliver Rajamani was born in India and has spent years exploring and playing music from all parts of the world. This Sunday, he’ll debut his new album and documentary, Flamenco India, with a performance and film screening at Zach Theater.

In her book, Eloquent Rage, Dr. Brittney Cooper doesn’t shy away from friendship and feminism; family and violence, sex and faith; and race and gender.

This weekend, Austin Playhouse will present their Festival of New Texas Plays. After narrowing down the entrants to ten finalists, they’ll be presenting staged readings of the three winning plays. Artistic director Lara Toner Haddock and winning playwright C. Denby Swanson talk about the festival.

Poet Matthew Dickman reads from his new book of poems Wonderland and talks with poet and novelist Carrie Fountain about toxic masculinity, childhood, the origins of violence, and much more.

The StoryCorps mobile booth was in Austin this January, and we’re bringing you some of the stories that were recorded there. Piper Stege Nelson spent some time in the StoryCorps mobile booth with her seven year old daughter, Molly Magnolia Nelson. They talked a bit about Molly’s life now and what it might be like in the future.

It turns out you can have too much of a good thing when it comes to your charismatic leader. On this week's edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explore why that is.

This spring, The Vortex is celebrating their 30 year anniversary with Performance Park, an immersive theatrical scavenger hunt that encompasses the entire Vortex compound and is inspired by the major arcana of the Tarot. Performers Melissa Vogt and Alex Cogburn and director Bonnie Collum talk about the piece.

The relationship between teacher and student can be incredibly influential both during and after school. A current college student suggested a "Higher Ed" discussion about making those relationships meaningful and how grades and behavior could be impacted. In this episode of KUT's podcast "Higher Ed," Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger and KUT's Jennifer Stayton discuss how students a...

In her book ‘Eloquent Rage’ Cooper gives up an up close and personal look at what it means to be Black, Female and a Feminist. Cooper reminds us that anger is a powerful source of energy that can give women the strength to keep on fighting, and that rage can be a clarifying and essential political resource in a shifting political landscape.

Poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil talks with poet and novelist Carrie Fountain about reclaiming the power, beauty, and wonder of a C-section birth through her poem "Self-Portrait as C-Section Scar." They also talk about Nezhukumatathil's entry point into poetry through the work of Naomi Shihab Nye, and she shares one of her favorite poems, "Eclipse" from poet Jenny George's debut book, The Dream of Reaso...

Two people were killed and four were injured in a series of bombings in Austin, Texas, in March, 2018. The bomber blew himself up as police closed in on him early on the morning of March 21st. There are still many questions about the bomber’s motives and questions about other aspects of the case including how the media covered it. But the answers to those questions depend on which media you’re tal...

The S.S. Hangover will be at the Contemporary Austin’s Laguna Gloria location this spring. The kinetic sound sculpture features a brass band playing aboard a specially painted Icelandic fishing boat. Andrea Mellard is the Contemporary’s director for public programs, Kjartan Sveinsson is the composer of S.S. Hangover, and Jacob Schnitzer is co-artistic director of Density 512, the band that will be...

The StoryCorps mobile booth was in Austin this January, and we’re bringing you some of the stories that were recorded there. Jeremy Bolf came to the StoryCorps mobile booth to learn more about his family’s matriarch, affectionately known as Granny Bolf. Jeremy was too young to know his grandmother well before her passing in 1975, so he asked his father Stanley, who was her youngest son, and his au...

Independence in highly valued in American society, but everyone needs help every once in a while. In this episode of KUT's podcast "Higher Ed," Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger and KUT's Jennifer Stayton discuss asking for help in education and the relative merits of different forms of assistance.

Completing all the tasks we have to do during the day can be exhausting, but we might not realize the fatigue we feel due to all of the things we leave undone. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the Zeigarnik effect. Also, check out the article Rebecca McInroy references in this week's show. https://urbanmoms.ca/parenting/invisible-workload-mother...

In 2013, Montana woke up one morning and decide he wanted to open a distillery. He had been making home-brewed beer for 10 years. Also, he wanted to begin a family business that would bring together his wife Shanelle’s rural upbringing and his urban experience growing up in Minneapolis.

The name and venue have changed over the years, but in one form or another, Art City Austin has been a tradition since 1950. It returns to the Palmer Event Center this weekend, and will feature not just visual art, but also performance, food and drinks, activities and installations. Eric Hiduke is the chair of the board and Andrea Hyland is the events and program manager of Art Alliance Austin, wh...

Many leadership positions in the City of Austin, including Fire Chief and Police Chief, need - or will soon need - permanent leaders. Until recently, the position responsible for filling those jobs – Austin City Manager – was also vacant. Spencer Cronk started as City Manager on February 12th, 2018. He came to Austin from Minneapolis where he was City Coordinator. Cronk told KUT's Jennifer Stayton...

Poet Tomás Q. Morín reads his poem "For My Daughter" from his collection Patient Zero, and talks with poet and novelist Carrie Fountain about experiencing loss, the power of imagining the unlived life, and the vulnerability it takes to create as a poet and an artist.

The StoryCorps mobile booth was in Austin this January, and we’re bringing you some of the stories that were recorded there. Vanessa Beltran and Emmy Laursen became friends almost four years ago while taking part in a 4000 mile bike ride from Austin to Anchorage, Alaska. They recently sat down in the StoryCorps mobile booth to talk about their enduring friendship.

Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger says one of higher education's most serious future challenges will be to remain "relevant to the intellectual and creative needs of students who will graduate into a world in which over 65% will eventually hold careers in positions that have yet to be created." In this episode of KUT's podcast "Higher Ed," Dr. Burger and KUT's Jennifer Stayton discus...

There are many reasons we might not be happy with the decisions we make, but it turns out not many of them have to do with the actual choice. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of disappointment.