KUT News

Shannon Stott and Quinn Buckner are not twins, but they are the two members of an improv troupe called Twins, and they’re currently producing the show "It’s Okay To Laugh," which aims to bring a different perspective to improv comedy.

Wynton Kelly was a piano prodigy who accompanied legendary performers across hundreds of songs but failed to make it big as a bandleader. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz Historian Neil Blumofe walks us through Kelly's upbringing, aspirations, and why he was often viewed simply as a "first rate sideman". Music: “Freddie Freeloader” - Miles Davis [1959] “Cornbread” - Hal Singer [1948]...

Melba Liston was a master arranger and a trombonist with an incredible but often overlooked talent. On this episode of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe discusses life and legacy. Music: Melba Liston - “Insomnia” [1959] Dizzy Gillespie - “Annie’s Dance” [1957] Randy Weston - “Caban Bamboo Highlife” [1963] Melba Liston - “Very Syrian Bamboo” [1959] Melba Liston - “You Don’t Say” [1...

In the heat of the moment, revenge can be an appealing idea to consider but often it has devastating results with fleeting satisfaction. Revenge narratives permeate popular media and we dislike when a wrongdoer goes unpunished, so why don't we actually decide to carry out justice ourselves? In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about revenge fantasies.

Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger likens curiosity to wonderment. He believes curiosity is more of an internal than and external phenomenon that does not necessarily manifest itself in the asking of lots of questions. Does Burger believe curiosity can be taught? Yes. Does he believe it should be taught? Absolutely. Burger talks with KUT's Jennifer Stayton in this episode of the KUT p...

Featured on the program are Coretta Scott King, former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, former President Barack Obama, and D’ Army Bailey.

Chuck Smith joined Equality Texas in 2003 as a volunteer and helped out at their annual Lobby Day at the state capitol. Equality Texas is an organization that, in its own words, “works to secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Texans.” Just about 15 years later – last December – Smith stepped down as CEO. He talked recently with KUT's Jennifer Stayton about the cha...

Morning Edition host Jennifer Stayton speaks with journalist Molly Ivins in 2004 about her book, "Who Let the Dogs In? Incredible Political Animals I Have Known."

Filmmaker Richard Whymark has spent the past eleven years working on the documentary "Fiore: In Love With Clay," about the life and work of sculptor Fiore De Henriquez. Finally completed, the film will have its American premiere this Sunday night.

Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger says in a recent class some of his students assumed an unidentified quote came from a man because of its direct and forceful language. The quote, in fact, came from a women - Helen Keller. Burger also reports that when the students discovered the quote came from a well-regarded source, they felt favorably about it. Burger talks with KUT's Jennifer St...

We're used to seeing certain people in only one context, but why do we get so thrown off when we see them elsewhere? How do cultural differences in collectivism and individualism shape the way we may perceive people in a variety of settings? In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about acquaintances in the wild.

In 2016, CVG purchased the iconic African American lifestyle magazine. Johnson Publishing retained its Fashion Fair Cosmetics business and its historic Ebony photo archives. A family-owned business throughout its history, Ebony has documented the African-American experience since it first hit newsstands in 1945.

In 2012, he joined NBC News and MSNBC as a National Reporter contributing online and on air for NBC News and MSNBC digital. Lee covers social justice issues and the role of race, violence, politics and law enforcement…Lee has earned two National Association of Black Journalists awards, one for digital media in 2015 for his MSNBC coverage of the protest in Ferguson MO., the other for his 2016, orig...

On the first 2019 episode of This is Just To Say, poet and novelist Carrie Fountain discusses the importance of metaphor, conveying experience and more in Ellen Bass's "I Could Touch It" with the author herself.

Celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2019, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe walks us through the origins of Blue Note Records and how genres like bebop helped to understand the turbulence of the times. Music: Horace Silver - "Silver's Serenade" Sidney Bechet - "Early In The Morning" Thelonious Monk - "Thelonious".

Through adjectives? Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger contends that "adding the adjective" to a situation, problem, or puzzle can lead to a deeper understanding and better learning. But just tacking on a descriptive word or two is not enough. Burger talks with KUT's Jennifer Stayton in this episode of KUT's podcast "Higher Ed" about how to keep looking and thinking once that adjectiv...

Labels are an essential part of distinguishing between one another but they can also pigeonhole one's sense of identity. How can we adjust our approach to labeling mental illnesses, particularly in children, in a communally constructive way? In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about labels.

Reflecting on 2018 and looking into 2019, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe connects jazz and reinvention, then recites "New Year's Recipe" by Carlos Drummond de Andrade. Music: Art Tatum - "Prisoner of Love"

Carrie rings in 2019 with Kim Addonizio's "New Year's Day"!

As per the Texas Constitution, judges in Texas who have been elected or re-elected officially take office on January 1. This past November saw quite a political shift in judges elected to the 14 Court of Appeals districts in Texas. Those are the courts that hear appeals from district courts. Four state appeals courts – in Houston, Dallas and Austin – changed from Republican control to Democratic c...

Happy Holidays! In this wholesome edition of This Is Just To Say, Carrie joins Girl Scout Troop 42607 from Lee Elementary School to discuss the meaning of "Crying" by Galway Kinnell.

Happy 2019! It’s that time of the year when we resolve to drink less, exercise more, save money, etc. It may feel really good to intend to do “better” in the new year, but as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explain in this 2015 edition of Two Guys on Your Head, real change takes planning and hard work.

When Washington began covering the auto industry – there were only three big companies – that has changed – there are now auto groups.

The two cheapest and easiest things we can do for our health is sleep more and exercise more, so why don't we do it? Sleep and exercise have an immense impact on physical and mental health both in the moment and for your future self. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about exercise and sleep.

For some people, the holidays cannot come and go soon enough. They can come with a pretty strong case of the blues - depression or anxiety that can surge at this time of year. Mental health and mental illness are hard to talk about no matter the type or duration of the condition. To try and get the conversation started, KLRU’s “Decibel” news magazine is airing a special this month called “Mental H...